Guns And Alcohol Dont Mix

It’s a scene steeped in the traditions of our land. A firearm, a comfy fire blazing, and a rugged outdoorsman relaxing with a stiff drink or two after a long day’s work. The trope of a gun and a glass or bottle of whiskey (and maybe a cigar) crops up on the social channels quite often as well.

Sure, firearms ownership, and to an extent, alcohol are synonymous with the rebel spirit of (most) of our nation. The Founding Fathers owned guns, distilled their own spirits, brewed their own beer, and planted their own tobacco. Ironically we now have a government agency whose sole purpose seems to be restricting those very things. And, as we discussed in a prior podcast, Prohibition begat modern gun control.

That being said, in this day and age, I have to recommend that Second Amendment Radicals and armed citizens of all stripes choose to walk the path of sobriety.

Here’s why…

You Do You, I’m Just Making A Recommendation

No, I didn’t suddenly turn into a lecturing teetotaler, or worse, a male harridan. I don’t believe in using the cudgel of government force to restrict what you do with your own body. Drink up, smoke up, snort up - unless your behavior (on or off those substances) affects me, I simply don’t care. A primary reason we carry guns is so people can’t claim ownership over our bodies and minds. Owning said body and mind includes the right to abuse it.

I mean, after all, if I’m advocating for the abolition of gun control, it’d be quite hypocritical if I were advocating for the control of alcoholic beverages. Those controls are idiotic too, and it’s all a racket by the liquor industry really. But this isn’t the Regular Guy Booze blog, it’s the Regular Guy Guns blog, so we’ll save that line of thought for some other place.

But anyways, again, in this day and age, I cannot condone “mixing” guns and alcohol

Own And Carry A Gun? Stay Sober

Sure, we’ve been down this road before on my podcast. But it’s a topic worth elaborating on, and also some people, myself included, prefer to read rather than listen.

While the right to keep and bear arms is sacrosanct and should always be so, the actual act of picking up that firearm should be only done after careful consideration. Holstering that GLOCK and going out into the world means you have a tool on your hip that can assist you in rapidly changing the course of someone else’s life, in a very pointed and final way. One should be of sound mind when doing so.

Yes, Alcohol Clouds Your Judgement

Drunk texting, thinking you can beat that Marine up at the bar, white boy salsa dancing, alcohol does contribute to lapses in judgement. We’ve all been there, certainly, and hopefully we’ve got nothing more than a bruised ego to show for it. However, unfortunately we’ve all heard horror stories where something that shouldn’t have escalated into guns being drawn, did so, and some irreversible decisions were made. Laws are just words on paper (backed up by a death threat, to be sure), but people still do dumb things and they’ll get drunk, and involve their guns.

Sure, the first option is to drink and not have your gun on hand. OK, that’s fine. You can proceed to drunk text thots, take a swing at a trained war machine, and do your two-left-feet jig to that Tito Puente number on the sound system. Even if it escalates, unless you know kung-fu, you’re probably not going to grievously injure anyone except yourself.

However, living in a free society means there’s attendant risks. You might be prudent and not carry whilst getting your drink on. No GLOCKs on the rocks for you. No H&K with a shot of Jäger. However, there’s really nothing stopping the other guy from being a dope and carrying while drinking.

That means the second option. Don’t drink, and keep that judiciously-holstered handgun at your side or your AR-pattern rifle at the ready. You’re clear-headed as much as you can be, and your decisions are unclouded by what is realistically a poison. I used to like to drink. But to be honest I enjoy firearms and the right to keep and bear arms more, so I made the decision not to drink. Any decision I’m making where a gun is concerned is all me - unclouded.

Alcohol Limits You Physically

Despite what you might be thinking under the influence (no, you can’t punch through concrete, Bill), alcohol limits you physically - both while under the influence and after. Sure, the legends have it of notorious barroom brawlers engaging in outrageous feats of strength, but that’s all hyperbole and also the simple fact that they’re not feeling the damage til later.

Manipulating a firearm is definitely something that requires a fair bit of manual dexterity and some fashion of physical strength. Sure, even though calibers like 9mm and 5.56mm are pretty mild in the recoil department, you still need some “oomph” to keep everything lined up a proper. A stout grip helps ensure accuracy, and on the rifle side of things, your standard AR-15 weighs a little and you’re going to be hefting that thing around for a bit, whether it’s at the range or in an actual threat environment.

If you’re trying to do that drunk, forget about it. You’re more of a threat to yourself at that point. Even hungover it’s questionable. You might “blow” sober but you’re still tired and foggy. If it’s a training situation, you’re wasting ammo. If it’s a real-world situation, you’re at an even bigger disadvantage versus your opponent. He could be drunk or otherwise under the influence, but you’re surprised, and hungover.

And speaking of hangovers…

If Things Go Sideways, It Won’t Be At The ‘Right’ Time

Face it, things in our nation are still uncertain. Despite the executive leadership and people in the legislature and media making calls for ‘unity’, it’s still pretty contentious out there. The calls for ‘unity’ are basically veiled threats to engender conformity amongst rabble-rousers like ourselves, and last time I checked, there’s still riots going on, and various other tensions along racial, ideological and class lines going on in the United States. One guy won the federal electoral pissing contest, and that means, like always, half the country is angry about it. Though coupled with unrest, lingering ‘rona effects, and bureaucratic death threats, it’s more tense than ever. It hasn’t calmed down.

Shit could still happen, though as a gang of liberty-promoting lovable scamps, we must always strive for peaceful solutions - while retaining the right to “go hot” if the opposition pursues that line of thought.

But I’m digressing.

Whether at a local level or a national level, if things go violent, it won’t be at a time of your choosing. Even if it’s just an attack on you, it’s not like you’ll be given much notice.

It won’t be a breezy Wednesday afternoon with temperatures in the upper 60s and low humidity. It’ll be at the worst possible time. And you sure as hell don’t want to be drunk or hungover if and when the infamously-speculated Anderson Cooper Taco Frenzy and Clambake Fiesta 5.0 decides to kick in.

Just imagine, the balloon goes up. You hear gunshots outside, screaming, and the other sights and sounds of civil unrest. You were out earlier that evening or the day before (day drinking is fashionable now?) and you’re shaking off the dregs, when all this nonsense comes to a head. You’re fumbling for your AR-15, AK, or pistol, and trying to kick that home defensive plan into action. You’re slow, sluggish, and just plain bumbling around.

Or you could be sober, maybe a little tired, and you’re that much more in control of things. Not a 100% to be fair, but you’re better off than the mobs outside, at least.

If anything, the uncertainty in today’s society should encourage one to take the path of sobriety. You don’t want to be drunk or hungover if the feces hits the spinning air movement device.

Some Liquor Companies Support Gun Control

Yeah, yeah yeah - beer is as American as July 4th, the Second Amendment, and apple pie. But, as a whole, the liquor industry has donated a staggering amount of money to politicians and other associated organizations that promote or at least support gun control. Now, to be fair, corporations will often play both sides of the political races in this nation so regardless of the winner, they can curry favor with the administration somehow - but be that as it may, every time you quaff that beer or take that Jäger shot, you may be supporting gun control.

Sure, let’s be realistic here. I’m typing this on a computer designed and built by a company that’s known for championing progressive causes. It’s connected to an internet service provider that’s notorious for being against individual rights. Simply existing in today’s world means you’re spending money that will some how end up in the pocket of a gun control supporter. The corporate forces are aligned against the side of freedom and fun. But we know that - but we can start somewhere in fighting it, especially with non-essential, but big industries.

And one of those is the liquor and beer industry. Now, if you’re not going to go cold turkey, it is entirely possible to be selective about whom your booze dollars go towards. Typically your local microbrews and small-batch distillers tend to support more liberty-oriented causes, since they themselves have been the victims of Big Government. Remember the “A” in “ATF” stands for “Alcohol”.

By being choosy about who we spend our dollars with, we can steer the ship, so to speak. The corporations don’t have a mind of their own, per se - they cater to the whims of those who spend money with them.

It’s A Polite Suggestion - The Sober Life

One of the foundation blocks of liberty is “you do you”. In a basic sense, consuming alcohol only causes changes to you yourself. Your body, your choice. In no way should there be laws regulating what you choose to put into your body. All the things the AFT chooses to stick it’s nose in need not be regulated.

However, I’m hoping the polite suggestion of the sober life gives one some things to ponder. Stay sharp - it’s a crazy world out there.

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