Satire website’s Ky. gun tracking story raises Second Amendment concerns
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
This graphic accompanied the story on the National Report website. Click image to enlarge.
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, 1:30 a.m. — A news satire website has Kentucky’s defenders of Second Amendment rights up in arms.
A story posted recently on The National Report website stated the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill requiring the installation of RFID chips in all firearms in Kentucky.
“The program’s preliminary launch will be in Clark County, Kentucky, specifically in the city of Winchester,” the story stated.
“By the beginning of next year it will be mandatory that all registered firearms within the state of Kentucky be implanted with a Weapon RFID System. Those who are found to be non-compliant by the deadline will face steep fines, jail time or even the loss of the firearm.”
The story prompted Facebook, Twitter and blog posts along with website alerts from groups who heard about the story and followed the link to the National Report website. The story was a hot topic the last couple of days on the Ron Paul Forums website and the Tea Party Command Center, Patriot Update, Free Republic, and AR15.com websites. State Sen. Jimmy Higdon received at least one query and said he had never heard about the legislation.
As it turns out, the story is satire and a complete hoax. No RFID chips are coming to Kentucky firearms. But given the concern many have over the erosion of personal freedoms, the story — at first blush — sounded plausible.
The story contained some inconsistencies that provided clues it was indeed a hoax. For example, the image of the state seal in the graphic is not the actual state seal. Additionally, RFID and GPS tracking are not the same system; RFID is often used to track items inside warehouses or small areas, while GPS systems offer a much wider coverage area. The story suggests that Kentucky’s action prompted a similar proposal by a Chicago alderman.
Kentucky gun owners aren’t the only ones who have been tricked by the National Report’s satire.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was the target last month of a National Report satire piece that said she approved a K-12 curriculum to help gay students become heterosexual. The story went viral, and Brewer’s office was flooded with phone calls from concerned parents and LGBT groups who expressed concern.
Other current stories featured on the National Report include these headlines that are more obvious satire attempts:
“NASA: Water on Mars proves planet could support riverboat casino and hotel”
“Gay-to-straight programs to be included in all Tenn. public schools by Nov. 1”
“Fearing the worst Godzilla flees Japan!”
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