In case you missed CNN's town hall about guns, here are the three main takeaways:
3. Stoneman Douglas student wants Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to stop accepting money from the National Rifle Association.
High school junior Cameron Kasky asked Rubio to stop accepting money from the NRA.
Kasky: Senator Rubio, it's hard to look at you and not look down the barrel of an AR-15 and not look at Nikolas Cruz. But the point is you're here and there are some people who are not. And I need to ask two things of you.
Number one: Chris Grady, can you stand up? This is my friend who is going into the military. I need you to tell him that he's going to live to make it to serve our country. And then we'll get to the other one.
Rubio: Absolutely. Not only are you going to live to serve our country, you, and you, and you, and all of you have a chance to change our country. Change not just our laws but the way we talk about our laws. So absolutely.
Kasky: Thank you.
And guys, look, this isn't about red and blue. We can't boo people because they're Democrats and boo people because they're Republicans. Anyone who's willing to show change, no matter where they're from, anybody who's willing to start making a difference is someone we need on our side here. And this is about people who are for making a difference to save us and for people who are against it and prefer money.
So, Senator Rubio, can you tell me right now, that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?
[audience cheers]
Kasky: I wish I could of -- I wish I could have spoken -- I wish I could have asked the NRA lady a question. I wish the NRA lady I could have talked to because I would have asked her how she could look in the mirror, considering the fact that she has children, but you know, maybe she avoids those. I don't freaking know.
Jake Tapper: That's okay. That's okay. The question is about NRA money.
Rubio: So number one, the positions I hold on these issues of the Second Amendment I've held since the day I entered office in the City of Miami as an elected official.
Number two -- no, the answer the question is that people buy into my agenda. And I do support the Second Amendment. And I also support the right of you and everyone here to be able to go to school and be safe. And I do support any law that would keep guns out of the hands of a deranged killer. And that's why I've supported the things that I've stood for and fought for during my time--
Kasky: More NRA money? More NRA money?
Rubio: That--That is the wrong way to look--first, the answer is people buy into my agenda.
Video: Absolutely despicable behavior by Parkland student Cameron Kasky comparing @MarcoRubio to the guman and questioned @DLoesch's motherhood and whether she cares about her children. @JakeTapper does nothing. How un-American. Simply unacceptable #CNNTownhall #StudentsStandUp pic.twitter.com/Y68sPTOBOe
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 22, 2018
2. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel slams Dana Loesch for not saying she wants fewer weapons in America.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel made it known that he thought Loesch refused to stand up for children unless she backed gun control legislation.
And I understand that you're standing up for the NRA, and I understand that that's what you're supposed to do but you just told this group of people that you are standing up for them. You're not standing up for them until you say, 'I want less weapons.'
Sheriff Scott Israel to NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch: "You just told this group of people that you are standing up for them. You're not standing up for them until you say, 'I want less weapons.'" pic.twitter.com/JEDN5K7DcU
— Axios (@axios) February 22, 2018
1. Dana Loesch explains the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to student Emma Gonzalez.
Emma Gonzalez, one of the most outspoken gun control advocates from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, asked Loesch the following question:
Dana Loesch, I want you to know that we will support your two children in the way that you will not. The shooter at our school used weapons on us that he obtained legally. Do you believe it should be harder to obtain semi-automatic weapons and the modifications for these semi-automatic weapons to make them fully automatic, like bump stocks?
Loesch gave a rather compelling response, especially when it came to NICS.
Loesch: I don't believe that this insane monster should have ever been able to obtain a firearm. Ever. I do not think he should have gotten his hands on any kind of weapon. That's number one. This individual was nuts. And I, nor the millions of people that I represent as part of this organization, that I'm speaking for, none of us support people who are crazy, who are a danger to themselves, who are a danger to others, getting their hands on a firearm. And we have been, for over 20 years, and I have been screaming about this which is why I'm here, because I have kids, and I'm not just fighting for my kids, I'm fighting for you, I'm fighting for you, I'm fighting for all of you. Because I don't want anyone to ever be in this position again.
I want everyone to think about this for one second and this goes right into your question. Do you know that it is not federally required for states to actually report people who are prohibited possessors, crazy people, people who are murderers? No. We've actually been talking about that for a long time.
[audience boos and shouts]
Loesch: Let me answer the question. Let me answer the question. You can shout me down when I'm finished, but let me answer Emma's question.
It is not federal law for states to report convictions to the NICS system. It's not federally mandated. That's the big question and I wish that this network have also covered this more as other media networks would have covered it.
[audience boos]
Loesch: Wait a second. Wait a second.
Gonzalez: You guys, if I can't hear her statement, I can't come up with a rebuttal.
Loesch: Do you want to stop mentally insane individuals from getting firearms?
[audience screams]
Loesch: Yes? They have to be in the system if they are convicted. You can convict them, you can ajudicate them mentally unfit. If a state does not report it to the National Crime Information Center, when you run that from, this individual, this madman, passed a background check.
How was he able to pass a background check? He was able to pass a background check because we have a system that's flawed.
The Southerland Springs murderer was able to pass a background check because the Air Force did not report that record.
NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch: "This individual was nuts. ... None of us support people who are crazy, who are dangerous to themselves, who are a danger to others, getting their hands on a firearm." https://t.co/V50uSV8IiG #StudentsStandUp https://t.co/P5SiokWN3S
— CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2018
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