Frank Haertlein
Moderator
Per a recent LA Times article.
".....the unique place broadcasting TV occupies in American society. Distributed free to 99% of the nations living rooms, the medium has historically had the ability like no other to reflect and shape America by creating shared experiences----serving as not just entertainment, but social instrument"
The key here are the words "SERVING NOT ONLY AS ENTERTAINMENT, BUT SOCIAL INSTRUMENT"
We have here the root, the key, to why Americans hold the opinions and views they have. With this statement the LA Times has revealed the influence and effect of the media on American society. The media does good by influencing Americans to accept diversity, peoples differences....to accept each other regardless of differences. It has also demonized gun owners as responsible for all the evils our society faces. It has promulgated the view that gun owners are all malitia wackos bent on the destruction of the US government. That all gun owners are responsible for the likes of Littleton, Johnsbourough, West Peduka, etc. Because gun owners want to protect their rights we have given tacit approval to these children killing children because we don't lock up our guns, because we have a culture of hunting, because we have a culture of guns and freedom. Our support for the right to bear arms is responsible for this modern phenomena of children killing children in our schools. All this if you believe the media. Sitcoms, documentaries, news reports, television shows, all, demonize the gun rights activist as supporters of David Koresh and Waco and by association label us all as wackos.
The most important point here is that "the medium has historically had the ability, like no other, to reflect and shape America"
So then where does the negative perception of gun owners come from?
Who or what is behind the demonizing of American gun owners?
Who seeks to remove our second amendment rights by the use of the first amendment?
TO SHAPE AMERICA, that is the goal of the media, that is the goal of the liberal press and the media establishment. Your right to bear arms does not fit into their view of the NEW SOCIETY.
It does not matter the image that you may try to impress on the media, it does not matter how ethical of a hunter you may be, it does not matter the degree to which you hold nature in reverence, it does not matter how responsible you may be as a gun owner. The media is attempting to cast all gun owners as irresponsible, to show that guns do not have a place among decent society.
This will continue, it will be hammered home to countless Americans who feel for nothing as long as they are comfortable in their easy chairs and have food in their belly while sitting in front of the boob tube.
The media is serving as not just entertainment, but social instrument to promote the views and opinions of the liberal, left anti-gun crowd. Gun owners and freedom rights activists are doomed under this scenario as we cannot fight the negative portraials of gun owners. Eventually, we will loose this battle as gun owners do not sit in control of the various media, gun owners have no control over the rights, hearts and minds of the vast majority of the American people. We are refused advertising to promote a pro gun message, we are villified on the talk shows, we are cast into the most negative light possible. We have, in reality, little chance at freedom of expression when we are denied the right to buy air time to speek our point of view.
In reality we don't have freedom of speech unless we have enough money to outright own major media outlets that would at least give us some mesure of control. Yet we harp about freedom of speech as the all important right.
I ask what is more important? Our first or second amendment rights? Especially since gun owners are villified, demonized and cast as the bad guys responsible for the evils of society while being denied the right to equal free speech.
The liberal media is our enemy!
[This message has been edited by Frank Haertlein (edited July 21, 1999).]
".....the unique place broadcasting TV occupies in American society. Distributed free to 99% of the nations living rooms, the medium has historically had the ability like no other to reflect and shape America by creating shared experiences----serving as not just entertainment, but social instrument"
The key here are the words "SERVING NOT ONLY AS ENTERTAINMENT, BUT SOCIAL INSTRUMENT"
We have here the root, the key, to why Americans hold the opinions and views they have. With this statement the LA Times has revealed the influence and effect of the media on American society. The media does good by influencing Americans to accept diversity, peoples differences....to accept each other regardless of differences. It has also demonized gun owners as responsible for all the evils our society faces. It has promulgated the view that gun owners are all malitia wackos bent on the destruction of the US government. That all gun owners are responsible for the likes of Littleton, Johnsbourough, West Peduka, etc. Because gun owners want to protect their rights we have given tacit approval to these children killing children because we don't lock up our guns, because we have a culture of hunting, because we have a culture of guns and freedom. Our support for the right to bear arms is responsible for this modern phenomena of children killing children in our schools. All this if you believe the media. Sitcoms, documentaries, news reports, television shows, all, demonize the gun rights activist as supporters of David Koresh and Waco and by association label us all as wackos.
The most important point here is that "the medium has historically had the ability, like no other, to reflect and shape America"
So then where does the negative perception of gun owners come from?
Who or what is behind the demonizing of American gun owners?
Who seeks to remove our second amendment rights by the use of the first amendment?
TO SHAPE AMERICA, that is the goal of the media, that is the goal of the liberal press and the media establishment. Your right to bear arms does not fit into their view of the NEW SOCIETY.
It does not matter the image that you may try to impress on the media, it does not matter how ethical of a hunter you may be, it does not matter the degree to which you hold nature in reverence, it does not matter how responsible you may be as a gun owner. The media is attempting to cast all gun owners as irresponsible, to show that guns do not have a place among decent society.
This will continue, it will be hammered home to countless Americans who feel for nothing as long as they are comfortable in their easy chairs and have food in their belly while sitting in front of the boob tube.
The media is serving as not just entertainment, but social instrument to promote the views and opinions of the liberal, left anti-gun crowd. Gun owners and freedom rights activists are doomed under this scenario as we cannot fight the negative portraials of gun owners. Eventually, we will loose this battle as gun owners do not sit in control of the various media, gun owners have no control over the rights, hearts and minds of the vast majority of the American people. We are refused advertising to promote a pro gun message, we are villified on the talk shows, we are cast into the most negative light possible. We have, in reality, little chance at freedom of expression when we are denied the right to buy air time to speek our point of view.
In reality we don't have freedom of speech unless we have enough money to outright own major media outlets that would at least give us some mesure of control. Yet we harp about freedom of speech as the all important right.
I ask what is more important? Our first or second amendment rights? Especially since gun owners are villified, demonized and cast as the bad guys responsible for the evils of society while being denied the right to equal free speech.
The liberal media is our enemy!
[This message has been edited by Frank Haertlein (edited July 21, 1999).]