We often think of “lies” as being something of the opposite of “fact.”
After all, a fact can be verified and a lie, since it’s untrue, cannot.
Yet like so many other things, especially in the gun debate, life isn’t that simple. Facts are just tidbits, small fractions of an overall whole, and because they are, factually accurate information can and is used to paint an incomplete picture. We saw that in a post I wrote earlier today, actually.
Meanwhile, newer and deadlier guns are coming on the market at a steady pace. That’s right: If you thought gun manufacturers might hit pause on all this, think again. After all, there’s a market out there, and it’s booming.
Last year, for example, saw the introduction to the U.S. market of the Sig Sauer MCX Spear, the “civilian version” of the U.S. Army’s new XM7 rifle. Have a gander at this beast. It retails for $4,200, so it’s probably not within the reach of your average mass murderer.
But your mass murderer of above-average means will find a lot to like. It is, according to some reports I read, twice as powerful as an AR-15, and it’s specifically designed to tear through Kevlar or any other supposedly bulletproof material. (If the Uvalde police were too scared to intervene in that town’s school shooting, just wait until this weapon permeates the market.)
Of course, at that “twice as powerful” link, we have Ryan Busse spouting off about how this will punch through body armor.
There’s no mention of Busse calling them on the alarmism, though.
Why is it alarmism? Because the weapon in question is chambered in 7.62×51. That’s a toned-down .308 Winchester round–a popular hunting round, it should be noted for the “we don’t want to take your hunting rifle” crowd–that is still designed to be more powerful than 5.56.
So, you see, the lying with facts comes in because the only reason “it’s designed to be more powerful” is accurate is because the gun is designed for a more powerful round. There are a ton of reasons for a more powerful round that have nothing to do with mass shootings.
What’s more, the supposed expert Busse should know all of this. He’s supposed to have been the gun guy, right? He’s supposed to be the anti-gun side’s former insider who knows all about guns, and his quotes all revolve around feeding the hysteria.
He is the one I accuse of lying with facts because he should be aware of the truth and has chosen to, at best, remain silent.
Because of this, people who are unfamiliar with guns should pause a moment and wonder what else are they misrepresenting to the point of lying.
Is the AR-15–a weapon chambered in a round not legal to use for hunting in some states because it’s too underpowered to ethically harvest deer–so powerful that it all but vaporizes the human body, or is that another lie?
Folks, the media doesn’t know guns.
That’s fine. There’s a reason there’s a gun media in the first place. We know them better than the average journalist because we spend our time focused on them.
What isn’t fine is pontificating on a subject you know nothing about and not fact-checking the supposed industry insider who now gets a paycheck from the anti-gun side.