Ted Nugent Bans Guns At Show, Calls Protesters “Dumb F**KS [HYPOCRISY ALERT!]
Second amendment supporter and gun enthusiast Ted Nugent banned all guns during his performance in Roanoke, Virginia on Tuesday night. His security team made the call at the last minute to bar guns. That did not stop Nugent from calling local protesters like Andy Parker, who is the father of a gun violence victim, "dumb fucks."
A representative for Roanoke's Berglund Center told local NBC affiliate WSLS that because the venue is city-owned, it can’t bar guns from the property unless it is requested by a performer or their team. The Bergland rep said that that ban on weapons was included in Nugent’s contract, but the venue was unaware of the restriction until just prior to the show because it was part of a sub-contract between Nugent and his promoter that wasn’t shared with Berglund Center management.
“It happened about five minutes before we opened doors, we had a security meeting before we opened doors and the subject came up and we said, ‘Yes people will be bringing firearms,'” Berglund Center General Manager Robyn Schon told WSLS. According to Schon, it was then that they learned about the clause.
A line had already formed at the door when the venue announced that weapons would not be allowed and that security would conduct pat-downs. Fortunately, only two concert-goers were carrying firearms and were asked to stow the weapons in their vehicles, WSLS said.
Nugent has long been a vocal advocate of 2nd Amendment rights and open-carry of firearms, but apparently, his security team doesn’t fully share his views.
“Given the things that have happened in nightclubs like the Pulse and what happened in Manchester, (Nugent’s) security people are taking extra precautions,” Schon told WSLS. “They are not novices; they are very seasoned people.”
UPDATE: Nugent dedicated his Roanoke set to “everybody, including those dumb motherf*****s that were protesting me because they’re still grieving. When you lose a loved one, we pray for you when you lose a loved one. We all prayed for him, didn’t we? How the f*** do you hate the Nugent family when we’re praying for you? You dumb f**,” according to Roanoke Times reporter Tad Dickens.
Andy Parker, the father of WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, who was gunned down with her colleague on live TV by a disgruntled employee in 2015 led a “die-in” protest in the lobby of the theater before the concert. In a statement, Parker said his family has “experienced the traumatic effects of gun violence… (Ted Nugent) “has a history of vile and insensitive comments and actions. As an NRA board member, Nugent has served as the gun group’s chief dogwhistle officer, sending the message to extreme elements of the pro-gun movement that their racist, misogynistic, homophobic views are welcome within the organization.”
