A company that sells gun owners who fantasize about shooting their political opponents with bullets the opportunity to live that dream, is now using a picture of a mass shooting victim to promote its latest product. Zombie Industries specializes in target mannequins that bleed when shot. One of their newest targets is a “Gun Control Lobbyist Zombie,” which allows shooters to imagine they are mowing down undead supporters of universal background checks every time they squeeze the trigger.
A graphic promoting this product features the bleeding target superimposed on a picture of apparent actual gun safety lobbyists. One of the people standing in the background is Colin Goddard, a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre who was shot four times during that mass shooting and still carries three bullets in his hip and shoulder.
On Twitter, Goddard asked the shooting target company to stop using his image to promote their product:
Colin Goddard @clgoddard
Hey @ZombieInd would u remove pic w/me off your ad 4 "Gun Control Lobbyist" shooing targets pls? Already been shot... pic.twitter.com/sSOAj0YXfQ
Zombie Industries recently redesigned an “ex-girlfriend” target to make it appear less human after it sparked outrage from women’s groups arguing that it “turns violence against women into a joke and promotes the idea that men should want to kill their ex-wives or ex-girlfriends.” They continue to market a shooting target which closely resembles President Obama.
It is worth noting that the company has not responded to requests from Goddard to stop using his image in this advertizing and has also ignored requests from a member of Congress requesting they not continue to market this crap.
ReplyDeleteCategorizing something or someone as a 'zombie' is nothing other than dehumanizing people, and characterizing them as the enemy, therefore giving permission to shoot them. Even if someone is only acting out their fantasy to shoot someone by proxy, making that experience more vivid is in itself encouraging violence.
It is worth noting that this company makes other figures - girl friend/ex-wife women, both white and black, Rev. Al Sharpton and President Obama, to name a few. This is racist, misogynistic, and offensive.
If this were done by a gun control group, creating the classic NRA member zombie - old, white, flabby, and crabby, and armed, the hypocrites who comprise the gun huggers would be screaming in outrage.
Of course, the best way to do that would be to create a gun hugger zombie target, armed, that bleeds after shooting itself in the privates, the ass, etc., but then we'd have to make it multi-person, to include all the OTHER people these crazies shoot besides themselves. That would take a lot of blood to represent.
Good thing the gun control advocates are better people than this company, the NRA who promoted their products at their convention, and their customers and sympathizers.
The classic NRA member? Is your bigotry enjoyable to you? But here's the thing: I would never have seen that as Goddard if he hadn't said something. In fact, as I noted below, it looks more like Dan Gross. Regardless, we're at war with you. At present, that war is in the courts, the legislatures, and the court of public opinion. Nevertheless, it is a war, and you are the enemy.
DeleteI think it is Dan with Colin right behind him. I guess you couldn't figure that out so you made a silly attempt to deny the whole thing.
DeleteThere's nothing silly about it. Look at the two. That's Gross's image, if it's anyone. But they're both public figures. If you can't stand publicity, stay out of the public sphere.
DeleteIt looks more like Dan Gross. In fact, I can hardly see a difference. The company's ad gets it right, though. Gun control freaks are the worst of the zombies.
ReplyDeletePretty funny, but for me, probably not $90 worth of funny.
ReplyDelete