The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - ACLU Lawsuit Against BATF Proceeds in Florida

Bogie · October 7, 2008, 12:03 PM

One of our problems is that we get hung up on exact definitions.

"Assault rifle"

"Magazine"

"Clip"

Sigh

When what we SHOULD be doing is looking at the overall message that is being conveyed... A gunny sees a TV commentator talking about how a group of ROTC students are "shooting assault rifles" at an organized rifle match, and writes them a three page diatribe chewing them out about the exact definition of "assault rifle" instead of thanking them for showing the nice young people and their responsible handling of firearms.

And then the gunny is surprised when they do a negative story the next time. Because that's what they think people want. Reporters aren't special people - they react, and you can manipulate HOW they react.

How does the ACLU maintain a good relationship with the press? They are NICE to them... So the press is nice to them back, even when they decide that something unpopular gets their attention...

October 7, 2008, 12:03 PM	#8
Bogie Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2000 Location: Job hunting on the road... Posts: 3,827	One of our problems is that we get hung up on exact definitions. "Assault rifle" "Magazine" "Clip" Sigh When what we SHOULD be doing is looking at the overall message that is being conveyed... A gunny sees a TV commentator talking about how a group of ROTC students are "shooting assault rifles" at an organized rifle match, and writes them a three page diatribe chewing them out about the exact definition of "assault rifle" instead of thanking them for showing the nice young people and their responsible handling of firearms. And then the gunny is surprised when they do a negative story the next time. Because that's what they think people want. Reporters aren't special people - they react, and you can manipulate HOW they react. How does the ACLU maintain a good relationship with the press? They are NICE to them... So the press is nice to them back, even when they decide that something unpopular gets their attention... __________________ Job hunting, but helping a friend out at www.vikingmachineusa.com - and learning the finer aspects of becoming a precision machinist. And making the world's greatest bottle openers! Last edited by Bogie; October 7, 2008 at 02:28 PM.