Back in 2019, we noted the trend of gun control organizations and even clothing companies using school shootings to push their pet causes and even make some money. Because what socially conscious kid doesn’t want a Columbine hoody?
Anti-gun org Sandy Hook promise produced the PSA above, which the Washington Post called “a punch in the gut” to promote their cause of limiting or eliminating civilian firearm ownership in America.
Last night, the august Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Sandy Hook Promise, their advertising firm BBDO, and Smuggler Productions with the Outstanding Commercial Emmy for their effort.
In a press release Sandy Hook Promise said . . .
“We are honored and humbled that the Academy chose to recognize ‘Back-to-School Essentials’ for Outstanding Commercial. As a nonprofit organization, our mission is to end school shootings and prevent violence that harms children. The only way that can happen is if parents understand the real fears our kids have, and take action, including learning the warning signs of potential violence and speaking up,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook tragedy. “We are grateful to our creative partners, BBDO New York and Smuggler Productions, for helping us develop innovative ways to reach as many people as possible with this life-saving message — and to our media partners for the donated airtime that brings the PSA into millions of homes nationwide.”
Interestingly, Sandy Hook Promise — an operation that says they’re dedicated to ending school shootings — hasn’t yet commented about the nationwide push to remove armed school resource officers from many of the nation’s schools since the Black Lives Matter riots and protests began (see here, here, here, and here.)
The very people who could best defend children and teachers in schools, if and when the worst happens, are being removed in communities across the country. You’d expect that would concern SHP enough for them to address the situation, but they’ve remained silent on the topic so far.
Maybe that will be the subject of Sandy Hook Promise’s next public service announcement.