Christian Science Monitor Continues to Cite 90 Percent Number
Is it possible that some in the media just like a fact so much that they’ll continue to report on it, despite the “fact” that it isn’t even true? The latest example comes from The Christian Science Monitor, which notes the number of gun shops along “the border” with Mexico, but worse the outlet continues to spew that notorious 90 percent number, long after it has been disproved.
“The cartels hire people without criminal records to buy a handful of weapons at a time, from licensed dealers – there are 6,600 along the border alone – or private individuals at gun shows, and then drive them across the border. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives estimates that 90 percent of the traced firearmss [sic] recovered in Mexico originated in the US.”
First, what exactly is meant by along the border? It isn’t as if there are gun shops with signs that say, “last gun shop before you leave the U.S.A.” No, these just happen to be privately owned shops located in towns 100 or so miles within the border. When you factor in that there many reasonably sized cities near the border with Mexico, it is easy to understand that there are going to be gun shops. Should these businesses close because they happen to be too close to Mexico?
But worse, how can the CSM cite a number that even BATFE doesn’t support anymore. There has never been proof of this number, and on the contrary it has been essentially disproved, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping the mainstream media from quoting this figure.
Detroit Buy Back Nets 400 Weapons, Even Media Asks If It Will Do Any Good
The City of Detroit has faced some hard times in recent years, and this week the police used donated funds to buy back some 400 weapons. But as Time magazine asked, “Can a Gun Buyback Program Stem Violence in Detroit?” We have to say we don’t believe it can.
Darrell Dawsey, writing for Time, questions the efforts further, saying, “I still can’t shake the feeling that this program will end up as little more than a giant symbolic placebo. Feels good to note, sure. But will it do any real good in the city’s streets. I have my doubts.”
Dawsey sees the same problems we see. Criminals don’t hand in guns, and there should be better efforts by policing than just paying a pittance to get people to clean out their closets.
Gun Owners of America Endorse Haley in South Carolina Governor’s Race
This week the grassroots Gun Owners of American endorsed State Rep. Nikki Haley as a Republican candidate for the governor’s seat in South Carolina. The group, which has more than 300,000 members, continues to support candidates in the upcoming election who are committed to protecting Second Amendment rights.
“Gun Owners of America is proud to make this endorsement,: said GOA Vice-Chairman Tim Macy. “Nikki Haley stands 100 percent behind the rights of South Carolina’s gun owners and sportsmen. In particular, Rep. Haley strongly supports concealed carry of firearms by law-abiding citizens and will work to ease unreasonable restrictions on CWP holders.”
Rep. Haley responded by thanking the group for its endorsement. “Few things are as clearly defined as the right of individual Americans to own and use firearms,” said Rep. Haley. “The right to bear arms was deemed so critical by our Founders that they spelled it out in absolute terms, and it is my belief that any governmental action that undermines that right is in turn undermining the very freedoms that built our great nation. I hold a Concealed Weapons Permit myself, and as governor, I will continue to fight against any government infringement on the 2nd Amendment.”
Rep. Nikki Haley Official Website
Kansas City Star Editorial Says U.S. Shares Blame for Mexico’s Woes
In an editorial for The Kansas City Star, Mary Sanchez notes “Mexico’s drug problems are ours, and vice versa.” That is debatable. She tries to offer a misguided history lesson, which is fine. But then she attempts to point the blame at American firearms, and that’s where her editorial needs to be called out. Read more
Cliffview Pilot Calls out Critics of Buyback
In a heavily editorialized “news story” for the Public Safety section of the CliffviewPilot.com community news site, publisher/editor Jerry DeMarco says that “Critics of Bergen’s first gun buy-back program are off-target.” He notes complaints from critics, but yet didn’t take the time to actually talk to any, and the points he addresses are vague at best. DeMarco notes that critics suggest the programs are futile, as the “antique” guns turned in – “both from World War II” he says” serve as an example of this.
As critics of these events, we don’t believe the buybacks are futile because World War II guns – which we wouldn’t exactly label as antiques, but that just shows that DeMarco doesn’t know guns – were among those handed in. It isn’t the age of the guns to us that matters. It is the fact, in this case anyway, that these guns were doing no harm to anyone. These were veteran bring-backs and were family heirlooms. How were these guns any sort of a problem? These guns could have been easily donated to a museum instead, and the owners would have gotten a tax credit likely that was more than the $75 they were handed. Read more
Feuding Neighbors Shoot and Kill Each Other, Huff and Puff Blames CCW
In an editorial for the Huffington Post Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., notes that two CCW holders shot and killed each other. He puts the blame not on the fact that these two men had a long-standing beef with each other, but instead points out that each had a concealed carry weapons permit.
The sad fact of this tragedy is that the two men might have met the same fate without or without the permit. So what exactly is Sugarmann trying to say?
San Francisco Chronicle Columnist Defends Gun Shop
In a column for The San Francisco Chronicle, Phil Bronstein compares Bosnia to the Golden Gate town, and notes that the San Francisco’s anti-gun zealots are fighting mad about the reopening of the High Bridge Arms gun shop on Mission Street.
He asks:
“Do we really need to make a high-caliber stink about reopening the only legal firearms sales outlet in the city, even in a nice neighborhood? No. The place has been a gun store for 50 years.” Read more
California Long Gun Registry Gets Little Notice in MSM
The mainstream media, even in California has been mostly mum on the pending legislation in California that could possible expand the state’s current handgun registration law to all long guns. The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance via our friends at Ammoland.com have followed the bill closely.
The current bill could come up for a vote on the California Senate Floor at any point. COHA noted that the bill “raced through the Assembly earlier this summer and is moving equally quick on the Senate side.” Read more
Paul Helmke Huffs and Puffs More About So-called Gun Show Loophole
In his latest rant for the Huffington Post, Paul Helmke asked the question, “who could possibly be opposed to closing the ‘gun show loophole?’” The president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence sounds like a broken record on this topic. He goes over the same bullet points on this issue time and time again, beginning with the argument that this would somehow stand in the way of stopping “convicted felons and other dangerous persons” from obtaining dangerous weapons. Read more
Liberal Blog Says Gun Stores Kill People
With a headline from the blog Mission Mission that says “Guns Don’t Kill People. Gun Stores That Sell Guns To People Who Kill People Kill People,” can you expect anything but bias? This post comes after High Bridge Arms hopes to reopen by year’s end. Clearly Mission Mission and the Northwest Bernal Alliance are so biased about guns that logic defines these liberal anti-gun zealots. Read more
