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]

A "Pro-Gun" Journalist

dove slaughterers...our constitutional right to blast a bunch of birds out of existence with the weapon of our choice...people's right to blast a bunch of birds out of existence with the weapon of their choice...people accustomed to obtaining one in about 19 minutes...That's how long it took me to buy one in April, after the Virginia Tech massacre...gun control fanatics...weapon capable of scattering dove flesh and feathers throughout the sky...the constitutionally protected sport of dove slaughtering...

And the thing is, he's arguing against the 4-day delay. This must be what passes for "pro-gun" commentary in "authorized journalist" circles.

[Via Michael S]

We're the Only Ones with Editorial Discretion Enough

Under the law, only journalists -- not the general public -- can obtain the information but they cannot copy it. The requests highlight the increasingly murky definition of journalists in the age of the Internet...

Ohio law says a journalist is a person who works for a newspaper, magazine, radio or television station "or a similar medium."

So basically, under Ohio law, a free citizen who carries on the tradition of the early pamphleteers of the Republic is not an "authorized journalist," but a propagandist for, say Al-Jazeera or People's Weekly World (or something really subversive, like The Los Angeles Times) is...

Isn't it great, that "The Only Ones" get to decide who the government watchdogs are? And we've seen how responsible and devoted to liberty their "appointees" have turned out to be...

I could help out, but have mixed feelings--yes, I am one of those dreaded "AJs" I'm constantly railing against--I fit the definition of Ohio's law, right alongside my Pravda colleagues: I work for a magazine and have a press card (which I've never used), so technically, I could requisition the names on their behalf. But I'm so dead set against the idea of lists that--even if the Ohio gun activists intend to use the information to promote a greater good, I'd struggle with the ends justifying the means. It boils down to it's really none of my damn business if you or anyone else carries concealed, and just because I could get access doesn't mean I should--not that anybody has asked me to stick my big, fat nose in this, mind you.

I'd be interested in feedback on this. If you had "press credentials," would you volunteer to help get this information? Why or why not?

[Via Buckeye Firearms Association]

We're the Only Ones Defining Who's a Journalist Enough

But U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan says in a court filing that Wolf's resistance "is apparently fueled by his anointment as a journalistic martyr" and that he needs "to come to grips with the fact that he was simply a person with a video camera who happened to record some public events."

See, U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan thinks he and other government enforcers like him are "The Only Ones" with the authoritah to decide who gets to be an "authorized journalist," and he also thinks it's appropriate to publicly ridicule and menace those foolish souls who might challenge that assumption.

What's Ryan even doing there in the first place?

[F]ederal prosecutors took over the arson case from state authorities on grounds that San Francisco's police department receives funding from Washington.

Oh. Well OK then. Just so we know how the yoke got there.

Government sanctioned journalists--and the federal government at that. Yep, that pretty much dovetails with my understanding of what the Founding Fathers meant by a "free press." And let's not even get into what they must have meant by "federalism"...

And the Winner is...

George K.

Shoot me an email and I'll make arrangements to get you your cap.

And the losers are Jesse, Snuffy and the Bradys.

How do I figure? With all the foot stomping I've been doing trying to draw attention to this, and considering how many visitors come to this site each day, finding only 86 comments awaiting me this morning (with more coming in as I compose this post), the reality is, only one in 20 of you even bothered to respond--meaning the overwhelming majority, at least in this case, sat out from something so simple and self-beneficial as buying a box of ammo.

That's no way to win a rebellion. What are you sideliners gonna do when necessity presents real demands that you can't avoid against a foe that is purposeful and mean?

That's why the name of our winner is so appropriate. Most gun owners have been content to do little more than gripe, and when it comes to making a contribution or taking an action, adopting the "Let George do it" philosophy.

And spreading the word to gun stores was just pathetic. A few of you got out there and hustled. But most stores were clueless. And in truth,I blame them--their survival depends on knowing the winds and the currents of their trade. It's really their job to inform themselves of happenings affecting their business. In a rational world, they would be leaders and educators of their customers. By insulating themselves, they've pretty much assured they'll stand alone when the wolf appears at their door.

Jeez, we're pretty negative this morning. So why do I say our enemies are the ones who are the losers?

Because they did even worse. We did this with no free publicity from the major media. They had world famous names like Jesse Jackson and Sara Brady prodding their respective constituencies with shrill and desperate urgings. They had church "leaders" and their congregations in the communities they selected to demonstrate in, to get the word out "in the community." They had a budget (tax deductible in many cases), to pay for fliers and buses and press releases and website announcements and billboards and Jesse's hotel suite and airfare for himself and his bodyguards and entourage and child support payments, along with feeding him in the style to which he's accustomed... They saturated newspapers and TV newscasts throughout the land, which announced the upcoming events and sent reporters to cover them when they happened (in some cases, as we shall see). They sent out paid press releases promising "In Communities Across America, Huge Crowds Protest Gun Violence."

And they fell flat on their face in the delivery.

Here are the cities the Bradys touted. I've entered the names of the cities into a Google News search along with the words "gun" and "protest."

First, let's look at Chicago/Lake Barrington (the Brady site said "Evanston"), which was The Main Event--the one led personally by Jesse and Snuffy. Per ABC News, "about 150 marchers took their message to the DS Arms company plant..."

That's it? With all the hoopla and resources put into this, with all the free media exposure, with national names and a free ride to and from the protest, that's all the troops our mighty enemy could muster to the field in a fight they picked? Based on the comments left in this obscure blog, we managed to put together an opposing force of almost 60% of that number--and our volunteers paid for everything themselves. And we did it with no budget, no media exposure, no requests for donations...and that's just what's been reported on this blog. I note many visitors at Kim duToit's place pledged gun and ammo buys, and I look forward to a report from The Firearms Coalition.

OK, what about the other Bra-inbow PUSH cities? Remember the news search terms, "city name" and "gun" and "protest".

Newark: No after-the-fact stories appear. If there had been thousands do you think that would be the case?

Maryland: There are plenty of stories--let's link to one:

About 100 protesters rallied outside a gun shop in Maryland just across the District of Columbia border.

100? That's it for the nation's capitol?

Dallas: There are plenty of stories giving free PR to announce the rally, but not much reporting on the actual event. This CBS TV "report" does its best through selective camera angles and cuts to make a few dozen people look as large as possible, but for some reason reporting the actual number of protesters didn't strike "authorized journalist" Steve Pickett as newsworthy. If we are to believe the Brady's press release (and why wouldn't we?), "the news media said [the march] attracted hundreds..." but the source I found said "about 60 people marched." Hmmm....I wonder why the discrepancy...?

Denver: No after-the-fact reporting. It must have been glorious.

Duluth: Apparently matched only by Denver...

Evanston: I guess everybody figured out it was in Lake Barrington?

Ewing: Hey, at least they got mentioned in the Brady's paid press release.

Houston: Apparently, if we are to believe the demonstrably credible paid press release , some people hung some signs from a bridge.

Minneapolis: "Thirty-two people staged a 'lie-in' - [appropriate use of a term--DC] lying down on a north Minneapolis sidewalk." Y'know when I read about these and see the pictures, the first thought that comes to mind is Evel Knievel is never around when you really need him.

Philadelphia: "Dozens stage anti-gun rally"--well hold the presses.

Phoenix: In your face, Denver!

San Diego: A strong contender for edging out Phoenix...

And then, of course, 32 each for all the ridiculous "Protest Easy Guns" cities listed in the Brady announcement.

That's it. In spite of the enormous amount of advance pre-billing for this circus event by the mass media, and despite the money, power and names behind it, it turned out to be a dud. The fire in the belly seems to be mostly for self-promotion by Jesse and Snuffy, and a desperate search for relevance by the Bradys. Of course I have no scientific way to validate this, but my sense is that the stated goal here at WarOnGuns was achieved: That between (admittedly unvalidated) reports of ammo sales on this site and elsewhere, we probably came real close to buying a box of ammo (or spending equivalent dollars on guns or other gear) for every anti-gun protester that showed up.

Which means all the citizen disarmament mobs managed to do was produce the exact opposite of what they wanted: thanks to them, there are now tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition in private hands that would otherwise not have been bought on August 28. And they got meager after-the fact publicity for their failure because it was just so damned embarrassing to show how ineffectual they truly are at motivating anything other than staged grass roots support. Even the authorized journalists couldn't spin it as a victory.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Up to His -- and Their -- Old Tricks

Report on F.B.I. Russia Inquiry Finds Serious Errors but Debunks Anti-Trump Plot ...He also exonerated former F.B.I. leaders, broadly rejecting Mr. Trump’s accusations that they engaged in a politicized conspiracy to sabotage him. [More]

Did it really "debunk"?  Did he really "exonerate"?

We did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced” officials’ decision to open the investigation, the report said.

That they did not find something is not the same as proving it does not exist.

Horowitz -- you gotta understand who the guy is and where he's coming from.

You gotta understand he pulled the same crap on his "Gunwalker" report:

Case in point, Chapter One of the report identifies key individuals who declined to be interviewed ... Simlarly of significance, and hardly surprising to those following this story, the report notes “The White House did not produce to us any internal White House communications, noting that “’the White House is beyond the purview of the Inspector General’s Office, which has jurisdiction over Department of Justice programs and personnel.’”

The result?

That has not stopped the search term “clears Holder” from already becoming the meme du jour on the “Authorized Journalist” Google News feed, meaning it will soon become “common knowledge’ among those who are not long-term and in-depth observers. 

It's all a continuing con job that most are oblivious to. Of the remainder, most will excuse and even champion it, and of the ones who don't, most will do nothing about it.

Right Back Atcha, Genius!

[More]

A 19-year-old man is behind bars after being accused of robbing a woman in Hickory Hill with a rifle pointed to her head.

Kobe Westbrooks is charged with aggravated assault, robbery, theft and unlawful possession of a handgun. Not only did he allegedly point that weapon at the woman's head, police reports said he told her words no one wants to hear: "I'm going to kill you." [More]

Somehow I think young Kobe is going to modulate that attitude in present company. And naturally, his victim was coming home from work.

So, "Authorized Journalist" Quametra Wilborn and the crack team at WREG News Channel 3 Memphis: What's the deal with "rifle" and "handgun"?  Ah well, it doesn't matter, I'm sure you'd like to ban all of them.

We're the Only Ones Tight-Lipped Enough

In re yesterday's post:

Anybody see a name yet? I've been shared a reply from an "Authorized Journalist" claiming police have not released it nor filed charges.

What a cheesy excuse. Any real reporter worth his salt would not just lie down and accept that -- they'd press for answers and publicize the pressing.

Seeing as how that doesn't appear to be a priority...

[Via CDT]

UPDATE: 

[More]

I note every one of these reports came out hours after this post. I'd like to believe and hope that those of us making noise also made an impact.

Do the (Alt-) Right Thing

Jason Kessler is a hateful person who is having a substance fueled meltdown! [More]

I wonder why Authorized Journalist Matt Pearce did not see fit to mention he's also historically been a creature of the "alt-left"? Or is his epiphany to embrace the "conservative" side the one thing Kessler claims that we're supposed to believe?

A Cold Day in Hell

On Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 1,000 law enforcement officers fanned out across San Francisco and San Mateo counties to serve warrants and conduct probation searches as part of Operation Cold Day ... Authorities declined to say if certain gangs were targeted, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. [More]

Yeah, none of the reports seem to want to give out any identifying information. I guess if a threat is still out there, they want us to be surprised.

Y'know, 90 guns out of 75 arrests does not a "pipeline" make, not that I want to cast any clouds over their moment in the sun. Still, that's a hell of a lot of resources for such a pissant historic haul, not that any "Authorized Journalist" would broach such an impolite observation during the media victory event.

[Via Dave Licht]

Moron? Liar? Why Not Both?

Teen charged in friend's death didn't think gun would discharge [More]

There's that racist "Authorized Journalist" code word again.

But there's always the "progressive"  mandated "solution"-- at least until they can ban guns altogether:

In their lawsuit, backed by CPHV, Dix's parents maintained, among other charges, that the chamber indicator was inadequate because the gun was not inscribed with a warning as well. Presumably, were Beretta to do so, they would still be deemed negligent for not including such warnings in Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese and Tagalog.

No loaded chamber indicator here, either...

[Via bondmen]

The Wisdom of Solomon

The Wall Street Journal fired reporter Jay Solomon on Wednesday after evidence emerged about his involvement in prospective business deals, including one involving arms sales to foreign governments, with an international businessman who was one of his key sources.  [More]

If personal interests can cause conflicts of interest with the ability to report objectively, I'm wondering if there's an "Authorized Journalist" alive who could make the cut.

[Via bondmen]

Mirren Gidda, 'Authorized Journalist'

A member of the Oath Keepers militia ... members of Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters—which the Anti-Defamation League describes as “anti-government extremist movement[s]”... [More]

I don't suppose it would do any good repeating what should be common knowledge to any "real reporter" interested in doing two minutes worth of actual seeing for themselves instead of just parroting leftist smears...

Nah. Consider the source.

If Newsweek were interested in the truth, they'd have been in the running for a shot at reporting it.

Bloomberg Author’s Group Continues Established Pattern of Manipulation & Deception

We’ve seen that before, during the Obama administration, when top adviser Valerie Jarrett recruited Hollywood writers and decision makers to tailor TV show scripts to plug Obamacare. And we’ve seen it more recently with the Brady Campaign bragging about its influence in getting gun owner control messages inserted in Designated Survivor, and Everytown partnering with House of Cards. [More]

As an added bonus, "real reporter" Claire Kirch objects in comments to being called a "flack," and asserts she's a superior-to-me "Authorized Journalist."

So It IS About Duck Hunting!

“I’m a hunter,” Newsom told the union crowd when a man in the audience grumbled about his support for gun control. Newsom, who in his younger days shot lizards with a rifle on visits to his father’s place in the Sierra foothills, said he has hunted ducks and enjoys skeet shooting, but nonetheless supports background checks for gun owners. The hunting might surprise some of Newsom’s fans on Twitter, where he skewers the National Rifle Assn... [More]

What kind of Fudd would buy that, and not know in his heart he was doing wrong?

Yeah, he "nonetheless suppports background checks."  That and a bit more, right, "Contact Reporter" Michael Finnegan? Why minimize it that way?

That "Our Dishonest President" pop-up for The Times' six-part "editorial" series is almost funny. While arguably true, you would never see such an effort had Hillary won.

Hey, here's  an "Authorized Journalist" challenge: He told the hammer and sick... uh ... arm and hammer crowd he's a hunter, present tense. He said he "might go ... for the first time this year" in November, 2015. Did he? When's the last time he pulled a license from Fish and Wildlife?

Think they'd tell me...? (I've written a PRA request and am waiting for legal feedback to see it it's feasible).

UPDATE-- And now I wait some more:

[Click to enlarge]

The Thing That Would Not Leave

Jessica Chastain relays powerful and devastating story as a strong argument for gun control [More]

"Exclusive"? Really?

Nothing like digging up yesterday's failures for propaganda today, eh, "Authorized Journalist" Rebecca Lewis?

Hopefully, Jessica will realize she's out of her depth and get back to that which she's good at.

[Via Matt F]

Doing What They Do Best?

Macron Stretches Lead As French Presidential Campaign Enters Final Day [More]

They had a choice and it looks like they're rejecting it. We can hope the polls are wrong, and the establishment has been fooled before (!!!), but unless the lead is completely fabricated, it does not look good.

As an aside, I've been seeing people pointing to One America News Network as a potential alternative once the Murdokinders trash Faux News. But adopting "Authorized Journalist" conventions like "far right" to describe someone who believes in sane border and immigration policies, and "centrist" to describe an Obama endorsee makes me wonder.

And profiling Miley Cyrus getting over her nipple pastie phase hardly fills me with confidence.

At least I get no hits there searching for "botched gun sting."

---

UPDATE: Won't this be interesting if it pans out...?

Eunuch Gonna Believe This Story

With a bullet-riddled crotch he had coming when he decided to live the thug life, the attacking teen ran back to the truck he jumped out of and tried to make a getaway... [More]

Lest you think that account appears too celebratory, let's check instead with the "Authorized Journalist" version, where they use such terminology as "emptied the clip" and "that gun that he used isn't registered."

[Via Florida Guy] 

Good for the Goose?

"Speaking at a party in what I thought was a personal conversation... " [More]

Oh, you mean kind of like the "pussy" remark?  Funny, instead of "racing to distance themselves" from you, it looks like one "my bad" non-excuse and you're back in "progressive" good graces.

I guess it pays to be "Authorized Journalist" royalty.

What's in a Logo?

Nothing to see here, right? [More]

You'd think a professional "Authorized Journalist" like Ben Swann would know his function is to parrot talking points, not investigate and ask unwanted questions of the elites. It looks like he's about to be smeared and then Attkissoned.

Hey, it's way past lunch time -- anybody up for pizza?