The View From North Central Idaho

Reading the blogs today I'm reminded of a Heinlein quote:

If it can't be expressed in figures, it is not science; it is opinion.

-Robert Heinlein-

Apparently certain "fact checkers" didn't get the memo. There is a big buzz in the gun blogger world today:

• FactCheck.org’s Bad Facts Go Mainstream
• Fact Checking Fact Check
• More on FactCheck.org’s Bad Fact Checking
• Unmitigated Garbage from FactCheck.org on Obama’s Second Amendment Record
• Liar With “Facts”
• Two Simple Questions
• Square peg round holes

Our friendly Apex of the Triangle of Death has probably the best information with On Obama's Gun Record, Who Will Fact Check the Fact Checkers? I found this to be the most illuminating:

There's another possible explanation behind FactCheck's positions. Just last year, FactCheck's primary funding source, the Annenberg Foundation, also gave $50,000 to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence for "efforts to reduce gun violence by educating the public and by enacting and enforcing regulations governing the gun industry." Annenberg made a similar grant for $100,000 in 2005.

I see three simple questions, inspired by the Heinlein quote above, to get to the bottom of the controversy. Everyone can answer them for themselves with only a small amount of work using the above links. Those questions are:

1. How many laws which restrict gun ownership and use has Obama supported?
2. How many laws which encourage gun ownership and use has Obama supported?
3. In the last few years how much money has FactChecker given to pro-gun organizations and how much to anti-gun organizations?

There no need for opinions on this topic. There is a need for facts. If "FactCheck" is to honor it's name then it should emphasis numbers and not words.