You can fool some people all of the time, and most people some of the time, but a University of California-Berkeley psychology professor seems to think that she can fool NPR readers all of the time.
While attempting to support the Obama Administration’s new push to force mandatory gun buybacks, Tania Lombrozo made the following claim about Australia’s gun laws.
Last year, President Obama suggested the U.S. follow Australia’s example by adopting a strict gun ban on semi-automatic and automatic weapons. Australia hasn’t had a mass shooting since it enacted the legislation in 1996.
I quickly called Lombrozo and NPR on her claim.
You may want to check your facts, @NPR. Australia has indeed had mass shootings since their huge gun control law. http://t.co/VeyTGzNAGF
— Bob Owens (@bob_owens) August 31, 2015
Your article is factually incorrect, @TaniaLombrozo. AU has had several mass shootings after their forced buyback. @NPR. — Bob Owens (@bob_owens) August 31, 2015
Lombrozo then asked for evidence.
@bob_owens Can you point me to a reference for that?
— Tania Lombrozo (@TaniaLombrozo) August 31, 2015
I provided it.
.@TaniaLombrozo Seven shot in the Monash University shooting in 2002. Seven shot in Hectorville siege in 2011. 5 killed Hunt family in 2014. — Bob Owens (@bob_owens) August 31, 2015
At Monash, seven people were shot (two fatally) by a murderous student who was armed with multiple handguns. All six handguns were acquired legally. The attacker was later determined to be mentally ill. The Hectorville siege that saw seven people shot (three fatally) was conducted with a shotgun that was legal under Australian law. The attacker in this incident was also found to be mentally ill. The Hunt family murders were likewise carried out with a legally-owned shotgun. The murderer in this instance was thought to be highly stressed due to his wife’s head injury.
Lombrozo’s response was to shift goalposts.
@bob_owens thx, but hoping for something more formal, eg analysis in reliable source w/clear statement of what constitutes a mass shooting
— Tania Lombrozo (@TaniaLombrozo) August 31, 2015
.@TaniaLombrozo So I give you not one, not two, but THREE mass shootings from AU post-Port Arthur. Going to pretend they didn’t happen? @npr
— Bob Owens (@bob_owens) August 31, 2015
Lombrozo was since gone silent, which you might expect from a psychology professor attempt to cover up the fact that crazy people were behind two of the three mass shootings she wants to whitewash over.
Apparently, she really believes that she can make false claims in support of Obama’s mandatory gun buyback/confiscation agenda and get away with it.
It remains to be seen if NPR will let her.
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