Although CNN host Lisa Ling claimed that her Sunday special on gun violence wasn't "entirely anti-gun," the show blatantly pushed anti-gun activism -- including the views of radical leftist priest (and Reverend Wright ally) Father Michael Pfleger -- while presenting nothing positive about the impact of gun ownership in lowering crime.
The show even included a soundbite of the mother of a shooting victim who claimed that gun manufacturers and the government, including the President, shared in the blame for the murder of her son.
As Ling appeared as a guest on Sunday's CNN Newsroom to promote the episode of This Is Life, host Ana Cabrera repeated the myth that mass shootings do not occur in other countries: "You say, in the show, this is a uniquely American club -- a uniquely American situation. I'll ask the same question we ask really every time something like this happens. What did you learn about why this keeps happening here?"
This is weird "news" timing, since there haven't been notorious mass shootings since the lockdowns began. In her response, Ling denied that the show was "entirely anti-gun" and then blamed mass shootings on a lack of strict gun regulations:
Well, look, Ana, you know, this piece tonight isn't entirely anti-gun. In fact, there are people in this episode who aren't even against guns. But I think that we can all acknowledge that it's just too easy to get firearms in this country, and it's too easy for people who want to do harm to get firearms. So there are people in this episode, like Sandy and Loni, for example, who are just pushing really hard for more federal uniformity when it comes to background checks and waiting periods. And they would like to see the same laws apply to guns as driving and purchasing vehicles, for example.
But, according to right-leaning crime researcher John Lott, other countries have had disproportionately more problems with mass shootings than America: "There were 29 such shootings (four or more fatalities in a public place, according to the FBI’s official definition) in the U.S. during the eight years of the Obama administration; 26 in Europe."
Early on in the pre-recorded episode of This Is Life, which aired Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, a clip was played in which Susan -- the mother of a man who died in the Thousand Oaks shooting in 2018 -- hinted that pro-gun politicians and gun makers were partly to blame for her son's death:
There was one shooter. The shooter provided the motive. The gun and ammunition manufacturers provided the means. Our government -- our Senate, our President, our House, our state legislators -- they provided the opportunity. So, to me, they took Tele.
Then came a clip of Ling uncritically repeating the views of gun violence survivors who want more gun control: "While they're both devastated, they're also really angry because they believe that, if the same kinds of regulations were applied to guns as are applied to things like driving or getting prescription drugs, their kids might be alive today."
Toward the end of the one-hour episode, Ling showed clips of a gun buyback drive in Chicago before showing a soundbite of Father Pfleger speaking out against guns:
I think every gun is a gun that could be used to shoot or kill somebody. The churches, the synagogue and the mosque are supposed to be the moral compasses of society. If we're not doing something about this gun issue, why are we expecting government to do it? I'm a Catholic priest. The Catholic Church is real big on right to life. This is right to life, getting guns off the streets.
The CNN host was seen cuing up Father Pfleger to blame Indiana for shootings in Illinois as she related: "Each state has different gun laws. Illinois' are so strict, most of these guns were purchased out of state."
Then came a clip of Pfleger blaming Chicago crime on Indiana: "I can get in my car and drive 20 minutes right now to Indiana and go to a gun show and get whatever I want. So we can have all the laws we want here in Chicago -- until we deal with right from the faucet this flow of guns -- until we do that, it's an uphill battle."
It was not mentioned that violent crime is higher in Illinois than in Indiana at the same time that it is more difficult for law-abiding citizens to buy guns in Illinois.
This heavily slanted episode of CNN's This is Life with Lisa Ling was sponsored in part by Dominos. Their contact information is linked.
Transcripts follow:
CNN Newsroom
December 13, 2020
7;50 p.m. Eastern
ANA CABRERA: You say, in the show, this is a uniquely American club -- a uniquely American situation. I'll ask the same question we ask really every time something like this happens. What did you learn about why this keeps happening here?
LISA LING: Well, look, Ana, you know, this piece tonight isn't entirely anti-gun. In fact, there are people in this episode who aren't even against guns. But I think that we can all acknowledge that it's just too easy to get firearms in this country, and it's too easy for people who want to do harm to get firearms. So there are people in this episode, like Sandy and Loni, for example, who are just pushing really hard for more federal uniformity when it comes to background checks and waiting periods. And they would like to see the same laws apply to guns as driving and purchasing vehicles, for example.
(...)
CNN
This Is Life with Lisa Ling
December 13, 2020
10:18 p.m.
SUSAN: He didn't pass -- they took him.
LING: You just said "they" took him.
SUSAN: Yes.
LING: What do you mean by "they" took him? There was one gunman.
SUSAN: There was one shooter. The shooter provided the motive. The gun and ammunition manufacturers provided the means. Our government -- our Senate, our President, our House, our state legislators -- they provided the opportunity. So, to me, they took Telly.
LING: I am a bit of an emotional wreck right now because I was just with two families who lived through one of my worst nightmares. While they're both devastated, they're also really angry because they believe that, if the same kinds of regulations were applied to guns as are applied to things like driving or getting prescription drugs, their kids might be alive today.
(...)
10:50 p.m.
LING: Do you think programs like this made the streets any safer?
FATHER MICHAEL PFLEGER, CHICAGO PRIEST: I think every gun is a gun that could be used to shoot or kill somebody. The churches, the synagogue and the mosque are supposed to be the moral compasses of society. If we're not doing something about this gun issue, why are we expecting government to do it? I'm a Catholic priest. The Catholic Church is real big on right to life. This is right to life, getting guns off the streets.
LING: Each state has different gun laws. Illinois' are so strict, most of these guns were purchased out of state.
FATHER PFLEGER: I can get in my car and drive 20 minutes right now to Indiana and go to a gun show and get whatever I want. So we can have all the laws we want here in Chicago -- until we deal with right from the faucet this flow of guns -- until we do that, it's an uphill battle.
LING: Without federal gun laws in place, father Flager feels he must do this and much, much more.FATHER PFLEGER: (speaking from a podium at a protest): Our gun laws are nothing but a Band-Aid!
