Shannon Watts Of Moms Demand Is Increasingly Irrelevant. Here's Why:

On the off chance there are still people out there who view Shannon Watts as any semblance of an authority on gun laws, firearms, or anything based in fact, she’s generous enough to show everyone just how ridiculous she is.

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That is, if you aren’t one of the many members of the #ImBlockedByShannonWatts Club, of course.

Watts chose to thrust herself into the national spotlight, calling for “gun sense” following the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook. The day after the tragedy, Watts pounced on the opportunity to inject herself into the national conversation by starting a Facebook page called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

According to the MDA website, “That online conversation turned into an offline grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence.”

At least they admit the online conversation has turned into a movement, because she consistently proves how much they are no longer interested in having a conversation with anyone who dares to disagree with their agenda.

Trolling the NRA Twitter account, Watts responded to a tweet with an unlinked pie chart claiming to refute their research-backed statement that since 1950, all but 2 mass shootings took place in Gun Free Zones.

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John R. Lott, Jr., President of the Crime Prevention Research Center and author of the book More Guns, Less Crime, took the opportunity to respond to Watts’ tweet directly:


Screen Shot 2015-10-26 at 1.43.03 PMLott’s response contained actual research to support his statement, but the Founder of Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense wasn’t interested in a discussion, and sophomorically responded:

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Screen Shot 2015-10-26 at 1.43.35 PMShannon’s response is immature on several levels, beginning with the fact that it was Ms. Watts’ trolling of the NRA which started the exchange.

Had she not mentioned Lott in her reply, he would not have responded nor is a response to a tweet considered “trolling”.

Secondly, if she expects to be taken seriously as a spokesperson or maintain her position as a public figure of a “stay at home mom” fighting for other moms on behalf of children everywhere, she needs to be able to not only take a little criticism, but also be able to stand up and defend her position rationally and with supporting evidence.

This is something Watts has consistently failed to do in social media or in the real world, instead preferring to hit-and-run with dubious and unsubstantiated claims.

It’s difficult to believe Watts had a 15-year career as a communications executive for both public relations agencies and Fortune 500 corporations when her typical response to people challenging her claims made as the public face of Moms Demand is to either attack them on a personal level, or block them immediately.

Doggedly trying to engage Watts on the facts, Lott tried again:


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Not surprisingly, Watts again refused to discuss the merits of her claims. She instead asserted that Lott’s desire to have a fact-based discussion was… sexist?

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Wow.

If you make the choice to not only start a grassroots movement, but then also to stand up as the movement’s founder and claim to millions of other women, you are not allowed to play the “woman card” when you are called out on your lies.

Ms. Watts, please feel free to look at how women who actually are amazing female public figures handle themselves when challenged. Women like Dana Loesch, Katie Pavlich, or Michelle Malkin do not back down from dissenting views, and dare to debate the facts respectfully.

Shannon Watts has constantly resorted to disreputable claims and personal attacks since founding Moms Demand Action.

Perhaps that is why her “star” is so rapidly falling even among those who agree with her in principle.

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