Looks like another case of hoplophobia, the fear of weapons. This time it has to do with two Olympic swimmers from Australia that even the Australian media have branded as “bad boys” brandishing “automatic” pistols. I kid you not, just read the first paragraph in this post at the Heraldsun.

The picture was taken at a Santa Clara, California gun shop where swimmers Nick D’Arcy and Kenrick Monk visited. Imagine the outrage if they were at a gun shop in Las Vegas and were posing with “assault” rifles? Or Gasp!…shooting real full-automatic cop killing baby seeking weapons at a range like the Gun Store in Vegas? Many athletes visit the Gun Store to get a chance to fire off a few rounds from the guns they’ve only seen in the movies. Here’s UFC Middle Weight Champ Anderson Silva visiting a while back. The UFC earlier this year took a stance against the 2nd Amendment, but they don’t mind that their athletes still partake in shooting. Maybe the authorities in Australia need to calm down a bit.

My family has hosted exchange students from all over the world, and as a gun enthusiasts I have taken many of them to the shooting range and showed them the proper way to handle and fire a gun, and in the process changed their views on firearms in America. Many of them instantly became gun freaks. It’s common for tourist from other countries to want the chance to experience the shooting sports, something many of them will never be able to do in their home countries.

Both D’Arcy and Monk removed the photos, and worst of all they may face Olympic sanctions and repercussions from Swimming Australia. All because of a photo, a photo that scared a few who really had no reason to be.