Even though this was broadcast last Thurs., I only found out about it yesterday. Here is my cross post from The High Road:
I just saw a gun blog posting about the Oct. 5 CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" segment on Philadelphia's homicides this year. The Newsbusters website has a writeup on how awful the CNN broadcast was:
newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmouth/2007/10/06/cnn-pushes-gun-control-philadelphia-blames-concealed-carry-murder
Quote: On Thursday's "Anderson Cooper 360," CNN's Randi Kaye filed a story in which she promoted gun control as a solution for Philadelphia's crime problems, as she pushed the argument that the city's high rate of gun violence was the result of Pennsylvania state lawmakers voting to loosen gun laws in the 1990s. And, as if criminals would bother to apply for a permit to legally carry a concealed weapon, Kaye further suggested that the availability of concealed carry permits has contributed to the city's problems. Kaye: "In 1995 there were fewer than 800 applications for concealed weapons here. 'Keeping Them Honest,' we checked, and today there are 29,000 permits to carry. And it's against the law for police to ask anyone why they want one. One law enforcement source told me permits to carry are being passed out like candy." A blog posting on the show's Web site based on this story can be seen here. (Transcript follows) (transcript continues at the NewsBusters webpage) |
The Anderson Coooper 360 blog posting on their Philly story is here:
www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2007/10/philly-gunning-for-more-control.htmlExcerpt of further BS found at the Cooper 360 blog:
Quote: If I was a Philadelphia resident, I could walk into any gun shop in the city and buy 50, 100, even 1,000 guns, just like that. All they would do is run an instant background check, and assuming my record was clean, I'd walk out with all that firepower.
There's no waiting period, no rules on who I can and can't sell those weapons to. In fact, state law says I don't even have to get a license for the guns or register them.
Could this be contributing to the gun violence in Philadelphia? |
There is a comments section for story feedback. It is moderated, with 26 comments so far running about 50/50 in support of or opposed to gun control and Philly getting to make it's own gun laws. This BS should definitely be countered. I understand you guys may face a special legislative session this fall on Philly's problems, and I could see this story coming up as "proof" that Philly should get out of preemption.
Facts to "Keep Them Honest" :
#1 - PA has handgun sales registration and background checks on all handguns sold in the state, even secondary sales unless between immediate family members (father/son/wife/daughter).
#2 - PA CCW permit holders are not committing crimes in Phila., or anywhere else.
#3 - the ban on so-called "assault weapons" has nothing to do with crime since rifles are less likely to be used in crime or homicides than knives or fists.
#4 - Philly's problems are due to poor policing, not state gun laws. The laws have been the same for the past 10 years. Even today, the Phila PD is catching heat because it's high number of police shootings are being blamed on POOR MANAGEMENT:
www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20071010_High_rate_of_shootings_by_Philly_cops.html