Attacking the machismo of gun ownership [View all]

I was reading an article recently about how toy gun makers are required by law to use bright colors on their toy guns in order to be able to sell them in the US. We all remember the tragic Tamir Rice story and why such laws are important. One toy maker was quoted as saying that even though their toy is shaped and detailed so it looks exactly like the real gun it is modeled after, requiring them to cast it in brightly colored plastic -- instead of being black or silver -- has caused their sales to drop dramatically. It seems little kids do not like the brightly colored models because they do not look "tough" like the darker models do.

We know that for many mass shooters, the guns they chose to murder innocents was a source of machismo for them. Owning AR-styled weapons made them feel "manly" and "tough" because the guns looked "badass". Maybe it isn't toy guns that we should be forcing to get a makeover.

If the 2nd Amendment won't let us block the sale of assault rifles (according to some), then let's make them less "macho" to own. I suggest we push for legislation requiring gun makers to make their AR-styled rifles come in only one color: HOT PINK! This would be done out of concern for safety, and would not restrict gun owners from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights in ANY way. If you want to buy a HOT PINK AR15 and take it to the range, we support your right to do so! We know that this won't hinder hunters from being able to hunt since they are wearing brightly colored gear already!

Or course, we will have to have strict financial penalties and mandatory prison time for any who attempt to alter the color of their firearm, but I am guessing that won't be a problem as those type of laws already exist for other items that we require to be a certain color to serve as a warning for others.

Do you think mass shooters are secure enough in their masculinity to commit acts of violence using HOT PINK guns? We may not be able to get the guns off the street, but we can do something to make it so no one on the streets wants one!