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Politics: Father of Sandy Hook victim speaks: 'the problem is not gun laws'
by Robert Laurie
By ROBERT LAURIE: An exceptionally brave plea for common decency
Mark Mattioli is the father of James Mattioli, a six-year-old victim killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. Earlier today, he spoke before a gun violence task force in Hartford, Connecticut, and his remarks may not have been what people were expecting.
"I think there's much more promise for a solution in identifying, researching, and creating solutions along the lines of mental health," he said. "I think there's a lot of work that can be done there."
He went on to argue that "The problem is not gun laws. The problem is a lack of civility. So, I'm 42. 25 years ago - OK - I was allowed to go see an R -rated movie. The violence that I saw in that movie pales in comparison to what you see on TV today - just normal TV. 14 year olds are out there watching Law & Order SVU and NCIS and it’s just disgusting."
"We need civility across our nation. We need common decency to prevail."
He then told a story about a time, when he was the same age as his slain son, that he stole a pack of bubblegum from a shop.
"That did not go over well when my mother discovered this as we pulled into our driveway. She drove back to the store, made me hand the gum back to the cashier, and apologize and say that I'd never do it again. Thatis the type of parenting we need. Parentingis where we need to focus our attention."
"We do not need complex laws," Mattioli said. "I am a big proponent of individual accountability and enforcement. If there are going to be laws, we should enforce them. What I would say is Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, and what I would say to people who wanted to have a civil discussion on the topic is that I don't think the gun laws are protecting the people - let alone the 500 who perished last year in that city."
"Criminals, by definition, break the law," He said, arguing that one more law wouldn't make a difference. "I don't care if you named it James's Law. I don't want it."
"We should hold people individually accountable for their actions, and we should enforce laws appropriately...and I would say we're not currently enforcing them appropriately."
Mr. Mattioli should be applauded, not just for his willingness to speak out, but for his principled approach to the issue. His speech was passionate, heart-wrenching, and exceptionally brave.
This man is a hero.
You can assume that the mainstream media will ignore this, just as it’s already ignoring the points he makes, but Fox News broadcast portions of it this afternoon. The video is below.
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Be sure you're following Robert Laurie on Twitter @RobertLaurie
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Politics: Father of Sandy Hook victim speaks: 'the problem is not gun laws'
by Robert Laurie
By ROBERT LAURIE: An exceptionally brave plea for common decency
Mark Mattioli is the father of James Mattioli, a six-year-old victim killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. Earlier today, he spoke before a gun violence task force in Hartford, Connecticut, and his remarks may not have been what people were expecting.
"I think there's much more promise for a solution in identifying, researching, and creating solutions along the lines of mental health," he said. "I think there's a lot of work that can be done there."
He went on to argue that "The problem is not gun laws. The problem is a lack of civility. So, I'm 42. 25 years ago - OK - I was allowed to go see an R -rated movie. The violence that I saw in that movie pales in comparison to what you see on TV today - just normal TV. 14 year olds are out there watching Law & Order SVU and NCIS and it’s just disgusting."
"We need civility across our nation. We need common decency to prevail."
He then told a story about a time, when he was the same age as his slain son, that he stole a pack of bubblegum from a shop.
"That did not go over well when my mother discovered this as we pulled into our driveway. She drove back to the store, made me hand the gum back to the cashier, and apologize and say that I'd never do it again. Thatis the type of parenting we need. Parentingis where we need to focus our attention."
"We do not need complex laws," Mattioli said. "I am a big proponent of individual accountability and enforcement. If there are going to be laws, we should enforce them. What I would say is Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, and what I would say to people who wanted to have a civil discussion on the topic is that I don't think the gun laws are protecting the people - let alone the 500 who perished last year in that city."
"Criminals, by definition, break the law," He said, arguing that one more law wouldn't make a difference. "I don't care if you named it James's Law. I don't want it."
"We should hold people individually accountable for their actions, and we should enforce laws appropriately...and I would say we're not currently enforcing them appropriately."
Mr. Mattioli should be applauded, not just for his willingness to speak out, but for his principled approach to the issue. His speech was passionate, heart-wrenching, and exceptionally brave.
This man is a hero.
You can assume that the mainstream media will ignore this, just as it’s already ignoring the points he makes, but Fox News broadcast portions of it this afternoon. The video is below.
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Be sure you're following Robert Laurie on Twitter @RobertLaurie
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
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