Guns And Celebrity Culture, Who Will You Listen To?

by Greg Camp ; Opinion
AmmoLand News welcomes Greg Camp to our list of the best and brightest Second Amendment contributors.

Emily Gaudette, writing for Newsweek
Emily Gaudette, writing for Newsweek, believes that the gun control group, Everytown for Gun Safety, should seek out celebrities that conservatives pay attention to.
Greg Camp
Greg Camp

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- Emily Gaudette, writing for Newsweek, believes that the gun control group, Everytown for Gun Safety, should seek out celebrities that conservatives pay attention to in order to promote restrictions on gun rights.

In her article, “Hollywood liberals can’t stop the NRA: We need Taylor Swift, country stars, action heroes,” she suggests that stars such as Vin Diesel and the cast of Duck Dynasty would sway people who aren’t influenced by Melissa McCarthy or Julianne Moore.

One particular concern of her article is the bill that is crawling its way through the legislative process at present, the Hearing Protection Act. Now I don’t know Gaudette, so I can only speculate about her actual level and quality of knowledge about this subject, but I have seen that people who support restrictions on suppressors tend to think that such devices make guns silent, they invariably refer to the things as silencers, after all.

Or they believe that the cat-sneeze sound that accompanies a celebrity firing a gun in a movie is true in real life.

And yet, when such things are put to the test, as the Military Arms Channel has done with sound meters, the results are that the volume reduction is from around 160 dB—instantaneous hearing damage—to some 130 dB—loud, but safer to the ears of the person squeezing the trigger.

In other words, reality isn’t a movie. And the facts overcome faulty appeals to emotion—which is why the marketing paper by Frank O’Brien and others, “Preventing Gun Violence Through Effective Messaging,” in 2012 advises telling stories and refusing to “let a dry recitation of the facts disguise the fact that you are deeply saddened and moved by the terrible human toll that gun violence claims.” Naturally this is the approach that a marketer recommends. The evidence doesn’t support gun control.

But ignorance about the facts in the subject of guns in America is to be expected from journalists, I’m sorry to say. They will research the intricacies of financial instruments and the search for quantum gravity, but feel that they already know everything they need to know about guns. That’s part of the reason that Ranjit Singh and I wrote Each One, Teach One in the hopes that reporters and commentators would dig deeper. But spreading knowledge is a slow process.

In promotion of that, I have two more points that would aid Gaudette in her understanding. Yes, gun ownership is lower among those who identify with the Democratic Party than those who call themselves Republicans, but there are a lot of Americans who side with the left wing who also exercise gun rights.

Making the lazy assumption that liberals don’t while conservatives do only deepens the divide in this country and drives away potential supporters, whichever side a person comes down on with regard to gun laws.

But of greater importance in terms of reasoning is the fallacy of appeal to authority that Gaudette engages in. This is the same error that we see in advertising all the time, the idea that, for example, Michael Jordan has any special wisdom about underwear that an ordinary person lacks. If I’m seeking understanding in the subject of basketball, he’s an expert. With regard to men’s garments, not so much. And the same

Each One, Teach One: Preserving and protecting the Second Amendment in the 21st century
Each One, Teach One: Preserving and protecting the Second Amendment in the 21st century

applies to celebrities and guns. That’s whether they oppose or support gun rights. Policy choices have to be based on facts and logic and on the effect that they will have on people, not on who is making an argument for or against.

The value in Gaudette’s article is that she reminds us to be careful in what sways our opinions. A working democracy depends on rational participants, citizens who think for themselves rather than following what they’re told from on high, regardless of what mountain the booming voice has occupied.

About Greg Camp

Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.

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JDL

She’s a true blonde. The reason conservatives, celebrity or not, do not endorse the Bloomberg Bullies is because they, by definition, do not agree with them.

Jeffersonian

“celebrities that conservatives pay attention to”

I can’t think of any.

DaveW

Just to name a few celebrities who are conservatives; some you may know and some not… Kathy Ireland, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Angie Harmon, Meat Loaf, Tom Selleck, Mel Gibson, Laura Prepon. Chuck Norris, Cindy Williams, Heather Locklear, Jacquline Smith, Jessica Simpson, Kurt Russell, Dorothy Hamill, Gloria Estaphan, James Woods, Jamie Farr, Kim Komando, Sela Ward, Clive Cussler, Dale Brown, Michael Moriarity, Prince (RIP), Cheryl Ladd, Britney and Spears. (I didn’t bother listing the country western celebrities, those who have passed in recent years, etc. There are still many sports figures who would be on the list like Johnny Bench, and Arnold… Read more »

Tionico

If we are inetlligent enough to see through their lies to realise we MUST retain our lawful right to arms (we have the right, independent of law, but having law on our side makes life much more enjoyable) they how does this nitwit think we’d suddenly be gullible enough to listen to some silly celebrity who has done… what, precisely.. of real value. Most of these Holywierd types do strange stuff and get off with it because of some fantastical roles they’ve played in some films. News flash: what is up on the screen at the flicker house is NOT… Read more »

Repo

I’ll never understand why they think all they need to do is find the right person to deliver their antigun message and all as deplorable bitter clingers will see the light and fall to our knees and find the nearest deep pit to throw all our guns into. Even though we have heard their message a thousand times and disproved it just as many it’s only because we haven’t heard it from the right person yet is why we have yet too drink the koolaide.

Charlie

Celebrities…..who gives a rat’s ass about celebrities? I think they should be more concerned about cleaning their own house of drugs, degenerates, pedophiles, sexual deviants, rapists, and other types of sick acts that only they know and perform. Woody Allen, for example, has a movie coming about an adult guy and a 15 year old girl (pedophilia). He should know….he’s an expert at it. Actually seduced his own adopted daughter and eventually married her. This deviate was lauded with praise at the AA. The possible upcoming campaign against the NRA is a diversion to get the heat off Harvey and… Read more »

vab

Who are these people named in the article? I think I’ve heard of Taylor Swift. I figure that these “celebrated people” don’t know who I am, so why should I give a rip about who the heck they are?

And just because someone has some artistic talent and millions of morons worship them, doesn’t make them an authority on matters of the law, freedom, and liberty. They need to just shut up and stick to what they know (which apparently isn’t too much).

circle8

Who the heck cares about Taylor Swift? She is a 20 something who writes???? songs about high school love affairs therefore the 12-15 year old girls love her and buy her music. She is not a jump rope anymore and should join the adult world. Either way she sure is not someone worth listening to about defending one self, protecting your family or defending our nation. As for vin diesel give me a break he is a person who PLAYS the tough guy while uttering words written by a Hollywoodite. So does Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny.

DaveW

I don’t vote based on celebrity status. I base my vote on what I believe and who will best represent my views. On the other hand, many celebrities are influencing the teens and pre-teens of today who will be the voters of tomorrow. If we can find conservatives who are celebrities and who support the Constitution, including the 2nd Amendment, I don’t think it can hurt our cause. Publicity works. In Japan, they had a problem with population growth. It was observed that television programming displayed perfect families as being two parents, three children. With little other action, television’s view… Read more »

Herb T

Keep beating that dead horse. Liberals, democrats, socialists, progressives and communists have a very large population of liars who want you to be disarmed. That way, you can be dependent on those that would take what is yours and then reward you by giving some of it back to you. Besides, why would you want criminals to be at an unfair disadvantage when plying their trade? Too many people shoot criminals in really bad places instead of wounding them in the hand, nicking an arm or leg, etc. Is that fair, compared to law-abiding citizens being defenseless and waiting 10… Read more »

VE Veteran - Old Man's Club

Oh yes, that’s just who I’d listen to – some clown who makes a living pretending to be ( its called acting) someone that they never could be. Someone who uses guns in movies like its cool and then tells me that I shouldn’t own one (liar). Someone who talks about freedom, then wants to take mine away (leftists). To paraphrase a line from Doc Holliday in Tombstone – their hypocrisy knows no bounds. This Miss / Mrs. / Ms. Gaudette should go back to France and hang out with the rest of the surrender monkey crowd. “If ye love… Read more »

Dave in Fairfax

Quote : Samuel Adams