Drinking Alcoholic Beverages While Armed.

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In two words: BAD IDEA.

Its not about whether you are drunk and armed. Its about the negative implications associated with combining the two.

I mean, just because Im seen hanging out with prostitutes doesnt mean Im paying them for "favors," right? Just the same, bad idea...it does not look good and can only lead to trouble.

But, after all is said and done, I say "do what you will." Frankly, I have far more important things to worry about. However, when I carry...I choose to avoid alcohol. If Im drinking at home...any loaded weapons stay where they are and I dont touch them.

Accidents can and do happen (whether in the home or in public) and if they do, well, having alcohol in your system certainly wont help you out much when the excuses start flying.

So, essentially, to me, particularly when carrying a loaded weapon, its never a bad idea to use discretion whenever possible. In my mind, giving up a drink or two (or three, four, etc.) while toting a weapon around, falls within this discretion. On the flipside of that coin, leaving my weapon at home if/when I anticipate a decent amount of drinking is a minor sacrifice.
 
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Eric,

Driving while intoxicated is a crime, not "being in ownership of a set of car keys" while intoxicated.

Now, some of the irrationally aggressive moral entrepreneurs at MADD have pushed to criminalize just that (or close to it) in some places, removing from the elements of a crime the necessity of both action AND intent leaving just capability, but that fails any number of rational tests.

Similarly, there are very real practical distinctions between being in simple possession of a gun, being so in the presence of alcohol, being so and consuming alcohol, being so and actually reaching the absolutely arbitrarily determined legal standard for intoxication and, finally, being so, being legally intoxicated AND committing an actual criminal (or negligent) action that actually harms or risks harm to another individual.

The only rational standard for criminalizing or forbidding an action is the last. The rest use fear or moral disapproval to address perfectly safe (to others), in and of themselves, behaviors.
 
"Frankly, I dunno why y'all even bother."

Because it's fun to see who the absolutists are. You know, the ones who say to stay away from guns if you are taking a cough syrup with a fraction of a percent on alcohol in it or maybe thinking about drinking a non-alcoholic beer which I hope we all know by now has a fraction of a percent of alcohol in it.

It's just fun to see who is hating on the idea of drinking a beer or two after work. You know, some of us really do just have a couple of beers a day and life goes on.

And anyway, the original reason to drink beer while shooting was to produce empty steel beer cans. Today's aluminum cans are worthless targets.

23Im06.jpg


They're probably the same people who don't want me to buy cherry bombs and bottle rockets and unpasturized apple cider.

Anybody remember when it was legal to drink alcohol - in the car - while driving? It wasn't that long ago in Virginia. They punished you if you fouled up, just like they did the people who weren't drinking.

John

P.S. -

As of 2003, the first article google turned up:

"Drunk driving may be a crime in every state, but drinking while driving is still legal in three of them Indiana, Mississippi and Montana -- as long as the driver is sober.

In America, in fact, the right to tipple a bit while breezing down the road still finds some strong support, especially in places where resentment of federal dictates is deeply ingrained.

In eight states Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming passengers may drink alcoholic beverages in a moving vehicle. And in Arkansas, Colorado and West Virginia, it's legal to have open containers of alcohol in vehicles, although no one may drink from them while the vehicle is moving."

www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15435
 
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this issue. While I don't doubt that it's dangerous for some people to drink while armed, I certainly don't think that it's a definite no for everyone.

Let's take drinking and driving for example. I like to enjoy a drink every so often. I even like to get a bit tipsy at times. I never drive drunk though, despite the fact that I always have my car keys on me. I'm inclined to think therefore that I have the ability to drink while being armed without causing any harm to myself or others. Of course not everyone has the requisite self-control when it comes to drinking and driving. Therein lies the problem.

I don't know if there is a solution to this dilemma. I do know that drinking while being armed is not necessarily the problem that some people make it out to be. Do you think that with all those BBQ guns out there than not one person has ever had a beer to go with his ribs and brisket? What about the Swiss Schuzenfest? I've seen a quite a few pictures where there were both alcohol and rifles in them.
 
unloved said:
I'm not required to have justification for my natural rights. The idea that I am, is kinda in direct contravention to the whole concept of natural rights.
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You can do something because "I darn well please." I'm not going to say any natural right should be denied because of a lack of justification. But if you care what I think of your action, some justification is recommended.
 
Driving while intoxicated is a crime, not "being in ownership of a set of car keys" while intoxicated.
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I agree but using the key while intoxicated is against the law and every one is ok with that, but using a gun while intoxicated now some folks devide on that........I still do not understand.

Maybe I am the one who just does not get it.?
 
Well...as for me, from the beginning, I always kept this 100 percent 'clean':


No Alcohol if Carrying.


No Alcohol if riding Motorcycle.


Easy to do, and immediately removes potential complications if ever anything were to happen.
 
Eric F said:
I agree but using the key while intoxicated is against the law and every one is ok with that, but using a gun while intoxicated now some folks devide on that........I still do not understand.
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We're not discussing using a gun while intoxicated. We're discussing carrying a gun while drinking responsibly. IMO, there's a world of difference.
 
Eric,

Nope, no division at all on that among the law-abiding.

If it would be a legal shoot when you were sober, it is still a legal shoot while impaired.

If it would be an illegal shoot when you were sober, it is still an illegal shoot while impaired.

It is the action itself in its context that determines legality.

Simply "carrying the gun" is not "using" the gun.

"What if-ing" is no way to write laws.
 
The only rational standard for criminalizing or forbidding an action is the last. The rest use fear or moral disapproval to address perfectly safe (to others), in and of themselves, behaviors.
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Holy cow, somebody give Carebear a trophy! That's beautiful!

-Sam
 
I can easily handle 2 or 3 beers before or during driving. But, is what I can "handle" truly what its all about? Im betting not. It about the negative implications/potential dangers surrounding the mixing of alcohol with heavy, potentially deadly machinery.

Certainly guns are no different.

Now, even though government intervention is not necessarily my thing, I do think many individuals could show a bit more common sense/discretion when it comes to stuff like this.
 
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We should make a distinction between the car-keys and the carrying of a firearm.

Of all the times you would use your car keys were you sober, most of them involve driving the vehicle on public roads, which is a bad idea while under the influence. Thus one can resolve to simply not drive at all while under the influence, barring certain blatantly obvious emergencies.

Of all the times you would use a gun while sober, however, not all of them are a bad idea while under the influence. That is, if you have an immediate, rational and well-founded fear for your life on account of an attack, you may have a reason to use your gun.

If you resolve absolutely not to use your gun while under the influence, it might be considered no different from carrying car keys while under the influence. However, I suspect this is a much more difficult resolution for most of us, as in the back of our minds, we must acknowledge that there are legitimate uses for the gun even under the influence. Carrying a gun almost always carries with it an implied intent to use it, should it be necessary. Otherwise, why are you carrying a gun? Weight training?

If we do not accept this, it is possible that we may be forced to make a decision to use or withhold lethal force suddenly. This is where mistakes may be made.
 
Having an unloaded firearm in your possession while intoxicated is a misdemeanor.

Having an loaded firearm in your possession while intoxicated is a felony.

Don't do it.
 
Not even "intent to speed", simply "capability to speed"
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Sorry, but Art once got an "intent to speed" ticket on his Chev-Healey while it was parked at the curb. That stuck in my mind. :D

And, I can fix you up with a trophy, but I guarantee you, the pawn shop won't give you a dime for it.
 
stchman said:
Having an unloaded firearm in your possession while intoxicated is a misdemeanor.

Having an loaded firearm in your possession while intoxicated is a felony.

Don't do it.
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Not everywhere. The law in MO does not apply to all of us.
 
All I have to say on this subject is. If you are armed and have been or are drinking alcohol,I don't care how much or how little. STAY AWAY from me,my family,my house or any where on my property.
 
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