The gun prohibitionists of Michael Bloomberg’s Moms Demand Action have led a shrill social media bullying campaign against Kroger grocery stores recently, culminating in an ignored demonstration of just several dozen protesters outside a Kroger shareholder’s meeting in Cincinnati last month.

Last night, the group attempted to spin several criminal acts that occurred on Kroger property around the country as justification for banning the lawful carry of firearms by citizens under local, state, and federal law.

See if you can get your mind around this addled argument:

Responding to news reports of shootings at Kroger Stores in Toledo, Ohio and Fulton County, Georgia this week, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is today reiterating its call on Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and President Michael Ellis to prohibit the open carry of guns in its stores.

“Our thoughts are with the victims of these two shootings at Kroger locations in Ohio and Georgia. The last place I expect to encounter a loaded gun is at the grocery store—especially not a place that promotes being family-friendly like Kroger,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun sense in America. “These shootings, along with the 16 other shootings and threats at Kroger stores nationwide in the past two years, should be a wake up call to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and President Michael Ellis: Guns do not belong at the grocery store.”

In neither incident were guns in grocery stores, Mrs. Watts.

The incident in Toledo happened in the back of the parking lot, “away from the main traffic of shoppers” according to police. The shooting had nothing at all to do with the store or grocery shoppers, and appears to have been a planned meeting between assailants and victims. The article cited by Moms Demand strongly hints that this was a drug-related crime.

In this instance, Kroger’s policies—which quite reasonably follow, local, state, and federal laws—would have had no effect on criminals already willing to commit the felony crimes of multiple counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and presumably the various other crimes associated with dealing illegal drugs.

How would banning the carry of holstered handguns by law-abiding customers inside Kroger stores have stopped the criminal behavior that occurred in the back of the parking lot? Quite obviously it wouldn’t, as any rational person would agree. But Moms Demand Action doesn’t make rational arguments.

The shooting in Fulton County of a beloved church choir member during an armed robbery in the parking lot was even more tragic, as two criminals apparently targeted a victim coming out of the store completely at random as he got into his car after shopping. These criminals committed the felony crimes of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder.

How would banning the carry of holstered handguns by law-abiding customers inside Kroger stores have stopped this criminal attack that occurred within the store’s parking lot?

Quite obviously it wouldn’t, and one could make a very rational case that if Kroger adopted a policy of disarming their customers, then criminals would see the stores are places where disarmed citizens are easier to target for crimes than in the wider community where carry isn’t prohibited by law or policy. The anti-protection policy pushed by Moms Demand would make the grocery chain a more attractive target for criminal activity, and is objectively “pro-crime”in fact, if not intent.

In both instances cited by these illogical prohibitionists, Moms Demand Action is attempting to argue that further restricting the carry of firearms by law-abiding citizens will stop the illegal behavior of criminals.

They are making the absurd argument that removing deterrence to aggression stops aggression.

This “logic” is in line with thinking that rape can be solved if women refuse to fight off their attackers.

Lie back and think of Bloomberg, America.

Unless, of course, you happen to be sane.