Arkansas Times Offers Insulting Blog Post on Open Carry Debate
Is it fair to label those in support of open carry rights to be “nuts?” The author of the Arkansas Times Arkansas Blog thinks so in a post titled “Annals of gun nuttery,” which provides this colorful take:
“Concealed weapon laws are no longer enough for the gun zealots. Open carry is the new rage (and I do mean rage) and the threats of angry gun packers have spooked, among others, Starbucks, into not adopting the law-allowed private property rules against guns on premises.”
Poor choice of words maybe, but this is yet another attempt to paint all gun owners as “angry” and filled with “mean rage.”
NY Times News Story Offers Opinion – Anti-Gun Opinion at That
In a piece looking at both sides of the “open carry” debate that is raging around the country, The New York Times threw in just a tad about of anti-gun rhetoric:
“Newer, more driven by grass-roots and the Internet than the N.R.A., open-carry groups are also less centralized, less predictable and often more confrontational in their push for gun rights.”
The author goes on to suggest to the reader the dangers of such a move:
“Gun control advocates have raised particular concerns about open-carry laws because under these laws in many states, gun owners are not required to have a permit or any sort of training or testing.”
What is the point of stressing the issue of permits for example? On the one hand the new groups are described as “less predictable” and “confrontational,” wording that could imply these to be “dangerous” to some New York readers. Likewise, it is practically implied that it would create a wild west situation without any permits where novices carry guns. This news piece reads like an editorial at times, but should we expect anything less from the “old gray lady?”
Associated Press Story Seen as Too Biased
A story running on The New York Times Web site from The Associated Press titled “Seeing Loose Guns Laws as Still Too Tight” is one that is still too biased on our opinion, and borders on an opinion piece! The article offers a few choice quotes:
- Arizona’s permissive gun laws gained national attention last year when a man openly carried an AR-15 rifle to a protest outside a speech by President Obama.
- “That’s sheer insanity,” said M. Kristen Rand, legislative director for the Violence Policy Center.
- Police departments worry that making permits optional might encourage more people with bad motives to carry concealed weapons, said John Thomas, a lobbyist for the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police.
Of course there were hardly as strong statements from those actually supporting to move for Arizona to allow concealed weapons to be carried without a permit. But why would we expect otherwise? About the only thing missing in this one is a quote from gun hating Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Yeah, we know Arizona is a long ways from New York City, but that doesn’t stop Bloomberg from offering his opinion about Virginia or Ohio laws!
WABC News Misleads in Tease for “Community Guns”
The tease this past Tuesday from WABC Channel Eye Witness News suggested that “anyone” including “teens” could get their hands on so-called “community guns” in part of New York City. Further it was said that guns were “borrowed” or even being “rented out,” suggesting that maybe a gun shop or other organization was actually offering firearms for rental.
Not so fast. The story actually clears this up, telling that it was gang members in The Bronx who were doing the loaning and offering the guns for rental. In many cases these criminals were leaving the guns in places where they could be easily recovered. The story noted:
“In March, a round-up of forty-one suspected gang members turned up five guns hidden in a stash house in Washington Heights.” Read more
Newsbusters Takes Aim at Newsweek
Thank you to our friends at Newsbusters for calling out Newsweek’s biased reporting on the issue of firearms in checked bags on Amtrak trains.
As Newsbusters reported, Newsweek made this an issue suggesting that the NRA’s push to allow travelers to carrying their guns (again unloaded and in checked bags only) would somehow open the door for terrorists. Of course we’d like to ask Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff when was the last time he was actually on a train?
Detroit Law Makers Pack Heat
Many lawmakers around the country, especially those in large cities where crime can be an issue, talk about how it is necessary to “get guns off the street.” So we found it surprising that The Detroit Free Press noted that four of the nine city council members regularly carry concealed guns. While they have permits to do so, these gentlemen also have police security – something not usually granted to the average Joe – so it seems a bit hypocritical from our point of view when we hear any anti-firearm opinion from these types of lawmakers.
However, in fairness, at least one anti-firearm member doesn’t exactly like the idea of her colleagues packing heat. The Michigan Messenger ran this item:
“Newly elected city councilwoman and non-profit leader Saunteel Jenkins didn’t raise this an issue during the discussion about baring arms, but the next day she voiced her disgust for guns, saying ‘I wished I had spoken up’ during the conversation because guns are ‘no joking matter.’”
Criminal Charged With Smuggling Gun Onto Plane Sentenced
What is wrong with this picture? Many cities are making it harder and harder for law abiding citizens to obtain firearms, but the government is barely punishing those who break the law. Damien Young has been sentenced to just eight weekends in prison for trying to smuggle a 9mm handgun onto a plane that was to travel from Philadelphia to Phoenix, reports Philly.com.
So the question is why is Young getting a slap on the wrist. Yes, he did have a permit for the weapon, but he broke the law. Meanwhile many individuals are having a harder and harder time obtaining a permit in Philadelphia. This just isn’t justice.
Gun “Safety” Story Lacks Strong Counterpoint
Every month there are stories of how those armed were able to protect themselves. Yet any mention of this type of information is missing from Faye Flam’s story for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Instead, it looks at a study that chose various shooting victims to determine whether carrying a gun increases the chances of getting shot, with the results being published in the American Journal of Public Health. Among the “facts” offered:
“Researchers randomly chose 677 of those victims for the study. They came from various occupations – taxi drivers, bartenders, nurses, and drug dealers. Fifty-three percent had criminal records. Six percent had guns with them when they were shot.” Read more
Firing Back: Gun Laws are Strange and Ambiguous
The mainstream media has reported ever since President Obama took office that gun sales have spiked, along with the sale of ammunition. At the same time the MSM has repeated the usual line that the President isn’t pushing for any new gun laws. However, this isn’t to say that new laws haven’t been introduced in recent months. New York City continues to tighten its gun laws, while New Jersey’s governor signed into a law that allows for only one handgun a month to be purchased.
By banning, restricting or any other means of limiting firearms only hurts the legit owners, not the criminals. One example is that in New York City you couldn’t legally own a World War II Lee Enfield rifle. Why? Because it has a 10-round magazine. A double barrel shotgun is totally legal. Which do you think would be more popular with drug dealers and criminals looking to rob a store in the middle of the night?
So is there even a criminal market for Lee Enfields? These hardly seem suited to the modern criminal. And what about the handgun limits in NJ? Will criminals only buy one illegal handgun a month? Probably not. In the end, only those who play by the rules, and follow the laws to the letter will be hurt by these sort of gun laws.
Cab Driver Defends Self
A cab driver in Mecklenburg, NC shot and killed an armed robber who posed as a passenger yesterday. The assailant, 17 year old Renaldo Smith wasn’t too creative in his method. He simply called for a cab to pick him up at an apartment complex and got in the car. Once seated, Smith threatened the driver with a gun. The quick thinking cabbie reached for his own gun and shot Smith dead. Read more
