Operation Self-Defense Update
A follow-up report on our growing
team of Net Detectives
by Robert A. Waters
Author,
The
Best Defense: True Stories of Intended Victims Who Defended Themselves with a
Firearm
February 5, 2001
Merrillville, Indiana. Just
another small town somewhere in middle America.
But on the evening of January 24, 2001, a violent drama played itself out in the
rural community. Thor Moody and his wife found themselves fleeing from their
daughter's enraged boyfriend. The teenager, upset because the couple planned to
take their daughter and move to Texas, pulled a handgun and chased the husband
and wife into their bedroom. Then he began shooting at them. Thor Moody grabbed
his own .38-caliber handgun and returned fire. The teen fled from the house.
Moody was struck in the arm by one of the bullets, but was not seriously
injured. The boyfriend was unharmed and quickly apprehended by police.
This story has great significance. It was the first story found by the
newly-formed group, Operation
Self-Defense.
But more significantly, it is typical of stories of armed self-defense.
It happened in a small town and received exactly one write-up in a local
newspaper. The story then disappeared the following day. Had not someone been
searching specifically for that type of story on that particular day, it would
have never been found.
And that's what Operation Self-Defense is all about: sorting through the
newspapers of America to bring to light the stories of armed self-defense that
go unreported by the established press. As we continue to find and publish these
stories, the mainstream press will be unable to ignore them. At some point, the
volume of such stories will demand a response from those who contend that cases
of armed self-defense are rare.
After having been in existence for a little more than a week, we have 33
volunteer activists searching 107 online newspapers and magazines. In the first
week of our existence, we located six stories of successful armed self-defense.
But much more needs to be done. There are literally thousands of newspapers to
be searched. While we'll never get them all, we can search hundreds more. We
need additional volunteers to cover newspapers in the following states:
-
Hawaii
-
Idaho
-
Kansas
-
Louisiana
-
Maine
-
Michigan
-
Montana
-
Nebraska
-
New
Hampshire
-
New
Mexico
-
North
Dakota
-
South
Dakota
-
Utah
-
Vermont
-
West
Virginia and
-
Wyoming.
And even though we have volunteers covering some newspapers in the other
states, there are many additional papers to scan. For instance, the Houston
Chronicle is a continual source of self-defense stories, yet no one is searching
it.
Below, please see a list of all newspapers being searched by members of
Operation Self-Defense.
The importance of this project cannot be emphasized enough. While all of us in
the pro-gun movement who revere the Constitution for the rights it delineates, it
saddens me to state that most Americans have little interest in the document our
Founding Fathers gave their lives for. The best way to reach the majority of
people these days is strictly through emotion. If you don't agree, check out the
numbers of people who are influenced by television celebrities such as Rosie
O'Donnell, Jerry Springer, Oprah, etc. Theirs are emotion-driven shows that suck
viewers into the emotional turmoil of their perverted hosts and guests.
We need to infuse a wholesome emotional presence into the pro-gun movement. And
much of this emotion will come from victims who survived violent attack. Their
stories are traumatic and often violent. When just a few of these stories were
reported on Dateline or 20/20 or other such shows, we will effectively counter
the gun-banners. So it is vitally important that we continue to build on
Operation Self-Defense, and to gather more and more of these stories.
Below is a list of newspapers our Team has covered so far, and there are many more newspapers to be searched each day. Volunteer activists are
always needed, welcomed and appreciated.
To join our Team of Net Detectives, contact me at the following email address: [email protected].
List of Newspapers Being Searched by Operation
Self-Defense
For a complete list of newspapers and to pick
one or more that you will commit to monitoring consistently as part of our team,
go here: http://www.newspapers.com/npcom1.htm.
ALABAMA
Birmingham Herald
Birmingham Channel 13
Alabama News
ALASKA
Anchorage Daily News
Kenai Peninsula Clarion
ARIZONA
Arizona Republic
Bisbee Daily Review
Douglas Daily Dispatch
Mesa Tribune
Prescott Courier
Sierra Vista Herald
Tombstone Tumbleweed
Wick Communications
ARKANSAS
Little Rock Democrat-Gazette
CALIFORNIA
The Argus
Alameda Times-Star
Los Angeles Daily News
San Diego Union
Riverside Press Enterprise
Orange County Register
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento News 10
Lake County Record-Bee
COLORADO
Denver Post
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Colorado Springs Gazette
CONNECTICUTT
NONE YET.
DELAWARE
NONE YET.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington Post
Washington Times
FLORIDA
Orlando Sentinel
Naples Daily News
Florida Times-Union
Tampa Tribune
Sun Sentinel
Tallahassee Democrat
GEORGIA
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Augusta Chronicle
HAWAII
NONE YET.
IDAHO
NONE YET.
ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune
INDIANA
Bloomington Hoosier Tmes
Hammond Times
Indianapolis Star
Terre Haute Tribune Star
IOWA
NONE YET.
KANSAS
Kansas City Star
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Herald-Leader
LOUISIANA
NONE YET.
MAINE
NONE YET.
MARYLAND
NONE YET.
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Globe
Boston Herald
MICHIGAN
NONE YET.
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis Star Tribune
MISSISSIPPI
NONE YET.
MISSOURI
NONE YET.
MONTANA
NONE YET.
NEBRASKA
Omaha World Herald
NEVADA
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Sun
Reno Gazette-Journal
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Union Leader
NEW JERSEY
Newark Star
Princeton Packet
Princeton Town Topics
Trenton News
NEW MEXICO
NONE YET.
NEW YORK
New York Times
Wall Street Journal
NORTH CAROLINA
Allegheny News
Asheboro Courier Tribune
Ashville Citizen Times
Charlotte Observer
Fayetteville Observer
Jacksonville Daily News
The Mountain Times
Mt. Airy News
The Depot
The Mountain
NORTH DAKOTA
NONE YET.
OHIO
Akron Beacon-Journal
Cincinnati Enquirer
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Columbus Dispatch
Dayton Daily News
Toledo Blade
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoman Online
OREGON
NONE YET.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
RHODE ISLAND
Providence Journal
SOUTH CAROLINA
Charleston Gazette
SOUTH DAKOTA
NONE YET.
TENNESSEE
Chattanooga Times & Free
Press
Nashville Tennessean
TEXAS
Borderland News
Dallas Morning News
San Angelo Standard
UTAH
Deseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
VERMONT
NONE YET.
VIRGINIA
Richmond Times-Dispatch
WASHINGTON
Bellevue Eastside Journal
Everett Herald
Federal Way News
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Times
South Country Journal
Tacoma News Tribune
Vancouver Columbian
WEST VIRGINIA
NONE YET.
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Journal
WYOMING
NONE YET.
MISCELLANEOUS
USA Today
Newsmax
Marine Corps News
Gun World
Guns & Ammo
Nando Times
Air Force Times
Human Events
Insight
National Review
Navy Times
NRA magazines
For a complete list of newspapers, go here: http://www.newspapers.com/npcom1.htm.
To join our Team of Net Detectives, contact me at the following email address: [email protected].
