While Wednesday night’s mass shooting town hall on CNN wasn’t as raucous as their Parkland show trial, it was every bit as anti-gun. And only that worldview mattered. Host Chris Cuomo stated as much when he teased his closing argument (even though he refused to call it that because he asserted his views were the right ones). He even went so far as to openly mock those who opposed his belief in sweeping gun control, including weapon bans.
“I don't see sides to the issue of doing more or doing better than we're doing now when it comes to gun violence, but there are things that are obvious,” he teased before a commercial break.
After returning from the break, he suggested that it would be “stupid” for America not to enact sweeping gun control. “For one, we can't continue to be this stupid. It just defies common sense. We have a clear consensus among Americans of wanting better and more protection,” he declared.
A few moments later, he urged that Congress take another crack at passing a federal “assault weapons” ban. Sounding like a college freshman arguing that real socialism has never been tried, Cuomo insisted the ’94 assault weapons ban wasn’t “really” what the name suggested:
People point to the ‘94 assault weapons ban as a model. But is it really? Barely found political consensus. It was like 216 to 214. And to be honest it really was easily run around by manufacturers. So, I would argue we’ve never really taken this on.
He then lashed out at those who understood that the Second Amendment helped to protect the people from a tyrannical government:
And yet change is obvious. What good argument did you hear tonight for why all gun sales should not be checked? And that data really shouldn't be shared with relevant agencies. These fears of some mystery database where they know what you have and have to go against the government someday you'll be unprepared, ill-equipped. Come on.
Meanwhile, the liberal media has long told us that President Trump is the next Adolf Hitler, operating concentration camps on the border, commands an army of neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and wants to “exterminate Latinos.”
“100 round drums are not more necessary than bump stocks,” he went on to huff. And he followed up by demanding increased obstacles to gun ownership for law-abiding Americans:
The rules that state already that you have certain requirements to meet if you want a handgun. Concealed, open carry permits. Those questions. The affidavits. Those sales. If you just put those in place with every sale, you'd make a real difference in vetting who gets weapons and why. And we already have the infrastructure for it.
He then smeared those who disagreed with him as having motives that were “hollow at best and toxic in the main.” “If lawmakers don't like one or some, they do nothing. They use holistic to blow a hole in the idea of a solution,” he chided.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s America Under Assault: The Gun Crisis: Cuomo Prime Time Town Hall
August 7, 2019
10:17:32 p.m. Eastern(…)
CHRIS CUOMO: And I believe there's reason for help. For one, we can't continue to be this stupid. It just defies common sense. We have a clear consensus among Americans of wanting better and more protection.
(…)
People point to the ‘94 assault weapons ban as a model. But is it really? Barely found political consensus. It was like 216 to 214. And to be honest it really was easily run around by manufacturers. So, I would argue we’ve never really taken this on.
And yet change is obvious. What good argument did you hear tonight for why all gun sales should not be checked? And that data really shouldn't be shared with relevant agencies. These fears of some mystery database where they know what you have and have to go against the government someday you'll be unprepared, ill-equipped. Come on.
100 round drums are not more necessary than bump stocks. And even this President found his way to banning those.
The rules that state already that you have certain requirements to meet if you want a handgun. Concealed, open carry permits. Those questions. The affidavits. Those sales. If you just put those in place with every sale, you'd make a real difference in vetting who gets weapons and why. And we already have the infrastructure for it.
And yes, letting families flag authorities about a loved one who seems determined to hurt themselves or others and remove access to weapons, not forever not every case. That would help too. And it would be nice to track shootings federally. It’d be nice to know what's happening and where and by whom.
And the reason for doing none of these things are hollow at best and toxic in the main. If lawmakers don't like one or some, they do nothing. They use holistic to blow a hole in the idea of a solution.
Right now, there's a bill on Senator McConnell’s desk, he won't allow it to be debated. You have to wonder, if it has been migrants or Muslim extremists, who were doing these mass shootings, you think he would treat it the same way? Do you think this President would be so quiet?
(…)
