OK, we were wrong. On Monday night, Twitchy reported on a video posted by CBS News claiming to show how it was easier to buy an assault rifle in Florida than it was to buy cold medicine. We predicted the chance of CBS News retracting it to be around zero percent, but on Tuesday, CBS News came clean and removed the video.
5 things that are more complicated than buying a gun in Florida https://t.co/MsiTCuR3jM
Note: Previous tweet was removed because it contained inaccuracies and lacked sufficient context pic.twitter.com/r12WjrjARR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 20, 2018
“It contained inaccuracies and lacked sufficient context.” In other words, it was flat-out wrong, and never once mentioned the background check required to purchase a firearm.
So what has CBS News come up with as a replacement? Five things that are “more complicated” than buying a gun in Florida, such as cold medicine, large amounts of fertilizer, large quantities of anti-diarrhea medication, and medical marijuana. It also appends this editor’s note:
Editor’s Note: This piece was edited to add details about the waiting periods required for handgun purchases and some rifle purchases, which were absent in earlier versions.
Well, of course: how were they supposed to make it sound like it was easier to buy an assault rifle than cold medicine if they took into account things like waiting periods and background checks?
Did CBS News at least get it right this time?
Um. This one contains a bunch of inaccuracies and lacks sufficient context too. It's simply not more "complicated" to buy cough medicine or any of these other things than it is to buy guns. Except maybe Marijuana since it's, you know, illegal under federal law. https://t.co/86pbNLVx26
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) February 20, 2018
From the Network that gave you Dan Rather: https://t.co/tcN6846Ljt
— Bob ن (@BobHicks_) February 20, 2018
Drugs are illegal. Guns are right. Are you trying to compare dumb stuff on purpose?
— Karey Jackson (@Karey1975) February 20, 2018
Maybe you should have given up on the idea altogether instead. https://t.co/s51jcURKJf
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) February 20, 2018
Maybe CBS News should give up advocating for gun control and just … report the facts? If it can do that right?
Related:
FAKE NEWS: CBS News says it’s easier to buy an ‘assault rifle’ than cold medicine
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