On the September 16 airing of Piers Morgan Live, Piers Morgan responded to comments from gun scholar John Lott and radio host Ben Ferguson by saying “[the Navy Yard] is not a gun free zone.”
He did this after Lott and Ferguson had successfully shown the Navy Yard was a soft target because military personnel are not allowed to carry firearms on U.S. bases and installations for self-defense. The exception to this rule being MPs who watch the gates and perimeter, and who are posted at the doors of certain base buildings.
Because of the guards on the perimeter, Morgan argued that “the Washington Navy Yard is heavily secured.” But Lott stayed on point and talked of how wrong it is to deny our military personnel the ability to defend themselves because when someone figures out how to get past the perimeter–perhaps by using a stolen ID as Aaron Alexxis is alleged to have done–then they can shoot with impunity because our service men and women have no means of self-defense.
Ferguson seconded Lott and said we saw this same thing at Fort Hood: “When the only people there who can protect these individuals are those at the gate and the front door, when you allow a military base to be infiltrated by an individual like this, at that point he has free rein until those at the gates can come and find him.”
Morgan responded, “It is not gun free zone…there were armed guards at the naval base.”
Ferguson then said: “If you are in the United States Navy and we trust you with Navy ships and war, why in the hell wouldn’t we trust you to carry your weapon to work?” Morgan responded by saying Ferguson was missing the point.
Morgan then ended the segment by saying, “More guns is not the answer.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins
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