It seems a day doesn’t go by that we’re not debunking more lies and half truths coming from the mainstream media. The latest is a 60 Minutes segment that aired Sunday. This segment titled “A look at Red Flag laws and the battle over one in Colorado” is chock full of inaccurate facts, omissions, and misinformation. We go over those below.
To watch the full segment, you will have to visit the CBS website and view it there. It is 14 minutes long and free to watch.
You can watch a quick preview of the segment here:
Our take:
1.) There have not been 366 mass shootings this year (learn more: www.rallyforourrights.com/we-are-being-lied-to-about-mass-shootings-again)
2.) California passed their Red Flag law in 2014, not 2016. Now this is a minor discrepancy, but something 60 Minutes absolutely should have gotten correct. If they are going to flub on such a simple fact, what else will they get wrong? Do they not know how to use Google?
3.) Connecticut had a Red Flag law in place when Sandy Hook happened. Theirs was enacted in 1999. Sandy Hook happened in 2012 and was NOT the catalyst to write the law as the segment implies.
4.) Law enforcement is not the only entity who can petition the courts. Spouses, ex-spouses, roommates, former roommates, any relative or step-relative, a Tinder date gone wrong, or someone you had an affair with are all also people who can petition the courts for a Red Flag ERPO. If you don’t fall in to the insanely broad range of people the law defines as “family members”, you can then simply go to a law enforcement officer and have them file the petition for you.
5.) The temporary orders are granted based on a preponderance of evidence – even when law enforcement files the petition. Preponderance quite literally means the more convincing evidence, yet the person being accused is not present at the hearing and doesn’t know it’s taking place, therefore cannot present any evidence at all. The accuser will ALWAYS present the more convincing evidence. How will any of these ever be denied?
5.) It’s despicable how Sheriff Tony Spurlock said “this is a tool to take away guns” then turns around and says “this isn’t about taking away guns, it’s about getting people the help they need” when there is absolutely NO mental health component to the Colorado law.
6.) Watching the Zackari Parrish footage has us wondering how that is any different than serving a Red Flag warrant? How would the outcome change? Also, if they just left him alone that night, what would have happened? Why did Spurlock send his deputies into what he knew could be a gun fight with soft body armor?
7.) Sheriff Steve Reams was thoughtful, reasonable and great in pointing out that we need to be helping people, not simply removing the tool that could do harm. We are thankful for him.
8.) They omit the fact that more than 50 of Colorado’s 64 sheriffs oppose the law as written, as does the Denver Police Union and the Aurora Police Union.
Learn all about Colorado’s Red Flag law here.
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