"Why can't we get rid of him now?"

[Trent Rock]

Careful selection and omission of news (some relevant facts are shown and some are not)
Distortion of statistics or numbers;
Transformation of single events into social epidemics (Salem witch trials); Corruption and distortion of words or terminology according to specific goals;
Stigmatization of minorities, especially when associated with criminal acts, degrading behaviour or immigration policies (Yellow Peril, Hispanophobia, Islamophobia, Blood Libel and AIDS, which was originally called "GRIDS" for "Gay-Related Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome");
Oversimplification of complex and multifaceted situations;
Causal inversion (turning a cause into an effect or vice-versa);
Outright fabrication of events or claims and then deliberately whipping up outrage at the false claims and fabrications

The dude with the gatt at the healthcare rally got me thinking about The Culture of Fear
Gun fear is the first thing I started noticing way back in the late 80's
Right when CNN was getting big...24/7 news in an instant...the BREAKING NEWS scroll at the bottom of the screen....

I have to put all the blame on the media for this phenom
Fear sells.
End of story..IMHO..LOL...hehhehehehehe

1st it was "semi-automatic" guns in the late 80's
The anchorman would always put extra emphasis on the fact that it was a SEMI-auto gun
Like semi-auto guns are worse than revolvers

Then they started adding the color
"He had a BLACK semi-auto handgun", they would say
Like a black hand gun is to be feared more than a olive drab one

There was as hooting that occurred a few months ago
Maybe it was the Santa Clause killer in LA?
They said he used a "HIGH POWERED" shotgun
Like high powered is something that should be feared more
What exactly is a high powered shotgun?
It is either 20 gauge, 12 gauge, 10 gauge, etc...
There is NO SUCH THING as a high powered shotgun

Then they would start talking about the clothes of the shooter
"He was wearing camo pants"
Why do I care what kind of pants some madman shooter is wearing?
Does that mean that all people who wear camo pants on MAin Street USA are gonna snap at any minute?
Should I walk on the other side of the street if I see a guy in camo pants?

And the ammo
"he had a 9MM, black, semi-auto handgun and he was wearing camo pants"
If it was a .357 or a .45 they would never mention it
BUT, if it was a 9MM, they would ALWAYS (and still do) point it out
Is a 9mm more dangerous? Is the 9mm cartridge more associated with criminal activity?
I blame it on the Miami Vice tv show......

AK
"Ahhh the AK-47", Samuel Jackson once said.
Every rifle with a clip gets lumped in the "AK-47 STYLE" gun category
I have a Ruger Mini-30
It is the same caliber as a REAL AK-47....7.62mm
If someone were to go on a rampage with a Mini 30...Guess what the media would call it?
The Mini 30 is probably one of the most popular ranching type guns in America
I bet up in Paso Robles every other ranch has a Mini 30 ;)
The Mini 30 does not look anything like a AK-47

Then I started noticing it with shows like To Catch A Predator
The internet is not safe for your children
It is crawling with predators
"Stay tuned..after the commercial break we will show you how YOU can prevent Internet predators"
Then it hit me
That is the KEY
They want you to stay on MSNBC because THEY are offering something that YOU can use
Information on how to prevent Internet predators from attacking YOUR kids...............

So I decided to buy the book by Barry Glassner
They had ME fearful of the Culture of Fear
I had to find a way to prevent it from happening to ME!!..LOL
How ironic, I thought as I clicked the order on Amazon.com

The gist of the book is this===>
The media takes isolated instances and makes them out to be a trend
"The rise of school shootings"
"The rise of Internet predators"
"The rise of semi automatic guns in crime"
"The recent rash of road rage"

But if you look at the DATA
The stats, the facts, the numbers
It's all BS

For example
The fear of crime from young black males
when I was in high school we used to drive from the cozy suburbs to Daly City for concerts at The Cow Palace
When my friends and I would get near The Cow Palace
Near the projects, and the liquor stores, pawn shops, and checks cashed stores
The "bad part" of town..they say
Some one would always say, "make sure your door is locked!!"
Like all of a sudden some 19 yr old black guy was gonna start darting towards our car with a gun at any minute
That is how I learned about the fear of young black males

If you look at the data===>
A young black male is like 5 times more likely to die from gun violence than a young white male
Might not have the exact figure right....5 times....3 times...10 times....I was a startling figure for me....
Maybe the young black guy going to the liquor store for a can of Dr. Pepper should have feared a car full of white high schoolers from the suburbs?

After reading the book
I really notice The Cultur of Fear a lot more
I do think it has gotten worse the last 10 years
MSNBC,Fox NEws, CNN, CourtTV,A&E
They all have some tip that will save your life

Here is a list of some things we Americans fear:
Black semi auto 9mm handguns
Internet Predators
Hyperinflation
Unwed, pregnant teens who collect welfare and food stamps paid for by your hard earned money
Unwed women who are on welfare and have more than one child (hey..at least she got a reality tv show outta the whole ordeal!!)
Deflation
The CFR and The Bilderberg Group
Financial derivatives
The debt our children are left with
Toxins in our food
Big oil companies
Road rage
The IMF and WBO
"Columbine STYLE" school shotings
"Postal office STYLE" workplace shootings
The rise of unfettered greed
Chinese labor
Guys at political rallies wearing holstered black semi auto handguns
Right wing militias..............

Anyone else wanna add to my list?

[Trent Rock]

[blockquote]Oh... I forgot about the greater good guns do when we use them to kill helpless and innocent animals for the sake of sport[/blockquote]
I figured you would respond with that answer
That is why I made the bambi comments
99% of the anti gun people I run across always have no concept about WILDLIFE MANAGMENT
I didn't know about CARRYING CAPACITY until I took my hunters safety course
Kinda ironic...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_management

In a nutshell===>

If there are too many bambis in a given ecosystem==>
Lower the prices of the deer hunting permit
If there are not enough bambi's===>
Increase the price of the deer hunting permit

Once again, economics at work
That way they (Dept. of Wildlife in Colorado, for example) can keep the population levels in check

Let me rephrase the question:
Say I own a ranch and I raise sheep for a living
I can sell a sheep for $5,000
there is a wild coyote that keeps eating 10 sheep a month
That is $50,000 a month in losses caused by the overweight coyote
How should I kill the coyote?
Should I not be allowed to use my Ruger Mini-14 to kill the coyote?

I'm just trying to figure out why one would want to ban ALL guns
I can sorta see an argument for handguns
But, to essentially ban hunting?
That is UN-American in my book............
**********************************************************************************************************

[Dani Cutler]

"But it can be said that movies and television play as much a factor in who, and what type of person to fear as they do with what to fear."

Absolutely. I recently saw "The Brave One". Now, I know, completely fictional. But I was cracking up at how by simply buying a gun (illegally mind you- darn those waiting periods), she suddenly had power and became a superhero of sorts in the way she took care of the bad guys.

Regardless of fact or fiction, I wonder if it leaves some sort of impression, even if only in the subconscious.

[Kat Montego]

Oh... I forgot about the greater good guns do when we use them to kill helpless and innocent animals for the sake of sport.

[Trent Rock]

Culture of fear aside, guns are dangerous and they should all be banned!

Then how am I gonna blast Bambi in Colorado?
You ever had deer jerkey?
Good eatin'.......................

[Kat Montego]

Culture of fear aside, guns are dangerous and they should all be banned!

[Davetopper]

Correct
But
What kind of guns did the BAD GUYS have?
9mm's and Uzi's

That's a pretty good call. I was thinking about this the other day, the most prevalent gun that the bad guys had in Miami Vice were Uzi's. Gun bad anyway, but that's just me.

But there is a valid point made here that the entertainment media stokes our fears as well in television and movies. Guns and most importantly the people that hold them. In general I can't remember who or what the perpetrators were in Miami Vice. Given location, drugs, political atmosphere, more than likely Cuban.

But it can be said that movies and television play as much a factor in who, and what type of person to fear as they do with what to fear.

[Dani Cutler]

Bird Flu
Swine Flu
Plain 'ol Flu
SARS....

This is an interesting list, and it covers fears on all sides of the political spectrum. I'll have to check out this book.

To me, what I believe as the only way to conquer fear is to educate yourself. Don't take anyone's word as gospel for ANYTHING. As I say on my ning page- hang a question mark on it.

Education conquers fear. But you have to educate yourself beyond what you are told by CNN and others, which is where too many people stop. You also have to read things from places that go against your beliefs and see the reasoning from the other side. It doesn't have to change your mind, but it's all part of conquering your fears.

This is why I like having you here, you know. ;-)

[Trent Rock]

Correct
But
What kind of guns did the BAD GUYS have?
9mm's and Uzi's

I had a 10mm Glock
Sold it
Ammo was too expensive ;(

[Bruce Carter]

"....Is a 9mm more dangerous? Is the 9mm cartridge more associated with criminal activity?
I blame it on the Miami Vice tv show..."

Crockett used a 10mm....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bren_Ten