Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
We on this side of the gun debate aren’t getting a fair shake from the media. That’s obvious to anyone who cares to look. The “news” is filled with “reporting” about “mostly peaceful protests” as buildings burn behind the reporters. They’re filled with all the anti-gun studies one cares to name, while any study that could be considered pro-gun doesn’t get a mention in most places.
Sure, we at Bearing Arms will talk about it, as will most of the other right-leaning media, but let’s face facts. The truth is, the mainstream media is still how most people get their news. Even if they’re not watching TV, they’re hitting those news outlets on the internet.
Because of this, we on this side of any debate need to be very careful. This, for example, may not be the best way to make a point.
Right-Wing extremists from Erie County held a mock public lynching of NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo in Hamburg on Saturday.
Republican Congressman Chris Jacobs Participated in the lynching. Also features speeches by Republicans Sean “Jaz” Miles for Assembly (141), Frank Smerciak for Assembly (143), Josh Mertzlufft for State Senate (60) and Ricky Donovan for Congress for NY-26.
In the video, the effigy of Cuomo can be seen hanging by a wooden structure, while the MC asks the crowd if Cuomo was “guilty or not guilty”, while someone was striking the cuomo[sic] puppet with what looks like a shotgun.
Now, look, effigies have long held a place in American politics. They aren’t death threats in any way, but are usually symbolic only. All throughout history, political effigies have existed and been abused while the people they represent remained unmolested.
It’s free speech, even if some don’t like it.
However, just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do something.
Look, I’ve smack Governor Andrew Cuomo around a few times. I have no love for the guy and the last thing I’d do in this world is defend the man. I’m not about to start, either.
The problem is that when you do something like this, you’re giving an already biased media all the ammunition they need to dismiss everything else you’ve said. Instead, they’ll focus on this one thing and ignore any other points that might have been made.
This isn’t unlike the Michigan lockdown protest earlier this year. Protesters seeking to express their displeasure over Michigan’s draconian lockdown rules, but because they had guns in the capitol, that’s all anyone’s talked about. Their message was drowned out because the media could find something else to latch onto.
When you know the media is the enemy, don’t go about making their job easy. Don’t just hand them something to complain about. At the very least, make them work for it. Make them have to manufacture something to complain. That’s much easier to dispute and makes it so people who don’t realize that the bias is there can no longer miss it.
But stuff like this is an own goal that none of us really need.
Now, the discussion is about effigies, not gun rights.
Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger and lifetime shooter. He lives with his family in Southwest Georgia. He's also the host of Unloaded TV on YouTube.
https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2020/10/01/dont-give-them-an-excuse/