As with all of the usual suspects on cable news, MSNBC ran more than a week-long full court press for gun control following the tragic Parkland, Florida school shooting. Thus it should come as no surprise that stand-in host Chris Jansing struggled to remain neutral while interviewing Andrew Pollack, a grieving father who disagreed with the network’s stance on gun restrictions.
Pollack appeared on MSNBC Live With Craig Melvin on Monday to discuss his support for a school safety bill. The legislation in question included a school marshal program, which would enable school staff volunteers to carry concealed firearms during school hours after receiving the appropriate training.
The interview got off to a bumpy start. Before Pollack was even given a chance to state his position, Jansing asserted that the Florida Education Association opposed the bill. She also cited a poll which found that 50% of respondents did not support the school marshal program.
When asked why he was advocating for a school-safety-first program as opposed to firearm restrictions, Pollack went on the attack, inquiring why the media always seemed to leap immediately to talking about gun control:
Part of the problem is the media. Like before you got on, you started talking about the AR bill, and it takes away from the focus of what’s important to me and, I think, the majority of Americans. They just want to know their kids are safe. So every time the media starts talking about gun control, it takes away from our objective of making our schools safe, which is achievable right now if we come together.
Reluctant to grant the premise, Jansing argued that “for many people,” school safety was analogous to “getting rid of” weapons like the AR-15. “Why not talk about restricting or banning those kinds of weapons?” she insisted.
Pollack answered that he prioritized solutions that would take effect as soon as “next week.” This did not strike Jansing as a sufficient reason not to push for more gun control, and before he could expand on his rationale, she interrupted him to ask: “So what will make them safe that quickly? Next week?”
“Banning ARs?” he shot back. “Say there’s a few million rifles. How is that going to make them safe next week?” He finished his explanation, and Jansing offered no further rebuttal. Before the segment ended, Pollack made a point of thanking everyone who had sent their prayers to him and his family. “I really appreciate it,” he said. “It helps. Thank you.”
This was not Mr. Pollack’s first unpleasant run-in with the media. When he spoke at President Trump’s televised listening session on February 22nd of this year, both ABC and NBC chose to edit out the portion of his speech where he told the President, “It’s not about gun laws right now.”
A transcript of the segment can be found below:
MSNBC's Live With Craig Melvin
03/05/2018
1:44 p.m. ESTCHRIS JANSING: ...You support the bill being considered today. The school marshal program is in it. It would arm school staff members and teachers who, first of all, volunteer and get more than 130 hours of training. As you know teachers have been encouraged to lobby against the plan. A recent poll found America is divided. 50% oppose arming teachers. I wonder can you talk about what is motivating your position on this and have you talked to teachers there and how do they feel about it?
ANDREW POLLOCK: Yes, I did. Actually, I spoke to a bunch of friends that I have about this bill, and there's something you're failing to mention. What you're failing to mention is that it's voluntary. This whole program for the school board is voluntary. So what makes it -- what's important is because in some areas where the police are very close, they could respond faster, but you're failing to forget in rural areas it could take the police much longer to get to the school. So someone like a marshal trained, who would be trained with the police for that specific scenario, I think is beneficial -- beneficial for the school.
JANSING: So I do want to say we did say this is -- people have to volunteer. You're not -- this is not requiring people to decide to arm themselves.
POLLOCK: No.
JANSING: The people who want to do it -- and you've said, also, that gun control laws are not achievable right now. You've been advocating, correct me if I'm wrong, a school safety first program. What makes sense to you from where you sit?
POLLOCK: Correct. Part of the problem is the media, like before you got on you started talking about the AR bill and it takes away from the focus of what's important to me and I think a majority of Americans. They want to just know their kids are safe. So every time the media starts talking about gun control, it takes away from our objective of making our schools safe, which is achievable right now if we come together. If the media stops saying "gun control" and instead of using the word gun control put in there school safety, it will be an easy task to get together and make it happen.
JANSING: But the question is for many people and, in fact, the polls show this, for many people school safety is equated with getting rid of assault rifles or at least putting strong restrictions on who can get their hands on assault rifles and weapons that were designed as weapons of war, as opposed to personal safety or hunting, those kinds of things. Why not talk about restricting or banning those kinds of weapons?
POLLOCK: Because that's not going to solve the problem next week. Next week I want my kids safe -- if I had one that went to school, but I don't. Every other person I know --
JANSING: So what will make them safe that quickly? Next week?
POLLOCK: -- has kids going to school. How is it going to -- banning ARs, say there's a few million rifles, how is that going to make them safe next week? We want them safe next week, the American people. In order to do that, we need to make the school safe. Just like if you went to a concert, you can't get into a concert with a weapon. The people at the concert that run it, are they looking to ban -- are they looking to make laws on gun control? No. They did what they did. They put in their metal detectors. They put in the security and you're safe when you go to a concert. I just want that same thing implemented at a school. And later on, I don't have a problem with anyone out there fighting any gun law possible. It doesn't bother me. But right now if we focus on just making our schools safe, like a courthouse, we'd get it done much quicker.
