A startling new anti-gun ad released by a San Francisco-based production company encourages children to commit a series of crimes by stealing their parents’ guns and turning them over to school officials, The Daily Caller reported Monday.
Sleeper 13 Productions released the controversial video on Dec. 13. It shows a pouty, young boy wandering into his parents’ bedroom, stealing a handgun out of their dresser drawer and then shoving it into his backpack.
The boy then carries what is presumably a loaded weapon into his classroom. After class, he approaches the teacher, takes the gun out of his backpack and slams it onto her desk.
“Can you take this away? I don’t feel safe with a gun in my house,” the boy says.
“Our children deserve a safe world,” the ad says. “Stop gun violence now.”
The video, first reported by The Blaze, has been met with sharp criticism from gun-rights activists on Sleeper 13’s Facebook page.
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“Weapons theft, unlawful possession of a weapon by a minor, illegal concealed carry of a weapon, carrying a weapon onto school property, assault, and brandishing,” wrote Jerry Harlan.
On YouTube, the video had received more than 3,500 down votes, compared to its 31 up votes.
“Lot of people are afraid to share my PSA!” tweeted the ad’s director, Rejina Sincic. “If you are not a coward please share #gunviolence.”
Fred Rick Friedman questioned on Facebook: “So, when a child does this and accidentally kills himself or an innocent bystander, will Sleeper 13 Productions and Ragina Sincic be brought up on charges as an accessory? This has got to be one of the dumbest PSA’s put out by anti-gunners ever. Way to combat criminal violence…turn innocent children into felons.”
According to the credits, the video was shot at North Oakland Community Charter School in Oakland. The school’s executive director, Carolyn Gramstorff, told The Washington Times that officials did grant permission for the PSA to be shot there, but were not aware beforehand of its message. In light of the controversial video, she said the school is motivated to consider narrowing its screening process for allowing PSAs to be shot on campus.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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