Will the upcoming ABC special "If I Only Had a Gun" dismiss and deride the concept of using firearms to defend oneself and stop a potential massacre? A promo that aired during Wednesday's "Good Morning America" seemed to suggest yes. As ominous music played in the background, an announcer intoned, "Friday night on ABC, when it comes to protecting yourself, you may think, 'If I only had a gun.'" Video then played of an experiment in which a female college student attempted to pull out what looked like a pellet gun to stop a faux Virginia Tech-style massacre.
The ad's announcer quizzed, "But if you had a gun, could you defend yourself in a crisis?" After an unidentified voice asked the young woman where she would be if this had been real, she responded, "Probably on the floor. Hopefully in an ambulance." More video showed young children pointing real guns at each other and themselves. The announcer solemnly wondered, "What about the irresistible pull of guns on kids and how easy can you get them? Diane Sawyer investigates with David Muir. 'If I Only Had a Gun.' One stunning hour."
"Good Morning America" has been promoting the special all week. On Monday, reporter David Muir filed a segment on the tragic shootings last week in Pittsburgh and New York. He featured a clip from the very anti-Second Amendment group, The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. But, no identification of their political affiliation was made on the show.
The special will air at 10pm on Friday, April 10. Viewers probably shouldn't be surprised if the hour long program gives little attention to the Second Amendment side of the argument. A 2000 study by the Media Research Center found that ABC provided some of the worst coverage on the issue of gun control.
A transcript of the ad, which aired at 7:42am on April 8, during a commercial break from "Good Morning America, follows:
ANNOUNCER: Friday night on ABC, when it comes to protecting yourself, you may think, "If I only had a gun." But if you had a gun, could you defend yourself in a crisis? [Video of a faux school shooting where a young woman tries to shoot a 'gunman' with a pellet gun.]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do you think you'd be right now?
FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENT: Probably on the floor. Hopefully in an ambulance.
ANNOUNCER: [Video of young children and teens pointing guns at each other and themselves] What about the irresistible pull of guns on kids and how easy can you get them? Diane Sawyer investigates with David Muir. "If I Only Had a Gun." One stunning hour. Friday at 10/9 central on ABC.
