By
Rebecca Hagelin
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
Guns in school. Guns and terrorism. Guns in the hands of
children. No doubt we'll be hearing a lot about these topics
throughout the fall and school year as those who seek to destroy
the Second Amendment roll-out their new public-relations
campaigns.
Of course, there won't be anything truly unique to the
substance of their arguments – just new twists to the same old
efforts to deny constitutional rights to freedom-loving
Americans.
As usual, their information will be more akin to
disinformation. The next time a school-related shooting occurs,
all of America will be forced to endure, once again, the endless
mantra about the "evil of guns," and how "guns
kill children." We'll be treated to a barrage of demands
for more restrictions on the sale and ownership of guns. And in
all of the interviews and free air-time the mainstream media
will give the anti-Second Amendment activists, I'm betting that
not once will you see a reporter or journalist question their
"facts."
Reflect on that for a moment. When the nation was shocked by
the terrible tragedy of Columbine, did you hear even one network
journalist challenge one of these activists with a question
similar to: "The renegade teens involved in the shootings
were breaking dozens of laws in the planning and execution of
their deplorable acts, what makes you think that any new
restrictions on gun ownership would stop teens who have decided
to become cold-blooded murderers?"
No, the interviewers and network hosts will listen to the
mantra of the anti-freedom talking heads intently, with a look
of empathy and concern on their faces – expressions which are
designed to develop a sense of support for the mantra in the
minds of the viewer. Remember, television is all about images,
and the network execs are experts in knowing what type of images
to use to convey their messages. Some TV journalists will be so
bold as to actually use specific, carefully scripted words to
further the cause of the anti-Second Amendment crowd, but most
will be more shrewd, relying heavily on the carefully selected
powerful images to influence the public.
Another public-relations tactic you can count on are
interviews with the grief-stricken parents of victims of gun
violence who, simply put, are all too often "used" and
deceived by the gun-banning crowd to further their own agenda.
It's sad, but true. And it's time someone said it.
In "The
Seven Myths of Gun Control" by Richard Poe, he outlines
many of the media fallacies on the issue of gun ownership –
including the astounding statistic that TV news stories calling
for stricter gun laws outnumber news stories upholding Second
Amendment rights by a ratio of 10 to one. But don't look for
that fact to be reported, or for the truth about how preserving
the Second Amendment saves lives, as was so eloquently
documented by journalist Jon Dougherty in WND's ground-breaking
issue of Whistleblower last September entitled, "Guns
in America: Myth-busting research says firearms in more hands
result in less crime."
What you also won't hear much about in the continuing
coverage of 9-11 this fall, and beyond, is the simple fact that
armed pilots would have made the difference in stopping the
worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States.
Pilots are among the most intelligent and carefully screened
group of professionals in the world – they are even required
to report speeding tickets and other automobile traffic
violations so that behavior patterns can be analyzed. Everything
from their sleeping habits to their reactions to stressful
situations is monitored. Add to that the simple fact that over
half of them are former military pilots, and you've got every
reason necessary to allow them to carry guns that may very well
save the lives of both their passengers and unsuspecting people
on the ground like those who work in skyscrapers such as the
former World Trade Center or government buildings like the
Pentagon.
No, you won't hear much from TV network news about all the
right reasons to arm pilots, because the media elite have to
stick to their basic message: "Guns are bad."
Freedom-loving organizations like the National
Rifle Association continuously battle
the lies and deception of those who seek to make law-abiding
citizens impotent in our efforts to protect our homes, our
families, and even our nation's skyways.
Reader beware: The educational calendar year is the prime
season for the gun mis-education campaign. So, here's a tip:
When you want to find out the truth about guns, freedom and
crime, don't rely on network news. Check out the NRA website,
and rely on news organizations like WorldNetDaily which believe
that the guiding editorial principles of every news outlet
should be reporting the truth and the preservation and
restoration of the United States Constitution.
Rebecca
Hagelin is vice president of communications for
WorldNetDaily. Her column appears every Tuesday.