Though many of my friends and fans think of me as The Gun Guy (because of all my gun-law books), I'm really a writer, have been for more than 20 years. News accuracy has been on my plate the whole time.
My fertile brain is now developing a journalism concept that's never been tried. It is a single page in major newspapers ("Page Nine" regardless of the page it runs on), that covers the day's stories as they ought to read, not the way left-wing news rooms color things. Like FOX on steroids, but right down the middle, for the print world. It would be the most read page in the paper, a refreshing breath of clean air.
Here's a casual sample (without the hard sweat Page Nine would really need). It might make you say, "They'll NEVER run that!" but the page will be built around ad revenues from right thinking mainstream businesses. A list of papers that have already adopted the concept will be posted shortly.
The lamestream media told you: Loved by millions but hated in some circles, television evangelist Pat Robertson has claimed that certain natural disasters are actually God wreaking vengeance on public figures who support amoral causes. According to experts, such news tends to diminish Robertson's reputation. Robertson now claims he has leg-pressed 2,000 pounds on a weight-training machine.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
A photo accompanying then 73-year-old Robertson's claim shows weights set at an incline. According to a Greek expert who goes by the one name "Archimedes," such an incline reduces the actual weight being lifted by providing mechanical advantage, a ratio of load to effort. (Experts agree that a true one-ton leg press would require a miracle.)
Using special journalism investigative tools known as a protractor and a calculator, a one-ton weight at that angle might exert as little as 35% of its weight in force, raising doubts about the claim.
However, a quick check of a weight-training facility failed to turn up any equipment built to handle 2,000 pounds in the first place. Other claims that the world is flat, and that the moon is made of green cheese, received no coverage recently for reasons that, despite the attention given to Robertson, remain unexplained.
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The lamestream media told you: Nothing.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
New statistics show that firearm and ammunition sales are on the rise, coinciding with steady downward trends in gun crime, suicide and accident rates, in the U.S.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry, has released U.S. Dept. of the Treasury figures indicating that 2005 retail sales of firearms and ammunition rose 2.6 percent for a total volume of $2.1 billion.
For the year, approximately 4.7 million new guns were sold, bringing the estimated number of citizen-owned firearms in the U.S. to more than 290 million. The number of American households with at least one firearm is now estimated at nearly 110 million.
Of the various firearm types, the sharpest gains were seen in retail sales of pistols and revolvers. Handgun sales rose 3 percent while long-gun sales rose 1.8 percent. Ammunition sales rose 3.5 percent.
Accidental firearm fatalities tied the previous year’s all-time low of 700, down 19.2% since 1998. Accidental firearm fatalities, age 14 and under, reported by the National Safety Council are down to an all-time low of 60, down 50.4% since 1998.
Right-to-Carry laws passed in two more states, bringing the total to 40 states; 9 have been added since 1998.
Combined 2005 sales of firearms and ammunition generated $224.3 million in excise taxes earmarked for wildlife and habitat conservation projects, through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act. Since inception, the act has raised more than $5 billion for conservation, a fact generally concealed by the "news" media.
"Reductions in gun crimes and accidental fatalities have been documented for many years, even as gun sales and ownership in our country continue to rise," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF. "However, today's anti-gun organizations rake in lots of cash by perpetuating the myth that more guns equals more bad news. Clearly, there is no relationship between gun ownership and firearm misuse."
The news media continues to overlook these important developments, though they have introduced ingenious new slogans about their fairness, accuracy, and unbiased coverage of the world.
Information about NSSF and its many programs are available at http://www.nssf.org.
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The lamestream media told you: In an ongoing international struggle, Iran has again rejected a package of incentives designed to stop its uranium enrichment program. In a surprising development. Iraq has assured Iran on Friday (5/26) that it supports Iran's right to develop nuclear energy. U.S. officials are discussing whether to hold talks with the Iranian Muslim fundamentalist leadership that seeks to annihilate Israel.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
John Bolton, frequently portrayed as a radical right-wing ideologue, has now settled into his role as U.S. Ambassador to the highly corrupt United Nations in New York City.
In a moment of refreshing candor, speaking to the public at length on FOX TV, the Ambassador displayed a commanding knowledge of international subjects, and a cool and reasonable demeanor. According to Ambassador Bolton, speaking about Iran's nuclear program, "There's no way they could've undertaken the breadth and scope of their current operations unless they had a weapons program in mind."
The Ambassador noted that reasonable people could disagree on how close Iran is to a bomb, but there is no question that a bomb is the goal of their nuclear "program." Saying that while we're whistling they're building, he noted that Iran has publicly admitted deceiving Europeans about their plans, using the time to develop their nuclear capabilities. The remarks were unreported by other "news" media outlets.
When asked by anchor Neil Cavuto what the U.S. policy is toward them (nuclear-armed promoters of the jihad, in Iran), Bolton said President Bush's policy is that, "Iran having nukes is unacceptable." When probed further on what that means, Bolton said, "Iran having nukes is unacceptable."
Cavuto went on to inquire what might be done, and Bolton pointed out that the President has said, "No options are off the table." Even unilateral military action?, Cavuto asked. "No options are off the table," Bolton replied. Lamestream media outlets have reported at length about dignitaries and others holding dialogues with the Muslim fundamentalists ruling the country.
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The lamestream media told you: Republicans and Democrats jointly expressed outrage that law enforcement officials served a court-issued search warrant on Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.), who was caught on video tape apparently accepting a $100,000 cash bribe, and who was nine months late in responding to a court ordered subpoena.
Agents took an extensive set of equipment, records and materials from Jefferson's office, including, according to reports, $90,000 in cold cash found in the Congressman's freezer.
Politicians from both parties strenuously objected to the search as a violation of the separation of powers doctrine of the U.S. Constitution.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Congress erupted in protest on finding, as many Americans unfortunately know, that a modern-day search warrant provides near carte blanche for government agents to seize whatever they come across, despite a clear constitutional requirement that any warrant must specifically describe "things to be seized" (Fourth Amendment).
Most people are shocked to find their homes ransacked after a warrant, though it is business as usual for authorities. Extensive confiscations are managed mainly at the discretion of the agents conducting the raid, and horror stories abound. Complaints about such practices are common, but disciplinary action against abusive agents are practically unknown.
According to California and New Jersey legal experts, search warrants issued in those states will lead to confiscation of any firearm, or any firearm collection regardless of size and value, whether or not guns are mentioned in the warrant or have any bearing on the cause for the search.
Return of such seized firearms, according to the experts, is often virtually impossible, even if charges are dropped. Receipts are rarely issued, and police frequently keep the arms themselves, or destroy them, according to sources who wish to remain anonymous.
Although a separation-of-powers concept is built into the U.S. government's three distinct branches, it is not mentioned in the Constitution, and has never been understood to allow any branch of government functionaries to be immune from the law, as the outraged legislators seemed to demand.
Considering the high degree of corruption, fraud, bribery, malfeasance, sexual misconduct, spousal abuse and other serious charges leveled at and proven against members of Congress over the past several decades, it is practically a miracle that more search warrants aren't issued on a routine basis, experts say.
Nancy Pelosi (D) and Dennis Hastert (R), leaders of the two parties in the House, complained that they were not notified in advance of the raid. The public is not notified in advance of raids either, but don't get "news" coverage on that point.
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The lamestream media told you: Violence is crippling East Timor, a small island formerly ruled with an iron fist by Indonesia, until the inhabitants there voted for independence. Anthony Deutsch of the Associated Press describes the fighting and unrest in 23-column inches carried by papers nationwide on May 26.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Deutsch's report fails to use the word Muslim for reasons that are unclear, news observers noted. Indonesia promoted Muslim migration into the largely Roman Catholic nation, to dilute the strength of the independence-minded Timorese natives, and fighting is occurring largely against Muslims who are seen as outsiders. News reports merely noted fighting is occurring between people on the east and west ends of the island. The International Herald Tribune detailed the ticking time bomb of calculated religious unrest in a report six years ago.
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The lamestream media told you: "Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking to the first Naval Academy graduates to enter after the Sept. 11 attacks, laid out a grim picture Friday (5/26) of enemies 'still desperately trying to hit us again,' as he defended President Bush's anti-terrorism policies," according to a Baltimore Sun report written by Julie Hirschfield Davis.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking to the first Naval Academy graduates to enter after the fundamentalist Muslim jihad against the U.S. on Sept. 11, laid out a grim picture Friday of jihadis 'still desperately trying to hit us again,' as he defended President Bush's policies to battle the global jihad against the Western way of life.
"Journalists are increasingly unwilling to report on the jihad being waged against us by Muslim Islamists, preferring to dull America's senses with bland talk of vague 'terrorism' and 'terrorist threats' instead," said a leading political commentator, speaking on condition of anonymity. He suggested they are fearful of "offending" the radical Muslims, or being fired by their bosses. Whether this constituted ethical reporting was unclear at press time.
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The lamestream media told you: Mexico is instituting a dress code to help deter bank robbers, who wear sunglasses and hats to help disguise their identities when robbing banks, because that's where the money is.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Taking a lead from its southern neighbor, U.S. banks are considering dress codes to deter bank robberies. According to a spokesperson for Arizona Central Credit Union, " in a lot of the (surveillance) pictures, you can't tell who it is or what somebody looks like," and so they have posted signs asking customers to disrobe (of hats and glasses). Local city police spokesman Jeff Lane says they hope the experiment becomes policy, but admits that a dress code probably won't stop determined bank robbers. I am not making this up. Washington Mutual tellers have been told to politely tell their customers to remove anything that might hide their identity, a move that is apparently spreading nationwide.
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The lamestream media told you: John McCain, speaking at an event in Irvine, CA, said that 75% of Americans want amnesty for migrants who have entered the U.S. without formalities.
A group calling itself "Hispanic 100" organized the event at the Hyatt Regency hotel, and was attended by about 350 people, mostly Hispanic.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Although Hispanic 100 is not identified as a racist or race-based group, experts are unsure of how the White 100 organization might be characterized by the "news" media. There is no White 100 group, so why raise the question, experts say.
Surveys and polls used for political purpose are known to be partisan, biased and highly inaccurate, but "news" media outlets generally use them, as long as they are provided with press releases.
Every poll ever done by the NRA shows the vast majority of Americans support gun ownership and broad uninfringed gun rights for the public. Every poll ever done by the Brady anti-rights group shows Americans hate guns, fear guns, and want them all to go away. Obviously, both outfits can't be right, and suspicions are further raised since each group's results coincidentally support their cause. Brady polls get as much as ten times more coverage in the lamestream media than NRA polls.
Brady polls typically show that Americans want government to take away all the guns. This is the same government many Brady supporters believe are fascists, a surprising proposal if you stop to think about it.
Polls that show 80% of Americans are against amnesty were not included in the story.
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The lamestream media told you: The widely criticized "temporary" telephone excise tax, implemented more than 108 years ago to help fund the Spanish-American War (unrelated to the ongoing Mexican invasion of the United States), was discontinued by the IRS.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
A closer look shows that only the tax on long-distance calls has been ended, and the Spanish American War is indeed over. When U.S. telephones were run by a government monopoly, long-distance calls were so expensive that people kept them brief.
With phone service now run by competing private companies, and especially with the advent of cell-phone service, long-distance calls are inexpensive. For many customers, there is no separate charge for long-distance service at all, meaning the tax reduction will have no effect on you, and little effect on the government's revenue stream.
In ending the tax, a Treasury Dept. spokesman called upon Congress to end the excise tax on local phone calls as well. Why the spokesman would ask Congress to do that is unclear, since the Treasury department cannot enact or repeal any tax by itself anyway. Only Congress has that power, according to the olden document that until recently controlled such matters, called The Constitution.
It turns out that, despite the "aren't-we-mister-nice-guy" press release put out by IRS and run whole hog by the "news" media, the IRS lost seven cases in a row trying to collect this tax, collected the tax all that time, and now is being forced to refund the money, and that's why the tax ended. The enabling law only allowed collections if the rate was tied to time and distance, which hasn't been the case for years.
Even the lamestream media should have picked up that the executive branch doesn't enact or repeal taxes, and spotted the deception in the IRS announcement.
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The lamestream media told you: Philadelphia Police Officer Gary Skerski was tragically murdered with a gun.
The mayor, police chief and FOP attacked firearms as the problem, and immediately began a campaign calling for tighter gun controls.
Five vehicles matching the suspect's description were pulled over, and four of them had firearms. Pictures of 1,500 firearms confiscated by the police in the prior four months were repeatedly displayed in reports.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Philadelphia Police Officer Gary Skerski was tragically murdered by a fugitive.
U.S. Marshals recently announced that, with the recent arrest of more than 9,000 fugitives across America, only ONE MILLION fugitives are on the loose.
Of the 1,000 or more people who had apparent unlawful possession of the 1,500 displayed firearms, "news" reports did not indicate how many, if any, were prosecuted, simply released, plea bargained out, set free on bail, released on their own recognizance, released pending trial, or who became fugitives roaming freely at will, like the fugitive that murdered Officer Skerski.
Philadelphia officials could not be reached to comment on if they thought they were scapegoating firearms for their own failed law enforcement policies. The number of fugitives loose in the metro area was not immediately known.
The officials responsible for releasing criminals on a daily basis, including officials in California who had also released this suspected murderer, have not been charged.
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Corrections and Clarifications
1. The NRA convention coverage omitted a pertinent point, brought up by a reader. "Despite the gathering of tens of thousands of gun owners in an exhibit hall bristling with firearms there were no murders, shootings, injuries, disorderly disturbances, fights, riots, family violence, arrests, blood in the streets, or drunken or unseemly behavior." I regret my shortsightedness in omitting this important fact.
2. The correct spellings are: "pen register" and "kafuffles." The use of "pin register" to describe dialing information used by the government in tracking jihad warriors trying to attack the U.S. was my error, and I accept the blame. "Kerfuffle" on the other hand, is the spelling provided by an online source, and so I'm innocent.
3. I only found two this time.
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See the SPJ Code of Ethics here:
https://www.gunlaws.com/NewsAccuracy.htm
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Alan Korwin
The Uninvited Ombudsman
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