tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 It just gets under my skin the way the anchors for that show don't even try to report without bias on firearms issues. They were reporting on the sniper shootings in the DC area and the female anchor had some guy from the ATF on the show and was talking about the 223 round and asked him what kind of gun shot this round, assualt rifles...then tried to engage him about the round itself; leathalty etc, stabilization, tumbling, wound channels, and at least the ATF guy would not lay off the deaths to the round or another firearm factor. They are just looking for anything at all about to harp about and get more fodder for that cannon they shoot about arms control. They run in some liberal everytime there is something to do with guns, had a guy yesterday about how we should all be more like Canada regarding our arms policy... How about they get Jeff Cooper on and interview him, or Mass Ayoob, or Clint Smith, or Brian or Robbie, or even me. They keep forgetting that this country was formed by breaking away from England, and like I tell all my Canadian friends who question me about gun control...Well the US is just a struggling colonial nation and we don't have the Queen to protect us, so we need our guns. Damn it makes me HOT!!! They don't even adress any of the positive things legit gun owners do or the legit sporting things we do with firearms, including pistols. Wonder if there is a chance of New York falling into the ocean like California? Wouldn't make me unhappy if the idiots in both states took a swim. (Edited by tightloop at 9:14 am on Oct. 9, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 A year or so ago I was fed up with Oregon and thought of returning to Kalifornia--if for nothing else, a little less rain. But then I did research on the gun laws there.... Holy moley, I may never go back to Kalifornia for anything after what I found out! Jeez! Most of the people I know (or have known) who are touchy about guns simply don't know anything about them!. Period. Sheer ignorance! (and yes, the media certainly hasn't helped!!) One friend of mine (adult male) still thinks Glocks are made entirely of plastic and can sneak thru airport security. I set him straight. The fear campaign out there is ridiculous AND insidious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Author Share Posted October 9, 2002 Sig Lady Don't get me started on a Hate Rant about California. The media spends waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay toooooooooooooo much time telling the public about everytime an actor scratches their a**. Haven't people gotten tired of all that crap. The Hollywood crowd isn't worthy of being in the public eye at all, much less being put forth as a role model, hell they don't even have a real job. The reason they are all against guns, is that they have all either been in jail or have a felony conviction for drugs and can't have a firearm. And all these idiots in the urban areas of the country can't wait to hear what they have to say about any and all topics; it makes me want to heave. I have tried to go along and get along, but it is the liberals who won't let us do that. Liberal elitism; they are going to show us how to live the good life, even if they have to lie to us to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Do what I did: Stop watching TV and cancel your subscription to the newspaper. I decided that a life of ignorance was better than a life of drivel and annoyance. I've never been happier. ...and more than a few people I know are doing exactly the same thing. Television anymore really only exists to serve the ignorant troglodyte. I think people are starting to see that and just turning the damn thing off. E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 I'd ask the anchor-woman if she knows what the kinetic energy of her mini van is as she travels 25mph through a school zone. My crude math comes up with 553,000 ft.lbs. of energy. A 55gr .223 has 370ft.lbs. How does she feel driving to work every day in a "killing machine" which could exert 1,500 times more deadlyness on an innocent child crossing the road than a .223 bullet. Maybe we should ban her minivan? After all, they kill more school kids every year than mentally ill snipers lurking in the bushes. They probably go to a commercial break,...no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 T-Loop & EricW-- There are times when I do a personal news blackout (stop watching news for about one week) and the reduction in stress levels is a-MAY-zing. I haven't done it in awhile--I'm overdue for one. Our local newspaper (even though nicely formatted) is a joke... outdated old AP wire stories that I heard two weeks earlier on NPR and read a full month ago in the Wall Street Journal. (The letters to the editor are really cool, though, and that's why many of us keep reading it. It's obviously the only real thing in the paper! ) With all the myriad overwhelming problems and issues in our local communities, our country and in our minds, GUNS are the least of our worries. PS--While we're on the subject of 'corporate' nonsense: Working for a corporate broadcasting outlet is a living hell. Broadcast outlets should be managed (and owned) strictly locally. Whatthehell does some corporate speed freak somewhere east of the Mississippi (in this case) know about OUR community needs and issues...??!! Usually nothing. After 16 yrs in media I blew it off. Nothing was local any more and the clones that now work in radio stations (for the most part) have it all wrong. That's my rant. (Line seen in cartoon of disc jockey speaking) "It's 3 o'clock at Echo-95, where we take your 12 favrite songs and make you sick of them as soon as possible..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Holy powder burns, Batman...! I just posted myself into another level..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Author Share Posted October 9, 2002 Listening to the drivel that spews forth from the mouths of the Brooks Brothers clones at the major networks is enough to make you turn off your set. I never thought of imposing a news blackout on myself, but that couldn't be all bad, it is all bad news from the networks anyway; so why not. Sometimes I think I was born 100 yrs too late, while times were tough then, so were the people. Instead of whining about something, they just shot it out in the street, usually, at least one of them went away having made his point with finality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Media bias fascinates me, especially the more subtle stuff. I love it when they go through the motions of superficially appearing to be an unbiased, disinterested third party yet betray their true feelings with their choice of words and their preconceptions. Most news stories leave me with more questions than answers. Seemingly obvious questions, such as, Why is the federal Department of the Treasury involved in a Maryland state crime investigation? Remember, it's just something to fill in space between commercial advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Author Share Posted October 9, 2002 Thread Drift Mode ON People get their panties in a knot about the Enron excutive lying to the SEC, but seemingly don't give a hoot about Clinton lying about porking his intern. It should be simple; say what you mean, mean what you say. If you get caught lying, they throw your a** out of office or loose your job. Should be the same way with the media, if you are biased, just say so, then report the story, just don't pretend to be something you aren't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Aside from the obvious subtle bias, the one thing that really sickens me about the media, is the fact that they *know* that hyping serial murder is a sure-fire way to beget more of it. If some sicko wants to become a "somebody" by having his crimes spewed across the airwaves, the media is more than happy to oblige. After all, it's good for ratings... E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 The freedom of speech is by far our most tenuous freedom. We must protect this as vigorously as we do any, especially the second. That said we certainly have the power to 'tune out' any nonrelevant sources we feel the need. The broad power of the public media is too engulfing to stick our heads in the sand. We must and we have the DUTY as freedom loving conservatives to grasp this opportunity and realize the responsiblity to spout off at any given opportunity. All we have to do is listen to the speeches by our President. He is knocking the lib's dead lately. The left are running and trying to regroup, this is our time to monitor the behaviour and plan our next attack!!! Tested and True, Forever GOP!!! (Edited by 3quartertime at 12:46 pm on Oct. 9, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Author Share Posted October 9, 2002 I am not suggesting that I am trying to stifel the 1st amendment for anyone. I would just like to see them offer both sides of the arguement just one freaking time. They think the elitist liberial viewpoint is the only one, and they won't put an opposing view on the air to save their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 The best way to go after any of these groups, be it the media, radical enviromentalists/terrorists, whatever is to cut their financing. Stop buying ridiculously overpriced consumer goods that are advertised on TV. Cancel your cable subscription. Do whatever it takes... Stop subsidizing the wrong behavior, and you can then expect the behavior to change. They have the right to say whatever they want, but without the dinero, they'll have a tough time blaring it across America. E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Once again, well said Eric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 9, 2002 Author Share Posted October 9, 2002 I tried that, and it doesn't work. here in Houston, we are building or have built 3 new pro sports facilities. Guess who is paying for them, right the taxpayers. I voted NO everytime it came to vote but the voter apathy was overwhelming and the pro sports fanatics passed them. I have no cable TV, don't buy Levi's jeans anymore, don't use AOL, on and on. I am convinced that the inmates are running the asylum and that there are more crazy folks than sane ones. Any other suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 I actually enjoy reading many of the stories run in the media. More because the blatant stupidity and penchant for pointing out the obvious. Example, in dealing with the shootings in Maryland, they stated that "officials were instucting civilians on bullet dodging techniques"... I wonder who they hired to do that? The stunt director from The Matrix?...Or the chick from Dark Angel? Or the obvious "Officials are keeping an eye on minivans and wooded lots, the snipers prefered haunts...they aren't expecting much since the country is covered with minivans and wooded lots." And these guys go to college for how long before getting to write for a major media group? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 9, 2002 Share Posted October 9, 2002 Short answer: Reporters essentially don't go to college. Long answer: I knew a bunch of folks studying journalism in college. They were collectively the biggest bunch of boneheads I've ever met aside from the dingbats who were getting "education" degrees. The University literally had to create new dumbed-down science and math courses just so these people could graduate. Most of them literally could not achieve a passing grade in any serious course. This was at a Jesuit institution (the reference point for high academic standards), so you know the journalists coming out of the state schools are just completely brain-dead. Yes, reporters ARE that stupid. It's not an act they put on. E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Back a coupla-three-or-four decades ago reporters (and media folks in general) used to be genuinely investigative and knowledgeable about what they put out over the airwaves... That has long since become an outdated (and even despised) practice. What are left are hollow, plastic un-reasonable facsimiles of the real thing that used to be, well, the real thing. What passes for "News" these days is hardly that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 EricW: One of my best friends is perhaps the most well rounded citizen you could ever meet. He has an abundance of common sense, he is intelligent and decisive, his politics make sense, and he is just plain one hell of a nice guy. He graduated with a degree in journalism then picked up a second degree in education. He currently teaches language arts and journalism in our local high school. So much for your theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Quote: from Ron Ankeny on 7:08 pm on Oct. 9, 2002 EricW: One of my best friends is perhaps the most well rounded citizen you could ever meet. He has an abundance of common sense, he is intelligent and decisive, his politics make sense, and he is just plain one hell of a nice guy. He graduated with a degree in journalism then picked up a second degree in education. He currently teaches language arts and journalism in our local high school. So much for your theory. Ahhh but he doesn't write for a paper, there must be a lobotomy requirement when you get hired to a major paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Ron, Sorry to offend. Obviously your friend slipped past the screening process. Twice. Clearly, he must be a spy. I'll alert the Ministry of Domestic Propaganda and have his credentials revoked here shortly. I'm sure your friend is a great guy. But, as a general rule, I will stand by the fact that modern journalism programs in no way promote good academics or good journalism. I know for a fact that our program explicity taught that good journalism was inherently biased. I'll leave it to your imagination to guess which bias was deemed correct. E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkmccoy Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 Gotta respond to some of this... Part of the price we pay for freedom from government control of the news media is capitalistic control of the news media. Because news is business stories are published based on whether or not they will sell, not whether or not they are accurate or useful. Many "trends" are actually just media hype of a topic that seems to have caught the attention of the public (and thus sells advertising). Remember all of the stories about school shootings a couple of years ago? Statistically violence in public schools was at an all-time low. Last summer's reports of all the shark attacks. The number of attacks was well within the year-to-year variation over the past twenty years. This year's stories about abduction of children - the overall rate is no different from last year. The real culprit here is an uneducated, gullible populace who views these stories with an uncritical eye. I teach at a small (7000 students) regional university that has a well respected journalism dept. I know many of the faculty in that dept. I will definitely admit that journalism does not seem to be as intellectually rigorous as some majors, e.g. biology (my field), chemistry, physics, but is far more rigorous than some others, e.g. psychology. I can also assure you that bias (at least regarding firearms rights) is not taught in these courses. In fact, the head of the department is a shooter and I run into him on the range regularly. In any field there are some people who are more (or less) intelligent than others. I have, in fact, (dare I even say it) met people at our local gun club that were "not the sharpest tools in the shed". (There are very few in USPSA/IPSC shooting. That seems to require a certain level of mental agility.) I'm sure that there are reporters whose mental agility is far below that of the average USPSA/IPSC shooter, but I have met some who are very bright. In fact, one of our regular shooters is a reporter (her husband also shoots with us but he's not in the news business). Our gun club has taken a highly pro-active approach to the anti-gun bias in the media. Although the approach is far easier to effect in a small (100,000) city in West Texas (where there is strong support for all individual rights and strong support for gun ownership), some parts of the process might be applicable elsewhere. For the past 8 years we have hosted a large charity benefit match (USPSA pistol) for a very popular local charity. We receive great support for the match from local businesses. We also publicize the match heavily on the local media. A representative of the club always makes an appearance on a local TV talk show. And, perhaps most important, the past two years we have hosted a "media match". We invite all local media personnel to participate in the match. They shoot 2-3 stages of the match (Glock has sponsored us by providing firearms) and we award medals for participation and recognize the winners. We had almost 20 participants this year. They always have a great time. For many of them it is the first time they have fired a firearm. We are a small media market and many of these people move on to larger cities. Maybe they will take some good thoughts about practical shooting with them. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted October 10, 2002 Share Posted October 10, 2002 I heard on the Glen Beck show that middle eastern men were spotted practicing rifle shooting ina gravel pit in the area where the shootings are happening. Possibly hearsay, but interesting... SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted October 10, 2002 Author Share Posted October 10, 2002 The saying in the news industry is "if it bleeds, it leads". What happened to common decency and good sense. I truly get tired of seeing the stock market plunge, threat of war, global warming, hurricanes, all in the same day every day, not to mention abductions, high profile murders and business scams in the Fortune 100. Maybe there is some merit to the statement, Ignorance is bliss. But if that is factual, the news anchors are mores blissful than all of us. Nah, couldn't be true. Just tune in NBC tomorrow morning and see what else that super biased woman has to say about firearms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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