Ed Berliner, the host of Newsmax TV’s prime-time show, The Hard Line, is a no-questions-asked conservative. However, he has let it be known that he isn’t at all afraid to take on the NRA. He has come out as a staunch supporter of common-sense gun control measures.
Berliner turned more than a few heads on Wednesday when he cited the incredibly senseless death of a Tennessee girl by calling for tougher restrictions on gun purchases. Last weekend, eight-year-old MaKayla Dyer refused to let an 11-year-old boy see her family’s puppy. The boy grabbed his father’s 12-gauge shotgun, stuck it through the window, and blew away MaKayla’s midsection. The shotgun was in an unlocked closet.
Berliner not only demanded that the boy’s parents be brought up on charges, but he also called for background checks and mental health exams for anyone who wants to buy a gun.
Watch here.
Berliner also demanded that the Second Amendment be changed to make gun ownership a “privilege.” He also called for requiring yearly gun safety courses. Sounds like something you’d hear from a host on MSNBC doesn’t it?
However, Berliner had already let it be known that he’s one right-wing host who isn’t shy about favoring gun control. Last Monday, Berliner blasted the lack of “common sense” about guns as well as “governmental deadheads” standing in the way of passing common-sense gun reform. Watch more here.
Berliner said that as someone who has been around guns all his life, he has no problem with “…the deepest and most intrusive background checks imaginable.” He also supports waiting periods before you can buy a gun, as well as requirements that prospective gun owners undergo “extensive training.” He also called for closing the gun-show loophole, saying that he has seen deals worked out at gun shows, “…that would make your head spin.” He also wants parents held accountable if their kids commit any crimes with a gun.
Not surprisingly, Berliner was kicked up, down, and sideways by Newsmax viewers. Some of them called him, among other things, a “…pinko commie.” But Berliner kept right on attacking Tuesday night. Watch here.
Berliner believes that the mother of the shooter at Umpqua Community College should be brought up on criminal charges. Despite being well aware of his numerous mental issues, she continued to keep guns in her house. Berliner added that anyone who wants to buy a gun should undergo “…a complete mental health workup” as part of the background check. He believes that the “outside chance” that such a requirement could have saved one life from a mass shooting is well worth having it on the books.
If you didn’t know already, Newsmax is well to the right of Fox News Channel. It is staggering that the network’s prime-time host would say something like this. After all, the only reason that Sandy Hook and other mass shootings weren’t enough to make these changes is lawmakers are scared of the NRA. If a host on a network that mainly caters to NRA supporters is willing to speak up, the NRA-imposed inertia on gun control may very well be at an end.
