My response to the article:
TL:DR – This week the CBC published an article linking us to radical extremist behavior in the U.S. from our use of the term “Boogaloo” in social media. This article was based purely on conjecture and inaccuracies and we do not hold anti-government, radical viewpoints or ideologies, nor do we wish to propagate such ideologies or violence against anyone.
Dear Edge Supporter,
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the CBC published an article that associated myself and The Shooting Edge with an ‘anti-government’ movement linked to extreme violence in the U.S.
The article also arbitrarily linked individuals who are firearms enthusiasts and those who are critical of the Trudeau government, the RCMP, and/or the OIC gun ban to these U.S.-based hate groups – a link I believe was made in an attempt by the CBC to incite fear into the general public about firearms and to unfairly stereotype law-abiding firearms owners as being radical supporters of this movement. I believe this cannot go unchallenged.
It goes without saying, I am beyond disappointed in the unethical journalism exhibited by the writers of this article – an article which was based on hypothetical speculation, unsubstantiated resources, weak research and unqualified ‘subject matter experts’. This article should be an embarrassment to the CBC and an outrage to anyone who believes in journalistic integrity – of which the writers of this article clearly lack.
Our involvement in this article stemmed from two social media posts made in April 2020 as an editorial comment on the emerging and bizarre trend toward panic-buying that was occurring as the COVID-19 pandemic settled across North America.
1) On 8 April we promoted a t-shirt by saying “look fashionable staying home waiting for the boogaloo to clap off…”
2) On April 17 we advertised a shotgun in a post captioned “Your favourite 12ga BOOGALOO gun is back in-stock!”
It is very important to note these posts were made before the horrifying mass murder unfolded in Nova Scotia (on April 18), the resulting OIC gun ban that was launched by the liberal government (on May 1) and the tragic death of George Floyd in the U.S. (on May 25) that ultimately led to widespread civil unrest and racial tensions in the U.S. and to a lesser, but still significant extent, in Canada.
Earlier this week a reporter reached out to me and insinuated our posts “appear to refer to the Boogaloo movement”. I chose to speak at length with this writer (andrea.bellemare@cbc.ca) to explain how the use of the generalized term “Boogaloo” in social media -- made by ourselves and by many in our industry and elsewhere-- was initially intended as a satirical response to what we were seeing unfold in the early stages of the pandemic. As people became more and more worried about the availability of supplies, the shutdown of businesses and widespread economic uncertainty as a result of COVID-19, we were seeing what could only be described as ‘prepping’ by the general public and felt this concept –once maligned as being outlandish or absurd has evolved into one that is socially acceptable and encouraged. We also spoke about the evolution of the term ‘boogaloo’ through social media and pop culture and how it has shifted from a satirical concept to a real-life, generally accepted term that many now use to describe the social and economic consequences that could possibly emerge from such things as a pandemic, environmental or man-made disaster or massive political and social unrest.
During our conversation I also very clearly articulated to the writer that I did not feel that there is risk - now or in the future – that Canadians would tie themselves to extremist groups or behave in the destructive ways we have been seeing individuals act in the states. We also both acknowledged several facts -- a recent FBI report concluded there is no “Boogaloo” movement in the U.S. and that at present a total of 10 individuals with extremist views have co-opted the term ”Boogaloo” by attaching it to themselves (in the U.S). I also challenged her that perhaps her news outlet was attempting to create a titillating news story in Canada where there wasn’t one.
Although I honestly believe it is important for representatives of the firearms industry to build solid and transparent relationships with the news media and I have been able to speak openly about our sport and the issues relating to it in the past - in this instance the piece published by the CBC was both disappointing and flawed. I feel it is necessary to point out the inaccuracies, fallacies, and general sloppy, severely biased reporting that has now been published as ‘fact’. This story paints a very bad picture of all legal gun-owners in Canada and this must be addressed.
At minimum, several things in this article should be pointed out:
1. The article states specifically that ‘there are no reports of ‘Boogaloos’ at Canadian protests”.
2. The article states the CBC decided ‘not to name’ the alleged Facebook groups which the entire article was based on.
3. The subject matter ‘expert’ and ‘postdoctoral fellow’ (Alexander Reid Ross) who states the unnamed Boogaloo-themed Facebook pages are a ‘cause for concern’ is in fact a recent grad from the University of Portland with a degree in GEOGRAPHY.
4. The ‘institution’ this individual represents (The Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right) is a website/blog.
Although I could write a full essay on how this article was completely biased through their use of selective quotes and conjecture throughout, I simply want point out there was little or no factual content in the story. I also question why the CBC chose to link legal gun-owners to an alt-right extremist movement. I believe this is worrisome and creates a dangerously controlled narrative for the future of legal firearms ownership in Canada.
Simply put:
• People who disagree with the Government on a policy or law are NOT “Anti-Government” or “anti-statist”;
• People who believe in preparing for emergencies and contingencies are NOT “extremists”, and;
• People who own firearms are NOT any combination of the above.
It continues to be my opinion that there is no “Boogaloo Movement”, however we now find ourselves painted into a corner with a brush that has marked us as radical, racist, extremist, white supremacist or a combination thereof, simply by using this previously innocuous term. It is also my opinion that this article has vilified legal gun owners, tarnished our sport and continues the systematic removal of rational debate on present and future gun legislation in Canada. Furthermore, by ‘naming and shaming’ us publicly and by linking us to violent ideology and extremism the CBC has now introduced a new and very questionable narrative to the legal battle I am in with the Federal Government.
I am saddened that we’ve gotten to a place in society where political correctness trumps freedoms of expression and find it beyond unfortunate that our public media is compelled to build and control a narrative that could ultimately affect millions of Canadian gun-owners.
That said, I plan to continue my fight.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
JR
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Originally Posted by TSE JR
