IllinoisCarry.org's Valinda Rowe Rebuts 20/20 Hit Piece

WSIL, a local ABC station in Harrisburg, IL, ran the 20/20 story "If I Only Had a Gun." Nothing wrong with that; they're an ABC affiliate, and they pay big money to run that program. But they took a step that I'm willing to bet most local stations around the country didn't think of: they invited advocates of both sides of the issue to appear live on the nightly newscast to discuss the piece. According to WSIL anchor Angie Wyatt, both the ICPGV (Illinois Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence) and the Brady Campaign (Formerly Handgun Control, Inc.) were called, but neither responded. Imagine that! The only one who took the station up on its offer was Valinda Rowe, spokesperson for IllinoisCarry.org.



Personally, I think ICPGV and BC made the right choice. The NSSF refused to comment on 20/20's hit piece, because it was clear that it was intended to bury the NSSF's point of view and make it impossible for them to give their side of the argument. Putting two anti-gun shills at the same table as Valinda Rowe of IllinoisCarry.org and forcing them to defend their arguments with whatever facts they can muster is the same kind of foregone conclusion. If they had agreed to play fair against Valinda, they'd have had no one but themselves to blame for the results. The 20/20 piece made all their arguments about as well as they're able to make them; there was nothing to gain for them in trying to debate.