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.
Gun Protestors not Worthy of Coverage Covered
While you were enjoying a quiet Sunday morning yesterday, a handful of people in Denver Colorado were protesting a Starbucks. Most local Denver news agencies covered the story through the Associated Press. The AP mentions basic facts, like what the protestors want and what Starbuck’s response is, but fails to mention the number of protestors. By holding back numbers, the AP is showing support for a cause it is sympathetic with. Read more
Chicago Tribune/AP Article Shows True Colors of Politicos in Chicago
The Associated Press polled some canidates for the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Illinios. It shows a great lack of understanding from some Democratic candidates, but the worst response seems to have been from Alexi Giannoulias:
“No one needs a semiautomatic weapon on the streets of Chicago, and no convicted felons or domestic abusers need a weapon anywhere in Illinois.”
What exactly does he mean by “semiautomatic?” This is a major problem, as candidates such as Giannoulias throw around terms loosely to scare the public. Does this mean no semi-automatic hunting rifles? No .22 target pistols? And what does “on the streets,” mean? Too often “on the streets” translates into “anywhere in the city.”
Associate Press Highlights New Gun Laws With Expected Bias
The mainstream media has said for the past year, since Barack Obama was elected president that gun owners were concerned about new gun legislation, but now that many new favor gun owners, the Associated Press has noted these with concern. Here is a rather one-sided point on the issue:
“The NRA has a stranglehold on a lot of state legislatures,” said Kristin Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center, a gun control group in Washington. “They basically have convinced lawmakers they can cost them their seats, even though there’s no real evidence to back that up.”
Are these really a stranglehold, or actually just the perseveration of second amendment rights?
Who Guards the Guards: Police Respond This Time
We’ve been carefully watching how over the past few months there have been several cases of weapons belong to the police being stolen, often times from unlocked vehicles left out over night. But this time we’re happy to report that no such robbery occurred at this point. Instead, five people have been indicted on federal charges for alleged conspiracy to steel guns form the Tchula Police Department reports the AP via News Channel 3.
What is noteworthy in this story is that “several people pleaded guilty this year in a separate conspiracy to steal guns” about 24 miles away from another police department!
This is worrisome, because clearly criminals know where the guns are… in the hands of the police. Why go to gun shows, when there are guns available and ready to be stolen!
Who Guards the Guards: Wheeling Police Change Policy after M-16 is Stolen
SWAT team members in Wheeling, West Virginia will have to head to the department to retrieve their weapons if they’re called in while off-duty. This change follows a recent theft of one of the department’s M-16 rifles from an off-duty officer’s car, reports the AP via PhilyBurbs.com.
Not only is this yet another high-powered weapon that is now on the street, but our faith in the police is once again shaken. This is just the latest example of a police officer’s gun being stolen, and it begs the question as to why any of these weapons were left in the vehicles? Is this just another case of bad judgment? So again, who guards the guards in this country?
