Vogue should stick to writing on women, not guns

Vogue has spent the last part of a week foregoing the black versus brown debate in favor of gun culture commentary. The ramp-up in semi-serious journalism is in part due to the June 2nd, National Gun Violence Awareness Day.

This day of awareness, aimed at toppling gun related violence, is backed by anti-gun group Everytown for Gun Safety. Participants apparently wear orange which, I guess, is supposed to stop gun violence. (Yeah, I don’t get it either.) Personally, I think providing education and firearms training would go further in ending “gun violence” but then wearing orange provides more selfie opportunities. #nofilter.

Asinine awareness days aside, Vogue has published these articles so I decided to devote some time to reading them. Published once a day for the past week, these essays make an emotional plea for more gun restrictions. There are stories of sons that never came home. Daughters gunned down at gas stations, by angry fathers and at friend’s houses.  Peppered with keywords like “loopholes” and ‘strict background checks” these essays seek to demonize the tools used in these crimes.

While my heart hurts for mothers who’ve lost their children, sisters who’ve lost brothers and children who’ve lost parents to tragedy, it’s irresponsible to blame the tools. Assign blame where it belongs—squarely on the shoulders of the person committing the heinous acts.

At the very least, approach this topic with a sense of fair and balanced journalism. For every anti-gun story you publish, there untold gun success stories, as witnessed on this very website courtesy of our defensive gun use (DGU) beat. A mother who protected her children. A women who prevented a rape. Where are these stories? I want to read about women, all women. Don’t leave out their stories because it doesn’t fit your anti-gun agenda.

Or how about losing the anti-gun sentiment completely and focusing on actual women’s issues. Each day in America, 1,871 women are forcibly raped. Every nine seconds a woman is beaten or assaulted. In comparison, The Brady Campaign estimates an average of 297 people are shot each day in the U.S. Overwhelmingly, I’d say rape and domestic violence are bigger women’s issue than guns.

Domestic violence and rape, both of which obviously deserve awareness and attention, collectively equate to four articles on Vogue. Four. Let that sink in. A women’s magazine has written more articles about guns in the past week than they have about real issues plaguing women. Let’s start by tackling those topics before we condemn guns and the people who own them.

Vogue, I applaud your efforts in helping me to pick out my summer wardrobe and for analyzing Beyoncé’s outfits in “Lemonade” but unless Oscar De La Renta is debuting a new fashion line devoted to guns and ammo, I think you need to sit this one out.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of Guns.com.