How Do You Cover The Gun "Debate" When One Side Spouts Nonsense?

[SecularMotion]

Last week's depressingly predictable news from Oregon about another American gun massacre triggered what's now become a morose tradition of news coverage, not only about the mindless murders themselves, but also about the permanent stain of domestic gun violence. (This morning brought news of yet another campus shooting.) With a presidential campaign underway, the Oregon coverage inevitably crossed over into political and campaign analysis. That meant high-profile Republican candidates weighed in on the issue and often tried to wave off as unfixable the epidemic of gun violence in America, where approximately 290 people are shot every day.

Thanks to a string of truly bizarre ("stuff happens&quot and thoughtless comments from several GOP candidates, including one that seemed to place some blame on the Umpqua Community College victims for being shot, the so-called gun debate has managed to become even more baseless.

In other words, the Republican field is once again highlighting just how radical the party has become on key issues. And that poses a growing challenge for journalists.

"Rather than engaging in an honest effort to address gun violence and prevent more senseless carnage, practically every G.O.P. candidate has been reduced to repeating a mantra that many of them, surely, cannot fully believe," wrote The New Yorker's John Cassidy this week.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/10/09/how-do-you-cover-the-gun-debate-when-one-side-s/206062

[hack89]

1. Both sides are pandering to their base. That's what politicians do. Nt

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Both sides? Are you willing to equate the two sides

Say Carson = Sanders or Bush = Clinton on how they "pandered".

[hack89]

7. Every candidate in every election makes promises they know they can't keep

Both HRC and Bernie know that their gun control policies will never be passed. That's all I meant.

[Hoyt]

2. It will cost us votes, more gunz=less crime, lots of gunz are a right, what about auto wrecks, dead

kids are just the price of freedom, law-abiding/responsible gun owners, Zman acted legally, schools should indoctrinate all kids in "gun safety," gunz are progressive, the 2nd amendment trumps society, . . . . . . Where is the throwing up in disgust thingy?

[GGJohn]

3. Gee, why don't you read post #2 and ask him?

[NonMetro]

4. I Guess I'm glad I'm Not A Journalist!

Because then I wouldn't be able to say Ben Carson is a nut job who needs to have his head examined. And he's not merely insensitive, he's STUPID!

[GGJohn]

5. You're being far to kind to Carson.

He's not stupid, he left stupid behind a while back, he's graduated to fucking idiot, on his way to his Masters in fucking head case.

[NutmegYankee]

8. At first I thought Trump was going to be the batshit talker of this election cycle.

And then I had the misfortune to hear a Carson quote on the news...

[NonMetro]

10. I totally stand corrected!

And LOL!

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

9. Ya can't its no different then arguing with a fundy who interestingly enough are also pro gunners

too.

It is the mindset, no amount of facts or truth will dissuade them. Many would kill and have killed to get their way.

In congress and america with the funding of the NRA we now have the Religious Gunners an extremely dangerous combination, it never turns out well with them.