Exposing Media Bias and Political Agendas in Gun Management Debates

In any combat over constitutional rights, it helps to know simply what you’re up towards, and on the subject of the Second Modification, it’s not simply anti-gunners however the media and the best way issues are reported that may make all of the distinction in how the general public perceives the message.

For instance, in keeping with a report within the Missouri Independent, Home Democrats gathered for a Monday “roundtable discussion board” on proposed adjustments to U.S. gun legal guidelines, and solely a few paragraphs into the story, one may see there was evidently no room at this explicit desk for representatives from any of the nation’s gun rights organizations. Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a perennial anti-gunner, solely talked about the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation by way of teams pushing again towards gun management, which the article described as “gun reform” or “gun security laws.”

The identical report was revealed within the Louisiana Illuminator, and it identified that the March for Our Lives motion “advocates for gun management laws on the state and federal degree.

“Raskin was reportedly joined on this “roundtable” occasion by fellow Democrats Maxwell Alejandro Frost (Florida), Greg Casar (Texas), Dan Goldman (New York) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington, DC). Apparently no Republicans have been invited.

Lengthy story quick concerning the occasion and the protection is that it was one-sided, with the gun management lexicon totally employed.

How would the media react if the NRA, Residents Committee for the Proper to Preserve and Bear Arms, Gun Homeowners of America, Firearms Coverage Coalition and Second Modification Basis held a “roundtable discussion board” in regards to the persevering with assault on the rights of gun homeowners, particularly if it have been chaired by Republican Home members?

In the meantime, ABC News is reporting {that a} current ballot by Quinnipiac College, taken within the days following the Lewiston, Maine mass capturing “discovered that 46 p.c of registered voters fearful about changing into a sufferer of a mass capturing themselves.” Fairly spectacular, proper?

Check out the Quinnipiac poll report, which places this in a special perspective: “Forty-six p.c of voters personally fear about being the sufferer of a mass capturing, whereas 53 p.c don’t.” (Emphasis added.) Translation: A majority of voters are not fearful about being a mass capturing sufferer, however that was evidently not the message ABC Information wished to convey.

There was extra to the Quinnipiac survey which appeared to flee media consideration. Chief among the many survey revelations which have been most likely neglected was the stark variations between Democrats, Republicans and Independents on the query of banning so-called “assault weapons.”  Right here’s what Quinnipiac reported:

“Democrats 89 – 10 p.c help a ban on the sale of assault weapons, whereas Republicans 75 – 21 p.c oppose it. Fifty p.c of independents oppose a ban, whereas 45 p.c help it.” Translation: Democrats are gun prohibitionists, Republicans come down on the facet of gun rights, and they’re joined by a slight majority of Independents.

Quinnipiac did report that 53 p.c of voters “assume the USA could be much less protected if extra folks carried weapons, whereas 39 p.c assume the USA could be safer if extra folks carried weapons, similar to a June 2022 Quinnipiac College ballot.”

Gallup’s survey concluded, “At this time’s partisan variations on weapons distinction with comparatively modest gaps twenty years in the past.” The veteran polling agency drew consideration to 3 important factors:

• In 2001, 61% of Democrats and 44% of Republicans wished gun legal guidelines to be stricter. Since then, there was a 27-percentage-point enhance within the proportion of Democrats favoring stricter legal guidelines and an 18-point lower amongst Republicans. Independents’ views haven’t modified.
• In contrast with 2000, the proportion of Republicans in favor of a handgun ban has fallen 19 factors. Democrats’ and independents’ views on this difficulty are usually just like what they have been in 2000.
• The share of Republicans who assume weapons make houses safer has practically doubled since 2000, from 44% to 86%. Independents additionally present a big shift in the identical path, from 36% in 2000 to 66%. Democrats are barely extra possible right now (37%) than in 2000 (28%) to assume weapons make houses safer.

The Gallup survey additionally checked out gun possession and located that 44 p.c of U.S. adults acknowledge having a gun within the residence “or on their property.” Of these, 30 p.c personal the gun personally, and the remainder say the gun belongs to a “family member.” These percentages have remained pretty regular for a number of years.

Narrowing issues down a bit—which you most likely didn’t see reported by any main information group—Gallup discovered that “Gun possession charges have elevated amongst Republicans over the previous twenty years,” whereas “Democratic gun possession has declined barely.” The survey mentioned 45 p.c of Republicans personally personal a gun, and 58 p.c dwell in a family with weapons. However, solely 18 p.c of Democrats say they personally personal a gun, and solely 29 p.c dwell in a family the place another person owns a gun. Amongst Independents, 29 p.c personally personal weapons, and 43 p.c dwell in a “gun family.”

One may argue that if these numbers have been extra prominently reported by the media, it will clarify why Democrats routinely help extra gun management whereas Republicans are extra resistant.

It may also present extra steerage to voters about who they need to help in future elections.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, creator of a number of books on the Proper to Preserve & Bear Arms, and previously an NRA-certified firearms teacher.