Moms Demand Action for Nothing

Moms should know better than to demand pointless Facebook policies

When Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America persuaded Facebook and Instagram to create new policies that monitor and attempt to curb illegal gun sales within their networks, they had the right idea – most times moms do. Especially with snacks. Moms never fail with snacks.

But, mom, you just pointed out the exact flaw in your argument.

Timeout works with Jonny, but not with criminals.

You want Facebook to stop criminals from illegally purchasing firearms. So you agree, criminals do illegal things. Therefore, making something illegal won’t make them stop doing it. Soo… yeah.

Look, Facebook and Instagram are private businesses; they can run their networks however they wish. They could have limits on cleavage selfies and Dos Equis meme’s if they really wanted to. (Sometimes I wish they had an age limit, personally. Grandma tends to forget that wall posts aren’t private and normal statements don’t require 27 exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) So, if Facebook wants to prohibit illegal guns sales, rock on Zuckerberg, prohibit whatever you want.

Except baby vines. I love baby vines.

But what Moms Demand Action fails to realize is that, with these new regulations, anyone, I mean anyone, can report a picture that “promote suspicious and potentially illegal gun sales for deletion.”

Now, I know that before these policies, Facebook users could report a picture for suggested removal, so nothing new there. But if you go now and try to report a picture, there is a recently extended list of reasons:

-This uses my name or a picture of me to insult me

–This is pornography

–This is a photo of me or my family that I don’t want on Facebook

–This is annoying

–Other

–This threatens or insults based on race, sex, orientation or ability

–This advocates harm or violence or mocks injured victims

–This shows someone using or selling drugs

What I’m saying is: Where does it stop? Who deems what is appropriate for report and removal? How many people is Facebook going to hire simply to monitor reported posts? Does a photo of my cousin’s airsoft gun that he got for Christmas “advocate harm?” Do hunting pictures “mock injured victims?”

And really, “This is annoying?” Are you kidding me? If you report a picture for being annoying, you’re annoying.

But I digress. Mom’s intention is in the right place, you’re trying to protect your kiddos, I respect that; but taking away a medium for crime won’t prevent crime. Adam Lanza doesn’t stand in the corner for three minutes just because you “told him so” in mama bear voice. Your goal is great, but your tactic and logic seems to be slightly flawed. But like I said, you’re doing great with the snacks. Keep coming with the snacks.

And Facebook’s compliance was also probably the best move for them legally. They’re only implementing existing laws by prohibiting sales without background checks and underage purchases, but the reality of the situation is that prohibition does nothing. Who’s going to stop the illegal activity of a 14 year-old boy who is creating a Facebook account that says he’s 21? (Besides the NSA bugged in his webcam, of course.)

I just don’t see any tangible results coming from this campaign and policy implementation. I wish it would help, but it’s clear it won’t. And Moms, when you asked Starbucks to go anti-gun last year, you didn’t decrease violence there either. You just pissed off legal conceal carriers, and they weren’t very fond of soy vanilla lattes in the first place.

I mean, please protect your kids. You’re already a better mom than a lot with that desire alone. But maybe you could try more practical tactics though, like ADT or karate. Karate is cool.

And after all, aren’t you ladies being a little, I don’t know, “bossy?”