Singer John Mellencamp reacted to a shooting at a Kansas City Chiefs parade by calling for more graphic media coverage of gun violence to shock Americans into supporting stricter laws.
He urged publishing photos of slain children, citing how Vietnam War coverage changed public opinion.
Mellencamp posted, “Excuse me for stating the obvious truth. I do so out of love for this country and the pain of learning, once again, that children have been killed by gun violence. If we as a country want to find the collective will within ourselves to change our gun laws, let’s stop playing silly political games.”
Excuse me for stating the obvious truth. I do so out of love for this country and the pain of learning, once again, that children have been killed by gun violence. If we as a country want to find the collective will within ourselves to change our gun laws, let’s stop playing… pic.twitter.com/s0fnlwa14Z
— John Mellencamp (@johnmellencamp) February 16, 2024
“Show the American people the dead children and others who have been struck down. Show us what guns and bullets can do to the human body,” continued the singer.
“When I was a teenager, there was a war in Vietnam. In the beginning, no one paid much attention to this problem in a foreign land until the media shouldered the responsibility and showed America how our sons were being slaughtered. Once those images were shown on TV, there was overwhelming demand for that war to be ended immediately,” recalled Mellencamp.
However, he did not acknowledge the media was working with North Vietnamese propaganda.
Mellencamp concluded, “Show America the carnage. I am not being callous, and I know it will be painful to see. But, sad to say, I think it’s the only way to shock America out of its stupor.”
Mellencamp also did not mention the two juveniles charged were already illegal to purchase guns in Missouri.
According to Giffords Law Center, “Missouri prohibits ‘recklessly’ selling, leasing, loaning, giving away or delivering any firearm to a person under age 18 without the consent of the child’s custodial parent or guardian.”
After the Uvalde shooting, the Senate passed bipartisan gun legislation, but Mellencamp felt it was too weak.
He believes politicians do not care about citizens or children’s safety.
Mellencamp wrote, “Just so you know, anyone that’s reading this … politicians don’t give a [expletive] about you, they don’t give a [expletive] about me, and they don’t give a [expletive] about our children.”
Mellencamp has drawn criticism for calling for graphic media coverage to influence gun policy views, while omitting political biases and unrelated details.
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