SilencerCo’s newly released “American Gun” episode challenges the common stigma that guns and mental illness do not mix. “American Gun: The Advocate” dives into the story of Genevieve, a girl from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, who struggles with severe OCD and anxiety. To the surprise of many, recreational shooting is the one thing that quiets the chaos of her mind.
The “American Gun” campaign, created by SilencerCo, seeks to illustrate the diversity that exists among American gun owners. Genevieve doesn’t fit the demographic of what many believe to be the standard gun owner. However, firearms play a vital role in her life and the lives of many others outside of this demographic.
Genevieve has struggled with severe OCD since she was a child, but more recently she developed a panic disorder so extreme she could no longer interact with the outside world. She attended an intensive behavioral health center to just get by. That is, until she discovered competitive shooting.
“I felt just so at peace, and I realized how skewed everybody’s perception of mental illness is, specifically in the gun industry, because I’m not a danger to people,” said Genevieve.
Genevieve works help others with mental illness see the meditative benefits of shooting. She even started an organization called “Hold My Guns” to give shooters with mental health issues a temporary and voluntary storage option for their guns. It can be utilized for any reason, but is aimed at suicide prevention.
“There are so many people who suffer from some type of mental illness, whatever it is,” said Genevieve. “If you don’t suffer from one, you know somebody who does. And if you support the second amendment, but you’re saying that 60-70% of people in America don’t have the right to own guns, then do you support the second amendment?”
Other episodes of “American Gun” pose similar thoughtful questions about gun ownership across America. For more information on the “American Gun” campaign, click here.
To view “American Gun: The Advocate,” visit https://youtu.be/aOwHLko-VW0.
SilencerCo
SilencerCo, based in West Valley, UT is the nation’s leading designer and manufacturer of suppressors. Since our birth in 2008, our dedication to authenticity and innovation has never wavered. Today, we continue to focus on exceptional customer service and industry-leading products; products that are crafted by people with the utmost dedication to our industry. We are hunters, shooters, and gun enthusiasts, just like you. Our innovative and forward-thinking approach has allowed us to give the firearms industry what many said was impossible. This is what drives us to be better—to be the best. Because you—the shooter, the hunter, the Second Amendment lover—deserve the best.
