After yet another contentious debate with CNN’s bombastic anti-gun talk host Piers Morgan this Monday, he demonstrated to the entire nation during a subsequent interview on CBS that he doesn’t even know which constitutional amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms. This is yet another reason neither I nor anyone else can take him seriously about guns.
On CBS This Morning, Morgan stated, "I have no problem, in a country with so many guns in circulation, with a family exercising their First Amendment [sic] right to defend their families with a handgun at home."
Morgan is of course out hawking his new book Shooting Straight and yet, he has been missing the target consistently. He doesn’t even know that it’s the Second Amendment, not the First, which affirms and protects the individual right to keep and bear arms.
The First Amendment – and Mr. Morgan should know this – protects the right of free speech and the press. Maybe Morgan supports the right to talk about guns, but he just doesn’t support the right to own one.
During his CBS appearance, Morgan then referred to our heated exchange Monday evening where he also denied previously calling for gun bans and other extreme measures like confiscation against law abiding gun owners. [1]
Quite honestly it doesn’t surprise me that someone refusing to acknowledge simple facts such as law abiding people using guns thousands of times daily for self-defense, got inspiration for his anti-gun rights agenda from watching a fictional journalism show on HBO. [2]
As someone with more than 40 years of experience as a gun rights activist I can’t remember the last time I did a show that brought us so many new members or raise so much money in contributions as this one did – despite Morgan’s chronic low ratings. [3]
The most amusing part of that is the fact that the people we’ve spoken with did not actually watch Morgan’s program. They saw the debate on the Internet, and called us to join and make donations.
You simply have to love Piers Morgan. Trying to have a rational conversation with him about guns is like filming a recruiting commercial for the gun rights movement. The right of self-defense is a human right. I think most of the public would agree with me on that, and disagree with Morgan’s anti-gun rights agenda.
[1] UK Daily Mail 12-29-2012 - Deport me? If America won't change its crazy gun laws... I may deport myself says Piers Morgan
[2] The Guardian 10-11-2013 - Piers Morgan: The Newsroom inspired me to take on America's gun lobby
[3] The Independent 6-28-2013 - New low for Piers Morgan as show brings worst-ever ratings to prime CNN slot
