When I was a kid, age 9, my dad taught me to shoot a shotgun. We were at my grandpa’s hunting camp in northern Wisconsin where the men would hunt for small game like partridge. We walked down the clearing, away from the small log cabin, past a gutted and rusted out vintage automobile, past a deer stand in a tree to a spot in the woods with a fallen tree. My dad set up the clay pigeon on the log. He handed me the 12-gauge shotgun and it was heavy; too much gun for a skinny little kid like me. My dad told me to brace it against my shoulder, line up the sites with the clay disc and then pull the trigger. BOOM! The kickback knocked me on my butt, and my glasses went flying off. I thought I shot my eye out like that kid in the Christmas Story movie. I got up and dusted the dirt from my jeans. Through blurry tears, I searched through the crunchy leaves on the forest floor and found my glasses. Dazed, I put them on and refocused on the log. To my astonishment, I had shattered the clay pigeon to pieces! That story sums up America’s romantic and complicated relationship with firearms—It’s fun, it’s dangerous, and it’s being presented to kids at an early age.
Clay pigeon
Guns are fun
If you have ever shot a gun at a recreational firing range you will know why guns are fun. The power. The excitement. The power! At a bachelor party, I took another shot at shooting clay pigeons and this time I missed every pull. We had a good time and nobody got hurt. It’s that power thing that really could consume you. Guns are power. Plain and simple. And let’s face it, not a lot of people feel like they have power over their lives. I can see why this adrenaline rush can make someone feel better. There are lots of ways to get that rush of energy like riding a motorcycle, doing extreme sports, doing something on a stage in front of a crowd or going to the latest Marvel movie. Some people choose guns. I don’t.
I know some people that collect guns like trading cards or beanie babies. If you are a kid, and you go over to a friend’s house for the first time chances are they will show you where their dad keeps his guns. My friend Mark showed me where his military dad kept his guns the first time we hung out in the summer of ‘86. They were locked in a display cabinet behind glass like a museum. I knew where that 12-gauge was that I shot when I was just 9. It was in a locked metal cabinet at my grandma’s house. I couldn’t see it but I knew it was there.
When I moved to Colorado I was surprised to see billboards announcing gun shows every few months. At the Tanner Gun Show you can buy, sell or trade. You can sign up for classes on how to use specific firearms. They even have classes on conceal and carry so you can be a modern urban cowboy. I think classes are great. You never hear about someone opening fire and killing people at a gun show because that just isn’t the target audience of a psycho mass killer. Gun owners are not mad at other gun owners. Gun owners are probably more mad, at least suspicious, toward people who don’t own guns. The people at a gun show are there to have fun with likeminded people and make jokes like “which way to the gun show?” (flex bicep while pointing). You can’t buy, sell or trade guns without looser gun laws. Laws are not fun especially in the Wild West.
Colorado has some loose gun laws. It does not prohibit the transfer or possession of assault weapons or 50 caliber rifles. It does not require firearm dealers to obtain a Colorado state license. It does not require firearm owners to obtain a license, register their firearms, or report lost or stolen firearms. It does not impose a waiting period on purchases. It does not limit the number of firearms that may be purchased at one time. It does not provide law enforcement discretion to deny a concealed handgun permit. Colorado does require a background check by a licensed firearms dealer before most transfers, not all. It does have a procedure in place for convicted domestic abusers to surrender firearms. It’s easier to buy a gun than a car. It’s not just the laws surrounding firearms that have to change it’s the culture.
I remember once in my college art history class as part of our final project we had to give a presentation on a famous piece of art that we were interested in. The project started with a heavily researched paper followed by a slide show presentation to the class. I did mine on Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, the masterpiece Modernista cathedral in Barcelona, Spain, still undergoing construction. Another student, fulfilling his credit requirement, stood in front of the class in a camouflage cap and talked about the form and beauty of Smith & Wesson guns. His talk elicited groans and gasps from the audience. It raised a question with me. Are guns art? Art can convey emotion to the viewer. Like a Samurai sword, guns elicit a personal, emotional bond with the holder. A gun is not a Japanese Katana. The image of a revolver conveys power, confidence, independence, fear, anger and danger. Art can also conjure nostalgia in the viewer. Smith & Wesson’s logo says “An American Tradition”. Tradition does invoke nostalgia. Art can certainly point to design. I would argue that a gun is a tool designed to work well to accomplish a task like a toothbrush or a blender. Someone thinking that a gun is art is exactly the kind of thinking that elevates a gun lover to fight for gun rights to the point of extremist ideology because there is a deep emotional connection.
““To stop a bad guy with a gun, it takes a good guy with a gun.” ”
Nobody is taking your guns away (Unless you are a convicted domestic abuser). But the lobbyists want you to think that. The advertising firm Ackerman McQueen, recently involved in the internal shake up at the NRA, has created a PR mouthpiece for the NRA. They aren’t promoting the fun and safety of marksmanship, but instead they are establishing gun rights as an important issue for conservative voters. The drama and urgency of actor Charlton Heston’s message, crafted by Ackerman McQueen, “From my cold, dead hands!” arguably won the 2000 election for George W. Bush. Guns are power, political power. People with power will do anything for more power. Now, any type of fatal or near fatal event, like a school shooting, can be spun into a solution to have more guns. That’s why the media is picking up the idea of arming security personnel or teachers with guns. Making the schools into a hardened warzone is the NRA’s solution. In the words of Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA, “To stop a bad guy with a gun, it takes a good guy with a gun.” This confusing type of spin has been part of the NRA’s message for a long time. In the hypocritical words of NRA Executive Vice President, ILA lobbyist and convicted murderer Harlon Carter, “You don’t stop crime by attacking guns. You stop crime by stopping criminals.” We’ve all heard “it’s not guns that kill people, it’s people that kill people,” or “the problem isn’t guns but mental illness”, or “it’s not a safety issue it’s a political issue”. My head is spinning. It’s so engrained in the daily discussions we are having that we don’t even see it as pro-gun propaganda. It certainly isn’t pro-human propaganda.
Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation, CPR News research
Credit: Ben Markus, Jim Hill / CPR News
It’s not just fatal or near fatal events that help organizations to promote guns but anything that brings fear into the heart of a white person – like civil rights, immigration, racial issues and protests, no matter how peaceful. Most gun owners cite self-protection as one of the primary reasons for owning a firearm. Two decades ago, recreation was the prime reason. The perceived fear of a socialist agenda or taking away the second amendment seems to be one of the most driving factors in gun sales. In Colorado, almost every mass shooting has seen a spike in sales of firearms due to the fear of bans. With the recent shake up at the NRA seeing a power play between Oliver North, board president, and Wayne LaPierre, CEO; North will leave the organization. The NRA will continue its fear mongering rhetoric with LaPierre in power. Gun control is slipping from our hands. I hope the safety is on.
Guns are dangerous
It’s no secret that America is in an abusive relationship with guns. Colorado is a petri dish of gun violence. Columbine marked its 20th anniversary of the school shooting. There was the movie theater in Aurora . Then there was a shooting at Arapahoe High School in 2013 and most recently the Highland Ranch STEM School shooting. Would it have been different if that kid didn’t have guns at home in a locked safe? After the 2012 mass shooting in Aurora, state lawmakers passed a law requiring background checks on most firearm transfers and banning large-capacity ammunition magazines. Why does it take tragedy to fix a problem? It’s debatable that these laws did much to fix anything, but it’s a step in the right direction. It’s no secret that the more gun owners in a state determine the amount of gun fatalities. According state data gun ownership in Colorado is 34% but that seems low. In 2017 360,468 guns were purchased according Colorado Public Radio. In 2017, Colorado had the 24th highest gun death rate among the United States. 779 people died from firearms injuries in Colorado in 2017. Most of these, 77%, are suicide according to the Department of Public Health and Environment. That makes me think of the young woman that came to Colorado on the anniversary of the Columbine school shootings only to take her own life when being pursued by the FBI. One of the first things she did was purchase a gun in Colorado. She did so with ease—no license needed, no waiting period. Was she not a life too?
Kids and violence
Just like me with that 12-gauge shotgun, children are introduced to guns early on. I’m glad it knocked me on my ass because it taught me not to mess with guns. Children are so prevalent to violence and guns at an early age it’s almost unavoidable. When my nephew was age six he made his finger into a gun and shot me “pew pew” as a greeting instead of “hi” (What an angel). Every franchise, including Transformers and Star Wars, now has a line of cartoons and toys that cater to preschoolers. My Dad’s generation romanticized guns in stories like Daniel Boon and games like cowboys and Indians. I grew up watching Tom and Jerry cartoons and later Ren and Stimpy. I’m thankful that the home environment that I grew up in was positive and safe. I mean, I still beat on my brother but who doesn’t? I never dropped an anvil on his head but I can’t help but notice how children and adult programing glorifies violence and I wonder if it affects our brains.
According to a study published by the American Psychological Association early exposure to TV violence can be a contributing factor in the development of aggression in adulthood. Children choose what they want to watch. Aggressive children choose more violent shows. When kids see characters solving a problem with violence this lesson becomes hard-wired in the central nervous system. Studies show that a subgroup of males from a lower socio-economic status are more likely to resort to aggressive behavior. There are many factors that can determine their development but watching violent cartoons starting at age 4 can certainly be a piece of it. It is important that parents monitor and check the ratings of the shows they are watching.
A boycott
My parents were visiting last month and watching the show Whiskey Cavalier starring my second cousin Ana Ortiz. The entire house was filled with a rattling of gunfire that I thought we had a bucket drum circle in the living room. The sound alone brought so much tension to the house that I wanted to scream. If you turn the channel, someone else is getting shot up. Upon the Columbine anniversary I thought about what I could do. I decided to start a personal boycott. I am calling for a boycott of all TV shows that depict gun violence. Guns are so prevalent in the media and television shows are included in that. I have no way to know how the lobbyists are influencing entertainment. I know advertisers pay big money to influence viewers of shows with brands, slogans or even broad concepts that fit the brand lifestyle. Glorifying guns doesn’t have to come at a price because it is so engrained in the story of America and it’s entertainment. Gun violence is the mainstream go-to for portraying violence in a shocking or exciting way. Police, gangsters, spies, villains and heroes are all depicted with guns. Here is a list of shows that comes to mind:
Law & Order
NCIS
CSI
S.W.A.T.
Good Girls
The Blacklist
Proven Innocent
The Enemy Within
The Fix
The Rookie
Blue Bloods
Hawaii Five-O
Whiskey Cavalier
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gotham
MacGyver
Chicago P.D.
Riverdale
Empire
Barry
This boycott is not easy. I was watching Empire and then Lucious Lyon shot someone in a flashback so I changed the channel. I really wanted to see Barry but then I read that it was about a hit man who is taking acting lessons. Banned! Cable and internet media such as Netflix and Hulu should also be included in this boycott because kids have access to that content. Let’s include movies and video games with gun violence in that boycott.
Shoot-em-up culture in Hollywood has to stop. I don’t expect to bring too much change with this boycott. Ideally, I would urge the producers and the people holding the money to not fund projects with gun violence no matter how small. At the very least, writers need to find a way to tell a story without glorifying guns. Guns are not art but we have to stop making art about guns. It’s not just about the media, but about gun availability. We need to change our gun laws without eliminating the right to bear arms. Less guns mean less deaths. It’s your choice if you want a gun in your home. Wouldn’t it be braver if you got to know your neighbors and trusted the police to do the crime fighting? We need to be more aware of the mental health of our teenagers by taking in mind what they are watching, playing and interested in. Damn, puberty is hard, but using violence to solve a problem is not an option. How many people have to die to get people angry enough to pass some meaningful laws? All I can do is protest in my own way. Will you join me in the boycott of shows with gun violence?
Get involved. Get educated.
Here are a few sites where you can learn more about what you can do.
National gun violence awareness day is June 7: wearorange.org
Join a network: momsdemandaction.org
Community education: besmartforkids.org
Know the stats: everytown.org
Read more about #LockDownNation: www.theatlantic.com