Red Porch Lights Signal Gun Free Homes-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
In a trend known as “red lighting,” those who oppose gun violence are using red porch lights to signal that their homes are a gun-free zone.
The Truth:
Rumors about using “red lighting” to identify gun-free homes are false.
The rumor started with a report that appeared at the fake news website Immediate Safety in November 2015. The story, which appears under the headline “Red Lights for Anti-gun Solidarity,” reports:
A new trend is sweeping the nation. It’s called “red lighting”. Activists are changing their normal white porch light bulbs with special red bulbs letting the world know This is a gun free home.
According to Jane Seymore who is the director of operations for the Department of Protecting Everyone (DOPE) we will soon see millions of homes adorned with red bulbs.
So far many of America’s largest retailers have been selling out of the red bulbs quickly. “We can’t get them in fast enough. They are flying off the shelves.” Claims Bill Barskey president of marketing research for Walmart, “As soon as we get them in there is a line of well-intentioned people buying them up.”
The red porch lights for gun-free homes rumor resurfaced in May 2016 on social media. Many who read and commented on it noted that red lighting would serve as an open invitation of sorts for intruders to target gun-free homes:
-Well, the criminals will know where to go with no repercussions.
-Come on in. We’re defenseless!
-Why not just put out a sign saying “Open for burglary, rape, or murder. No defenses here”?
However, the red lighting movement doesn’t actually exist. Immediate Safety does not identify itself as a satirical or fake news website, but a glance at its lead stories indicate that it regularly publishes satirical articles like this one meant to portray liberal causes as naïve or just plain dumb
A few examples include stories about local firefighting unions refusing to put out fires because “fires are dangerous,” Trump supporters starting businesses catering to Sanders supporters, and Congress putting the face of a “Game of Thrones” character on cash.
Just like the red lighting story, all of these are false.