[This post will be edited as details become public.]
Early yesterday afternoon, I received news from @ajfrench2013 that Kenneth Cole’s gun violence billboard was being taken down.
I was, to say the least, thrilled! Now I say was because there have been some details that have popped up that make me question the whole announcement, mainly the fact that it was kept quiet.
No public announcement was made by either Kenneth Cole (the corporation) or the actual Mr. Kenneth Cole. Select mental health advocates were emailed (no, I was not one of them) notifying them that the billboard was being taken down to make way for a new campaign. This campaign will highlight brave individuals, but one group is curiously absent from the lineup.
Those with mental health issues.
I also find it curious that neither Kenneth Cole, nor his associates, have issued an actual apology. Without giving out any names, a spokesperson for Kenneth Cole said they “regret any confusion [the billboard] has caused.”
I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t a bit confused. I fully realized what message the billboard intended to send and the message it actually did send. As my speech teacher once told me: “It’s not the message intended that counts, but the message that is received.”
We did not receive a message that mental illness was something not to be ashamed of. We did not receive the message that those with mental illness were, for quite the majority (95%), nonviolent. We received, in fact, quite the opposite. The billboard stigmatized those suffering mental illness as being violent, a group to be feared because they can access guns. In short, Kenneth Cole messed up. Big time.
Furthermore, Kenneth Cole decided to fuel the fire by posting this gem:
His hashtag #DontShootTheMessenger is just sick. Once again, whether he intended it or not, he has pointed his finger at those with mental illness and accused them of being violent. “Don’t Shoot The Messenger”? Is that some kind of joke? Telling the people you’ve just linked to gun violence that they shouldn’t “shoot” the messenger? You are sick and twisted, Mr. Cole.
It seems that in a politically correct world, we can’t get a simple, straightforward apology anymore. How many people have seen that billboard and bought into the notion that mentally ill people are violent monsters? With such a stigma already surrounding mental illness, it’s not common sense to people that this statement could possibly be false. The message is meant to shock and draw attention, and it does so in the worst way possible.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m extremely glad this billboard is coming down. But the damage has already been done. This billboard has done nothing to alleviate the stifling stigma surrounding mental illness. If anything, it has made it worse.
Kenneth Cole, you need to make this right. You need to issue a public apology for the harm you’ve caused and the misconceptions you have spread. Whether it was intentional or not, you have made it worse for people with mental illness to erase its stigma.
I’m not going to beg. I’m going to insist that you say those two simple, easily pronounceable words:
I’m so happy that the billboard is coming down! You should be so proud of yourself that you contributed to that and that you started the petition!
It’s sad that the billboard was even put up in the first place and that a simple apology can’t be uttered. Unfortunately, so many people are afraid to admit they were wrong and constantly search for a way out of truly apologizing. Saying that someone is ‘sorry for how someone may have taken something’ is not a real apology, but rather almost blaming others for ‘taking the message out of context’. What you said is true, the billboard definitely tries to make it like those who struggle with mental issues are violent and that guns shouldn’t be available because people with mental issues could use them. The problem, in my opinion, with guns being so readily available is that people who purchase guns often use them in violent ways. It should be a concern that ANYONE can just access a gun, not just those with mental health issues.
It would be nice if someone could just come out and admit they made a horrible mistake. It would be nice if someone would apologize not just to clear their name and save their reputation, but because they are actually sorry. However, removing the billboard is a step in the right direction and like you said, we should be thankful for that. Sorry for such a long post!
I agree! I don’t know what policies the WDBJ station had when dealing with disgruntled employees, but policies like that need to be in the workplace so these shootings don’t happen. Likewise, even though we have background checks in place for many gun purchases, it doesn’t sound like they’re being enforced. I think the majority of gun purchases are made for self-defense and things like hunting. The majority of guns aren’t used in violent crimes. There’s just a lot of fixing to do. Glad the billboard is coming down though.