Statistical Slight of Hand Against Guardians of the Free Republics

Source of lies at: Vision Critical
In an article titled “Poll finds fear of domestic terrorism“, we see some mention of the Guardians of the Free Republics. The article says:

The poll also found 51 percent consider the anti-government groups Hutaree and Guardians of the Free Republics to be “terrorists” and 8 percent think of them as “freedom fighters.”

Now how could exactly 51% consider both groups in one way and exactly 8% consider it another way? Either by bizarre coincidence, or the poll lumped both groups into a single question.

If it was by lumping them into one question then the polling company was already implying a connection between the two groups, when there is no connection. In that article, we are only told the interpretation of the data. We are not told what the question was.

So 51% consider Hutaree and Guardians of the Free Republics to be “terrorists”, according to this poll, and yet, if we look at the source of these stats at Vision Critical, it says:

[…] 43% are aware of the letters sent by the Guardians of the free Republics.

43% were aware of the letters sent and 51% consider them “terrorists”? Since this is the Guardians’ first time in the news, we can assume that not knowing about the letters equates to never having heard of them. So how can more people judge them as terrorists than have even heard of them? How scientific is this study?

The headline should read “People Who Never Heard of Guardians of the Free Republics Call Them Terrorists”.

It goes on to say:

Hutaree members have been arrested in Michigan for allegedly plotting to kill law enforcement officers and the Guardian group recently sent letters to state governors across the country demanding they resign within three days or be removed.

There is no connection (in reality) from the Hutaree group and the Guardians of the Free Republics. The Hutaree group has not been convicted of anything (notice the word ‘allegedly’). And yet they are all put in the same sentence with “plotting to kill”.

This is called an association fallacy. They are implying that one group, who may have plotted to kill government officials is equal to another group who wants to return government to its lawful form. The only connection is that both groups have an interest in changing the government. They also all require oxygen. They all probably wear shoes, too.

I chalk this one up to just another media trick. They force your mind into the size box that they desire by clever wording and manipulated data. Always remember, there are three kinds of lies, lies, damned lies, and statistics.