I'm watching the Congressional hearing on gun industry marketing.

[AndyS]

Pretty much as anyone would expect. The gun makers are all pillars of the community with children & grand children, go to church every sunday and employ soooo many local people while supporting Made In America only selling to 'law abiding citizens' for only lawful purposes.

Republicans attack Democrats for soft on crime, defending police and going after 'law abiding citizens' practicing their 2nd Amendment rights.

There are three gun company witnesses and two anti violence witness.

The gun CEOs were asked why they marketed military grade assault weapons to civilians and young men. One answered "I don't consider our Modern Sporting Rifle military grade" another answered "We only sell to responsible law abiding citizens" and the third quoted Heller about guns in common use.

The Brady witness testified that ATF records show that only 5% of gun dealers are responsible for 90% of crime guns traced by ATF. She said it should be easy for gun makers and distributors to identify them and stop selling product to them.

When asked what they were doing to control their product's access to criminals all three CEOs had some version of 'we only sell to law abiding' and not our responsibility. When asked if they felt any responsibility for their guns being used in so many mass shootings one said 'don't blame the gun, it's an inanimate object' a second said he felt no responsibility and Marty Danials of Danials defense offered thoughts and prayers. Yeah, really, thoughts and prayers!

In recess for now. I'll be back later with more.

[Torchlight]

1. They sound as sincere, honest and genuine as tobacco companies did

when they alleged they believed nicotine was non-addictive and never marketed to children using cartoon like Joke Camel.



The sealions were out in force then too: unctuously lecturing to anyone who'd listen that calling a filter-less cigarette a 'butt' invalidated an entire argument (sea-lions these days, but I called them The Little Gnominclatures back then).

[walkingman]

2. I could care less who these people are - they could be Jesus Christ Superstar - fuck'em. The

article in The Atlantic explains that "The gun industry’s modern marketing effort did not just arm these shooters; in a very real sense, it created them."

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/07/firearms-industry-marketing-mass-shooter/670621/

America's love affair with guns is deadly but like everything in America - if it makes money we give it a green light.