CBS and Rather, At it Again!

[slabsides]

Tonite's CBS Evening News (sic) with Dan Rather contained the first of a two-part self-styled '...hard news report' which claimed that one of the most fanatical voter blocs... a '...single issue' bloc...is America's '...minority' of gun owners.

In an apparent effort to depict the 'average' gun owner as a fanatic with an arsenal of weapons, an owner with a 100-gun collection was interviewed; and a big-city dealer was quoted to the effect that '...80 percent of our sales are to repeat buyers.' It was clear that the intent of the report was to characterize gun owners as a lunatic fringe insignificant in size.

But CBS' contradicted itself in its own report.

We were characterized as a minority, by a guest dweeb talking-head, who said that 'Ten percent of gun owners own 80 percent of the 120 million guns in private ownership'. My limited understanding of math leads me thus to conclude that the dweeb meant that 96 million guns belonged to the 10 percent, and 24 million to the other 90 percent. If the 10-percent fraction of gun owners own as many as 100 guns each (a ridiculously high estimate) then that means that we can add 2.4 million gun owners to the 24 million single-gun owners previously mentioned, to make a total of a MINIMUM of 26.4 million gun owners in the US. THIS is a minority? But there's more.

I've always understood that in this country of nearly 300 million people, there were about 300 million guns...AND earlier in the 'report', Rather himself made the statement that there were 'nearly enough guns in circulation to provide one for every single person in the country.' So is CBS talking about 300 million guns or 120 million? Are we a 'minority' of only 24 million, or a near majority? One cannot tell from CBS' 'hard hitting' report.

Where did CBS get its figures? HCI? The Tooth Fairy?

And if there ARE only 26.4 million gun owners in the US, is CBS acting in its own best interest to lie about, vilify and antagonize even this 'minority'?

Eagerly (gack) awaiting Part TWO of this 'hard hitting report' tomorrow.

Since I am seriously math-challenged, I would welcome anyone's correction of my figures, if they are wrong!!!

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If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.



[This message has been edited by slabsides (edited July 05, 2000).]

 

[Keiller TN]

Slabsides, I saw it, too. The reporter said that more Americans are in favor of more gun control. Yes, that is because the media tells them what to think. I think they said that the 10% who owned 80% of the guns are middle class, white rural men. There is the problem. More middle class urban white women should own guns. Peter Jennings had a report tonight also on guns. L.A. Sheriff's Dept. is testing a system that uses microphones tuned to hear gun shots around the city. These then report to a computer that calls residents in the area (probably to gather info). The system lets the authorities know where the gun fire is happening.
Good evening all.

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Alexander Solzhenitzyn:
"Freedom is given to the human conditionally, in the assumption of his constant religious responsibility."

 

[ctdonath]

Play with the stats a bit more: guns are often considered a family posession, and while there may be 300 million people in this country, there's something like 100 million homes...and thus one quarter of them have guns. Technically still a minority, but certainly one worth paying attention to. It's a minority bigger - and more motivated - than just about any other politically-minded minority.

 

[Tom B]

If you watched last night CBS has now played the confiscation card. The theme last night was smart guns but several times it was mentioned that present guns will last a very long time before wearing out even if new gun laws and smart guns are enacted. Yada...yada...yada. I made up my mind to make a couple of private sale purchases with no paperwork while its still legal.

 

[BillX]

I saw Rather last night also. He said there was almost a gun for every ADULT in the country. I think that every adult should own at least one firearm. Preferably two, a good rifle and a good pistol, a shotgun optional.

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"Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats." H.L. Mencken