Hollywood Held at Gunpoint

Ever since director D.W. Griffith protested injustice in the 1916 film “Intolerance,” Hollywood’s best and brightest have used their creative talents to tackle society’s major ills. Anti-Semitism. Homophobia. Political corruption.

The entertainment industry has so far deftly skirted one social problem now threatening to destroy America from within: the tyranny of guns.

Hollywood activism against the evils of guns has been negligent. Then again, most social problems do not have a support group that will fight back viciously and maliciously.

Any well-known American who publicly espouses gun control risks career-threatening harassment by that well-oiled reputation destroyer--the National Rifle Assn.

Despite the fact that the majority of Americans favor gun control, the ever-vigilant NRA somehow continues to convince the majority of America’s lawmakers that controlling guns subverts freedom.

Actually, America is the only industrialized country in the world whose citizens take the risk of being gunned down every time they perform a simple task like riding a bus, fixing a flat tire, even sitting in their living rooms.

It’s not as if the NRA’s arguments in favor of gun ownership are particularly compelling.

“The right to own a gun is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.” I can guarantee you that our forefathers would turn over in their graves if they could see how their eloquent language has been perverted to support guns for everyone.

“American citizens need guns to protect themselves from the government, if it decides to go Commie.” Thus, the emergence of militia groups around the country.

Let’s implement ammunition control. Guns are not nearly as deadly without bullets.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” True, and people would be killing people much less frequently if they had to do it themselves, rather than rely on the impersonal nature of a gun. As World War II veterans will tell you, it was much easier to kill an enemy soldier with a gun than with the bayonet fixed at the end of the gun.

How many more students, moms, dads, friends, presidents and other free Americans have to be savagely gunned down before we say “enough”?

Surely Hollywood has read the handwriting on the wall. But I’ve yet to see an influential celebrity make a statement, in front of or behind a camera, condemning guns.

We can’t count on lawmakers to legislate against the tyranny of guns. Hollywood, fix your courage to the sticking point: It’s way past time to use your many creative weapons against Public Enemy No. 1. Not only will you be rescuing the country; down the road, you may be saving the life of a loved one.