It’s been a banner year for red carpet statements that transcend the usual signifiers of taste or trend or personal style. Stars are well aware of how to use their various platforms to draw attention to the causes that they believe in, and in 2018, many of those causes have taken on an entirely new sense of urgency. An all-black dress code at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs saluted the Time’s Up movement; white roses at the Grammys and the Brit Awards emphasized a united front for change in the days of #MeToo. These days, the most popular accessory in Hollywood isn’t a Birkin bag or a pair of shapely sunglasses—it’s a Time’s Up pin.
All this is to say that the best-shod stars at the Academy Awards tonight won’t just be the ones tripping down the red carpet in the newest creations from Paris, or those with the best-tailored tuxedos, or with the sparkliest jewelry in tow. This year, many of the most-watched attendees will be standing out for signifying their commitment to one of the most serious issues facing Americans today: gun control. A little over two weeks after 17 teenagers were killed at the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida—as President Trump continues to oscillate on how he feels about gun control legislation, with even the most meager efforts (like raising the purchasing age for firearms to 21), continuing to prove to be too divisive for lawmakers to contemplate—Hollywood fixtures will be donning pins from the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety as a show of support for Everytown and the safety measures it strives for.
Gun control, though a persistent political sticking point, has taken on an entirely new relevance thanks to the student survivors from the Parkland shooting, who have refused to stay silent, organizing the (now roundly celebrity-endorsed) March for Our Lives, on March 24, and rallying their political representatives and the general public to push for real change, under the banner #NeverAgain. For its part, Everytown announced its five-point plan (called “Throw Them Out”) to take action, and remove and replace those politicians who have been corrupted by the NRA. It’s a sentiment that’s been echoed by retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods, which decided last week to do what the government wouldn’t, and stop selling assault-style rifles like those typically used in mass shootings, and to raise the age of purchase to 21. “When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset,” Edward Stack, the CEO of Dick’s, told reporters. “We love these kids and their rallying cry, ‘enough is enough.’ It got to us. We’re going to take a stand and step up and tell people our view and, hopefully, bring people along into the conversation.” A little orange pin, in other words, is making one big red carpet splash tonight.
You know what? America is really starting to piss me off regarding their gun laws. How often do you hear about school shootings happening in the UK or Australia or Canada? Pretty much never. Why? Because those countries have gun laws.
In 1996, the Dunblane school massacre happened in Scotland which killed 16 children and 1 teacher. Do you know what happened after that? Reforms were made to gun control laws. How many gun related massacres have there been since? One (Cumbria, 2010, which wasn’t a school shooting).
In 1996, the Port Arthur massacre occurred in Australia which killed 35 people and wounded 23. Do you know what happened after that? Strict gun laws were introduced. How many gun related massacres have there been since? None.
Now, America. 59 people died in the Las Vegas shooting last year. 50 people died in the Orlando nightclub shooting last year. 33 people died in the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Sandy Hook, 2012, 28 deaths. Sutherland Springs, 2017, 27 deaths. Need I go on? How many more innocent lives need to be taken before America realises that maybe they need to do something about their gun control laws?
Of course, any American who’s reading this and is pro-guns won’t take any notice of what I’ve just said or the statistics. They’ll be full of arguments for why guns should stay. ‘Changing the laws won’t make a difference.’ Bollocks, the UK and Australia are prime examples for why changing gun control laws works. And as for those of you saying ‘guns don’t kill people, people kill people,’ you can all shut the fuck up. A gun makes their goal a lot easier to accomplish. It’s a lot easier to stop a person with a knife, for example, than it is a person with a gun. A person with a knife will likely only injure a few people before they’re stopped, a person with a gun… well just see the statistics above.
Yesterday’s shooting is the 18th school shooting of the year so far. It’s February. How is that acceptable? Even if it was December 31st, that would not be acceptable.
America, do you want more of your children to die? No? Then fucking do something about it.
A little while ago there was a shooting, at least one gunman fired down from the Mandalay Bay Hotel into a crowd at a country music concert.
Reports are hazy & mostly unconfirmed right now, but potential gunmen in the area of MANDALAY BAY HOTEL, NEW YORK NEW YORK HOTEL, EXCALIBUR HOTEL and TROPICANA HOTEL.
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