Earlier on Sunday, my colleague Bonchie wrote about squish GOP Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) trying to defend the indefensible — the law enforcement action, or in this case, inaction during the Uvalde mass shooting last Tuesday that took 21 innocent lives and left one family without a mother and father. People are searching for ways to make our nation and schools safer in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Like with Cornyn, we find another example of bad answers getting play from the legacy media by the Never Trump wing of the Republican party, this time from Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Kinzinger, in the role of the “reasonable Second Amendment supporter,” gloms onto several wrongheaded ideas floated by Democrat Chris Murphy as “reasonable, doable” changes to gun laws on the federal level. Jon Karl tells Kinzinger that 21 is the minimum age for purchasing a firearm in America.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger tells @jonkarl that raising minimum age for gun purchases to 21 “is a no brainer” to him.
“If you look at the Parkland shooting, you look at Buffalo, you look at this shooting, these are people under the age of 21.” https://t.co/Ndo3NsrFp7 pic.twitter.com/mBpxDBiyJF
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 29, 2022
And while Kinzinger also muses about requiring a special license to own an AR-15, this is the soundbite the lefty media wanted and got (notice here that they continue to dishonestly call AR-15s “assault weapons” — whatever those are):
Jonathan Karl, the moderator of the interview was present during the session. asked Kinzinger if he agrees with Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, who supports banning assault weapons.
“I’m definitely ready to engage in that conversation and maybe that ultimately includes not selling them anymore,” Kinzinger responded. ” That’s fine because to me, again, I’m focused on saving life now.”
But the conservative answer is – and will always be – “no.” Governor Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.) on this week’s “Face The Nation” gave a great, clear explanation why.
Are you a supporter of raising the minimum age to purchase an AR-15 from 18. to 21?: @margbrennan asks Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson
“No…That’s not going to be the solution and it’s going to cause more harm than good.” pic.twitter.com/pn0TkRG3wa
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 29, 2022
Here was host Margaret Brennan’s question and their full exchange in context:
But then there’s this AR-15 style weapon, semi automatic not that good for hunting. Bullets can travel at three times the speed sound and literally rip apart bodies. That’s what was used in Buffalo, it was used in Sandy Hook, it was used in Uvalde. The minimum purchase age should be raised from 18 to 21.
GOV. HUTCHINSON: Well, you’ve seen some states actually do that. Right. And you’ve seen it in Florida, you’ve seen it in California and California, the restriction was held as unconstitutional. This restriction is subject to constitutional challenges. The Supreme Court, however, will provide us with guidance. But you look at AR-15–,
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you’d support that?
GOV. HUTCHINSON: –each one has to have– No, I want to give a little bit more history, AR-15s were around for 40 years before they were ever used in any type of mass killing or attack. So it’s all about the heart. It’s also about identifying and prosecuting the criminals. It is something you should have. I come down on the point that that’s not going to be the solution. And it’s going to cause more harm than good. Arkansas has a long tradition of hunting with long guns. As you have pointed out, you can purchase them at 18, but you don’t get those in Arkansas. Because we hunt with those, we it’s a culture that we start when we’re 14 or 15 here in Arkansas. And so that’s important part of it, and it’s a step to go to the AR-15s and how you draft laws that would distinguish those, that’ll be a part of the discussion, I come down. I don’t think that’s a solution. And we shouldn’t focus on that.
It’s exactly right. You are right. The main focus should be on who holds the gun, and why.
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