LETTERS: '60 MINUTES' SKEWED FACTS ON GUNS

To the editor:

I have never taken the time to write a letter or protest or grievance. But after viewing "60 Minutes" on Feb. 14, I felt compelled. I have never witnessed such a display of not only a one-sided view on the part of a journalist, but an outright attempt to deceive and mislead.

To summarize, Mike Wallace reported that undercover cops posing as criminals were able to buy guns from gun shops in the Chicago area and that gun manufacturers should police the ranks of gun dealers and say no to dealers who sell guns to criminals. Obviously, Mr. Wallace supports Mayor Daley's quest to hold gun manufacturers liable for the damage their products cause in the hands of criminals. Mr. Wallace also continued to report on a female customer who purchased a firearm for her boyfriend posing as a criminal.

Let's deal with the facts, not just what sounds good or is politically motivated.

I am not claiming to be an expert in firearms or firearms legislation, but I have been an avid firearms enthusiast and hunter for most of my life.

The sale of firearms is one of the most highly regulated and controlled industries in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is the agency assigned to the task, and it dedicates a large portion of its personnel and time to just that.

How can we hold a manufacturer responsible for the criminal use of its product? The key word is criminal, one who breaks the law. The manufacturer has no choice but to sell to all federally licensed dealers. Not to do so would be discriminating and would violate civil rights. It's not the manufacturer's job to police the retail dealers. It's the BATF's job, and it is good at its job.

Criminals cannot legally buy guns. Period. In case Mr. Wallace has conveniently forgotten, we now have the National Instant Check System in place where all potential gun purchasers are checked out by the FBI for criminal records and are summarily refused the sale if they fail the background check. Criminals face the check.

Anyone purchasing a firearm for another is in direct violation of a federal law. It asks the question on federal form 4473: Are you the actual purchaser of this firearm? Of course, anyone can lie, but he breaks a federal law in doing so.

It was obvious from the type of weapons purchased by the undercover cops that they were trying to portray the typical firearms dealer as a one-stop shot for terrorist-type weapons. They picked the most sinister looking weapons they could find. I have probably been in over 200 firearms dealers' stores in the past 20 years, having lived in three states and traveled around the country. I can tell you with absolute certainty that 99 percent of these stores carry few if any of those type weapons. A typical gun shop's inventory is primarily dedicated to hunters and sportsmen. At least 95 percent or more of the firearms inventory is purely sporting inventory. None of the weapons shown on "60 Minutes" could be found at the vast majority of gun shops throughout the country. It appears suspicious that the weapons purchased by the undercover cops were staged to represent a specific scenario.

The topic covered in the program just happened to be one in which I have had considerable experience and firsthand knowledge. Like most of my colleagues, I support the responsible use and handling of firearms. No one in his right mind wants criminals to have guns. But criminals by definition don't abide by laws, so making more laws regulating firearms would only apply to those who abide by laws.

Journalists have an enormous responsibility on their shoulders. When the public views a programs, it assumes what is being presented is true and accurate. After all, wasn't Walter Cronkite at one time considered the most influential man in America? Why didn't CBS, "60 Minutes" and Mike Wallace take the time to research this particular program more carefully? Why the one-sided view. And, more importantly, why the misinformation?

My fear is that this is the norm and that politically motivated misinformation and half-truths are the weapons used to advance individual agendas. Little attention is paid to the facts or the real truths of the situation. Perhaps if the news media were as regulated as the firearms industry, we would have a more responsible, accurate and ethical news media. And the public would view and hear something considerably closer to the truth.

TIM QUIGLEY

Cape Girardeau