Email the Columbian Newspaper!

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Hello All-

Wish I had more time to post on this forum... but I feel this warrants immediate attention. Its not specific to OC, but concerns us all.

The local newspaper in Vancouver (the Columbian) has just started a policy of not allowing classified ads to be placed for semi-automatic firearms. I called the classified department and had this confirmed. I have emailed the classifieds manager, who apparently made the decision.

Here's my take: I don't care if a venue or publication (like ebay or craigslist, or whatever) has a policy of not allowing firearm transactions. I understand that they feel that they have a liability if they do so, and that is their right as a business. I have the freedom to not use their services.

But the Columbian has decided to pick and choose from among legal firearms. I think this can only be politically motivated, which stinks.

The classified department can be reached at (360) 993-5050. Annalisa Dahlen is the department manager. Her email is annalisa.dahlen@columbian.com

I have threatened to cancel my subscription, and I will if I am fed the same "assault weapons" BS that I hear from the ignorant anti-gunners.

So please, at least call or email and demand an explanation. Threaten to cancel your subscription and follow thru with it if necessary.

Thank you...

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Sent an inquiry. Depending upon their response, I will follow with protest.

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follow up:

I received a call from Ms. Dahlen, who was very courteous. I explained my concern, and she stated that this is a policy that has been in place for many years, essentially since the assault weapons ban/brady bill has been in place. She said they have a list of sorts, and may make a determination to refuse an ad based on basically whether they determine something to be an assault weapon or not.It was obvious that she is not really knowledgable about firearms (no surprise), as she stated atone point that"many automatic and semi-automatic" gunsare banned from the ads. I corrected her in that fully automaticweapons are not allowed in WA inany case, and also asked if shewas aware that the AW ban had expired and was no longer law. She said she was, and that they had reviewed their policy in March and decided to keepit in place.

I thanked her forcalling me back,told her that I respected her company's freedom to enact such a policy, and that Iwould most likely cancel my subscription. I encouragedher to fullyresearch the effectiveness of the assault weapons ban, as well as generalgun crimeand gun control stats, and to please reconsider the policy.

Later on in the day, I spoke to my friend (who kicked this whole thing off by trying to place an ad for his AK), and he told me the person he spoke to (apparently not Ms. Dahlen) told him that the policy was recently changed to exclude ALL semi-automatics, whether they are considered assault-type or not. I am in the process of trying to confirm this.

-dan

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I would be willing to send an email, but doubt it would have much weight as I don't live in Vancouver, and don't get the paper! :?

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I run a local classifieds website. It is completely free and the focus is firearms and ammo. Most of the users are from Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA and the surrounding area. I pay for the internet hosting out of pocket and don't make any money on the website so I hope no one considers this spam.

http://www.outdoorstrader.com

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Don't forget http://www.gunbroker.com

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I contacted her via email and she asked me to call her "because the policy is easier to discuss on the phone". I will follow up further while I am home on vacation next month, calling her from here is inconvenient.