Back to fool time? Shoot.
August: a typical end of summer rush.
People are gunning for it this year, though.
Irritated drivers around the mall.
(Hey – YOU do time in a car with some sullen kids whose “must have” fall wardrobes far exceeds budget and practicality…
Hazardous…mentally and physically)
And all those merchants screaming: “Spend your money with us” everywhere you turn.
Only this year, it’s different.
Among the ads for back to school supplies, back to school fashions, back to school shoes is a jarring back to school newcomer.
Fall is here. Time for back to school shopping!
Brightly colored -
Featuring stars and that patriotic red, white, and blue.
Go Olympic teams? Uh, no.
Instant Savings?
Sounds American.
Oh, yes – bold banner lettering ” Celebrating the right to bear arms.” What?
Yeah, you need strong arms to get through all that back to school shopping.
Considered that a necessity – not a right.
And then the punch - like punch to the stomach – “Instant savings on guns.”
“First time ever.”
Yes, it is.
“Offer valid on in-stock guns only”
That’s a comfort, I guess.
When they are gone, they are gone. Hurry in!
Load up on those Christmas gift items early?
And these fall seasonal offerings from multiple merchants.
Look, I don’t want to get into guns and 2nd amendment.
And I am well aware that hunting seasons are approaching.
But no matter how you feel, you can’t help but be rattled by glossy flyers of happy kids getting ready for school mixed in with flyers picturing guns and ammunition.
Especially when a couple of hunters have commented some of these ads – with fancy logos – would appeal to those not really trained or interested in good performance and proper gun use.
Especially when some kids are having trouble feeling safe right now.
Seriously, it’s all about timing.
Innocence has taken a big hit.
Couldn’t there be a short period when we could all at least pretend?
Just a little time where we could try create enthusiasm and excitement for the new school year?
Instead of fueling a shadow of anxiety and fear of public places?
Come on.
Happy kids. The smell of new crayons. Shoes that pinch.
Looking forward to a new school year.
Simple normal things.
A peaceful image.
Please?
What’s that 1546 proverb by John Heywood? “Little pitchers have big ears”?
Load and lock those backpacks,
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
That was the first thing I noticed in that photo college, that “Instant saving on guns” part. Alarming to say the least.
Creeps me out. Thanks for shopping by.
This is disturbing imagery for sure. What ever happened to the smell of fresh crayons and soggy PB&J wafting from a hot metal lunch boxes mixed with the industrial strength pine sol odor in the mop bucket sitting outside the janitors closet. Oh, the good old days!
Seems like a bad marketing idea. Pine sol smells! Had forgotten about that! Thanks for shooting that over here.
Well, one does need to be prepared in case a crazed shooter enters the school. Granted having a gun on your person as a student will get you immediately expelled. But Safety is Safety.
No guns? – HA!That was they said about kids having cell phones in schools at first! You may be on to something? Thanks for targeting here today
That was another excellent post today. You make it look so easy. Thanks so much for sharing. I really enjoyed reading it very much. Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for the kind words.
You’re welcome… feel free to stop by anytime!
After hearing the latest news from Milwaukee, this is a tough one. I don’t have a problem with hunting or owning guns for self-protection. I do have a problem with people who believe violence is the way to “make things right” and that the ends justify the means. Our modern world has made some wonderful advances. But we still take so many backwards steps.
Terrible event. Sikhs are such gentle people (they are not muslims and have faced religious persecution in many places.)
There is a real problem with people who feel violence is an appropriate solution, with angry people, and with mental health issues.
People who want to hurt others/ cause terror will always find a way – no matter what is banned.
Worry about the kids seeing all this.
Time to think. Thanks for pausing to chat
That ad is scary indeed! The right to bear arms is something I will never understand! You put it all into perspective.
The US federal government is a series of checks and balances that are all intermingled. The second amendment is vital (and not just about having militias and hunting for food.)
Why is it necessary to advertise guns – or electricity – or medical treatments? Those that need them can find them easily.
There’s a real anger problem that needs to be addressed – along with mental health issues.
And all existing laws must be strictly enforced with swift justice for victims.
It’s complex. But my concern is the kids seeing all this – sort of destroys security of childhood.
Thanks for paging over
You hit the nail! The anger problem is endemic, along with despair! I think the two go together.
That’s just sick, mixing guns with back to school shopping. What do they want, a gun in every kid’s backpack?
It was just too much today. Given all the recent violence, couldn’t they just back off the ads a bit? For a little while? Thanks for wandering over
Until the children are recruited into a well-ordered militia dedicated to an orderly state, keep the guns away from them. And off the bargain tables. Good grief. The most dangerous thing I brought to school with me back in the day was a pencil. You can do a lot of damage with one of them, but only in terms of ideas—nobody dies.
And teachers would complain about kids tripping over guns in the aisle.
Hey pencils – or the old kind – can be dangerous – those little stabbing points left dark dotted scars….and remember ruler sword fights? But you are right, bruised maybe, but not dead.
Thanks for pointing out the dangers.
Well, when I was in grade school in the 1950s – in Iowa, heart of the midwest – the “hoods” would take the chains off their black leather jackets when they wanted to threaten, and the “girl gangs” carried sharpened beer can openers. You could do a lot of damage with either one – but it never happened, except for one cut hand I remember. One reason is the weapon carriers didn’t really want it to happen. The shooters in the movie theater and temple did want it to happen.
The point is that it really isn’t the weapon that’s the problem. A gun is a tool just like a hammer is a tool, and it can be used for good or ill. You can use a hammer to pound a nail or smash someone’s skull. The problem is that guns are falling into the hands of people who are angry or unstable, and who don’t give a flip about responsible use.
Now, the problem is that regulating guns isn’t going to make a lick of difference. Talk to the people in Mexico or Chicago about that – there are strict gun laws, and the most horrific crime possible. People who are walking around enraged are going to find a way to do their worst, just as people using violence as intimidation will find a way. When I was in Liberia, there was hardly a gun to be seen up-country. But a machete would do just as well.
Part of the problem is the continual setting of one group of citizens against another. Year after year we get more and more divisive talk about the rich and poor, gays and straights, Blacks, Hispanics, “Dreamers” and so on, and not a lick of “let’s come together as Americans and solve this”. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. Oh, wait. I am old-fashioned, and I expect the President to stop pandering to various groups and attend to the needs of the country.
It’s not a conservative/liberal, Democrat/Republican/Libertarian/Progressive problem. It’s a human problem. If we don’t start addressing the human problem, nothing we do will be effective.
I will now get down off my soapbox and scuttle off…..
Nothing to add but applause. Thanks for hitting the target.
It makes me very sad. Making money is always more important, isn’t it?
Where is commonsense? Makes me want to howl. Thanks for sitting to chat, Rumpy
Weird nation sometimes!
It is apparently easy not to engage the brain and think? Thanks for stopping in
No worries – i really enjoy your posts – This gun thing in the USA just flummoxes me. I read about some Sikh temple getting shot up today – the guy thought they were muslim. It is so nonsensically dangerous to have lax gun laws!
There are a lot of angry people around.
They can kill with all sorts of things – like blocking doors and setting buildings on fire.
This was a hate crime – not domestic terrorism. Some fool though the gentle Sikhs were muslims – the Sikhs have been dealing with crimes since 911. (we have a large Sikh community here.) I blame the poor educational system – and parents for not educating kids.
Actually there are lots of strong gun laws in each state.(It didn’t stop the movie theatre killer: Illegal to have guns in that city – not to mention murder is against the law). Chicago has banned guns and has strict gun laws – and it is one of the most violent cities in the world. Mexico has people murdered daily and is a NARCO state: guns are banned in Mexico.
One of the biggest problems is that existing laws are NOT being enforced. That must change. Also mental health issues must be addressed (Yes, people did know ahead of the killings in CO and the one that injured Gabby in AZ that the individual was dangerous and had guns: there are laws existing where those guns could have been taken away – if anyone had bothered to notify authorities.
I am not a NRA person – or a Tea Party person – just trying to get through life.
Enforce the law and swift justice would go a long way. Meanwhile people’s attitudes that violence is a solution to any problem must change, and the anger needs to be addressed.
It’s a complex disturbing situation
Soooo, you can see why I enjoy reading your humorous posts! Thanks for stopping in
Maybe the next thing for high tech to step into: cell phones with firearm capabilities…only activated when caught in a emergency crossfire. hmm…
But then there would alway be the ones who want to be different and roll in cannons or carry “retro” crossbows! Nothing is easy…
That’s just wrong. It looks to me like we’re continuing to build a culture of fear. Heard on the news this morning that a man was arrested in my area for taking guns and knives to the movie theater when he went to see the new Batman movie. Said he took weapons in case someone decided to repeat what happened in Colorado. Now they’re talking about putting in metal detectors at movie theaters. Makes me almost want to just stay home. With my BB gun (used to scare off geese who want to poop around the pond — building our own culture of fear here).
There’s a problem with anger and using violence to solve it. One guy recently attacked a guy with a hammer here. A man angry at being removed from a club got in his car and angrily started running people down. There are road rage instances where one driver follows the other one home and attacks the other driver. It’s all wrong – and people must decide to not respond violently.
That story about the other armed guy at the movie was just on here. Anything for attention?
Need to get back to that “there are consequences for your actions” and “take responsibility for your actions” pretty quickly?
Do understand about the geese -it’s a real problem for all those office buildings with ponds and fountains during the winter (migration destination for some clever feathered ones)
Thanks for flying over to chat
I didn’t notice that in our flyers here…but then, I haven’t looked at them for several weeks. It does seem like odd timing, however, it’s hard to believe it’s coincidence…there’s no such thing as coincidence when it comes to marketing.
It was just too strange – too sharp a contrast. School clothes and shoes in one flyer – and ammo in another. Thanks for parking to chat
Interesting post, and it generated great comments
Australia’s gun laws are different and guns aren’t run-of-the-mill household items, so those brochures looked truly out of place to me. I agree you can’t blame guns, or cigarettes, or drugs, or alcohol, or junk food for the damage they do but I can’t see the benefit (other than revenue generation) of marketing/promoting them.
Hunting season is also in the fall, but just this once could they tone it down a bit? Maybe design covers featuring hunting scenes without glorifying the guns – just this once – out of sensitivity to the recent violence? Some of these stores actually sell school uniforms, shoes, and back to school clothing as well as guns. That’s fine if it’s their business plan, but please…spare the full color newspaper ads.
They don’t advertise cigarettes, so maybe it’s time to say no to gun ads, too?
OK. False sense of security…but little kids are jittery – and everyone is having to talk with their kids (again) about what to do it there’s an “incident” at school or a public place.
Appreciate your insights from a distant perspective. Thanks!
“Load up on those Christmas gift items early?” – literally.
The last thing we need in this country is less expensive guns. Let’s at least hope the bullets aren’t also on sale.
I think the bullets are on sale for Labor Day? (we’ll work on that.) Thanks for aiming comments this way.
Ghastly…what a world we live in.
::shivers::
The most lethal item I recall for sale when I was a kid was Silly Putty. Maybe the Slinky.
This is an important post.
Slinky! Those were so terrific: tripping people trying to go down stairs, wrapping around necks and arms (older brothers are just so inventive!). Just wired! Thanks for poking around and bouncing over here. ( and battling the spam monsters…ugh!)
Hi!! I left you a comment here, a few minutes ago. It disappeared…probably to spam. Just trying a different browser to see if that’s the problem, since there’s no pattern to this that I can see.
::waves::
Waving back! Got ya out of that annoying place!