The-Fly
Member
The local communist rag ran some VPC drivel as fact on 4/18. I noticed it on the dead tree version, but the following link is the same thing.
http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_5690516
In particular, click the middle right subsection to see the offending garbage.
Direct link is here.
http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1496962
I wrote the following reply to them.
(emailed to editor of DP)
You may want to reconsider the source you use for some of the articles you publish. In particular...
The article on page 7A, discussing the firearms used by the murderer in Virgina Tech, describes the 2 guns as "Efficient killing machines". When looking for the source of this line, I noticed at the bottom of page 7A "Sources: The Violence Policy Center, Glock.com, Walther.com".
Neither Glock or Walther (or any firearm manufacturer) describes their products as "Efficient killing machines". So it seems that VPC is the source of that material. The VPC is a partisan organization, much like the NRA, in that they have an agenda to push. Hardly a neutral and factual source. Secondly, the VPC has a proven track record of distorting and outright lying when it comes to the factual capabilities of modern firearms. Here is a link to an wikipedia entry describing some of that distortion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Policy_Center#Criticism_of_the_VPC
I feel that kind of phrasing is sensational, emotional, and adds nothing to the factual accuracy of the story. If your paper wishes to describe guns in this way, it would be best done on the editorial page. The front page section should be reserved for FACTUAL news reporting, and not the pushing of certain group's political agenda.
http://www.denverpost.com/frontpage/ci_5690516
In particular, click the middle right subsection to see the offending garbage.
Direct link is here.
http://www.denverpost.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1496962
I wrote the following reply to them.
(emailed to editor of DP)
You may want to reconsider the source you use for some of the articles you publish. In particular...
The article on page 7A, discussing the firearms used by the murderer in Virgina Tech, describes the 2 guns as "Efficient killing machines". When looking for the source of this line, I noticed at the bottom of page 7A "Sources: The Violence Policy Center, Glock.com, Walther.com".
Neither Glock or Walther (or any firearm manufacturer) describes their products as "Efficient killing machines". So it seems that VPC is the source of that material. The VPC is a partisan organization, much like the NRA, in that they have an agenda to push. Hardly a neutral and factual source. Secondly, the VPC has a proven track record of distorting and outright lying when it comes to the factual capabilities of modern firearms. Here is a link to an wikipedia entry describing some of that distortion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Policy_Center#Criticism_of_the_VPC
I feel that kind of phrasing is sensational, emotional, and adds nothing to the factual accuracy of the story. If your paper wishes to describe guns in this way, it would be best done on the editorial page. The front page section should be reserved for FACTUAL news reporting, and not the pushing of certain group's political agenda.
