Sandy Hook Victim’s Daughter: Carson’s Gun Comments Are ‘Morally Bankrupt’

Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson looks on as he is introduced to speak at a town hall meeting, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The daughter of a Sandy Hook massacre victim lashed out at Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Thursday for what she said were “insensitive” and “morally bankrupt” comments about those killed in mass shootings.

Erica Lafferty, whose mother, Dawn Hochsprung, was the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, told the Guardian she was stunned at Carson’s comments about fighting back against shooters.

On Tuesday, Carson was asked on “Fox & Friends” what he would do if he was in a situation similar to what happened last week at community college in Roseburg, Oregon, where nine people were shot and killed. He suggested a swarm attack.

“Not only would I not probably not cooperate with him. I would not just stand there and let him shoot me,” Carson told Fox & Friends on Tuesday. He’s since double-downed on these comments. “I would say, ‘Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all.’ “

Lafferty, whose mother was one of the six teachers and staff killed in Newtown in addition to the 20 children and who has pushed for tighter gun regulations with the group Everytown For Gun Safety, said Carson’s comments were tone-deaf.

“Ben Carson’s comments are insensitive to anyone who has ever been personally affected by gun violence,” she said. “Are gun extremists in this country so morally bankrupt that their solution to ending school shootings is asking kindergarten teachers to be trained in how to attack a gunman?”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Way to Go Ben ! ! ! — Makin’ friends and influencing people —

  2. Yes, thank you, more of this please. And it isn’t just Ben–it’s his whole morally bankrupt party.

  3. well of course she would say that, she is one of Obama’s stooges in the Sandy Hook lie.

    /NRA

  4. Avatar for nilp nilp says:

    Carson’s comments were thoughtless, immature and wishful thinking. They remind me of the time when I watched Breaker Morant as a teenager, and in the final execution scene one of the soldiers is crying - I suggested to my older brother that I wouldn’t act like that in that situation and he said that you don’t know how you’d react. He was more mature at 17 than Carson is now.

  5. “Ben Carson’s comments are insensitive to anyone who has ever been personally affected by gun violence,”

    Ben Carson is an affront to anyone with an ounce of empathy and self-awareness.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

22 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for alliebean Avatar for overreach_this Avatar for douglashh Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for vonq Avatar for krusher Avatar for rudesan Avatar for sconosciuto Avatar for wwss Avatar for inlabsitrust Avatar for phillydave Avatar for johnscotus Avatar for sadie Avatar for spocksblackpants Avatar for left_in_washington_state Avatar for dnl Avatar for azjude Avatar for occamsrazor2 Avatar for tacochuck Avatar for albesure Avatar for nilp Avatar for jalus Avatar for tiowally

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: