It’s that time again!
About six months ago, the press was All AK-47 All The Time!!!!! Now, it has returned.
Some variation of the same article can be seen here, here, here and here. And I’m sure there are more. Some snippets:
But it was unremarkable in that one of the guns brandished was an AK-47-type rifle — a powerful, rapid-fire weapon that has long been used in Third World conflicts but is increasingly being used in American street fights.
The rifle fires the 7.62×39 cartridge, which is an intermediate power round. The version seen in the use is not a rapid-fire weapon, it is a semi-automatic weapon that fires as fast as any semi-auto hunting rifle. And the ones used in third world conflicts are machine guns. Looks like the press is taking dictation from the Violence Policy Center again.
Figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, obtained by The Associated Press through public records requests, show a marked increase in the number of AK-type weapons traced and entered into the agency’s computer database because they had been seized or connected to a crime.
Ah, the press qualifier of figures show. Then show me the figures! After all, the instances of these weapons being used in crimes has always been inconsequential (less than 1% if you include all semi-automatic weapons classified as assault weapons under the now defunct assault weapons ban). And, as the ATF says, a trace does not indicate a gun crime.
The number of such tracings rose even while the federal assault weapons ban was in effect and has continued to climb since its expiration.
Unpossible!! The ban was supposed to stop all that!
Since 1993, the year before the ban took affect, ATF has recorded a more than sevenfold increase in 7.62x39mm guns — which includes the original Russian-made AK-47 and a variety of copycats from around the world. The number of AK-type guns rose from 1,140 in 1993 to 8,547 last year.
Unpossible!! There had to have been a decrease during the ban. Bans always work. And no, the original Russian-made AK-47 is illegal in this country because it is a machine gun. And the semi-auto versions are illegal too as they are unlawful to import due to the sporting purposes clauses. There’s gratuitous mention of the Omaha mall shooting and it being an AK-47. That’s odd since the AP (who also is pushing this piece) said the mall shooter used an SKS, which is not an AK variant.
After telling us the ban didn’t work they go on to tell us the ban worked. I don’t get that, myself. And they quote a study from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership. And note that the alleged study from Brady contradicts everything this article just said about trace data. So, I’m confused.
This is just a hit piece on politically incorrect self-loading firearms. With Heller at the SCOTUS, expect more. The anti-gunners have a lot to lose and know that. The antis are trying to win in public opinion and their cohorts in the press are quite happy to take dictation and repeat lies and misleading statements as fact.
Sebastian calls it a hit piece and also thinks that it is not accidental.
Update: Same reporter wrote something similar in September 07. Via David.
March 27th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Not only that, but realize that the article conjoins the rise in ownership of AK variants with crimes committed with. Quite intentionally, too, I would bet.
Also, notice how the terms “connection with a crime” and “seizures” are put together as if to say that seizures mean crimes. We know that ATF stands for “Always Think Forfeiture” and they tend to seize entire warehouses for no good reason. Of course there are going to be AK clones in those mass seizures.
Finally, the reason AK’s became so popular is because Clinton told us we couldn’t have them. Hell, my FATHER bought a cheap knock-off before the ban went into effect and he’s never been that big into rifles.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:00 am
The messed up? Noooooo. Not The Authorized Media.
The Omaha shooter did in fact have an AK-style semiautomatic rifle. I saw the video footage and that is not an SKS.
Early media called it an SKS. It was later identified as an “AK-47 firing the 7.63 SKS round.”
My personal opinion was that the only graphic the news people had was of an SKS so they ran with it.
Yes, I used to be a journalist. No, I was not that bad.
March 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
“Looks like the press is taking dictation from the Violence Policy Center again”
And/or the BATF.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
There’s a difference? I mean, sure, different initials but they both have the same goal in mind.