Posted on 02/01/2008 8:24:34 AM PST by pabianice
On Thursday, January 31, 2008 Channel 5 of Boston aired a story Weapons Easy to Get; Traffickers Go Unpunished reported by News Center 5's Sean Kelly. The entire premise of the report was how easy it is for criminals to obtain guns in Massachusetts because the neighboring states don't require a background check. The entire story was completely a one sided display of journalistic political action. Not once in the story did the reporter cite the federal laws that require background checks for out of state purchases. Nor did Sean Kelly interview anyone from our side.
The reporter's bias was clearly represented in his final lines in the story: "Changing gun laws will be difficult, however, because the gun lobby spends millions of dollars convincing lawmakers that we don't need more gun laws, but better enforcement of the ones we already have." Of course Mr. Kelly fails to mention the millions that are spent annually by a wealthy minority in attempts to trample the civil rights of innocent citizens.
The reporter allowed completely false statements to go unchallenged. For example:
John Rosenthal is the founder of the anti-gun group Stop Handgun Violence. "I'd say being a gun dealer and a gun trafficker is great business when the federal government has virtually no effective gun laws to prevent it. We are surrounded by Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont where you don't even need an id or a background check to buy a gun," said Rosenthal.
"When reporters allow lies like these to go unchallenged, it provides us with yet another clear example of how the corrupt mass media can only be in the pockets of the wealthy anti-civil rights minority," said Jim Wallace Executive Director of Gun Owners' Action League. "If this reporter had a smidgen of journalistic integrity he would have researched the laws and at least interviewed one person who could have told him the truth about the existing federal and state gun laws. It is stories like this that only hamper the process of creating good laws that go after bad people rather the bad laws that go after good people."
GOAL is urging all of our members to contact WCVB-TV General Manager Bill Fine and express their outrage concerning this poorly researched one sided story.
WCVB-TV 5 TV Place Needham, Massachusetts 02494
1-781-449-0400
email: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/station/index.html
For more facts on handguns sales and federal law, see GOAL's report "Stop the Lies, Stop the Crime" at http://www.goal.org/news/STOPtheLies.htm
Apparently, the "reporter" has never been in The Peoples Republic of Connecticut.
The MSM are on record as being anti-liberty (as in anti-Second Amendment). The MSM are hard-left nanny-staters whose articles amount to political pornography.
What’s it like going through the hoops in CT? I live in Stamford.
“The right of self-defense is the first law of nature; in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest possible limits. . . . and [when] the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.”
- Sir George Tucker, 1803
***”I’d say being a gun dealer and a gun trafficker is great business when the federal government has virtually no effective gun laws to prevent it.***
“Today, we make America safe by taking the guns out of the hands of criminals.”-—Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1968 gun control act into law, 1968.
In other news...
EL CID is out on DVD! EL CID is out on DVD!
I live in NH and I am a dealer. Every person who purchases a gun from a NH dealer must show an I'd, record the type I'd, the appropriate number on it, and expiration date. Most show a DL or a state issued non-DL which has the same info. We cannot sell handguns to non residents, but we can transfer between instate and out of state dealers with a signed copy of their FFL. In NH private sales between residents is allowed, without a background check. If person buys a gun from me for resale as a private sale, they are a straw purchaser and subject to prosecution.
Screw Massachusetts, they let criminals out to terrorize the rest of the country. Boston and other cities, have gun buybacks, several years ago E. Providence, RI was taken to court by the local gun owners and and were ordered to stop the buyback program. HELLO NRA, which I consider illegal, because they are not licensed dealers and are trafficking in firearms. Plus they do this with "no questions asked", which tells me they care less about stopping the illegal possession of guns. And where do the guns end up after the buyback? Who "runs the S/N" or finds the S/N ground off and proceeds to send it to the FBI as a possible murder weapon?
The gun grabbers are whipping their masses into a frenzy ahead of the SCOTUS hearing, later this year, on 2nd Amendment rights in DC, which will hopefully put alot of this stupidity to rest.
Lock and Load.
bump
RESPONSE FROM WCVB-TV CHANNEL 5
We appreciate your interest and opinion on the Team 5 Investigates report on illegal gun trafficking, and would like to take this opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Some viewers took issue with a sound bite in the report, suggesting that surrounding states don’t require an ID or background check to buy a gun.
If you watch the investigation, we show you how a federally licensed dealer and a private seller at a gun show in Vermont said they were still willing to illegally sell us a firearm “for the right price.” It’s essential to view that comment in the context of our report, which so clearly showed flagrant violations of the law.
We are all aware of the many gun laws. The point of our investigation was to show how willingly some gun sellers will break them.
Other viewers have asked why we didn’t speak to officials with the National Rifle Association. In fact, we did. We made multiple attempts to arrange an interview with the NRA, but they declined. They sent Team 5 Investigates a two-sentence response that we included in the investigation, when we reported that others insist we don’t need more gun laws but better enforcement of the ones we already have.
More than a few of us here at Channel 5 have grown up using firearms in a safe, responsible, and legal manner. Between our personal experience as gun owners and users, as well as our chosen profession as journalists, we, perhaps more than others, feel passionately about protecting our constitutional rights. However, it’s hard not to be appalled by the fact that it was so simple for us to capture on tape blatant disregard for our nation’s gun laws, which negatively affects public safety.
In the months spent researching this report, the reporter and producer had countless conversations with gun advocates, police, prosecutors and criminals.
All agreed that the illegal traffickingof guns is a critical problem that they have to deal with every day.
We value feedback from our loyal viewers and willl keep your contact information if we do additional stories on this issue in the future.
Respectfully,
WCVB-TV
Team 5 Investigates
Scrappleface...right?
Puhleeze. If your reporter(s) witnessed violations of current federal, state, or local firearms laws have the proper authorities been informed?
While I don’t agree with them, I’m supportive of enforcing current laws, even while working to change them. That’s part of the price of protecting this grand experiment.
At the same time, there is an often overlooked responsibility of the media (in my view) to present balanced reportage that fairly presents salient points of view and observations on situations or conditions under review; especially on such emotionally charged issues as this, among others.
I will also let the NRA (I’m a member) know of my disappointment in their poor response to your inquiry.
They are. But why?
Perhaps the fix is in, and they know it. Their mAsses aren't going to affect the Supreme Court's decision. Perhaps they have reason to believe that the Supreme Court is NOT going to rule that the second amendment protects an individual right, independent of militia membership or service. Then their mAsses can urge Congress and state legislatures to pass more draconian gun control and gun ban laws.
Lock and Load.
Indeed.
And stock up on ugly black guns, sniper rifles, armor piercing (ordinary rifle ) ammunition, high capacity (full capacity) magazines, and other accouterments, such as optics , laser devices, etc.
“And stock up on ugly black guns, sniper rifles, armor piercing (ordinary rifle ) ammunition, high capacity (full capacity) magazines, and other accouterments, such as optics , laser devices, etc.”
Shopping list complete, and I’m off to the store...
Really ought to buy that Barrett .50cal soon. Just in case the sheeple elect another gun grabber.
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