It isn't elitism. Actors are in a different position because they are working as part of a crew in which SOP is that there are other professionals hired to do precisely those checks. To use an admittedly imperfect analogy: parents are presumptively responsible for caring for their children. But we consider it acceptable for parents to hire a babysitter who assumes that responsibility for a period of time. In fact, in hiring a babysitter for the three hours that they are going to be out, the parents are fulfilling their obligation to care of the children for that period. Similarly, the way an actor fulfils the responsibility to make sure a gun isn't loaded is to hire someone else to check the gun.
Now, if it is true that AB was also in violation of widely observed industry standards that he should have known, he may still be liable. But it seems clear to me that he isn't primarily to blame, and hard for me to imagine that this rises to criminal culpability.
One other thing I'll point out is that it isn't like Baldwin picked up a gun and started randomly practicing his movements. The crew was setting up for this scene. The AD brought him a gun. The cameras were in position. No one else on the set seems to have been perturbed that AB was pointing a gun in the direction of others. No one else cleared the room or took special protective measures, as far as we know. No one said "OMG, Alec, check the gun!" That argues against this being an egregious violation of widely understood practices.