Conservative writer Amelia Hamilton decided it was time to pervert the popular children’s fairy tale, “Little Red Riding Hood,” and turn it into a children’s book full of National Rifle Association talking points. To NRA Family’s delight, of course, the organization is now promoting the book – “Little Red Riding Hood (With Guns),” and the unsupervised use of guns by children – on its website.
When did promoting the idea that kids guns unsupervised is OK?
What’s In Store For Red?
Hamilton’s twisted version of the children’s classic features Red as a “little lady,” instead of a girl, as if it mitigates the fact she uses a shotgun unsupervised. Red encounters the Big Bad Wolf who, unarmed, runs away and hides when he sees Red with the shotgun. Red eventually gets to Grandma’s house, but the wolf of course got there first – but not before Grandma got to her own shotgun.
“I don’t think I’ll be eaten today,” said Grandma, “and you won’t be eating anyone again.” Grandma kept her gun trained on the wolf, who was too scared to move. Before long, he heard a familiar voice call “Grandmother, I’m here!” Red peeked her head in the door.”
The Big Bad Wolf was scared of Grandma too, because intruders never, ever carry weapons, do they? Maybe the next version should feature Red blasting the Wolf’s guts all over the nice white snow, or the other way around?
Oh right – that only happens in the real world.
People upset that my version of Little Red Riding Hood has everyone safe. Must prefer the high levels of violence in original #NRAFairytales
— Amelia (@AmeliaHammy) January 17, 2016
Rewriting a children’s fairy tale to spout a political point is questionable – especially when the very same talking points have gotten dozens of children killed in the last year alone. But if the NRA is promoting the idea of children protecting themselves while using guns unsupervised, it must be OK, right? Because, what could go wrong?
This Could – And Has – Gone Very Wrong
It’s one thing to teach kids the spirit of the Second Amendment – the right to bear arms. It’s quite another to teach then to grab a shotgun on their way out the door unsupervised. Controversial at best – even with gun proponents – this “gun-heavy” version of Red Riding Hood promoting children using guns is just as ridiculous as the NRA’s perverted “commonsense” gun safety idea that “more good guys with guns” makes the world safer. As if.
Soo, #NRA thinks that putting guns into the hands of children is a good idea. #NRAFairyTales https://t.co/9L98HqgvE7 pic.twitter.com/dc5U6oDvFo
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) January 17, 2016
The NRA says guns don’t kill people, people do. An 11-year-old argued with an 8-year-old neighbor girl about puppies, and then grabbed a shotgun – unsupervised – and killed her. Their parents might beg to differ. Besides, guns are made for killing, not people.
One Washington Post writer researched the issue, and found,
“At least 43 instances this year of somebody being shot by a toddler 3 or younger. In 31 of those 43 cases, a toddler found a gun and shot himself or herself.”
You could argue that Red got lessons, but so did the girl who shot her instructor with an Uzi, and the boy who shot his father with a shotgun- and the hundreds of thousands of adults. Yet the U.S. still has the highest homicide and accidental shooting rate of all the developed nations.
Just because a child gets lessons doesn’t mean they’ve been taught to be responsible. Lessons are no substitute for supervision, and promoting the act of teaching a child to use a gun unsupervised is itself irresponsible.
These stories are not fairy tales. With one toddler shooting a week in 2015, according to the Telegraph – not including those older than four – why anyone would write a children’s book promoting the idea that it’s OK for any child to pick up and carry a gun around wherever, whenever, unsupervised is beyond reason.
It’s interesting to note that not a single state that regulates guns heavily has had a single toddler shooting. Could the NRA please explain that one?
Hamilton is the conservative writer who also penned the Little Patriots series that takes American history and twists it with the very religion that our founding fathers fought to keep out of government, and she, promises many more rewritten fairy tales to come.
Everyone’s entitled to have a gun, but this twisted version of a fairy tale promoting kids with guns unsupervised will only lead to more kids killing kids. #NRAFairytales apparently doesn’t care if it’s an accident and a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Featured Image: Left by Amy Hulse, Studio Coronado via Media Matters, Right by Sam Weiner via Twitter.com
