So after being dragged kicking and screaming into the firearm debate, first by Open Carry Texas and then by Moms Demand Something or Other, Target has released an official statement regarding customers carrying guns at its stores:
As you’ve likely seen in the media, there has been a debate about whether guests in communities that permit “open carry” should be allowed to bring firearms into Target stores. Our approach has always been to follow local laws, and of course, we will continue to do so. But starting today we will also respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target – even in communities where it is permitted by law.
Emphasis mine. While the boys and girls over in Bloomberg’s camp are busy jerking themselves off because they believe that they achieved their goal of getting Target to ban guns (reading comprehension has never been their strong suit) the truth is nothing has changed. Target basically said “Listen, both of you, we don’t want to get dragged into this shit. We just want to sell you stuff so you give us money. How about it? Can we just do business?”
I know a lot of gun rights activists are concerned that Moms Demand Something or Other will one day get a business to actually ban guns but I’m becoming less and less concerned. Each time Shannon Watts and her very small posse gets riled up and starts targeting a business they always get the same response: a statement from the business saying that nothing has changed and they really don’t want to be dragged into this debate. And that’s likely the only response they’ll ever receive because it gets Shannon and her friends to shut up and issuing an actual ban would be bad for business.
As a person whose only interest in Target is doing business I appreciate its desire to also only do business.