North Carolina Orthodontist Offering Free Handguns to Invisalign Patients
“Not everyone that comes into our office is going to be eligible; it’s not marketed to everyone," said business owner Dr. Jason Gladwell
“Grins and Glocks” — that’s the promotion from one North Carolina orthodontists’ office, according to WRAL News, FOX10 and CBS17.
Gladwell Orthodontics, which is owned by orthodontist Dr. Jason Gladwell, recently offered a promotion in which patients can get a free Glock 19 — which retails at over $500 — with an Invisalign treatment, per WRAL News.
Patients can also opt to get a Silver membership at the Youngsville Gun Club & Range, according to the offer, which was sent to the club’s email list, Gladwell told the outlet.
“Not everyone that comes into our office is going to be eligible; it’s not marketed to everyone. It is solely designed and marketed for the Youngsville Gun Club and Range,” Gladwell said.
Related: 2 Minors, 1 Adult Arrested After Ghost Guns Found at New York City Daycare
“The promotion is nontransferable,” he added. “The person who actually gets started with the Invisalign treatment has to actually be the eligible person.”
Local attorney Ron Shook told WRAL News that the promotion was legal, though he noted that the concerns expressed by the public from the promotion were also valid.
"The concern here is that we’re not having firearms transferred to folks who do not qualify to possess them,” he said. “This could be folks with criminal histories, mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse issues, restraining orders against them – or in the case of a handgun – under the age of 21.”
Related: Republican-Led Tenn. House Expels 2 Black Democratic Lawmakers for Protesting Gun Violence
He said that the business would need to follow the guidelines highlighted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on what the best practices are for private sales of firearms, which include ensuring a background check is done by a licensed firearms seller.
Youngsville Gun Club & Range owner Kurt Lieberman assured CBS17 that people would need to complete the necessary background checks to receive the free gun. He said they would also recommend taking a training class, though it is not required by state law, according to Everytown.
“It’s a process,” Lieberman told WRAL News. “They have to come; they have to have a valid driver’s license. They have to be a legal citizen; they have to be 21 and older. We do a background check here on-site. That has to come back approved. They have to fill out all the paperwork.”
Related: Joe Biden Calls for 'Commonsense' Gun Laws that Have 'No Negative Impact' on Second Amendment
Jennifer Copeland, the executive director of the NC Council of Churches, explained to WRAL News that while she was “pleased” they were going to follow the gun laws in North Carolina, despite being “very minimal,” the promotion still concerned her.
“The fact remains that after we go through these checks, they’re going to give a gun to somebody who’s going to take it home, and it will be in their home,” Copeland added.
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Align Technology, which produces Invisalign products, wrote in a statement that it was “not involved in the development or approval of this promotion by the dental practice, and only learned of it after the fact.”
“For more than 25 years, Align has been helping doctors transform smiles and change lives through healthy beautiful smiles using Invisalign aligners, and this promotion does not reflect our brand purpose,” it added.
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