I received such a pleasant reception to my last Oxford Karma commentary that the warm, placid waters of the national gun debate seemed like the perfect place for me to dive in again. And lucky me! There’s a gun-related controversy in the news right now.
A local group that claims to work to protect the Second Amendment has threatened to file a lawsuit against the City of Norman and Norman Music Festival for violating its right to carry firearms openly on festival grounds. If you’ve ever been to the free, three-day music festival in downtown Norman, you may be wondering just what it is about the festival that would make someone feel like they may need a deadly weapon to defend themselves. Of course, no threat motivates them; it’s the exposure provided by a free, well-attended festival. This organization’s tactics are similar to the Abolish Human Abortion bullies, who look for any high-profile way to shove their confrontational message in your face. But these firearms activists aren’t just trying to force you to hear their message; their message is inherently intimidating and designed to let you know in no uncertain terms that if you don’t like their guns, you can just fuck right off.
I don’t think it’s even worth discussing whether or not open carrying of weapons makes the music festival safer or not; the festival is not in any way a dangerous place to be. That’s been proven year after year by the thousands of attendees having a fantastic time with very few arrests or problems. Even if you’re with the “guns don’t kill people…” crowd, it seems pretty obvious that having guns at a crowded event where alcohol is consumed is a bad idea, particularly when there has been no historical evidence that deadly force will ever be necessary to solve any problem that might arise at Norman Music Fest.
What open carry at the music festival absolutely would do is increase tension at an event that doesn’t deserve it. Norman Music Fest is a notable victory for those who value culture in Oklahoma, as almost every other significant event in the state is a welcoming arena for right-wing political activism. There is no well-organized opposition to unrestricted gun rights in Oklahoma with any kind of pull or political capital, and these people are not in danger of having their right to defend themselves by shooting someone to death violated. They have already won in Oklahoma. This attempt to ruin an event that has been an incredible net positive to the community in Norman is really just a way to rub it in. It cannot be about safety or rights. Neither are at risk.
Ultimately, this is just another in a long line of “fuck you” sentiments from the conservative majority in Oklahoma that has driven so many sensible, level-headed people out of the state. It’s as if these right-wing activists aren’t satisfied with merely winning every election in Oklahoma. They aren’t satisfied with absolute control of most local and state governments. No, they won’t be happy until liberals and progressives feel utterly defeated.
