Gawker Offers Snide Commentary on Texas Capitol Gun Carry Rules
Liberal leaning lifestyle site Gawker couldn’t help but react to the Associated Press story that noted that permit holders could bypass the metal detectors at the Texas Capitol building in Austin. The post even includes a photo of a gun shop for good measure.
First, we question the use of the photo – and understand that it was ONLY used to be sensational. Why not show the lines at the capitol instead? The post then included this snide take on the situation:
“But there’s really no reason to worry, because anyone who is able to get a gun permit must be a stable, sane person who would never want to shoot a politician. Lobbyist Michelle Wittenburg told the AP, ‘If you do have a CHL (gun permit) then that shows you have gone through a background check and you’ve been vetted, so to speak. I don’t think those are the people that are going to cause your problems in the Capitol.’ Right on. You’ve really only got to worry about liberals and Mexicans causing problems. Good luck with all that, Texas.”
No one is going to accuse Gawker of being a serious news organization, but we still have a problem when New York and San Francisco writers, who probably never have held a real gun, comment on issues they don’t understand in a state they’d likely never want to visit. The purpose was to be humorous, but this is insulting to say the least.
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.
AP Shows Bias in Recent Voting Rights Bill for DC
In 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that the District of Columbia’s draconian gun laws infringed on citizen’s 2nd Amendment Rights. Two years later, DC has done nothing to comply with the ruling. In a recent House of Representatives bill that would give DC two voting House seats, an amendment was attached that would force DC to revise its gun laws to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. The bill was killed and no vote will take place so DC can continue to infringe on citizen’s Constitutional Rights. Read more
Who Guards the Guards: Pentagon Shooter’s Gun From Memphis Police
The Associated Press has found a shocking, and truly disturbing connection in two firearms used in recent shootings – and that is that both came from the police department in Memphis. According to the AP Exclusive:
“Two guns used in shootings this year at the Pentagon and a Las Vegas courthouse both came from the same unlikely place: the police and court system of Memphis, Tenn.
“Law enforcement officials from multiple agencies tell The Associated Press the guns were once seized as evidence in criminal investigations in Memphis and made their way separately to the shooters.”
It will be interesting to see how these firearms made their way to criminals. Yes, there is a possibility that the system failed and a background check wasn’t done when it was suppose to have been done. But it is interesting, and again disturbing, to find that these guns both sold by the Memphis police.
Starbucks Asked to be Left Out of Gun Debate
Good for Starbucks for not wanting to be in the middle of debate on whether customers should be able to carry guns while getting their coffee fix. The company offered this take according to The Associated Press:
”Coffee chain Starbucks Corp. is sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it’s legal and said it does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate.”
While the company offered this opinion, we still think we’ll be hearing from the anti-gun zealots.
Seattle Times Throws Biased Sidebar in Gun Debate Story
The Supreme Court could decide once and for all if Chicago’s prohibition of firearms is truly constitutional, and while The Seattle Times this weekend ran a rather fair story on the issue – citing legal issues and past cases – the editors felt it necessary to include this sidebar:
Gun facts
By some estimates, about 90 million people in the United States own a total of some 200 million guns. Roughly 30,000 people in the United States die each year from gun violence; more than half are suicides. An additional 70,000 are wounded.
The Associated Press
These “facts” are clearly anti-firearms, stressing only the worst sides of guns. That clearly seems to be the intent doesn’t it?
Who Guards the Guards: 500 Guns Missing in Texas Police Station
According to a story from The Associated Press, which was posted on The Houston Chronicle Web site, the police in Cleveland, Texas have a little explaining to do:
“Federal investigators are trying to determine whether 500 weapons missing from the evidence room of a southeast Texas police station are part of a firearms trafficking ring.”
The story adds:
“ATF agents recovered 112 missing guns during a search at a Humble gun shop, according to court documents. Of those weapons, 98 had been listed by Kelley as destroyed. The whereabouts of the other guns remains a mystery.”
Again, we ask… why should anyone believe in a world where only the police have guns would criminals not get their hands on them? This comes a week after it was reported that the Department of Homeland Security had lost hundreds of guns! Yet, time and time again it is law-abiding gun owners who are made to suffer by harsher laws.
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!
Associated Press Offers Anti-Biased Spin on Assault Weapons Ban Issue
The Associated Press via The Seattle Times have run an article that shows typical media bias on the issue of gun control. While recent high profile crimes are mentioned in the introduction, no mention is made that over all crime is actually down while firearms sales have been up:
“After 2009 ended in a hail of high-profile gun violence, Washington state’s gun-control advocates are frustrated by an apparent lack of political support for an assault weapons ban, warning that the state will likely face more deadly shootings without it.
“The bill comes just weeks after a spate of deadly police shootings, and proponents of the ban say those killings should force politicians to confront gun violence.”
Is it really fair to high-light recent shootings of police officers, especially when this tragedy did not actually involve a so-called assault weapon.
More Guns “Off the Streets” in Bean Town
The Boston Herald and Associated Press proudly announce that Worcester has managed to get “241 guns off the streets.” This was the number of handguns that were collected in exchange for a retail gift card. The news makes a big deal that these included “76 semiautomatic pistols.”
“Those who dropped off firearms were given gift cards to Wal-Mart. Rifles were redeemed for $25, revolvers for $50 and semiautomatic pistols for $75.”
We’d like to ask who determines these prices? It seems like rifles should be worth more, and once again we ponder the fact that some prized positions, and highly valuable pieces of history were likely handed in and will now be destroyed.
