Electronic stores in two states offer free guns
Laura Zuckerman – Thu Apr 7, 10:56 am ET
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A chain of electronic stores in parts of the states of Idaho and Montana are offering free guns to first-time subscribers of satellite TV services.
The new promotions by combination RadioShack and Dish Network dealerships in western Montana and another in southwest Idaho have attracted crowds that range from the merely curious to the firearm-friendly.
John Marshall, owner of a RadioShack store in Mountain Home, Idaho near Boise, said the flagging economy was behind the program he began advertising this week.
"There's no problem with it here; this isn't New York City," he said about a gun giveaway that has sparked criticism on blogs by gun-control advocates elsewhere.
Under the arrangement, new subscribers to a Dish Network package are given a coupon for $135 to purchase a single-shot shotgun at a local sporting goods store.
The guns-for-subscriptions offer is the brainchild of Steve Strand, owner of a RadioShack store in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.
Strand said the promotional campaign he crafted last fall has proved a sure-fire strategy to target satellite subscribers in a region that favors firearms. Subscriptions for Dish Network packages have increased threefold since he began offering freebies on pistols or shotguns.
Strand said women make up the majority of his growing customer base.
"All I can tell you is, grandma is packing a gun in Montana," he said.
A RadioShack official questioned the promotion but the corporation has not prohibited it by franchise owners like Strand.
"I might not even consider such a program if I were in Detroit city but we have a different demographic out here," Strand said.
(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Tim Gaynor)
Electronic stores in two states offer free guns
Laura Zuckerman – Thu Apr 7, 10:56 am ETSALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A chain of electronic stores in parts of the states of Idaho and Montana are offering free guns to first-time subscribers of satellite TV services.
The new promotions by combination RadioShack and Dish Network dealerships in western Montana and another in southwest Idaho have attracted crowds that range from the merely curious to the firearm-friendly.
John Marshall, owner of a RadioShack store in Mountain Home, Idaho near Boise, said the flagging economy was behind the program he began advertising this week.
"There's no problem with it here; this isn't New York City," he said about a gun giveaway that has sparked criticism on blogs by gun-control advocates elsewhere.
Under the arrangement, new subscribers to a Dish Network package are given a coupon for $135 to purchase a single-shot shotgun at a local sporting goods store.
The guns-for-subscriptions offer is the brainchild of Steve Strand, owner of a RadioShack store in Montana's Bitterroot Valley.
Strand said the promotional campaign he crafted last fall has proved a sure-fire strategy to target satellite subscribers in a region that favors firearms. Subscriptions for Dish Network packages have increased threefold since he began offering freebies on pistols or shotguns.
Strand said women make up the majority of his growing customer base.
"All I can tell you is, grandma is packing a gun in Montana," he said.
A RadioShack official questioned the promotion but the corporation has not prohibited it by franchise owners like Strand.
"I might not even consider such a program if I were in Detroit city but we have a different demographic out here," Strand said.
(Editing by Dan Whitcomb and Tim Gaynor)
From an earlier post...
ReplyDeletemikeb302000 said... "Weaseldog, You'll get no argument from me that someone who wants to commit murder can do it using something other than a gun. But, does that mean we should make it easy for people like that to get guns?"
He was a veterinarian. He was licensed to buy and sell prescription narcotics.
He was already vetted by tougher standards than our gun laws.
I don't know how you can prevent people with a clean criminal history from buying guns, without a complete ban.
We don't let people with a history of spousal abuse to buy guns, so he was clean for that too. You don't even have to be convicted for that to count against you.
You've made good arguments in other posts. This one has no good answer.
As to the poster saying that drugs can be identified by forensics, I'll point out that gunshot wounds can be discovered by modern forensics too.
Why Weaseldog is wrong:
ReplyDelete1. Weasel dog assumes vets are held to much stricter vetting than regular citizens---the answer is not really. They are different standards. Obviously, if the vet had been found to be engaging in trafficking horse tranquilizers, his license to be a vet might be suspended or revoked. But if the vet--and this applies to MDs as well--had been found to, say, be a domestic abuser or have DUIs or have psychiatric issues, it's very likely there be no sanction to practice vetinary medicine.In fact, in some states, an MD can be a convicted felon and still practice medicine.
2. There are many ways to kill people; people can kill with drugs or a toothpick or a stapler. But it's a poor argument to think all methods of murder are equal. Guns greatly enhance both the ease and feasibility of murder. There's a reason we send troops into combat with firearms and not a fistful of narcotics or a baseball bat.
3. It simply isn't true spousal abuse bars legal gun purchases.
I'd like to repeat Jadegold's 3rd point. The disqualifying rules for domestic abuse are not nearly stringent enough, nor are they applicable in every state. Added to that should be other indications of rage, such as driving incidents and your run-of-the-mill fights and brawls.
ReplyDeleteAll these people should be screened out.