A father near Dallas (Of course. -Ed.)  is building a gun range that will welcome Chuck E. Cheese-style kids’ parties, for anyone 8 and up. No more Grand Theft Auto for little Cletus: give him a real .45 and see how he does.  As long as he can see over the ammo. counter.

Something called Austinist.com offers a straight-forward explanation, from which I’ve already stolen the Chuck E. Cheese joke. But let’s be serious. I actually don’t think it’s a bad idea: parents have to be there, the kids learn range safety, and –hopefully– some respect for the power of the real thing, instead of an image on-screen that lets you push ‘reset.’

Of course, there will be backlash… probably from the parents who fight with other parents at Chuck E. Cheese. I hope they don’t plan their parties at this venue.   But if you still aren’t sold, I am willing to point out one thing about the accompanying picture that makes me uneasy. It appears to me that rifle-toting #59 in this picture… who clearly is not a lone gunman… is aiming toward the street… where cars go by… just on the other side of that grassy knoll… there in Dallas.   Just sayin’.

(Photo source: austinlist.com)