CNN Newsroom’s Alisyn Camerota apparently believes that car control is a common proposal to combat drunk driving as she interviewed Republican congressman Michael Burgess on Wednesday’s program and grilled him on why he refuses to support raising the purchasing age of AR-15s to 21.
Camerota was not thrilled at Burgess’s lack of support for gun control, “But instead of talking about process, I just want to talk about, sort of, so I understand, talking about everything you're talking about, about the troubled kid, but not talking about guns to me is like Mothers Against Drunk Driving talking about everything except the car. It's the combination. You can't let the troubled teenager get a gun. Why would – why would-- answer me this -- an 18-year-old need an AR-15?”
Nobody ever talks about the need to pass car control or raise the driving age as the result of drunk driving. Unfortunately, Burgess did not call Camerota out on that absurdity, but did point out another contradiction, “Thomas Massie, in the Rules Committee yesterday pointed out that, he suggested that maybe if we were willing to reconsider the age of Selective Service registration that he might have -- he might be willing to have that discussion.”
Interrupting, Camerota again asked, “Are you willing to? Are you open, but I’m just asking your opinion. Are you willing to raise the age to 21?”
After Burgess declared the issue needs to be studied more, Camerota interrupted again to repeat the question, “But what about you, congressman? I mean, why can't you answer that? How do you feel about that?”
Following Burgess citing a Ninth Circuit ruling declaring such a measure unconstitutional, Camerota still wasn’t satisfied, “But why does an 18-year-old need access to an AR-15?”
After Camerota yet again asked “why does an 18-year-old need access to an AR-15?” Burgess declared that “on the House side, all of that—all of that-- debate was simply foreclosed. We weren't going to do it.”
Ultimately, none of Burgess’s answers satisfied Camerota, “I hear what you're saying congressman, but you know, people are ready for action. I mean, I think we've been talking a lot. We've been talking for decades, and people are ready for action.”
To be more accurate, some people are ready for action, but nobody is ready for common sense car control.
This segment was sponsored by Pepsi.
Here is a transcript for the June 8 show:
CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell
6/8/2022
2:43 PM ET
ALISYN CAMEROTA: I hope so, I hope so, congressman. But instead of talking about process, I just want to talk about, sort of, so I understand, talking about everything you're talking about, about the troubled kid, but not talking about guns to me is like Mothers Against Drunk Driving talking about everything except the car. It's the combination. You can't let the troubled teenager get a gun. Why would – why would-- answer me this -- an 18-year-old need an AR-15?
MICHAEL BURGESS: Well, look, that is a discussion that perhaps we could—we could-- have had, but on the House side the way the legislation is constructed, Thomas Massie, in the Rules Committee yesterday pointed out that, he suggested that maybe if we were willing to reconsider the age of Selective Service registration that he might have -- he might be willing to have that discussion, but there was no—there was no—effort.
CAMEROTA: Are you willing to? Are you open, but I’m just asking your opinion. Are you willing to raise the age to 21?
BURGESS: I—I-- think this is one of those areas that deserves more study. We know for a fact that-- we know for a fact—that there are— that there are people who do feel that way, but on the other hand, when you look at –
CAMEROTA: But what about you, congressman? I mean, why can't you answer that? How do you feel about that?
BURGESS: Me personally? I don't think that's a direction that—that-- is reasonable to go. The Ninth Circuit has already ruled against that.
CAMEROTA: But—but-- why does an 18-year-old need access to an AR-15?
BURGESS: But, you know, let’s --let's—let’s have the discussion. I mean, that’s, I'm willing to do that, but again, on the House side, all of that—all of that-- debate was simply foreclosed. We weren't going to do it.
CAMEROTA: I hear what you're saying congressman, but you know, people are ready for action. I mean, I think we've been talking a lot. We've been talking for decades, and people are ready for action.
