PBS fill-in anchor Sara Sidner spent an entire episode supporting the agenda of gun control, making no genuine effort to refute her leftist guest’s allegations.
Sidner propagated disinformation in the pre-recorded interview with Dr. Joseph Safran, which broadcast on PBS and CNN International, such as asserting that mass shootings are “uniquely American,” and she overestimated the number of mass homicides in 2022.
Sidner began the section incorrectly by bringing misconstrued numbers to the argument:
She stated that, “2022 will go down as the second highest year for mass shootings in the United States on record. That means more than 600 mass killings in the past 12 months alone, according to data compiled by the nongovernmental organization, Gun Violence Archive. The shootings come at a disturbing pace, often too fast to grasp — people going about their day suddenly gunned down in schools, supermarkets, night clubs, movie theaters, in the streets, you name it.”
She soon added: “Are these tragedies preventable? And why can’t we stop this uniquely American problem?”
However, according to the webpage she quoted, there were 36 occurrences of gun-related “mass murder” in 2022, which would encompass homicides in private homes as well as public areas. Furthermore, there are undoubtedly many additional nations with high murder rates.
What about the claim that this is an ‘uniquely American problem’? Well, that’s BS. The GOP isn’t fighting to keep peaceful cartels out of the US. Mexico alone tops the US in terms of gun violence. That doesn’t fit the narrative though. Neither does the fact that Europe has more incidences with assault rifles than the US.
Of course her guest had plenty to say but I’m mainly focused on Sidner as she represents PBS— You know, the taxpayer-funded, ‘Public Broadcast Service’.
The death of an innocent by any means is no less tragic than the other and this is not to downplay the threat of mass shootings. The world needs to take a long look at mental health issues and their role in sudden bursts of violence as well as intervention. Targeting lawful gun owners is not the answer here.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
