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Should we trust WBAL radio?
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posted Sunday, 6 May 2007
May 6: As it happens, the DeFilippo commentary appears on the WBAL web site at three different page URLs. At least one of those pages (the one I had accessed before writing the original entry) still lacks the comments.
CONCLUSION: They are neither listening to our comments nor responding to them.
I know that a lot of us have been feeling encouraged by the recent pro-RKBA stuff we have heard on WBAL: the coverage of the committee hearings, Rob Douglas' enthusiasm for shall-issue, Chip Franklin rounding up a conference call among that heroes of the Charles Whitman ("Texas Tower") shootings.
Yet, I am troubled by something else that happened there last week. If you have not read the commentary, "Bullets, Books and Ballots," contributed by Frank DeFilippo, please do it now. The link is http://wbal.com/stories/anmviewer.asp?a=56749.
You will see that the commentary contains a number of distortions and outright lies. I attempted to catalog them, and that attempt can be found at http://blogger1947.blog-city.com/flip424.htm.
When DeFilippo's commentary was initially published, the station invited comments. As I recall, three of us contributed to the discussion. But when I checked recently, those comments are gone, and the web site no longer provides a link for people to comment on the essay. They have removed the comments on this one only. This week's commentary still has a "discuss" link, as does the one from week before last.
I have emailed the webmaster, and have yet to receive a response, let alone an explanation
Now, I will grant that DeFilippo participates at WBAL as the station's "resident 'Yellow Dog Democrat,' " who "spins things from the left." And he is perfectly welcome to disagree with me, even welcome to his opinion that more gun-grabbing would have prevented the murders committed by Cho in Blacksburg.
However, I think he must be able to support his arguments with real facts, not distortions, such as his offhand remark about the NICS check in Virginia, or the out-and-out lie that Cho used high-capacity magazines. Without Phil, Buck's and my comments appended, these lies that he has used stand as fact. Someone searching commentary on the shootings who does not know DeFilippo or WBAL may end up actually believing this baloney that he spreads.
I think WBAL needs to do one of three things: (1) reinstate the comments, (2) require that DeFilippo rewrite his comments, supporting his argument without making reference to fabricated facts, or (3) ditch the commentary altogether. Item (3) is the least desirable alternative, as I'm certain the commentary has already been archived on Google by now.
Please join me in urging WBAL to do the responsible thing here, rather than let these lies stand unchallenged.
Contact:
Also, take any opportunity to "dog" DeFilippo on this matter, by commenting on the essays that DO have a "discuss" link.
This is as despicable as the behavior of those legislators who oppose RKBA and simply refuse to attend committee hearings on pro-RKBA bills.
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