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New York Times opinion columnist Pamela Paul proposed firearms action Similar to measures taken in recent years to combat cigarette use.
In a Wednesday op-ed, Paul outlined what this action would look like and how other public service messages have shaped public opinion for decades.
She begins on the note that the coming of age in the 1970s and 1980s was replete with such messages.
“Smokey Bear warned that only you Could help prevent wildfires (if only that were completely true). An actor dressed as a Native American shed a tear for people to stop littering (or at least feel guilty when they did). Crash-test dummy bypassing seatbelts fool anyone. Later campaign against smokingLike the singing cowboy characteristic, many teenagers are afraid to light their first cigarette,” she wrote, noting the flood of messages faced by children as they came of age during the 1970s and 1980s.
Weapons and military equipment for the army, assault rifle guns (M4A1) and pistols on a camouflage background.
(iStock)
She went further, looking at the impact public service campaigns have on people and tying these messages to the essence of her argument: “Here’s how to start changing people’s minds about guns,” she wrote.
Paul described most Americans’ desire – or “love” – for guns as a “disturbing fact”, pointing to long-running statistics that America has more firearms than people and joining one Gallup poll Which found that Americans’ support for stricter gun laws has declined over the past 30 years.
“The tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, once again points to the insensitivity of this love affair,” she said.
A local resident reads Prayer 4 Uvalde as he mourns the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.
(Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, the most necessary and most effective remedy – repeal the second amendmentGetting the Supreme Court to apply its supposedly strict constructivism to the phrase “well-regulated militias,” state laws governing production and sales have been stalled.
Paul offers what he believes can solve the problem, emphasizing the need to “reach out to the next generation”.
“We can counter the efforts of the gun industry to sell more guns with a massive public health campaign. Make guns less cool, less acceptable, a part of the supposedly American lifestyle. Scare people. Gross them up. Do. Even try the humor,” she said, before referring to Colorado’s 2021 campaign on gun storage and safety as “a baby step in the right direction.”
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Paul then asked: “What if we got more ambitious with the message and went after gun ownership?”
She took note of what the message would look like, brainstorming loudly about the possibility of mentioning the relentless mass shootings happening across America, including “murders over a certain period of time” or testimonials from loved ones of victims. .
She was then tied up in previous campaigns against drugs, citing former First Lady Nancy Reagan The “Just Say No” campaign and several other efforts against drunken driving are also included.
Paul then compared anti-smoking campaigns, which included reducing smoking in movies and TV, arguing that similar measures should be taken with firearms.
“A powerful campaign can drive ads during major events like the Super Bowl and the Oscars. And a savvy person can find teens not only on the big screen and in the classroom (where some Texas textbooks shine on the Second Amendment) but also across platforms. are. Like TikTok and Discord. Through technology and schools, it can bring children into creating and disseminating messages,” she concluded with a question of whether it would hurt to try.