U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Grandstanding politicians and one-sided political reporting in the aftermath of a school shooting outrage are nothing new, and in the wake of the murderous attack at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, examples of both reinforce the notion of a nation divided, no small thanks to media bias.
Here are some troubling examples:
- Former Congressman-turned-political-gadfly Beto O’Rourke made a fool of himself during a press event in which he attempted to confront Texas Gov. Greg Abbott—the man O’Rourke has dreams of replacing in November—and was instead escorted out of the building.
- News agencies essentially reported half of a story when they told viewers about Senate Republicans opposing a House-passed domestic terrorism bill “which Democrats tied to the issue of guns,” according to an NBC report. Anti-gun Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blamed Republicans for blocking debate on “common sense, strong gun safety amendments.” Missing from the coverage was mention of Schumer’s obstruction of a GOP-backed school safety measure called the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, named in memory of two victims in the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla.
NBC headlined its report thusly: “Senate GOP blocks domestic terrorism bill that Democrats have tied to guns.” Only deep in the story is there a mention about Schumer likewise blocking the Republican legislation.
The Los Angeles Times headlined its story, “Senate Republicans block domestic terrorism bill, gun policy debate.” Again, Republicans are portrayed as the obstructionists.
Axios similarly headlined its report: “Senate Republicans block domestic terrorism bill.”
- Perennial anti-gun S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) went on the Senate floor to declare, “Some Republicans have suggested arming teachers. Are you kidding? Can you hear yourself? Teachers did not sign up to be soldiers. And guns have no place in our classrooms.”
“States like mine have made good progress on gun safety measures to keep our communities safe,” Murray said.
Murray ignored programs involving volunteer teachers and administrators who have taken or are willing to take special training to prevent and respond to school shootings. Called the FASTER Saves Lives (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training & Emergency Response) program, this course was started in Ohio as a cooperative effort with law enforcement.
Murray failed to mention that in her home state of Washington, violent crime—including homicides—has gone up since passage of two anti-gun-rights initiatives bankrolled by the billionaire-backed, Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
In 2015, the year following passage of Initiative 594, requiring so-called “universal background checks,” there were 209 murders including 141 involving guns. In 2020, the most recent year for which FBI data is available and two years after passage of Initiative 1639 banning the sale of so-called “semiautomatic assault weapons” to young adults, Washington saw 298 murders, including 177 involving firearms.
- CNN reporter Manu Raju pursued Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) down a hallway demanding to know whether Johnson would talk about background check legislation. Apparently Raju was not aware the Robb Elementary killer had legally purchased the gun he used, including passing a background check.
CNN’s @mkraju asks @SenRonJohnson about expanding background checks on firearms following shooting in Uvalde. Johnson does not answer. (Via @CNN) pic.twitter.com/1YHmTYJxU6
— Victor Jacobo (@victorjacobo_) May 25, 2022
- Appearing on MSNBC, far left documentary director Michael Moore suggested repealing the Second Amendment, stating, “Look, I support all gun control legislation. Not sensible gun control. We don’t need the sensible stuff. We need the hardcore stuff that’s going to protect ourselves and our children.”
- Whoopie Goldberg threatened to punch someone if any Republican offered “thoughts and prayers” to the families of Uvalde victims. Who’s promoting violence now, and why wasn’t she called out for it?
There are numerous other examples, including various stories talking about “gun safety bills” or “gun reform” measures, demonstrating how the press has adopted the gun prohibition lobby’s lexicon substituting various phrases referring to gun control. It’s been dubbed “camo speak” because such reporting disguises the true nature of the legislation, and is also telling about the media’s own bias.
While most media are presenting a pro-gun-control approach to covering the Uvalde murders, Fox News did provide more balanced coverage, including an interview with Andrew Pollack, father of Florida school attack victim Meadow Pollack, in which he ripped authorities.
“Evidently, they didn’t learn anything,” Pollack observed. “When you focus on just gun control this is what happens. It’s happened again.”
Pollack is on to something, and it is best illustrated by the reflexive focus by politicians and the press on background checks. The best example is a report at ABC News detailing polling results that show “Universal background checks and red flag laws are widely supported by the public.”
But the media is often guilty of not explaining that a mass killer passed a background check, and maybe multiple background checks, before committing a heinous act. The Uvalde killer bought his guns at retail, from a federally licensed firearms dealer, according to several published reports, almost none of which specifically mentions that such transactions must include a background check.
To its credit, the Austin American Statesman report on Texas gun laws that recently changed included this paragraph: “The law did not change where guns are banned in the state, nor did it change background check requirements while purchasing a gun. Firearm purchases through licensed gun dealers require a background check unless the buyer has a license to carry. Gun purchases through private sellers do not require a background check.”
The routine omission of background check facts is nothing new, but not reporting them helps perpetuate a narrative that checks are a solution. For example, media reports on Isla Vista killer Elliot Rodger typically don’t mention that he passed three background checks when he purchased three different handguns in California. Reports also don’t mention he used California-legal magazines limited to 10 rounds, and while he is widely known as a “gunman,” he actually murdered three of his six victims with a knife.
Long story short, pushing background checks as a response to Uvalde or other high-profile mass murders amounts to offering a solution that would not have prevented the crime, because it evidently didn’t prevent the crime.
Another notorious case is that of Omar Mateen, the Pulse nightclub killer. According to a Wikipedia biography, he “legally purchased a Sig Sauer SIG MCX semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm Glock 17 handgun…from a gun shop in Port St. Lucie two weeks before the shooting.” He was licensed to carry in Florida, which also requires a background check.
Until the media improves its track record on reporting such details—even if it makes grandstanding politicians look foolish—the public can expect more of the same, whether it is intentional or simply a byproduct of lazy reporting.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
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