In a recent post, I commented on the editorial by a former managing editor at the Knoxville News-Sentinel. But I didn't stop there, I wrote a letter to the editor. But freedom of the press doesn't mean that that newspapers are required to print letters to the editor. So far, they haven't chosen to print my letter. Here it is:
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February 16, 2017
Editor, News-Sentinel
The February 15 editorial by your former managing editor is long on hyperbole and short on facts. With the recent furor over what has been deemed “fake news”, an attempt should have been made to get the facts straight.
Here are some irrefutable facts to consider before coming to a conclusion on this subject-
1. In spite of his misgivings about demonstrating proficiency on a firing range, Tennesseans are legally carrying guns in their cars without training or permits every day, no problem. Tennessee recognizes permits from all states, including Georgia, which has no required training. Has that been a problem, other than in the imagination of newspaper columnists and liberal Democrat politicians?
2. A total of thirty states authorize Constitutional Open Carry. This means that folks in all those states carry without state mandated training. Where are all the resultant gunfights?
3. Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming do not require a permit to carry a handgun openly or concealed. No blood running in the streets. Are we Tennesseans just knuckle dragging hillbillies that can’t be likewise trusted?
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The writer’s false narrative vilifies Constitutional Carry. He attempts to equate it with yelling fire in a crowded theater. The difference is that the first is a benign act, the second is unconscionable, unless there actually is a fire.
Check the five core principles of journalism from the Ethical Journalism Network. The first, Truth and Accuracy, begins with, “Journalists cannot always guarantee ‘truth’, but getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism.”
Respectfully,
Liston Matthews
Knoxville, TN
Edit, with thanks to Dan Meredith. Sorry, I can't control the volume.
Also, see Richard Archie's column HERE.
Edit, with thanks to Dan Meredith. Sorry, I can't control the volume.
Also, see Richard Archie's column HERE.