On Wednesday, CNN continued its extensive coverage of the response of student gun control activists to the Parkland shooting and made clear yet again where the network’s sympathies lie. When one particularly vocal student activist accused the NRA of “basically killing children,” host Wolf Blitzer offered no pushback; instead, he thanked the student and stressed that the network plans to “continue these conversations.”
The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas returned to school Wednesday for the first time since the horrific mass shooting that left 17 people dead. Since the massacre, several of the students have appeared on various media outlets — including CNN, which hosted a gun control town hall that repeatedly devolved into students and activists shouting down pro-Second Amendment speakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, who was decried as a “murderer” at the event.
On Wednesday, Blitzer invited on student Alfonso Calderon to speak more about the need for gun control and to praise Dick’s Sporting Goods for announcing that it would raise its age restrictions for purchasing guns to 21 and stop selling “assault-style rifles” (again). As highlighted in a clip of the interview by The Daily Caller, during his comments, Calderon condemned the NRA for “basically killing children.”
“It’s an awful situation all around,” said Blitzer. “I know it’s painful and difficult for you and all your friends at school.” The host then asked Calderon to offer his thoughts on Dick’s Sporting Goods’ policy changes. Calderon responded by slamming the “dysfunctional laws and system that we have set in place” and saying it is “not sensible” for Americans under the age of 21 to be able to purchase a gun.
“I’m glad to see that companies are finally hearing not only the children’s outrcy, but everybody in this country who is sick and tired of the dysfunctional laws and system that we have set in place,” said Calderon. “I’m glad that Dick’s Sporting Goods supports common sense gun laws, such as an 18-year-old should not be able to buy a shotgun or an AR-15. That’s just not sensible.”
The student activist then turned the conversation back to one of the main targets of the gun control campaign: the “toxic, vile” NRA.
“And I’m glad that companies — which are what will stop the NRA from doing what they’re doing, and basically killing kids — the companies are going to be the ones that are going to stop this,” said Calderon. “And I’m calling out every single company right now who is not in favor of cutting their ties with the NRA. The NRA has shown themselves to be toxic, vile, and to not support the right to live, which is in the preamble of the Constitution. I want them to remember: they always talk about the Second Amendment, but that preamble is before it because of its importance and its necessity for America to be the way it is.”
Blitzer offered no pushback on any of Calderon’s claims or his accusation against the NRA or his misstatement about the preamble. Instead, Blitzer just thanked him and suggested he and his fellow student activists would be back on CNN soon.
“Alfonso Calderon is a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School. Today was the first day back at school,” said Blitzer. “We’ll continue these conversations down the road. Good luck to you. Good luck to all your friends at school, your families who are with you. Thank you very much for joining us.”
Scroll down for video below (via The Daily Caller):