May 2003
Eddie Eagle
Ya know, there's nothing as sweet and innocent as getting
children interested in firearms.
That way, if they do find a loaded gun, they'll
most certainly play with it and, maybe, even shoot a younger
sibling. Now that's playtime fun!
Which begs the question: "Why would any parent want
a giant bird showing up at your child's school to titillate
your kid's
interest in guns?"
Well, most don't, but the NRA could give a rat's ass what
most people think.
That's why when a gun nut needs help pushing
guns on kids, all the help they need
is NRA's "Eddie
Eagle Program!" To honor
this sacred bird of youth shootings, we're making Eddie Eagle
our May GunGuys.com site
of
the
month.
The loveable Eddie Eagle project sends eagle-costumed, out-of-work
actors to schools to show kids that "guns are fun." But,
Eddie Eagle is more than that, he also helps nurture
future gun industry consumers or, as Eddie wouldn't say, fleshy
bullet
targets
who will one day help boost a sagging and over-saturated handgun
market.
Plus,
it’s a cute bit of good 'ole public relations
for the gun nuts. I mean, who could have a problem with a big
bird that talks about guns?
THE BIG PROBLEM: When kids find one of dad's
loaded handguns on the nightstand, they are supposed to do
exactly
what Eddie
Eagle told them
to do -- "STOP! Don't Touch! Leave the Area! Tell an Adult!"
But here’s
the trick -- and scientific research has
proven
this
about
Eddie
Eagle
--
when it comes to kids and guns, kids
"do as we do, not as we say."
Bang, bang . . . . bang, bang, bang . . . . . bang! Thanks,
Eddie. Shooting sure is fun! Oops, was that my little sister?
Eddie Eagle gets a 10 bullet rating from GunGuys.com.
Why ten, twice as many as a regular Site of the Month? Because,
in memory of the 10 American kids that die
every day1 from
gun violence, we thought that the rating was appropriate.
Rating: 10 out of 5 rounds
Resources:
How the NRA with Gun and Tobacco Industry Dollars Uses its
Eddie Eagle Program to Market Guns to Kids
Dr.
Marjorie Hardy on ABC News: Why Kids Can’t Resist
the Lure of a Gun
Research
by Dr. Marjorie Hardy how “Eddie Eagle” Doesn't
Work
1Facts on Children and Youth Gun Violence
More Facts on Kids and Guns
