Washington Post Gives Giffords/Gillibrand Silencer Claims 3 Pinocchios

Gabby Giffords’ Americans For Responsible Solutions (ARS) isn’t handling the truth responsibly, according to the Washington Post. And neither is U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

Both earned three Pinocchios (one short of the maximum) from the Post for their claims in opposition to the deregulation of firearm suppressors. On March 13, ARS tweeted, “You know what protects your hearing better than a silencer? Ear plugs.” On the same day, Gillibrand tweeted, “When someone gets shot by a gun with a silencer, it’s quiet. Witnesses might not hear. Police will be less likely to track down the shooter.” 

The Post examiner remarked upon the rare use of suppressors in crime and debunked the argument that they would defeat such gunshot-locating technologies like ShotSpotter. The article also included a link to comparative studies on decibel levels that ranked suppressed gunshots far louder than the front row of a rock concert. They concluded, “There is little that’s quiet about a firearm with a silencer, unless one also thinks a jackhammer is quiet.”