issue 3// vol 47 opinions // no. 19 The Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights Integrity March » Poorly covered and well behaved Matthew Fraser Opinions Editor n September 12, the CCFR (Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights) hosted their “Integrity March on Ottawa,” a march that aimed to showcase the extreme displeasure most Canadian gun owners felt about the May 1 assault weapons ban. In a country where 78 percent of the people surveyed express support for a gun ban, hundreds if not thousands of gun owners marching around parliament would seem unwise, if not completely unpopular. In spite of the current pandemic status, the CCFR was able to motivate firearm owners across the country to show up and be heard on parliament hill. Despite what has seemed like years of public condemnation and derision, Canadian firearm owners seem to have decided that enough is enough; if nothing else, many of the marchers believe that the federal government does not have their best interests at heart and are very willing to violate their property rights. In an interview with Code of Arms, Rod Giltaca (founder and CEO of the CCFR) illustrates that Canadian gun owners can no longer sit quietly and hope for decent treatment from the federal government. Although Parliamentary Protective Services claimed roughly 800 individuals attended the march, the statement is contested by both march organizers, aerial photographs and a number of videos that came out in the days after. Regardless of how many people were claimed to attend, the goal of showing Canadian gun control proponents that these laws effect their neighbors and not just some nameless, faceless, hick enemy was achieved. With an event as controversial as a march in support of “assault rifles,” many would expect some level of hostility from counter protestors, yet counter protests Obvious fake news » How to easily spot inaccurate stories Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist N“ can be found not only in newspapers but also on TV, radio, and online, but too many of these sources can be deliberately misinformative. President Donald Trump coined the phrase “fake news’ after CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked him a question and did not let him answer during a press conference. The information that Trump posted on Twitter was scrutinized and considered by some as credible media and not by others. This makes it trickier to figure out what is true and who to trust. Fake news is not only a thing in the United States. It happens in other countries too, including Canada. Misinformation is another type of propaganda and can lead to bigger consequences. But there are inaccurate stories that are obviously fake that you can easily ignore them. When I get my news, I usually get it from a variety of sources instead of just one source. I watch many news channels in both Canada and the United States to see how they approach stories and which stories that they cover. This also allows me to see different opinions on a single story. When I read a story, I usually check the sources that are cited to find any bias in them, and it is more credible when there is less bias in it. One way that I would approach a political story is by watching Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) for the entire unedited press conference, and then later watching the news channels to see how it is covered and what is highlighted. oc ue O Oo wv < a] SS > ° o ie) x a were almost entirely absent. If the image of gun owners is one of violence and ill will, it certainly wasn't on display at the September 12 rally. In fact, the whole march lasted less than three hours including speakers. If anything, it highlighted how well behaved the Canadian gun owning public actually is; seeing as Canadian gun owners are vetted daily (unlike sex offenders or paroles) it is not particularly surprising that Canadian gun owners would be reticent to make a nuisance of themselves at a rally. Also, when a guest is interviewed, you have to find out about their views in general to find out if their thoughts ona topic is fact based or biased by personal feeling or doctrine. With internet news, fake news can look so obviously unreal = Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels Save for a few short articles for Global and CBC news groups, most of Canada’s mainstream media has remained mum on the march; this is yet another sign that Canadian firearms owners will not be able to get a fair shake in having our concerns heard or represented. Though controversial news outlets like Rebel Media provided coverage, and a number of independent Canadian firearms blogs were present, chances are if you weren't invested in the conversation already this would have slipped right through the cracks. Given how long the debate on gun control has been going on that should at least seem strange. However, in many ways this isn’t surprising, seeing as there are only two national gun lobbyists (according to Tracey Wilson of the CCFR—her being one of them) against over 100 anti-gun lobbyists, or when one considers how much media coverage Doctors for Protection from Guns gets despite their small size and some claims that have been disproven. The conversation on gun ownership in Canada may never end, as there will always be people who eschew fact-based policy for repressive bans. However, with the advent of social media and the increasing displeasure of firearms owners, opposition will only become stronger and more organized against intrusions into the personal freedoms of millions of Canadians. because it is too good or too drastic to be true. These are similar to the types of stories that you would see in tabloid magazines, which might be one reason why I think Trump dislikes and is treating some news organizations so poorly. Another simple way I spot a news source that isn’t credible is by looking at the design of the website to see how well it is organized. Credible news websites often have a simple and high-quality design and the layout makes it easy to find citations. The story being accompanied with a photo that is obviously photoshopped makes it likelier to be fake. Also, when checking the sources, you can go through its facts to see if they actually support the point in the story or if they’ve been angled to look like they do. While social media is another way to get news, it is mostly useful as a notification system for me when breaking news happens (as long as you get information from credible news sources and verified accounts). Lots of information from social media is not legitimate information. It can also be credible but not yet confirmed—or even misleading. As long as you know the basics of news, you should be able to find credible and accurate stories using your own judgement. Make sure to check the reliability of your sources before giving your opinions on various topics, it is essential.