Two days ago, on November 4, 2007,
The Real Gun Guys Posted
The Journalist's Guide to Gun Violence Coverage. Two days later, on November 6, 2007,
CNN.com publishd on the front page of their website
Cops find themselves in arms race with criminals. Let's have a rundown:
RGG:
The first principle to remember is that subtle use of terminology can covertly influence the reader. Adjectives should be chosen for maximum anti-gun effect. When describing a gun, attach terms like "automatic," "semi-automatic," "large caliber," "deadly," "high powered," or "powerful". Almost any gun can be described by one or more of these terms. More than two guns should be called an "arsenal".
Try to include the term "assault weapon" if at all possible. This can be combined with any of the terms above for best results. Nobody actually knows what an assault weapon is, so you cannot be criticized for this usage. Your local anti-gun organization can provide you with a list of the latest buzz words like "junk guns," "Saturday Night Specials," and "the criminal’s weapon of choice".
CNN:
Designed to be fired from the hip, assault rifles such as the AK-47 can spray at a rate of up to 600 rounds a minute in full automatic mode. It is the weapon of choice for guerillas and gangsters.
There's no doubt that urban street warfare, aided by a proliferation of cheap automatic weapons, has come even to Palm Beach County, once high society's vacation mecca and a retirement destination for northern snowbirds.
"They don't have .38s anymore. They have AK-47s. ...They have automatic weapons now," said Sgt. Pfeil.
The Miami Police Department said 15 of its 79 homicides last year involved assault weapons, up from the year before. So far this year, 12 of 60 killings have involved the high-powered arms.
Score: RGG 4, CNN 0.RGG:
Whenever drug dealers are arrested, guns are usually confiscated by the police. Mention the type and number of guns more prominently than the type and quantity of drugs.
CNN:
The Miami police department evidence room has seized AK-47s, AR-15s and an assortment of other automatic and semiautomatic weapons piled on shelves from floor to ceiling.
Score: RGG 5, CNN 0RGG:
Never question the effectiveness of gun control laws or proposals. Guns are evil and kill people. Removing guns from society can only be good.
CNN:
Chief Timoney says he started noticing an increase since the federal assault weapon ban lapsed in 2004. Since then, he says homicides in the city of Miami involving assault weapons have been up -- 18 percent last year and 20 percent this year.
Score: RGG 6, CNN 0.RGG:
Little space should be devoted to shootings where criminals kill each other. Although these deaths greatly inflate the annual gun violence numbers, they distract from the basic mission of urging law abiding citizens to give up their guns. Do not dig too deeply into the reasons behind shootings. The fact that a gun was involved is the major point, unless someone under 18 is affected, in which case the child angle is now of equal importance.
CNN:
...
Score: RGG 7, CNN 0.RGG:
Any article about gun violence should include quotes from anti-gun organizations or politicians. One quote should say that we must do something "for the children". Anti-gun spokespersons should be called "activists" or "advocates". If your employer wishes to appear unbiased, you can include one token quote from a gun lobby group to show that you are being fair. The anti-gun statements should be accepted as fact.
CNN:
Across the country, at least 62 police officers have been gunned down this year -- a record pace, said Robert Tessaro, the associate director for law enforcement relations for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Score: RGG 8, CNN 0.So the Real Gun Guys have routed CNN. Not to mention the outright lies told by CNN. Let's make a note:
"It's not nice we have to arm ourselves like the soldiers in Iraq," said Sgt. Laurie Pfeil, who supervises a sheriff's road patrol in Palm Beach County and is now certified to carry a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle on the job. It's the civilian version of the military's M-16 used by U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
Maybe not a lie, but not exactly true. They have a picture with a similar caption, and the rifle shown in the caption is the civilian version of the M4, not the M16.
Designed to be fired from the hip, assault rifles such as the AK-47 can spray at a rate of up to 600 rounds a minute in full automatic mode. It is the weapon of choice for guerillas and gangsters.
ASSAULT RIFLES ARE NOT DESIGNED TO BE FIRED FROM THE HIP! ARGH! See
my own post on the subject from some time ago. And there's the obfuscation of fully automatic rifles, which are not common among America's criminals.
Cops prefer to squeeze off single shots in semiautomatic mode because it makes for more accurate shooting. Some semiautomatic weapon's can fire with pinpoint accuracy from as far as 100 yards away.
But... but... I thought they were designed to be spray fired from the hip? And they can't even get the booga booga facts right. Those AR's can fire accurately past 300 yards or more, depending on the skill level of the rifleman.
"They don't have .38s anymore. They have AK-47s. ...They have automatic weapons now," said Sgt. Pfeil.
You know, it seems to me that they've lost the latest "assault weapons" battles, so to speak, and they're counter-attacking with the same crap they used in the '90s to get the ball rolling in the first place. The real clincher that they ARE ALL FULL OF SHIT is this:
He lays the blame squarely on lawmakers who allowed the assault weapons ban to expire in 2004.
Read my lips: THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! How can the lifting of a ban on features such as bayonet mounts, flash suppressors (but not muzzle breaks), grenade launchers (WWII variety) and the like have POSSIBLY MADE ANY DIFFERENCE? Look at the graphic below:
Illegal "Assault Weapon" during the "ban"
Legal "Assault Weapon" during the "ban"
CNN, grow up, grow some balls, and try to be honest in the future.
