“The gunwalking story has never been mentioned on eitherNBC Nightly News or the Today show,” Geoffrey Dickens reports in a Feb. 8 Media Research Center “Reality Check” piece.
Perhaps that’s not quite fair. After all, MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” with Al Sharpton gave Rep. Elijah Cummings unchallenged time to make his case that the congressional Fast and Furious investigation is an “election-year witch hunt” against Eric Holder by Republicans, gunwalking was George Bush’s fault, and the real problem is we need more gun control.
So leave it to “Today” to send “national investigative correspondent” Jeff Rossen to Phoenix of all places, and rather than say word one about Gunwalker, instead perform the same sham straw purchase media stunt that’s already gotten no traction when unabashed anti-gun activists pulled it. And note they always do it where it’s nice and safe, and no real illegal transfers actually get recorded, as opposed to going undercover where they’ll meet real “dangerous criminals” and terrorists, like on domestic urban gang turf, or better yet, in Ciudad Juárez.
The truth of the matter: There are no “internet gun sales.” Sure. people can advertise there, just as they can in newspaper classified ads, but the transactions take place in person and federal law already states prohibited persons can’t buy guns, prohibits interstate sales without federal firearms licensees processing transfers, and if a private seller knows or has reason to believe a buyer may not legally purchase a gun, they may not lawfully proceed with the sale. It’s right there in U.S. Code.
This is a transparent propaganda piece designed to gin up demand to end all private sales, and to scare those who don’t know any better, that is, “Today’s” target audience. And that’s not all—make no mistake, it’s evident from the scare tactics employed in this hit piece that Rossen & Co. would also like to gin up a demand to ban semiautomatics, hollow points and .50 caliber rifles. The truth is, you can "bring down a helicopter" with a lowly .22—if you hit the pilot.
But OK, some have said, including on the “pro-gun side,” the ease with which private sales allow for those intent on breaking the law to do so represents an Achilles heel of sorts, and can we really hold out against demands to end them and still maintain a publicly defensible position?
We’d better, because aside from the fact that it would have no impact on the true criminal black market, the one “investigative correspondent” Rossen is afraid to peel the veil back from, preferring instead to stir up the clueless by going after safe, low-hanging fruit, it should be obvious that the antis would treat that as a beachhead from which to launch further offensives.
But then, what kind of journalistic ethics should we expect from a network that’s historically proven itself not above rigging trucks with “remotely controlled incendiary devices” in order to jazz up a story? And as for what NBC thinks of its viewers, well, if not for public outcry, they would have subjected the culture to this bit of disgusting degradation (warning—this is gross and you may not want to click the link. I included it here just to show NBC corporate values, and that there is no perverted depth they won’t stoop to.)
Still, it’s hard to argue with success, and it appears being subversive, agenda-driven propagandists who stump for more government power and encourage social degeneracy pays pretty good. For that kind of dough, most people would be hard pressed not to sell out their principles—and their countrymen.
Also see:
- Kurt Hoffman: Are gun sales arranged online a 'loophole'?
- AP ‘top 10’ list confirms media still ignoring Fast and Furious story
- New York Times offers most stupid anti-gun argument yet
- A Journalist’s Guide to ‘Project Gunwalker' (most current volume) for a complete list with links of independent investigative reporting and commentary done to date by Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner. Note to newcomers to this story: “Project Gunrunner” is the name ATF assigned to its Southwest Border Initiative to interdict gun smuggling to Mexico. “Project Gunwalker” is the name I assigned to the scandal after allegations by agents that monitored guns were allowed to fall into criminal hands on both sides of the border through a surveillance process termed “walking” surfaced.
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Spead the word
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