Brady: Your hands, please!

I sign up for email lists and subscribe to RSS news feeds from groups with which I do not necessarily share beliefs, such as the fearmongering Brady Campaign. When I saw this in my inbox, I had a little chuckle, then though I'd at least offer a finger instead of a hand (guess which one).

Will you lend us a hand, or two? Please join us today, August 21, 2012, in a Social Media Action Day. Using Twitter and Facebook, we hope to use social media to continue to fuel the national dialogue on preventing gun violence in America.

The irony here is that the social media which the Brady campers and like-minded groups and individuals participate in is one-sided. They simply blacklist those with differing opinions, rather than participate in intellectual discourse. Seems about right...

The first presidential debate is just 44 days away. With your help, we want to continue to put pressure on debate moderator Jim Lehrer to ask the candidates about their plans to reduce gun violence.

Using Facebook, please like and share our message to Mr. Lehrer right now to help spread the word. That post links to our letter to Mr. Lehrer formally asking him to include questions about guns during the October 3rd Presidential Debate in Denver.

One more thing before you get ready to take action, please like and share our We Are Better Than This Facebook page.

Sadly, there are not likely better than much...

Using Twitter, we ask you to send messages Mr. Lehrer using the Twitter handle: @NewsHour
In the same message, we ask that you use the hashtag: #askaboutguns

We ask you, and hope you will encourage others, to Tweet five messages to Mr. Lehrer today. You can use any or all of the messages below, as well as your own messages, that include both @NewsHour and #askaboutguns:

Click on a link to Tweet it
@NewsHour 48,000 Americans will be murdered with #guns during the next presidential term. Pls #askaboutguns Mr. Lehrer

@NewsHour Between now & 1st presidential debate, 1440 Americans will be murdered with #guns. Pls #askaboutguns Mr Lehrer

@NewsHour Deadly mass shootings @ Columbine & Aurora happened 10 miles from the debate hall. Pls #askaboutguns Mr Lehrer

@NewsHour Since Tucson, more than 60 mass shootings have devastated American communities. Pls #askaboutguns Mr Lehrer

@NewsHour Every day 32 Americans killed by guns: the presidential candidates' silence is deadly! #askaboutguns Mr Lehrer