Public Service Announcements

Safe Firearm Storage

Our first Public Service Announcement was released on October 8, 2008. It features Christopher Edes and Max Kessler discussing the benefits of quick access gun safes in keeping firearms out of the hands of children while maintaining quick accessability in case of emergency.

There are some disclaimers during the video. Because of time constraints, we were unable to elaborate on them in the video, so here are the explanations.

A quick access safe should be bolted to a secure surface. These safes are small and easy to transport, which means it is relatively easy to steal one, if nobody is home during a burglary. They typically come with holes pre-drilled, so you can attach them securely to a wall, door frame, dresser, or some other surface which would be difficult for a burglar or your kids to move.
Ideally, ammunition should be locked separately. Storing ammunition in the same safe as a firearm creates a single point of failure where access to one means access to both. This means there is only one barrier to accessing a usable firearm, which is a double edged sword. It means less protection against your kids getting access, but it also means quicker access by you in case of a burglary or home invasion. Either way, it's much safer than leaving your firearm under a pillow and assuming your kids would never look there.
Demonstration using snap caps - not live ammunition. In this demonstration, for safety purposes, the magazine is loaded with snap caps, which are dummy rounds used for dry firing and are not live rounds.
When away from home, more secure storage, such as a vault is recommended. There is no way to guarantee that a burglar who attacks your home when you're away cannot steal the safe itself. Mounting brackets, locks, etc. are only a deterrent. If you leave your home for any significant length of time, it is safer to move your firearm to a more secure safe, such as a large vault.

Additionally, different State and local governments have different legal storage requirements. Check your State and local laws regarding firearm storage. Never use a combination that is easy for your kids or any other unauthorized person to guess and keep the backup key securely away from the safe.

* This PSA was awarded a Community Producer Award by RCTV on December 8, 2008.

Firearm Safety Rules

Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Always keep your firearm unloaded until you are ready to use it.
Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are actually ready to fire.

Liberty Fading

Our second PSA, released on March 28, 2009, features a glowing image of Liberty Enlightening the World (aka. the Statue of Liberty) fading out as a list of government atrocities is recited. At the end, the glowing image is restored with the question, "Will you help save her?"

Safe Firearm Handling

Chris Edes and Max Kessler explain the 3 basic firearm safety rules (see rules above).

Note: This area was checked for safety before we began shooting.

Quality Time

Erin, Rachel, and Steve Becker head out to a backyard range to remind viewers of the importance of parents spending quality time with their kids.

Note: This area was checked for safety before we began shooting.
See the firearm safety rules above.

Cold, Dead Lips

Joel Salisbury sits and smokes while pondering whether the FDA owns him and if not, wonders why should they regulate what he puts into his body. He offers a brief comment on when the FDA can take his cigarette.

Note: The GRLP does not endorse smoking, only adults' right to decide for themselves.

Public Apathy

This is an actual recording of a portion of the public hearings held at the December 2009 Rochester City Council Meeting. In all there were 4 public hearings and (as is typical) nobody stood up to speak on any of the matters to be heard.

The video features this famous quote:
"I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing."
—Daniel Webster (June 1, 1837)

Notes about editing:

Outgoing Council President Gladys Santiago missed the meeting due to illness, therefore I blurred her name placard in order to avoid misidentifying outgoing Council Vice President Bill Pritchard.
The matters to be heard were silenced in this video, because:
- They are irrelevant to the PSA.
- They change from meeting to meeting.
- It's not our job to inform people what the Council is hearing.
They are not silenced at any actual meeting.