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by Larry Pratt |
February 16th, 2006
The hunting accident that occurred when Vice President Dick Cheney shot a hunting buddy during a bird hunt is only of interest because it involved the Vice President.
Hunting accidents happen every year, although it is also true that fatal gun accidents of all kind are continuing
to decline. Most recently there have been 770 accidental firearms deaths per year. This has occurred at the same
time that the number of firearms owned by private citizens in this country has nearly tripled since 1967 – a year that
saw 2700 fatal firearms accidents.
To put these numbers into perspective, consider that there are about 40,000 deaths from automobile accidents each year. That means that using your car is about 57 times more likely to kill you than is Dick Cheney’s shotgun.
Some are trying to invent a story out of Cheney’s failure to hold a press conference right away. Those same people don’t seem to find any problem with a truly fatal accident involving another prominent person, Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Kennedy left the scene of an accident and let a girl drown. He spent the night trying to figure out what his story would be.
Perhaps that is why so many of the media have let Kennedy alone – at least he held a news conference as soon as he had his story straight.
Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada has criticized Cheney for not holding a news conference right away. This is the same
Senator who had a stroke and took three days to say anything to the media. Again, the Sen. Kennedy rule probably protects Sen. Reid, since his aides claim that the delay was occasioned by their desire to have all the tests in so they would have their story straight.
As long as you were thinking of the media, delay is OK. It is only inexcusable if you were not thinking first of the
media — you know, like getting the poor victim of the accident to the hospital and making sure he was alright.
Other “interesting delays” in our recent history involved the 30 hours Hillary Clinton needed to contact the media about the violent death of her law partner/White House counsel, Vince Foster. Where was the media outrage following Hillary’s delay?
One reporter asked if Gun Owners of America was not afraid that the Cheney incident would lead to a call for more gun control. I explained the facts above about declining accidental firearms fatalities. He responded that, “Didn’t we think that calls for a renewal of the semi-auto ban (which he incorrectly called “assault weapons”) could result from this incident?”
All I could do was laugh. What a non-sequitur.
I am not sure that even Sarah Brady would try to make that stretch, but then, maybe I had better wait a while.
ldpratt@gunowners.org
Visit their website at: http://www.gunowners.org
Responses to "Much Ado About Nothing"
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The chronological order in which the Vice President and his security detail attended to the various concerned entities is highly significant, as is the reaction of the mainstream press to their place within that order.
They saw first to the injured man, administering first aid and placing him on an ambulance. Having gotten the victim to a hospital, they could do nothing more for him but to leave him in the hands of the doctors. At that point, they turned their focus to fulfilling their obligation to report the accident and to begin cooperating with the investigator from the Parks and Wildlife Department. This happened within an hour and a half of the shooting.
Immediately, after the P&W investigators and the local Sheriff's Department had been given an opportunity to do their duty without the field being trampled by reporters and news trucks, the press was notified.
The fervor with which the press responded to this third place finish is highly telling. Apparently, they feel that they believe that they should be allowed to establish the 'truth' before any competant investigator is allowed to do so. They also seem to feel that resources that were spent on the rescue of the wounded hunter would have been better used dealing with them. After all, a man's life is a small price to pay for the New York Times to be able to report first. Hardly inconsistant with the way they deal with our troops overseas.
Comment by R. Larson Lundquist | February 16, 2006
The MSM says 14 or 18 hours is too long to learn the details of the hunting incident…then why have we been waiting for five months - and counting - to see the 12 cartoons that everyone on the planet is talking about?
Let me see…could it be that anything that can hurt the Bush administration is very much news worthy and anything that can hurt the muslims must be quickly swept under the carpet by the MSM?
That would mean the MSM has a bias, or even…an agenda…
Nah…I must have too much imagination!
Comment by Anonymous256 | February 16, 2006
This story is not a story unless the man dies. He is 78, but regardless of that, if any of us shot a man on accident who died there would be a penalty. I pray he doesn't for his sake and for Cheney's, the sharks smell the blood in the water and they could gain traction if Mr. Whitingam suffers a premature death. No one likes to see someone of power and wealth get away with something they would not based solely on that power and wealth. The Chappequiddick death of Mary Jo Kopeche is a far worse scenerio due to the blatant non- concern for her life by Ted Kennedy. I still believe he belongs in prison for involuntary manslaughter. As an experienced hunter I could not with a good conscious claim Cheney should not take liabilty of the mans' death if he does not recover. His title should not be above the law, regardless how much I admire him. The defeat of liberalism should not come at the expense of coming more like them. As far as the media end of it, they hold no responsibility to the White House Press Corps to be the first in line in all stories. The way the White House Press Corps operates the White House was more than fair in timing and substance.
Comment by Dan Behrens | February 17, 2006
About nothing? The title of this topic should be the theme song of the right-wing. Every peice of wrong-doing by anyone from the right is defined as 'Much Ado About Nothing'. This is yet another example of the persistant flow of misdeeds.
How many average Americans could get away with doing what he did? I would like to know why Cheney felt that he had no moral and lawful obligation to report a serious hunting accident to authorities and the press?
Both the right and the left should stop making this a political issue, because it's much simpler than that. It's about a man that made a seriously dangerous mistake, and decided to control how and when he would disclose that information to the public. Being a public servant, he failed to live up to those obligations.
But this is yet another example of how the Republican party is not the party of 'integrity and accountability'. It's too difficult for them to go to the police even when a close friend has been hurt.
That being said, I don't beleive Cheney meant to shoot the man, I beleive it was an honest mistake. But to wait, then finally come out with a one-on-one interview with the Fox Propaganda network was insult to injury. Has he no respect for the AMerican people that elected him? Withholding of information is a hallmark of the Administration.
He shot the guy, admitted it and should be held accountable under any legal and civil statutes.
Last, but certainly not least; How dare Mr. cheney say that was the "Worst day of his life". How about thousands of American soldiers dead. Whether you disagree with the war or not, one can take no joy in a war of choice. How about thousands dead or missing from the souther disasters? Is there any emotional pain from that? How about the thousands that died on 9/11? You mean to tell me his heart hurts more from a single friend being seriously injured than all those that perished on 9/11?
Seems to me, that based on his words, he is either a major liar or seriously detached from the American people.
As citizens, liberal or conservative, is it too much for us to expect our so called leaders to be just as accountable to laws and ethics as we? If not, we are truly in some dark times….
Comment by deb0 | February 17, 2006
debO,
You said:
" I don’t beleive Cheney meant to shoot the man, "
You're sure about that?
How do you know ?
How could you know with all the secrecy from the Bush administration?
I mean, how do you know Harry Whittington has only said this today :
"Accidents do and will happen, and that's what happened. My family and I are deeply sorry for what Vice President Cheney and his family had to go through this week."
because he is afraid Cheney will shoot him again - and not miss this time - if he does not do what the evil republicans tell him to do?
And what about the police closing the investigation without filing any charges?
Are they part of the vast right wing conspiracy?
Should we hide under the kitchen sink until democrats are in power again?
Or am I making much ado about nothing?…
Comment by Anonymous256 | February 17, 2006
You are merely trying to trivialize my points. But hey, you could be right, there could be some conspiracy. I don't know and can't prove that, so that's why I give cheney the benefit of the doubt.
I am only expressing discontent for what I know. Rather than try to be sarcastic and trivialize the points (pseudo-sean hannity), how about answering the real points pointed out in my previous point.
Bottom line is that the way he handled it is nothing like what normal and responsible citizens do everyday. I'm sorry that his conduct is acceptable to you.
I tend to expect a little more from our leadership, regardless of whether or not I voted for them.
Comment by deb0 | February 17, 2006
"I’m sorry that his conduct is acceptable to you."
Calling an ambulance before calling the Press is unacceptable?
Talking to the police before talking to the Press is unacceptable?
" Bottom line is that the way he handled it is nothing like what normal and responsible citizens do everyday."
You got that right, normal citizens don't even tell the Press - ever!
And tell me why do we need to know about a hunting incident the minute it happened but we can not see the 12 cartoons that hundreds of thousands of muslims are rioting and killing people about?
If we can't see the cartoons out of respect for muslims, then why can't we respect the vice President of the free world for a mere 14 hours?
You have more respect for seventh century barbarians than for the vice President of the free world?
Silly me! You are a lefty, of course you do!
Comment by Anonymous256 | February 17, 2006
I agree with Hillary that this is the most deceptive administration ever. I was appalled that the Vice President adn his supporters made the following statements:
Dick Cheney: "I did not have hunting relations with that man . . . Mr. Whittington."
Lynn Cheney: "Dick and I have been accused of everything, including shooting people in the face. These allegations are part of a continuing political campaign against my husband and part of an effort to undo the results of two elections. The great story here . . . is this vast left-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since he announced for vice president."
Vice President's spokesman: "We have been searching for these subpoena'd records about the shooting for months, and today they suddenly showed up on a table in the conference room next to the V.P's office."
Lynn Cheney: "Yes, I found Mr. Whittington's suicide note, but I waited 30 hours to tell anyone because I wanted to make sure we had a coherent position and decide what to do before telling anyone."
Comment by Jumper | February 18, 2006
Of course this would be a non-story if it hadn't have been the VP involved, because the average citizen is not in a position of such power and influence.
This to me seems to raise questions about Cheney's basic competence, that's why it's a big story. Sure, anyone can make mistakes, but shooting a man in the neck and face is a pretty huge mistake.
In a similar vain, killing tens of thousands of people in the name of non-existent weapons of mass destruction was a pretty huge mistake, if that's what it was. So too was the handling of the Katrina aftermath.
It seems these neo-conservative types are pretty good at making mistakes, and only a child would imagine that simply saying sorry afterwards makes it all okay. I believe people should have to face the consequences of their actions. I also believe we should have the most competent people possible running our great nation, men and women who 'shoot straight' both metaphorically and literally.
Cheney's 'mistake' is one in a long list made by members of this government of fatal or near fatal accidents, misfires, miscalculations or negligence.
We are not talking about people who spilt some milk here, or lost their car keys.
I guess there are two types of people in this world, those who take the mishandling of lethal force seriously, and those who don't.
Or perhaps there is one rule for the leaders and another for everyone else.
Comment by Max Godwin | February 20, 2006