The concept of "victim-blaming" is pretty self-explanatory. It's where you blame the victim for what happened to them.

For decades, we saw this practice as a common defense for those accused of rape. "She was asking for it," basically, and it was disgusting. No one asks to be victimized by a criminal of any stripe. Sure, there are things people can do to mitigate the risk of being victimized, and we should talk about those when the opportunity presents itself, the reality is that the only person really at fault is the criminal.

But victim-blaming becomes even worse when being victimized leads some to call for laws that will make the victim's lives more difficult, such as what's happening with a Rhode Island gun store.

A plea from gun control advocates in Rhode Island: create some stronger rules for stores selling firearms.

This after 30 handguns were carried out of a Warwick gun store after a car smashed through the front door.

...

"Just knowing now there are that many more illegal guns out there that likely could get into the hands of prohibited purchasers," began Melissa Carden, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition against guns.

With local "safe and secure" legislation requiring all gun owners to lock up their personal firearms at home on the brink of becoming law, she said it's concerning there is a lack of uniform security standards governing gun shops.

Let's note that this is a case where a vehicle was used to smash into the store. This wasn't flimsy locks, bad outdoor lighting, and a neon sign saying, "Rob me!"

Gun stores need their guns on display. That way, people can see what's there and express their interest in a particular firearm. The more guns there, the better the chances of a customer buying a gun. After all, I've been to gun stores without much inventory and it's really kind of difficult to get excited about spending money with them.

What these people seemingly want is to make gun stores lock up their inventory each and every night, shuffling guns in and out of a safe every morning and evening, all so someone won't drive a car through the front window.

This twit is literally blaming gun stores for being robbed.

Let's understand that a certain amount of inventory is often moved to the safe. Yet moving everything isn't practical.

"But they're passing a local mandatory storage law. How is this different?"

Well, for one thing, part of the justification for mandatory storage laws was to keep young but curious hands away from the gun, something gun stores don't need to worry about. Further, most mandatory storage requirements are met with gun locks or small, single-firearm gun safes that can be stolen just as easily as an unsecured gun, so it doesn't seem theft is a driving force in those restrictions. I disagree with them, but I seem to understand them more than some of the activists in Rhode Island.

At the end of the day, this is a crime and the gun store in question is the victim. To act like they're somehow responsible for guns ending up in criminal hands is to blame them for being the victim.

It was disgusting when it was done to people. It's just as disgusting when it happens to businesses.