Firing Back: Why Have Guns Been Selling?
The mainstream media has spent the last two months reporting on record gun sales, and time and time again it has made sure to include commentary from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence or some other anti-gun group to “explain it.”
But what needs to be explained? We’re coming into an election year and despite the resounding statement from the anti-gun crowd that President Obama hasn’t done much with gun control, he hasn’t exactly been pro-gun either. Likewise, there is uncertainty with the economy, but there have been other factors.
First, women are picking up guns; to defend themselves and to hunt, or just take part in shooting sports. Is there anything wrong with this? And young people are once again showing interest in firearms.
But instead the media continues to ask why? And for reasons that make no sense in business related stories, ask for commentary from anti-gun types as if this will provide the answer.
The truth is that gun ownership is on the rise, crime is down. What is wrong with that?
And here is another point to consider, why would the media root against sales? Doesn’t the economy need to pick up? Imagine if this were any other product and the media tried to paint it as bad? The media wants strong consumer good sales, as it indicates a good economy. The media likes to report on strong housing or automobile sales, so why wouldn’t the media want strong firearms sales?
These are criminals buying guns, but to many in the media anyone with a gun should be deemed a potential outlaw.
Left Leaning Care 2 Offs Biased Reporting as “News”
The headline sums up where this story is going: On The First Anniversary of the Giffords Assassination Attempt, Things Are Still In Limbo.
This from Care2.com ,which begs the question… what is in limbo? Apparently because guns are still legal the issue is in limbo. But this article then throws in bias as news. It does begin as news, as is noted with this introduction:
It’s been exactly one year since the country was stunned by the violent shooting rampage that nearly killed Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and did kill and wound numerous staff, supporters and even a little girl.
That is news and it sums up the situation well, but consider this misinformation at the end of the article:
And others are even using the anniversary to promote weapons. According to Think Progress, the Crossroads of the West gun show has decided to use today as the day to throw their Tuscon exhibit and sale. But at least they don’t appear to be raffling away the same type of gun that nearly killed her, like the Arizona GOP did last fall.
The gun show wasn’t scheduled for any particular reason! But this article would you have believe that was in fact the motive of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show organizers! Shameful that this is bias passes as news.
Voice of America or Voice of Misinformation
Read this headline from Voice of America: “A Year After Lawmaker Shot, Gun Sales, US Violence Remain High.” Is this really true? Yes, gun sales are high, but violence – at least crime – is down.
This article attempts to tie gun sales and violence together. Consider these two paragraphs – which for the record ran in this order:
Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords survived the January 8, 2011 massacre in Tucson, Arizona, which shocked the entire nation. But since then no major new gun laws have been passed, and handgun violence continues to claim more than 30,000 lives every year.
And Americans are buying guns in record numbers. According to the FBI data, more than 1.5 million people underwent background checks in December for firearm purchases from licensed dealers.
It is almost as if the editors were peeved that people were buying runs!
This biased story goes on to quote the Brady Campaign and other anti-gun zealots. For example:
“This is a uniquely American tragedy,” said Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Campaign. “No other western, industrialized nation tolerates the kind and dimension of the gun violence problem that we have in America.”
And this is from Voice of America! It is a shameful example of how what is just pure bias passes as “news!”
Media Matters: “Massive Obama Conspiracy”
Why are sales of firearms increasing? Much of the media has reported time and time again it is fears that President Obama might push for more gun control. This was really old news, but is making rounds again because we’re back in an election cycle.
So when FoxNews reports it, left-leaning Media Matters for America calls it “Massive Obama Conspiracy” and tries to dispel this notion.
The irony of this is that it was the guests on Fox Business’ Follow the Money the Money show that offered the commentary. But isn’t that their job? Media Matters even offered this transcript:
TRACY BYRNES (GUEST HOST): There has been this dramatic increase in gun purchases, why do you think it is?
BO DIETL: Well, all I can say is one thing, President Obama is the reason. The people of the United States are really fearful that he will win a second term, and he wins a second term he’s going to try to get more restrictions to gun control in the United States of America. We know what his ideas are, we know what his socialistic ideas, his very liberal ideas are. He doesn’t like guns, and if he has one more term, that is why people listening here should not vote for him, cause if he gets one more term he’s going to institute more regulatory stuff, people are now buying guns more than ever.
In other words the guest, who was called on to answer the question, provided the answer and Media Matters calls them out on it.
Does Media Matters have nothing been to do than defend Obama and pick on Fox News?
USA Today Includes Biased Closing Passage
Gun sales were up for the month of December and the media seems intent on being a Grinch about it. This week in a story titled, “Record gun checks, sales for Christmas,” USA Today offered these two paragraphs including the closing passage:
Gun control advocates note that fear about crime appears to be greater than actual crime, which FBI statistics show has been declining. They accuse the NRA of fear-mongering.
“It’s a false sense of security, but they might go purchase a gun,” said Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence. “I’m bothered by, especially at the holiday time, how many people think that these things ought to be holiday gifts, Christmas gifts for their families and their children. We’re seeing more of that, which means it’s becoming sort of an accepted thing. Firearms and weapons don’t seem to go with holidays and peacefulness to me. I think we have a problem.”
This is all opinion and doesn’t offer any thoughts as to why the gun sales were so strong. Hoovers comments clearly are just meant to be its own type of fear-mongering. What is disturbing about this is that one man tries to say what he believes to be the proper holiday gift – and apparently he’s never seen “A Christmas Story,” where the little boy wants the Red Rider BB Gun! As we said… a Grinch!
NY Daily News Caption Cites Experts – What Experts?
As with many outlets this week, The New York Daily News noted, “Gun sales break records before Christmas, as FBI reports gun dealers ordered 1.5M background checks.” The story includes a photo with the caption, “More guns than ever are being purchased, but experts say the sales are from repeat buyers.”
Here is the problem with this caption: no true “experts” are actually cited in the story. While an NRA source is quoted in the piece he doesn’t offer the option that the sales are from repeat buyers.
In fact, the story notes:
Andrew Arulanandam also attributed the spike in gun sales to an increased interest in sports that involve firearms, such as skeet shooting.
This follows with three paragraphs of opinion from Caroline Brewer of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, who was quoted from a CNN story! So in other words, this is hardly “expert” opinion – and more to the point this is just opinion without any facts, statistics or other data to back it up.
And yet time and time again, the Brady Campaign is being called to close out these stories, almost as if it is there to reassure the anti-gun editors as much as the readers!
Daily Telegraph Offers Bias in Reporting Strong Sales
Leave it to the gun rights hating British to throw in some anti-gun bias in reporting on December’s strong sales. The Daily Telegraph offered the same old line from the Brady Campaign:
But anti-gun campaigners said those who already owned weapons were simply hoarding more of them due to “fear-mongering” by the NRA.
A spokeswoman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said: “The research we’ve seen indicates fewer and fewer people are owning more and more guns.”
There remains little evidence of this fact and yet it is stated again and again by the media. But this report also noted:
Since the near-fatal shooting of congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by a deranged gunman in Tucson, Arizona last January there have been increasing calls for tighter gun control. Miss Giffords survived being shot in the head with a semi-automatic handgun, and six other people were killed.
Where are these calls for gun control coming from exactly? That statement by the Daily Telegraph completely disregards the Gallup poll findings in October, which noted that the majority of respondents were against gun control measures!
CNN Story on Gun Sales Includes Anti-Gun Group Thoughts
While CNN has noted that gun sales saw a robust month, it also included commentary from an anti-gun group meant to dismiss these numbers. Following the business side of the story, it ended with these thoughts:
A leading gun-control organization says repeat buyers most likely are responsible for the holiday surge in guns sales.
“The research we’ve seen indicates fewer and fewer people are owning more and more guns,” said Caroline Brewer of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “All the trends indicate the number of Americans who own guns has declined.”
“It would appear because of fear-mongering by the NRA since (President Barack) Obama’s election that people are adding more guns to their arsenals out of fear Obama and the Democrats will take away their guns, which is absurd,” said Brewer.
Why is this commentary even necessary? And where is the Brady Campaign getting its facts? This is mere opinion and actually contradicts other reports that show gun ownership is on the rise.
This is nothing more than sour grapes again, but it is disgusting that the media not only allows this “insight” but actually gives it credence.
MSNBC Quotes Brady Campaign in Gun Business Story
Not only is MSNBC way late to report on Black Friday sales, but in its reporting this week it followed the mainstream media trend to get insight from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which again cited this as a “one-time event” based on marketing.
And of course this is noted as bad, but isn’t Black Friday – the day when many retailers actually get in the black for the year – all about marketing and shopping? So why the negativity about gun sales?
Gawker: Why So Many People Bought Guns on Black Friday
While we noted that left-leaning gossip site Gawker wasn’t so anti-gun while noting that a teen was delayed for having a gun-shaped decoration on her purse, much to our surprise we should add; the site was on cue to mock sales of guns on “Black Friday,” and instead of merely reporting on it, had to offer snide commentary.
Among the more “colorful” but still far from clever reason given, Gawker offered these:
- They woke up one morning with the soul of a cowboy inhabiting their body. Now they are better prepared to save those people in the Colorado mining town from the company bigwigs.
- They woke up one morning with the soul of a violent drug dealer inhabiting their body. Now they are better prepared to consolidate their power and become a company bigwig.
Sadly this is how record gun sales are reported in our country, and instead of treating it as a reasonable business story it is mocked.
