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"Evolve" gun safety PSA's are making the rounds and got our attention, which was their goal.
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| "The Code" Gun Safety |
In the first, the founding fathers bicker with Jefferson about adding the phrase "Dumb Ass" to the bill of rights and it's actually kind of funny.
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| The Wife of a "Dumbass Founding Father" |
You can see the video "The Bill of Rights for Dumbasses" for yourself here:
The second video, far more viral in the sense that it features women with "sex toys" (as an analogy for men with guns we assume), and is a bit more strange.
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| Guns as sex toys or sex toys as actual toys? So confused. |
You can see the video "Evolve, Playthings" here:
TheCode site does have choices to submit feedback (I didn't as I prefer not to be tracked or re-targeted based on interaction with websites) but we did have some thoughts...
As a collector, competitive marksman, CCP holder, range safety officer, and hunter; I can speak for most (who are probably less Libertiarian that I) that no reasonable gun enthusiast is fully opposed to discussing gun ownership or safety publicly or admitting that just like car owners and motorcyclists and boat captains there are some pretty moronic gun owners who've made simple mistakes with tragic results - just as they have with cars, boats, and motorcycles.
Regarding the campaigns specifically:
The Editorial Mission:
Pros -
We have all seen 'that guy' we know puts the entire club or lodge at risk (or worse) with his carelessness so there's no denying that the need for a bit of a nudge or at least acknowledgement of irresponsibility and it's results may be in order.
Cons -
Although we know that most gun owners are responsible adults, often in community leadership and head-of-household positions, tend to be more mature than most of the general population; there has been some concern that segments of the country (and media) have tried to portray us as intellectually inferior. This type of adolescent agitation can cause resentments and I would caution TheCode folks that even accidentally using "Dumbass" as a synonym for "Redneck" or "White Trash" or other common (seemingly acceptable) terms may create a lot of opposition to their mission even though opposition to their message was not that strong.
The Strategy:
Pros -
There's no denying that racy content and edgy humor on the internet are key to distribution and their videos are already far more consumed than many "famous" cable news networks' key shows.
Cons -
The race to the bottom to capture the "lowest common denominator" as a named demographic may or may not actually be reaching any folks who matter as much as it reaches the kids known as content-snackers on "Buzzfeed" or "The Huffington Post." Will kids who think this is hilarious 'tweet' the link to grandpa to make sure he hasn't forgotten too many gun safety rules since Korea? Probably not...
The Culture:
Unfortunately, as a "Waltons-watching" bit of an old "fogey" at only 40 years old, I have to say they missed the mark on culture and some well deserved blowback may be warranted.
I don't think they realize the way we, as the potentially "dumbass' targets of this campaign, see ourselves. We work hard and well, proudly, to maintain a home and family that we defend financially, spiritually, and if needed, physically. When we go out to hunt or shoot, as many have before us and in the company we choose to keep - safety, traditions, and a level of moral and spiritual respectability as well as at least a hint of personal excellence is something we demand. I do believe we're the majority.
As I mentioned before, as a fan (I am not alone!) of the TV Show "The Waltons,"it's going to be tough to win me over with these videos. Did I watch it? Yes... Okay 1 point for them... Once it was finished though I couldn't help but reflect on the values, without regard to the message, of the people who thought kids sword fighting with vibrators would be hilarious...
Again, we don't disagree with the messages of gun safety, but we are extremely skittish about letting folks we may consider culturally inferior holding dominion over us with legislation, As an example, a safe is a good idea but the idea of 'enforcers' using registrations for unannounced 'spot checks' of our homes' safes and their contents will be wholly opposed and unfortunately for TheCode folks who may or may not support absurd legislation, many gun owners will see the cultural rift on display as being all the reason needed to assume they 'just don't get it'.
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