Firearms in the United States: what if the films set a good example? Hollywood stars are mobilizing

Hollywood stars are mobilizing for better gun control.

More than 200 personalities from the world of American culture, including Amy Schumer, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, published an open letter on Monday asking that films and series lead by example.

An initiative taken in response to the massacre of 19 children and two teachers in a Texas elementary school at the end of May, and a previous deadly shooting in Buffalo.

The letter is also signed by famous producers like JJ Abrams ("Lost"), Shonda Rhimes ("Bridgerton") and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, as well as television host Jimmy Kimmel and directors Judd Apatow. and Adam McKay.

“Cultural attitudes about smoking, drinking and driving, seatbelt use, and marriage equality have all evolved in part through the influence of movies and television.

It's time to start with the dangers of guns, ”says this letter distributed by the Brady Campaign, an association calling for stricter gun regulations in the United States.

They denounce “lax laws”

“We're not asking everyone to stop showing guns on screen.

We ask screenwriters, directors and producers to pay attention to the violence by firearms shown on screen and to promote safety in the handling of these weapons”, continue the signatories.

The films could, for example, show the characters in the process of locking the safety catch of their weapon.

Teams could also try to find an alternative to guns in certain scenes without "harming the integrity of the narrative".

Noting that the number of gun deaths has recently surpassed that of motor vehicle accidents among young Americans, the open letter asks professionals in the industry to “limit scenes that feature both children and weapons.”

A total of 4,368 American children and adolescents under the age of 20 were killed by firearms in 2020, according to official statistics.

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The signatories of the letter point out that while guns are ubiquitous in series and films around the world, "only America is experiencing such an epidemic of violence".

“The blame lies with lax gun laws, backed by political figures who are more concerned with staying in power than saving lives,” they write.

“We didn't create the problem but we want to help solve it.

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