Gretchen Carlson is one of Fox News’ most admired reporters. She is the host of The Real Story on Fox, and generally stays in line with the right wing rhetoric of the network.
According to Addicting Info, the Orlando mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub prompted Carlson to set aside her script and express her own ideas.
Thx to everyone for your support or lack thereof. I'm a mom who loves her kids and tries 2see things as I see them. pic.twitter.com/GVmLohSzkZ
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) June 15, 2016
Like so many other Americans, Carlson has realized that assault- style weapons are too deadly to place in the hands of untrained civilians.
As Carlson pointed out, 58 percent of Americans support a ban on this type of weapon, which can kill many people very quickly.
The killer in Orlando used a type of gun that is very similar in design and function to an AR-15. These guns are the civilian version of the M-16, a military weapon designed for use in Vietnam. The M-16 is a true machine gun, as it is able to shoot 3 bullets each time the shooter pulls the trigger.
The National Firearms Act was passed in 1934 to prohibit the sale of any machine gun to a civilian, so M-16s are out of the reach of the average macho guy.
As a result, the AR-15 and other weapons were created. These are so-called “semi automatic,” because the shooter has to depress the trigger for each bullet. The automatic part comes in the gun automatically refilling the chamber with ammunition. They can still kill a whole lot of people in a very short time.
Many gun enthusiasts have argued about terminology, calling phrases like “assault weapons” and “semi-automatic” misleading. The average person understands, though, that the words mean the kind of military style weapons that have been used in nearly all of the mass gun murders in the country.
In speaking her mind about reinstating the ban on assault weapons, Carlson did what no other Fox host, or any Republican, seems capable of doing. She put her own conscience and common sense before party loyalty.
She went on the air, in a very public forum, and with a very conservative audience.
She challenged the National Rifle Association (NRA), and its refusal to allow any common sense into the gun safety discussion. Carlson said:
“There’s no doubt Omar Mateen was able to kill so many people because he was firing an AR-15 … A military-style assault weapon, a weapon easier to buy in the state of Florida than buying a handgun. Florida sets a three day waiting period for purchasing handguns, but the state mandates no waiting period for any gun that requires two hands to hold.”
Adding what so many others have been saying for years, Carlson pointed out:
“Do we need AR-15s to hunt and kill deer? Do we need them to protect our families? I’m in favor of people being able to carry. I think some of these mass shootings would have been less deadly if that were the case. But I’m also with the majority today, taking a stand. Can’t we hold true the sanctity of the Second Amendment while still having common sense?”
Kudos to Gretchen Carlson. The NRA and Fox are not known for their measured responses to a challenge.
They’d better pay attention, though. When even a Fox News host is calling for sensible gun laws, the handwriting might just finally be on the wall.
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