The Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC is fighting for gun control in the state of Texas. The group just released a compelling ad featuring a young boy getting ready for his first day of school. But as the viewer quickly learns, this is not your average first day of school moment.
The 30-second ad starts out with a mother getting her son ready for his first day. She helps him get dressed. She ties his shoes. She fastens his belt. It is here when the viewer makes a discovery. The boy is dressed in a bulletproof vest and wears a helmet. He has a stoic look on his face while holding up the customary chalkboard with the words “First Day of School” written on it.
The ad then cuts to a black screen with the words “Our Children Are Not Soldiers” written on it. It transitions to another black screen with the message “Vote for Change on November 8th." This call to action precedes the logo that concludes the ad.
The music in the ad also enhances its message. It is a country-style feel-good song in tone, but when the listener takes a closer listen to the lyrics, a deeper message is relayed. They state, “Little boys and little girls followin' the rules, gettin' ready for the first day of school. Politicians say they make our land safe and free. They're supposed to stand for you and me. Keep our children safe for you and me."
The caption to the ad further augments its message. It states, “Kids all over Texas and the United States are getting ready to go back to school, but something feels different this year. Our kids are not soldiers, regardless of what the extreme right thinks. Whether you're a Republican, a Democrat, or neither, it's time to come together and demand meaningful gun safety reform now."
Mothers Against Greg Abbott founder Nancy Thompson spoke to Yahoo about the group’s mission. She expressed frustration about Governor Abbott’s lack of action. She stated, “I mean, every single day we've been asking Governor Abbott for common sense gun laws, and he keeps on turning us down."
Nancy goes on to say, “Even the parents in Uvalde — they put together a petition and they've tried to talk to him numerous times asking for common sense gun laws and over and over again he has turned parents down. He's turned children down. He's turned Texans down, and that's just not acceptable."
This ad is the third part of a larger series of ads to help spread the group’s message. The first ad is titled "Nothing Changes." It shows diverse women across the state of Texas urging for changes in reproductive rights, classrooms, and gun control.
The second ad is entitled "Whose Choice." It takes on Abbott’s strict anti-abortion stance and laws. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has been essentially outlawed in most cases in Texas.
Nancy also commented about reproductive rights. She stated, "He took away women's rights to choose what they do with their own bodies." She strongly disagrees with the decision and its aftermath, stating, "The fear that it's created, where neighbors can tell on other neighbors if someone has an abortion, he put a bounty on women and that is just one way to turn Texans against one another. It's just a horrible way to live. It's a horrible way to govern."
Nancy will continue to work to elect a different governor for her beloved state. Her efforts include a Facebook group with over 56,000 members. According to Nancy: "I've never experienced a government actively seeking to hurt other Texans like I have under Greg Abbott."
