ABC Commends Dem Mayors Targeting Gun Makers for Legal Action

On Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning America, ABC chief anchor George Stephanopoulos lauded a group of Democratic governors gathering in New York City who wanted to tackle “gun violence” by plotting to slam gun manufacturers with frivolous lawsuits suggesting they were to blame for crime and murders in their cities. He called their work “critical” and thanked them for it.

“Big city mayors from around the country are gathering today in Gracie Mansion in New York for a summit on preventing gun violence,” Stephanopoulos touted at the top of their “cover story.” “[New York] Mayor [Eric] Adams, let’s start with you. There are 15 mayors in total. What do you all hope to accomplish?”

According to Mayor Adams, the “problem” wasn’t that progressive, soft-on-crime district attorneys were releasing criminals back on the streets, including people charged with gun crimes, but rather the gun manufacturers. Without evidence, he claimed their business models were to turn “profits” by “turning pain in our communities.”

“And the goal is to use a centralized database to show where guns are coming from, who are the manufacturers,” he said. “Five manufacturers in this country are producing over 50 percent of the guns that are used in crimes.”

Stephanopoulos parroted the purported statistic. “Half the guns coming from just five manufacturers. It’s a pretty stunning statistic right there, Mayor Jones. But we also know there are hundreds of millions of guns in circulation,”Without question, he gazed at the ceiling.

The implication is that gun manufacturers are knowingly funneling guns to criminals for the intended purpose of creating crime and death. The fact that less that one percent of private gun owners are using guns to commit crime means that the majority of gun ownership is in law-abiding Americans. NewsBusters reported previously (via an interview by Stephen Gutowski from The Reload founder) that many guns used in crimes cannot be purchased new.

And in spite of the fact an armed law-abiding American had single-handedly stopped a mass shooting 15 seconds after it started in an Indiana mall over the weekend (and who ABC called a “hero” earlier in the week), Stephanopoulos decried the right of Americans to conceal carry in public:

MAYOR FRANK SOTT JR.: We can’t be content with the fact that we have the option to carry a gun at church, in a park or anywhere else.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Particularly if the guns are hidden.

The interview ended with Clinton’s former lackey praising the group. “Your work is critical. Thank you all very much,” he declared.

This anti-gun rights segment by ABC was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Comcast and McDonald’s. The following links provide their contact information.

Below is the transcript. Click “expand to read:

ABC’s Good Morning America
July 20, 2022
Eastern, 8:10 :52

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS : Welcome to our website GMA The cover story is about guns in America. Mayors of big cities from across the United States are meeting today at Gracie Mansion in New York to discuss ways they can prevent violence against guns.

We are pleased to have Eric Adams, the New York Mayor, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Tishaura Jones (St. Louis Mayor) as our guests. Frank Scott Jr., Little Rock Mayor, is also joining us. We are grateful for your presence this morning.

Mayor Adams, let’s start with you. We have 15 mayors all coming together. You have 15 mayors coming together. What are you hoping to achieve?

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, New York: We have identified the problem. A $9 billion industry whose profits are turning into pain for our communities, is what we face. We want to work together, share our best practices, collaborate, strategize and mobilize. Although we were able to reduce the number of shootings and murders within our city, there is still much work ahead. We want to have a single database which can track where guns come from and who their manufacturers are.

This country has five gun manufacturers that produce more than half of the weapons used in criminal activity. Learn from one another. We can all unite as mayors to communicate a strong message both at the local and state levels about the need to end the senseless proliferation of guns.

STEPHANOPOULOS. Half the guns came from only five manufacturers. It’s a pretty stunning statistic right there, Mayor Jones. However, we know hundreds of millions more guns are in circulation. Are gun manufacturer lawsuits really going to make any difference?

MAYOR TISHAURA JONES (St. Louis).: If this was a different industry, and was just as dangerous, the government would already have taken action to ensure that our citizens were safe. But we’ve not seen this kind of federal action. Therefore, it is important to examine the root causes of gun violence.

STEPHANOPOULOS. Mayor Brown said that the tragic massacre at Buffalo’s shopping center in which ten black men were killed was a turning point for this discussion. Is that still your belief?

MAYOR BYRON BROWN, Buffalo: As we heal from and rebuild from the massacre of white supremacists in Buffalo on May 14th, I believe it marked a turning point. As a Republican and Democrat, I spoke to many mayors throughout the nation about how to stop the spread of guns within the United States. Over 110 American citizens are killed every day and over 2,000 are injured by gun violence.

STEPHANOPOULOS : However, Mayor Scott in Arkansas seems to think that any type of legislation in such a red state as Arkansas would not be feasible. Is there anything you can do to help that community?

MAYOR FRANK SOTT JR. (Little Rock).: The city’s violent crime rate is declining. As we deal with gun violence, we understand the need to raise awareness. Everybody will be contacted by a number about a murder, and 99.9 per cent of those calls relate to guns. A lot of times, illegal access to guns or illegally selling guns is involved.

And what we have to do is continue to – united as mayors – what we do to continue to ensure that we have low violence, low crime, but have to address the guns. We can’t have this peace if you don’t have a gun at home.

STEPHANOPOULOS

Mayor Adams mentioned, I believe, Mayor Jones important points about how the federal government must act. But we know we’re seeing real paralysis – have for a long time – in Washington despite that fact that they were finally being able to pass some legislation last month.

What changes are you able to make on both the city and state level? How do you do it?

ADAMS: That’s part the discussion today with these mayors. Not only should we use our tools, but also the ones outside of it. It is important to think beyond our toolbox. We want to work together on strategizing. Our city has seen the terrible acts of gun violence. However, it is necessary to intervene and prevent gun violence. For prevention, we will need additional federal support. However, we can intervene if necessary.

ATF: Let’s increase the number of ATF agents. We need to share information about where guns come from. These data are being shared by others. Let’s change our minds. We need to get rid of that gun as soon as possible. That is what we all want and ATF can be an information sharing resource.

STEPHANOPOULOS : Thank you for your hard work. We are very grateful to you.