Penn Live Story Offers Anti-Gun Bias in Reporting
The key word missing today from a lot of the media: attribution. It seems that thanks to blogs, website posts and quasi-news organizations that attributing a statement or belief to someone isn’t so important. This is certainly true of a recent PennLive.com news story. The site, which is associated with the Central Pennsylvania The Patriot News offered a story this week titled “Gun ‘culture’ stirs frustration and grief.” Already that has a zinger of a headline that shows a lean that is anti-guns in general.
The story does discuss the growing problem of urban gangs and a fascination of youths to use a gun as a fashion statement, and to show how tough one can be. We don’t agree that this is how guns should be used, nor would most law-abiding gun owners. That’s the key, law-abiding. These men are not law-abiding, so the story could be as much about “gang culture” as it is about “gun culture.” But the feature also offers a snappy kicker:
“Some believe the gun laws in Pennsylvania don’t go far enough.”
We’re sure “some” people don’t believe this gun laws go far enough, but some probably think they go too far. This is a weak argument, and weaker still because it lacks any attribution. Who is this some? Was it so hard to find an anti-gun group out there? But the point by the author, who is likely among the “some,” is still made.
Philadelphia Gun Law Ruling – Good With the Bad
This week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a mixed verdict regarding Philadelphia’s gun laws. With it comes some good and some bad (depending on what side you’re on). However, even in this ruling, there is bias in the media.
The Philadelphia Weekly offered this cheat sheet on the law:
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The city is allowed to force its citizens to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours.
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Police are allowed to seize guns from those “considered to pose a risk to themselves or others.”
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Those subject to a protection-from-abuse order may not own a firearm within the city.
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Want an assault weapon? You’re good.
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Need to purchase more than one gun a month? No problem. Have as many as you want!
Notice that there is no cynical humor for the parts the writer’s seem to agree with “Police are allowed to seize guns,” but with other parts of the bill there is clearly a mocking tone? Was this really necessary?
Who Guards the Guards: Sheriff’s Office Sells Tommy Gun for $20,000
The Citizen’s Voice of Luzerne County in Pennsylvania is reporting that the acting sheriff has come under fire for “keeping poor records of gun possessed” by the department. This comes after it was found that the former sheriff had agreed to sell a Thompson submachine gun in 2009 for $20,000. The paper didn’t say whether the buyer could legally own a fully automatic weapon or whether it was a semi-automatic version, although it was described as being an “antique” suggesting it was fully automatic.
Let’s see if the mainstream media picks up on this story.
