Gun Control Advocates Petition FTC to Go After Gun Ads

[AndyS]

How Guns Are Sold
Gun control advocates are petitioning the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the firearms industry’s marketing practices.

Gun marketing promotes an illusion of safety, the petitioners say. Americans have “been falsely led to believe that gun ownership is a safe way to protect their home and family,” they argue. The C.D.C. reported 45,222 deaths from gun-related injuries in 2020 . The F.T.C. “has effectively given the gun industry a free pass,” the petitioners say.

There is NO scientific evidence that guns make you safer. In fact there is abundant scientific evidence to the contrary!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9134946/

Also, in other news:

Everytown Calls on the FTC to Investigate Smith & Wesson’s Dangerous Assault Rifle Marketing Practices
WASHINGTON – Fred Guttenberg, Everytown for Gun Safety and Brady on Monday released a complaint calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Smith & Wesson’s advertising and promotion of its M&P line of assault rifles, citing substantial evidence the company uses unfair and deceptive practices to market the rifles to young, male consumers — a demographic that includes a disproportionate number of the shooters in the 10 most destructive mass shootings of the past decade.

https://everytownlaw.org/case/everytown-calls-on-the-ftc-to-investigate-smith-wessons-dangerous-assault-rifle-marketing-practices/

And:

Democratic Lawmakers Want F.T.C. to Go After Gun Ads
A new bill being introduced in Congress on Thursday seeks to use the powers of the Federal Trade Commission to limit the spread of guns. The bill would allow the F.T.C. to investigate gunmakers for deceptive advertising practices. That is something the agency is charged with doing for all industries, but has been reluctant to do so with gun manufacturers, which has long received extra protections from Washington, the DealBook newsletter reports.
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It calls for the F.T.C. to file a report to Congress in a year’s time identifying ads that are designed to appeal to those under 18, feature semiautomatic assault weapons or imply or encourage an illegal use of guns.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/business/ftc-guns.html

PLCAA be damned there's a way to get at these mother fuckers and we're going to find it.

[duhneece]

1. Before we quit smoking in restaurants and bars

… we quit allowing cigarette commercials on tv.
Seems like a reasonable tactic

[AndyS]

2. Gun sales would fall like a rock if they were forced to tell the truth.

A gun in the home puts you at great risk.

Resisting an armed robbery with a gun put you at 5x the risk of injury than not resisting at all.

A military style 'tactical' rifle will not enhance the size of your manhood.

Most successful defensive gun uses are against un-armed petty criminals or innocent bystanders.

Just because you wear camo and carry a gun that looks like the one a Marine uses doesn't substitute for military training, you're still just a dumb ass wanna'be.

[duhneece]

3. I think you hit on every point I was thinking

...especially that third one-"Not feeling manly? Buy a firearm. Not feeling respected? Buy a firearm. Don't want to be called a pussy? Buy a firearm."

But your first point, with all the research showing just how much of a risk having a firearm in your home is (especially if you're a woman) should be printed/posted on every bit of ammunition & firearms.

[AndyS]

4. Can we have a warning label ala cigarettes?

WARNING: Having a gun in the home puts a woman at 700% more danger.

[ripcord]

5. If we really wanted to deal with gun fatalities and injuries

We would go after the people who are using guns in crimes, if you use a gun in a crime you should get a mandatory 10 year prison sentence, if you fire it 20 years should be the minimum. Instead we allow these crimes to be plea bargained down and worry about the size of the prison population, we weed to let cannabis offenders out and put violent offenders in.

[AndyS]

6. Nope.

There are laws like that on the books now.

The ONLY way to decrease gun violence is to decrease the number of guns available.

We can do that without infringing anyone's rights. Look at any European country that has guns in civilian hands. There are extensive background checks, not just criminal records checks like we do. There are long waiting periods while that check is exhaustively executed. There are permits to purchase. There is extensive training. There are binding storage laws. Then you can buy a gun.

If your really want or need a gun you'll go through that process, if not it's too much trouble an if so you have no business with a gun.

Not here, it's too much of an INCONVENIENCE on the gun nuts.