After Oklahoma Beheading and ISIS Threats, Arkansas Firing Range Becomes First To Exclude Muslims

Jan Morgan, owner of The Gun Cave Indoor Range, has declared her facility a "Muslim free zone." (image via JanMorganMedia.com) Bearing Arms – by Bob Owens

n an act that will no doubt result in lawsuits, The Gun Cave Indoor Shooting Range in Hot Springs, Arkansas, has declared itself a “Muslim free zone” due to concerns over domestic Islamic terrorism. The ban was announced yesterday by range owner Jan Morgan in an article posted to her web site where she cites ten points justifying her position.

Among the points cited are prior attacks in the United States that the federal government refuses to classify as terrorism, including the Fort Hood attack, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the last week’s Oklahoma City beheading. Morgan has also received death threats in the past for her writing about Islam.  

Another incident that weighed heavily in Morgan’s decision was an incident at her firing range several weeks ago, which she relayed to Bearing Arms this morning.

Morgan claims that two Muslim men who spoke only broken English came to her range and requested to rent semi-automatic firearms and ammunition. One of them could not produce any identification showing that he was in the country legally, and the other had a California driver’s license. Neither had any apparent firearms training. She allowed them to rent one firearm, and stood behind them the entire time they were on the range, her hand on or near her holstered Glock 19. All other patrons voluntarily vacated the firing line while they were shooting.

She brings up a very valid point that gun stores and ranges have both a legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of their patrons. Because of this, they may refuse service to anyone they deem to be under the influence, mentally unstable, or otherwise a potential threat to themselves, or others. FFLs are afforded a great deal of latitude in this regard, as the federal government would rather err on the side of caution.

While FFls and range operators have a great deal of latitude in their business dealings, it is doubtful that a blanket ban based upon religion is remotely viable on First Amendment grounds. This is no more legally viable than a ban on Baptists or Catholics.

Morgan expects that she will be sued over the decision for civil rights violations, and is gearing up for a court battle.

She claims that so far she has received support from all 50 states, and very little criticism.

Other Second Amendment supporters, such as Caleb Giddings of Gun Nuts Media, are strongly against Morgan’s decision:

Here’s an important point: yes, there are terrorists. There are quite a few terrorists who are followers of this or that sect of radical Islam. Those are bad people. But the 2nd Amendment isn’t for those people, the 2nd Amendment is for Americans. All Americans. Regardless of race, religion, sex, or creed. Last time I checked, the important text of the 2nd Amendment didn’t say “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed – unless you’re black, Muslim, or gay.”

To me, that’s what the most frustrating thing about this. Yes, it reinforces negative stereotypes about my people; yes it’s bigoted; and yes it’s likely a desperate attempt for relevance from someone that no one’s ever heard of. But most importantly, and most frustratingly it absolutely misses the point of what the 2nd Amendment, and what this entire country is all about. This is the United States of America, and while we’re not as good at the whole “freedom” thing as we used to be, we’re still the best in the world. People in this country are absolutely free to pray to whichever god they wish, and those same people are free to own and use firearms for their self-defense, recreation, hunting, or any other lawful purpose. The 2nd Amendment is acivil right the same as the 1st Amendment. What Jan Morgan is doing is denying an entire group of people, an entire group of Americans, access to a fundamental civil right, simply because she doesn’t like the god they pray to, and the holy book they read. That misses the entire point of everything America is supposed to be about.

While Morgan may have a valid concern than some Islamic terrorists may attempt to use firing ranges or gun shops to acquire weapons, it isn’t acceptable to ban an entire religion from service under our Constitution. The Constitution and Bill of Rights must apply equally to all of us, or they aren’t worth anything at all.

http://bearingarms.com/oklahoma-beheading-isis-threats-arkansas-firing-range-become-first-exclude-muslims/

9 thoughts on “After Oklahoma Beheading and ISIS Threats, Arkansas Firing Range Becomes First To Exclude Muslims

  1. Americans yes, if the owner wants to serve you there. If not a citizen, no if the owner does not want to serve you there. They are running a business.

    They reserve the right to refuse service to anyone they choose.

  2. There are so many nasty disgusting words that come to mind about this “15 minutes of seeking fame b–ch that I can think of right now that it does me no good to waiste my breath on, but here is where I will. I hope the
    testosterone idiots in that state put her out of business because they realize this is a fools move and won’t take a part in it, and then she gets sued personally! We all say and do stupid things because we’re angry or fearful, only smart ones no the difference and don’t put it out to the public. If you think this is a smart business move, I want you to know that this will backfire on her in such a big way that she is already at this very moment losing sleep over it. There is a time and place to rile people and this is not one of them! By the way, I’m not Muslim.

    1. I think it is a great business decision. There are no moderate musilims. All muslims want to kill you. They may pretend to like Americans, but inside they want you dead. I think every square inch of America should be a muslim free zone.
      Just my two cents. By the way, I am not muslim either.

  3. I don’t hate the sword, I hate the one using the sword to attack me. I have serious doubts about all these recent beheadings being remotely authentic as the amount of mossad/is-real-hell/joo connections run deep.

    We all know how well the ‘brews like to play people against each so I’ll simply consider the source for all this anti-Muslim propaganda and believe it when I have evidence from less biased and corrupt sources.

    I am an American national with western European ancestry. I am NOT Caucasian. I believe in Christ and I most certainly will not fall for the lies that come from those who have hijacked the name of those who despised Him for His truth.

Join the Conversation

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


*