CBC fights the culture war

What’s this? A CBC story about huge guns, a baby, and Santa?

From Scottsdale Arizona? What is the relevance?

Oh, those Americans and their guns. “Is it appropriate?”, CBC asks.

Well, no. But, for a different reason. The long-gun registry vote is in the news as the Conservatives uphold a long-standing promise to their base to eliminate the registration of legal rifles and shotguns. Amendments were voted upon this week and the final vote is upcoming. What better time for the CBC to remind Canadians what’s at stake?

Every gun featured in the Christmas card photo is prohibited in Canada.

Yesterday, the NDP had to walk back an attack ad on the Conservatives that featured a gun that is restricted in Canada and is thus would have to be registered anyway despite the scrapping of the long-gun registry.

This isn’t the first time the CBC has played politics in the long-gun registry debate. On the eve of Candice Hoeppner’s Private Member’s Bill defeat, the CBC ran this conspiracy theory disguised as an investigative report into links between the Conservative government, it’s activists and the Gun-lovin’ American NRA. CBC provided a 10 year old clue that the NRA once produced a commercial that aired in the US and was available to Canadians! Also, they helped fun a pamphlet for a Canadian long-gun advocate, also 10 years ago.

We consider Americans and their huge military-grade machine-guns.

We also consider the Canadian debate about the registration of long-guns.

If one were against the dismantling of the long-gun registry, one would be irresponsible to suggest that Americans are not only trying to influence the debate but it would also be irresponsible to create a scarecrow argument against guns which are already illegal in Canada. How much of this debate is honest? And what element of dishonesty is being driven by the CBC?