I must admit, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that one of the first reactions given by White House spokesperson Dana Perino in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy was to reaffirm the president's support for gun ownership. Responding to a question about how the shootings would influence the national debate on gun control, Perino said "the president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms," before adding that gun owners are expected to adhere to laws.
The Guardian, a UK publication, called her an NRA automaton for the remark, which was well deserved. I would have weighed in on this yesterday, but I was busy rinsing the taste of vomit from my mouth.
In Perino's limited -- very limited -- defense, she was asked a question on gun control. But, as we see time and again during White House press briefings, spokespeople have wide latitude when it comes to which questions they choose to answer fully. Given the scope of the tragedy that was under discussion, she should have just said that now was not the time to talk politics. That's PR:101. Maybe they don't teach that at the NRA school for flaks.
At any rate, Perino made Pres. Bush look like a first-class caveman (no offense to Geico intended) by asserting his support for guns minutes after one was used by a mentally unstable student to take 32 lives.
Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
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NotesFromTheCenter posted on Apr 18, 2007
| views: 199
Comments
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pascodelta said on Apr 18, 2007....
I was amazed when I heard that he had psychiatric treatment, but, was still allowed to buy a gun. I think that is something that could be looked at without changing the Constitution.
You need to pass a competency test to drive a car, so why not some competency checks for a firearm?
Excuse me, if I sound uninformed in this, but, I live in the UK, and here, this would be a non-argument. The only gun that fellow could have got, would have been an illegal one.
It is notable, that most 'street' murders are with illegally held weapons, whereas, these High School shootings always seem to be legal.
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NotesFromTheCenter said on Apr 18, 2007....
Thanks for the comment. You understand the issue perfectly -- people with serious mental disorders can purchase guns in the United States. The Brady Bill only blocks people who have already committed crimes from buying guns -- it doesn't stop people who are quite possibly about to commit a crime.
The gun-shop owner who sold the Virginia Tech shooter the gun said he looked like a clean-cut, normal kid, and that he never would have sold him the gun otherwise. This shop owner did nothing wrong. He followed the law. But the fact that we would rely on gun-shop owners to identify people who may have mental disorders is a huge flaw in the system. -
pascodelta said on Apr 18, 2007....
Huge. I know there is right to bear arms, but, the fact that he was a 'clean-cut, normal kid', leads me to think; why does this kid need a gun? He's studying, living on campus, doesn't look like a gangster - that alone should ring alarm bells.
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bloc said on Apr 18, 2007....
it's sad that so many want to make cheap political points right after tragedies.
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