Intruder Shot by Man With Expired Gun License

(Wilmette, Illinois) I read this story early yesterday and I couldn't get it out of my mind. It gnawed at my conscience all day. Not because of what happened, but because of the way it was reported by the Chicago Tribune. The basic story is about a burglar being shot and wounded by a homeowner. He escapes and is later apprehended. Unfortunately, a reader wouldn't know that by this headline:

Wilmette enforces gun ban

Nor would they easily digest the basic story by reading the article. Its focus is on the homeowner not having renewed his gun license. In fact, twenty (20) of the twenty-five (25) paragraphs in the article primarily address the expired gun license. Only five (5) touch on the actual series of felonies committed by the burglar. The disproportionate level of emphasis on the expired license as opposed to the felon and his crimes provides a basis for concluding that the Chicago Tribune has a strong anti-gun ownership bias.

For the benefit of the editors of the Chicago Tribune, your headline should have read:

Homeowner Stops Burglary

The content of the article should have concentrated on the burglary, the burglar, and the aftermath. The expired license should have been an afterthought.

I can't shake the feeling that the people in the newspaper's offices would be most satisfied if the homeowner gets assessed a large fine and goes to jail for the expired license and that they really don't give a hoot about what is done to the burglar.

Hat tip: Spoons Experience