Eric Holder, speaking to the Women’s National Democratic Club, discusses how to curb gun violence in D.C:
Eric Holder, proposed using various levers of media and pop culture to attach a social stigma to guns, just as smoking has been stigmatized in recent decades. Holder told the Women’s National Democratic Club the following while discussing how to curb gun violence in D.C. :
“One thing that I think is clear with young people and with adults as well, is that we just have to be repetitive about this,”
“It’s not enough to simply have a catchy ad on a Monday and then only do it every Monday. We need to do this every day of the week and just really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way.”
To that end, he called for the “creative community” — “those ad agencies that create these snappy ads and make me buy things that I don’t really need” — to focus on convincing young people that “it’s not acceptable, it’s not hip to carry a gun anymore.” He emphasized that newspapers and television need to devote prime space to these ads.
Holder also called for people who have influence over youngsters, entertainers, athletes, to be involved in this program as well”. “But not only them — community leaders, Jesse Jackson, Mayor Barry, people who have credibility with young people should be on the television, on the radio, as much as we possibly can and telling these youngsters that it’s wrong to carry a gun,” Holder added.
