Media Picks up ATF Story – But Continues to Ignore Fast and Furious
Last week the ATF once again attempted to suggest that American gun shops with the source of guns being used by Mexican cartels, and the story was widely picked up by the mainstream media.
This is a shocking turn of events because much of the media has avoided covering the ATF at all in the past year since the Fast and Furious debacle broke. This is just the latest example of anti-gun bias in the mainstream media.
Much of the coverage of the ATF’s findings that 66 to 68 percent of all firearms recovered and sent for testing were traced back to the United States – a number that still seems vastly high – lack any reporting on the gun walking scandal.
ATF Figures Already Grow in Media
Last week the ATF released numbers, which suggested that American guns were being used by Mexican cartels. This “refresh” of a story that has been reported for years, was heavily picked up by the media last Friday and over the weekend.
Well the percentage is around 66 percent – according to the ATF – some media outlets have already rounded figure up, in an attempt to suggest that even more guns somehow came from the United States. TheHill noted:
Nearly 70 percent of all guns found in Mexico came from the U.S. over the past four years, according to data released by the federal government on Thursday.
More than 68,000 of the 99,691 firearms that were recovered between 2007 and 2011, and submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for trace testing, were either made in the U.S. or legally brought into the U.S. at one point, according to the agency.
Fuzzy math rears its ugly head it seems.
Sen. Chuck Grassley Downplayed ATF’s Statics
Last week the ATF once again try to suggest that American gun shops with the source of firearms used by Mexican cartels.
Sen. Chuck Grassley responded:
“Thorough gun statistics are hard to come by and tricky to interpret,” he said in a statement Thursday night. “The key to this data is that most of these guns can’t be traced to U.S. gun dealers. And, some of those would actually trace back to the United States because of the federal government’s own gunwalking scandal.
“We also have to remember that the only guns Mexico is going to submit for tracing are guns they know are from the United States, which clearly paints an incomplete picture of the firearms found in the Mexico.”
However, the media will likely stick with the 66 to 70 percent figure released in the ATF. We assume by summer that number will grow to 90 percent.
ATF Now Claims 68,000 Guns Came From America
In what seems a bit like déjà vu, the ATF released figures last week that somehow once again suggest America is the source of guns being used by Mexican cartels. The Associated Press reported:
Mexico has provided ATF information on 99,691 guns. ATF determined that the source for 68,161 of the weapons was the U.S, 68 percent of the total. For the remainder, ATF was unable to determine a U.S. source or was unable to trace the request to a country of origin. The 68 percent figure is down from estimates of 90 percent in years past when Mexico was sharing less information with the U.S.
It is interesting to note that the AP failed to address that the 90 percent number was greatly exaggerated. We can only imagine – even assume – that this 68 percent figure is also exaggerated.
Katie Pavlich ‘Fast And Furious’ Book Acknowledges Efforts By Others
David Codrea:
“In Interviews, Author Doesn’t Credit Reporters Who Broke Fast and Furious,” M. Catherine Evans of American Thinker posted today.
She’s referring to Katie Pavlich’s media tour promoting her new book, “Fast and Furious,” and specifically to work by this correspondent, Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars, and Seattle Gun Rights Examiner (among his many other journalistic hats) Dave Workman going unacknowledged.
Ms.Pavlich’s reply was posted as a follow-up, where she cites references crediting us for our work.
Because this has been brought to my attention before, and because it appears to be one of contention among our respective readerships, it’s appropriate that it be addressed in this column.
Continue reading on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/article/katie-pavlich-fast-and-furious-book-acknowledges-efforts-by-others
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He is a field editor for GUNS Magazine, and a blogger at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance. Read more at www.DavidCodrea.com.
NRA: Katie Pavlich on Her New Book About Fast and Furious
Cam Edwards talks to Katie Pavlich from Townhall about her new book, Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up
David Codrea: Gunwalker Johnny-Come-Latelies Helping To Give Holder An Escape Route
“Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash added his name to the chorus of legislators demanding Attorney General Eric Holder resign over Operation Fast and Furious,” The Daily Caller reported Sunday.
“On Monday, Texas Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer joined the surge in demands for Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation over Operation Fast and Furious,” a related story informed us.
Those dragging this story kicking and screaming into the public consciousness since the beginning might be inclined to channel Bruce Willis’s “Die Hard” character and say “Welcome to the party, pal.” But a more appropriate response might be “Hold the phone.”
AWOL-to-date Republican opportunists resolutely licking their fingers and holding them up in the air to determine which way the political winds are blowing serves whom, exactly? This is a gift horse that needs to be looked squarely in the mouth—first, because what the hell took them so long to weigh in, and more seriously, is a non-commitment like “I think that maybe it’s time for Mr. Holder to step down” the hardest line these new evangelists are prepared to take?
Guns were walked, people are dead and he “thinks maybe”?
Continue reading on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/gunwalker-johnny-come-latelies-helping-to-give-holder-an-escape-route
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is a long-time gun rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He is a field editor for GUNS Magazine, and a blogger at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance. Read more at www.DavidCodrea.com.
LA Times: Obama anti-gun? Says who?
According to the Los Angeles Times this week: “The NRA’s and Mitt Romney’s baseless hype continues to find an audience.” This editorial may suggest that President Obama is not anti-gun, and instead suggests that this is just hype from the NRA and Romney.
The editors note:
Obama hasn’t proposed any anti-gun legislation in his first term, and has rarely mentioned the topic. This makes us wonder how long the NRA and the politicians who do its bidding can continue to pretend there’s a wolf at the door before people look outside and discover that wolves are an endangered species. The answer, based on last week’s annual NRA convention, is apparently forever.
Of course this argument does not address this statement Obama made to Sarah Brady, which was that he was working on gun control, “but under the radar.” It also fails to note that the State Department ban the importation of M1 rifles from South Korea. It also fails to note anything about Fast and Furious, the ATF debacle, which allowed thousands of guns to walk to Mexico. The latter story has also been widely ignored by the media, will Obama’s culpability has never been fully made clear.
Usually a newspaper waits until the general election season to endorse a candidate, but this year it seems the Los Angeles Times is off to an early start.
NRA News: Senator Chuck Grassley with the Latest on Operation Fast and Furious
Ginny Simone talks to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Who Guards the Guards: Border Agent Smuggled Guns
American gun shops continue to be blamed for illegal guns flowing to Mexico, yet there seem to be other sources. Reuters reported this week:
A U.S. Border Patrol agent, accused of buying guns in the United States and smuggling them to Mexico for use by drug cartels, must remain in jail pending a detention hearing later this week, a U.S. Magistrate Judge ruled on Tuesday.
So should law abiding gun owners be punished instead?
