I'm British and Piers Morgan is Damn Wrong

Many Americans, since the Sandy Hook massacre, have been disgusted by Piers Morgan's snooty condescension toward their great country, and his blatant disregard for the Second Amendment. This culminated in his recent interview with talk show host Alex Jones, that ultimately backfired when his fiery guest wiped the floor with him.

Since the shooting, Morgan has strutted around as the flag waver for gun control, pointing to his native Great Britain as the ultimate example of what these dumb, gun-toting Yanks should try and imitate. Not only did he use Britain constantly in his scathing editorial against American gun laws, but also repeatedly pointed Alex Jones towards the supposed low gun murder rate in the United Kingdom.

As a fellow Englishman living in America, there is no reason I should not be on Morgan's side. I have spent most of my life in Britain -- the supposed gun-free paradise. While I respect the American Constitution I have no particular reason to be persuaded of an argument just because there is an amendment allowing it; and coming from a country where even the police are unarmed, it can seem excessive to English eyes when Americans claim that military assault rifles like the AR-15 are for self defense.

And yet I can say with confidence that Piers is being either intellectually dishonest, or downright ignorant, if he believes that the USA should imitate the diabolical disaster that has been British gun control.

SOME OBSERVATIONS REGARDING BEN SHAPIRO, PIERS MORGAN AND MORGAN’s PREVIOUS GUEST — ALEX JONES....

Shapiro states correctly that the Second Amendment is written specifically for the American people to be well armed. They are to form a militia in times of crisis and will be used to protect the people of these united States. Folks this is about your property rights. It is also to have the effect of a counterweight; a deterrent to a government that becomes tyrannical.

It is not to be infringed.

Piers Morgan weaves a familiar script where he insisted on Shapiro to answer his question. If you noticed, the trap is set when Morgan doesn’t allow the guest to answer. He will intentionally interrupt the guest with another question or allegation. He will continue stacking the questions and allegations.

Indeed, Piers Morgan’s strategy is to paint a tapestry of the guest being “insensitive and absurd”.

In legal circles, such tactics would be a form of “leading the witness”, which would not be allowed in a court of law. Granted, the Piers Morgan show is not a court of law. Nevertheless, in any public debate there are rules of engagement. Each side is allowed to respond without constant interruption. Piers Morgan has an annoying habit of not letting his guest finish his point.

Alex Jones was adept in recognizing that the Piers Morgan Show is not a stage for a “fair” debate. Jones did not allow Piers Morgan to weave a web of questions and allegations. Each time Alex Jones fired back with a library of published statistics and facts.

In this regard, Alex Jones took Piers Morgan to the wood shed.

Unfortunately, Jones came off as a ranting, raving loon and his insistence that the US government had something to do with the destruction of the NY twin towers did him no favors.

It is also important noting that Piers Morgan and other anti-gun pundits ask repeatedly:

“Why does anyone need a military assault rifle like that of a AR-15?”

How many times was this question answered by the guests in those interviews?

Ben Shapiro answered it TWICE. It is to have the effect of a counterweight; a deterrent to a government that becomes tyrannical. Our government might not be tyrannical like Stalin or the Nazis now, but there is no guarantee that it won’t slowly evolve that way. THAT is why we need a means of protecting ourselves and DETERRING Tyranny.

Shapiro, being a Jew, effectively informs Piers of how his ancestors were affected in Europe under the Nazis because they had no means of protecting themselves.

Piers Morgan was given this answer and never responded to it.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE IN COMPARING CRIME IN THE US AND BRITAIN:

You left out the most important one. Don't bother doing it. It is immaterial. All these arguments comparing gun crime and gun deaths between the US and the UK are completely bogus.

In the first place you can argue the stats any way you like. For example, the number of firearm offences has risen by 89% in the UK, but against that you could say it is from a very small base. Anyway, you might argue that the rise may just simply be because the police are enforcing the laws more strictly. In my experience if the British police see you outside your own home with a firearm they will stop you and confiscate it as a matter of course, no matter what you are doing with it.

But the real reason is that the two nations attitudes to firearms are completely different. It is a cultural thing, and because of that it is just simply invalid to compare them on this issue, and Piers is being disingenous doing it.

These big massacres at schools in the US, or Derick Bird blasting people in my home county of Cumbria - they all have one thing in common. They are carried out by people who have basically "lost" it. They go on these shooting sprees because they have had a brain seizure moment and they are not in their right minds. Ergo, it doesn't matter whether the population has total access to firearms or very restricted access, because the problem is not the guns themselves. What matters is the willingness of people to pull triggers, and that's a cultural and (in the case of these mass murderers) a mental health issue.

There are people in America now screaming for massive government control of access to firearms (which is illegal as far as I can make out). There are others (especially on these boards) who think thats wrong and that gun ownership should be retained and even extended - that teachers should be armed in the classroom and so on. If you want to do that, fine, but IMO I don't think either policy would have any effect whatsoever on the incidence of gun deaths, or on the possibility of one of these "massacre of the innocents" happening again.

One last thing. Please do NOT sign the petition sending Piers back to Britain. We do NOT want him back. He is a git :)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.