Letter: Loaded language shouldn’t be aimed at law-abiding gun owners

PUBLICATION: The Hamilton Spectator
DATE: 2004.12.27
SECTION: Opinion
PAGE: A19
SOURCE: The Hamilton Spectator
BYLINE: Bruce N. Mills, Dundas

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Loaded language shouldn’t be aimed at law-abiding gun owners

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RE: ‘ ‘Tis the season’ (Editorial, Dec 23)

I’ve taken a look at the picture in question, and I don’t see the Steckles “brandishing” anything, let alone weapons.

“Brandishing” means “to wave about menacingly” or, perhaps, even “to point at.” And I don’t see them doing anything like that at all.

They are “holding” or even “proudly displaying,” some firearms and a bow with arrows.

Why do you refer to his family as being “heavily armed?” I see three long guns and a bow with some arrows — nary a machine gun or a pistol in sight.

For 12 people, that’s a few guns light of “heavily armed.” And they aren’t “weapons,” they are “firearms” and “bows.” The use of such loaded language indicates a bias against guns. And is decidedly defamatory toward law-abiding gun owners.