On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” anchor Jake Tapper stated that it is “hard to not believe that the adults of America are not failing the children of America” by not doing more to keep guns from getting into the hands of the violent or mentally ill and “I’m not saying that the solution is one thing or another, but obviously, this does not happen in other countries the way it happens here.”
Tapper noted that details are not known about how the Parkland, Florida shooter was able to obtain a gun.
Later on, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said police officials have pushed for “better gun laws.” Ramsey cited police chiefs opposing national concealed carry reciprocity. He added, “The problem is, it just falls on deaf ears. So, we all — I mean all of society needs to be able to get engaged. I’m not anti-gun, but we’ve got to stop this nonsense. I mean, this is going to continue. It is not going to get fixed on its own. And maybe we won’t stop it entirely, but we have to put ourselves in a position where at least we’re trying, and right now, we’re not even trying. And that’s the shame. Look at the trauma that these kids are going through. When you interviewed that young person there, you could hear it in her voice. I mean, how do you deal with that? And get beyond the schools, think about the youngsters that live in many of these neighborhoods plagued with gun violence and the trauma they go through. I mean, if we don’t care about ourselves as adults, at least care about the kids and let’s do what we can to keep them safe.”
Tapper then said, “I saw a Washington Post researcher suggesting that since Columbine in 1999, so, almost 20 years ago, 150,000 American schoolchildren have gone through some sort of school shooting situation like this, not saying that they’ve been killed or wounded necessarily, but they’ve experienced and gone through this trauma. And it is hard to not believe that the adults of America are not failing the children of America by not doing more to prevent guns from getting into the hands of the mentally ill and those who are violent and would carry out such a horrific act.”
Later, Melissa Falkowski, a teacher who escaped the shooting in Parkland, said the inability to solve school shootings “unacceptable.” Tapper responded, “It’s pretty clear that we’re failing our kids here. And I don’t — I’m not saying that the solution is one thing or another, but obviously, this does not happen in other countries the way it happens here.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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