USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “It takes a lot to shock today’s jaded movie audiences, especially those attending a Hollywood preview. Yet, Mel Gibson’s new movie about America’s Revolutionary War, “The Patriot,” drew loud gasps at a recent screening,” economist, author and Crime Prevention Research Center founder John Lott observed in The Washington Times back in 2000:
“The outrageous scene? Mr. Gibson’s character handing over guns to his 10- and 13-year-old sons to help fight off British soldiers. Few critics were soothed by the screenwriter replying that the scenes accurately portrayed the complexities of war or Mr. Gibson’s assurance that he would let his own children use guns in self-defense.”
Things have not gotten better, as WND.com reports. The Motion Picture Association of America has given lead actor Kevin Sorbo’s new film “The Reliant” an “R” rating, ensuring many families that don’t know any better will not let their children see the film.
The reason? Executive producer (and president of the United States Concealed Carry Association) Tim Schmidt offers his view:
“It seems the MPAA gave ‘The Reliant’ an R-rating due to their discomfort with how the movie depicts the responsible use of a firearm by a pre-teen boy. This boy saved the innocent lives of his own family members! It just doesn’t make sense to me.”
That will have a major impact on box office receipts and perceived viability of such fare to investors. And that will help to ensure that the information young people get on guns overwhelmingly comes to them from sources intent on undermining the right to keep and bear arms while simultaneously exploiting mind-numbing violence with guns for the sake of “action movie” profits.
From their point of view it makes perfect “progressive” sense. The former head of MPAA was Chris Dodd, replaced in 2017 by Charles Rivkin.
When he was a senator, Dodd was a “leader” in citizen disarmament,” who never saw a gun-grab he didn’t like. He was also a hypocrite when it came to protecting his and his patrons’ financial interests.
It was a bit of a family tradition – his father, Sen. Thomas Dodd, was a principle architect behind the Gun Control Act of 1968:
“In past years, Senator Thomas Dodd (D – Conn.), well known for his anti-gun viewpoint, has ruled subcommittee hearings with an iron hand,” a Shooters Club of America alert in the January 1968 issue of GUNS informed its readers. “He has said, ‘I would be for abolishing all guns … I never saw any sense in guns anyway, and I do not go backward by saying so. I hope some day the world will say, “Destroy them all”.’”
As for Rivkin, he’s been DNC delegate for both John Kerry and Barack Obama, and “California finance co-chair for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and one of his top fund raisers.” In return he got a couple plum ambassadorships and all kinds of connections as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.
True, the ratings monopolist lauds itself for “independence.” MPAA’s assurances might carry more weight if we knew something about the raters, or if Jack Valenti, the guy who set up the rating system and handpicked its administrator, had not been such a hard core Democrat.
Valenti was the go-between for the Lyndon Johnson administration and Hollywood “stars” (including Charlton Heston) who came out for GCA ’68. Here’s the letter (and to my knowledge John Wayne never participated, although Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, Hugh O’Brien and Kirk Douglas did):
Feel free to buy into MPAA being an honest, unbiased broker in all this. If you don’t, the producers of The Reliant have presented their defense along with an appeal. Fighting MPAA’s rating will be expensive. If you believe the kind of message it promotes is something young people would benefit from learning, and if you want to ensure similar efforts aren’t dissuaded before they begin, visit their Indiegogo site, help as you can and spread the word. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
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Tangentially related: 50 Years of Infringements after GCA68 Show Only Constant is Obsession with Control
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and a contributor to Firearms News, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.