By Joe Bartozzi
Brady United President Kris Brown and her gun control activist allies are running out of lies to tell about America’s law-abiding gun owners and the industry that provides for the exercise of the Second Amendment.
Instead of supporting the Constitution and law enforcement efforts to get tough on criminals who break the law and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes using firearms, Brown and the gun control industrial complex would instead rather use lies to scare the public and shame them into giving up their own rights.
The latest example of Brown’s displayed dishonesty was on CNN for a segment related to Hollywood efforts to promote safe firearm storage. There was no fact check of Brown’s lie and it’s readily apparent the falsehood was uttered to tug at viewers emotional strings to push an antigun agenda.
New Lie on Display
Last year, Brady United for Gun Control announced it was spearheading an effort to bring on Hollywood executives to help the group sell more gun control. Americans weren’t listening to them enough – meaning they were instead exercising their Second Amendment rights to purchase and possess firearms – and Brady needed a marketing upgrade. Brady announced the addition of three big names to help them sell more gun control to an American public that wasn’t interested. In a release, the gun control group publicized the hires, saying they will “bolster efforts and cultivate new relationships in the entertainment industry.” The goal is to “ignite a movement among culture leaders and creators to spark positive norm and behavior change and reshape America’s relationship with guns.”
Fast forward a few months and CNN ran a news segment highlighting that actors on the TV show “S.W.A.T.” were using a gun safe in the home when one of the actors returned home off duty. Brown was included and interviewed about the show visually demonstrating safe firearm storage.
“The new approach is one of the successes of the #ShowGunSafety campaign launched by advocacy group Brady United, which is now partnering with studios across the country after first meeting at the White House for a roundtable with actors and writers last year,” the report narrator says.
“That is a gamechanger,” Brown said of the show including the quick scene of the gun safe in use. Then she spouted the lie. “We lose eight kids a day… to family fire. That’s due to firearms in the home that are not safely stored.”
CNN has an in-house fact checker but it’s unlikely that the statement from Brown will get any second look.
Fast False ‘Fact’
There’s really no telling where Brady’s Brown came up with the statistic that eight children are tragically lost everyday due to firearm accidents in the home. The closest data point that could be found was a statistic on the website End Family Fire that says “Every day, 8 kids are injured or killed from unintentional shootings.” Not surprisingly, End Family Fire is a gun control advocacy effort made up of a partnership between Brady United, the Ad Council, Docs Demand Action (an offshoot of the Michael Bloomberg-backed Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action groups), Bishops United Against Gun Violence and others.
Stating the obvious, it is quite different to suggest eight children are killed in the home every day from unsecured firearms than it is to suggest eight kids are killed or injured by firearms each day. The blurring of data and statistics to match their desired gun control outcome is all too familiar for the gun control movement that is running out of facts.
Last month, The Washington Post analyzed, and was forced to concede, that the often-repeated gun control lie that “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children” was indeed false. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, official statements from The White House, countless gun control politicians and gun control activist groups – including Brown – have all repeated the claim. Never mind that it is completely false.
“When you focus only on children — 17 and younger — motor vehicle deaths (broadly defined) still rank No. 1, as they have for six decades,” The Washington Post reported. “In the interest of accuracy, it would be better for White House officials to refer to children and teens when citing these reports. When all motor vehicle accidents are counted, then motor vehicle deaths continue to exceed firearm deaths for children — defined as people under age 18 — whether or not infants are included.”
If Brown is going to start making more TV appearances to tout her Hollywood gun control activism, she might want to make sure she has her data and facts straight.
Real Solutions, Responsible Firearm Leadership
Promoting safe firearm storage in the home when guns are not in use is a pillar of responsible gun ownership. The firearm industry wholeheartedly agrees. However, the firearm industry also believes in facts and truthful data and ensuring law-abiding gun owners are knowledgeable and can choose the appropriate safe storage device that works for their individual situation.
One of the firearm industry pillar programs of safe and responsible gun storage is Project ChildSafe® – a program that has provided more than 41 million firearm safety kits, including gun cable locks, free of charge, no questions asked, to anyone who requests one through law enforcement partnerships in all 50 states and five U.S. territories. Keeping firearms out of the hands of children, and also those individuals who may be struggling with depression or other mental health difficulties, is of critical importance. This isn’t something new. NSSF has been at this for a quarter century. This year, 2024, marks the 25th anniversary of this life-saving effort. Those lock distributions are on top of the free gun locks included with every firearm that’s shipped from the manufacturer. The firearm industry’s commitment to safety is unrivaled.
Along with Project ChildSafe, NSSF’s Real Solutions. Safer Communities® initiatives have had a real, positive impact on reducing firearm tragedies and keeping communities safer, all while protecting and ensuring Constitutional rights are honored. It’s why the firearm industry is gratified that unintentional firearm accidents have trended to historic low numbers since data was first collected more than 100 years ago. While the work is never done, that’s a statistic the firearm industry is proud to be a part of and that Brady United’s Kris Brown, CNN and Hollywood should all recognize.
Joe Bartozzi is the President and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (“NSSF”), the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (“SAAMI”) and the Chairman of the Project ChildSafe® Foundation.
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The term, “Gun violence” is an oxymoron. Guns are inanimate objects. They can not do anything on their own. Firearms require action by a human. Unless we address Human Violence, nothing will change. Maybe locking up violent criminals using laws on the books. New laws targeting law abiding citizens will not work or change anything. Maybe more can be accomplished by kicking out legislators who spend taxpayer dollars to violate the second amendment will work.
safe storage for criminals will work
Care to know what gets reported when a kid who is in a gang and gets shot in a deliberate gang shooting? Yup, “gun fired by accident.”