In the liberal media’s crusade to eliminate gun rights, no complaint is too absurd to be presented to their viewers as a serious point. CBS Mornings was guilty of this Thursday as co-anchor Tony Dokoupil singled out Alabama, Missouri, and Texas (the locations of recent mass shootings) for not requiring residents to obtain permits to buy rifles and shotguns. But only seven states out of 50 have that requirement.
Before getting to the ridiculous, Dokoupil tried to frame the segment as something rational. “Of course, gun laws are different in every state. But with all these shootings all across the country and the different circumstances of each, we did want to take a step back and assess some of the numbers,” he stated.
He then scrutinized those states for their “gun violence mortality rates”:
Alabama and Missouri. Well, they have the fourth and ninth highest firearm mortality rates in the country respectively. And Texas, it has the heaviest burden of gun deaths in this country. Deaths by gun violence, 4,600 a year. And that is only good enough in that state for 27th as a mortality rate, middle of the pack. Think about that.
“In all three of those states, no permit is required to purchase a rifle, to purchase a shotgun, or to purchase a handgun,” he scolded them.
When it comes to requiring permits to purchase rifles and shotguns, Alabama, Missouri, and Texas find themselves amongst the vast majority of states, even among blue states. According to the anti-gun rights Giffords Law Center, only seven states (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Oregon) and the District of Columbia require some form of permitting before any firearm can be purchased.
New York and Washington State require permits to purchase semi-automatic rifles like AR-15s but not shotguns. Those two, plus Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Rhode Island all have a permitting process to buy handguns, so still not the majority Dokoupil scolded the others for not being a part of.
The Gofford's Law Center's information was also out of date; North Carolina repealed their handgun permit requirement last month, overriding Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto.
Meanwhile, Nebraska is set to join the growing majority of states that allow for permit-less gun carry. “The Cornhusker State is now one signature away from becoming the 27th to adopt permitless gun carry,” reported The Reload’s Jake Fogleman on Wednesday. “The Nebraska legislature voted 33-14 to … allow adults aged 21 and over who would otherwise be eligible for a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm in public without obtaining one.”
And in regards to their “gun violence mortality rates,” the numbers included suicides which historically make up about two-thirds of gun deaths in America. This is misleading because the term “gun violence,” much like the term “mass shooting,” usually conjures certain images of wonton shooting and criminal behavior. Certainly, suicide does not fall into that category, especially since a gun is just the tool to carry out the act.
Dokoupil also seemed to be intent on stoking fear and mistrust amongst Americans as he warned: “There are nearly 434 million firearms in civilian possession nationwide. These are your friends and neighbors, your fellow Americans.”
CORRECTION: In citing the Giffords Law Center, North Carolina was included in states that required a permit to buy a handgun. But as of March, 2023, the law requiring the permit was repealed via a veto override of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.
CBS’s disinformation about which states have certain gun laws was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Ashley Homestore and Neutrogena. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Mornings
April 20, 2023
8:11:46 a.m. EasternTONY DOKOUPIL: Of course, gun laws are different in every state. But with all these shootings all across the country and the different circumstances of each, we did want to take a step back and assess some of the numbers.
Listen to this. There are nearly 434 million firearms in civilian possession nationwide. These are your friends and neighbors, your fellow Americans. That's according to a firearm industry trade association. What it means is that there are roughly 100 million more guns in the country than there are people in the country.
And as far as the three states that Mark Strassmann just mentioned: Alabama and Missouri. Well, they have the fourth and ninth highest firearm mortality rates in the country respectively. And Texas, it has the heaviest burden of gun deaths in this country. Deaths by gun violence, 4,600 a year. And that is only good enough in that state for 27th as a mortality rate, middle of the pack. Think about that.
In all three of those states, no permit is required to purchase a rifle, to purchase a shotgun, or to purchase a handgun.
