Townhall.com and the Militia Movement: The Guns Are Free, But Are The Bullets?

That's incredible! Do Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck know about this blasphemy?

OK, so maybe the brouhaha has not been covered much by the MSM, but the fact remains that a gun training promotion was denied by a network that is a subsidiary of Clear channel which has a close corporate "relationship" with Rupert Murdoch-owned FOX News. Rush Limbaugh, Laura Schlessinger, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and practically every microphone-slinging, right-wing air wave pundit owes his substantial income to Clear channel. And what about those pundits who include "screeding?"* Townhall.com (Townhall Daily) carries the likes of Ann Coulter(geist), Michelle Malkin, John Stossel, Chuck Norris, and Bill O'Reilly (who was awarded the "Courageous Broadcaster of the year" award at the Values Voter Summit).

So what gives here?

It's an irony (not lost by "Dr." Piazza, to be sure) that Premiere Radio Network seems to bite the hand that feeds it. Is it so afraid of a liberal backlash? I doubt it. It seems to be some mid-level executive's lame attempt to present Premiere as a peaceful, non-violent advertising venue. But the more interesting thing about this affair is how Townhall.com has handled it: relaying "Dr." Piazza's message through its email list. And rather surreptitiously: you'll have a hard time finding the rant in Townhall.com's Oct. 4th issue. Is Townhall.com afraid of backlash as well? I'm not so sure. Publishing right-wing writings is its bread and butter. Then again, becoming involved in a gun control lawsuit could be a bit prickly, even to Townhall's tough hide.

The "Disneyland for gun-lovers"

Front Sight Firearms Training Institute might be defined as "militia lite": training programs cost from $1200 to $50,000 (lifetime membership). Taking cost into consideration, the "gift" of a gun is more like finding the plastic toy inside a box of Cracker Jack. Even so, Piazza has stepped up his promotion by offering to train teachers and pupils where crimes with firearms have been perpetrated.

wikipedia:

Townhall.com never vetted Piazza's persona: he's been allied with Tom Cruise's "religion", has been sued several times and made undisclosed settlements. The video below covers a lot of ground. It's slick. It's straight-forward. Yet, you can't shake the feeling that the people are right-wing or even near the edge of the extremist right wing.

After the Presidential election, reports of skyrocketing gun sales have consistently sent the message that white supremacists, hate groups and militia groups have increased in size. Townhall.com's promotion of Piazza's programs, no matter how legitimate, is irresponsible. It stokes the far-right fringe's aggression and fears. The programs go far beyond mere self-defense. By extension, Townhall.com makes killing someone easier, safer and, well, more fun!

As of 2008, Front Sight boasted 8500 members.

Testimonials on the website are HERE. The almost cavalier attitude of these would-be gun totin' mavericks is very telling. One former Front Site customer (who later sued Piazza in a class action suit still pending):

"I was flipping through the channels one evening and happened to catch a news segment about a place out in Nevada that was offering a free one day Uzi submachine gun class. I thought that sounded like a lot of fun."

Q: After you've finished a course on shooting with an Uzi, how do you put your knowledge to good use?

A: Move to Alaska and show Sarah Palin what you can do to a moose.

Another testimonial features a young couple telling the interviewer that they've met "incredible people with solid moral values" - while gunshots are heard throughout the entire time.

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