In a misguided response to National Gun Violence Awareness Day, MSNBC’s Chris Jansing Reports featured a panel blaming the GOP and American history for gun violence. Former member of President Obama’s 21st century policing taskforce, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, stretched the truth with claims that linked Republicans to an ongoing “culture of violence”.
During the segment, Packnett criticized America’s history of violence and claimed that it had become ingrained in the nation’s culture, permeating everything from marriage and family life to public safety. Continuing with this misleading narrative, she accused the NRA of spending $100 million or more since the Sandy Hook tragedy to elect Republican politicians who would maintain the proliferation of firearms. Packnett’s sweeping conclusions lack a strong factual basis and conveniently ignore any alternative interpretations, choosing instead to default to partisan scapegoating.
Rather than attempting to engage in reasoned discussion about potential solutions to gun violence in America, this politically motivated narrative aims to paint one side as villains. It’s unfortunate that a day meant to raise awareness about gun violence was used as a platform to spread misguided rhetoric. America deserves balanced discussion from its media outlets, focusing on facts and possible solutions, rather than perpetuating political division.
