On Wednesday, while police were still pursuing a man suspected of murdering, live on television, a reporter and her cameraman, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, jumped to the important issue: gun control.
“It goes back to what I’ve talked about for a long time: there are too many guns in the hands of people who should not have guns,” he told reporters asking about the shooting allegedly perpetrated by Vester Flanagan, who died in a hospital later apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot.
“We’ve got to come together, there is too much gun violence in the United States of America,” he said.
A short time later, Democrat candidate for president Hillary Clinton echoed his thoughts.
“We have got to do something about gun violence in America – and I will take it on,” she said. “I believe we are smart enough, we are compassionate enough to figure out how to balance the legitimate Second Amendment rights with preventive measures and control measures so that whatever motivated this murderer, who eventually took his own life – we will not see more deaths, needless, senseless deaths.”
The current occupant of the Oval Office, a Democrat, through a spokesman, was on the same track.
Said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, “As you’ve heard me say in the past, this is another example of gun violence that is becoming all too common in communities large and small all across the United States. And while there is no piece of legislation that will end all violence in this country, there are some common sense things that only Congress can do that we know would have a tangible impact in reducing gun violence in this country.
“The president has long advocated Congress taking those steps, and the president continues to believe that they should do so.”
Politico immediately reported that the debate over gun control was on again, following the deaths early Wednesday of Alison Parker, 24, a reporter, and Adam Ward, 27, a cameraman, for Roanoke-based WDBJ.
They allegedly were killed by a disgruntled former colleague, identified by authorities as Vester Lee Flanagan, who used social media to admit the shootings. He even posted a video of the shooting online.
“I want to reiterate how important we not let another terrible instance go by without trying to do something more to prevent this incredible killing that is stalking our country,” Clinton said.
Another Democrat candidate, Martin O’Malley, said, “Too much violence, too many deaths from guns in our country, and we need to do better as a nation.”
Politico reported, on the other side of the aisle, the leading voices were expressing on social media concern for the victims and families.
Sen. Ted Cruz said, “All of our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and loved ones of @WDBJT’s Alison and Adams.”
From Sen. Lindsey Graham: “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families…. Absolutely heartbreaking.”
Gov. Mike Huckabee added: “Janet & I are heartbroken by the deaths … Praying for everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Dr. Ben Carson said, “Columba and I are praying for Alison, Adam and all those affected, and Gov. Scott Walker added, “Tragic loss … this morning. Our prayers go out to their friends, family and the entire news crew.”
Editorialists also were already contributing their opinions.
Chris Ferguson, an associate professor of psychology at Stetson University, said in the New York Daily News the issue is twofold – mental illness issues and availability of guns.
“It’s near-impossibly to have this discussion without partisan politics intruding, and the devolution of the debate into nonsense – blaming social media, video games and assorted other scapegoats.”
At the PowerLine blog, John Hinderaker said, “The White House didn’t wait an hour before using the murders committed by Vester Flanagan in Virginia as an excuse to push for gun control.”
“Violent crime, and homicide in particular, has been cut by approximately half since the mid-1990s, a time that coincides with liberalized gun laws in many states and more widespread ownership of handguns. Why do gun control advocates never acknowledge these basic facts?”
“This is all just political opportunism,” he wrote.
“One thing we have learned is that some murders are important and others aren’t. White policeman kills black person: important! Black person kills white policeman: unimportant. White lunatic kills black people in South Carolina: important! Gay black lunatic kills white people in Virginia: something tells me this one is going in the ‘unimportant’ column.
“It doesn’t advance the narrative. Except, of course, the gun control narrative,” he wrote.
WND reported only weeks ago Obama promised to be gunning for people’s guns in his remaining months in office.
Obama told the BBC he has felt “distressed” and “stymied” over his inability to get gun control passed through Congress, and he will double down on these efforts in his remaining months in office.
Watch clip of Obama’s gun control comments to BBC below:
Obama did not mention that the overwhelming majority of shootings occur in urban areas with strict gun laws by criminals who don’t obey those laws.
“We have been expecting an all-out assault on the Second Amendment by Obama in the last years of his term,” said Alan Gottlieb, executive vice president and founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. “Thank God that the House of Representatives and the Senate are not in control of the Democrats, or our gun rights would be toast.
“Obama will do as much damage as he can get away with by executive orders and actions as he can. We will be fighting him all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
from PropagandaGuard https://propagandaguard.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/dems-jump-on-tv-shooting-to-push-gun-control/
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