CNN contributor rails against ‘insane’ defense of Second Amendment: ‘The Constitution is not a suicide pact’
Veteran sportscaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas railed against those defending the Second Amendment following the shooting at an elementary school earlier this week in Uvalde, Texas, calling their arguments "insane," and declaring that the Constitution was "not a suicide pact."
Veteran sportscaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas railed against those defending the Second Amendment following the elementary school shooting earlier this week in Uvalde, Texas, calling their arguments "insane," and declaring that the Constitution was "not a suicide pact."
During a Friday appearance on "New Day," the liberal sportscaster called for the implementation of "common sense gun safety measures" following the Texas shooting that killed 21 people, and claimed that some lawmakers were treating the Second Amendment "as if it were a sacrament."
Host Brianna Keilar began the conversation by asking Costas about the contribution of professional athletes to the debate over firearms ignited by the shooting, but allowed him free range to rant against those not going along with his idea of gun reform.
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CNN contributor Bob Costas appeared on "New Day" on May 27, 2022 to discuss the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas shooting. (Screenshot/CNN)
"What we always hear in the aftermath of this from certain quarters on the spectrum: Let’s talk about mental health. Let’s talk about the police response. Let’s talk about security at the perimeter of schools. All of those are reasonable things to talk about, but there is one thing that's always off the table, and that’s common sense gun safety measures," Costas said.
"This is off the table for many right-wingers and many lawmakers, supposed lawmakers, who won’t make laws that will deal with this, because they treat the Second Amendment as if it were a sacrament. But long ago, a Supreme Court justice said ‘the Constitution is not a suicide pact’," he added, referring to comments from former Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, who used the phrase in a 1949 dissent on a free speech case.
Costas then called for a "common sense gun registry" to track what firearm purchases people make, and suggested it could have flagged 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, the Ulvade shooter, when he purchased two firearms and a ton of ammo within a short period of time.
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A vigil in the center of Uvalde, Texas honoring the 19 students and 2 teachers shot in the deadly mass shooting. (Fox News Digital)
Despite his previous statements against the Second Amendment, Costas stated the issue wasn't "a liberal issue" or "a takedown the Second Amendment issue," but was instead "a law and order issue."
"No one says because we have regulations, we have traffic laws, you have to have a license, you have to have insurance, you have to have your car inspected – Nobody says, you know what, this is the first step toward confiscating our cars, and pretty soon we’ll all have to go to Grandma’s house on Thanksgiving in a horse and buggy," Costas ranted.
"They don’t say that, because it’s insane, and so is some of the response to this. It’s just insane," he added, without citing any specific responses.
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Law enforcement personnel stand outside Robb Elementary School following a shooting, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
Lawmakers in the Senate are reportedly set to engage in bipartisan conversations regarding gun laws to see if any common ground can be found between the two sides.
Two of the top Senate Democrats said Thursday that there were six to 12 Republican senators who "have gone beyond general expressions of interest to looking at drafts and language in statute that could pass."
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Fox News' Adam Sabes, Tyler Olson, and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.