Let's Talk Media Bias

New York City's Free Daily Paper - am New York ran this sensational headline today

NEW GUN ALERT
NYPD concerned about new pistol hitting the streets

Its written by Adam Hutton, an am New York staff writer and perhaps the first nominee for this years award as worst journalist (wholly fictional story).
Since there is so much wrong with this story, lets just parse the whole thing down.

The New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association wants the government to outlaw a new handgun that easily cuts through bulletproof vests and pushes cops even further into harm's way.

"It's a killing machine," local PBA president Pat Lynch said yesterday. "It has no other use. There's no legal reason for this weapon to be available to the public. It only makes the dangerous job of police officers that much more dangerous."

Uh, right. Pat Lynch. As partisan and as out of touch with the members of the NYPD as almost any union official has ever been. He is a stooge for Chuck Schummer and the anti constitution gun banning lobby and nothing else. That's a great, credible source of information Mr. Hutton. I wonder if you'll interview any one else. Perhaps someone from the NRA, or even the manufacturer of the gun in question? I doubt it.

As for the statement that there is no legal reason for the gun to be available to the public, I guess Mr. Lynch never took any government classes in grade school. Or if he did, the New York school system must just skipped over that inconvenient little document called the Bill of Rights. Of course, we all know that the gun doesn't push cop's further in harms way, rather the criminals that a corrupt and morally bankrupt education system fostered by the likes of Mr. Schumer and his pals are the only ones pushing cops into harms way.

Its armor-piercing capabilities are a major selling point in the manufacturers description of the gun and ammo.

"Enemy personnel, even wearing body armor can be effectively engaged up to 200 meters," boasts the company's Web site. "Any presently available soft body armor that allows reasonable mobility will be penetrated."

Actually, that quote doesn't seem to come from the company's web page at all. Here is what FN actually says.

The Five seveN Pistol is the companion weapon to the P90 sub-machine gun. The Five seveN is an easily concealable double action pistol with a larger, 20-round magazine capacity. A maximum use has been made of composite materials in the frame and slide to result in an extremely light weight, 1.7 pound, design. The 5.7x28mm ammunition has the capability of penetrating body armor at extended ranges. This new ammunition features a lead-free projectile to eliminate environmental concerns. NATO STANAG classification for the ammunition is currently underway.

Where did you get your quote Mr. Hutton? And why did you use it when, for the purposes you have used it, it seems to me that FN's quote might be just as shocking? Of course, lots of guns can pierce body armor, especially soft body armor. There simply is NO SUCH THING AS A BULLET PROOF VEST. What will the NYPD try to ban next, my .30-30 Marlin hunting rifle? Ooops, I forgot, Mr. Schumer and his corrupt cronies like Ted Kennedy and John Kerry already have tried to do that. I wonder what Mr. Lynch would think of the .30 Carbine revolver the guy next to me was shooting last night at the NRA? Thats an old time cowboy gun, but guess what, its gonna pierce soft body armor as well!!

The public availability of the gun worries the NYPD.

"This weapon is particularly worrisome based on its caliber and its ability to pierce armor," said NYPD Inspector Michael Coan. "Although it may be useful for the military, we see no reason why a civilian should possess such a weapon."

Apparantly, NYPD Inspector Coan, speaking I guess for all NY cops without any indication that all NY cops have consented to his repsentation, went to the same school as Mr. Lynch. You know, the one I discussed above that didn't discuss the Bill of Rights in government class. They probably didn't teach them about U.S. v. Miller, the only modern Supreme Court discussion of the 2nd Amendment, where the Supreme Court strongly suggested that the only weapons actually covered by the 2nd Amendment were military type firearms, ammunitation and magazines since they are central to the term militia/military.

Oh wait, my bad. It turns out that Mr. Coan, as the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information (as political of a job as you can imagine), does represent all the cops. I wonder how those cops actually feel about him? Of course, it helps that you actually know what your talking about before you say anything. That's something my current employer insists upon. Apparantly, the NYPD does not (which I will get to in a second).

Police in Connecticut recently seized a "Five-seveN" pistol made by FN Herstal, a Belgium based company that also manufacturers the pepper spray pellet gun that killed a 21 year old reveling Red Sox fan in Boston last fall

Well, thats interesting. It would be nice to have some more information on this seizure, wouldn't it? Was the gun being used illegally in a crime? Was it stolen? What occurred to make the police seize it? And who cares about pellet guns? Is am New York and Mr Hutton now suggesting that we ban pellet guns too? Or just put people out of business who's guns are misused? Of course, that would mean that New York's finest can no longer carry the Glocks they used to murder Amadou Diallo? Or what about all those people that have been murdered over the years by cops using Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers? Huh? Plenty of them were NYPD officers. I wonder what Mr. Lynch's feelings about that are?

After loading the weapon with ammunication that can be bought legally by the public, the police fired three rounds at a bulletproof vest from 21 feet away. All three bullets went through the font and back of the vest.

"Most shooting take place at a distance much shorter than that," said local PBA spokesman Al O'Leary after viewing a videotape of the Connecticut police ballistics test. O'Leary told amNew York the association wants the state and federal governments to ban the "Five-seveN" and its ammo.

At eight inches long and weighing less than two pounds, the weapon is easily concealed and uses the same ammunition as the company's p90 machine gun. The sleek bullets are fired from the barrel at a much higher velocity than other handguns, which is what allows them to puncture armor.

For less than $1,000, customers can get the gun, two 20 round magazines and 50 bullets.

Well, I guess Al O'Leary must be old school chums with Mrrs. Coan and Lynch. He apparantly didn't learn about the bill of rights either. Of course, this ballistics test is sort of odd. Was it really a bullet proof vest they fired at? Or was it just soft body armor? And what was the vest supported by (ya know, how you position the vest and what is behind the vest will impact these sorts of things). As for the ammo - lots of ammo can be bought legally by the public. Its that old bill of rights thing - and most of it will pierce body armor under the right conditions, though truth be told couldn't they have gotten someone who was part of the testing team to comment, not simply someone who watched a video?? I seem to remember CNN got into trouble basing an anti gun story on a fake video. Maybe thats the standard Mr Hutton strives for. Of course, the dumbest thing about this whole article is how flawed its underlying premise really is.

While we can argue day and night over whether a criminal will pay $1,000 for a gun, 50 bullets and two magazines (I don't think they will, because they can get plenty of other guns that do the same thing for much less money), the fact is its not all that apparant that Fabirque National will even sell the Five-seveN to the general public. In fact, absent a police department or government agency deciding to part with one (or allowing one to be stolen) a criminal can't obtain one. You see, FN has restricted sales of the Five-seveN to military and law enforcement agencies only!!!

What's that you say, Mr. Hutton's story and concerns are utter bogus bullshit? Yep, you heard right.

According to Modern Fireams, the Five-seveN is available from FN for government or law enforcement sales only a point confirmed by FN's own web page.

Suggested Price:
(Law Enforcement agencies only- 5.7 x 28 caliber weapons are not available to the general public)

Nothing like doing a bit of research.

I wonder if Mr. Hutton even actually checked out FN's web page? What a fine start to a long and crappy career in journalism.

After this whopper, Mr. Hutton has nowhere to go but up.
In fact, I hear CBS and 60 minutes have a couple of openings for your talent with his moral compass.