New York Times Fail....

[Jackson1999]

Don't get me wrong. I love the New York Times. I really believe that their investigative reporting has made this country a better place. But the way they try to shoehorn in their anti-gun pants wetting attitude into their reporting is ridiculous.

In an article about the Pentagon shooting last night, the NYT felt it was necessary to insert the following paragraph in the story.

Virginia, which has some of the most lax gun laws in the nation and has been pushing to expand gun rights, has been criticized lately by gun control advocates. The state’s General Assembly approved a bill last month allowing people to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, and the House of Delegates voted to end a 17-year-old measure barring people from buying more than one handgun a month.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/us/05pentagon.html?scp=2&sq=pentagon&st=cse

If you read the whole article, it totally reads like some editor said "Put something in there about Virginia's lax gun laws."

Please tell me what me what the state legislature's recent actions on allowing permitted holder to carry in restaurants has to do with the shooting?

Tasteless and bad reporting.

[shadowrider]

1. What isn't stated

is that although they will be able to carry in restaurants and bars, it will be ILLEGAL for them to consume alcoholic beverages while carrying. At least that's my understanding and it's the law in many, many states.

[Spoonman]

8. The truth was not stated!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100305/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_pentagon_metro_shooting

"He came here from California," Keevill said. "We were able to identify certain locations that he spent that last several weeks making his way from the West coast to the East coast."


Pretty safe bet he bought the guns in California - A state that has the strictest gun laws in the US.

[TheWraith]

10. You are correct.

It's illegal in almost every state to drink while carrying. Only one I'm aware of where it's not is Oregon, I think. Usually the dividing line is the same as for driving a car, but I believe in some states you're not allowed to have even one drink while carrying a firearm.

[paulsby]

12. it's not illegal in WA state

i'm not sure about it being illegal in as many states as you claim

but it is undoubtedly legal in WA state

[TheWraith]

13. It might have been WA and not OR, now that I think about it.

We've had this discussion before, which is why I know that. But every other state I've ever looked up, drinking and carrying is illegal. NY, CA, CO, VT, MO, lots of others.

[paulsby]

14. sounds reasonable to me

i don't recall a law against it in HI, but it's kind of irrelevant. even if it was legal, almost NOBODY gets a permit there. super rare

[aikoaiko]

15. In GA its illegal to drink at a restaurant while carrying, but otherwise its not clear

O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127
(f) A person licensed or permitted to carry a firearm by this part shall not consume alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or other eating establishment while carrying a firearm. Any person violating this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

[old mark]

2. Several years ago, there was a NYT reporter posting on shooting forums

looking for a gun club with a range that recreated the JFK assasination, as if ALL pro-gun people thought that was a good thing asd was to be emulated. He was very surprised that he had offended people by his assumptions. Many antis think of us gun nuts as Elmer Fudd types with limited intellect and barely controlled desires to rob and murder our betters, who of course, are anti gun. I used to be somewhat amused by this, but over the years I began to get angry at their ignorant and arrogant outlook and sometimes give it right back to those snotnosed small minded pricks.

Gosh, I did it again....

mark

[Jackson1999]

4. It is inexcusable.

I can cut them some slack during the Assault Weapons Ban reporting, when the Brady Bunch did a good job convincing politicians, media, and the general public (including me) that it was about banning machine guns.

But how long have they been reporting on the topic? 15 years? Every time I hear Matthews or Katie, or any reporter equate semi-autos with military weapons I shake my head.

One of the reasons I morphed from being a pro gun control guy to a pro gun rights guy is because I discovered after doing my own research how bad the reporting is on the topic.

[old mark]

6. Welcome - it's beyond bad, it's repeated lies, and they know it as well as we do.

The anti's love to yell about the greedy "gun lobby", but the anti's are in it for the money and power, and make no mistake about that. The might have to get REAL JOBS otherwise.....


mark

[spin]

11. Accurate reporting on gun issues is a test I use ...

to see if I trust any reporting from a media source.

If they can't accurately report facts on a simple issue like firearms, than how can I trust them to report facts on far more complicated issues such as heathcare.

[SteveM]

3. Yep, Seen that crap a number of times. Only 2 explanations:

(1) rigid adherence to MSM's anti-gun doctrines;
(2) sport, to pick at and bug those who support 2A

[shadowrider]

5. One must never let facts

get in the way of a good "it's gonna be the wild west" rant.

[Jackson1999]

7. What is the term..

That was used to criticize some of the McCain coverage during the last election--where the media gives equal weight to both arguments, no matter how silly? The Brady Campaign knows this and capitalizes on this.

SPOKESPERSON #1: The sky is blue

SPOKESPERSON #2: No. It is pink.

SPOKESPERONS #1: Geezum Crow! Walk outside and look up. It is blue!

SPOKSPERSON #2: No. It is pink.


NEW YORK TIMES HEADLINE: Experts Disagree on the Color of the Sky

[Lasher]

21. The Fallacy of False Equivalence

You furnished a good example.

[benEzra]

9. Ummm, the Brady Campaign rates Virginia as 15th STRICTEST in the nation.

Virginia, which has some of the most lax gun laws in the nation and has been pushing to expand gun rights, has been criticized lately by gun control advocates.

Ummm, the Brady Campaign rates Virginia as 15th STRICTEST in the nation (or tied for 14th right behind my own state of NC, if you look at the points).

http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/bcam/stategunlaws/scorecard/StateRatings.pdf

And I'm supposed to believe that the NYT reporter actually researched this, instead of reformatting a gun-control-lobby press release? Uh-huh.

[Jackson1999]

16. Update: Parents in Cali. warned he may have a gun

AP is reporting that the guy's parents notified the local Sheriff in California when he went missing and that he may have a gun. Whether illegally obtained or not, my bet is it came from California. Sorry to burst your bubble New York Times.

[benEzra]

17. If that turns out to be the case, I doubt that the correction will be featured as prominently

as the false claim was...

[oneshooter]

18. I truly doubt that there WILL be a "correction" n/t

[spin]

19. The problem with the 24/7 news cycle is that initially ...

a lot of bullshit gets spread around.

[benEzra]

20. Yep, purchased in California.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/03/05/pentagon.shooting/index.html?hpt=T1