This advertisment from the anti-gun group Moms Demand Action is doing the rounds on Facebook. (What is it with outfits with “Moms” or “Mothers” in the title?)
Firstly, the claim is just flat out wrong. It’s unconstitutional to ban books, as anyone with even a passing familiarity with American law knows. Little Red Riding Hood is not “banned,” it’s just — stupidly — not allowed in some schools. Schools, if you will, are “Little Red Riding Hood-Free Zones.” Which reminds me of something: Oh, yes! Guns are banned in schools, too! You try walking in with a copy of that book under one arm and that “assault weapon” slung over your other shoulder and see which your teachers take away from you.
Secondly, the weapon that the little girl is holding has been banned at some point in American history “protect” the children. When? Why, during the useless Assault Weapons Ban that was in force between 1994 and 2004. And why is it no longer banned? Because the ban did absolutely nothing.
This is another of the group’s ads:
Ah, Dodgeball. Again, not playing a sport in school is not the same as its being banned. Not only is the weapon that the kid on the right is holding not allowed in school, but the conflation of the two activities makes it appears as if schools have outlawed Dodgeball because it’s too dangerous but happily hand out semi-automatic rifles on a Thursday afternoon and let the kids have at it.
This is precisely the sort of mendacious, manipulative, emotional bullying that the president employed during the four-month campaign after the shooting at Sandy Hook. One can only hope that it works out as well for Moms Demand Action as it did for the White House.