MSNBC is flipping out because somebody wore a gun openly to a protest in New Hampshire. There’s a guy named J.P. Freire did a pretty good job telling David Schuster where he was going far afield from the world of the rational, but as gun rights advocates we should probably be careful about getting into pissing matches with people who buy ink by the barrel-full. Yes, their response is ridiculous…but I guess I’m gonna come out and say it: you’re probably not helping our cause by freaking middle of the road people out, and the media is going to spin that guy’s action as reckless intimidation.

I could probably get away with open carry in my neighborhood in Baltimore since I have the relationship I do with BPD. But you won’t see me doing it.

By carrying openly and having it be a non-event, yeah, he’s winning the rational argument (namely, that gun carry by the law abiding private citizen really doesn’t result in planes crashing, the Large Hadron Collider destroying the known universe, and babies being eaten by snakes). But he’s probably also giving the David Schusters and Mika Brzezinskis of the world the fuel they need for the “guns are scary” bonfires they love so much.

ETA: now they’re talking about police and USSS response to the guy in question. From what I gather, well played, they…he probably was hoping they’d be stupid enough to try to force him to leave or arrest him. The guy in question is going to be on Chris Matthews’ show this evening, so I imagine he got what he wanted–here’s hoping he does well on Hardball and doesn’t paint the RKBA in a bad light.

ETA 2: guy involved is definitely twitchy, a little geeky and probably not the most articulate guy going, but he did alright while being hammered by Chris Matthews. Ed Schultz is flipping out as well…so my guess is our open carry buddy probably did indeed give the hoplophobe blogosphere and media plenty of ammo.

But it’s probably not the end of the world either.

FWIW, my understanding is that both MD and VA forbid carry permit holders from carrying at political rallies concealed…I think VA allows you to still carry if you un-conceal.