As previously reported by NewsBusters, CNN started ramping up its lobbying efforts for more gun control a couple of weeks ago with near daily coverage of mass shooting incidents, accompanied by an on-screen tracker of keeping a tally of the number of deaths and incidents so far this year.
This week, CNN anchors picked up on Senator Chris Murphy's attack on his Republican colleagues via Twitter, and host Ana Cabrera even promised to continue the coverage until the government takes action on gun control. At one point, she lectured, "And we are not going to let up. We're going to continue to report on this because it is so important, and until our leaders take action."
The liberal news network has so far been more likely to blame the recent crime wave on guns, the pandemic, or economic desperation, putting little blame on anti-police liberal activism (which they themselves have participated in) which already had a previous history of stoking more crime via the Ferguson Effect.
On CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera, correspondent Omar Jimenez recalled several recent mass shootings, and then moved to trumpeting President Joe Biden's push for more gun laws:
The deadly surge in gun violence as the nation paused to remember the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre five years ago. President Joe Biden announced the site will become a national memorial and called on Congress to approve gun control legislation, writing in a statement, "There is more we must do to address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms -- mass shootings and daily acts of gun violence that don't make national headlines."
He then promoted a soundbite of the Democratic mayor of Savannah complaining about the lack of restrictions on where guns can be taken in Georgia:
OMAR JIMENEZ: Some local leaders also calling for action, fearing gun violence will only continue to rise.
MAYOR VAN JOHNSON (D-SAVANNAH): The reality is, in Georgia, we can't be mad that guns are everywhere when Georgia law allows guns to be everywhere. We not only need to have stronger gun laws in Georgia and nationally but we also need to have is to teach our young people better decision-making.
Wrapping up, Cabrera promised: "And we are not going to let up. We're going to continue to report on this because it is so important, and until our leaders take action -- 305 people already killed this year alone in mass shootings. No other country."
About an hour later, as CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell covered the same crime news, Camerota read Senator Murphy's provocative tweet attacking Republicans:
In response to the latest gun violence, Senator Chris Murphy blasted his colleagues in a tweet. He said, "FYI, 32 people were shot yesterday in three mass shootings, and when Congress returns to work on Monday, half of the members elected to protect the country won't give a shit."
After Blackwell commented that "They don't even send out thoughts and prayers anymore," Camerota, hinting at Senator Murphy's history of reflexively calling for more gun control after every mass shooting, added: "I mean, we don't have to live this way. We don't have to live this way. This is a choice."
Blackwell then vaguely hinted at misleading polling that liberals like to cite to claim most Americans agree with liberals on gun control
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Transcripts follow. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera
June 14, 2021
1:48 p.m. Eastern
OMAR JIMENEZ: The deadly surge in gun violence as the nation paused to remember the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre five years ago. President Joe Biden announced the site will become a national memorial and called on Congress to approve gun control legislation, writing in a statement, "There is more we must do to address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms -- mass shootings and daily acts of gun violence that don't make national headlines." Some local leaders also calling for action, fearing gun violence will only continue to rise.
MAYOR VAN JOHNSON (D-SAVANNAH): The reality is, in Georgia, we can't be mad that guns are everywhere when Georgia law allows guns to be everywhere. We not only need to have stronger gun laws in Georgia and nationally but we also need to have is to teach our young people better decision-making.
JIMENEZ: And on the question of why, there are a lot of factors at play here. Some law enforcement experts have said that it's stemmed from economic hardship from the pandemic, from strained police resources, breakdowns in judicial processes. Bottom line, this is a compounded grim reality that we are seeing as the U.S. begins to open back up. And we see this as, of course, we head into what is typically the deadliest time of the year for gun violence, and that's the summertime. Ana?
ANA CABRERA: And we are not going to let up. We're going to continue to report on this because it is so important, and until our leaders take action -- 305 people already killed this year alone in mass shootings. No other country.
(...)
CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell
June 14, 2021
2:49 p.m. Eastern
ALISYN CAMEROTA: In response to the latest gun violence, Senator Chris Murphy blasted his colleagues in a tweet. He said, "FYI, 32 people were shot yesterday in three mass shootings, and when Congress returns to work on Monday, half of the members elected to protect the country won't give a shit."
VICTOR BLACKWELL: They don't even send out thoughts and prayers anymore.
CAMEROTA: I mean, we don't have to live this way.
BLACKWELL: No.
CAMEROTA: We don't have to live this way. This is a choice.
BLACKWELL: And it's interesting because there are polls that show that, within the margin of error of everybody, there are people in this country who believe and agree that there are some things we can do that can get us closer to general safety. I mean, to go through the list of places where there have been mass shootings, it takes less to list the places where there have not been.
CAMEROTA: Oh, that's right. You can't be a tourist in Austin anymore -- you can't go to a mall -- you can't, you certainly can't send your kids to school -- you can't go to a spa.
BLACKWELL: Or church or a grocery store or to a massage parlor. And the list goes on.
