Time and Crayons: Explaining the Second Amendment to “The View” Hosts

Joy Behar at rest, c. 2022, crayon on Denny’s menu

Had we but crayons enough and time, this clowning, ladies, would be no crime …

A few days ago, the New York City subway system was terrorized by a man with severe mental health problems and (luckily) poor marksmanship. For a brief period, the mainstream media was electrified by the notion that they might have another Bernhard Goetz on their hands, and there was wall-to-wall coverage. Then, of course, the suspect was caught, and as it turns out, he did not suit the anti-gun narrative. That’s why that story has already mostly disappeared from the headlines … but not from “The View.” The hosts recently took a few minutes to discuss AR-15s, and it was every bit the clown rodeo you’d expect. The good news is that the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Larry Keane has the time, patience, and crayons to take the ladies of “The View” back to school. Take it away, Larry!

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SOME MUCH-NEEDED EDUCATION FOR THE VIEW HOSTS ON AMERICA’S FAVORITE RIFLE

By Larry Keane

No one’s claiming they watch ABC’s The View for factual Second Amendment news. But the gaggle of progressive television hosts got plenty wrong during a conversation about Second Amendment rights and recent criminal shootings perpetrated by people breaking the law.

The hosts are known for their extreme gun restriction beliefs. This particular discussion included Joy Behar bloviating about how the U.S. Supreme Court was “poised to pass a bill” that would force New York to “be an open carry state, and an open carry city,” among other nonsense.

The show’s conservative guest host, former Director of Strategic Communications for The White House for President Donald Trump Alyssa Farah, took the bait when it was suggested that no American needs an AR-15.

The hosts could use a Civics 101 lesson.

Rights, Not Needs

The View pushed partisan politics and gun control before the facts were known after a disturbed criminal attacked New York City subway commuters and injured at least 23.

The group decried Republicans for exposing soft-on-crime prosecutors as part of the problem. Behar blamed Republican governors for making it “easier” to get a firearm. She meant Republican governors in Alabama, Indiana and Georgia who all signed legislation enacting permitless carry, or Constitutional Carry. The laws in those states don’t “make it easier” to get guns. The laws mean only that if a law-abiding American passes a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verification, they can legally carry a firearm without having to pay for a state permit to exercise their fundamental right to bear arms. There are 25 states in this group.

Host Sunny Hostin questioned Farah. “Would you agree and concede that no one needs an AR-15 or, uh, an assault-style weapon….because hunters, if you’re a good hunter I don’t think you need to use that to shoot a deer,” she asked.

“So, yes,” Farah answered. She added that people often misunderstand firearms because of what they look like, not how they function.

The answer should have been “No!” Full stop. Not because of anything having to do with hunting. Not because they are supposedly “assault-style weapons,” – they aren’t. Not because Hostin thinks firearm ownership is about a “need.” The answer is “No” because it is a fundamental right of law-abiding Americans.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were deemed the Bill of Rights. Not the Bill of Needs.

America’s Rifle

The AR-15, or Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR), is the most popular-selling semiautomatic centerfire rifle in America. The AR stands for ArmaLite Rifle, the name of the company that developed the design back in the 1950s, not “assault rifle” as gun control groups or talking heads like Hostin falsely repeat. These rifles use the same one-trigger-pull, one-fire technology that was developed in the late-nineteenth century and is still commonly utilized in handguns and shotguns.

Modern Sporting Rifles have been commercially sold  since the early 1960s and are available to law-abiding citizens who pass a NICS check. They only bear a similar appearance to the military’s M-16 or M-4 automatic rifles. Automatic rifles have been severely restricted from civilian ownership since 1934 and haven’t been commercially made since 1986.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, firearm sales in America reached record highs with NSSF industry retailer data showing more than 21 million background checks for a firearm sale in 2020 and more than 18.5 million in 2021. Thopat includes more than 14 million first-time firearm buyers between 2020 and 2021. Self-defense was one of the top reasons given when first-time purchasers were asked about why they bought a firearm. Given its versatility, affordability, accuracy and reliability, the MSR has always been a favorite choice for that category of buyer. Since 1990, estimates are there are well over 20 million MSRs in circulation today.

NBC News examined why so many Americans purchased MSRs throughout the pandemic and 26-year-old mom Megan Hill explained her decision.

“We looked at the AR-15, and it was all in one package,” Hill said. “You can target-shoot with it, protect yourself with it, hunt with it. Luckily we haven’t had to use it in self-defense, but it’s a comfort knowing that it’s there to protect my children and my family.”

Empowering Right

Hostin is no stranger to absurd statements about firearms. She’s bemoaned Americans like Megan Hill and millions more who own MSRs, saying she feels like “a hostage.” She loathed that her friends and family were buying firearms. She even sat and listened as previous guest host Sherri Shephard explained why she decided to purchase a firearm.

“I felt very empowered when I bought this gun. I took lessons. I took the test. I go to the range with my girlfriends like every other week, and it just makes me feel like at least if something happens, I can protect my child,” Shephard said. “I don’t know why you’re laughing.”

Women accounted for more than 40 percent of all firearm purchases over the past two years and African-American women have been the fastest-growing demographic segment of all. The number one reason has been for protection of their families and children.

Americans aren’t taking their advice from television talk show hosts. They’re standing on the Constitution when it comes to their rights, including their right to own MSRs. Support for gun control is tanking as gun ownership is rising. They’re keeping it up today, not because of a need, but because it’s their right to do so.