CNN Anchor's False Statements

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BarryLee

New member
Many of you may know CNN anchor/reporter Don Lemmon. He is the guy that famously stated that no one hunts with an AR15 because it’s too powerful and would destroy the animal. He based this on his experience buying and shooting an AR for a story.

Well, he’s at it again this time during coverage of the recent events in Ferguson, Mo stating that automatic weapons are easily available to all Americans. He said, “I was able to go and buy an automatic weapon … Most people can go out and buy an automatic weapon". CNN Commentator Ben Ferguson politely tried to correct him and Mr. Lemon began to argue that he knew what he was saying because he walked into a gun store in Colorado and purchased an automatic weapon and most people can do the same. Lemon then shutdown the interview and went to commercial.

So, PolitiFact decided to take a look at Mr. Lemon’s claims and determined that his statement was indeed False. While it’s easy to dismiss his statements as journalistic ignorance I also wonder if there’s some agenda here since he seems to have a habit of making false statements about firearms. Also, considering thousands of people may have heard his false claims live and few will ever read the PolitiFact story it seems like the damage is done.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/aug/26/don-lemon/cnns-lemon-says-automatic-weapons-are-easy-get/
 
Maybe he has trouble remembering the word "semi"?

NO ONE can legally just "walk into a store" and buy a full automatic weapon.

You could do that in 1929, if you had the cash, but since 1934, you cannot. There are Federal licenses and background checks, approval from local law enforcement (CLEO sign off) and a $200 tax stamp that must all be obtained BEFORE you can buy a full auto firearm. AND, it also has to comply with state laws, some states prohibit them on a state level.

He said, “I was able to go and buy an automatic weapon … Most people can go out and buy an automatic weapon".
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This statement is (quoting Eric Idle) "what we in the Royal Navy call a lie"!

If this Lemmon fellow did "go out and buy an automatic weapon" without all the proper paperwork, tax stamp, and months of waiting while the govt processes the application, he broke several laws and should face felony prosecution.
 
I've heard him talk about these things a few times. He doesn't know the difference between semi-auto and full-auto.
 
Not exclusive to the progressives

I've heard him talk about these things a few times. He doesn't know the difference between semi-auto and full-auto.
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He is not alone as I have heard Bill O'Riley show his ignorance about AR's.
Have we all forgotten that a Brown-Bess, used to be a British assault rifle. .. :confused:
 
NO ONE can legally just "walk into a store" and buy a full automatic weapon.
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Hmmm, thats how I bought most of mine. I didnt walk out with them right away, but back then, you couldnt walk out with a pistol right away either.

There are Federal licenses and background checks, approval from local law enforcement (CLEO sign off) and a $200 tax stamp that must all be obtained BEFORE you can buy a full auto firearm. AND, it also has to comply with state laws, some states prohibit them on a state level.
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There are no "federal licenses" for "individuals". Photos, fingerprints, LEO sign off and a background check (if youre going the "trust" route, most of that is waived), along with paying the $200 tax, yes.

You pay for the gun or "item" BEFORE you file the paperwork.


I saw the Lemmon interview, as well as a number of other of that type, many of which were on CNN, and most of the other networks. Remember Piers Morgan's little expose on machine guns? Ted Nugent had a ball with him, and it looked like Piers enjoyed himself too, so much so, he couldnt suppress that smile while blasting away. :)


Whats scary to me here, is there are a lot of people who believe what they say on the various news networks, and take it for gospel, and amazingly enough, many gun people do too.

Over the years, Ive had many gun owners tell me they were illegal, restricted, unavailable, and that I was giving up my rights owning one, none of which were true.

Watch the news to learn what youre "supposed" to think, not for the "news". ;)
 
I actually was watching the exchange live and the most frustrating thing is the other reporter kept trying to explain the difference and Lemon refused to listen. Again, I suppose it could be simple ignorance (anyone ever see CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Jeopardy) but I’m beginning to believe this guy is pushing his own agenda instead of simply covering the news. Remember Lemon is supposed to be covering hard news not offering opinion. It’s perfectly acceptable for news outlets to have opinion commentators, but they are supposed to be clearly separated from hard news.
 
If you're expecting Lemon to admit he was wrong, don't hold your breath.

There is an agenda here. There always has been. During the lead-up to the 1994 AWB, news stations would often run footage of machine guns being shot to push for the ban.
 
I dislike the media's general anti-gun leanings as much as anyone but these silly tirades about TV anchors that are unfamiliar with our lingo are just that, silly. What is a 1911? A Colt Automatic Pistol, says so right on the box. And the ammo, 45 ACP, anyone know what ACP stands for? I'm sure there are many others example, that one just comes to mind.
There is supposed to a difference between a reporter, an anchor, and a commentator but those lines seem to have blurred somewhat in the last 20 years or so.
 
these silly tirades about TV anchors that are unfamiliar with our lingo are just that, silly.
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While in some situations I may agree with you, but in this particular situation I respectfully disagree. I personally believe he’s is using the general public’s lack of knowledge to misrepresent the situation and push for more gun control. Remember this isn’t a case where he called a magazine a clip, but where he called an AR15 an automatic weapon. He then went on to say that it was too easy for the average American to buy automatic weapons and thus we need more control. If the average channel surfer hears this they might agree and support more restrictive laws on semi-auto weapons. An honest informed debate should be - honest and informed.
 
For those wanting to educate the general public and sway the fence setters good luck . The anti gun crowd starts talking and the fence setters think they want to keep us safe when our progun crowd voices our side the fence setters think we are extreamist . Its that way on most topics Right or Left no real middle road fence setters .
 
While it’s easy to dismiss his statements as journalistic ignorance I also wonder if there’s some agenda here since he seems to have a habit of making false statements about firearms.
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Yes, there is an agenda: RATINGS. In this case, the better ratings tend to come from bad things from firearms. In general, negative events outshine positive events when it comes to the news.
 
Tom Servo said:
There is an agenda here. There always has been. During the lead-up to the 1994 AWB, news stations would often run footage of machine guns being shot to push for the ban.
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True. I can remember watching reports of people shooting M16s on full-auto and the commentators reporting that they were AR-15s.
 
CNN is pretty centrist. Of course, it's a matter of perspective because a Fox News fan is going to think CNN is liberal, whereas an MSNBC Rachel Maddow fan is going to think CNN is conservative. That's how you objectively know that you're a centrist: when liberals think you're conservative, and conservatives think you're liberal.

Semi auto, auto, clip, magazine, bullets, ammo, it's all interchangeable to the uninitiated. I think we make too much of it.

I guarantee that we all use various terms and words incorrectly. http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/20-common-words-you-could-be-using-incorrectly.html

A semi auto is also correctly called an 'autoloader', so technically he isn't wrong. And someone who doesn't have a criminal record, under indictment, or under a restraining order, can, in Texas, buy an autoloading AR in less than 10 minutes.

And, as someone above pointed out, it's not .45 Semi Auto Colt Pistol.
 
Yellow journalism / journalist

Www.dictionary.com

yellow journalism
noun
1.
the type of journalism that relies on sensationalism and lurid exaggeration to attract readers

Know anyone like that?
 
We have, for generations (over a hundred years now) called semi automatic handguns "automatics" in general conversation.

And WE use the term full automatic to differentiate between they two. Anti gun bigots conveniently (for them) seldom make that distinction, leaving an often completely false impression.

I suppose what I should have said is that no one can walk into store, plunk down the cash or their plastic, and walk out with a machinegun. Its just a wee bit more complicated than that, to do it legally.

While I personally would love to see the current system abolished (I'd be fine with a return to pre-1934 law) I would be ok with the current laws, if they were open to all, instead of having the supply fixed as it has been since 86.

Anyone know the number of Americans who have been killed by legally owned full auto firearms since 1934? I'm not certain, but I believe the number is 2 (two). In 80 years. I don't see any significant risk to the public there...no matter what some talking head on the idiot box says.
 
Think of the number of children killed by pit bulls and compare that to the number killed by ar-15 rifles. Why no banning of pit bulls?
 
false statements

just this last week had 2 friends at different times tell me that suppressors and full auto weapons are illegal. one of them has been into guns all his life. had to show both how wrong they were and how they could buy legally:rolleyes:
 
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