I had not seen Jake Tapper as biased as he did with Karen Finney and Rep. Hillary Scholten. He challenged their correct statements on gun control but gave Republican pundits a pass on their misinformation and misstatements.
Jake Tapper was biased on this one.
Once again, there is another mass shooting in America. This time, two consecutively in Texas with AR-15 assault-like rifles. Americans continue to feel unsafe everywhere.
Jake Tapper was not at his best today with his panel. He was decidedly biased. Karen Finney correctly stated that the reasons we cannot get gun control laws have much to do with money in politics. That is not a novel statement, as it has been known for some time that politicians have the ear of the donors more so than the citizens they represent. It is the reason why many in the activist communities have been fighting against the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling of several years ago.
Tapper took exception to Finney.
“I have to say I respectfully disagree that money is the issue here,” Tapper said. “I think it’s a cultural issue. I think people feel an attachment to guns.”
Ironically, immediately after that statement, Tapper showed a poll that showed by huge numbers 80%+ of Americans want much more gun control. These include universal background checks, age restrictions, mental health checks, and red flag laws.
Former VP Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff, Marc Short, complained that Democrats had all three branches of government for some time and were unable to pass gun control laws. Jake Tapper did not see the need to contextualize that disingenuous statement as he attempted with Finney and later Scholten. Democrats could not pass these laws because Republicans blocked them. Jake knows how the Senate works.
As well, Tapper did not feel the need to push back at Short about random mass shootings with AR-15s or other weapons of war versus gang warfare and inner-city violence that, while horrendous, is different.
Later Congresswoman Hillary Scholten pointed out that she thought that legislation was still a possibility, but Republicans were the biggest obstacle. She pointed out that now Republicans’ new budget defunds the police. Tapper took exception to her statement, claiming that Republicans did not say that specifically. The fact is Republicans want to freeze spending to 2022 levels in a growing country/economy. It implicitly calls for defunding.
We must take responsibility. And we must hold elected officials accountable. But we cannot have a complicit media that gives Republicans cover for false narratives that mislead Americans. I restate what I stated in my last newsletter.
As Americans are being gunned down daily, it is time for us to stop blaming Republicans. We must all look into the mirror. Republicans did not elect themselves into office. We voted them into office knowing what they stood for, undoubtedly. We must choose life over ideology. We must choose life over party affiliation. If we believe in the sanctity of life as I do, we must unelect every politician that does not support life-saving gun control policies. We must elect politicians who value life over money, bribes, and inhumanity.
Jake Tapper knows better and has done much better in the past. I hope he gets with the program of informing Americans unbiased from the very effective Republican false narratives.
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