It's not the 90s anymore. While this is a fact seemingly lost on a lot of gun-grabbing politicians, their support groups understand this. Lobbying against gun rights isn't an organization of just the Bradies and a handful of celebrities anymore. The web has given birth to a new kind of organizing, one we're doing right now, but we realize it's not really worth painting up in more elaborate terms here.

They call it 'grassroots', detractors sometimes use the term 'astroturf', but it's usually just a small tax-sheltered non-profit with a well-done facebook page and a more aggressive strategy of going after fence sitters. These sprung up like weeds following Sandy Hook, and a few of them are backed by big dollars.

The big one getting a push at the moment is called Moms Demand Action, and where are some of the other groups have waffled and tried to refocus on background checks, these guys are sticking to the AWB hard. They hired an agency (GREY) to come up with an ad campaign, and it seems like a cross between something the Brady people would pull, and a Cracked list...

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The more astute will notice something right off the bat, the child who is holding the gun always stands in the right of the image, and is always white. I don't know if that was purposeful, or if that's just an 'aesthetic' decision, but it seems unlikely that both were random.

The ultimatum-style and fear mongering using children is nothing new, but the tactic is rather bizarre, and probably best shows who these ads are pointed at. It's disingenuous, sure. Kinder eggs are blocked from import by a three-letter agency (sound familiar with Korean M1 carbines?), not banned outright, dodgeball just isn't usually played, and the incident with Red Riding Hood involved just two schools in California. It's in essence, perfectly legal to send your kid out to a playground with a dodgeball, kinder egg and copy of that book. They may be 'banned' in some schools, but those same schools also would have rules about M4s coming inside.

The key though is, I don't know anyone who would look individually at the dodgeball, kinder egg and Red Riding Hood issues and not clearly see that they're just utter bullshit. Kids should be eating candy, dodging balls, and reading books.

MDA seems to be saying. "Our government did stupid stuff, huh? Let's do some more!"

Here's where I think they're not idiots, but purposeful. They're going after hardline 'statists', people who exist in liberal or not flavor who really do not understand the difference between a written into law style federal ban, a moratorium, and one school district's semi-nonsensical rule. Authority is authority is authority, and fear is king. The people in power say what is dangerous for us all, it's unquestionable, and it's our duty as peons to self-police that.

In the Bush years, these were the people the more left-leaning media assured us were the only ones voting for him, terrified and panicky.

Now, those in charge seem to not only understand and acknowledge these people, they actively pursue them. They need that utter lack of critical thinking that when presented with "Red Riding Hood was banned" will not question the absurdity of that, but instead demand the bar be lowered to such a height.

Will it be effective? Amongst the target demographic, very likely, but the question is how large that demographic is, and how few of them remain unsold on the idea of turning all control over to Big Brother.

The only thing certain is the mentality you are up against. This transcends 'liberal' and 'conservative', 'left' and 'right'. You are the freedom enthusiasts against those who would base current policy off a perverse game to ensure consistency amongst stupid decisions by all levels of authority. A rule for everything, and liberty as a tucked-away privilege.