I'm not saying that the media never fact-checks the anti-gun side of the gun debate, but it's rare enough that I can count on one hand the number of times in recent memory that it's happened. The Washington Post debunked the claims of anti-gunners that firearms are the leading cause of death for children a couple of weeks ago, and PolitiFact politely chided Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) for his simplistic take that crime went down last year because of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, but these are the exceptions that prove the rule. 

Most of the time the media engages in any sort of gun-related fact check, they're tripping over themselves to refute or rebut claims from Second Amendment folks, like the recent AP Fact Check of social media posts claiming that the ATF has quietly changed the rules about who can purchase a firearm to allow illegal immigrants to buy guns (no, it hasn't). Meanwhile, stories like this one from Richmond, Virginia, TV station WWBT will go completely unchallenged by its partners in the legacy media. 

The destructive power of guns is undeniable. Not only can they harm the person at the receiving end, but also those in the vicinity. Community members in Virginia are concerned about the current state of gun laws, believing them to be too lenient.

In an effort to urge Governor Youngkin to sign bills concerning gun safety, several community members gathered at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square. They called for stricter gun storage requirements, 5-day background checks, and a law to protect those in domestic violence situations.

“The bills that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers MUST be passed,” said Shantel, an advocate with Moms Demand Action.

Officials, including Senators, Delegates, and Community Leaders, were all there to reassure the crowd that they were taking steps toward enforcing stricter gun laws.

The bias is off the charts here. The station can't even accurately call gun control activists what they are. Instead, they're simply "community members." And forget about the lives that are saved each and every day thanks to folks exercising their Second Amendment rights. No, according to WWBT guns are like grenades... you don't even have to have one pointed in your direction for you to be harmed. 

To make matters worse, when the station decided to quote one of those "community leaders," it put its ignorance and the ignorance of the reporter on full display. 

One bill discussed was House Bill #2 - would make it illegal to make, buy or sell parts that turn a gun - into an automatic weapon.

“{It} keeps the trigger pin open so you can empty the entire clip… in a matter of seconds,” VA Delegate Mike Jones explained.

We'll get to the "trigger pin" comment in a paragraph or two, but let's first note that HB 2 has nothing to do with Glock switches or auto sears. Instead, it's a ban on so-called "assault firearms" and "large capacity ammunition feeding devices"; basically, almost every semi-automatic long gun (as well as some pistols and shotguns) and every magazine that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. 

There is a bill banning auto sears and switches heading to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk, but it's not HB 2. And despite Del. Mike Jones's unrefuted claims, these switches don't keep the trigger pin open so you can empty an entire clip. A switch prevents the trigger bar from catching the firing pin, allowing for multiple rounds to be discharged with a single pull of the trigger. 

Maybe Jones just got confused with his terminology, but the WWBT reporter covering his comments clearly doesn't know enough about how guns work to correct his error. Given that the unnamed reporter (the story is simply credited to "12 On Your Side Digital Team") couldn't even use the phrase "gun control activist" to describe the protestors demanding Youngkin sign these anti-2A bills into law, I'm not surprised that it's ignorant about how an auto sear functions, but it's still a major problem when most of the media are blissfully ignorant about the gun-involved stories they're covering. 

Thankfully, we don't have to depend on the clueless media for information about the threats to our Second Amendment rights, but your support is vitally important to keep our independent, pro-2A news coverage continuing in the future. When you sign up and become a VIP or VIP Gold member, you're not only getting access to exclusive news stories and commentary you won't find anywhere else. You're helping to combat the misinformation, clueless reporting, and outright lies that are so common in the legacy media. 

We're covering court cases by talking to the attorneys and plaintiffs directly involved, like Michael Cargill, who joined me on Cam & Co just before heading off to D.C. to watch Wednesday's oral arguments in Garland v. Cargill. We're bringing you stories of armed citizens defending themselves and their families that the national media will utterly ignore. We're highlighting the latest legislative threats to your Second Amendment rights and celebrating victories like Louisiana's passage of Constitutional Carry, and we'll never back down from defending your fundamental right to keep and bear arms, but we do need your help to stay in the fight. 

Use the promo code GUNRIGHTS and get substantial savings on your VIP membership. You'll be unlocking some great features not available for non-members, but you'll also be helping to safeguard your Second Amendment rights from the sustained assault of the gun control lobby and their allies in the media. We might not be able to eradicate the gun-related ignorance that plagues so many newsrooms these days, but we can at least deliver the facts that dispel the gun grabbers' fictions. We can't do it alone, however, and I thank you for supporting our mission here at Bearing Arms.