U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Ballotpedia.org calls itself “the Encyclopedia of American Politics”. It is fast becoming the best source to determine what is happening in American elections and politics. It was created in 2007 to provide accurate and neutral information about American politics and elections. From ballotpedia.org:
Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content; here’s why.
AmmoLand News is quickly becoming the online source for information concerning the gun culture in the United States and around the world. AmmoLand New’s article about the Florida petition to change the state constitution to ban numerous firearms was quoted in Ballotpedia. AmmoLand News Author Dean Weingarten was quoted along with Marion Hammer of the NRA and Charles Hart, Chairman of the Orange County Republican Executive Committee, with opposition arguments about the petition. From Ballotpedia.org:
- National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said, “This petition seeks to ban practically every rifle and shotgun in America today with the exception single-shot bolt action rifles or single-shot shotguns by calling them assault weapons. It is a blatant attempt to fool Floridians by sucking them into a deception that would effectively ban most hunting, target shooting, and significant home defense as well.”[8]
- Dean Weingarten, writing for AmmoLand News, wrote, “The problem with having people who are proudly ignorant about firearms technology draft a referendum, is they know just enough to create supremely stupid and ineffective laws. It is another example of the proud ignorance of anti-Second Amendment activists.”[9]
- Charles Hart, Chairman of the Orange County Republican Executive Committee, said, “My heart goes out to them, but there are other ways to deal with gun violence without taking away the fundamental right of millions of law-abiding Americans.”[10
Being quoted in Ballotpedia shows the old media no longer have control over the flow of information in the United States and in the world. For now, the First Amendment gives some protection to freedom of expression in the United States. In the rest of the world, censorship is common. Even in the Anglosphere, censorship is directly practiced in New Zealand. Google, Facebook, and others routinely practice a “soft” censorship of conservatives via de-monetizing, de-platforming, and limiting the reach of their messages. China operates direct, obvious censorship of what people in China are allowed to hear and see. In the rest of the world China uses agents of influence to keep messages and information about China that it disapproves or, out of movies, books, newspapers, and academia.
AmmoLand News is part of the new media which is not dominated by leftist ideology. Ballotpedia is neutral; that means it is not dominated by leftist ideology either. Ballotpedia also prints the other side of petitions as well. Here is the argument published by BAWN, the dominant organization pushing for the ban:
BAWN argued, “Again and again we’ve stood witness to innocent lives lost at the hands of madmen armed with military-style assault weapons like the AR-15. Again and again our elected leaders have failed to act on getting these weapons of war out of civilian hands. For our children, for our families, for our loved ones, for our communities, we must act where our politicians have failed to.”[4]
AmmoLand News readers will recognize the falsehoods in the BAWN arguments.
The AR15 is not a “weapon of war”.
“Military style” weapons have been in circulation, and have been encouraged to be owned by the population since the founding of the United States. It is only in the last few years that Leftists have demonized the idea of citizens owning “military style” weapons.
Semi-automatic firearms have been common in the United States for 110 years. Rampage style mass murder attacks have only ramped up in the last 30 years.
Ballotpedia provides links to the articles the quotes are taken from so that anyone who wants details can become educated about the issue. The link to the BAWN quote no longer appears to have any online information associated with it. The link did not go anywhere when it was tried.
The debate about infringing on Second Amendment rights in the United States is one that pits emotion and feelings against rationality and logic. The Second Amendment wins in the Constitution, in the culture, and with the facts.
The more facts, the better. Ballotpedia is a rising star on the Internet, focused on getting facts to the public for their decisions.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
An attorney I know just said: they want to take my guns but I haven’t shot anyone or threatened to shoot anyone. I don’t understand what they are thinking?
We won’t have to listen to the anti-gunners lie that they’re not going to ban our hunting guns, not that we believed them in the first place.
The point that is being missed in all of the this. As every time there is a sick person shooting up a place or an event, the answer from the gun grabber Politicians and the leftist media is to take the guns away from the law abiding citizens. I look past what they see and it just makes Terrorism stronger by imposing more laws against the law abiding gun owner. I believe the Terrorists in the United States, “The sleeper Cells’ see an advantage in these shootings, Easier targets. If the gun grabbers get their way we will see more… Read more »
And what the all missed in the ban includes pistols CAPABLE of accepting a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, effectively banning any pistol without a heel type magazine release.
Dean,” The Second Amendment wins in Constitution, culture and facts” what a great statement, thank you.