Sparks flew during Monday’s CNN Tonight as conservative radio host Ben Ferguson went up against liberal anti-gun activists, host Don Lemon and commentator Joan Walsh. The topic was teachers carrying guns in school, with Ferguson explaining to them how he had talked with teachers wanted to volunteer to do it, but Walsh and Lemon lashed out by first calling into question their credibility as teachers to then attacking their intelligence and claiming they were all being “nonsensical.”
“I've talked to first-grade teachers literally the last week who have called into my show and said they want to be able to carry guns. Not all teachers. It's something that shouldn't be mandated to do,” Ferguson recalled. “And a lot of them have said they would love to be in a position to be able to be a first responder. They’re already giving back by teaching. Why shouldn’t they be able to give back by protecting as well?”
Lemon seemed very skeptical that a teacher would hold an opinion different from the liberal ones he associated with. “Do you know they are teachers or are they just people calling into your radio show,” he chided. Ferguson then talked about a teacher who had visited him in his studio and carried a gun every day but couldn’t bring it to class. She was also willing to pay for special training herself.
“You know, Ben, I'm going to grant you these people are real that call into your show, but we both have to acknowledge this is a minority of teachers and it’s a minority of parents,” Walsh sneered, obviously skeptical even though one had visited him. “And I don't think teachers need to add that to the things they're already doing, the cost of a gun to all the pencils and the paper and all the things they're not even paid for,” she rambled on.
Ferguson fought back by declaring it was “so condescending to assume that you can think and you can decide for someone else, who again is volunteering.” “Because it’s not their role! It’s not their role,” Walsh shouted at him. “If five or six of them want it to be their role,” Ferguson asked.
The question had to go unanswered because Lemon chimed in to question Ferguson’s education by asking if he had ever gone to school, and then proclaimed he wouldn’t have wanted his teachers carrying a gun.
“Because when I speak to law enforcement people and speak to actual teachers or people I know are teachers,” Lemon spat, clearly believing no teacher would ever want to carry a gun. “They don't know: are they carrying it on their person, can a student brush up, they’re breaking up a fight between someone, someone grabs the gun, where do they keep the ammunition.”
Lemon then lashed out at his guest, and the teachers he spoke about, by claiming they had no sense in their heads: “So for the vast majority of teachers and for people with sense in this country they realize that--” “Do I not have sense,” Ferguson interrupted. “Not on this issue. You’re being nonsensical,” Lemon charged.
“To say we don’t have sense also just shows how arrogant people are that are anti-gun,” Ferguson argued. “I don't mean to offend you but for people who have sense realize--” Lemon continued, effectively demean him and the teachers he represented. And when Ferguson pushed back on Lemon’s second assertion he had no sense, Lemon shot back a dismissive “Okay” before continuing his rant.
Lemon’s treatment of pro-gun folks was absolutely disgusting. Clearly, he believed them to be beneath him and would only bestow credulity on the big city teachers he paled around with. Maybe he should get out of there more often because just last Thursday CBS Evening News actually visited a school that allowed teachers to carry guns. They did it because they can’t afford better security.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click expand to read:
CNN Tonight
February 26, 2018
10:19:27 PM Eastern(…)
BEN FERGUSON: And look, clearly, I don't think it's right for anyone to say teachers can't be capable of carrying a weapon. I've talked to first-grade teachers literally the last week who have called into my show and said they want to be able to carry guns. Not all teachers. It's something that shouldn't be mandated to do, of course not. I never want anyone to have a gun that doesn’t want to. There are a lot of great people that used to be former law enforcement, that used to be former military that are school teachers, coaches, administrators.
And a lot of them have said they would love to be in a position to be able to be a first responder. They’re already giving back by teaching. Why shouldn’t they be able to give back by protecting as well? These people take bullets for these kids. They use their bodies as shields. Why wouldn't we trust them with an ability to be able to carry a gun? So they go through training.
DON LEMON: Do you know they are teachers or are they just people calling into your radio show?
FERGUSON: I know they’re teachers. I've literally met with teachers. Had them come into my studio and talk to them. I had a 63-year-old woman—that I literally talked to yesterday. She's been teaching for almost 40 years. Her husband's a police officer. And she said, “I carry a gun every day. Why shouldn't I be able to take it to class, go through the training that they want me to go through? I’ll volunteer.” She even said she would pay for it herself. If she wants to do that why can we say they can teach kids but somehow they’re not allowed to do this?
LEMON: She’s a 63-year old teacher?
JOAN WALSH: I don't think I want her packing in the school.
FERGUSON: Why is a 63-year old not capable of carrying a weapon?
WALSH: You know, Ben, I'm going to grant you these people are real that call into your show, but we both have to acknowledge this is a minority of teachers and it’s a minority of parents.
FERGUSON: I don’t need a majority. I need a minority. I need two or three or four or five in a school because one thing we do know about these school shooters is this: all most all of them we have mug shots from. Why? Because they don’t want to get shot.
WALSH: No! Actually, most of them do want to get shot.
[crosstalk]
WALSH: 40 percent or 50 percent got shot.
[Crosstalk]
FERGUSON: Right, a majority would be 60 percent, 40 percent got shot.
[Crosstalk]
WALSH: And I don't think teachers need to add that to the things they're already doing, the cost of a gun to all the pencils and the paper and all the things they're not even paid for.
FERGUSON: It's so condescending to assume—
WALSH: I don’t think it’s condescending.
FERGUSON: -- that you can think and you can decide for someone else, who again is volunteering. Why does it offend you so much or why do we want to say no to people who say I want to volunteer? If they want to choose for themselves—
WALSH: Because it’s not their role! It’s not their role!
FERGUSON: If five or six of them want it to be their role?
[Crosstalk]
LEMON: You went to school right?
FERGUSON: Yes.
LEMON: Do you want your teachers carrying?
FERGUSON: Absolutely!
LEMON: I wouldn’t want—Let me just say this: I wouldn't want not one single teacher I had in school carrying a gun.
FERGUSON: You don’t think they were looking out for you?
LEMON: Because when I speak to law enforcement people and speak to actual teachers or people I know are teachers, they don't know are they carrying it on their person, can a student brush up, they’re breaking up a fight between someone, someone grabs the gun, where do they keep the ammunition.
[Crosstalk]
So for the vast majority of teachers and for people with sense in this country they realize that –
FERGUSON: Do I not have sense?
LEMON: Not on this issue. You’re being nonsensical
FERGUSON: A former law enforcer or former military is a teacher?
LEMON: Let me finish my thought.
FERGUSON: Sure, but to say we don’t have sense also just shows how arrogant people are that are anti-gun.
WALSH: It’s common sense.
LEMON: I don't mean to offend you but for people who have sense realize—
FERGUSON: I have sense.
LEMON: Okay. – there are too many things that can happen that will go the other way. It's not worth the risk of someone who is a teacher. Too many people can get hurt.
(…)
