The Gun Lobby—Let's Build One and Fill It

So a guy brings a gun to a movie theater and everyone freaks. I don't blame people for being on edge after the Aurora shootings, and I am baffled by his decision to bring this weapon to, of all movies, The Dark Knight Rises. Sung-Ho Hwang, the alleged guilty party, probably deserves a good talking to, and maybe some indication that he understands others' sensitivities (blaming the dangers of New Haven for his action was just dumb, as was his lack of cooperation), but I can't say he did anything worthy of this firestorm. Maybe we don't like the idea of the guy next to us in the theater—or behind us in line at Whole Foods—or waiting next to us at the stoplight packing a weapon, but it's the world we've allowed to develop. Allowed? No, encouraged. Not long ago, within the last two years, tea-partiers were encouraged to bring guns to anti-Obama rallies. These "attendees'" defense seems to be they weren't as dirty as the Occupy movement and they were nicer to the police...so they've got that going for them. But despite all the denials after the fact, they showed up with guns. I'm pretty sure not all those pictures were Photoshopped. Angry weapaons-toting gun nuts waving assault rifles in the air scare me a lot more than a New Haven attorney with a licensed handgun in his shoulder holster. Did I say gun nuts—of course I meant aficionados of the 2nd amendment—I must have been abusing my 1st amendment rights again.