Talk Radio's Shameful Role

Alex Jones

The gun lobby's stranglehood over this country's gun control discussion is nothing new. I recall in the mid 80s when the topic came up on our WLAD/Danbury midday talk show. The unfamiliar voices of well organized gun control opponents armed with rehearsed talking points flooded the phone lines. It was obviously a coordinated "swarm". Their intention was clearly to overwhelm and discourage any real discussion. They succeeded. A few decades later and just a couple of miles away from that WLAD studio, the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown has made the issue of guns and violence impossible for the NRA and others to sweep under the rug. The fact that Walmart, one of the nation's biggest ammunition dealers, and the NRA at least agreed to meet with administration officials is evidence that Newtown is a potential game changer. As with any mass shooting, the news also sets off a gun buying frenzy. Part of that is our own reactive nature, but my own profession also bears a lot of the blame. Right wing hosts dominate talk radio. Just yesterday, Rush Limbaugh erroneously claimed that the Obama Administration could issue an executive order decimating the Second Amendment. CNN called him out on it. Speaking of CNN, did you see the Piers Morgan interview of radio talk host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones? Jones' screaming and threatening tirade against any attempts at gun control served as an eye opener as to how dangerous zealots can be. This nutjob is on 140 radio stations! There are many radio talk show hosts who fanned the unfounded fear that President Obama is out to confiscate everyone's guns and leave private citizens defenseless against an oppressive federal government. By likening Obama to Hitler, they bear a big share of responsibility for trampling over comprehensive talk about guns in society while fanning the flames of fear. Are there ridiculous ideas on the side of gun control? Of course - people are frustrated, but Governor Malloy is right when he says the solution isn't just about posting armed guards at every classroom. Fox News shares some blame, but shame on most of talk radio!