During Monday’s The 11th Hour on MSNBC, Stephanie Ruhle proved once again why she isn’t a journalist. Instead of simply reporting the facts on the gun control debate and asking questions of her guests, she took sides and fretted over whether Democrats are compromising too much with Republicans.
“I want to start by talking about the bipartisan effort in the Senate that they're working on,” Ruhle announced while turning to her guest Robyn Thomas of the Giffords Law Center. “Chris Murphy has already said, banning assault weapons, out. Any sort of comprehensive background checks, out. If these two basic and essential things aren't in there, then are we already aiming too low?”
Ruhle is apparently unaware that we already have background checks for gun purchases. In response, Thomas sought to prove she was just as ignorant of gun laws and the Second Amendment as Ruhle.
Thomas claimed that “if you don't have universal background checks, then even when you have red flag laws, they're very, very difficult to enforce and implement, because we don't have records at all of those transfers, we can prohibit someone from buying guns, using a risk protective order.”
She added that she was “really disappointed to hear universal background checks are not part of that discussion. And I don’t know if I’m surprised or not, I had hoped Uvalde might move the needle in terms of some Republicans realizing that it's long past time for them to get on with this.”
Later on, Ruhle played a soundbite from earlier in the day on MSNBC in which Jason Johnson ranted: “I would be connecting this to voting rights. I would be connecting this to January 6th. I would be saying, we need to get rid of the gun-loving terrorists, who are trying to kill your grandma at the grocery store.”
Ruhle then turned to Thomas and said “he makes quite an argument, is he right?” Predictably, Thomas replied, “I think he's right.”
This segment was made possible by Golden Corral. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:
MSNBC’s The 11th Hour
6/6/2022
11:24:51 p.m. EasternSTEPHANIE RUHLE: I want to start by talking about the bipartisan effort in the Senate that they're working on. Chris Murphy has already said, banning assault weapons, out. Any sort of comprehensive background checks, out. If these two basic and essential things aren't in there, then are we already aiming too low?
ROBYN THOMAS: I would say, yes. Stephanie, I think, you and I talked about this before. Universal background checks is the floor for everything else. You know, I've heard they’re talking about implementing a red flag law or providing funding so that states can implement red flag laws. Well, if you don't have universal background checks, then even when you have red flag laws, they're very, very difficult to enforce and implement, because we don't have records at all of those transfers, we can prohibit someone from buying guns, using a risk protective order. But if they can just go around it, and buy a gun online, or at a gun show, or from a private seller, legally, then it doesn't have the same impact. So I’m really disappointed to hear universal background checks are not part of that discussion. And I don’t know if I’m surprised or not, I had hoped Uvalde might move the needle in terms of some Republicans realizing that it's long past time for them to get on with this. I've read about some Texas GOP donors, speaking out in favor of things like universal background checks in the Dallas paper this morning. So, I do think that it is time, I'm really disappointed to hear that universal background checks and assault weapon regulations are not in the conversation.
(...)
RUHLE: Jason Johnson authored up this suggestion earlier today. Watch this.
JASON JOHNSON: You could tell people to vote. You could say to get rid of this person, or that person. But if you don't do anything about voting rights, they can't vote out the terrible people who are keeping these policies in place. When you get issues that are of importance, when 99 percent of the public is like we’re scared and we want something done, if they are prevented from expressing their frustration, when it comes to getting to the ballot box, then, nothing actually changes. So, I would be connecting this to voting rights. I would be connecting this to January 6th. I would be saying, we need to get rid of the gun-loving terrorists, who are trying to kill your grandma at the grocery store.
RUHLE: He makes quite an argument, is he right?
THOMAS: I think he's right. I mean, we know that Americans support this, and then, we see that the Senate doesn't act. I’ve been saying for a long time if 90 percent of Americans want this, and they're not doing it, then they clearly don't represent the will of the American people, the safety of our children, they represent something else. Now, people can't vote. They can get away with that.
They can get away with being in the Senate, and voting for the NRA, and voting for the gun industry because there's nothing we can do to vote them out if people don't have access to the vote. So I think he makes a really good point, in the sense that there is no way to move this needle until they think their jobs are at stake. That is the thing that motivates them, and if their jobs aren’t at stake, because these laws are being passed that prevent people in their– in their districts and their states from actually voting, then they can get away with anything.
