Defend the 2nd Amendment
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Posted: August 20, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Rebecca Hagelin
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?_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.