Misinformation in gun debate

To the editor:
Due to reduced revenue and circulation many papers have reduced the number of real reporters and rely on a news service such as the AP. While it is usually OK, when it reports politics or gun control it becomes a liberal spin machine that has little or no concern with the facts.
A prime example was the front-page headline  “Obama Vows Action.”  It begins by saying that the 1994 ban would have made it illegal for the Sandy Hook shooter to use a 30 round magazine.
This is either a flat out lie or total incompetence. The law did not ban the possession or use of anything. It only banned the manufacture of new guns and magazines. As this magazine also fits a military gun there are millions available.
They say the ban would not have prevented the mother’s purchase of a powerful assault rifle or the especially deadly ammunition. In one sentence we have three lies. An AR-15 is not a powerful rifle. It is classified as a low power rifle. It is not an assault rifle defined as a machine gun. And its ammunition is standard rifle ammunition that is banned from use in deer hunting precisely because it is not considered deadly enough for anything but small game.
It says the law outlawed specific weapons. This is a lie as it only outlawed the manufacture of the weapons. They say it outlawed  magazines and clips that held more than ten bullets. Clips, which were not banned, hold a string of bullets that are pushed off to load fixed or detachable magazines and again only the manufacture of magazines was banned.
They say that the ban didn’t outlaw the caliber of any high-powered weapons. But if they outlaw little .22 caliber bullets about the only thing left is BB guns.
And again it mentions the AR-15 assault rifle which it is not. “Assault Weapon” is a bogus political term invented by anti-gunners to scare people like AP writers who obviously know nothing about guns.
It classifies the AR-15 as an assault weapon because it has a pistol grip and an adjustable stock that makes it look nasty.  But has anyone ever been murdered with a pistol grip or an adjustable stock?
Another non-AP article talked about the massive percentage decrease of gun murders in Australia after they banned the possession of all semi-auto rifles, shotguns, and handguns, as well as pump shotguns. Sounds incredibly good until you learn from the Australian government web site that in 1989-1990 (before the ban) they had 306 murders, and in 2005-2006 (after the ban) then had 260. This is fewer murders than the city of Detroit both before and after the people were disarmed.
If someone doesn’t like guns and wants them banned I can respect that opinion. When they lie about the guns to try and influence others I have to ask why they need to lie if they believe they have a legitimate argument? Liars and incompetent journalists deserve no one’s respect.
Stephen Erwin
Portland[[In-content Ad]]