Tag: gun control

They cannot publicize stories like this if they want to try and push the narative that handguns do not benefit America’s citizens.

This morning I spend some time debating whether or not to link to this article by Robert VerBruggen. It is an excellent step-by-step breakdown of the problems found within Fareed Zakaria’s argument in favor of gun control. I ultimately decided the piece stood well on its own and and chose not to link to it. Since then, things have changed.

Earlier today Newsbusters [accused Mr. Zakaria of plagarising the column](http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2012/08/10/talk-about-concealed-carry-fareed-zakaria-plagiarized-paragraph-history-). First, TIME magazine announced they were investigatng the charges, and then Mr. Zakaria came clean:

> “Media reporters have pointed out that paragraphs in my Time column this week bear close similarities to paragraphs in Jill Lepore’s essay in the April 22nd issue of The New Yorker. They are right, I made a terrible mistake. It is a serious lapse and one that is entirely my fault. I apologize unreservedly to her, to my editors at Time, and to my readers.”

As a result of his conduct, Mr. Zakaria has been suspended from both TIME and CNN.

The coverage of this column will now be about Mr. Zakaria’s plagarism and not his flawed argument. Though it is important to properly reprimand Mr. Zakaria for attempting to pass off another’s work as his own, it is equally important to remember the original flaws in his argument. As Mr. VerBruggen said:

> Zakaria shows nothing but condescension toward those who doubt the “case for gun control”: “Confronted with this blindingly obvious causal connection, otherwise intelligent people close their eyes.” But there is nothing obvious about it, and it is Zakaria who needs to open his mind to information that doesn’t support his conclusions.

Hopefully some time away from the media will give Mr. Zakaria the opportunity to do just that.