imported post
I'm rehashing this comment from a comment I made on the Wisconsin Carry Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=340160200214
(for those of you who want to join the facebook group)
I do think that this kind of publicity is very positive. First, it is comedy, so i expect them to take a position to try to make it funny and satirical. At the same time, all of this amounts to "normalization" of guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens which is a good thing. I'd rather have the tv comedy/news guys laughing about guns then running around spreading fear and tales of horror.
In other words, if they can make a joke about it... THAT demonstrates we are overcoming the politically correct "fear guns" mentality and overcoming the mentality that guns are taboo. I think some will probably scoff at the notion that discrimination against open-carriers is equivalent to discrimination against gays and lesbians, but for those who give it a little thought, it think there are a lot of parallels.
Overall, stuff like this, no matter what, normalizes guns. Doesn't even matter as much what the reporter says... the visuals of guys carrying guns in public eating ice cream, drinking coffee, walking down the street. No one running in fear, no one 'freaking out'. Those are powerful and demonstrative images.