More Anti-Gun Internet Prejudice: EzineArticles bans reviews with "Guns"

by Paul G. Markel

For about twenty years now I've been writing about guns professionally, that is, someone has paid me to do it. I've written on all manner of firearms from inline muzzle-loaders to precision bolt-action rifles to squad-automatic weapons. Although I've never tried to be controversial, regardless, when you are talking about firearms there will always be someone who disagrees with you.

I'm experienced enough to gauge the "controversy level" when I'm working on a piece. Anytime you introduce a new topic about hardware or question the status quo people get their hackles up and the letters to the editor pour in. With the advent of the "blog", the poisoned pen has become the "poisoned keyboard". That's part of doing business and even men in their thirties living in their mom's basement are entitled to their opinions. Despite all this I am still dumbfounded when a simple article, of which the topic is non-threatening or plain common sense, stirs up a push back.

Case in point, with the huge numbers of first time gun buyers these last few years, I wrote a very simple piece addressing what I called the "First Gun Phenomenon". In the article I offered some basic advice for "non-gun" folks who might be looking to purchase their first gun. As non-gun people don't as a rule read gun magazines or gun-blogs, I tried to branch out and offer the article via a more universal arena.

My business partner suggested that I put the article out through the various online free article sites. "Try EzineArticles, they're the largest." He said. EzineArticles claims to have 450,000 plus "expert" authors who have submitted myriad articles about subjects as varied as business, real estate, home repair and gay/lesbian lifestyles to name a few.

After filling out the appropriate forms to be considered for submissions, I sent in my First Gun piece. An auto-responder produced an email thanking me for my submission and informing me that the EzineArticle editorial staff would review it within a week. After seven or eight days I received an email from them telling me my article had been rejected as it "promoted a product" and that was prohibited. I had attached the Student of the Gun weblink in the author description. I surmised that my website address was the issue. Their email suggested that I edit the article and resubmit it and that is what I did.

In the mean time I also submitted an article suggesting that anyone who owns a firearm for personal defense should also learn traumatic first aid to save a life, not just take one. After another two weeks I finally received the naked truth from EzineArticles, they are prejudice against firearms. The polite dismissal is listed below:

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your email. Your articles were placed in problem status as we are not able to accept content on guns unless it's in the context of hunting. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance at this time.

Thank you,
Karen EzineArticles.com

There you have it, hot on the heels of the Google "No Gun Ads" decision we have more naked prejudice against legal, commonplace items. Apparently topics such as choosing a first gun and life-saving first aid training are too controversial for EzineArticles.

Far too many Americans take pleasure in assuming the status of "oppressed" or "discriminated." We've all seen the bumper-stickers advising us to "Fight Prejudice" or "End Discrimination Now." When do we, the peaceful, hard-working, American gun owners get our own bumper-stickers or T-shirts?

According to "JusttheFacts" website, in 2009 there were an estimated 80 million gun owners in the United States. That number works out to be more than 25 percent of the entire population of the country. When faced with irrational prejudice and discrimination from the Internet elitists, I'd say that puts the American gun owner in the running for the most discriminated against class in the country.

Thank goodness that we no longer have to rely on a closed-minded media to share information with each other. It is a shame though that knee-jerk "guns are bad" online elitists are censoring material that could legitimately help a person save their life or that of someone else.

Republished from The Outdoor Wire.