Texas Distillery Gives Gun Rights Supporters the Boot Over 'Political Rhetoric'

A concert sponsored by Gun Owners of America — Texas scheduled for this Friday will not be taking place after the venue pulled the plug over concerns about "political rhetoric." 

Country singer Creed Fisher was set to take the stage at Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Antonio on Friday night, but in a Facebook post, the distillery said it was canceling the event. The business didn't give a reason other than stating it's "committed to delivering performances that reflect our brands and community standards," but in a comment below the post, Rebecca Creek owner and founder Steve Ryan elaborated on the decision. 

I canceled the event because we did not know it was going to be a political rally. We ask the organizer to not allow political rhetoric. They refused. We are a family owned business with 30 hard working Americans. We are not going to feed into the political decisiveness that is ripping this country apart. We are people friendly. Family friendly. Animal friendly. I am a firm believer of the right to free speech. I am a gun owner. I respect and honor the veterans that have given their lives to guard those freedoms. I have traveled the world and have witnessed the atrocities of what living in a world with no freedom looks like. Let's united. Let us celebrate the right to go sit and listen to good music. Have a cold beverage. Laugh. Dance. We are first and foremost Americans. Still the home of the free and the brave.

GOA — Texas disputes Ryan's version of events. In a Facebook post of its own, the group said the concert was "always a GOA event intended to bring together and celebrate the Second Amendment community."

Recent public statements have claimed that GOA “refused” a request from Rebecca Creek regarding political discussion at the event. That is not accurate.

When those concerns were raised, GOA Texas State Director specifically agreed that political conversations could be kept in the private VIP area and off the main stage. GOA made every effort to accommodate the venue’s concerns.

We also strongly disagree with characterizing this event as a “political rally.” 

GOA is a Second Amendment organization. Celebrating, discussing, and defending a constitutionally protected right is central to our mission and was never concealed from the venue.

We also want to be clear that Creed Fisher should not be disparaged or portrayed as the reason for this cancellation. Rebecca Creek agreed on September 2 to host an event featuring Creed Fisher. His participation was known from the beginning.

Ultimately, Rebecca Creek Distillery made the decision to cancel the event on short notice. While we respect a private business’s right to make that decision, GOA will not allow responsibility for that decision to be inaccurately placed on our organization, our staff, or the artist.

Our priority now is our supporters and ticket holders. GOA is working with Creed Fisher and his team toward a new date and venue. Ticket holders may hold onto their tickets for the rescheduled event or request a refund.

We appreciate the patience and support of the Second Amendment community as we work to bring everyone together for the event they were promised.

Houston radio station Patriot Talk 920 chimed in as well. In a statement, it said t"Rebecca Creek Distillery knew it was a benefit for Gun Owners of America. They knew Brandon Herrera would be involved. None of this was a secret."

If Herrera's attendance really was the issue, then it's pretty lame for the distillery to cancel the concert. It's not like the distillery was coming out and endorsing his campaign to represent Texas's 23rd Congressional District, and Ryan could have said as much if he was concerned that people might take it that way. 

Ryan claimed that his business isn't "going to feed into the political decisiveness that is ripping this country apart," but I'd say that's exactly what he's doing. As far as I'm concerned, his distillery should be able to host GOA — Texas on Friday and a concert sponsored by Everytown for Gun Safety on Saturday night without anyone getting offended. 

Hosting an event isn't the same thing as endorsing everything the organizers believe, and allowing someone to express a political opinion on your property doesn't mean you share that opinion.

Besides, since when did supporting the Second Amendment become too divisive for a business in Texas? We're not talking about some fringe political position here. We're talking about a constitutional right that millions of Texans exercise every day.

If GOA's account is accurate, the organization was willing to accommodate the distillery's concerns by keeping political discussions off the main stage. That sounds like a pretty reasonable compromise to me, especially when the alternative was disappointing ticket holders and canceling a concert just days before it was scheduled to take place.

Ryan says he wants Americans to come together, enjoy some music, and put their political differences aside. I appreciate the sentiment, but if you want to bring people together, telling a bunch of them they're not welcome after all because their views might be too political is a strange way to go about it.

Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their extreme gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.

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