Hollywood has come together to make a change over the portrayal of gun violence onscreen

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Hollywood has come together to make a change over the portrayal of gun violence onscreen.

Judd Apatow, Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, Damon Lindelof, Adam McKay, Julianne Moore, Shonda Rhimes, Eli Roth, Mark Ruffalo, Amy Schumer, and John Glickman are among the first round of signatures for a petition calling for the film and TV industry to re-examine its influence on national gun violence in the U.S.

The petition, titled “Open Letter to Our Colleagues in the Creative Community,” calls for studios to model responsible gun safety practices in productions and curb portrayals of guns in scenes involving children. The effort, led by activists Christy Callahan, the co-chair of the Brady United Against Gun Violence organization’s Regional Leadership Council, and Robert Bowers Disney, comes after the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting on May 24.

“Considering there have been over 250 other mass shootings so far this year, it’s an almost incomprehensible tragedy. Something needs to be done,” the petition starts. “Guns are prominently featured in TV and movies in every corner of the globe, but only America has a gun violence epidemic. The responsibility lies with lax gun laws supported by those politicians more afraid of losing power than saving lives. We didn’t cause the problem, but we want to help fix it.”

The petition continues: “As America’s storytellers, our goal is primarily to entertain, but we also acknowledge that stories have the power to effect change. Cultural attitudes toward smoking, drunk driving, seatbelts, and marriage equality have all evolved due in large part to movies’ and TV’s influence. It’s time to take on gun safety.”

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