Viewers of Country Music Television, known as CMT, are slamming the company and promising to boycott its upcoming awards show after it urged viewers to “wear orange” for a gun control campaign.
“We’re (virtually) wearing orange today in support National Gun Violence Awareness Day and to call attention to the more than 100 lives that are lost every day to gun violence. #WearOrange and visit wearorange.org for more,” CMT tweeted last week.
We're (virtually) wearing orange today in support National Gun Violence Awareness Day and to call attention to the more than 100 lives that are lost every day to gun violence. #WearOrange and visit https://t.co/yCVs91toXw for more. pic.twitter.com/Ir1tsENn1W
— CMT (@CMT) June 4, 2021
The Wear Orange campaign encourages people to wear the color orange to “remember lives lost to gun violence and to raise awareness about this public health crisis.” To spread its message, it has partnered with left-wing groups such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Democratic Attorneys General Association. It is also backed by gun control groups such as March For Our Lives and Newtown Action Alliance.
The CMT tweet sparked outrage among country music fans. As The Los Angeles Times reported:
A survey of the first 100 direct responses on the channel’s page showed an overwhelming majority unhappy with the message. Among the 100, only four were supportive (i.e., “Good for you! When they wrote the second amendment all they had were one shot rifles. I don’t think they ever imagined that weapons of war could be purchased! Gun control is desperately needed, background checks and a waiting period. Those who [are] against gun control are idiots!”), one neutral (“Data?”) and 95 disapproving.
That’s 95% of 100 responders not in favor of CMT’s “Wear Orange” message.
Fans slammed CMT for pushing the Wear Orange campaign, accusing the campaign of missing key context on gun violence, and threatening to boycott the CMT Music Awards, hosted this year by Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, set to air Wednesday.
“This is @CMT trying to attract listeners they don’t have at risk of alienating the listeners they do have. How’d that work out for the Dixie Chicks?” one commenter said.
Another user pointed out: “That stat includes suicides, which comprise well over half of the total. It’s disingenuous to omit that fact.”
Another wrote: “Well, looks like CMT is off the channel selection for my TVs. Good luck catering country songs to the woke, and may your profits be null!”
Another said: “I find it amusing that you think I give a damn what you think I should and shouldn’t do with tools I use to defend me and mine.”
Another commenter wrote: “I no longer support CMT. Good riddance to another woke support group, out of touch with their audience.”
According to the Wear Orange website:
We organize Wear Orange events to remember lives lost to gun violence and to raise awareness about this public health crisis. Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed with guns and more than 230 are shot and wounded. These survivors are faced with a life-long process of physical and emotional healing.
Gun suicide claims the lives of over 23,000 people in the United States each year. More than 14,000 people die in gun homicides. The United States gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than that of other high-income countries.
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. Every year, more than 3,000 children and teens are shot and killed, and another 15,000 are shot and wounded – an average of nine children and teens shot and killed and 42 shot and wounded every day.
Fifty-eight percent of American adults or someone they care for have experienced gun violence in their lifetime. Approximately three million American children witness gun violence every year.
Together, we can build a future free from gun violence. Stand up, speak out, and participate in Wear Orange events to raise awareness.
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Source: Dailywire
