Up in Arms [Anti-gun Hit Piece]

amNewYork ^ | 2/24/2004 | Michael Clancy

[jjm2111]

[The article is only provided in pdf format online, but AM-NY is a "free" "newspaper" that is handed out to communters in and around New York City. amNewYork is owned by Newsday which is, I believe covered under the FR settlement, so this is a transcribed excerpt]

With guns that wind up in criminals’ hands, according to a report released today. The Americans for Gun Safety study found that 74% of guns used in crimes were trafficked over state lines from states that don’t require instant background checks for buyers at gun shows. The gun-safety advocates want to close the loophole in the Brady Bill.

“It’s like requiring all airline passangers to be searched except those sitting in the middle seats,” Jim Kessler of Americans for Gun Safety told amNewYork. “You’d just have to hope that a terrorist isn’t sitting in the middle.” [What a delicious piece of propaganda]

The top five states that supply guns used in crimes in New York are a quick ride down I-95, the “Iron Pipeline.” Virginia sold 588 guns used in crimes in New York in 2001, Florida 284, Georgia 365, North Carolina 333 and South Carolina 301, according to federal firearm statistics. All of those states, except North Carolina, do not perform background checks. [Note that while they don’t say that crime guns bought in those states were bought in gun shows, the lead paragraphs lead the casual reader to believe that]

-snip-[Skipping a B.S. Chuck Schumer quote in this paragraph.]

Congress is considering a bill to grant immunity to manufacturers from lawsuits brought on behalf of people injured or killed by gun violence.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, sponsor of a bill to close the gun show loophole, wants to attach it to the immunity law. That bill would make it impossible for the families of the DC sniper victims to sue Bushmaster Rifle, which supplied rifles to a Tacoma, Washington gun shop that was the source of 52 weapons used in crimes. [So if the store wasn’t selling their products properly, how is that Bushmaster’s fault. More biased journalism here]

-snip-[Skipping a dumb quote by an even dumber New York City Councilman]

[jjm2111]

I've gotten pretty insured to media bias, but this "article" was so over the top it was almost a parody of itself. I wrote a letter to the "editor" of this "publication". Here it is:

----------

I’m appalled at your Americans for Gun Safety press release masquerading as a front-page news article. The article was filled with bias and inaccuracies.

1. Under Federal Law ANYONE engaged in the business of selling firearms MUST provide a background check at a gun show. The gun show “loophole” only applies to private sellers (me selling a shotgun to my cousin). A few states also require private sellers to perform background checks anyway.

2. The vast majority of “iron pipeline” guns are acquired through straw purchases, NOT at gun shows. This is because of law in States such as Virginia which allows people who do not reside in the state to purchase weapons. Your table is a bit of propaganda as it only shows the number of trace guns and the number of gun shows, but leads the average reader to believe that all of the trace guns were obtained at gun shows. This is simply not true.

3. Finally, with regards to lawsuit immunity, Congress is only attempting to prevent people from suing gun manufacturers for MISUSE of firearms. People can sue manufacturers for product defects, but how can a manufacturer prevent someone from using a gun in an improper manner? Do you think people should sue car manufactures when someone mows down a pedestrian?

Shame on AM-NY for paraphrasing a press release and calling it journalism. Maybe you guys can paraphrase a National Rifle Association press release next week.

-------------------------

There's also a poll on the website which needs serious FReeping.

[jjm2111]

Bang!

[steve50]

They're considering the renewal of the AWB today as well. Doesn't seem to be getting much press.

[aomagrat]

South Carolina 301

But South Carolina has a one-gun-a-month law. It would take 25 years for someone to get 301 handguns in South Carolina.

[facedown]

Should gun buyers need background checks at gun shows?

81.8%
Yes (18 responses)

18.2%
No (4 responses)

22 total responses

[mbynack]

The Americans for Gun Safety study found that 74% of guns used in crimes were trafficked over state lines from states that don’t require instant background checks for buyers at gun shows.

The source is extremely biased. Also, they don't establish a causal relationship. All they're doing is implying that a relationship exists. I would bet that MOST states don't require NICS checks for private transfer of firearms. Therefore the number of guns that come from those states is going to be higher.

The BATF conducted a study during the Clinton (spit) administration in an attempt to back up this claim and their results concluded that less than 5% of firearms used in crimes were purchased at gun shows. In addition, most of the buyers who purchased these guns were legal and the guns were subsequently stolen or illegal sold before they were used in the crime.

[sickofthehandouts]

This is BS. I went to the Hampton Virginia gunshow last weekend and every gun sold from dealears required background checks.

[jjm2111]

In my letter to the editor, I mentioned the BATF survey and told them I would write an editorial if they wanted to present both sides of the equation.

[jjm2111]

65.7%
Yes (23 responses)

34.3%
No (12 responses)

35 total responses

[looscnnn]

"The top five states that supply guns used in crimes in New York are a quick ride down I-95, the “Iron Pipeline.” Virginia sold 588 guns used in crimes in New York in 2001, Florida 284, Georgia 365, North Carolina 333 and South Carolina 301"

Quick drive my butt. FL, GA, NC, SC are not quick drives. Neither is VA for that matter. A quick drive is couple of hours round trip. VA is more than a couple of hours one way.

[looscnnn]

"Should gun buyers need background checks at gun shows?"

Just love the wording on the question, kinda ambiguos (?).

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A gun dealer must run the background check. Individual sellers shouldn't have to.
The real target is gun ownership and your right to buy and sell your property.

[FreeAtlanta]

Speaking of hit pieces, I watched "Run Away Jury" a couple of nights ago, and I thought I was going to bust a vein. What a stinking pile of propaganda pressed into the mold of a big Hollyweird movie. They should be ashamed, but they have no shame.

[jjm2111]

Should gun buyers need background checks at gun shows?

20.2%
Yes (26 responses)

79.8%
No (103 responses)

129 total responses

[relee]

Another study found that over 74% of the guns used in crimes were trafficked over state lines from states that don't allow homosexual marriage!