From Jim Shepherd

Two hundred forty one years ago, Dr. Joseph Warren called for an express rider named Paul Revere to travel from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn fellow revolutionaries Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to Lexington to arrest them.

The timely delivery of essential information determined the future of our nation. History repeated itself again as last-second information thwarted Benedict Arnold’s planned surrender of colonial forces at West Point, New York.

You might make the argument that it was “military intelligence” rather than news, but the founding fathers took these lessons to heart and a “free press” became one of the essentials of liberty. In the media technology contemporaneous to that time, Paul Revere might be seen as the equivalent of the “breaking news” alert we receive on today’s smart devices.

Today, it’s almost the reverse of the colonial problem. Rather than too-little information, we’re inundated with semi-filtered information. I refer to it as semi-filtered because journalism has devolved to the point that information isn’t delivered in its straight from the source form, it’s “interpreted”.

And anything that’s subject to interpretation is subject to being shaded “to fit the narrative.”

A journalism instructor once told me there are two two colors in journalism: black and white. Anything else, she said, “was a synonym for a lie.”

That’s why you want a translator not an interpreter in a serious negotiation- or a reporting situation.

There’s not much translation needed for the latest gun industry news from Tennessee these days: the Volunteer state is obviously open for new gun business.

Beretta U.S.A.’s new Gallatin, Tennessee facility (top) is a 156,000 square feet of space that reflects the cooperation of the 500-year old Italian company, the city of Gallatin and the State of Tennessee. During the festivities last Friday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and other state leaders joined the Beretta family to officially open the facilities. Photo courtesy of Beretta U.S.A. with permission.

It’s even more open now that Beretta U.S.A. has officially opened their new Gallatin, Tennessee facilities. Read more

Available in .223 Rem and .308 Win. 20 or 24 inch heavy barrel, the new Howa Archangel Rifle features a state of the art precision stock loaded with features for the modern shooter. Designed for comfort, control and superior weapon retention each Archangel stock is constructed of high-strength carbon fiber filled polymer and features ambidextrous gooseneck-style stock with palm swell, click-adjustable cheek-riser / length-of-pull, front and rear quick detach style flush cups, secure grip storage compartment and an integrated forend flush-fit bi-pod push-button for one-hand deployment. These stocks are precisely fit and utilize aluminum pillars to aid in accuracy. A ten round magazine is also included with every rifle with spare magazines available. Read more