There is a certain level of etiquette when it comes to the State of the Union: one is keeping your mouth shut when the president is speaking. For one anti-gun activist, he shouted and was predictably asked to leave the chamber this week. President Trump vowed to protect the Second Amendment, which caused Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the horrific Parkland shooting, to lose control of his emotion (via NY Post):
A protester and father of a Parkland shooting victim was booted from President Trump’s State of the Union address after shouting from the gallery about gun control.
The man, Fred Guttenberg, made the brief interruption after Trump vowed to “always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”
He was there as a guest of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who turned to the gallery with a stern look after the disruption and muttered something under her breath.
Granted, he immediately apologized for his outburst, adding that he will strive to act more appropriately (via NBC Miami):
(1,2) Tonight was a rough night. I disrupted the State Of The Union and was detained because I let my emotions get the best of me. I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the 2A as happened tonight.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 5, 2020
(2,2) That said, I should not have yelled out. I am thankful for the overwhelming support that I am receiving. However, I do owe my family and friends an apology. I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process and I will do better as I pursue gun safety.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 5, 2020
The main camera feed in the room showed Pelosi looking toward the area of the outburst. Trump did not appear to react.
“I let my emotions get the best of me. I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence,” Guttenberg wrote on Twitter after the speech. “I do owe my family and friends an apology. I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process and I will do better as I pursue gun safety.”
Look, it’s understandable. It’s over. Let’s not revisit this. After all, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats turned out to be the most classless of all—with them just sitting there in stone-cold silence over our nation’s economic revival and Nancy ripping the speech itself after the president had concluded his remarks.
And we've had some of our own act similarly in past State of the Union addresses. Remember, Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-SC) "you lie" outburst. Even if you thought he was right, there are better ways to make to make your point.