Alphecca

Weekly Check on the Bias...

Welcome to the October 25th edition of the Weekly Check on the Bias. Here is where I take a look at some of the media coverage of gun and 2A issues. And guess what the top story of the past week was...

"Yo, Teresa... Hey woman, the MAN of the house is home. That's right, I'm a man. I done shot me an AFLAC."

"Just remember you wench, I'm the man and I exercised my Second-Amendment right to, uh, hunt. You just my bitch. Now dress and cook this bad-bird and fetch me an' my buddies some brewskys..."

I started thinking of Teresa and John Kerry-Heinz and the lyrics of the theme song from Green Acres starts playing in my head. Yeah okay, John, you de man. And you're pathetic photo-op attempt to convince those of us who actually understand the Bill of Rights looks ridiculous. Even your leftist-liberal allies found it hard to swallow. I never thought I'd be quoting Maureen Dowd in one of these reports but here she is in todays New York Times:

In yet another attempt to prove to George W. Bush that he is man enough to run this country, John Kerry made an animal sacrifice to the political gods in a cornfield in eastern Ohio last week.

Four dead geese are not too high a price to pay for a few rural, blue-collar votes in a swing state. As long as Mr. Kerry doesn't slip and ask Teresa to purée the carcasses into foie gras.

Tromping about in a camouflage costume and toting a 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun that shrieked "I am not a merlot-loving, brie-eating, chatelaine-marrying dilettante," the Democratic nominee emerged from his shooting spree with three fellow hunters proclaiming, "Everybody got one, everybody got one," showing off a hand stained with goose blood.

Later he went to a Vietnamese nail shop to have his hand "tidied-up". On NBC's Meet The Press this morning, Democratic spinster Terry Mcauliffe responded to a question about the message Kerry was attempting to send. From the transcript:

MR. RUSSERT: ...But let me move on to another picture of John Kerry this week. Here he is, in full dress uniform, hunting, carrying a shotgun. What was the purpose of that photo op, Terry McAuliffe?

MR. McAULIFFE: Well, first of all, John Kerry is a lifelong avid hunter, and he was out hunting. It is hunting season going on today. And I think there is a lot of demagoguery that goes on as it relates to the Republicans trying to go out in rural communities and, first and foremost, say that, you know, "The Democrats are going to take your guns away." Nobody, no hunter--let me be very clear--has lost their gun in the last 10 years. The only hunters who have lost their guns in the last 10 years, Tim, have been those hunters who have had to sell their weapons, their firearms, because they can't afford to get by day-to-day because of George Bush's fiscal irresponsibility and the huge deficits we have today.

People have middle-class squeeze today. They've seen their wages decline. They've seen the cost of health care go up 50 percent. Education's gone up 35 percent. Local property taxes, state taxes have gone up. So John Kerry's an avid hunter. He's been hunting his whole life and he was out there conveying a message: Democrats, A, aren't going to take your gun away, and he enjoys hunting.

Unless, of course, it's some dreaded gun that "looks" scary and so the Democrats will label it an "assault weapon" and then take it from you. And yeah, I'm sure that when Kerry isn't running for office, he does a whole lot of hunting. Even the liberal Daily Camera (CO) wasn't buying it:

John Kerry went hunting last week. Sporting a camouflage jacket and cap, he marched into the hinterland of Ohio, 12-gauge shotgun slung over one arm, and sent a goose to kingdom come.

Then, he and his newfound hunting buddies strode confidently out of the brush and into the glare of the TV lights, which were waiting to beam this he-man image to citizens who might believe the Democratic presidential candidate is a few vials shy of a full load of testosterone.

The goose hunt, a key Kerry adviser said, highlighted the fact that the senator is a "guy's guy." It also, clearly, was intended to convey the message that John Kerry, a man who happily hurls buckshot at small birds, is no threat to the Second Amendment.

The sad fact though is that many hunters and other outdoors enthusiasts might actually believe Kerry and the Democratic spin-machine and vote for him. They figure they don't hunt with one of the dreaded AWB rifles (many do, and yes, the ban could easily come back under his administration) and he's not going to take away their 30-06 or 30.30. That's what the subjects of England and Australia thought, too.

Even the UK's Guardian -- the rag paper that published a column pleading for someone to assassinate the President of our country found it all silly:

The Democrats made a play yesterday for crucial votes from conservative middle America, depicting their candidate as a "regular guy" who likes nothing better than watching baseball and shooting geese.

In an effort to counter criticism that John Kerry is an arch-liberal out of touch with ordinary people, he was shown gun-in-hand on a shoot only hours after being pictured beer-in-hand for a ball game.

The aim, as Mr Kerry sought votes in the key swing state of Ohio, was to show the blueblooded Massachusetts senator as a man of the people.

Or as the senior Kerry adviser Mike McCurry said: "We want people to have a better sense of John Kerry the guy."

The Tribune-Chronicle of Ohio was more charitable towards Kerry but I found two lines that caught my eye:

About 9 a.m., everyone but Kerry lugged his goose out of the cornfield. Kerry said, "It was too heavy, and I was too lazy.''

No comment but I sure-as-shit won't go deer hunting with him... And this:

[Local radio host] Malloy did note a difference between the Kerry hunt and a press conference Wednesday held by Ohio Sportsmen for Bush. Mallow said many leaders of local sportsmen groups attended the Bush press conference, but there were no local sportsmen leaders with Kerry, except Bellino, who is on the board of the local Ducks Unlimited club.

Apparently a lot of sporting groups aren't buying Kerry's photo-ops.

Finally, and thanks to blogger Heartless Libertarian I found this clever David Horsey/Seattle Post-Intelligencer cartoon:

Enough about Kerry.

Now for some stories found via the always excellent Keep And Bear Arms.

Once again we have a case of the city mice moving to the country and telling the country mice how to live. From the Birmingham News:

ASHVILLE - Butch and Sherry Herren said they moved to Ashville about two years ago to get ready for a quiet retirement that is still a few years away.

But the hunting and shooting that they say goes on near their home has given them second thoughts.

"We moved out here to enjoy the peace and quiet, not to live in Dodge City," said Sherry Herren, 60.

Partly because of complaints from the Herrens and others, the Ashville City Council plans to consider an ordinance that would restrict the use of firearms in the city.

In actuality, this news story is (if I'm reading it correctly) against the ordinance. Here's another quote:

Ashville is a city of about 2,400 people. In places, the city limits extend into fields and wooded areas where many people expect to be able to hunt dove, deer and other game on their own property.

Phillip Anthony, a former Ashville mayor and a retired game warden, said people's rights to hunt and shoot on their property should be protected.

"People move out there and buy five, 10, 15 or 20 acres and think they control the 300 or 400 around them," Anthony said. "They do not. And they need to be convinced that they do not."

Ashville Mayor Robert McKay said he does not expect the council to ban hunting in the city limits. McKay said the council will use an ordinance passed by Moody on June 28 as a rough draft in deciding what is best for Ashville.

"Moody's Ordinance" bans shooting or hunting within 200 feet of any home, school, etc., and requires that bullets not enter a neighbor's property or be fired recklessly. Most of that seems perfectly reasonable and is, in fact, more lenient than many hunting laws of other states. Fortunately, it doesn't sound as if the Mayor or (if you read the whole article) Chief of Police are in favor of completely outlawing firearms discharges within the city.

In another story that shows again why local papers are far more objective and honest than the national ones (such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, et al) you only have to look to Carolina Morning News:

Some kids spend their free time playing football. Others might prefer the arts. One student at Heritage Academy, however, chose to take a road less traveled.

Travis Brodie, 17, spends his afternoons at the Palmetto State Shooting Center honing his marksmanship.

Brodie is an expert marksman who has won several competitions.

"Dad used to take me shooting when I was young and I've always enjoyed it," Brodie said. "He used to shoot competitively and I used to tag along with him to competitions. Then I got good enough and confident enough to compete on my own."

Shooting a .45-caliber Kimber 1911 Team Match II pistol, Brodie has no problem putting a clip full of bullets at center mass.

"The 1911 frame has been around since World War I and it's a very accurate frame," Brodie said of his sidearm. "It's very well built and a simple but effective frame."

In the 2004 South Carolina shooting championships Brodie finished first in the 12-20 year-old division. The plaque sits with other trophies on the wall at the shooting range.

There are young people everywhere across this country involved and participating in the shooting sports. Try to imagine the LA Times or the Boston Globe publishing such an account in their sports or human interest pages.

Lastly, while some of you, as well as some hunting and fishing folks nationwide have felt that President Bush isn't responsive to your needs, here's some good news via the NRAILA:

The Bush Administration has announced plans to open new hunting and fishing programs on 10 national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Carolina and South Dakota as part of its annual Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations.

With the changes in this proposed rule, there will be 325 public hunting programs and 283 public fishing programs on national wildlife refuges.

“With this proposal, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have launched over 60 new hunting and fishing programs on national wildlife refuges since 2001, enhancing access and opportunity for millions of Americans to enjoy their favorite outdoor traditions,” said Steve Williams, usfws director.

The service is proposing to add the following refuges and wetland management districts (WMD) to the agency’s list of units open for hunting and/or fishing: Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in South Carolina; Mountain Longleaf NWR in Alabama; Red River NWR in Louisiana; Cypress Creek NWR in Illinois; Huron, Lake Andes, Madison, Sand Lake, Waubay WMDs in South Dakota; and Devils Lake WMD in North Dakota.

Good for him.

So here's what some pro-2A bloggers are chatting about:

I was going to mention the story of a man in NJ who had used a firearm in self-defense but Say Uncle has it covered.

Geek With A .45 is enjoying his new found "freedom" with the demise of the AWB with a makeover of his Freedom Rifle.

Heads Bunker has a new space gun.

Kim du Toit and the Mrs. are visiting England and Kim has a fantasy of going grouse-hunting at the Manor House...

Boone Country is endorsing Bush in order to protect the Second Amendment.

Publicola offers the first part of a series on the absolutist view of gun rights.

Anyway, I guess this is a wrap for this week. Again, this is going up a couple hours early because of my work schedule tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Posted by Jeff Soyer at October 25, 2004 12:01 AM