Jacob Sullum on the 'Weird' and 'Scary' Open Carry Movement
Are people who assert their Second Amendment rights by carrying rifles and shotguns into stores and restaurants "weird" and "scary"? At least one staff member at the National Rifle Association (NRA) thought so, and he expressed that view in an online commentary that the organization felt compelled to retract last week after it caused an uproar among gun rights advocates. To some extent, Jacob Sullum says, the episode reflects divisions among Second Amendment activists, many of whom view the NRA, despite its reputation for adamantly resisting gun control, as insufficiently zealous. But Sullum argues that the brouhaha also highlights a shift in American attitudes regarding the public display of guns.