BRADY: Their references don't check out

[alfsauve]

I sort of skimmed their report to Obama the first time through and there were a couple of errors that jumped out at me.

SO, the Brady Proposal is full of references and I thought I'd see where they got their information.  #31 and #32 are the references sited about Florida and those references are?    "The Brady Center"  UH WAIT, they reference themselves as a source of their data?   In fact over 15 of the 78 references (20%) are either themselves or Change.Org.  Now the statements they're making are easy enough to check on Justice Department web sites or other "independent" sites.   Why didn't they use these sites as references?   Maybe, things just don't add up the way they'd like you to think they do.

SO I got to checking a few more of the references.  Ones that actually used an outside source, like #73 "ATF, Assault Weapons Profile".  I went to the ATF web site and searched for the exact report name.    NOT FOUND.  Okay, how about just the exact phrase "assault weapons" plus the words "profile" and "1994".   Nope, no report.  Now, the report MAY be there, somewhere, but it's not indexed under that name.

I don't think they don't care about the accuracy of the report.  OH, I know they don't care about the facts, what I mean is they don't care that their public statements aren't accurate, because those who favor gun control (an emotional issue) aren't going to research the facts.  Aren't going to be swayed by the facts.     And those who oppose gun control already know the facts.   Nobody in the MSM is to call their hand on these references.   If you or I were doing a report, one that we knew was really factual, we'd at least try to make all the references to third parties.   We'd make all the references stand up to at least basic research.   

This is all just posturing with the Obama administration and with congress.  The "real" facts don't matter.    Just the fact that the report "appears" official is all that counts.   Pelosi, Shumer, et. al. can posture in Congress and wave the Brady document about:  "We have the official report.  We have the facts."

I hope someone (NRAILA) with more time on their hands than I can go through every reference and compile a list of the errors.

[runstowin]

I know they don't care about the facts, what I mean is they don't care that their public statements aren't accurate, because those who favor gun control (an emotional issue) aren't going to research the facts.  Aren't going to be swayed by the facts.

The touchy feelly people are determined to push us into the abyss.

[Pathfinder]

On the other hand, this could be useful with the congress critters, noting that the Brady report, especially if the congress critter references it, is seriously flawed and the critter ought to be doing a lot better. A subtle way to let the critters know we are watching.

[ericire12]

Good grief..... great report, Alfsuave

[CurrieS103]

Alf,
We can only hope all the pro-gun associations have researchers like you!

[Sponsor]

[cooptire]

+1 on that! I too wondered about their "references" but I didn't take the time to look them up as I figured they were mostly misrepresented, or worse. I glad that you did the preliminary work to make look good ( in my OWN mind).       

[alfsauve]

 Pelosi, Shumer, et. al. can posture in Congress and wave the Brady document about:  "We have the official report.  We have the facts."

Forgot to add the MSM will be quoting the Brady FACTS to the masses who will in turn pass them on as gospel.

Sad, sad, sad.

[ericire12]

Thats because the media truly accepts the "facts" as gospel. I have never given them credit for being as smart as we think they are..... Conspiracy theories abound about the media, but I think it is more actual stupidity then a well orchestrated conspiracy.

[PoorSoulInJersey]

oh come on, I love that dramatic chart they have that shows how the drop in assault-weapon related crime dropped by 60% during the ban. Never mind that it was a drop from an already negligible 6% to 3.5% (or somewhere in that neighborhood) of all crimes.

[tombogan03884]

Thats because the media truly accepts the "facts" as gospel. I have never given them credit for being as smart as we think they are..... Conspiracy theories abound about the media, but I think it is more actual stupidity then a well orchestrated conspiracy.

+10, The Brady bunch are not like us, we try to pass on information, they engage in propaganda. That's why they have "strategy sessions" where they come up with phrases like "assault weapon" that are intentionally designed to confuse the majority of people who are not fire arms enthusiasts and therefore aren't aware of technical facts. For example, Jim Zumbo, a HUNTING writer, probably spent a lot of ink praising the .223 as a HUNTING cartridge, then he destroyed his career by condemning the AR 15 in 5.56 as "a terrorist weapon" because he was a HUNTER, not a "gun guy" he did not realize the ONLY difference between the AR and any other .223 is the color.(yes I know about .223/5.56 chamber variations, but for this post that is not relevant ) Remington makes a semi automatic .308 hunting rifle (the Mod 750 Woodsmaster ) what is the difference between that and an AR 10, HK 91, or FN FAL ? The average person will tell you the Remington is a HUNTING rifle, and the others are "assault weapons". The fact is that there is only one REAL difference, Manufacturer.
Our hardest job is to educate the masses and shine a spot light on the misrepresentations and out right lies being spread by those who wish to under mine our civil liberties. We must ALWAYS challenge the media and demand a correction when they use terms like "semi auto machine gun" which I saw in a previously posted news story.