Former NRA President Tricked Into Starring In Gun Violence Prevention Video

Move over Sacha Baron Cohen's Kinder Guardians  – it seems two grieving parents have managed to follow in the Borat star's footsteps, convincing yet another second amendment activist to flex their gun-loving hubris, starring in a video for their gun safety group, Change the Ref, unwittingly emphasizing the terrors of school shootings. 

Earlier this month, Manuel and Patricia Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin was killed during the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, managed to recruit former NRA President David Keane to give a rousing pro-gun speech to a crowd of empty chairs, representing the 3,044 would-be members of the class of 2021 that were shot and killed before they could walk across the stage. 

“Let me begin by telling you what an honor it is to be here to help celebrate your graduation,” Keane said, addressing the sea of white chairs before him. “There are some who will continue to fight to gut the Second Amendment, but I’d be willing to bet that many of you will be among those who stand up and prevent them from succeeding.” Because as everyone knows, nothing says NRA pride like inadvertently telling a bunch of dead kids to rise up to fight for the weapons that killed them! 

The first in a series of three videos advocating for gun safety, the organization says the videos weren't about punking Keane as well as gun-rights advocate, John Lott, who appears in the second video, rather, showing the often overlooked, yet tangible impacts of gun violence. “This campaign is not about tricking a couple of NRA members, it’s about showing how thousands of empty chairs during graduations, have become a normal American tradition,” the group said in a statement. 

So folks, remember, if you're an NRA advocate, maybe think twice before accepting a speaking engagement, there's a good chance you may end up looking like a supervillain. 

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