Yesterday we posted a story about Nikki Goeser’s efforts to get Tennessee retailers to take down their ‘no guns allowed’ signs. While we picked it up at the Democrat and Chronicle’s web site, she’d originally given the story to Bobby Allyn at her home town paper, The Tennessean. But hold onto your hats…it turns out that when Allyn wrote the story of Nikki and the loss of her husband, some of the important parts were left on the cutting room floor . . .
Nikki put up a comment under our post and we’ve exchanged a few emails as well. Here’s an edited compilation of what she’s told us:
The Tennessean did not report on the fact that I had been a handgun carry permit holder for a year prior to my husband’s murder. Because of Tennessee state law at the time, I had to leave my gun locked in my car that night because I was not allowed to carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol.
The man that killed my husband Ben had been stalking me. The Tennessean could have done better on the facts of our story. The article made it look like I only became pro-gun after Ben’s death. You can see an accurate version of the story here.
I had asked the writer if I could review what they were going to put out to the public first so I could check it for accuracy but he refused. I knew the second I saw the sentence under my picture saying that I keep an UNloaded gun, I was going to “get it” from the pro-gun community for carrying a rock. LOL. My gun stays loaded, of course.
We’ve asked Nikki to to write something for TTAG and hope she’ll be able to fit it into her busy schedule. A schedule that includes receiving the NRA’s Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award in the next few weeks for her Second Amendment advocacy.
Congrats on the award Nikki. Ok I admit I read the article last night. Besides the baseball game I had nothing to do but read TTAG!
once again we see that gun free zones do nothing but create helpless victems. the best thing government can do is not get in the good guys way as they go about their lives.
“[T]he best thing government can do is not get in the good guys way…”
But that isn’t any fun for control freaks and megalomaniacs. And it hinders transfer of wealth.
At some point in history we relied on the media to supply us the truth. Reporters were heralded as the epitome of truth and justice.
Yea, well – that was a lot time ago….
Before World War I, the term “muckraker” was used to refer in a general sense to a writer who investigates and publishes truthful reports to perform an auditing or watchdog function.
Today, we have crap. Journalists today basically write opinion with little facts and believe that the are there to promote social change versus telling the news. Sadly, many people still believe everything that is being reported and these newspapers have a large audience to influence.
Facts are unpleasent and unsexy especially when you are trying to promote and agenda at all costs. The 1a protects speech it does not enforce truth — that is up to the reader.
The stories have the politcal bent of the news editor or publication. That is why papers are designated as “democratic” or “republican” and endorse their party candidates.
Its sad because today I heard that even the supposed “fact checking” publications are cheating about the “facts”
In general, today we have propoganda leaning towards one ideal vs another and what is lost is the truth.
Reporters today could care less about the truth which is why I don’t believe anything they say outright without my own fact checking which getting harder to do.
Sorry, but the “Muckrakers” were just as bad as today’s journo are. For example, Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle” about the Chicago Stockyards without ever going there or interacting with the immigrant communities that worked there. His “true story” was little more than a cheap pitich for socialism.
Most of us believe there was a mythological time when reporters reported the truth. Balderdash! The news business has alway been the realm of story tellers and liars.
Wikipedia states
“In 1904, Sinclair spent seven weeks in disguise, working undercover in Chicago’s meatpacking plants to research his political fiction exposé”
And I cannot find a reference that says otherwise.
His story was about the workers, but people only remembered the stories about the meat packing industry.
It’s an excellent reason to support blogs like these that get primary sources of information.
The sad truth is that lawmakers refuse to acknowledge that criminals simply don’t follow their laws.
…ought from is, as usual.
Kudos on the award Nikki and thanks for setting them straight!Just goes to show that the lame stream media will twist your story to fit their narrative and agendas.
“… it turns out that when Allyn wrote the story of Nikki and the loss of her husband, some of the important parts were left on the cutting room floor . . .”
“The Tennessean could have done better on the facts of our story. The article made it look like I only became pro-gun after Ben’s death. … I had asked the writer if I could review what they were going to put out to the public first so I could check it for accuracy but he refused. ”
This is the typical “lying by omission” that we have come to expect from our wonderful antique media. And the newspapers wonder why their circulation is collapsing.
I wonder if the body guards for politicians carry unloaded guns into public places? How silly of me, they are exempted from any of those laws.
Nikki, congratulations on winning the reward. We’re all with you in advocating average citizens to be as self-sufficient and responsible as possible for their own safety and that of other innocent people.
A word technicality that I’ve learned to appreciate: I believe the man who took your husband’s life ‘murdered’ and did not ‘kill’ Ben. A ‘killing’ can often be defined as a justifiable act against an aggressor or criminal to defend an innocent person.
Likewise, a Middle East suicide-bomber who takes the lives of innocent civilians in and cripples others in a grocery market is not a martyr. That person is a mass murderer who planned to take innocent lives that were not threatening others.
Ethically, murder is always wrong. A justifiable defense killing, while not a desirable act, is understood as necessary.
There’s a reason I call them “homicide bombers” — their goal isn’t suicide, it is mass-homicide.
Nikki, heartfelt condolences on your loss. Others wouldn’t even be able to imagine the horror of what was taken from you. And thank you for your advocacy for our freedoms after such a terrible experience. It makes you an even bigger heroine in our eyes. Best wishes, and thank you again.
First of all, thanks for making the best of a bad situation and advocating so that others don’t have to suffer as you did. It is a strong show of your character.
I have one suggestion for you, as a way to help get the message out. You should ask the NRA if they will let you use funds to start an ad campaign. I would love to see a billboard stating that gun-free zones and concealed carry permit requirements allowed your husband to be murdered. It would be a great way to show the public the human cost of their fear of legal gun owners. The anti-gun orgs have billboards and commercials, its time (Past time, actually) for Pro 2A and gun rights orgs to do the same.
Gee guys, there was an internal link in there somewhere to Nikki’s story in her own words. It’s a good read. Bizarre case.
Here is the pdf for the cards I hand out to business owners who have chosen to post “no guns allowed.” These are what TN Firearms Association members hand out as a friendly educational tool. Many people have asked for an example so they can create something similar.
http://www.tfaonline.org/downloads/TFAmerchantcard.pdf
It would be nice to get the original source so we could taylor it for our own areas.
Thanks
Robert
Tx Nikki and congrats on the well-deserved Freedom Award. Thank you so much for all your dedicated work to preserve and protect our rights. You are an inspirational educator of truth in these too often confused times. Thanks again…
What a sad story, I hope Nikki can go on to love again. That would be so devastating.
I see the killer didn’t get what he deserved:
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Man-convicted-of-killed-bar-DJ-gets-23-years-3809566.php