While the media have spent the past week applauding students who survived the Parkland, Florida school shooting demanding gun control legislation, on NBC’s Today show on Wednesday, correspondent Kerry Sanders worried that some of the teenagers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who traveled to the state capital to lobby lawmakers on the issue might encounter people with different points of view.
“But the hundred students who traveled here from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will not attend the rally. The state representative who invited them here says that this is an open rally and she fears there will be gun advocates who come here,” Sanders declared at the beginning of his report for the morning show. “It’s only been seven days since the rampage on their campus and she fears that having those two sides possibly confronting would come at a time when those student survivors are still emotionally vulnerable,” he added.
Those students being “emotionally vulnerable” in the wake of the horrific attack certainly didn’t stop the press from using them to advance a liberal political agenda.
After noting that the Florida legislature dealt the teenage activists a “crushing blow” by refusing to “take up a bill banning assault weapons,” Sanders reiterated: “Some are urging them not to attend today’s rally, where grieving students might be confronted by pro-gun rights advocates.”
A soundbite followed of Democratic State Senator Lauren Book warning: “We all have to be mindful that these kids are very fresh from a terribly traumatic event.”
Offering a similar report in the 9:00 a.m. ET hour for Megyn Kelly Today, Sanders continued to hype “fears there will be those who are gun proponents who are here and that there could be some sort of, perhaps, very difficult confrontation between those points of view and what the students have to say....where grieving students might be confronted by pro-gun rights advocates.”
An essential part of the political process in any democracy is engaging with people who may disagree with you on an issue. Anyone who wants to lobby elected officials to enact particular laws or policies should expect to be challenged on their political position.
People on both sides of the gun debate have every right to make their voices heard and be given equal treatment by the media. When reporters choose to only promote gun control advocates and portray supporters of the Second Amendment as threatening, they fail to follow the basic principles of journalism.
Here is a portion of Sanders’ February 21 report on Today:
7:05 AM ET
HODA KOTB: While some families impacted by the Parkland shooting are at the White House, others are making their voices heard at the state capital in Tallahassee. NBC’s Kerry Sanders is there with the latest. Hey, Kerry, good morning.
KERRY SANDERS: Well, good morning, Hoda. It’s estimated by police there may be upwards of a thousand students outside here at the capital. But the hundred students who traveled here from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will not attend the rally. The state representative who invited them here says that this is an open rally and she fears there will be gun advocates who come here. It’s only been seven days since the rampage on their campus and she fears that having those two sides possibly confronting would come at a time when those student survivors are still emotionally vulnerable.
Overnight, a warm welcome for the survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Students on a mission, bringing their anger, grief, and a tough gun control message to Florida’s capital.
JULIA BISHOP [STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT]: We’re sick and tired of politicians just sitting back saying that this was inevitable. Now we need to implement the legislation and we need to carry forward change.
SANDERS: But they’re learning that won’t be easy. Tuesday, the Florida legislature voted not to take up a bill banning assault weapons. A crushing blow to students who were there. Some are urging them not to attend today’s rally, where grieving students might be confronted by pro-gun rights advocates.
STATE SEN. LAUREN BOOK [D-FL]: We all have to be mindful that these kids are very fresh from a terribly traumatic event.
(...)
