[papercut]

I caught the last few seconds of an ad for Monday (Oct. 13) evening's WSB-TV newscast in which something to do with gun owners was the topic. Didn't see the whole thing, so I'm not completely sure what the deal is, but it looked to be a negative-slant thing. It wrapped up with a guy saying something to the effect of, 'the gun owner you train today could be the criminal you encounter tomorrow' or something like that.

So, if you're in the ATL area and have taken your blood pressure medication, watch the WSB 6:00pm news on Monday. (It's possible that the report will air at 5pm also, and possibly at 11pm, but can't swear to it.)

If I see the entire ad again, I'll post more info.

[clown714]

saw it earlier:barf:

just like all the rest of the :cuss: media

clown

[COOL]

Maybe they will send a camera crew to the USPSA GEORGIA STATE MATCH this
coming weelend. That should open their minds a little more:D

[Standing Wolf]

Maybe they will send a camera crew to the USPSA GEORGIA STATE MATCH this
coming weelend. That should open their @#$%^&! a little more.

That'd be too much like journalism and too little like leftist extremist advocacy masquerading as so-called "news."

[Lightsped]

So has this article alrady aired or is it still scheduled for Monday night? I can hardly wait to see what the left winged media has to say now..... :rolleyes:

[Spieler]

Just another reason not to watch local ATL news!

[Sportcat]

Does the station have a web site that might air the story?

[Wiley]

I saw the promo. It on the Monday 6PM news, about how people protect themselves in the work place. One of the promo scenes was an MD showing off his NAA revolver. It *may* be unbiased.

[AUTIGER04]

Im over in Alabama, near Auburn Ill be watching.:mad: Flood them with emails.:fire:

[Lightsped]

Just a reminder. Tonight at 6pm. Channel 2 WSB-TV.

I think this one will be biased. The title of the article is something like "Today's citizens, could be tomorrow's criminials"..... Be nice if it were unbiased, but that seems doubtful. :confused:

[Sportcat]

Please let us know if the story is posted on their web site!!!

[papercut]

OK, here's the one-sentence summary of the report: The Toccoa (Georgia) police department (http://www.toccoapolicedept.com) teaches a firearms course to white-collar professionals in order to train them how to prevent workplace violence (http://www.jamesanealtraining.com/courses.htm#Workplace%20Violence%20Seminars).

I taped the segment, and I think it was good enough to warrant a transcript, so I'll type one up and get it posted real soon now.

[Hypnogator]

Just saw the special report on workplace violence on WSB TV Atlanta earlier this evening. Was greatly surprised that the piece was almost all positive. :what:

Except for the obligatory comment by some "workplace violence expert" at Georga State, that guns in the workplace might be used inappropriately, the piece was entirely about how the only protection against workplace violence was deadly force.

They specifically showed "professionals" carrying and using handguns, being trained by the Toccoa Police Department (through their training institute -- one of my competitors in this area). You could have knocked me over with a feather!:cool:

[papercut]

Here is a quickie transcript I typed up of the report from tonight's WSB-TV 6pm newscast. I've only done a once-over to look for mistakes, so if something looks strange to you, please let me know and I'll check the tape and make corrections. I'm mainly posting this for the benefit of out-of-area THR visitors who are interested.

Station: WSB Television
Program: Channel 2 Action News at 6

Date: 10/13/2003
Time: 6:43PM (during newscast)

Segment title: Workplace Violence
Runtime: about four minutes

Summary: Some Georgia corporate executives and middle managers are taking firearms training to prevent workplace violence.


Transcript:

[Fade in. News anchor Monica Kaufman is seated at her anchor desk.]

MONICA KAUFMAN: Just in the past two months at least 38 people have died, another two dozen seriously hurt in the U.S. because of workplace shootings. Now, if that trend continues, we could be in for a record-breaking year when it comes to workplace violence. Channel 2's Lori Geary found some professoinals prepared to use deadly force, but only as a last resort.

[Cut to reporter Lori Geary standing in front of "workplace violence" graphic]

LORI GEARY: Several executives and middle managers are not taking any chances when it comes to workplace violence. The Toccoa police department offers a course aimed at teaching white collar workers how to defend themselves and co-workers against a disgruntled employee. They're packing heat--and controversy.

[Cut to close-in waist shot of a police officer at a shooting range drawing pistol from his holster]

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. THOMAS PHILLIPS: Executive self protection...

[Cut to shot of police officer racking slide]

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. PHILLIPS: ...how to handle a situation...

[Cut to close up of a hand firing pistol]

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. PHILLIPS: ...once it gets out of hand.

[Cut to various scenes of Dr. Phillips at work, with Lori Geary voiceover]

GEARY: As an oncologist, Dr. Thomas Phillips combats cancer. You may be surprised to know...

[Cut to scene of Geary & Dr. Phillips in Phillips' office. Phillips draws a very small revolver from the pocket of his white doctor's coat, looks like an NAA .22 Mini-Revolver]

DR. PHILLIPS: This is a weapon that you could carry that's very small.

GEARY: ...another weapon is usually close by to protect himself.

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. PHILLIPS: No one wants to take another person's life, and I, especially being a physician, don't want to ever do that.

[Cut to various scenes of Dr. Phillips at work, with Lori Geary voiceover]

GEARY: But studies show he's in the third most dangerous profession when it comes to workplace violence.

[Cut to Toccoa police officer Gary Deal at shooting range]

POLICE OFFICER GARY DEAL: You meet everyone at their work. Doctors rarely see well people, whether it be physically or mentally.

[Cut to scenes of officer Deal firing on the range, with Lori Geary voiceover]

GEARY: Toccoa police officer Gary Deal teaches the executive self protection class. His students are white collar professionals and pay about 700 bucks for the course. They include doctors, real estate agents and small business owners.

[Cut to Toccoa police officer Gary Deal at shooting range]

OFFICER DEAL: Defense is defense. I mean, whether you wear a suit or whether you wear a pair of coveralls every day.

[Cut to reporter Lori Geary at shooting range]

GEARY: Program organizers say this is not a course to turn executives into gun-toting cowboys. This is a way to help them deal with potentially dangerous situations in the Workplace.

[Cut to scene of Toccoa police chief Bill Grant at Toccoa police training center.]

TOCCOA POLICE CHIEF BILL GRANT: It's not an unfounded fear. I think that there is a reality out here that they need to be on guard, that they need to be able to take care of themselves.

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. PHILLIPS: In fact, they teach you just the opposite. They teach you not to ever pull a weapon, unless you absolutely know without a doubt, that it's eather you or the other person.

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Bill Waugh, seated in his university office or library]

DR. BILL WAUGH: It's a case of that may be too extreme.

[Cut to scene of Dr Waugh waking outside to a house doorway (house number 215), with Lori Geary voiceover]

GEARY: Dr. Bill Waugh is a Georgia State University professor who studies workplace violence and says he was surprised to hear about the course.

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Bill Waugh, seated in his university office or library]

DR. WAUGH (a.k.a., gun-grabber): Frankly, my rule of thumb is that trained people with guns are dangerous as well as untrained people.

[Cut to scenes of police & other emergency vehicles in Meridian, Mississippi; San Antonio, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia]

GEARY: But supporters of the course say they only need to look at this video from all over the country to justify it. In July, Doug Williams opened fire inside the Lockheed-Martin plant in Meridian, Mississippi, killing 5 people, wounding 9 others. Also, the same month, a co-worker opened fire at a real estate office in San Antonio, killing 2 people, crititcally injuring a third. In Atlanta, who could forget one of the worst workplace homicides in history--the day Mark Barton went on a shooting rampage in Buckhead. In the end, 13 were dead, 13 wounded.

OFFICER DEAL: People tend to feel captured. [Cut to Toccoa police officer Gary Deal at shooting range] And when they feel as though they've run out of options, and then they explode. And that's what we're seeing a lot of. They don't--they find someone to put all this--this faceless rage on.

[Cut to bust shot of Dr. Thomas Phillips, seated]

DR. PHILLIPS: I would like to survive. So that's what personal choice I have and [Cut to close up of a hand firing pistol] that's why I took the course.

[Cut to reporter Lori Geary standing in front of "workplace violence" graphic]

GEARY: Tomorrow we talk to a DeKalb county doctor whose husband did not survive the Buckhead shootings. You'll hear how she and her children are coping four years after losing their loved one.

[Cut to DeKalb county doctor in an office]

UNNAMED FEMALE DOCTOR: I want to say, Lori, that some days I feel like I'm much stronger than I was exactly four years ago. But every day's a different day.

[Cut to reporter Lori Geary standing in front of "workplace violence" graphic]

GEARY: You'll also get a rare behind-the-scenes look at what employees are doing to ensure safety in the workplace. That's tomorrow on Channel 2 Action News at 6.

[END OF TRANSCRIPT]

[MAKOwner]

Damn, that's pretty surprising. I hadn't seen anything on that channel before to even hint they would be more or less on the side of armed defense against crazies at the workplace. Of course this is Georgia not Kalifornia but still...

Don't suppose any of the national media channels will use some common sense and run similar segments as well...

[Wiley]

GEARY: Dr. Bill Waugh is a Georgia State University professor who studies workplace violence and says he was surprised to hear about the course.
...
DR. BILL WAUGH: It's a case of that may be too extreme.
...
DR. WAUGH: Frankly, my rule of thumb is that trained people with guns are dangerous as well as untrained people.
(edited: Wiley)

Waugh needs to get out of his 'Ivory tower' more often.

All in all not too bad.

Don't forget Tues @ 6 for part 2.

[Lightsped]

Thanks for the transcript. That was very helpful. I missed the article at 6pm, and was unable to wait around for the late news....

I am happy the article was better than expected.

[BogBabe]

I think it's especially notable that the focus was on law-abiding citizens "packing heat" at their workplace.

With all of the no-weapons policies that so many workplaces have these days, we need more attention like this, to draw attention to the importance of the people in those workplaces having the ability to defend themselves.

[papercut]

Y'know, I didn't realize it last night, but the quote I mentioned to start the thread ('the gun owner you train today could be the criminal you encounter tomorrow') wasn't shown in the segment last night. I wonder if it's going to show up tonight....