Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Allen, Texas, targeting a mall, CNN demonstrated again that it is just interested in promoting the Democratic agenda on guns instead of actually being balanced or trying to inform viewers on such crime issues.
The liberal news network's approach was to portray Republicans as standing in the way of Democrats solving the recurring problem of mass shootings. CNN also ignored Republicans who have promoted arming schools while promoting Democrat proposals that have failed to end the problem in blue states where they've already been enacted.
CNN host Jake Tapper on State of the Union allowed State Senator Gutierrez to compare Texas to "communist Russia" as the Texas Democrat trashed his state's Republican governor: "This is not the 'Texas miracle' that Greg Abbott likes to call it. We're living in a Texas nightmare. And it's a nightmare that they created."
CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem promoted the misleading narrative that mass shootings are happening in Texas despite it being a pro-gun state without informing viewers that the mall prohibits the general public from bringing firearms with them. Even red states often have gun-free zones that can be targeted by mass killers.
She also incorrectly stated that only one civilian gun owner had stopped a mass shooting in the last couple of years.
On Monday's CNN Tonight, contributor E.Z. Granderson put the blame for mass shootings squarely on Republicans: "But the proof is in the pudding. It's Republicans that is effing this up, man. I mean, I'm just being real with it. And they've been dragging this on, and our children are dying in schools..."
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While ignoring studies finding that mass shooters who target public places usually choose gun-free zones (where the general public are not allowed to carry firearms), CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem even claimed that the m (((((
As news of the mall shooting was breaking, CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey bristled at Congressman Keith Self's reluctance to talk about enacting new laws. After the Texas Republican made a alive appearance, Ramsey declared that "maybe he'll get off his knees and get off his butt and start doing something."
And CNN analyst Andrew McCabe wrongly asserted that mass shootings do not happen in other countries and claimed that the most powerful "military weapons" are available to buy in the U.S.
After frequent CNN guest and anti-gun activist Fred Gutenberg trashed conservatives as "liars" when they promote guns for self-defense, weekend anchor Jim Acosta thanked him for coming on his show and telling the truth: "All right, Fred Guttenberg, thanks for bringing us some truth. Appreciate it."
And when State Senator Gutierrez appeared with Acosta, the CNN host let him blame Republicans for mass shootings, and even claim that Democrats could fix it: "It's a chaos that is wholly created by the Republican party and the NRA. We can stop it and we can stop it now, but we don't have anybody with the political will to do it."
While CNN tends to ignore calls by some Republicans to help arm schools as a defense against mass shootings, preferring to portray the GOP as doing nothing, Fox News Tonight on Tuesday devoted a segment to Senator Marsha Blackburn's plan to help schools hire retired cops and veterans to provide armed protection.
An important finding that is consistently ignored by the media is that schools that allow plain clothes teachers (as opposed to easily identifiable uniformed guards) to carry guns do not have the same problems with school shootings as do gun-free zones.
This promotion of an ineffective liberal agenda on guns was sponsored in part by The Farmer's Dog and Kayak. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN Newsroom
May 6, 2023
6:13 p.m. Eastern
PAULA REID: Most Americans are so sick of this happening almost every day in this country. Certainly every week. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this from being a reoccurring event in America?
CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, yeah, there are things that can be done that can have an impact. There are so many guns out there, you may not see it immediately. But obviously there needs to be thoughtful discussion. And right now, it's hard to really get any kind of meaningful conversation going on. It seems like any laws that are passed actually put more guns out there with concealed carry without permits, and all those kinds of things.
(...)
6:21 p.m.
TOM VERNI, LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSULTANT: It's unbelievable to me that we're in this state of affairs where the love for guns -- high-capacity, high-powered guns -- is so important to people that they're willing to put our safety as Americans at risk time and time and time again. It's just infuriating to me.
(...)
7:04 p.m.
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Texas is a heavily armed state. It is permissive to be heavily armed or to be armed publicly in Texas, and so with that many people in the shopping mall, you can bet 100 percent there were other people who were armed.
(...)
Last year, two years ago, was the most significant example of which a young man in a shopping mall shot an active shooter. I will say, in these cases, very, very rarely are shooters killed by bystander -- armed bystanders -- so we don't know how this shooter was killed, but that's a very rare percentage. They often either commit suicide or are killed by law enforcement if they don't survive it, as we've seen in these cases. That's just statistically accurate so that more guns really in the public really are not minimizing the harm.
(...)
7:35 p.m.
REID: Congressman, I believe it is possible to both pray for the victims but also think ahead as a politician -- as an elected representative -- about how you keep your community safe. I'll let you have the last word.
REP. KEITH SELF (R-TX): We'll do that, but today, we are focused on the families and the victims, praying for them that they are comforted in their loss -- in the tragedy that they suffered today.
REID: Congressman, thank you for joining us.
REP. SELF: You bet.
REID: Chief Ramsey, I want to get your reaction to the Congressman's answers there.
RAMSEY: Well, I mean, you really don't want to know my true reaction, but I'll give you the best I can in a more sanitized version.
(...)
I know nothing's going to happen -- at least not as far as this particular individual is concerned. I don't know him personally, but, you know, he didn't sound like he's ready to light a fire and actually get anything done. So, at some point in time, maybe he'll get off his knees and get off his butt and start doing something.
(...)
State of the Union
May 7, 2023
9:07 a.m.
STATE SENATOR ROLAND GUTIERREZ (D-TX): We are in a situation in this state where at times it's like you're living in communist Russia. The governor, the lieutenant governor, and people like them and their law enforcement agencies refuse to tell us the truth as to what's going on here. It's just a sad state of affairs that we're living in. This is not the "Texas miracle" that Greg Abbott likes to call it. We're living in a Texas nightmare. And it's a nightmare that they created. It's the chaos that they created, Jake.
JAKE TAPPER: State Senator Gutierrez, thank you so much as always...
(...)
CNN Newsroom
5:17 p.m.
STATE REP. GUTIERREZ: I just don't understand these Republicans that want to just pray and do absolutely nothing. Our country and our state is burning down because we have these guns in the hands of people that shouldn't have them. It's a chaos that is wholly created by the Republican party and the NRA. We can stop it and we can stop it now, but we don't have anybody with the political will to do it.
(...)
ACOSTA: Uvalde and Allen are part of a long list of mass shootings that we've seen in Texas in this past decade. Here are just some of them with the number of deaths in parentheses. Barely more than a week ago, nine people were killed in Cleveland, Texas. This -- how much of this comes down just to the prevalence of guns and the general gun culture in Texas? And what about the AR-15? Is there anything that can be done about the AR-15 in Texas or AR-15-style rifles? Is that just not going to go anywhere there?
(...)
GUTIERREZ: This chaos that has ensued is a wholly made and created chaotic situation by the Republicans. More guns does not equal less crime. More guns equals chaos, and more guns equals the fact that we're more dangerous in Texas.
ACOSTA: All right, Senator Gutierrez, thank you very much for your time.
(...)
5:35 p.m.
ACOSTA: Allen, Texas, now joins the long list of U.S. cities and towns traumatized by a gunman bent on killing as many people as quickly as possible. So far this year, at least 201 mass shootings have devastated people in this country, nine of them since Friday.
(...)
5:42 p.m.
FRED GUTTENBERG, GUN CONTROL ACTIVIST: The other one that drives me crazy is because it's personal when it comes to schools. After Sandy Hook, the NRA said for the very first time -- this is not like it's been a part of our history for a long time -- the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. They said that after Sandy Hook about four or five days after. They turned Sandy Hook into a gun sales bonanza. That's what they did. And so because my daughter was killed five years later in a school from an AR-15 again, it really upsets me. But we put all the facts there. Everything is well-researched and resourced, but the bottom line is, all of their slogans -- all of their lies -- all of their myths -- stop listening to the liars and make sure you vote in '24.
ACOSTA: All right, Fred Guttenberg, thanks for bringing us some truth. Appreciate it.
6:40 p.m.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: When you have every single country in the world that has the same type of mental health issues, and this country is the only one that has, as a health hazard, the massive amounts of guns that are available so easily to really anyone who wants one.
(...)
7:08 p.m.
JIM ACOSTA: He was able to take down the gunman, but it was after that gunman had caused so much carnage. And so, even if someone is there with a weapon like that and is able to neutralize a shooter, with these kinds of high-powered rifles, it may not be enough. Even having the so-called good guy with a gun there, you might not have enough time before that person takes down a bunch of people.
JESSICA MASCIA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, I mean, you know, is that an acceptable loss that eight people have to die before a mass gunman is stopped? Yes, that police officer was a hero. If he hadn't been there, 25 people might have died. But unfortunately, we see casualties before any good guy with a gun can get there. If there were police stationed there all the time, there is a good chance that there would have been casualties before the gunman could be taken down. And that's where the logic of that argument kind of starts to fall short. And the argument that we should get rid of all gun laws because we need good guys with guns, you really kind of see in real time that that's being proven inaccurate.
2019 2022 cdc
US 5.0
New York City 3.8
Mississippi 20.5
Louisiana 11.7 19.9
Alaska 9.4
Missouri 9.3
Arkansas 8.0
Tennessee 7.3
Alabama 7.3
Illinois 6.6
Mississippi 6.3
Indiana 5.6
Pennsylvania 5.2
Florida 5.2
Texas 4.9
California 4.3
New York 2.9
Montana 2.5
Wyoming 2.2
Monroe, LA 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
12.1 20.0 36.2 22.1 26.3 8.3 18.8 (9) 40.3 (19)
2022 cdc
Mississippi 20.5
Louisiana 19.9
Alabama 14.2
Missouri 14.0
Arkansas 13.0
South Carolina 12.7
Tennessee 11.5
Maryland 11.4
Illinois 11.2
New Mexico 10.8
Montana 6.6 (24th lowest)
Wyoming 4.9 (18th lowest)
2021 cdc
Chicago 29.55 (797 total)
Mississippi 23.7
Louisiana 21.3 (943 total)
Alabama 15.9
New Mexico 15.3
South Carolina 13.4
Missouri 12.4
Illinois 12.3
Tennessee 12.2
Maryland 12.2
Arkansas 11.7
Pennsylvania 9.2
Montana 4.4
Wyoming 0.0 (16 total)
2021 Louisiana cities
New Orleans 218
Baton Rouge 149
Shreveport 91
Metairie
LaFayette 25
Lake Charles
Kenner
Bossier City
Monroe
Alexandria
2019
louisiana cities and county 544 (525 reporting)
cities 318
counties 189
New Orleans 121 (83 pct biden)
Baton Rouge 70
Shreveport 35
Metairie (not listed -- part of new orleans)
East Baton Rouge (dem) 18
Lafayette gop 14
Lake Charles (gop) 11
St. John the Baptist (dem) 10
East Carroll (dem) 5
St. Helena (dem) 5
Kenner (gop) 4
St. James (dem) 2
Bossier City (gop) 2
Monroe (usually dems) 9
Alexandria (dem) 9
Thibodeaux (gop) 4
Opelousas (dem) 6
Natchichoches (dem) 4
dem cities: 250/544 ----> 294 ---> 7.9
pop: 913,127 / 4,648,794 ---> 3,735,667
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
2nd calc
population rate (per 100,000)
East Baton Rouge (dem) 18 441,471
New Orleans 121 (83 pct biden) 394,498
Baton Rouge 70 220,648
Shreveport 35 187,556
Monroe (usually dems) 9 47,746
Alexandria (dem) 9 46,630
Lafayette gop 14
Lake Charles (gop) 11
St. John the Baptist (dem) 10 42,824
St. James (dem) 2 21,045
Natchichoches (dem) 4 17,747
Opelousas (dem) 6 16,049
Baker (dem) 1 13,240
Bogalusa (dem) 2 11,681
St. Helena (dem) 5 10,145
Kenner (gop) 4
St. James (dem) 2
Bosser City (gop) 2
Monroe (usually dems) 9
Alexandria (dem) 9
Thibodeaux (gop) 4
Opelousas (dem) 6
Natchichoches (dem) 4
East Carroll (dem) 5 6,829
total: 294
dem cities: 250/544 ----> 294 ---> 7.9
pop: 913,127 / 4,648,794 ---> 3,735,667
(...)
CNN News Central
May 8, 2023
2:21 p.m.
SHIMON PROKUPECZ: They're asking for the age to purchase the assault rifles from 18 to 21 in the state of Texas. And, of course, it would have to go through all sorts of passages of legislation by the house members and then the senate, but right now a small victory here for the Uvalde families who have been fighting for this, asking for this for pretty much almost a year now since this happened. And so now this committee has decided they are going to bring the vote to the floor. It's unclear it it's ever going to get there, but at least it's gone out -- a small victory for them.
(...)
The Situation Room
6:08 p.m.
LAURA COATES: We can compare ourselves to other nations, to your larger point. Mental health, you know, the U.S. does not have a monopoly on mental health issues in this country, and, comparatively speaking, we are exponentially higher in gun violence than all of our peers.
WOLF BLITZER: Yeah, important point indeed.
(...)
CNN Primetime
PROKUPECZ: What has to finally happen, right? So for the families in Uvalde, they have a small victory today for them is that in this committee in the Texas legislators. They voted out of committee to raise the age. Clearly, it's not going to go anywhere. No one thinks that this is going to get passed in Texas. But it's a small victory. And perhaps that's how something changes -- these smaller victories.
(...)
10:22 p.m.
E.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: At some point, Republicans -- and I hate picking on Republicans because I am an independent thinker. We just had a conversation that surprised both of us in the hallway. You know I'm an independent thinker. But the proof is in the pudding. It's Republicans that is effing this up, man. I mean, I'm just being real with it. And they've been dragging this on, and our children are dying in schools at a level -- I grew up when we had metal detectors, so children dying in schools wasn't in and of itself shocking. But these numbers?
ALISYN CAMEROTA: There's no denying it. I mean, there's no denying that it's getting worse. There's no denying that kids feel like sitting ducks in their schools.
GRANDERSON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: That's our reality right now.
GRANDERSON: And Republicans -- there's no denying they're the party most responsible for not having any progress on the list that you just presented.
(...)
CNN News Central
May 9, 2023
10:24 a.m.
JOSH CAMPBELL: Multiple weapons were recovered by law enforcement belonging to the shooter. All of them were purchased legally, most of them from private sellers. The reason that is so important is we continue to hear from gun safety advocates, ridiculing this so-called "private seller loophole" because, in the state of Texas, John, and in several other states, if you buy a gun via a private seller, you don't have to go through a federal background check.
(...)
Inside Politics
12:20 p.m.
ANDREW McCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: There's only one thing that makes us different than every other country that experiences mental health problems -- they have angry people, people with grievances. The difference here is that when you're in that category, you can also become incredibly heavily armed with the most lethal military weapons there are available instantly.