So, there was that protest in Virginia I mentioned yesterday. The pro-gun side outnumbered the anti-gun side substantially. And at least one person on the anti-gun side became violent. How does the press report it? Like this:

Va. Tech families urge gun control

Instead of gun rights activists oppose gun bill.

People on both sides of the gun control debate clashed yesterday as families and friends of Virginia Tech shooting victims and survivors of the tragedy flooded the Capitol in support of legislation designed to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from buying firearms at gun shows.

Reports I read indicate that the flooding was done by the pro-gun side. And, of course, the bill in question is not designed to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from buying firearms at gun shows. It’s designed to mandate that private sales go through NICS. Mind you, the bill would not have prevented Cho from obtaining his weapons.

Tensions escalated as about 100 supporters of a bill that would close the so-called gun-show loophole lay on the Capitol lawn to honor victims of gun violence. About 200 opponents surrounded the group holding signs that read, “Here Lie Disarmed Victims,” both sides jostled for turf and one gun rights advocate posed questions to a survivor of the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings.

Hey, we finally mentioned numbers! Note those numbers don’t fit the narrative. And that’s the supposedly conservative Washington paper. What about the other biased Washington paper? Glad you asked:

A bill that would have restricted certain gun sales in Virginia and that had received passionate support from survivors of the Virginia Tech massacre was defeated by a Senate committee Wednesday, ending the major gun control effort of this year’s General Assembly session.

The legislation had failed repeatedly over the years but had taken on a greater urgency this year because of the April 16 shootings. Supporters had said this year was their best chance of winning approval because of the Virginia Tech tragedy, and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) had made it a priority.

Urgency? For what?

But Republicans and rural Democrats on the Senate Courts of Justice Committee teamed up to reject the bill, which would have required background checks for buyers at gun shows.

Incorrect. Sales at gun shows are subject to the same federal laws as sales not at gun shows. It would require background checks for private party transfers at gun shows.

Between 22 percent and 35 percent of gun show vendors do not have licenses, Virginia State Police say.

Probably because they’re selling beef jerky, holsters, and /20~ p@\/1 T-shirts.

And an outright lie from Kaine’s office:

“He has said many times that either you believe a felon should be able to buy a gun or you don’t,” spokesman Gordon Hickey said. “This vote indicates that some believe a felon should be able to buy a gun at a gun show.”

And, finally, eight paragraphs in:

Gun rights groups had opposed the bill, saying that Seung Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech student who shot and killed 32 people and then himself, did not buy the two semiautomatic weapons he used in the shootings at a gun show. Gun control advocates, however, said it would close a loophole in state law that could allow convicted felons and other dangerous individuals to buy guns and commit similar crimes.

Finally, the truth about the bill! They said it could. Nice reporting there.

Posted in uncategorized on January 24th, 2008 by SayUncle | RSS 2.0 |