In a country with more guns than people, the optimal way to ensure accidents like the fatal shooting on the set of the movie “Rust” don’t continue to happen is to teach everyone basic gun safety.
We need to maximize the number of people who can competently handle a firearm.
Alec Baldwin never points a firearm at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins if he is following the fundamental rules of firearm safety. Never. Nor is he even allowed to point a gun in the direction of another human being if everyone there is properly trained. Multiple people would’ve stepped in and corrected him.
But, alas, he broke the rules, those standing by allowed him to break the rules, and now Mrs. Hutchins, a young mother, is dead at the age of 42.
Instead of focusing on the true culprits in this equation — the ignorance and negligence displayed by the crew and, of course, Baldwin — many in Hollywood want to focus solely on the presence of firearms on movie sets.
As GunsAmerica previously reported, several filmmakers have called for banning “prop guns” altogether. Now, this week, there is a change.org petition pushing for “Halyna’s Law,” which would make that wish a reality.
Hollywood: It’s time to create “Halyna’s Law”, which will ban the use of real firearms on film production sets and create a safe working environment for everyone involved. – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/HH4J6EfJHG via @Change
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) October 24, 2021
“We need to make sure that this avoidable tragedy never happens again,” the petition reads. “There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets. This isn’t the early 90’s, when Brandon Lee was killed in the same manner. Change needs to happen before additional talented lives are lost.”
“Please sign this petition and demand for Alec Baldwin to use his power and influence in the Hollywood film industry to make change and ban real guns on film sets,” it continues.
Currently, the petition has almost 50,000 signatures. When it reaches that benchmark, it will become one of the “top signed on Change.org.”
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This desire to run from the problem instead of tackling it head-on is not only disheartening for a nation that fully embraces the right to keep and bear arms, but it’s also dangerous.
Look, the purported 390 million guns in this country are not going anywhere anytime soon. We’re talking about 120.5 firearms per 100 citizens. Again, that’s more guns than people. For Hollywood to collectively stick its head in the sand and pretend it can exist in a reality without them is foolish.
Maybe the film world will succeed in creating gun-free zones on movie sets. Doubtful, but maybe. But that doesn’t mean those who work in the industry will never encounter one in real life.
In fact, chances are they will. At which point, they have to ask themselves, are they better off knowing how to safely and responsibly handle one or are they better off not knowing anything at all?
Those of us in the 2A community know the answer to that question. Because it’s common sense.
If Alec Baldwin believed guns were as dangerous as he claims to, he would have been absolutely paranoid about gun safety (like any responsible gun owner).
— Michael Malice (@michaelmalice) October 26, 2021
Rules for thee, but not for me.
An analogy comes to mind. Backyard swimming pools are a danger to kids. Around 400 under the age of 15 drown each year. Common sense tells us that the primary solution to this problem is not to keep kids away from water, it’s to teach them how to swim.
Hollywood needs to recognize that the world is full of peril. At some point in our lives, we’re all bound to get thrown into the proverbial deep end. It’s at that point that our survival, and maybe even the survival of those we love, will depend on what we took the time to learn, not what we willfully avoided.
Learn to swim. Learn to use a gun. Learn to be capable in the face of potential danger. Sheltering oneself from it, no matter how appealing those in Hollywood make it appear, is never the answer.