Former NPR Head Begins to See America Clearly

By Cam Edwards : Opinion

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Former NPR Head Begins to See America Clearly
National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)
National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)

Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- The anti-gun bias in our media is a real thing, and it’s nothing new. For decades now, national newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post, along with their counterparts in the broadcast and cable media, have foisted a steady diet of anti-gun attitudes, opinions, and falsehoods in their pages and over their airwaves.

Has it worked to turn Americans anti-gun?

Well, we have around 80 million gun owners in the United States, nearly 15 million concealed-carry permit holders, and 5 million members in the NRA. Instead of trying to understand those gun-owning Americans, most in our media simply look down on us, and we’re well aware of their condescending attitudes.

Ken Stern, the former CEO of National Public Radio and the author of the new book Republican Like Me: How I Left the Liberal Bubble and Learned to Love the Right, certainly sees the smug elitism that emanates unconsciously from the minds of many of his colleagues. As Stern writes in the New York Post, “Gun control and gun rights is one of our most divisive issues, and there are legitimate points on both sides. But media is obsessed with the gun-control side and gives only scant, mostly negative, recognition to the gun-rights sides.”

Where are the stories of individuals using firearms in self-defense? Stern acknowledges that these incidents occur daily across the United States but rarely do they warrant news coverage.

“It’s not that these stories are being intentionally suppressed,” he writes. “It’s that these stories don’t reflect their interests and beliefs.”

Kudos to Stern for challenging his own beliefs and viewpoints on gun ownership. From hog hunting in Texas to actually spending time and talking to gun owners, Stern gained a much better idea of who gun owners actually are. In fact, while hunting with a group of strangers, Stern realized that “collectively, we were the equivalent of a bad bar joke: a Hispanic ex-soldier, a young black family man, a Serbian immigrant, and a Jew from D.C.”

Stern says that “none of my new hunting partners fit the caricature of the angry NRA member. Rather, they saw guns as both a shared sport and as a necessary means to protect their families during uncertain times.”

Honestly, there are very few NRA members who fit the media caricature. Even a guy like me, who lives in rural America, has a beard, wears a ball cap, and could stand to lose a few pounds doesn’t fit the stereotypical gun owner as portrayed by the media. They need me to be racist, though I’ve cut family members out of my life when they wouldn’t accept my bi-racial kids. They need me to be sexist, but I am blessed to be married to an incredibly strong and independent woman. They need me to be homophobic, even as I support groups like the Pink Pistols and Operation Blazing Sword. They need to paint us all as horrible people, because as wrong as they are, it’s still the best argument they have.

Have you noticed that many gun control advocates really don’t spend a lot of time talking about the specific benefits of their proposed laws?

They talk about how necessary they are, how “reasonable” they are, and how anybody who could oppose these proposals is a horrible person who loves their guns more than children. Just don’t ask them to explain why Maryland has a higher crime rate than Virginia, even though it has much more restrictive gun laws. They’d likely tell you it’s because Virginia’s gun laws are fueling violent crime in Maryland, but they probably won’t be able to come up with an explanation as to why Virginia’s gun laws aren’t causing, even more, violence in Virginia itself. They may even go so far as to proclaim that Virginia should adopt Maryland’s gun control laws, even though Virginia is by far the safer state.

Logic like that sounds good inside the bubble, and unfortunately, that’s where most anti-gun media figures live. The good news is, you can break free. It sounds like Ken Stern did it, or was at least partially successful. Maybe one day more of his colleagues will realize they’re trapped in that bubble, too. Until that day, you’ve got NRATV and programs like “Cam & Co.” to amplify the voices of real gun owners across the country.

About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

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Bud

Most on the left side of the argument believe the government is your protector and caretaker. (Socialism) Many of them think the government should run every part of your life. (Fascist). Both of these were the ideologies of Hitler and Stalin. Current promoters forget that the cops can only show up AFTER the crime is committed or your dead. Stay alert, stay armed, practice.

Wild Bill

The media is a kind of thief that would steal, first our Civil Rignts, and then our way of life. We must not fail to send the “not yet corrupted candidates” to the general elections. Register. Register your family. Flood the primaries. Take over the township caucuses. Deny the parties their hand picked flunkies.

GomeznSA

“legitimate points on both sides” – REALLY? – can he name even one point on the anti side that meets their ‘standard’ of either ‘common sense’ or ‘reasonable’ – preferably both. I’ll wait.
Here’s a ‘clue’ for him and them: every single ‘proposal’ they still come up with either has already been tried – and failed – or only serves to punish law abiding Citizens.

David

Mr. Stern “could have” stated these opinions while he was CEO of NPR. Somehow, at the risk of losing his job, perhaps he didn’t.

If my assertion is wrong, it would have been one of the very few times when NPR, a taxpayer-funded system, would have said anything positive about 2A.

Silence Dogood

Wow…I guess this Pinko stopped smoking dope? I’m always leery of “born again” Neo-Cons, especially after a lifetime of Left leaning hatred. Be suspicious. Keep them at arms distance. David Horowitz is a perfect example of why our Conservative Radars should never be turn off when it come to Neo-Cons.