A Democrat sponsored gun control bill would drastically curtail any efforts to “market guns to children,” according to supporters. The Children’s Firearm Marketing Safety Act would make it illegal for groups like the NRA and firearms manufacturers to showcase their brand on child-sized hats and clothing, among a host of other new regulations which has Second Amendment advocates organizing opposition to the proposed legislation.

Freshman Democrat Robin Kelly, of Illinois, argues in the Children’s Firearm Marketing Safety Act that marketing guns to children is “contributing to the shooting deaths of children across the country.” The facts and statistics used to reach such a conclusion remains unclear. In rural areas, both boys and girls are often taught to safely handle guns at an early age for the purpose of hunting. Mass shootings or accidental child gun deaths in such regions are extremely rare or non-existent, according to government crime statistics. Many schools in rural areas are closed for the first day or deer season, or at the very least, allow hunting on such days as an excused absence.

The National Rifle Association sponsors “youth days” around the country for children and their parents. The minors are given the opportunity to learn how to safety use various types of firearms and are highly attended in host communities. The NRA also offers for sale hats, t-shirts, bibs, and the like with the NRA logo on them. If the Children’s Firearm Marketing Safety Act passes, parents would no longer have the ability to buy their son or daughter a NRA hat as a memento of their youth day experience.

Companies such as Keystone Sporting Arms, which make youth rifles, would also be negatively impacted if the Democrat gun control bill is passed. Keystone Arms’ Cricket rifle for kids uses a cartoon cricket figure in its marking of the gun, and such a practice would no longer be legal in the United States if the Children’s Firearm Marketing Safety Act is approved. Youth rifles with “youth-oriented colors” and patterns on the stock would also become illegal.

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The ban on anything gun related being marketed to children would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. Any youth sized rifle still manufactured after the passage of the gun control bill would have to bear a warning label about the gun being “real” and using or touching it could cause injury. About once per year, we hear of a news story detailing how a minor trained to use guns properly has protected him or herself and siblings from an intruder. Teaching children about the safe handling of guns and how to shoot are among the primary objectives of NRA youth days and similar events held around the country by other groups.

Cartoon characters are no longer allowed on cigarette packs because the images allegedly enticed children to smoke. Inhaling nicotine is not healthy, therefore the government determined cigarettes are bad and the cartoon characters went away. Are elected officials sworn to uphold the Constitution, which includes the right to bear arms, attempting to say firearms are bad in this new gun control bill?

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