Propaganda ‘journalism’ blames U.S. gun laws for Mexican violence

The 90% canard has been exposed so many times, and for so long, that a professional “Authorized Journalist” using it again here can only be explained by a truth-be-damned agenda.

As has the astounding corruption of both Mexican military and police forces, from whose ranks the narcoterrorist Los Zetas sprang, first as enforcers, and now as prime players in their own right.

But we’re to believe it’s due to that “wide gulf in gun laws.” [More]

Today's Gun Rights Examiner column looks at an "Authorized Journalist" doing what they do best.

Also, resolve to demonstrate.

Demonstrate your resolve to share the link? Because the "recognized" media spreading their lies has a lot longer of a reach than I do...

Some Journalists Get it Right on Guns and Liberty

To paraphrase Dorothy, "Are you a good 'Authorized Journalist' or a bad 'Authorized Journalist'? [More]

Here's today's Gun Rights Examiner column. Also get the latest from my fellow GREs.

Please read and share.

Paul Mulshine, Authorized Journalist

The type of person who can't even keep track of the number of times the letter "N" appears in a two-syllable word is not the type of person who is going to offer great insight into complex issues. [More]

I'm professional and you're not. And you can't even pronounce "pundit."

So there.

My, aren't we sophisticated and superior?

That must be why I've compiled an entire category of "Authorized Journalist" examples detailing bias and ignorance about the gun issue that is repeated over and over and...

And tell me that's the only issue where they push an agenda and get it so consistently wrong. You know, what this elitist characterizes as "doing what we in fact do amazingly well, which is to quickly analyze and report on complex public issues."

You credentialed flacks for the police state had your chance and blew whatever trust you had along with the establishment rulers you serve. Watchdogs turned into lapdogs a long time ago.

And now the fascist dinosaur propagandists want a bailout? At our expense?

Why not? It's been a public/private partnership all my life anyway, at least ideologically. Just one thing: As long as we're considering a form of national socialist journalism, can we call the resulting enterprise something like "Der Stürmer"?

[Via Luke O]

Paul Harris, "Authorized Journalist"

A gun in a US home is 22 times more likely to be used in an accidental shooting, a murder or a suicide than in self-defence against an attack.

Nice manipulation, Paul Harris. This is a total misrepresentation of conclusions by anti-gun researcher Arthur L. Kellermann. Here's what his findings actually stated:

For every case of self-protection homicide involving a firearm kept in the home, there were 1.3 accidental deaths, 4.6 criminal homicides, and 37 suicides involving firearms.

There's a vast gulf of possibile outcomes between a DGU, which does not require a shot even being fired, and a "self-protection homicide," but the agenda-driven Paul Harris won't let his readers know that.

Tell me, Paul--when you set out to become an "authorized journalist," did you have your heart set on specializing in propaganda?

Matt Sedensky: Authorized Journalist

I just don't have time to deconstruct this right now, but will say Matt Sedensky is either totally ignorant of his subject matter, that is, incompetent, or a deliberate liar--meaning he's reached the pinnacle of his profession and is now a Master Authorized Journalist.

Besides, you don't need me to do this for you. How many lies can you find?

[Via HZ and Sam and Joe Bethancourt]

Judas Returns

Our old friend, the person claiming to be "Bob Ricker" has graced us with another comment post, to which I replied.

He refers us to the California Senate Committee on Public Safety analysis of AB 854, dealing with ...SHORT-TERM LOANS OF FIREARMS FROM FEDERALLY LICENSED MANUFACTURERS, DEALERS OR IMPORTERS TO CONSULTANT-EVALUATORS... and credits its passage to NRA.

Why? Well, because I was complaining about BATFU trying to be the arbiter of who is or is not an "authorized journalist," and the bill in essence does that, assigning to the California DoJ authority for deciding who qualifies to be a "consultant-evaluator."

I fear I may have played a small part in this. Some time back, I got a call from one of the editors at GUNS & AMMO, one I had not worked with during the time I wrote for them. He had assumed I was a lawyer, and wanted to know if certain proposals in the legislature would prevent his field editors from getting guns to test and write reviews on. I let him know I was not, and he wanted to know if I knew any firearm lawyers he could ask. I referred him to NRA/CRPA's attorney, Chuck Michel--even though I have some differences with them and their tactics--because he is a lawyer with in-depth knowledge of developing firearms-related bills and their legal impacts.

Perhaps that anecdote was just coincidental to this bill, but what remains is a situation where California now has "authorized gun writers," and we know from past experience that what starts there often metastasizes its way eastward.

But here's the thing, and I invite comment and analysis: If California was poised to ban all transfers without exception, does this bill represent a victory of sorts? Or would it be best to have all share equally in the pain?

By way of complete disclosure, I have a press card for the purpose of writing for a gun magazine. To date, I've never used it, although I have been approached to test some products by companies that don't realize I'm an opinionslinger, not a gunslinger.

That said, I'm of the opinion that no branch of government has any business telling free citizens which of them is authorized to be a journalist, and they certainly have no moral authority to limit which firearms anyone not in custody is free to transfer and receive from other sovereign citizens. I stipulate that my way does not produce a "political solution"--but won't hold my breath waiting for NRA's game to produce a real and lasting one either.

Does it make a difference? In practice, probably not, as I don't know of any manufacturer who would transfer a product to someone who has not established a professional reputation as an evaluator or writer. But it's the precedent of government dictating who it will recognize that concerns me.

And as for "Judas Bob's" motives in calling this to my attention? Unless and until I hear him decry this bill and demand that all citizens be free to receive firearms from manufacturers, I think he just wants to start a fight within the gun community, so he can get off on it from the sidelines.

Brian Collins, "Authorized Journalist"

Gun sellers across central Texas say customers are buying more automatic guns because of the election.

While I'm glad Texans are making their preparations, too, I gotta say, this Brian Collins character is one of the most...authorized "Authorized Journalists" I've come across in a long time.

Brian, I don't suppose you ever heard the adage "Write what you know"?

You probably don't even know what the problem is, do you?

Good grief. Seeing ignoramuses like this get paid for incompetent reporting just drives me nuts.

Assuming he's ignorant and incompetent...

"Authorized Journalist" Jr.

The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the case and no charges have been filed at this time. Officers are checking to see if the two men had licenses for the weapons involved, a .20 mm rifle and .9 mm pistol. [More]

What, you mean those licenses that aren't required by the state of Mississippi?

And those are some interesting calibers.

I guess he can be forgiven because I see from his info blurb at the bottom of the story that he's part of their cub reporter program.  Still, it does make one wonder about the quality of adult supervision.

Hey, I've got a slogan for them: "Training tomorrow's Authorized Journalists today!"

Now all they need to do is get their application link to work better than their mentors.

Authorized Journalists on Parade

"You're not even a reporter."  [More]

You're not an exclusive Ministry of Truth-approved "Only One/Authorized Journalist"--like us.

[Via Defender]

A Detroit Victim

The victim got out of his car, knocked out the other driver's window and began to pull the man out of the vehicle. The 29-year-old then shot at the 33-year-old, hitting him twice, Stephens said. The 29-year-old had a valid permit for the gun. [More]

Yeah, that sure sounds like a victim to me. Which must make the guy who defended himself the victimizer.

I'd say Christine MacDonald of The Detroit News is one "Authorized Journalist" who understands exactly what's expected of her.

UPDATE: Mack asks me in comments what I'm talking about, and says the word "victim" appears nowhere in the article.

That's probably because The Detroit News practices "Authorized Journalism," and doesn't feel compelled to issue corrections or retractions when it's so much easier just to change things and hope no one notices.

For the time being, you can still catch the original over at Google cache. After that's gone, all we'll have is this (click to enlarge):

Protect the Endangered Authorized Journalist

Copyright law has to change to prevent Internet websites from undercutting newspapers by freely lifting stories that are gathered at a hefty cost. [More]

So the "Authorized Journalists" want armed "Only Ones" to enforce their dominance...I'm sure the irony and hypocrisy is lost on them.

I've got nothing against protecting intellectual property against plagiarism. But outfits like AP already has a per word fee structure worked out just for brief quotes from articles.

We all know how trustworthy the establishment media is to bring us objective and unbiased gun rights news. Monitoring what they write and say and then correcting the record is a legitimate and worthwhile pursuit. And linking to their stories along with teasers drives traffic to their sites.

We don't need a change in law. Any news outlet that doesn't want to be linked to should just code their pages to not permit it. Let's see how serious they really are.

But when the snotty little hoplophobes get it wrong or outright lie, I still intend to call them on it.

This isn't the first time the dinosaurs have demanded protection from mammals.

When Authorized Journalists and Only Ones Collide

When the deputy stopped the car, Rhodes got out and his pants and belt were undone... [More]

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to finally find an "Authorized Journalist" who is so intimately familiar with and has such a firm grasp of his subject matter...

As for being "charged with obstructing or opposing an officer without violence," that's OK. The "Only One" more than made up for your nonviolence, Mr. Rhodes. And I see by your apology you apparently believe you got what you deserved. You're a bad citizen. Bad, bad bad...

Continue being a useful cheerleader for the police state.

Speaking of which, who do you think worked him over...I mean, "forced him to the ground"...?

A peace officer or a law enforcement officer?

Y'know if that face is the result of citizen nonviolence, some of us might be inclined to consider a more...robust resistance...

[Via Ed M]

And the Coveted WarOnGuns "Authorized Journalist" Award Goes to...

...Eugene Driscoll, Staff Writer for The News-Times of Danbury, CT, for his reference to a policeman's "service revolver."

As I indicated, I emailed the Brookfield PD and just received this reply:

The reporter should have written “Pistol”. We haven’t carried revolvers in 20 years.

So congratulations, Eugene. You join the ranks of France's prestigious AFP and a select group of "Authorized Journalists" for presuming to inform your readership while masking damn near total subject matter ignorance.

Keep it up while writing about gun-related issues and I predict big things for you.

Colum Lynch, Authorized Journalist

Scott G wrote the WaPo reporter who filed this story, wondering how a US government UN diplomat could have an AK-47 in his office. Here is the reply:

From: Colum F Lynch <lynchc@washpost.com>
Date: 2008/4/21
Subject: Re: Banged up AK-47

It is an A47 on a plaque: a gift from General Petraeus and the members of the multinational force. I've seen it and Ambassador Khalilzad has displayed it in a prominent site, on the wall of the living room of the residence. I'm sure it is not loaded, and I suspect it has been rendered inactive.

I'm delighted reporter Lynch's firearms expertise surpasses that of the late Col. Jeff Cooper, so that Rule One can be ignored and dismissed with such certainty, especially considering the firearm in question was never personally handled and examined.

What are your qualifications again, Colum?

As for what you "suspect," Colum, is that the extent of your nose for news? You really don't think there would be a story there if your suspicions (what known facts did you base them on again?) were unfounded? You're not in a position to ask a few questions and find out for sure?

And even if it has been somehow disabled, you're sure it wouldn't fall into one of those intentionally arbitrary areas continually and deliberately exploited by BATFU to determine whether it's readily restorable and subject to NFA jurisdiction?

"Authorized Journalists." Is there anything they don't know?

Fighting Ugly Plaque "Authorized Journalist" Style

Paul W. Davis reminds me that I should have pointed out one other troubling indicator on yesterday's plaque presentation:

A point that needs to be raised:

"This plaque and two others just like were sent to the Lawrence Police Department over the weekend. This image has been altered at the request of thepolice department to take out other wording engraved on the plaque, as it isevidence in an investigation.
Jim Patten / Staff photo"

Found here.

This is no different than Soviet "journalism." Investigation my eye, the sender knows exactly what was on them, as do the police. Just who are they hiding it from?

You are correct, there is no cause for investigation. However, the more disturbing problem is the complicity of the newspaper in covering up what is really going on here.

The hit dog yelps the loudest.

Well, uh, yeah Paul. You don't expect "Authorized Journalists" to be, like, government watchdogs or anything, do you...? Or champions of the First Amendment...?

As long as we're on the subject, I trust everyone had an opportunity to read straightarrow's email to the chief?

Beautiful Rebuttal...

to this, resulting in this tepid correction.

The media is bound and determined to demonize the .50 BMG until it's banned, and there's no shortage of opportunistic, evil, gutless, stupid, or all-of-the-above politicians willing to sell out our birthrights for their gain.

Aren't you glad there are authorized watchdogs like Rose French out there, to give us lowly bloggers something to aspire to?

UPDATE: SayUncle documents how Rose French lied. Great stuff. He's not an "authorized journalist," either...

Suggestion to the pro-gun blogging community: keep an eye peeled for other works by the prevaricating French Rose. Maybe if enough noise is made, AP can be embarrassed into giving her the boot. I'm sending them a link to this post under the subject: "Do You Let All Your Reporters Get Away With Lying?"

And Now, the Rest of the Story...

That's funny...there's nothing in this "Authorized Journalist" report about Bloomberg's sneaky tactics...

But Phil Trexler does tell readers "private sales ... take place routinely ... on the Internet." I'm sure what he meant to say is that people can agree to hook up through the Internet and then do all kinds of things once they meet in person.  What he's really trying to say is the government needs to ban private sales and create a record of all gun purchases, but he's too skilled a sympathizer to admit that.

And he quotes a helpless victim (who better to take advice from?) and lets the statement  “Background checks could have changed that” go unchallenged, despite the fact that the mad dog shooter stole the gun from his uncle.

I guess when you're a "real journalist" on salary (as opposed to #justablogger), you're above such petty details.

Funny -- we also learn we can have guns on the sidewalk at the corner of the park, but if we step over an imaginary line we suddenly become criminals.  Must be something in the grass.

We're the Only Ones Authorizing Journalists Enough

Three writers whose police department press passes weren't renewed filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging the city's criteria for deciding who qualifies for the valuable ID cards...

"Why does the police department get to determine who is a journalist?" Siegel said.

Gee, no conflict of interest for "Only Ones" who work for the founder of Bloomberg News to want to decide just who is and is not an "Authorized Journalist."

Is there?

[Via cycjec]

Black, White and Red

A few say they are preparing to protect themselves in the event of a race war....

One expert sees a darker motive driving some post-election gun purchasers.

"Why are white people buying assault weapons?" said Ben Agger, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who wrote a book about the Virginia Tech slayings. "I almost hate to say it, but there is a deep-seated fear of the armed black man, because Obama now commands the military and other instruments of the justice system. They are afraid Obama will exact retribution for the very deep-seated legacy of slavery."

45superman noticed this and wrote about it. And he wrote about it again.

I correspond with him regularly, and after he sent me the Trib link, it took just a few minutes of checking around to confirm a few things. Here's the email I sent to reporter Howard Witt, including a copy to his "expert," a guy with an interesting background:

Obama win triggers run on guns‏

From: David Codrea (dcodrea@hotmail.com)
Sent: Wed 11/12/08 2:13 PM
To: hwitt@tribune.com
Cc: agger@uta.edu

Great job, there, Howard, selecting a Marxist academic to call patriotic Americans racist for buying guns. The nice touch was not disclosing his sympathies to your readers!

I mean, I don't need to send you Agger's CV or writings ("This is not to suggest that socialism is, or should be, dropped as a political aim, to be hoped for and fought for"), or reading list for his classes focusing on Karl Marx ad nauseum... Heck, as an "authorized journalist," I'd expect you to not only know all that--but to approve!

Funny thing about commies who employ citizen disarmament--and what commies don't? It generally is only a matter of time until their Worker's Paradise bears predictable fruit. Of course, by that time, the useful idiot academics and writers were long-ago dispatched as useless eaters...

We'll keep buying guns, if you don't mind, or even (especially) if you and Comrade Agger do.

Racists. That's pretty funny right there. You and Ben are funny guys.

Dosvedanya,

David Codrea

--------------

Here is Howard Witt's reply:

Thanks for your comments. Actually I was unaware of Prof. Agger's academic research into socialism, although other readers of the story have since pointed it out to me. I don't see, however, how that has any bearing on the truth or falsity of his observations about the gun-buying phenomenon. Or do you also think I should have "exposed" the countervailing right-wing ideologies of the pro-gun folks I quoted in the story?

Spasibo,

Howard Witt
Southwest Bureau Chief
Chicago Tribune
Houston, TX

--------------

The good professor weighed in as well:

David,

You are just engaging in name calling. You don't know the first thing about my interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, which might genuinely surprise you. The telling thing is that people of my political and social orientation don't typically write nasty emails to those with whom we disagree. We engage in reasoned and civil discourse--of the the kind typified by Obama's measured and respectful style. The fact remains that social scientists are called on to interpret the run on guns and ammo since Obama's election. The Chicago Trib journalist is doing his job by sampling a wide range of opinion. he is not endorsing my views.

Don't respond, please. Just think deeply about what I am saying about the norms of civility.

--------------

If I may:

Gee Howard, you think belief in the Constitution and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is somehow morally equivalent to being a communist? That to you is a "right wing ideology"? You are in the right profession!

And yes, ideology is a much more relevant concept to explore than leveling unfounded charges of racism. It's not like prominent non-white Obama supporters in the media haven't broached the subject of "race war." Along with others from the left.

You let a Marxist race fluffer play that card as his only argument, and now say you didn't know what his qualifications and motivations were. I repeat my initial salutation: Great job there, Howard!

It's almost laughable for you to bring up the "truth or falsity of his observations." But you haven't determined that, have you, Howard? All you've done is allow a clearly agenda-driven creature to utter an opinion--and in the process disparage the character of every gun owner who opened up to you and gave you information for your story.

Political activist gun owners vote ideologically, Howard. I know Obama supporters (let me guess--you're one, right?) get traction from you in the media by claiming its a melanin thang, but it just ain't so, and it's actually quite insulting, presumptuous and irresponsible to imply otherwise to your many thousands of readers.

And now for you, Ben, or may I call you "Tovarisch?"

Your only comment is to cast aspersions on the character and motivation of gun owners and you're the one who's been called names? Are those names accurate, Ben? What else are we to make of your fighting for socialism advocacy?

As for where you stand on the Second Amendment, go ahead, genuinely surprise me.

Now it's funny you should bring up "reasoned discourse." Gun owners have run into that from the left before. But you misunderstand me if you think I wanted to engage in that with you.

Nope. I'm telling you I know what you are, what you represent and what you enable, and frankly, I view you and all promulgators of your brand of subversion with the contempt you deserve.

And "Obama's measured and respectful style" when it comes to political speech? Good one!

Don't worry, Ben, I won't email you again. What was it you told KABA commentator "Theaton"?

Has it occurred to you that I don't want to open up my professional email and read utter nonsense like this? Do not write me again.

I have nothing further to say to you, either. But if someone wants to send you and Howard links to this, I won't mind. You can even add comments if you like--unlike The Chicago Tribune, which disabled theirs for some reason...

An Unauthorized Journalist

A television reporter investigating a story on school violence was arrested after carrying a loaded gun onto school property, authorities said.

Be nice if he uses this experience to champion RKBA from his position of influence--that is, if they let him retain his "authorized journalist" status.

[Via Sam]