Those readers who listen to Public Radio likely have heard announcements of the fact that they now have an "ombudsman". This gentleman has solicited comment from listeners. Following is what I sent. Perhaps others might find it worth the time and effort, a small matter, to take up the invitation.
Subject:
invitation to comment
Date:
Sat, 03 Jun 2000 12:01:47 -0400
From:
alan schultz <mrmidnite@earthlink.net>
To:
ombudsman@npr.org
Subject: Slanted coverage/ongoing technical errors (don't they ever
learn) by NPR News readers/Writers.
Sir:
This A.M., at about 0930 hours, during a segment dealing with upcoming
Republican Primary Elections in New Jersey, the news reader made
mention, with respect to one of the potential Republican candidates for
U.S. Senate, of "the gun lobby". I believe that the man they were
speaking about was, in their view, an opponent, though in fact, he might
have been a supporter, it doesn't really matter in the present context..
Regarding NPR coverage, and it's demonstrated "slant", while there
certainly is "a gun lobby", that being organization(s) that support the
citizens rights to, as The Constitution mentions, KEEP AND BEAR ARMS,
there is also an "anti gun lobby", a group of organizations devoted to
diminishing or completely eliminating this right. The problem arises
from NPR's ongoing references to "the gun lobby", the term "lobby"
having a pejorative connotation, while it NEVER makes mention of "the
anti gun lobby". If organizations that support a constitutional right
constitute "a lobby", exactly what might organizations devoted to
eliminating or at the very least, reducing that right be, messengers
from god, I think not.
NPR frequently makes mention of "assault weapons" and "assault rifles",
deliberately blurring the difference between true assault weapons
(rifles), firearms with SELECTIVE FIRE CAPABILITY, and the common
SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE, which does not have this defining feature. See the
following from Britannica Online, (www.britannica.com) a source that
hardly could be described as "a shill" for The National Rifle
Association, or for "the gun lobby". Actually, Britannica has quite a
bit to say on the subject. Iam, for the sake of brevity, noting just two
items. You can look up the others at your convenience.
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
small arm
The assault rifle
A hint at this new weapon had been given during World War I, when
Vladimir
Grigorevich Fyodorov, father of Russian automatic weapons, married the
6.5-millimetre
cartridge of the Japanese Arisaka rifle to an automatic rifle. In 1916
he unveiled his
new weapon, the Avtomat Fyodorova. Owing to the turmoil of the Russian
Revolution
of 1917, only about 3,200 of Fyodorov's weapons were delivered.
Nevertheless, they
pointed the way to future infantry weapon design.
Nothing new here, it seems.
Another reference from Britannica online is as follows:
assault rifle
military firearm that is
chambered for ammunition of
reduced size or propellant
charge and that has the
capacity to switch between
semiautomatic and fully
automatic fire. Because they
are light and portable yet still
able to deliver a high volume
of fire with reasonable
accuracy at modern combat...
Since the same information is available in standard reference texts that
deal with small arms, as well as from The Defense Dept. and The U.S.
Army, the facts are hardly a "state secret". Despite this, NPR seems to
somehow maintain a continuing lack of awareness, despite the facts
having been brought to their attention, on multiple instances, by myself
and quite likely others too. How come?
At the outset sir, I made reference to "slanted coverage" and "ongoing
technical errors". Re this last, I wonder as to the following. At what
point does, due to it's ONGOING NATURE, "an error" become deliberate
propagandizing. I submit sir, that re media in general, and NPR in
particular, the line of departure between the two, has long since been
crossed, and that this crossing of a lines bodes ill for the maintaining
of a fully informed public. Re determinations involving public policy,
a fully informed public is of obvious importance, don't you think?
In appreciation of your attention, and response.
Alan Schultz
[This message has been edited by alan (edited June 03, 2000).]
Subject:
invitation to comment
Date:
Sat, 03 Jun 2000 12:01:47 -0400
From:
alan schultz <mrmidnite@earthlink.net>
To:
ombudsman@npr.org
Subject: Slanted coverage/ongoing technical errors (don't they ever
learn) by NPR News readers/Writers.
Sir:
This A.M., at about 0930 hours, during a segment dealing with upcoming
Republican Primary Elections in New Jersey, the news reader made
mention, with respect to one of the potential Republican candidates for
U.S. Senate, of "the gun lobby". I believe that the man they were
speaking about was, in their view, an opponent, though in fact, he might
have been a supporter, it doesn't really matter in the present context..
Regarding NPR coverage, and it's demonstrated "slant", while there
certainly is "a gun lobby", that being organization(s) that support the
citizens rights to, as The Constitution mentions, KEEP AND BEAR ARMS,
there is also an "anti gun lobby", a group of organizations devoted to
diminishing or completely eliminating this right. The problem arises
from NPR's ongoing references to "the gun lobby", the term "lobby"
having a pejorative connotation, while it NEVER makes mention of "the
anti gun lobby". If organizations that support a constitutional right
constitute "a lobby", exactly what might organizations devoted to
eliminating or at the very least, reducing that right be, messengers
from god, I think not.
NPR frequently makes mention of "assault weapons" and "assault rifles",
deliberately blurring the difference between true assault weapons
(rifles), firearms with SELECTIVE FIRE CAPABILITY, and the common
SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE, which does not have this defining feature. See the
following from Britannica Online, (www.britannica.com) a source that
hardly could be described as "a shill" for The National Rifle
Association, or for "the gun lobby". Actually, Britannica has quite a
bit to say on the subject. Iam, for the sake of brevity, noting just two
items. You can look up the others at your convenience.
ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
small arm
The assault rifle
A hint at this new weapon had been given during World War I, when
Vladimir
Grigorevich Fyodorov, father of Russian automatic weapons, married the
6.5-millimetre
cartridge of the Japanese Arisaka rifle to an automatic rifle. In 1916
he unveiled his
new weapon, the Avtomat Fyodorova. Owing to the turmoil of the Russian
Revolution
of 1917, only about 3,200 of Fyodorov's weapons were delivered.
Nevertheless, they
pointed the way to future infantry weapon design.
Nothing new here, it seems.
Another reference from Britannica online is as follows:
assault rifle
military firearm that is
chambered for ammunition of
reduced size or propellant
charge and that has the
capacity to switch between
semiautomatic and fully
automatic fire. Because they
are light and portable yet still
able to deliver a high volume
of fire with reasonable
accuracy at modern combat...
Since the same information is available in standard reference texts that
deal with small arms, as well as from The Defense Dept. and The U.S.
Army, the facts are hardly a "state secret". Despite this, NPR seems to
somehow maintain a continuing lack of awareness, despite the facts
having been brought to their attention, on multiple instances, by myself
and quite likely others too. How come?
At the outset sir, I made reference to "slanted coverage" and "ongoing
technical errors". Re this last, I wonder as to the following. At what
point does, due to it's ONGOING NATURE, "an error" become deliberate
propagandizing. I submit sir, that re media in general, and NPR in
particular, the line of departure between the two, has long since been
crossed, and that this crossing of a lines bodes ill for the maintaining
of a fully informed public. Re determinations involving public policy,
a fully informed public is of obvious importance, don't you think?
In appreciation of your attention, and response.
Alan Schultz
[This message has been edited by alan (edited June 03, 2000).]
