CNN and Firearms Law

The press has a very shaky relationship with firearms laws. Now usually this takes the form of reporting them improperly. For instance the Assault Weapons Ban was widely publicized as effecting machine guns and other select fire arms. It was not. It was about mostly superficial features on semi-automatic weapons.

Now the big kick in the media is .50 caliber sniper rifles. They could be used to shoot down airliners! Unlikely, but technically within the realm of possibility. So CNN did a story on it. Well actually they did multiple stories on it, but they really screwed up on the last one.

It seems in order to get a rifle for their current piece, they bought it for cash money out of state in what is know as a "straw man" sale. The only problem is that this is a felony. In fact they may have committed two felonies. Triggerfinger has a great overview of the development of this story on the internet and has posted followups.

The question is no longer whether they violated the law. They did. The question is now whether they will be prosecuted for it. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives says the would like to see criminal intent before they prosecute. Others have noted that intent is not a factor in this sort of statutory law.

Honestly, after seeing horrible and slanted firearms coverage from the media for decades, I wouldn't have a problem with the book being throw at CNN in this case. It would be nice to have the over-complexity of firearms law driven home to the media. Perhaps they would do a story on it. Punishing them for running stories when they have not done the required research is just icing on the cake.