Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Deflection: A Primary Tool For Left-Leaning Media

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Deflection: A Primary Tool For Left-Leaning Media

What do you do when your ideas stink, your message has been debunked and there is a negligible return on your investment in the gun control agenda?

For anti-gun Democrats facing this dire situation, the answer is to deflect. Leftists and their allies utilize stories that titillate and joust for attention to keep Americans focused away from any good news. So much bad information presented all of the time means that we are less likely to scrutinize what is written for accuracy or bias. In fact, study after study shows that readers seek information sources that confirm what they already believe. In light of this, it is of the utmost importance that media, the so-called Fourth Estate, hold itself to the highest of journalistic standards in all reporting—online, in print and on television.

Someone has not yet gotten the memo, because The Washington Post is at it again, this time attempting to create a connection between a Missouri radio shock jock and the senseless shooting of Republican Congressmen at a baseball field in Alexandria, Va. As Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., fights for his life, recently returning to the intensive care unit for more surgery to deal with infection, Peter Holley has undertaken the herculean task of connecting openly left-wing shooter and Bernie Sanders supporter James T. Hodgkinson to the so-called right-wing political world.

So, what would trigger a writer at The Washington Post to make such a wildly inaccurate and easily disprovable assertion? Because deflecting to gun control didn’t work. When news of the shooting hit the media, a few offered up the same tired and ineffective gun control talking points: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe even struck out with, “93 million Americans a day are killed by guns!” He later corrected himself, but thankfully the gaffe was enough to negate his entire statement. Other gun control activists tried to pile on but were summarily dismissed when it was pointed out that Capitol Police officers used guns to stop the rampage, taking fire themselves while saving countless lives in the process.

Considering the level of demagoguery constantly dumped upon gun owners, NRA members and anyone who supports the Constitution, perhaps we should come to expect this level of poor reporting. But what is driving it? Could it be the successes that President Donald Trump has created for Americans? So far, the president has reconstructed and repaired the bonds with our allies in Saudi Arabia and Israel, while demanding that NATO members get up to speed on their financial obligations. President Trump is utilizing strong language to deter illegals from entering our southern border, lowering illegal entries by 70 percent and saving American taxpayers untold millions of dollars in the bargain. The appointment of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court has already yielded beneficial rulings that hew to a strict constitutional line. The president also pushed the Keystone pipeline through, and has signaled to businesses at home and abroad that America is open for business once again. The market has responded accordingly.

The president also spoke in person to the National Rifle Association's Annual Meetings in Atlanta, assuring members and gun owners that he will never permit the Second Amendment to be infringed. These developments, many of which satisfy campaign promises, should be covered in full by the media. Yet they are largely ignored.

There is one other possible reason for the obsessive deflection—the fear of what is happening silently, legally all over America. More people than ever are buying firearms and getting trained and certified to carry concealed firearms for defense of themselves and others. The latest report puts that number at more than 14.5 million—up substantially over the last few years. Add to that the knowledge that under a Trump administration, there is a serious possibility that national Right-to-Carry reciprocity could become the law of the land. Adding further insult to injury for gun-grabbing leftists is the normalization of America’s love of safety through gun ownership.

Yup. Deflection is the tool of choice for leftists—what else have they got? 

BY Stacy Washington

Stacy Washington is a decorated Air Force veteran, Emmy-nominated TV personality and host of nationally syndicated radio program “Stacy on the Right,” based in St. Louis. She loves God, guns, and is a member of the NRA, obviously.

TRENDING NOW
Virginia: More Gun Control Bills Filed Including Semi-Auto Ban and Tax on Suppressors!

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Virginia: More Gun Control Bills Filed Including Semi-Auto Ban and Tax on Suppressors!

Anti-gun legislators in Richmond have been busy ahead of the 2026 legislative session working on ways to burden your Second Amendment rights.

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

In September, the North Carolina General Assembly briefly returned from recess and re-referred Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to the House Rules Committee.

Sole Remaining Municipal Gun-Industry Lawsuit Grinds to Final Defeat

News  

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Sole Remaining Municipal Gun-Industry Lawsuit Grinds to Final Defeat

In 1999, when the rest of the country was fretting over the potential Y2K disruption of worldwide computer systems, the City of Gary, Indiana launched its lawsuit against handgun manufacturers, retailers and a wholesaler, raising ...

New Jersey: Senate Adds Pair of Gun Bills To Monday’s Agenda

Saturday, January 10, 2026

New Jersey: Senate Adds Pair of Gun Bills To Monday’s Agenda

The year may have changed, but the mission of anti-gun lawmakers in Trenton has not.   Late Friday, the legislature posted two anti-Second Amendment bills for floor action Monday, January 12 in the Senate.

Bans for 3D Blueprints: New York Governor Pushes Anti-Gun, Anti-Speech Proposals

News  

Monday, January 12, 2026

Bans for 3D Blueprints: New York Governor Pushes Anti-Gun, Anti-Speech Proposals

Manufactured panic has frequently been used to lay the policy foundation for legislative and legal efforts meant to ban legally manufactured and lawfully owned firearms.

Gun Control Honcho “Certain” that Federal Agents with Guns “Do Not Make Us Safer”

News  

Monday, January 12, 2026

Gun Control Honcho “Certain” that Federal Agents with Guns “Do Not Make Us Safer”

Gun control advocates have gone to great lengths to rebrand themselves as mere proponents of “commonsense gun safety measures.” 

Ninth Circuit Panel Rules California’s Open Carry Ban is Unconstitutional

Monday, January 5, 2026

Ninth Circuit Panel Rules California’s Open Carry Ban is Unconstitutional

On Friday, Jan. 3, a divided three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that California’s ban on open carry in counties with a population of greater than 200,000 ...

Crisis Management in the Land Down Under: All Roads Lead to Gun Control, Buybacks

News  

Monday, January 12, 2026

Crisis Management in the Land Down Under: All Roads Lead to Gun Control, Buybacks

After the terrorist attack on December 14th at Australia’s Bondi Beach, it was revealed that one of the two alleged perpetrators, Naveed Akram, had come to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in October ...

California: Committee to Reconsider Concealed Carry License Extension Bill

Friday, January 9, 2026

California: Committee to Reconsider Concealed Carry License Extension Bill

On Tuesday, January 13th, the Assembly Committee on Public Safety will reconsider Assembly Bill 1092, legislation that extends the validity period of Carry Concealed Weapons (CCW) licenses, for a vote only; no public testimony will ...

U.S. DOJ and 25 States File Amicus Briefs Supporting NRA Challenge to California Ammunition Regulations

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

U.S. DOJ and 25 States File Amicus Briefs Supporting NRA Challenge to California Ammunition Regulations

The U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of 25 states have each filed amicus briefs in Rhode v. Bonta, a case backed by the National Rifle Association and California Rifle and Pistol Association challenging California’s ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.