***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
The anti-gun hysteria in the wake of Parkland, Florida school shooting appeared to have reached a fever pitch Tuesday as NBC Nightly News ran a report touting social media posts by irrational former gun owners destroying their weapons. “Some gun owners are posting videos of themselves destroying or getting rid of their firearms, declaring ‘one less gun’ on social media,” fill-in anchor Savannah Guthrie gleefully announced.
“On social media, some gun owners are getting rid of their rifles and posting pictures under the hashtag: #OneLessGun,” explained reporter Gabe Gutierrez. “It all started with a Facebook video viewed more than 17 million times of a self-described responsible gun owner with a faded tattoo of the right to bear arms. So moved by the Florida shooting, that he sliced his AR-15.”
The man’s name was Scott-Dani Pappalardo, and in the video clip Gutierrez shared, he can be heard telling viewers: “I’m going to make sure this weapon will never be able to take a life … Now, there’s one less.”
Destroying his own rifle to make sure “this weapon will never be able to take a life” was a ridiculous empty gesture. It’s a shame that this has to be said, but: Guns are not sentient beings! The rifle was not going to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night and shoot someone. So, as long as Pappalardo wasn’t going on a rampage and kept the rifle secure, nothing was going to happen.
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