The Today Show deserves a lot of praise for hosting two Second Amendment advocates during the show’s 3rd hour. Anchor Craig Melvin had a very civil, fair, and productive conversation with Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse nightclub shooting and Rhonda Ezell, an active member of the National Rifle Association, and the founder of Chicago Guns Matter.
Wolf’s explains that his passion for gun rights started after two of his closest friends died in the nightclub shootings. Ezell, who lives on the South Side of Chicago explained that regular gang violence makes her want to be prepared. She’s even helping her 9-yo daughter learn how to responsibly use firearms, stating that when her daughter goes off to college “It’s not going to be #metoo, its going to be a NOT ME!”
Responding to Melvin’s question about polarizing this issue is for the American public, Ezell responded that, “…just because you may not see eye to eye with an individual, doesn’t mean you can’t sit down at the table and communicate” adding that Americans can easily agree on three points:
- We all want to be safe.
- We want the violence to stop.
- We don’t want mentally ill people who are a threat to themselves and others to have firearms.
Ezell also bemoaned the fact that this issue has become so politicized, saying, “The Second Amendment isn’t Republican thing. It’s not a Democrat thing. It’s an American thing.”
Watch the whole interview here.