
We live in a world in which loud voices crowd often out the reasonable ones. News stations and websites feature the stories and opinions which they think will result in the most views or clicks. This so called “click bait” is designed to invoke a strong emotional response and compel users to take action. It’s why there’s been a recent surge in articles with titles such as “Dear Gun Nuts” and “Ten Things Gun Owners Don’t Want You To Know.” Ignoring the fact that these articles all contain the same ignorant and vague points, it is important to recognize why they were written. They were not written out of some newfound zeal for gun control or dedication to a political cause.
They were written because the authors and editors know they will get the attention of people on both sides of the issue. They make an otherwise reasonable discussion appear cartoonish.
These articles only serve to drive a wedge between us and prevent any actual discussion from taking place.This isn’t news to anyone. The debate over guns has been highly politicized and charged for years now, so why bring this up? Our approach for far too long has been to just ignore these articles, to scroll past them when we see them.
We should not give these articles any of our time. Clicking links or watching channels that pander with these points just makes the media produce more of the same. But we cannot ignore the fact that these articles are out there. And as more and more are written, we must be aware of what our senators and congressmen are probably seeing. They see a world which calls for gun control, regardless of how inaccurate that view is.
So when you see these articles, don’t brush them out of your mind. Instead, make a call. Call your senator or congressman, call your local representatives. Let them know that there are many reasonable people who feel the way you do. Let them know that the articles they are seeing don’t represent the majority of voices, just the loudest ones. Encourage them to fight for the second amendment.
Click the links below to find the contact details of those who represent you:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/