Gun control advocates ask Target to ban guns

By Justine McDaniel

Gun control group Moms Demand Action is continuing social media pressure in their campaign asking Target to ban the open carry of guns in stores, a reaction to gun rights activists who have openly carried firearms at Target.

The petition asking Target to “create gun sense policies” has garnered 150,000 signatures since June 4, according to Everytown, the gun control group that includes Moms Demand Action.

In tweets using the hashtag #OffTarget, Moms Demand Action supporters have been pledging to boycott the company and posting photos of pro-gun demonstrators openly carrying firearms in Target stores.

.@Target Moms won't follow this into your stores. This is #OffTarget! #momsdemand pic.twitter.com/rRIA7SZ1qs

— Moms Demand Action (@MomsDemand) June 4, 2014

“Target is a central part of the lives of American moms – we expect to be safe and secure when we wheel our kids around in the store’s red shopping carts,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action in a press release June 4.

Open Carry Texas, a prominent open-carry group whose members were featured in the photos posted by Moms members, responded to the Target campaign with a series of tweets saying that the photos were months old.

Good to see @shannonrwatts putting Bloomberg's millions to good use digging up MONTHS OLD pictures at a Target to further their #gunnonsense

— Open Carry Texas (@OpenCarryTexas) June 4, 2014

The group advertised a counter-petition on its Twitter account that tells Target to “welcome lawful gun owners” and had more than 1,400 signatures on change.org as of press time.

The Target petition comes after announcements in May from Chili’s Grill & Bar, Sonic Drive-In, Jack in the Box and Chipotle Mexican Grill asking customers not to bring guns to the restaurants.

Target did not respond to a request for comment.

Demonstrations by Open Carry Texas and similar groups, which bring long guns into stores and restaurants to promote the open carrying of firearms, ignited the debates over guns in chain stores.

The National Rifle Association released a statement May 30 warning gun rights advocates against such demonstrations.

“It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates,” the statement said. “…Using guns merely to draw attention to yourself in public not only defies common sense, it shows
a lack of consideration and manners.”

Target has not yet responded to Moms Demand Action. Both Chipotle and Jack in the Box asked customers not to bring in guns less than 48 hours after Moms launched petitions against them.