Do you want fries with that?

Burgers, Guns, Shootings: It’s Just Business

Last week, we reported on one of the disturbing high-profile shootings in America. This incident occurred at a Wendy’s in Florida.

According to the Associated Press:

A gunman dressed in a suit and tie burst into a Wendy's restaurant at lunchtime Monday, killing one person and himself and injuring five others, officials and witnesses said.

The gunfire sent customers scampering out of the restaurant. Motorists at the drive-thru window also fled, some leaving their vehicles running.

Palm Beach County sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said three of the survivors were in critical condition. Two others had minor injuries, including one person who was injured while running away.

Several people were carried from the restaurant on stretchers. Authorities did not identify the shooter or the victims.

Another day, another inexplicably horrible public shooting.

Reading further down into the AP story, we found this interesting piece of information:

The mayhem unfolded just after noon during the lunch hour rush at the eatery on a major suburban road lined with strip malls, car dealerships and fast food restaurants, about five miles from downtown West Palm Beach. A billboard advertising an upcoming gun show stands just behind the Wendy's.

It's a little disturbing that guns were being promoted for sale on a billboard looming above the site of a random and deadly scene of gunfire. Perhaps it is an appropriate symbol of how guns are treated as just another commonly accepted product.

But we should remind ourselves once again that firearms are not just another item that civilians should be able to purchase almost as easily as a burger and fries.