Bringing Guns To The Obama Events Is Stupid

Here's the thing: the only people who suffer any sort of real distress whatsoever when people ostentatiously display their weapons outside an Obama event are agents of the United States Secret Service. Not because they're worried Obama is in danger ... they control all the venues, and you'll get your butt hauled off to jail if you try to sneak a gun through a magnetometer. It's because they've got to divert resources in order to deal with you.

When that guy in New Hampshire brought his gun to Obama's town hall meeting, he was ostensibly trying to make a point about freedom and the second amendment. Point made.

Everyone else -- all the copycats -- are hurting themselves.  Why bring the guns? The events aren't safe? Of course they are.

They're the safest places on earth, given all the police activity.

Make a statement? Statement's already been made.

Rile the liberals in the crowd and get people angry? That's uncivil.

To those 2nd Amendment advocates who like this trend, here is what you're endorsing ... you're perpetuating the perception among some in the elite media that Republican gun owners are lunatics, at best, and racist, at worst. (I know that there's been at least one black gun toter, but this is about perception.)

You're forcing the government to spend more money, as  -- and I have no inside information here -- the Secret Service is probably sending more plainclothesed counter surveillance agents to Obama's town halls now.  

You're linking a noble tradition -- advocating for gun rights -- to mob violence, and implying that people ought to attend American political rallies while armed.