Hollywood stars published an open letter on Monday (June 13) asking that films and series set an example when it comes to firearms. She is signed by famous producers like JJ Abrams (Lost, Star Wars: Episode IX and VII), Shonda Rhimes (Bridgerton) and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. More than 200 Hollywood celebrities, including Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow or Mark Ruffalo, signed the letter.
“Cultural attitudes about smoking, drinking and driving, seatbelt use, and marriage equality have all evolved in part through the influence of movies and television. It’s time to start with the dangers of guns »says this letter distributed by the Brady Campaign, an association demanding stricter regulation of firearms in the United States.
“We’re not asking everyone to stop showing guns on screen. We call on screenwriters, directors and producers to pay attention to gun violence shown on screen and to promote gun safety.”continue the signatories.
Show the “good gestures” on the screen
The films could, for example, show the characters in the process of locking the safety catch of their weapon. Teams could also try to find an alternative to guns in certain scenes without “harming the integrity of the narrative”. Noting that the death toll from firearms has recently surpassed that of motor vehicle accidents among young Americans, the open letter asks industry professionals to “limit the scenes where children and weapons appear at the same time”.
Also listen Firearms: in the United States, the political deadlock despite the shootings
A total of 4,368 American children and adolescents under the age of twenty were killed by firearms in 2020, according to official statistics. They point out that while guns are ubiquitous in shows and movies around the world, “only America has such an epidemic of violence”.
“The blame lies with lax gun laws, backed by politicians who are more concerned with staying in power than saving livesthey write. We didn’t create the problem but we want to help solve it. »