Thursday, December 15, 2011

Video: Holiday commercial sparks warm, fuzzy feelings about — not puppies — guns



Listen to this advertisement and you’ll reasonably assume that what’s for sale is something forlorn, lonely, cute and cuddly … a stray puppy, perhaps.

“They’ve been mistreated and misunderstood for generations,” the ad begins. “Abusive owners have done severe damage and given these beautiful creatures a bad reputation.”

That’s how it’s supposed to sound. The owner of PRK Arms in Fresno, Calif., brainstormed this brilliant way to sell guns — and, so far, it’s worked. According to a news report from Fresno’s CBS 47 news, the gun shop has seen more business this holiday season than ever before. Among the many new customers are a surprising number of women, who are buying guns in record numbers, according to gun store owners.

No surprise there, really. What woman could resist this pitch?

“You can make a difference by giving a gun a loving home,” the ad says. “These guns want nothing more than to adore and protect you. So, please, have a heart. … PRK Arms has the kinds of guns that need a loving home more than anything else — like AK-47s, Glocks and the biggest selection of AR-15s in Fresno.”

Not surprisingly, the ad has stirred controversy, with some anti-gun activists objecting to the ad’s supposedly misleading nature. But I’d argue that what the ad states is true: Guns are designed as much for defensive protection as for offensive harm. And I agree, too, with what one woman says in the video: Learn how to use one and the scary factor fades.

Obviously, the potential for mishap exists, and gun safety should always be the first priority of a gun owner. But that doesn’t mean guns have no place on a holiday shopping list. The “peace of mind” that comes from a security system — whether a motion-triggered alarm or a well-stocked gun cabinet — is surely a welcome present.

Source




Crazy Canada: "An attempted home robbery and an exchange of gunfire at a home on 178 Nairn Avenue Tuesday night. Police were called to the home in the Rogers Road and Caledonia Road area. Three suspects are said to have barged into the detached home carrying guns, while the homeowner also had one and there was an exchange of gunfire. Two people including the homeowner were taken into custody when police arrived at the home. One of the suspects was injured and took off before police arrived. He turned up at a nearby hospital a short time later suffering from a gunshot wound but is expected to make full recovery. The homeowner will likely face charges but police won't say what they are."


CO: Homeowner: "Don't Move or I Will Shoot: "Johnny Harbour is being recognized for his quick reaction and restraint after holding a burglar at gunpoint until Sheriff Deputies arrived. “I was asleep and heard a loud noise, it woke me up. Then I continued to hear the noise so I just automatically picked up my gun,” said Harbour. Harbour told 11 News the burglar got into his home around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night after ripping off a screen from a window. The window was accidentally left unlocked and the burglar squeezed in. “I didn’t know what to expect as I came around the corner,” said Harbour. What he found was a man standing right next to his refrigerator. "I just pointed the gun at him and told him, 'Don't move or I will shoot you,’” Harbour said. He then turned on the lights and told the suspect to raise his hands. “It was next to my kitchen table so there was a chair right there. I told him to pull that chair out, sit down, and don’t move and then I called 911, while standing there holding a gun on him,” said Harbour. Police arrested 22-year-old Jacob Pino."

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