Beck Challenges TX Gun Instructor Over Ad Refusing to Teach Muslims

Have you heard the Texas radio ad featuring a concealed carry gun instructor saying, essentially, that he won't teach liberals or Muslims? Glenn Beck did over the weekend. And so during the first hour of his radio show he made sure to interview the instructor, Crockett Keller, on the program to explain himself.

Initially, the interview was lighthearted. But it soon turned into Beck challenging Keller over his views on teaching Muslims and ended with Beck imploring Keller to follow the example of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The ad, which features Keller pitching his service to those in the counties nearby, has gone viral on the internet. But it also includes a couple of controversial lines. Listen for yourself:

"If you are a non-Christian, Arab, or Moslem, I will not teach you the class," Keller says in the ad.

So what is his reasoning for it?

"That was somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek jab at some of my liberal neighbors," he explained regarding his stance against "socialist liberals" and those who voted for Obama. "You understand, I put this ad on a small, local country music station that has less about a less than a 50 mile radius. You know, I was pretty much speaking to my neighbors. That's somewhat expanded, I think."

He continued: "I have approximately 10 hours to try to instill some form of knowledge into a person where they can make a life and death decision in split second. When you carry a weapon to defend yourself ... you have a scant few seconds to decide whether not this warrants using deadly force or otherwise. ... Now, they [liberal voters] had over a year and a half to vet who they voted for president. Now how can I take 10 hours and try to teach them a life and death decision in just a few seconds in just a few seconds when they screwed it up after a year and a half?"

Beck chuckled at that, but then got to the point about Keller not wanting to teach Muslims. Co-host Pat asked if that was "tongue-in-cheek" also, or was he serious. Keller's response?

"Not necessarily," which seemed to be in response to the tongue-in-cheek part of the question. Still, he boasted, "Now you understand, and for the world to know, I have yet to deny anybody to take my class. I have never turned anybody away. But the challenge to me, why am I supposed to teach these people [Muslims] how to use a weapon, and to give them the ability to carry a weapon legally when we have seen these atrocious acts?"

"Wouldn't you have to judge people by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin or by their religion?" Beck asked. "Wouldn't you have to take it person by person -- that would be the more reasonable thing to do."

"Yes, and I have to do that," Keller agreed. But he then went on to explain a scenario where he would be uncomfortable with a Muslim on the gun range.

"Judge them on the content of their character," Beck implored Keller after going back-and-forth, who then explained that he has had conversations with moderate Muslims and said the key is getting the non-radical Muslims to speak out against the radical ones.

Beck repeated, "judge each by his individual merit and character," and after the interview concluded that if you're turning away someone based on their "religion" and "race," you are violating the Constitution. He also wondered if the state of Texas would step in if it was found Keller was actually denying services based on race or religion.

You can listen to most of the interview below:

UPDATE:

According to HuffPo, Keller's business practices are now being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety:

A spokeswoman at the Texas Department of Public Safety, the agency that certifies Texans to teach classes on concealed handguns, confirmed that the agency has launched an investigation into Keller's business practices.

"The department became aware of the statements in question yesterday and has begun an investigation into the matter," she said in a prepared statement. "The department will take appropriate administrative action based on the findings from the investigation."

KVUE-TV has the report, as well as Keller defending his stance: