Critical Article Review

The author of “Be Sure You're Right, Then Go Ahead”: The Davy Crockett Gun Craze is by Sarah Nilsen. The purpose of the article is to give detail of how Davy Crockett became the emblem that was known for guns and coon skin hats. The author does not specifically identify the purpose of the article. The purpose is well stated in the detail given about how the legend became a legend and what part Walt Disney played in it. The war, families, television shows, toy makers, and any other company that could profit from Davy Crockett and The Wild Frontier played a major role in making Davy such a legend. A key point from the article are how the NRA’s involvement played a role in making gunplay acceptable. NRA’s reliance on the media to support its political agenda. Disney became more than a wholesome child’s entertainment industry. Disney joined with NRA’s vision on linking the historical past on the role of a gun. The joining of NRA and Disney was a radical change happening that would not only change the way a culture and the public think about childhood gunplay, but the opinion of the media, parents, what is right or wrong, etc. Being that it was Disney, they aligned child’s play and gunplay by connecting it to an American Frontier Hero. Another key point from the article was The National Rifle Association. The National Rifle Association of America Headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia, where the National Firearms Museum recreates past history. By showing gun history in America and highlighting how the gun helped to form the United States and became the icon for American identity helped to make gunplay more acceptable. Wall paper, furnishings, toys, games, clothes, were all used to promote gunplay. Steer horns, coonskin hats, rifles, and gun holsters were in adult bedrooms. The article said specifically, “the 1950’s represented a period in which the immense popularity of the television western was instrumental in making the gun into an essential part of American