Hollywood – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the biggest hurdles we face as we defend the Second Amendment is the fact that we are dealing with a culture that is somewhat hostile. It is not completely that way, but let’s be very honest – Eric Holder’s dream of “brainwashing” Americans against the Second Amendment has come a lot further than we want to admit.
Think about it like this: If you’ve held back on talking about going to the range when co-workers ask what you did over the weekend – or any other lawful activity involving your Second Amendment rights – you’ve experienced some of the cultural hostility towards the Second Amendment.
There are some situations that can be easily fixed. The present culture is not one of those. But it can be done. How do we know this? Because our opponents have managed to shift the culture themselves. Remember when people openly carrying rifles didn’t cause a commotion?
We’ve seen Hollywood and the media work very hard with anti-Second Amendment extremists over the years. The NRA didn’t get into the cultural engagement arena, and we’re paying for that now. There was once a small minority in the A-List who were pro-Second Amendment, including Charlton Heston and John Milius. Milius even made a movie, Red Dawn, that showed how our Second Amendment rights could have been relevant in the 1980s. Tom Selleck, star of Magnum P.I. and Blue Bloods, was a long-time member of NRA’s Board of Directors.
That is not the case today. Perhaps one of the biggest Hollywood names openly supporting the Second Amendment is Dean Cain, who played Superman for four seasons. Yet is he as iconic as Heston was in his day? Or even Tom Selleck? Meanwhile, today’s big stars are calling for gun control. The folks who make casting decisions are against our Second Amendment rights, too, and you can bet a blacklist is in place for those who are pro-Second Amendment.
But there are things that can be done to start moving things in a more pro-Second Amendment direction. This is a very long-term effort, and it will require patience. Some of it can be done locally. One thing is to be involved in local theater groups or encouraging family members with an interest to become involved. If they are properly educated, they can be excellent ambassadors.
Another thing you can do is to support pro-Second Amendment artists and performers, especially the local ones. How well they do can encourage others to follow that path, especially when they show courage in defending the Second Amendment. If they keep racking up sales, they will become more influential and will have an impact.
Yet another good thing is to encourage pro-Second Amendment authors and writers. When you think about how anti-Second Amendment extremists beat us regularly, it’s because many good writers in Hollywood turn their talents to assisting anti-Second Amendment candidates and issues.
The best approach, though, is to encourage those who are interested in working in the film, TV, and comic book industries to enter them. This is a long-shot in some ways – many will not become power players like JJ Abrams. But as they move up, they can at least counter some of the anti-Second Amendment messages coming from Hollywood.
Building a pro-Second Amendment culture is going to take a lot of time. It won’t be easy, but it is necessary.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Yes, Hollywood is one area that needs fixing but in my opinion a much bigger area is the entire education system – and at all levels.
I was at the eye doctor recently for a blurry vision problem in one eye. I learned of my vision problem at range qualification for employment. I found myself dancing around my explanation to the doctor of how I noticed my problem. It concerned me that I felt I had to hide the fact that I was legally using my right to shoot at the range.
The hypocrisy about Hollywood is that the biggest co-stars are Guns, lots of Guns. It’s always the hero who uses a Gun against a the bad guy with a Gun. Hollywood would fold if it weren’t for, you named it GUNS. So spare us the two faced B.S.
because the Second Amendment is non negotiable and no matter what these zealots promote, Guns are part of our culture both good and bad. Another bit of hypocrisy is their anti smoking campaign, remember the people blowing bubbles instead of smoking? Don’t do what we do, do what we say.
The sad thing is what we’ve been warned ÷against by President Reagan as the Nazis did don’t sacrifice freedom for safety we have done that already once with the patriot act I would hate to think the Nazi s have won but the more”safety “we choose the more freedom we lose
I taught a seminar at the Charlton Heston Celebrity Shoot one year. I was pleasantly surprised at the inter-action I had with a lot of “very familiar faces”. Many well known celebrities were were open about their gun ownership, and the use of them in a variety of disciplines. My little corner was somewhat different in that it was “aimed” at self-defense use of a handgun. Attendance was strictly voluntary and the questions that were put forth showed true interest, as did the brief gun handling and shooting instruction. They may in fact be a minority but there are people… Read more »
For the past 20 years I’ve been preaching that gun owners hurt the second amendment cause by being “in the closet” about their support. “Come out” and be proud of your support for gun rights. Put an NRA sticker on your bumper and organize a 2A PRIDE parade. 🙂
The communists took over Hollywood a long time ago! Nothing will change until people stop going to the movies..And then Billionaire’s Like Michael Bloomberg, George Soros, Ted Turner, Warren Buffet, They’ll bail em out…Heston and Selleck and others, Hollywood took over the NRA, Compromise after compromise, Selleck on the Rosie Odonnel show said he wasnt prepared, On the board of directors and he wasnt prepared and people fell for it.. when its not profitable to make a movie, Hollywood might come around to our way of thinking
As far as pro-2A Hollywood personalities, include Keanu Reeves (major 3-gun competitor), Chris Pratt who has argued for firearm and hunting rights, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, and Lou Ferrigno to name a few. There are even more who keep to themselves for the same reasons many of us do. As an industry exec since 2008, I can name another 5 actors and musicians I have sold guns to that are major collectors, shooters or hunters but do not publicly flaunt their positions. Some that would surprise most. Unfortunately, those who remain quiet and refuse to take a public stance fail… Read more »
Forget the mainstream media and Hollywood. They’re corrupt and openly hostile. If you want to start shifting the culture, get in YouTube and start making fun, engaging, and informative content. Channels like Demolition Ranch and Hickock45 have done more for the second amendment than the 2A luminaries you mention here.
If you want to change the culture, go where culture is happening and get engaged with it.
Growing up in RI we could ride around with shotguns and rifles in the rack in the back window of the truck, stop anywhere and nobody ever said a word about anything!! If we went hunting and came out of the woods way down the road and a cop drove by he’d give ya a ride back with no question asked! Times are not changing for the better in this country, people are becoming afraid of their own shadows, they don’t want you to have your own beliefs but want to make sure you have to follow their beliefs!! I… Read more »