Having women on news panels illustrate the importance of diversity in our news media.
MTP women panelists schooled the Right Winger on the panel appropriately
Women journalists Joy-Ann Reid and Amy Walter schooled Right Wing Radio Host Hugh Hewitt on violence and terrorism, perpetrators, and America’s fears. The mass shooting is not yet 12 hours old and Right Wing hosts are starting their divide and conquer methods.
Amy Walter pointed out that mothers and families do not distinguish between deaths by terrorism versus outright violence. She said parents are simply scared when their loved ones are out there, whether it is children on the school bus or in school.
“They do not make a distinction between domestic terrorism or international terrorism,” Amy Walter said. “They are just as scared to send their kids on the school bus as they are this idea that ISIS is infiltrating us.”
Earlier Hugh Hewitt said that the massacre looks like San Bernardino and Paris. Joy-Ann Reid did not allow the subliminal message to slide.
“While Hugh says it looks like San Bernardino, looks like Paris, it also looks like Charleston,” Reid said. “So we have had mass casualty shooting over purely domestic issues. It also looks like Newtown. So we have mass casualty shootings that are affecting children, teachers, people in church. Whether it’s a hate crime or whether it’s related to something related to international terrorism, we are not getting to the core issue which is how easy it is to get a gun. Florida happens to have the largest gun owning population in the country and some of the most lax laws as to how you can get your hands on even an assault rifle so that if you mean to do harm …”
Reid went on to point out that the only debate in the state is whether citizens will be allowed to open carry. Hewitt attempted to make it an ISIS issue again by stating ISIS would kill more Americans. Joy-Ann Reid did not allow him to get away with the intent of his statement.
“But so will white nationalists,” Reid said. “This is the problem. People like Dylann Roof want to do the same thing. And he wrote a manifesto saying that people like him would too.”
The proper perspective is important. Having diversity on panels that usually have a patriarchal monolithic viewpoint is so important. Joy-An Reid’s and Amy Walter’s comments were necessary and welcomed.