Hi, folks.
I'm the analyst who did the study and wrote the commentary which Oana quoted above.
Points to consider:
--Absolutely no names or addresses published.
--Rudy, HSO, I appreciate you fellas being the voice of reason.
--BainX, presumably, is the same as "Alarmed," who posted on our message boards. He posted essentially the same thing on the Firing Line message boards. "Alarmed" thought it germane to make veiled threats to my family and the families of staff members.
--We're a television station, rather than a newspaper--the NBC affiliate in Knoxville, WBIR.
--Our study really didn't have any notions of demonstrating effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of Tennessee's permit program. We saw a spike in the number of local folks seeking the permit after a high-profile double murder in which the victims apparently did not know the perpetrators. We became interested in who, in the general and non-individual sense, was making use of the program. We analyzed the program for the purpose of seeing the geographic trend, then ran socioeconomic correlations with Census info. The question it raises, which I intend to try to answer, is whether the economic split we saw is a sign of inequality in the way the program is administered. Are the permit and training fees a barrier? Why aren't the folks who traditionally would most need the permits getting them?
--I'm a patient guy, slow to anger--part of the temperament I got from my old man. I'm not going to take the veiled threats made by a few reactionary buffoons as being indicative of all or even most gun owners and enthusiasts. On the other hand, it's not really a reasonable expectation that other news folks will respond similarly. My friendly advice: consider Alarmed and BainX (if they're not the same person, though they likely are) a case study in how not to respond to the press, if you'd like to be an effective advocate. Making vague threats is likely a pretty reliable way to turn an objective or on-the-fence journalist into an anti, as you like to call them. Somebody threatens you, you're likely to hold a grudge.
--Knowing as I do that gun owners and enthusiasts are a widely-varied group in terms of make-up, it's not a reasonable expectation for everybody else to be able to prevent one person from reacting reflexively and doing something foolish. All the same, it might be a worthwhile conversation for gun folks to have. You really don't want the village idiot to lead the parade. Some of your level-headed members have done a great job assuring others that we're not out to invade their privacy, and we do appreciate it.
--You can reach me at [email protected] if you'd like to ask any additional questions or make additional comments on our story and commentary. If you are interested in seeing any of the correlation tables, I'd be happy to share them. (Do note we will not be sharing any individually specific/identifiable information.)
Regards,
--Jake, wbir.com
I'm the analyst who did the study and wrote the commentary which Oana quoted above.
Points to consider:
--Absolutely no names or addresses published.
--Rudy, HSO, I appreciate you fellas being the voice of reason.
--BainX, presumably, is the same as "Alarmed," who posted on our message boards. He posted essentially the same thing on the Firing Line message boards. "Alarmed" thought it germane to make veiled threats to my family and the families of staff members.
--We're a television station, rather than a newspaper--the NBC affiliate in Knoxville, WBIR.
--Our study really didn't have any notions of demonstrating effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of Tennessee's permit program. We saw a spike in the number of local folks seeking the permit after a high-profile double murder in which the victims apparently did not know the perpetrators. We became interested in who, in the general and non-individual sense, was making use of the program. We analyzed the program for the purpose of seeing the geographic trend, then ran socioeconomic correlations with Census info. The question it raises, which I intend to try to answer, is whether the economic split we saw is a sign of inequality in the way the program is administered. Are the permit and training fees a barrier? Why aren't the folks who traditionally would most need the permits getting them?
--I'm a patient guy, slow to anger--part of the temperament I got from my old man. I'm not going to take the veiled threats made by a few reactionary buffoons as being indicative of all or even most gun owners and enthusiasts. On the other hand, it's not really a reasonable expectation that other news folks will respond similarly. My friendly advice: consider Alarmed and BainX (if they're not the same person, though they likely are) a case study in how not to respond to the press, if you'd like to be an effective advocate. Making vague threats is likely a pretty reliable way to turn an objective or on-the-fence journalist into an anti, as you like to call them. Somebody threatens you, you're likely to hold a grudge.
--Knowing as I do that gun owners and enthusiasts are a widely-varied group in terms of make-up, it's not a reasonable expectation for everybody else to be able to prevent one person from reacting reflexively and doing something foolish. All the same, it might be a worthwhile conversation for gun folks to have. You really don't want the village idiot to lead the parade. Some of your level-headed members have done a great job assuring others that we're not out to invade their privacy, and we do appreciate it.
--You can reach me at [email protected] if you'd like to ask any additional questions or make additional comments on our story and commentary. If you are interested in seeing any of the correlation tables, I'd be happy to share them. (Do note we will not be sharing any individually specific/identifiable information.)
Regards,
--Jake, wbir.com
