Gun shop owners should really get out of the habit of talking to the media. Especially in the Philadelphia area. The media here are not our friends. Apparently Mike Glessner, of Mike’s Sporting Goods, needs this bit of advice more than a lot of others:
Congratulations Mike, you just gave the anti-gunners in our area a lot more ammunition to call for more restrictions, because “See, even gun shop owners agree!”
UPDATE: Guav says in the comments: “Is there some context in the article for that statement, or are you just judging by the caption? Because there is absolutely no way to know what he said that in regards to otherwise—it may have been absolutely nothing to do with thinking there should be more gun laws.” Guav is right. It could have been taken out of context. Nonetheless, the lesson stands. Don’t talk to media.
Read that in the Philly rag this morning and it made me cringe. Idiot! Why not just stick to, “Don’t blame me, blame the gang-banging criminal thug,” or even, “Go away,” or something suitably short and sweet. Ugh.
Is there some context in the article for that statement, or are you just judging by the caption? Because there is absolutely no way to know what he said that in regards to otherwise—it may have been absolutely nothing to do with thinking there should be more gun laws.
That’s a really good point.
Yeah, I suppose he could have said “Well, maybe there should be more regulations, but how do you know they are going to help anything?” or such. You’re right. I give the media too much credit.
But the lesson stands: don’t talk to media.
Guav, your point is exactly why we have to be careful in talking to the media. It doesn’t matter what his real intent is. It doesn’t matter what he really said. It’s about how the media quotes us, and how the general (non-shooting) public interprets what they read.