20/20 last night

[flyfish]

I was wondering if some of you were as insulted as I was with the 20/20 program last night called "If I Only Had a Gun"? The senarios and evidence that was used to put forward the idea that no one is really even capable of defending themselves was unbelievable. I could not finish watching the program as it was obvious that only one side would be presented. Is balanced journalism dead?

[BluegrazzGuy]

I didn't see the report on TV but took a look at the videos online (http://abcnews.go.com/2020). The basic premise of the first video is correct -- stress causes a degradation of response time and motor skills. However, I also believe the demo was rigged for a worst case scenario. A mad gunman bursts into the room, shoots the instructor first, but then almost immediately picks out the test subject (conveniently stationed at the front) out of 30 people as the gunman's next target. Sure, this can happen but it's more likely it won't go down like this.

It also ignores the the huge majority of instances where private citizens have employed firearms to defend themselves. Most don't involve the mad gunman scenario. Of course, the rest of the videos in that series show the clear agenda ABC News had in producing the stories.

[d90king]

Was Stossel on the show? He is very pro 2a.......

[flyfish]

He fortunately was not part of this. There was also footage of a young boy firing a full auto Uzi at a range as if that was a typical range outing. At least for me it was meant to reinforce ignorance.

[d90king]

Geez, no wonder he wasn't on. It sounds like it was pretty bad based on the descriptions I have read here and elsewhere.

[Mannlicher]

and did anyone really think ABC would do a 'fair and balanced' story on guns?

ABC, like the rest of the main stream media, is in full "Propaganda Ministry" mode, and is only going to promote the Dhimmicratic Party line.

That means guns and their owners are to be made fun of, denigrated, and made to be the bad guys.

[flyfish]

As usual the networks are trying to ride the wave of emotion after the recent tragic shootings. I think it is manipulative and cold hearted. There are already laws against "whack" jobs like the ones that commited these crimes from owning guns yet they do these deeds anyway. All I want is a chance to defend myself and my family!

[Tom]

Yeah, this was a Diane Sawyer piece, and she's pretty anti-gun. Carole and I saw the teaser the other night and we both agreed to avoid the program because we knew it would be down on gun owners.

Me, i'll stick to the "Armed Citizen" column in the NRA's First Freedom magazine.

[kenhwind]

I boycott TV, can't stand it. Sure there are some good thing on, but i ain't paying for it.

This has been going on for awhile, they edit everything, especially interviews to fit their agenda.

[WhoaCowboy]

I have given up on the major networks. Drivel and commercials. Even in their newscasts.

[Carole-K]

It's nice to know that my ability to smell rubbish through the TV is still in working order. As Tom said, the moment we saw the title of the piece and that it was being done by Dianne Sawyer, I knew it would be a trash piece that "proved" that guns cannot be reasonably used for self-defense.

Which is why I went out of my way to avoid watching it. I figured skipping that show might have saved our TV from having a shoe (or a heavier object) thrown at it. Come to think of it that might be a bad thing for Tom, no excuse to get that new high def HD TV. LOL

[d90king]

Some smart folks down there in bama these days. I will give her credit when talking to the kids trying to stop gun show "loopholes" from Va Tech, that she explained that those guns obtained were obtained legally by a nutcase.......

oopps I am talking about the hack job on 60 minutes.....

[kenhwind]

About two years ago I was in the hospital with an absess in my back. I watched more TV in five weeks than I have in ten years. I think it was the morphine that did it, and shear boredom.
Of course I watched Discovery, old movies, etc, the VA didn't have cable.
Commercials today are an insult to human intelligence IMHO.
News shows, 60 minutes 20/20, naw, no way. Sawyer ain't cared for her at all. At least Barbara Walters has functioning brain cells.
My TV is for watching the "Wild Bunch" Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, etc.

[Carole-K]

We don't watch a lot of TV - we prefer to watch DVDs. But I would really miss Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, and Iron Chef if we were to ditch the TV completely.

I tend to try to stay away from the "news magazine" shows like 20/20 or 60 Minutes (though I was interviewed by Mike Wallace once, he was a class act that few in the MSM can follow these days). In fact the only time I will watch 20/20 is if John Stossel is doing a piece because he does tend to exhibit some level of common sense.

[joffe]

I don't watch TV at all - exacerbated by network and cable TV shows not being available in my country at the same time as in America (as in delayed by several months), hence watching them via the internet is a much more interesting proposition. No commercials either. :o

I get my news via blogs and the sites of the few papers worth reading, between these services TV services are obsolete for my purposes.

[Tom]

At least Barbara Walters has functioning brain cells.
Just the ones on the left side of her brain. LOL

[d90king]

Now that was really funny! I would have quoted it but the tab is missing again. :confused:

[rjm713]

In the for what its worth, (waste of time department) I sent an email (polite) to ABC informing them that since they have demonstrated they can't be fair and unbiased in their programing I will no longer watch their network. I will miss George Step. Sunday morning program but you have to make a stand somewhere. Ralph

[flyfish]

That's about the only way we can have change is to vote with the remote. Maybe their ratings will tank and they can reconsider their programming. They do have competition after all.

[wbb]

I'd like to know where is the NRA? With the surge of new gun owners the last several months this would be a perfect time for some fact based television shows about the benefits of concealed carry and gun ownership. Lapierre and the boys need to start spending some of that war chest instead of getting fat. Just my personal opinion.

[d90king]

I'd like to know where is the NRA? With the surge of new gun owners the last several months this would be a perfect time for some fact based television shows about the benefits of concealed carry and gun ownership. Lapierre and the boys need to start spending some of that war chest instead of getting fat. Just my personal opinion.
Wayne has been in the media quite a bit lately. Especially on Fox... Personally I think they need to do more and need some young blood within the organization. I have been hearing the same thing for an awful long time.

[WhoaCowboy]

There is no way the NRA can compete with the hatchet jobs from the major networks. They have a major effort going on for recruitment of new members I believe. The fight will be won or lost in the US Congress and the State legislatures. I'm a NRA endowment member, how about you?

[kenhwind]

Every new gun owner has the opportunity to become a NRA member most gun companies enclose the application in the box with the manual.
I won't argue that some young blood is needed.
There are too many people that honesty believe that the Government is only going to infringe on someone else' rights and ban someone else's guns. Liberals for instance.
Some gunowners just aren't interested in the NRA.
There is two shooting ranges that I belong too: NRA membership is required in order to join.

[d90king]

There is two shooting ranges that I belong too: NRA membership is required in order to join.


It is also required at mine and most that I know of. Plus they have a deal on the "life" member for I think it was 500.....

[kenhwind]

I'd like to know where is the NRA? With the surge of new gun owners the last several months this would be a perfect time for some fact based television shows about the benefits of concealed carry and gun ownership. Lapierre and the boys need to start spending some of that war chest instead of getting fat. Just my personal opinion.
There is sufficient info available to clarify this, and several blogs.
NRA membership dues cannot be used for legislative or political purposes. Their war chest ain't a money tree, and relies on financial donations.

[flyfish]

Some effort should be made by the NRA to educate through the media. We need to get thoughtful people to hear both sides and understand that the 2a applies and is valuable to them. Gun owners are from every race creed and color and are "regualr" people just like them.

[wbb]

I am a NRA member(yearly) and I've seen Lapierre on a few talk shows lately, but I've seen nothing from them that will get the word out and educate the masses about the true purpose of the 2nd Amendment and the voting record of our newely elected government. I have given to the PVF but do not see any results of my contributions.
I still hear lots of smart gun owners,but not NRA`members, tell me Obama just wants to get the machine guns away from the gangs.
Unlike the members on this forum, most gun owners do not keep up with politics and get their news from the liberal media. Weed need to educate a lot of people and Lapierre is not doing much.

[kenhwind]

Well; easier said then done, most media is controlled by "Left Wing Extremists" who don't care about equal representation.
AHH! Yes both sides. HMMM! MSM, don't think so.

[flyfish]

All it takes is money! Right now most media organizations are unable to sell all the available time slots (the Superbowl comes to mind). They are after all greedy. You may not get them all but you don't need them all either. Let General Electric wait for their bailout and advertise on Fox and the many viable conservative radio stations.

[WhoaCowboy]

It's all about voting....and who is in Congress and the State Legislatures.....if you have deep pockets dig down deep...