Firing Back: AP Story Targets Palin After NRA Speech

In a “news” story on Sarah Palin’s speech at the NRA convention, AP wasted no time making a few choice jabs at her, and at her comments about guns. In fact, the article tries to counter what Palin said. Here is a quote from Palin, along with some typical AP bias thrown in:

“Don’t doubt for a minute that, if they thought they could get away with it, they would ban guns and ban ammunition and gut the Second Amendment,” said Palin, a lifelong NRA member who once had a baby shower at a local gun range in Alaska. “It’s the job of all of us at the NRA and its allies to stop them in their tracks.”

Now compare this to the follow-up paragraph from the voice of AP:

“Gun enthusiasts have trumpeted fears that their rights would erode under a Democrat-led White House and Congress, but President Barack Obama has largely been silent on issues such as reviving an assault weapons ban or strengthening background checks at gun shows. Obama also signed a law allowing people to carry loaded guns in national parks.”

First, we ask why it matters that Palin had a baby shower at a gun range, but did AP put that in to make her seem “crazy” to those who don’t like guns? You read the words “baby” and “gun range” together and that makes no sense right? Second, why does the AP feel it necessary to suggest that Obama has been silent on the issue – especially as Palin says, “if they thought they could get away with it,” but apparently the author missed that point. Finally, is the word, “fears” really necessary? “Fears” suggests a paranoid gun community, but that’s likely what the anti-gun crowd wants everyone to believe about gun enthusiasts.