The Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter truly didn't come to play with the National Rifle Association. They are calling on the NRA to take down their "dangerous propaganda videos" now.
Almost two weeks ago, the NRA released a threatening video ad. In the ad, which is narrated by conservative host Dana Loesch, she seemingly intends to incite fear into conservatives through the use of clips and footage of various protests and civil unrest. She constantly speaks on an unnamed "they," but it doesn't take much to figure who the "they" is referring to. The video is very obviously a scare tactic, and flat out a hot mess. The fact that it was even made and posted speaks volumes about the priorities of the organization.
“The only way we stop this, the only way we save our country and our freedom, is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth,” she says grimly.
The ad definitely didn't go over well. Many people, gun safety activists and advocates alike, have called for the NRA to take the ad down. However, The LA chapter of Black Lives Matter, as well as several other Civil Rights groups took it a step further, choosing to satirize the video and send a new message.
Funmilola Fagbamila, professor of Pan-African studies at Cal State Los Angeles, narrates the video.
“When the NRA issues a public call to their constituents, inciting violence against people who are constitutionally fighting for their lives, we don’t take that lightly," she says in the video.
The video begins very similarly to the NRA ad. Dim lighting, dark background, dramatic music, and angry words. There is video footage of violent police arrests and civil protests. She mimics the rhetoric of Loesch, ending with “the only option left is for black people to disrupt the systems that keep us oppressed and build the kinds of communities in which we want to live.”
Finally, Fagbamila halts the video, asking “What’s with the aggressive fear-mongering video tactics?”
The background is changed to family members of victims of police violence without the sensational music. “We’re talking about our lives here,” she says. We see and can attach these victims to their family. Not only does the video appeal to humanity, it calls out even further how ridiculous the original NRA ad was.
“We demand that the NRA immediately remove their dangerous propaganda videos,” Fagbamila ends the video.
Now, that we've asked you nicely, NRA, it's time to take it down for real.