MSM Didn’t Intentionally Lie, Just Couldn’t Be Bothered With The Truth

Blind men and Elephant

I have warned readers, in the past, that when it comes to an explanation of a legal decision, Beware of Your Sources.  According to the linked article, the State of Mississippi has just passed a state law that nullifies federal law, as it applies to guns.  Except the state law, does no such thing.

This type of conflict usually shows up in conjunction with a Supreme Court decision. Oftentimes it is a result of the bias that a particular reporter brings to the report. Sometimes the reporter misses the “meat” of the decision entirely and focuses on a side issue that the court touched upon. What results is an inaccurate and misleading report.  This time the MSM latched onto a faulty premise and off they went.

Professor Adler sets the record straight and demonstrates that Mississippi has not done as alleged in the article. He writes: Whatever the substantive merits of the Mississippi bill, the references to “nullification” are pure poppycock. The relevant provision of the Mississippi bill does not purport or attempt to “nullify” anything. Rather, it is a rather run-of-the-mill (and notably narrow) assertion of the state’s clearly established constitutional authority to refuse to implement or enforce federal laws with which the state disagrees.

If you want to understand the impact of a particular decision it is always best to find an attorney.  There are a bunch of blogs out there written by attorneys that will set the reader straight.  You will still get the political posturing as one side condemns and the other congratulates the court for reaching a particular decision.  In the end, you will find that both sides will be in agreement as to the state of the law.