ABC News's latest one-sided view of the gun issue tackles restaurant carry in Tennessee

By Gerard Valentino

A recent story on ABC News proves, once again, that the establishment media takes a one-sided view of the gun issue. The story, which can be viewed here, covers a new law in Tennessee that allows people to carry guns in restaurants and bars – and is clearly slanted against gun owners.

In the report, the mainstream media trots out one of their favorite foils, a gun owner who is against concealed carry. In this case, the purported gun owner claims to believe in the right to bear arms, but also says guns should be kept at home.

We never know if the person interviewed as a "reasonable" gun owner is really unbiased, and rarely hear from people who aren't gun owners, but believe that others should have the right to carry a gun.

The gun owner in question allows another of the anti-gun reporter's favorite tricks when he sneaks in a line about vigilantes, or Dirty Harry wanna-be cops running around with a gun only to impress their girlfriend. Despite the reports claim that bar fights will now turn into gun fights not a single case where it happened was referenced, even though the anchorman admits that over 40 states already allow guns in bars.

If it happened routinely in those states, you can bet that fact would lead off the report. But just by inferring it will happen, the seed is planted in people's minds that Tennessee's bars are going to erupt into the O.K. Corral. Adding to the message that these new laws will turn Tennessee into a free fire zone is the claim that businesses putting up signs banning legal concealed carry will be forced to search patrons for guns.

Such a statement clearly sends a message that permit holders in Tennessee, and elsewhere, are prone to carrying in violation of the law.

ABC News also makes the claim that every restaurant owner in the state despises the new law when a lawyer claiming to represent their issues states, "the Tennessee legislature has in effect put guns in bars and has encouraged shootings in bars." The last half of the quote is an outrageous claim that is used by the lawyer, and ABC News, to enflame public opinion.

Two other tricks commonly used to stir up emotions against guns were used in this report as well. First, it was stated that guns and alcohol don't mix, which was followed up by the inference that children are unsafe if their family patronizes a restaurant where law-abiding people are carrying guns.

In most of the states it is still illegal to drink while carrying a gun, a point that is clearly left out of this so-called unbiased report on these laws. Clearly, that is a huge piece of the story but one that isn't deemed relevant by ABC News. You can bet the average person on the street sees a huge distinction between people carrying guns while drinking, and otherwise carrying a gun.

Make no mistake, omitting the fact that people can't drink and carry makes the story that much more compelling. Such trickery also furthers the belief among gun owners that the establishment media is anti-gun.

Rarely does a piece hit a proverbial grand-slam by using every trick in the anti-gun reporter's handbook. But in this case, ABC News did just that.

This is the second recent story that ABC News has used to push a clear anti-gun agenda. We all remember Diane Sawyer's ridiculous report on whether legally carried guns could stop school shooters. Before the demonstration, she told the person playing the part of the spree killer exactly what student would have the gun, then made the student carrying the gun use bulky gloves - all but assuring he couldn't draw it in time to fight back.

Of course, pre-determining the outcome seemed perfectly acceptable to ABC News, just as lying about laws allowing concealed carry in bars through omitting key pieces of the puzzle was deemed as acceptable as well.

It's no wonder the ratings of network news programs continue to plummet. Considering millions of Americans have concealed carry permits, and that millions more are honest gun owners who are sick of being called wanna-be vigilantes or being accused of carrying a gun to impress their girlfriend.

Gerard Valentino is the Buckeye Firearms Foundation Treasurer and writes for the ValentinoChronicle.com.