
USA – -(Ammoland.com)- “Tom Brokaw Accused of Sexual Harassment by Former NBC Anchor,” Variety reported Friday. “In a series of interviews with Variety conducted over several months, [Linda] Vester alleged that Brokaw physically tried to force her to kiss him on two separate occasions, groped her in a NBC conference room and showed up at her hotel room uninvited.”
As with so many “reports” of harassment in the television and motion picture industries, where accusations are enough to destroy careers and reputations, getting corroborating evidence for this seems unlikely unless witnesses to inappropriate conduct come forward. With Brokaw’s unequivocal denial, Vester will be seen by some as another attention-seeking, gold-digging head case, and by others as a woman done grave injustices by a powerful person exploiting a system that lets him get away with abusing “the little people.”
The thing is, even though the so-called #MeToo movement originated with accusations leveled by “progressive” women, the most prominent targets seem to be “progressive” men. It’s very much been a mostly “progressive” phenomenon, which explains why it’s gotten so out of hand. Like “gun control,” it’s basically about driving a narrative and attendant actions with emotions rather than with verifiable facts.
Brokaw proves to be no exception.
“I’m a pro-gun hunter,” Brokaw wrote for NBC’s oxymoronically-titled “Think” website opinion section in October. “Las Vegas proves gun rights need limits. The Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to bear unlimited arms.”
The Second Amendment, of course, is not about hunting. And where have we heard “sporting purpose” before?
It seems Brokaw’s favorite Montana gun store, Big Timber, is selling semiautomatic rifles with standard capacity magazines. These firearms, he says, are “all but military grade,” whatever that means.
“But the Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to bear any arms you please,” Brokaw instructs, just like he knows what he’s talking about. “Fully automatic weapons have long been illegal to buy, as have bazookas and artillery pieces our troops take to war.”
Hey, it’s not like there might be contradictory information a veteran “newsman” with the full resources of NBC News at his disposal might spend a few seconds finding. Besides, there are few better at adopting just the right facial expressions and tone of voice when reading scripted agenda points off a teleprompter. So he doesn’t have to be right – he just needs to look and sound authoritative.
“I am a journalist, protected by the First Amendment,” Brokaw continues. “’Congress shall make no law,’ it says, except that all journalists know they cannot, among other acts, deliberately libel a person or falsely shout fire in a crowded theater without legal consequences.”
Well no, duh. But he’s conflating consequences with prior restraints, which is a dishonest (not to mention unoriginal) argument. You can’t open fire in a crowded theater, or deliberately threaten or harm a person with a gun without legal consequences either. Who argues otherwise?
We presently have no idea if Brokaw is guilty or innocent of the sexual harassment allegations. If he is, this is yet another in a long line of examples of those who can’t – or more likely won’t – control themselves trying to control everybody else. And if he’s been falsely accused, well, when “progressives” are allowed to lie without being called on it and without personal repercussions, innocent people get hurt.
It would be nice if that lesson sunk home with Brokaw. If not, better him in the barrel than millions of firearms owners.
No matter how this plays out, if I owned Big Timber, next time he came in I’d tell him to get the hell out of my store.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.
In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
I got little use for Charlie Rose in his present form, a Deep State publicist most often now. Heck, can’t count on the fingers of one hand media mouthpieces I’d trust to tell the truth.
Yes, we must get this “Me Too” thirty and forty year old accusations phenomenon under control. But we must give it careful consideration, and find a proper solution that comports with our traditional notions of justice, after … enough libtard, Anti-Second Amendment Civil Rights, power hungry, liars are destroyed.
I guess asking about “due process” is a waste of time. It is good to have friends in high places. Ask Ms. Clinton.
Well these women was trying to get somewhere in their younger days.Now that they are old nobody gives them time of day.That is why they are waiting so long. I mean something happened 30 years ago,if it wasn’t what they wanted,why didn’t they report it then.They was out to get somewhere an found that pussy wasn’t as good as they thought.They call anything sexual harassment these days.They are the ones coming into a man world.Put your big girl panties on an stroll on with live
Fire in a theater argument always makes me angry
We should actually pass speech laws like the existing gun laws
You should need a state issued permit to use the word fire
After attending a training course and paying the fee
And the permit needs to be renewed periodically
For another fee
And you can only say fire at the places specified on the permit
Why does it take the accusers so long to go public with their story?