It’s no secret that corporate reporters aren’t the most poised or articulate about handling or talking about guns, but a recent interaction between ABC News reporter Devin Dwyer and a mother of five in New York might take the cake.
ABC News aired a segment on Tuesday night previewing the laws and background of New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Corlett, which the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for on Wednesday. The coverage is part of the corporate outlet’s larger “Rethinking Gun Violence” series, which is often used to amplify anti-gun activists’ war on firearms.
In the interview, Dwyer asks Cheryl Apple, a small business owner and recent first-time gun owner, to justify why she felt the need to apply for an unrestricted license to carry her 9 mm pistol. Her response to Dwyer is perfect.
“Do we really want a whole bunch of Cheryls running around with pistols in the grocery store?” Dwyer asked.
“Yeah, we probably do because Cheryl is trained,” Apple replied indignantly. “I feel proficient with my weapon, I feel secure with my weapon, and I feel confident with my weapon. I don’t think the Cheryls are the one[s] out there that are hurting people and committing the crimes and being unsafe with their guns.”
A group of New York gun owners will ask the Supreme Court to establish a fundamental right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home, a view of the Second Amendment that could reshape gun laws nationwide.@devindwyer reports. https://t.co/eqt55bUIVl pic.twitter.com/xsKgqOfu8u
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) November 2, 2021
Apple told Dwyer earlier in the segment that she petitioned the state for permission to carry her gun so that she could feel safe in her neighborhood near Albany, N.Y., which has experienced a recent uptick in violent crime. Scenes of her pistol training with an instructor at an indoor range played over a voice track explaining that it took her 10 months to complete steps including a background check, a safety seminar, and even an interview with a judge before she was approved to protect herself.
That footage and the long process Apple went through before she was allowed to carry her firearm, however, didn’t stop Dwyer from asking his second ignorant question of the day.
“You ever worried you might make a mistake, accidentally shoot somebody or shoot the wrong person?” Dwyer pressed.
“No, no I don’t,” Apple confidently explained. “I would have before I took this class but now I don’t, not at all.”
His assertion is not quite as bad as the political journalist in Vermont who said his first time shooting an AR-15 felt like “a meteor had struck the earth.” But it definitely casts doubt on his ability to understand that there shouldn’t be a problem with good guys who are properly accredited, trained, and always practice gun safety while carrying a firearm for self-defense.
Source: The Federalist
