Guns used in crimes are sold to the public - OH NO!

The Cedar Rapids Gazette discovered something that has been going on for years:
Confiscated rifles and shotguns that were used in crimes are sold to the public.

The Iowa DNR is tasked to auction property that was confiscated during crimes such as poaching and somehow the Gazette thinks this is a terrible thing.

With no evidence that any of these thousands of weapons have been used to harm another person, the article heavily implies that these weapons could be used by violent criminals, domestic violence predators or any average murderer that happens upon the auction.

Maybe... Possibly... some future crime might be committed so let's not send $80,000 plus each year for the DNR and state general funds.

Two-thirds of the way into the article they give a dismissive glance at attendees needing a purchase or carry permit in order purchase firearms (they wrote "valid firearms permit," whatever that means -ed.). FFL holders could purchase weapons as well.

I've attended these auctions when I had time and spare change in the pocket. I've noticed that many of the guns were purchased by dealers. I've seen attendees turned away because they didn't have a permit to purchase or carry. None were happy about that. But if someone has gone through the process of getting a permit, they've gone through the NICS background checks and could purchase from a dealer just as easily.

But that's not the point.

The Gazette gins up fear and implies that anyone, even those of us who have passed every background check year after year, is a potential criminal ready to take another life.

That's the point to the whole article.

If this is true: "Having access to firearms of any kind can increase the odds that domestic abuse will escalate to violence, Fortmann-Doser said." Then every spouse in Iowa County would have been shot a hundred times over. (Iowa County, Iowa, having one of the highest per-capita gun-ownership in the state.)

Good thing the Gazette is here to recycle fear and innuendo.

Journalism at its finest

I don't have a journalism degree but I think most objective people would notice the bias on display at local TV station, KCRG, Sunday morning concerning the report of a new gun control group in Iowa City over the weekend.

At the end of snippets from the on-site reporter, the in-studio pseudo-newsperson, Nadia Crow, read this: "The group led moments of silence in remembrance of the Sandy Hook tragedy. That silence was interrupted by others who disagreed with the group's....."

It can't be just me that noticed her implication that anyone who wasn't in favor of gun control and voiced their opinion that day, did so in a rude and disrespectful manner? Or it could be that I just inferred it with no evidence.

It's not part of this report that was originally aired on Saturday night:



But that report also implied the same thing with these words. "... To prevent future victims of violence by remembering the past victims. Only some people did not want to be quiet."

And this in the online version of the report:

“We’re here to remember the victims of thousands and thousands of individual and mass murders that have happened,” Jim Tucker said.

Not everyone was so respectful. A handful of dissenting voices pierced through the silence to show their Second Amendment support. Throughout the rally, those voices sparked some heated debate.

Can you figure out who the villain of  the story is here?

KCRG graciously provided the answer for us.

Face the Nation?

Face the Ass.

Bob Schieffer makes a complete ass of himself when he argues with Congressman Ron Paul on his "Face the Nation" program. Watch the video.

I rarely watch these programs, but I did this time for some reason. What should have been an interview turned into an argument when Schieffer didn't like the answers. Argue and then say, "Let's move on."

Fine job, Bob.

1st District candidates opinions

Opinions on three issues the Register thinks are the most important ones to worry about: Healthcare, Stimulus and Energy.

3 key issues: Braley says yes, Lange, no

And there are other candidates in the district, but the Register apparently doesn't think they are important enough to talk to. Jason Faulker, Independent and Rob Petsche, Libertarian.

Thank you to the Register for informing us of all the candidates on the ballot.

Debates? We don't need them in Iowa

Iowa Congressional Rep., Steve King puts the smack-down while refusing to agree to a debate with Democrat Matt Campbell.

Campbell, who said King has ignored repeated requests for a debate, walked in midway through the hourlong meeting and stood about 10 feet from King’s podium. King finished answering the prior question about conducting an audit of the Federal Reserve System, then addressed Campbell, without naming him at any point in the exchange.

“There aren’t going to be any ambushes or interruptions,” King said from the podium at Western Iowa Tech Community College before allowing Campbell to ask his question.

After Campbell pressed King to agree to a debate, the Republican from Kiron, Iowa, replied: “…My answer to that is that judging by the way you have conducted yourself you have not earned it.”

"Not earned it?" Okay, then.



Where's the Gazette been in regards to Rep Loebsack running away from challenger Miller-Meeks and refusing to debate?

Don't care for any of them, but I only point this out as a typical example of media hypocrisy.

Tale of two headlines

‘No Party’ leads among Iowa voter registrations

Democrats maintain lead in party registration

Although both articles site different numbers, the truth is that "No Party" leads the voter registration. Find the state's numbers at Iowa voter registration

So why the misleading headline?

It's a machine gun because we say so

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Police released surveillance video Tuesday of two men robbing a southeast Portland convenience store while one of them carried what officers described as an automatic machine gun.

Headline reads: SE Portland Robbers Carried Machine Gun

It's black, scary, and has a magazine, therefore it's a machine gun.



With all the semi-autos that look similar to actual fully-automatic firearms and no one fired a round, how do they know?