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Media Hates Guns

Our First Amendment right to free speech and freedom of the press is perhaps the most powerful tool we have to expose and combat injustice in society. What happens when the media becomes a tool to create and further injustices against its own audience?

The big media outlets have declared war on the Second Amendment using sensationalism, biased reporting, and coining anti-gun phrases in order shape the views and opinions of their audience.

For example, recent mass shootings on school campuses and in other public places are blasted all over the media with images of blood, police, and trembling witnesses. No mention is made of the fact that such crimes are made possible by the systematic disarmament of people on school campuses. Instead, sensational reporting fuels anti-gun legislation by the media's counterparts in the legislature. A distorted view of violence in American culture is permeated both in the U.S. and abroad. Meanwhile, the media conveniently ignores nearly all the times a would-be victim saves a life with a firearm.

The term, "assault weapon" was a phrase maliciously created by gun banners and repeated ad nauseum in the media. An "assault weapon" is, in fact, a semi-automatic rifle which uses technology that has been commercially available since 1896. By referring to semi-automatic rifles as "assault weapons" the media implies that anyone who possesses such a firearm does so with the sole intent of assaulting someone. It implies that such firearms serve no other purpose. And by repeating the term over and over again, it becomes part of our collective consciousness. Even gun-rights advocates use the phrase. A 10-year ban on such firearms sunsetted in 2004, but could be reinstated permanently at the whim of a future Congress and President. The only exception to this possibility remains to be seen by the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on the D.C. Gun Case.

Unfortunately, this type of yellow journalism flourishes when it comes to banning guns. The media uses its power to shape the opinions of the American people and to alter our political landscape. This distorted view of guns in society has created a situation where people are fish in a barrel in many public places -- oops, what I meant to say is that we're living harmoniously in a gun free zone.

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