Gun control groups are recruiting Hollywood elites to sell the reasons why more gun control is necessary. Never mind these same Tinseltowners live within gated, secure neighborhoods and often pay for private security details whenever they feel like it. They haven’t learned the lessons that nothing is more off-putting than Hollywood hypocrisy, so they’re going for a sequel.
The Giffords gun control group is putting on a press offensive to engage celebrities to help limit Second Amendment rights. That’s not reflective of the over 21 million background checks for the sale of a firearm that were run last year, including more than 8.4 million first-time buyers. Hollywood might want to sit this one out.
Ignoring Reality
Last year gave more than record-breaking background checks. The year 2020 saw more women and minorities joining the ranks of gun owners, diversifying the gun-owning population in America often caricatured as only old, white men. Buyers literally voted with their wallets when it came to owning guns.
This included women, who comprised forty percent of all firearm purchases last year. African-American men and women gun buyers grew by 58 percent from 2019-2020. All Americans saw violence and rioting erupt in their communities and politicians campaign on gun control platforms, literally shouting for gun confiscations and decimating the firearm industry from the campaign trail. These same politicians backed calls to “defund the police,” leaving folks to reconsider their personal safety.
Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) announced she’s even recruiting Hollywood elites to use their platforms to influence policy, even though voters rejected more gun control at the ballot box. Michael Bloomberg spent more than $1 billion to flip seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and state legislatures and roundly failed. That includes his own short-lived presidential run.
Giffords recently told Variety magazine, “Part of our mission at Giffords is to change the culture around gun violence, and few industries play a larger role in shaping culture than the entertainment industry.”
Hollywood Fantasy vs. Reality
The same celebrities and entertainers in Hollywood Giffords wants to recruit are the same individuals who have little understanding of real American neighborhoods and Main Street businesses. Throughout the rioting and looting witnessed last summer, celebrities rushed to offer funds to bail out those criminals responsible for community destruction. Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran with President Joe Biden on the most antigun presidential ticket in history, even tweeted to solicit funds to help those arrested. Hollywood celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Seth Rogen, Patton Oswalt and more all joined in.
The reality was much different for law-abiding citizens who embraced gun rights to help protect their businesses, their homes, their neighbors and their livelihoods.
Watchful Eyes Focused On Washington
Last November, gun control politicians were defeated across the board with pro-Second Amendment candidates winning state legislative seats and even narrowing the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. A 50-50 U.S. Senate means Vice President Harris will cast any tie-breaking votes but the Senate remains a gun control backstop as Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have announced they will not vote to remove the filibuster. This is a good sign for Second Amendment advocates.
Giffords and gun control groups should listen more closely to the American people about their concerns for self-protection and the ability to own a gun. If they looked outside the red-carpet galas and flashing cameras, they’d realize, America’s reading from a different script.
Larry Keane is Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
