[In which there is confusion and horror]

I regularly read Outer Limits: The Lake City Blog at the Seattle P-I. I work in the Lake City area of Seattle, and it is a unique area of the city with a lot of potential to go either way. My office, by the nature of our work in direct service, puts a large emphasis on community involvement and connections, and reading Erika's encounters with local leaders helps foster a sense of community for me.

I also am interested in her coverage of things that are less great about Lake City, and when I saw her post on the Discount Gun store that recently went in on Lake City Way, I made a mental note to pay attention when I passed it on the bus. When I did, I was horrified to note not only the store's existence (at least the second gun shop between the freeway and 125th) but also the decor. In every window is a poster for a movie glorifying gun violence. (shot from the discount gun website)The Boondock Saints and the 2005 Mr. and Mrs. Smith were among the "hey look! guns are sexy!" features. Now, don't get me wrong. I enjoy violent cinema. I own The Boondock Saints and mourn the fact that the Criterion edition of Hard Boiled is out of print. But I am sickened to see such blatant gun marketing. And it's not that I'm opposed to all guns; I come from a hunting family. However, it's pretty clear to me that this is not what the shop is going for. Instead, it's aiming for everything that makes me ill about America.

(Tonight I came online and thought to look for Erika's original post so I could read any comments on it, but it's gone, only to be found via Google's cache. I have to wonder why.)