Ooops, wrong Parker
Posted on 08/28/2015 6:00:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Andy Parker’s morning started at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The hours passed by in a blur of blinding TV lights — ABC, NBC, CNN.
In interview after interview, he almost broke down when the reporter asked the inevitable question: Tell us about your daughter. What made Alison so special?
But again and again, Parker fought back the tears.
"It’s what I’ve got to do," he said. "This is my new mission in life, and I’m doing it for Alison."
Alison Parker, a 24-year-old reporter for WDBJ-TV, and Adam Ward, a 27-year-old cameraman, were gunned down early Wednesday morning in an on-air attack that has stunned the community.
The shooter, a troubled man who was fired from the TV station more than two years ago, died later that day of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Shortly before, he reportedly faxed a rage-filled manifesto to an ABC News.
In the hours after the attack, Parker found himself wondering: How many more?
"You look at this, you look at Newtown, you look at the movie theater shooter," he said. "How many times does this have to happen before we take action as a country and the politicians grow some backbone and stop being lackeys of the NRA?"
"To have her life cut down in cold blood like that. There needs to be a remedy for that. It needs to stop."
Since then, Parker has talked about the often-difficult issue of gun control with anyone willing to listen. He’s done a string of interviews, frequently by remote from outside the family home in Henry County where Alison grew up.
He’s talked to Gov. Terry McAuliffe. He’s called out congressmen. He’s thrown down the gauntlet with the NRA.
"I believe in the Second Amendment. But there has to be some common sense," he said. "There has to be a means test associated with people who are mentally disturbed to keep them from getting guns."
The debate over guns in America sprang up quickly after Wednesday’s shooting. McAuliffe — who ran on a gun-control platform and thumbed his nose when the NRA gave him an F rating — started renewing his calls for legislative action that day.
The White House and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton quickly followed.
There was an equally strong backlash from those who saw politicians exploiting a community tragedy. Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin County, urged officials to refrain from using the shooting for political ends.
The family of Vicki Gardner, who was wounded in the shooting and remained hospitalized Thursday, were appalled when they heard Clinton’s remarks.
"This isn’t a presidential campaign act," said Gardner’s daughter, Erin Arnold. "This is my mom and these poor people’s children."
In his own statements, McAuliffe repeatedly called for universal background checks for gun buyers. But he also acknowledged it wasn’t clear if a background check would have made a difference.
On Thursday, federal authorities said the shooter passed a background check and bought the gun legally.
Brian Coy, a spokesman for McAuliffe, argued that doesn’t mean no action is needed to combat gun violence.
"We should do everything we can from a policy standpoint to keep guns out of the hands of people who would use them for harm," Coy said.
Universal background checks remain one way, Coy contended. Other ideas may emerge as Wednesday’s shooting is examined, and McAuliffe will continue to pursue the issue. State Sen. Bill Stanley, who has known Parker for years, said it’s been heartbreaking to see what the family is going through.
"If Andy comes to me, then I’m going to do everything I can to help Andy," he said, adding he’d give serious review to any measures Parker proposed.
Stanley, R-Franklin County, has been praised as pro-gun by the NRA. But he said he felt there was common ground to be had on the issue.
"Certainly, I think we need to take a look at making sure that we’re keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill," he said.
But there are no clear or easy answers to the questions raised by Wednesday’s shooting, Stanley added.
While the attacker was clearly troubled, his history set off none of the alarms that authorities look for.
"Universal background checks would not have prevented this," Stanley said. "A background check only determines if someone has a criminal record or other legal prohibition that would prevent them from owning a gun. It can’t tell us what they’re thinking."
The conversation may be better focused on how the state deals with mental illness and issues surrounding workplace violence and hate crimes, he said.
Parker himself doesn’t yet have a clear proposal for action. He said he hopes to reach out to others affected by gun violence and formulate a plan.
One of his biggest worries now is that the issue will simply fade away from the public’s mind. "I’m not going to let that happen," he vowed. "We need to constantly keep this message going."
"This is something I’m not going to let go of. I’m going to be relentless about it. Because this is going to give Alison’s life even more meaning, and hopefully prevent the next tragedy."
Your mission includes more bloodshed than you could ever fathom you arrogant fool.
Perhaps the Dad should realize he is fighting a losing battle.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3330489/posts
Gun sales up today!
Ooops, wrong Parker
I wonder how much Soros is paying this pathetic fool to shill for the Communists in our government that want to disarm America.
The times I saw him he wasn't fighting back tears. He looked more like a guy that was about ready to climb on the gun control gravy train.
Would make more sense if he went on a mission against queers.
He could have slit her throat as easily as he shot her.
The problem wasn’t the tool used.
It was the man using it.
Until you take seriously doing something about how these people are produced, you won’t change anything.
This democrat butcher had a mental illness history. Guns should not be sold to mentally ill people or democrats. There problem solved.
I don’t expect rational thoughts from a parent whose child just died.
He should mourn and stay away from the political arena.
2a rights trump anyones personal tragedy.
Want to prevent this? Let people be armed to protect themselves from the whack jobs.
And the difference is?
Ban leftwing ideology which drove this guy to kill whites....that the mission?
Millions have died due to leftwing ideology under stalin, khemr rouge, mao hitler...
“This democrat butcher had a mental illness history. Guns should not be sold to mentally ill people or democrats. There problem solved.”
I suggest that the occasional senseless murder of a few by the insane is vastly preferable to the regular, mass murders of teh many by governments which have disarmed their subjects.
For such reasons, did the Founders write the Second Amendment.
This guys sick. His daughters body hadn’t even gone cold before he started this tirade.
There should be nothing but shame cast upon this sick liberal turd!
I’m not a fan of the media habit of immediately shoving mics in the face of the families and friends of crime victims.
What does Trump have to do with this? :-)
This guy was a liberal long before the tragic death of his daughter.
And we must make sure it’s Mission Impossible.
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