The journalists at CBS Mornings on Wednesday reacted to the tragic mass killing in Uvalde, Texas by dismissing the Second Amendment as for “muskets” and by lobbying for gun control via a Joe Biden executive order. Co-host Gayle King lectured Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales, chiding him for not supporting background checks (which don’t appear they would have stopped the Uvalde killer).
Speaking of the Second Amendment, she dismissed, “I keep thinking when the Founding Fathers wrote that they were talking about muskets. I do not think if they were here today that they were thinking that people, kids, would have these assault rifles.”
After the Congressman called for unity and a focus on the victims, King lashed out: “With all due respect, you're in a position of power. You're in a position of power to change things. If we can't talk about it and we can't make changes, when can we talk about it? To me, this is the perfect day to talk about it.”
The co-host scolded the Republican: “You voted against two gun reform measures including one that called for expanded background checks. Are you rethinking that position this morning in light of what has happened in your state?”
Earlier in the show, talking to liberal Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, guest co-host Michelle Miller lobbied for Biden to go around Congress:
Senator, no place is sacred, no person is safe. Even your colleagues in Congress have been targeted on a baseball field, no less, practicing for a game. So at what point are the people who are tasked with giving legislation for a bill, that as you say, is bipartisan, going to act? Is it going to take an act by the President, an executive order of some kind?
Rather than have a real discussion about what types of reforms would work, such as mental health laws or red flag laws, King suggested it’s as simple as saying, “Why not just ask people how do you feel about children?”
I don't know anybody, Republican or Democrat, if you just say this is about children — because it keeps happening over and over and over again, and nothing ever changes. How do we get to people, to get to people's hearts to say what can we do? It's more heinous to me that these were elementary school kids sitting in their desks with their baby teeth. I cannot stop thinking about that. I know you know the same thing about Newtown. Why not just ask people how do you feel about children? We say we care about children in this country over guns, that doesn't seem to be the case based on the actions that have been taken before.
Over on ABC's morning show, the hosts suggested that Republicans don't care about dead children.
The pro-gun control push was sponsored by Progressive insurance and Lexus. Click on the links to let them know what you think.
Partial transcripts from throughout the show are below. Click “expand” to read more.
CBS Mornings
5/25/20227:17
GAYLE KING: It is very difficult to report the details of this Texas school shooting without feeling the outrage and frustration and the deep, deep sadness. We cover these stories again and again and again and again, and you all know how it goes. We're going to hear great stories about the victims, we're going to hear about the heroes. We're going to offer prayers and silences, and you're going to hear a lot of sad music, and nothing seems to change.
Just days ago we were in Buffalo — you remember this — covering a mass shooting at a grocery store. Ten people gunned down there. Some of those victims are still being buried in Buffalo. But repeated gun violence in our schools is a uniquely American problem. These are numbers you really do need to take in for just a second. Since 2018, there have been 119 school shootings in this country. No country in the industrialized world comes even close. The names of these places, you have heard. Virginia Tech, Parkland, Sandy Hook, are now forever linked with tragedy. And after each of these shootings, we all talk about gun reform, background checks, and mental health concerns.
And as we keep saying over and over today, nothing changes. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy reminded us of Sandy Hook yesterday saying it's been nearly ten years with no meaningful response from Congress.
SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY: But I'm here on this floor to beg, to literally get down on my hands and knees and beg my colleagues, find a path forward here. Work with us to find a way to pass laws that make this less likely. By doing something, we at least stop sending this quiet message of endorsement to these killers whose brains are breaking, who see the highest levels of government doing nothing shooting after shooting. What are we doing? Why are we here? What are we doing?
KING: Very good question, Senator. Senator Murphy, we're happy to say, is going to join us. We'll see if any of his colleagues responded to his passionate plea and the changes that anything will happen this time.
7:41
KING: It was ten years ago. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy was a Congressman representing the families of sandy hook elementary school. Since then the Democrat has worked in Congress to try and pass tougher gun laws, and senator Murphy joins us now. Senator, I look at those images, and I'll never forget that day, you will either because I know you were there. Yesterday watching on television, I felt your pain, I felt your passion. It literally jumped out of the TV screen to me, Chris, when you started begging your colleagues, begging your colleagues. So I'm wondering what has been the reaction? Have you heard from them? Have they said "We hear you, we believe you, now's the time to do something"? What are they saying today?
...
7:44
MICHELLE MILLER: Senator, no place is sacred, no person is safe. Even your colleagues in Congress have been targeted on a baseball field, no less, practicing for a game. So at what point are the people who are tasked with giving legislation for a bill, that as you say, is bipartisan, going to act? Is it going to take an act by the President, an executive order of some kind?
...
KING: Senator, I just think we really need a hero here in the Senate. We need a hero in this country. You know, it's — Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats. What if the focus was somehow just focused on the children?
NATE BURLESON: Right.
KING: I don't know anybody, Republican or Democrat, if you just say this is about children — because it keeps happening over and over and over again, and nothing ever changes. How do we get to people, to get to people's hearts to say what can we do? It's more heinous to me that these were elementary school kids sitting in their desks with their baby teeth. I cannot stop thinking about that. I know you know the same thing about Newtown. Why not just ask people how do you feel about children? We say we care about children in this country over guns, that doesn't seem to be the case based on the actions that have been taken before.
...
TONY DOKOUPIL: So far this year in America there have been 213 mass shootings. And since the massacre at a Buffalo supermarket just 11 days ago, there have been 16. Those have taken in total the lives of 33 people. And as I throw it back to you, I think what is it about America,
why does this happen so much here? It's not that we're more prone to violence. It's not that we are more prone to mental illness here than other countries, but what does stand out, what does make us very different on the world stage is the sheer number of guns per capita. We have more than anyone else on the planet. And that seems to matter.8:05
BURLESON: Joining us now is Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales. His district includes the city of Uvalde, Texas. Congressman, good morning. Let's jump right in. You've been in touch with officials there, and last night you said that there's still families waiting to be connected with their children. Are there still families waiting to be reunited?
...
KING: I keep thinking about the children, too, the children that didn't survive and the ones that did, what they saw is something nobody should see, especially a little child.
TONY GONZALES: That's right.
KING: You voted against two gun reform measures including one that called for expanded background checks. Are you rethinking that position this morning in light of what has happened in your state?
...
KING: Congressman, I hear you loud and clear, and I certainly don't want to debate this. And I, too, am thinking about the survivors and the victims. But this is the issue — this keeps happening, and we keep skirting around it and saying somebody do something, and nobody does anything. We keep hearing it's the Second Amendment rights, the right to bear arms. I keep thinking when the Founding Fathers wrote that they were talking about muskets. I do not think if they were here today that they were thinking that people, kids, would have these assault rifles. So if not now to debate it, if not — not debate, discuss it, I just want to know — you're in a — with all due respect, you're in a position of power. You're in a position of power to change things. If we can't talk about it and we can't make changes, when can we talk about it? To me this is the perfect day to talk about it.
...
KING: We need congress to come together. We need change. Listen, you've heard everybody say we don't need the love and the prayers and the support and the moment of silence. They're saying we're sick of that. We don't need that now.
GONZALEZ: My community is a man of faith, we welcome your prayers. Let me give an example of what we did last year. The county judge who is a Democrat, the mayor who is a Republican, and myself, we sat down over a year ago. You know what we talked about? We talked about building a mental health clinic in Uvalde, Texas, something that does not exist. I used one of my community projects, and we allocated $2 million for this mental health clinic. It's a $20 million project. I'm focused on how do I come up with the other $18 million. If you are a parent watching today, I would say reach out to your school, find out what your school's policies are. Find out what mental health facilities are in your area, not only for your own family but for others. These are the things that need to — that brings us together. When tragedy hits, it doesn't determine if you're a Republican or Democrat, voted -- the color of your skin, who you pray to. This country, we need to come together, Gayle, together, not divide us.
