
Yesterday I got my Shooting Times which contained the single, dumbest ad for a gun that I have ever seen in that magazine which I have been reading now for more than forty years. The ad promotes a new self-defense pistol made by Springfield Armory, a 9mm thing called the Hellcat. The pic is above.
The text of the ad begins with: “It’s a jungle out there.” Now take a look at the jungle surrounding the kid who happens to be walking away from his broken-down car. That’s some jungle. It looks much more like a road running through Nebraska or North Dakota. But of course, the kid better keep that little pistol in his pocket because you never know whether a lion or tiger will jump out of the grass and eat him alive. Or maybe try to steal his car.
Incidentally, in his left hand, he’s carrying his trusty water bottle. You don’t expect him to go trekking off through the jungle without being able to keep himself hydrated, right? That would never do. It’s a jungle out there.
The jungle is so dangerous that the FBI has just reported that violent crime in 2019 has declined 3% from the previous year. In 1994, the violent crime rate was 708.94. In 2018, it was 368.9. That’s quite a jungle out there.
Leaving aside the fact that the attempt by the gun industry to talk about crime rates in totally unreal terms is both stupid and wrong, the ad actually has an even more bizarre theme; namely, the idea that a country road can be used to somehow symbolize a jungle environment.
Want to see what most Americans consider to be the ‘jungle?’ Try this one:

Now that’s a jungle, okay? But even the gun business has now become politically correct. You can’t talk about the urban jungle the way we used to talk about the urban jungle because then you have to say or at least hint at the issue of race. And that’s a no-no except when Donald Trump stands up at a campaign rally and shouts, “Where’s my Negro?”
You would think that if the gun business wanted to be taken seriously, they would do an ad showing some Black guy walking down an inner-city street. But that wouldn’t work, not only in terms of how racist the ad would be, but because in most cities the cops don’t give concealed-carry permits to Black residents anyway. So, what’s the point?
The point is that this Springfield Arsenal ad is so far away from any kind of reality that it should be used by my Gun-control Nation friends to point out the degree to which the manufacture and sales of self-defense weapons has nothing to do with protecting yourself at all. The messaging is about as reality-based as the Growing Up Gotti TV show had anything to do with how those snot-nosed kids were being raised.
On the other hand, from the point of view of reducing gun violence, maybe the Hellcat ad is a blessing in disguise. Because if the owners of Springfield Arsenal have to go to such ridiculous lengths to justify the development of their products, then maybe the entire argument about the need for self-defense is beginning to finally become undone.
Back in 2010, the percentage of Americans favoring stricter gun control as opposed to not changing the laws was roughly the same, with both sides running around 45 percent. As year, for every American who thinks that we have enough gun control, there are two Americans who believe that gun laws should be tightened up. If this trend continues and if the blue team wins back the White House in November, what else can the gun business do except run crazy ads making people believe that crime is a bigger threat than COVID-19?
I’m not going to the gun show this weekend because being around lots of older adults may represent a serious health risk. Stay safe everyone!
Mar 11, 2020 @ 11:32:31
“You would think that if the gun business wanted to be taken seriously, they would do an ad showing some Black guy walking down an inner-city street. But that wouldn’t work, not only in terms of how racist the ad would be, but because in most cities the cops don’t give concealed-carry permits to Black residents anyway. So, what’s the point?”
HILARIOUS…..
When Firearms companies DO try advertising to Minorities (or Women), All of the Racist and Sexist Gun Banners like Bloomberg and his PR Shill Shannon Twatts cry FOUL, because they believe it’s “Too Dangerous” for “Certain groups” to be TRUSTED with Firearms, and therefore they don’t believe Minorities actually DESERVE to enjoy their Second Amendment rights.
Give me any Gun Control law, and I’ll show you it’s Originally RACIST intent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/business/media/guns-sales-advertising-strategy.html?referringSource=articleShare
Mar 11, 2020 @ 11:45:54
“Gun makers are softening their image to ‘put a better face in front of people’ & ‘ramp up its appeal to women, children and members of minority groups,'” Igor Volsky, executive director of gun-control activist group Guns Down America, said in a tweet. Volsky, who is also a former vice president of the Center for American Progress, was commenting on a New York Times story about firearms marketing.
“That’s right,” Volsky continued. “Gun makers are increasingly advertising to WOMEN & MINORITY COMMUNITIES. Firearm industry realizes that to survive into the future it must ‘broaden its reach beyond the aging white men who have been its core customers’—and so they’re now trying to sell their products to other demographics. This is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!”
Mar 11, 2020 @ 13:45:31
Now, as to WHY anyone would need to be ARMED if they’re car breaks down in the “Middle Of Nowhere” (aka NOT the ‘Hood)…..
Just Google “Robbed after car broke down”…
Apparently, it happens a lot.
Here’s a Recent story from January:
https://www.newson6.com/clip/13600720/stranded-woman-robbed-after-car-broke-down-in-rogers-county
Mar 11, 2020 @ 13:59:26
“Gang Raped and Tortured by Six Men after stopping to change tire on the side of the road”…..
I wonder if SHE thinks it’s “Too Dangerous” for Women to be Armed?
https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6924743/amp/My-car-broke-gang-raped-hung-like-animal-1981-says-Texas-mom.html?amp_js_v=a3&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15839489737880&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-6924743%2FMy-car-broke-gang-raped-hung-like-animal-1981-says-Texas-mom.html
Mar 11, 2020 @ 14:07:36
Maybe the story should be…don’t buy a Chevrolet.
Mar 11, 2020 @ 21:29:14
If it wasn’t for Obama, there wouldn’t BE Chevrolet!
Mar 11, 2020 @ 14:13:28
“As I told my wife…I said Jill, if you’re ever Gang raped on the side of the road, roll down the window, put that double-barrelled shotgun and fire two blasts outside the Car….I promise you, whoever’s coming in you is not — you don’t need an Springfield Hellcat . It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact you don’t need 13 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun!!!!”
-Grandpa Joe
Mar 12, 2020 @ 08:47:30
And by the way, when Joe Biden told the media that this is exactly what he told his wife Jill to do if she thought an intruder was coming into their home, he was roasted by all the so-called gun ‘rights’ people because, after all, Joe’s a gun-grabber, right? This was the first time that any national politician endorsed the idea of armed, self-defense in the home and the gun lovers of America denounced him all over the place.
Mar 12, 2020 @ 10:25:37
“when Joe Biden told the media that this is exactly what he told his wife Jill to do if she thought an intruder was coming into their home, he was roasted by all the so-called gun ‘rights’ people…”
Which part of his statement we’re they “Roasting”?
Was it the unsafe and possibly illegal part where he advised his wife to point and fire a shotgun INDISCRIMINATELY out the front door?
….or the Nonsense about how nobody needs more than 2 rounds to defend themselves???
….or the total garbage about it being easier (especially for a woman) to use/defend yourself with a Double barrel Shotgun than a Semiautomatic rifle????
Mar 12, 2020 @ 10:35:05
“Gun Expert” Joe Biden Advises His Wife To Illegally Discharge a Shotgun:
https://reason-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/reason.com/2013/02/21/gun-expert-joe-biden-advises-his-wife-to/?amp_js_v=a3&_gsa=1&&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15840234565904&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Freason.com%2F2013%2F02%2F21%2Fgun-expert-joe-biden-advises-his-wife-to%2F
Mar 12, 2020 @ 11:15:51
Mike, you are an NRA instructor, and you train people for their Mass LTC, you should know better than to praise Biden’s illegal and stupid advice.
And also I love your little litmus of “Joe told his wife to carry an archaic shotgun and discharge it in an illegal and unsafe manor” counteracts DOZENS of statements about him banning COMMON firearms.
It would be like the defense calling up Harvey Weinstien’s wives to the stand (and probaby Meryl Streep) and have them attest under oath that Harvey and they DID IN FACT have CONSENSUAL sex, and that somehow proves he’s not a serial rapist.
Joe is a gun grabber, for the same reason why I call you a gun grabber. Most of what you call for is banning, confiscating, and restricting the most common guns in America. Just because you shoot deer, and have a large collection doesn’t change the policies you’ve advocated for.
Mar 11, 2020 @ 15:52:00
That first picture could have been taken on one of those section roads I parked my car on in central Minnesota when I was doing my dissertation field work. One day as it was hot out, I left the windows open. Of course that was the day a major thunderstorm brewed up. I got back to the car soaked, expecting to find a lake of water inside the car. Instead, I found that someone had stopped and rolled up the windows. Nothing inside touched.
In major parts of rural U.S. I suspect that is closer to the truth than “its a jungle out there”. Sure, sh*t can happen anywhere. Occasionally. But statistically, its pretty rare.
Mar 13, 2020 @ 12:37:36
If it wasn’t for Obama there wouldn’t have been thousands, tens-of-thousand, or maybe even hundred-of-thousands of additional guns sold in America during his eight years in office.
Mar 13, 2020 @ 14:18:12
The gun shop near my house had a Presidential photo of President Obama behind the counter, pasted onto a backdrop saying “best gun salesman in America”