Here at A1F Daily, we’ve written about fake news a time or two before. Each time, we think we’ve seen it all—that the so-called “mainstream” media couldn’t get any worse.
And each time we’re wrong, as was proven yet again on Thursday after the U.S. House of Representatives took action on one of former President Barack Obama’s executive orders dealing with firearms.
First, a little background.
Last year, the Social Security Administration (SSA), under Obama’s direction, finalized a proposed rule to ban certain recipients who use a representative payee from owning firearms. This ill-conceived action stripped some of the most vulnerable Americans of their right to keep and bear arms. No proof of mental illness was required in the ruling; no doctor or court was needed to add a law-abiding gun owner to the list of those not permitted to own a firearm. Simply put, the ruling allowed unelected bureaucrats to bar American citizens from exercising a constitutional right.Each time, we think we’ve seen it all—that the so-called “mainstream” media couldn’t get any worse.
As NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox succinctly put it, “The Obama administration’s last-minute, back-door gun grab would have stripped law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment rights without due process.”
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution 40, which would revoke the Obama administration rule.
And the purveyors of fake news quickly outdid themselves.
The Associated Press perhaps got it worst, tweeting, “Breaking: House votes to roll back Obama rule on background checks for gun ownership.”
Of course, the vote did not “roll back” any background check law currently on the books. That’s a flat-out lie. As mentioned above, it simply blocked bureaucrats from denying constitutional rights without due process—the very essence of American liberty. But it makes a good headline that likely will be repeated around watercoolers throughout the nation: “Hey, did you hear that the House voted to do away with background checks?”In fact, all of these are lies. All are the fakest kind of fake news.
Other fake news outlets tried a different angle, pushing the false narrative that the vote would now make it easier for mentally ill people to purchase firearms. Consider these doozies:
“House strikes down Obama-era regulation that blocked gun sales to mentally ill.” — The Hill
“House votes to repeal Obama-era regulation concerning the sale of guns to people with severe mental illnesses.” — CNN
“House Votes To Overturn Obama Rule Restricting Gun Sales To Mentally Ill.” — NPR Politics
In fact, all of these are lies. All are the fakest kind of fake news.
It wouldn’t be hard for these supposed “reporters” and headline writers to try to find the truth about the issue if they were really interested in doing so. Both the SSA final rule and the recent resolution written to repeal it are available on the internet for anyone who wants to read them.
Unfortunately, many in the so-called “mainstream” press don’t really care about truth. As long as their headlines and stories give readers their point of view on an issue—disguised as “news”—they’re content to let truth fall by the wayside.
Then they sit around and wonder why their readership, viewership and approval ratings continue to drop to rock bottom and beyond.
Mark Chesnut has been the editor of America’s 1st Freedom magazine for nearly 17 years.
