How many times have you heard that? As marketing guys, we deal in perception as well as fact. It’s our job to create narratives to convey ideas. Unfortunately, marketing can be used as a weapon by the unscrupulous, to distort facts and spin the truth. When ideology gets in the way, you can have a clash between facts and feelings that creates a conflict worthy of the Hatfields and the McCoys. 

Take for example, the recent discussions over the rights of gun owners versus those who style themselves as “gun control” advocates.

I was channel-trolling the other night, when I happened upon an ABC News report about the recent rise in demand for guns – specifically carbines like the AR-15 (the semi-automatic version of the military’s M-16) and the AK-47, the Russian-designed weapon renowned for it’s inexpensive construction and durability/reliability. They interviewed a number of gun owners and gun shop owners. The report was more-or-less factual: gun sales are up, especially for AR-15s and AK-47s, and most of those in the market attribute the uptick to fears that an Obama Administration will move to ban so-called “assault rifles” and add restrictions to gun ownership – if not attempt to ban private ownership of guns altogether. As the report finished, the ABC anchor shook his head in disgust and said “and so the stockpiling of dangerous weapons continues.”

Wow. Nothing like an ubiased newscast, huh? 

What we’ve got here, is a failure to communicate – specifically, a failure to communicate facts instead of relying on emotion. Here are some facts that run contrary to the popular (mis)conceptions about the gun industry. 

1. There’s no such thing as an “assault weapon.” ALL weapons are, by their very nature used for two things – defense and offense. The gun control cabal has coined the term “assault rifle” to frame the discussion. That description makes it look as though these weapons are used ONLY to assault innocent victims, and have no value for defense, hunting, or any other legitimate pursuit. Think about that. A gun is a tool. Not a political statement. It doesn’t have any control over how it is used. Yet the public’s perception of an AR-15 or AK-47 is that they are “dangerous assault weapons.” 
2. Weapons are specialized tools – not general purpose clubs. As a gun owner, I’ve learned a lot about weapons in the past couple of years. By design, I might add. Most of those who go through training to qualify for their state’s concealed carry permits do the same. What I’ve learned is that there are a lot of misconceptions about guns, how they work, and how you can defend yourself with them. For instance, a handgun is a close-range weapon. Most handguns are used to defend (or in the cases of bad guys) to attack within 7 to 20 feet. In other words, past 20 feet, your chance of hitting what you aim at (unless you hit the range on a weekly basis) is roughly 50-50. If you are trying to defend yourself against someone attacking your property from a greater distance than 20 feet, you’re much better off with a carbine or rifle. ANY carbine or rifle. 
3. Shotguns require aiming, just like rifles do. A shotgun, (the classic home defensive weapon) is useful for short distance defense, but you still have to aim the bloody thing. It is not a “spray and pray” weapon. Period. 
4. Any gun can be dangerous – if put into the wrong hands. Licensed gun owners go through rigorous training, partly to educate them about gun safety. Conversely, a gun that is made inaccessible by way of a trigger lock or requirements that it be stored in such a way that it can’t be picked up and fired render said gun absolutely useless in an emergency. 
5. So-called “assault ammo” is safer than traditional ammo. It’s true. The purpose of hollow-point ammunition is to accomplish two goals – create a lot of internal damage to what you hit (which equates to “stopping power” – and to prevent the bullet from passing through and hitting something behind the target. Full metal jacketed rounds are great for target practice, but there’s a high probability that if used for self-defense, the roung will penetrate the thug you’re aiming at, and keep going, potentially harming an innocent bystander. Hollow-points go in small, and spend their energy internally, creating a big wound channel. They therefore lose kinetic energy and are far less likely to penetrate and cause damage outside the primary target. Oh, and by the way, there’s no such thing as “cop killer” bullets.