There used to be a bar in Minot called Tiny’s. A little shack of a place across from the fairgrounds. It might have been a tavern,  a pub or maybe just Tiny’s. Anyway, it was claimed that Tiny, who did in fact exist, did not allow anyone under 25 into his place.

That was the word. He just didn’t like the younger Brett Kavanaughs of the world. I never tested it because I was pretty sure it was true and Tiny wasn’t the type of guy you wanted to meet on purpose.

I don’t recall anyone caring. It wasn’t that hard to find a drink in Minot.

Related is North Dakota House Bill 1160, which will force a private business to sell a specific item to a certain group of people. In this case, a particular person. Sounds iffy, but it involves guns, so this is serious, or a misdemeanor, or stupid.

Dick’s Sporting Goods stepped on the ideological toes of Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, and a few others and they aren’t having it.

The sporting goods store decided to stop selling guns to anyone under 21 after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. It was in all the papers.

Then predictably, a 19-year-old dude gets denied and puts up a fuss. He could have been a plant, but it doesn’t matter. The hypersensitive gun advocate’s sorry tale of retail woe, triggered by a smudge on their fender, couldn’t bear the humiliation. I doubt the lad even cares.

First of all, I didn’t even know there was a Dick’s in Bismarck. I feel infringed just thinking about it.

So I looked and there is more than an adequate number of gun retailers in Bismarck unless you’re financing a war. You can’t shoot a gun without winging a dealer in Bis-Man.

I don’t recall anyone caring. It wasn’t that hard to find a gun in Bismarck.

Noooo, that’s not what happened. Are you kidding me? These gun advocates — that’s what they call themselves — get steamed when they aren’t coddled. They care too darn much.

“What? You expected a teenager to drive across the street for a gun. Where are we? Guam? It’s this kid’s God-given right to purchase the firearm of his choice at Dick’s Sporting Goods.”

I don’t remember that being in the Constitution. Actually, there are no age requirements in the Second Amendment, either. These legislators should be advocating for the 15-year-olds who are dying to get their warm alive hands on a Glock.

Bill co-sponsor, Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, explains the reasoning of the brain trust:

“It is to disallow any retailer from picking and choosing who they want to sell a firearm to — to someone otherwise authorized to purchase.”

Poppycock. Dick’s made a business decision, as all businesses do. It was publicized and made very clear. The gun zealots don’t like it because it doesn’t reflect well on their deadly metal friends.

Koppelman calls it discrimination. The kid is traumatized, rattled beyond repair, and now he knows how brutal life in Bismarck can be.

His mom had to make him grilled cheese and tomato soup for supper to calm the boy’s nerves. He also had some pot stashed away.

But real discrimination based on sexual orientation doesn’t bother the Legislature a wit. That group of humans just face beatings, murder and very high numbers of suicide.

But no bigotry will be allowed toward “gun advocates,” the real victims.