You've probably already seen this video of gun nuts being thrown out of Chili's for carrying assault rifles:

Now, Mark Follman at Mother Jones reports on a statement from the NRA that accuses those activists of irresponsible behavior. Here's the important bit:

Recently, demonstrators have been showing up in various public places, including coffee shops and fast food restaurants, openly toting a variety of tactical long guns. Unlicensed open carry of handguns is legal in about half the U.S. states, and it is relatively common and uncontroversial in some places.

Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms.

Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates.

I bet the NRA is worried about one of these scenes progressing into a shootout. If one drunk asshole angry about Obummer a-takin' away his second amendment rights loses his shit and shoots at a cop, the NRA's carefully constructed self-victimhood falls to pieces.