‘R’ Rating for Film a Way to Keep Information on Guns to Young People One-Sided

The only young “survivors” gun-grabbers want those under 18 to know about are the defenseless kind. (The Reliant / Facebook photos)

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “It takes a lot to shock today’s jaded movie audiences, especially those attending a Hollywood preview. Yet, Mel Gibson’s new movie about America’s Revolutionary War, “The Patriot,” drew loud gasps at a recent screening,” economist, author and Crime Prevention Research Center founder John Lott observed in The Washington Times back in 2000:

“The outrageous scene? Mr. Gibson’s character handing over guns to his 10- and 13-year-old sons to help fight off British soldiers. Few critics were soothed by the screenwriter replying that the scenes accurately portrayed the complexities of war or Mr. Gibson’s assurance that he would let his own children use guns in self-defense.”

Things have not gotten better, as WND.com reports. The Motion Picture Association of America has given lead actor Kevin Sorbo’s new film “The Reliant” an “R” rating, ensuring many families that don’t know any better will not let their children see the film.

The reason? Executive producer (and president of the United States Concealed Carry Association) Tim Schmidt offers his view:

“It seems the MPAA gave ‘The Reliant’ an R-rating due to their discomfort with how the movie depicts the responsible use of a firearm by a pre-teen boy. This boy saved the innocent lives of his own family members! It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

That will have a major impact on box office receipts and perceived viability of such fare to investors. And that will help to ensure that the information young people get on guns overwhelmingly comes to them from sources intent on undermining the right to keep and bear arms while simultaneously exploiting mind-numbing violence with guns for the sake of “action movie” profits.

From their point of view it makes perfect “progressive” sense. The former head of MPAA was Chris Dodd, replaced in 2017 by Charles Rivkin.

When he was a senator, Dodd was a “leader” in citizen disarmament,” who never saw a gun-grab he didn’t like. He was also a hypocrite when it came to protecting his and his patrons’ financial interests.

It was a bit of a family tradition – his father, Sen. Thomas Dodd, was a principle architect behind the Gun Control Act of 1968:

“In past years, Senator Thomas Dodd (D – Conn.), well known for his anti-gun viewpoint, has ruled subcommittee hearings with an iron hand,” a Shooters Club of America alert in the January 1968 issue of GUNS informed its readers. “He has said, ‘I would be for abolishing all guns … I never saw any sense in guns anyway, and I do not go backward by saying so. I hope some day the world will say, “Destroy them all”.’”

As for Rivkin, he’s been DNC delegate for both John Kerry and Barack Obama, and “California finance co-chair for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and one of his top fund raisers.” In return he got a couple plum ambassadorships and all kinds of connections as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.

True, the ratings monopolist lauds itself for “independence.” MPAA’s assurances might carry more weight if we knew something about the raters, or if Jack Valenti, the guy who set up the rating system and handpicked its administrator, had not been such a hard core Democrat.

Valenti was the go-between for the Lyndon Johnson administration and Hollywood “stars” (including Charlton Heston) who came out for GCA ’68.  Here’s the letter (and to my knowledge John Wayne never participated, although Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Hugh O’Brien and Kirk Douglas did):

THe MPAA is hardly neutral on guns and your right to own them.

Feel free to buy into MPAA being an honest, unbiased broker in all this. If you don’t, the producers of The Reliant have presented their defense along with an appeal. Fighting MPAA’s rating will be expensive. If you believe the kind of message it promotes is something young people would benefit from learning, and if you want to ensure similar efforts aren’t dissuaded before they begin, visit their Indiegogo site, help as you can and spread the word. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Tangentially related: 50 Years of Infringements after GCA68 Show Only Constant is Obsession with Control


About David Codrea:David Codrea

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.

In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and a contributor to Firearms News, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

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robert fischer

An unarmed man, is an enslaved man!” “A disarmed man, is a conquered man!’ “I shall not be enslaved or conquered!”
Sic Semper Tyrannis !
An armed society is a polite society

Rock

California is a disease that needs removed… NY, Ill, NJ, Md Hi are no better.

Wild Bill

@Rock, I think that you have your finger on the pulse. The populations in the big cities in all of the states that you mention that fall for the ‘something for nothing if you vote democrat” ploy. Now, how do we remove that disease? Some advocate surrounding “Libtard City” and advancing on the middle killing every man, woman and child until we meet in the center. But that sounds like a lot of work.
Maybe a “patriotic history and realities of economics” education, beginning at the kindergarden level, would be an alternative.

circle8

The fruitcakes in Hollywood do not care about children safety, public education or the well being of America. They put guns in the hands of these nuts in order to glorify their appearance on the screen to make them big in the eyes of the public. Hollywood is phony, fake, dope smoking and exists only to make money and pump up their own image.

Jason

Wasn’t Charleston Heston the president of the NRA?
Was he anti gun in the the let sixties and then changed his mind?

Roy D.

As Governor of California he signed the bill outlawing the open carry of firearms.

hoss

Heston was never Gov. of Commiefornia.

No Filter

More Hollywood hypocrisy. I’m almost 64 now and saw Easy Rider when it first came out. I was a child then and went to see it on my own. No adult supervision needed. Then years later l went to see it and was turned away because my then girlfriend was under 18 and the movie had earned an R rating. It shows on basic cable now and then with appropriate content removed. From one senseless extreme to the other!
I hope Sorbo’s movie does well in spite of it’s communist suppression R rating!

Greg K

In the 1990’s, Congress had hearings to put “Warnings for Explicit Language” on albums. Dee Snyder from “Twisted Sister” testified before Congress to no avail. What was interesting? Sebastian Bach said, “Put it on the albums!” He recognized that kids want that which is verboten. He was correct. Album sales soared.

These kids now, are able to download media that we “Grownups” can’t even find. It may seem strange, but the poison fruit aspect may be the very reason the kids seek it out.

Richard Davis

For what it’s worth I plan on taking my whole family to see it in the theater (kids are 13, 10, 6, 3) and we’ll buy it when it comes out. I’m confident that if they can handle the Marvel films they can handle this. Love Kevin and his latest conservative/Christian works, and I trust this film will be generally wholesome. I DO NOT trust the largely secular film raters and THEIR agenda. Even my 6 year old daughter knows the 4 rules of gun safety, and in DIRE NEED I would not hesitate to trust my two oldest to… Read more »

willy d

@Rock; You forgot Me, Conn, RI, Mass, Del, and we are loosing Wash, Or, V, Pa, and Nev. It is a very contagious disease with no treatment in sight, except extermination of Demo-Rats, look at who in charge of these states?

Larry Bauer

There is a long standing policy in the news media to not report cases where a minor uses a firearm to defend themselves or their loved ones. I’ve had reporters openly explain to me that it would send the wrong message to kids.

Roy D.

That is not the case here in Oklahoma.

Joe Podesta

Now, I am totally confused — the article speaks of a “new movie” but in the same paragraph it mentions comments made in 2000 — so what is it? In the “original movie” that I watched, the siblings did no shooting, from cover behind trees, they performed the function of reloading the one shot muskets for their father, who did all the shooting!!

Heed the Call-up

Joe Podesta, that was a quote from John Lott back when “The Patriot” was released.

Patrick Shannon

In an early scene in “The Patriot,” the boys were shown returning to the farm after a hunting excursion, carrying their rifles over their shoulders. The implication was clear that they knew how to use them, and did responsibly use them without an adult having to be present.

Markr

Liberals are out to disarm our country, for no reason other than the fact that’s what they want, and going at it from all angles, read an article about Rider university in New Jersey ,that said they took a student survey on what fast food restaurants they wanted on campus the student body said unanimously they wanted chick-fil-a ,school said no can do….they have Christian values,just another commie angle.

Rivahmitch

Due respect but, IMHO, there is “other reason” why leftists want to take away our guns. They realize that when they eliminate the other unalienable rights (supposedly secured by the Constitution) and begin coming after peoples property we will resist their tyranny. Resistance is much less possible if the necessary tools have been removed.

Diane Godbout

Just like other communist regimes have done in thepast and then slaughtered or starved millions to death,

Blade

The good old “Nanny State” looking gone wild.

Marc DV.

Let Hollyweird outlaw their Own Guns ( ie, Bodyguards & Security People )
As Hess Said ( From My Cold Dead Hands ) Never Gonna Happen !
At least Not without a Civil War !
More Guns are going Un-registered now than ever before.
People don’t trust Elected Officials to Protect their Rights .
If Big Brother don’t Know you got it , They can’t take it !

Gary Hromada

As an NRA member, I know firearm education is important!

But, Hollywood (mostly liberal) hates guns! I’d suggest NO TV shows or movies have guns in them PERIOD!
They hate guns; so, why do they continue to have COP shows or movies with lots of gun violence? BAN guns from the screen!

Clifffalling

Red Dawn (1984) was PG 13, one of the best documentaries ever made! Made way more $$ in the home market. Maybe this is supposed to be ol’ Herc’s breakout film though. It’s a true shame, it isnt like he can advertise in spite of the MPAA, and risk blacklisting. I mean honestly, look at the synopsis and trailer. I don’t think this is exactly this years “gone with the wind” (maybe that’s a bad example?) or anything; but compared to some of the filthy stuff out there produced every year, this is pretty tame. Heck, look at the crap… Read more »

Henry

I hear you have to show over-21 photo ID now before they will let you watch reruns of Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, or Lost in Space on meTV.

Roy D.

So, in other words, commies are going to commie.