If there was ever a time we needed journalistic integrity it is today. Integrity in this sense refers to both thoroughness and honesty of reporting. It should endeavour to be very clear about facts and very careful with the use of labels and pejoratives. When it comes to the reporting of firearms related news, care for such credibility appears to go right out the window.
There are over two million law-abiding Canadian citizens who hold firearms licenses. In order to receive a license, we accept criminal background and reference checks and in the case of owning what are designated as restricted firearms, like handguns and some semi-automatic sporting rifles, we agree to constant screening. It is a fact that licensed firearms owners are some of the most or are in fact, the most, law abiding and screened citizens in Canada.
The media appears to incessantly and intentionally use pejoratives - like arsenal, weapon, assault rifle and stockpiling ammunition - when reporting about anything firearms related.
They do so in cases where it is clear that criminals are involved - which I have less of an issue with - but they also do so when the circumstances and intentions are unclear or when firearms are confiscated due to storage-related issues or simply when there was a complaint filed and no charge or conviction has yet been laid. Journalists throw all firearms and all firearms owners under the bus when they use these terms incorrectly and or prematurely.
For example, the use of "assault rifle" by the media is often used to describe a commonly owned rifle, an SKS, which is not an assault rifle at all.
An assault rifle is a very specific thing and something that a citizen cannot acquire a license to obtain as an individual. To be technical and accurate, an assault rifle is labeled such because it can fire in both semi and fully automatic modes. Ninety-nine per cent of the times a journalist uses this label they stick it on a rifle that is not an assault rifle. This causes harm to law abiding citizens who legally own and use these exact firearms.
The misuse of these terms can affect law-abiding citizens civil liberties and property rights due to the propagation of fear mongering and discrimination, whether intentional or not. In regards to firearms we need less of this in the media and in politics.
Our firearms collections - whatever the legal purpose they may be owned for - are not weapons, are not assault rifles, are not arsenals and we are not stockpiling ammunition even if we purchase 1,000 rounds at a time to save money. Some sport shooters use thousands of rounds of ammunition over a shooting season and while doing so, their hobby supports the Canadian economy through their purchases. The last position a law abiding firearms owner wants to be placed in is where we are forced to consider our firearms weapons due to the actions of criminals. Remember, a "weapon" implies intent and anything can be used as a weapon.
Journalists, please, I implore you, take more time to reach out to your local firearms community to seek to become more educated about firearms in Canada so you can separate the majority from the negative minority while reporting.
Law abiding firearms owners in Canada far outweigh the criminals. Let's all try to remain objective and remember that.
Steve Boissoin
Kelowna
