Lately, it has been a big challenge for us to have our content to be seen by the public if you follow our progress across all Social Media platforms. You will either see us or we will be shadow banned. It has been frustrating. If you know anything about the work that we do. You will know that we work very hard to make sure that all of the information that we put out is uplifting, inspiring, and most importantly it is positive. The internet can be a very dark place sometimes and we believe that we have a responsibility to promote a positive experience to the people that follow us. We understand how the negative effects of social media can be on people’s mental health and we choose not to partake in it. There is a saying that if it bleeds, it leads. There is a lot of truth to that and it seems that the way the algorithm is designed. The more negative the content the more exposure that it gets. We aren’t naive, we completely know what would get more interactions, we just have made a conscious decision to not be a part of it. Sometimes in life, we have to remain principled about our position. The hard part is how it is preventing the public from learning about the work that we do and most importantly getting families scheduled for a class.

This has had a major impact on our organization. That being said, we are constantly looking at new ways to reach out to the public. This week we joined a new forum. It is one of the biggest forums on the West Coast. I used to have an account years ago but, I found it to be more of a toxic place than I wanted to associate with. I deleted my account. I knew exactly what I was getting into but, I had to figure out a way to get our information out. I was hoping that if we had an organization-affiliated account we would get some grace. I joined and went to the section for introductions. I created a thread introducing our organization and shared our website. A few minutes went by and I received a welcome post. I thought maybe that we were finally in luck. Quickly the mood soured. The comments began to come in. They were mostly about semantics. Instead of support, it quickly turned into how our website could be used against gun owners. I was in shock. Really, of all of the information that we presented, that is what you took from it. I realize now that it is important for me to have a thick skin. I have to realize that some will not understand our approach. I can see that at face value some will become reactionary instead of supportive. As uncomfortable as it was and still is. I have to be there. We have to build trust with those that are skeptics.

As a kid’s firearm safety organization, we spend a lot of time trying to reach those who are non-gun owners to build their trust so that they can see the value of gun safety for their families. This has always been such a huge focus that we hadn’t put the time necessary to build that trust with the staunch 2A crowd. That was an oversight on my part and one I have set out to fix. I remember when I was young and having a hard time in school. My father advised me to “kill them with kindness.” So today I tried just that. I set out to share important content in a way that would give better insight into the important work that we are doing. I created a new thread in the forum that was dedicated to our Substack account. If you are reading this here on our blog, eventually this post will be added to our Substack. This is a way to cross-promote our content and also help me build the trust that I need to get their support. I think the part that hurts the most is how at the end of the day. We are just trying to help. Whether you agree or not, you have to admit that there are problems that need solutions. I feel that we can help provide a solution. If I didn’t believe this, I sure would NOT have dedicated the past almost 10 years of my life, for FREE, as a volunteer. It’s not about the money though, it’s all about the kids.

So today I took some of my own medicine and tried to be comfortable, being uncomfortable. For us to get to the level that we need to be, we must bring people together. That can only happen if we engage with everyone, not just the ones that will agree with us. I posted a thread in the forum. I hope that I can start to turn the tide and gain more support from those who have strong opinions of what we do. What people don’t realize is that there are many different ways to accomplish a task. This is just the avenue that we have selected. It is working and we will continue to hone our message until we can get the support that we need. I feel that 2024 is going to be a breakthrough year for the Kids S.A.F.E. Foundation and we are so close to making the impact that I know that we can. We are so close. People never fail, they quit. That is a statement that has always resonated with me and has given me the strength to continue. I will continue to put out good, positive content designed to educate and empower the public. I truly believe that education is a viable solution to the problems that our country faces. I will continue to keep learning, I will keep bettering myself. So the next generation will benefit from the work. I will remain positive and I will use our platform for good. I know that I am not alone because we have all of you supporting us. Until next time. Be safe!