Fighting Misinformation

[Deserteagle]

Many laws definitely are written in confusing language. However, with the resources available to us these days, the responsible decision is to seek help understanding the laws rather than go off word of mouth about what is legal or illegal.

Update:
I contacted a website I originally posted about and they said they will check into the misinformation after I showed them where they are wrong in the laws.
The startling part in the email is that they said they get "most" of their information from members, not from attorneys or from reading the law themselves before posting it. So some random person misinterpreted the law and it got posted online and God only knows how many people are spreading that misinformation.

[agrippakc]

I work in the kansas state house of representatives and I have to deal with misinformation like crazy. People write in letters as askng what kansas is.going to do to defend israel, what kansas is going to do to save public broadcasting (federal issue), and people wanting to confirm that there are all kinds of crazy bills floating around the state congress. Mass-misinformation is a symptom of a mentally challenged society, a society that is in posession of little to no critical thinking skills, they can read for the.most.part but are unable to comprehend the information they see which means they might as well be illiterate, they rationalize by useing "logic" and "arguements" that leap around and are based on conjecture and assumtions. Then the web sites on the all might google on the internet machine coyldnt possibly lie to them, they spend their days citing wikipedia (which is frowned upon as a source for good information) and spreading the filth until it becomes true. Thats what I deal with.

[Deserteagle]

I work in the kansas state house of representatives and I have to deal with misinformation like crazy. People write in letters as askng what kansas is.going to do to defend israel, what kansas is going to do to save public broadcasting (federal issue), and people wanting to confirm that there are all kinds of crazy bills floating around the state congress. Mass-misinformation is a symptom of a mentally challenged society, a society that is in posession of little to no critical thinking skills, they can read for the.most.part but are unable to comprehend the information they see which means they might as well be illiterate, they rationalize by useing "logic" and "arguements" that leap around and are based on conjecture and assumtions. Then the web sites on the all might google on the internet machine coyldnt possibly lie to them, they spend their days citing wikipedia (which is frowned upon as a source for good information) and spreading the filth until it becomes true. Thats what I deal with.

Haha another great example... citing wikipedia. My college classes never accepted wikipedia because anybody can post on it or edit it. Yet people read it, believe it, cite it, and spread the info they got from there.

[NavyLCDR]

I have nothing to add. Yet.

[Treo]

I am amazed every time I log in especially here because handgunlaw.us is right on this site. People are lazy they’d rather just ask some anonymous poster (who isn’t going to be there when the cops challenge your internet law degree) what he/she/they/it thinks

[CharlieK]

Many laws definitely are written in confusing language. However, with the resources available to us these days, the responsible decision is to seek help understanding the laws rather than go off word of mouth about what is legal or illegal.

Update:
I contacted a website I originally posted about and they said they will check into the misinformation after I showed them where they are wrong in the laws.
The startling part in the email is that they said they get "most" of their information from members, not from attorneys or from reading the law themselves before posting it. So some random person misinterpreted the law and it got posted online and God only knows how many people are spreading that misinformation.

Startling? Why is that a surprise? It should be expected.

[FN1910]

About the time honored advice to ask an attorney that is so often given. That is not bad advice but in no way is it close to perfect or reliable. It may be better than your neighbor but lots of times not much and often worse. Unless you can give and exact situation with all the variables an attorney can't tell you for sure and only then if that is his field of expertise. Then when you find out he was wrong all he has to do is say I'm sorry about that but I will be glad to help you find another lawyer who is more knowledgeable in that field. It is crazy how many people are willing to bet their career or life savings or their life on what some friend or stranger told them without digging a little deeper.

[Caribou]

I am not an attorney and I don't play one on TV. However, I do know how to read the law, much to the chagrin of a number of attorneys. When I took my CHL my instructor (a State Trooper) stated some law that I had not read and still can not find. I don't know if I just can't find the law or if my instructor is remembering the law from another State he lived in.
There is no source that is 100% reliable. The expression "trust but verify" comes to mind. I take the information I receive here and use it as a starting point. If it is legal advice I compare that to the Statutes. If it is opinion (I like this gun/that holster) I weigh that against other opinions that I find here and elsewhere before I purchase.

One attorney in a town will starve to death. Meaning, that attorneys make a living by arguing the law. Lower courts are overturned regularly all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. The legislature will rewrite the law to invalidate a Supreme Court decision when they disagree with that decision. I would expect (and this is only a guess) that there are more 4-5 decisions by the Supreme Court than there are 9-0. My point is this, get as much info from as many sources as you can then sort out the wheat from the chaff as well as you can. By all means read the law in your State. The people here, for the most part, will give you the best info that they have. If they are wrong, or sometimes if they are right someone else will come forth with a different outlook. It is of little service to be upset with someone with a different or even a wrong piece of information. Remember even the experts do not agree all the time. I have seen some use name calling or try to correct spelling to discredit a posting that they do not agree with. This is not an argument. Disagree with me but give me some data to support your opinion. I am here to learn so, please, teach me.