amna: After the police beating
in Memphis and the mass
shootings in California
Americans let's deal with
holding the powerful
accountable.
Let's turn to Marcus Abernathy.
And her post-colleague Gary.
Welcome to you both.
Thank you for being here.
I want to begin with the video
that we lead the show with.
The pendg release of the video
showing the death of tyre
Nichols.
The police beating tyre Nichols.
As we speak now, it has not been
released, but before we begin to
cover it in the days ahead I
would like to get your take on
where we are right now.
With how graphic the video is,
and identifying what happens
next.
Gary, why don't you began?
>> That is the strike on it.
Very quickly, it has only been
three weeks and quickly police
chief determined that this was a
failing of basic humanity.
They are preparing people for a
horrible video but what happened
by everyone who has seen it it
is a horrible thing.
It strikes to a culture but
still exists.
They did not wait to suspend
these officers they fired them.
They did not say they suspended
them based on a pending
investigation they just fired
them.
This is a horrific thing
apparently you do not want to
rush to too much judgment
because we do not know the
details.
And the culture in this case may
not be a race-based issue.
The officers involved were also
black but there is obviously
something -- wouldn't engage in
this brutality.
That is something that is still
that departments everywhere need
to address.
>> How you look at this moment?
>> It is horrifying but I will
start with the question.
This terrible video may feel a
little bit better.
Before him in 1971 there was a
young man named Elton Hayes he
was 17 years old and he was
beaten to death by officers in
Memphis.
In that situation, it was
covered up.
It took two years to charge the
officers and all eight of them
were acquitted.
As my coworker was suggesting,
very interesting details about
the racial conditions involved
but the officers were quickly
fired.
These charges were filed at fast
-- record speeds.
I am glad we are not seeing it
in a time where we cannot -- I
really do not want to look but
they are being charged.
The response after the fact is
very healthy.
What happened before the fact is
obviously really disturbing.
In some ways, more disturbing on
a certain level.
When it is black officers
involved, it is horrifying when
a white officer shoots and
kills.
Or is responsible for the death
of a black man -- man.
Like the situation with Floyd.
But in those situations the
police department may have a way
to improve themselves.
They can integrate their ranks
and bring in people that
theoretically will not treat
members of the community that
way.
But when you have officers
involved in the violence you
have to question if there is
something harder to move out of
police culture.
That is the scary part of this.
>> We will follow this in the
days ahead.
I want to ask you about the
incident we began with at the
beginning of the week which is
the mass shooting in California.
When it comes to gun violence in
America I want to share
statistics.
Every day in the country 124
people die every day from
nonviolence.
The leading cause of death for
children 18 and under is now gun
violence.
So far this year there's been 42
mass shootings.
More mass shootings than days of
the year.
I was on the ground in Monterey
park, California I spoke with
congresswoman Judy Chu the mayor
they are.
It is also her hometown.
And she is now a congressperson
and I asked if this is the
moment that your fellow workers
of congress asked what will it
take?
This is what she said.
>> Those congress members could
be the next ones with the mass
shooting in their district.
Their constituents could be the
victims, their neighbors, family
members, loved ones.
And till we stop this
proliferation -- until we stop
this gun violence --
>> Was she wrong?
>> Until we stop this which is
disturbing, whether is mass
shooting or individual shooting,
we are suffering from an
epidemic of gun violence.
She did not answer your question
about whether this was going to
be the moment that would
catapult and galvanize
congressman into action.
Best that with mothers who
lost their children in the sandy
hook shooting with the hope of
being able to get a filibuster
of efforts to pass an assault
weapon ban.
They could not do it.
This congress is unable to get
itself into action.
So we will need to see action on
a state level.
On a state-by-state basis.
The scary part is that the
United States supreme court has
made it harder for the state.
We will find out in the coming
years of how hard.
>> As you all know and experts
told us depending on where the
rules are applied.
If California had restrictive
gun laws in California but you
can buy a weapon in Arizona and
carry it across it takes federal
law to fix our gun problem.
>> That's an excellent point.
California has one of the most
strict gun laws in the country
but this still happen.
The question is -- I would like
to hear what is the gun laws
that needs to be passed to
prevent this.
I don't think anyone can answer
that.
>> I have specifics.
>> Ok, I cannot wait to hear
them but what is it that makes
people pick guns up and commit
the crimes.
What is the culture?
What is the sickness of us souls
that make someone say I will
pick up a gun and massacre these
people.
Let's acknowledge that they do
not get up and do this
themselves people pick this up
and do it.
Why do we -- what do we need to
address to prevent people from
wanting to carry out these
actions?
>> I would suggest, we are good
friends so we can disagree, the
sickness of the sole is not
--soul is not us.
It is America where we have more
guns than people.
When you have more guns than
people you will not be able to
eradicate them but there are
things you can do witches limit
the size of magazines and raise
the age of people who are
eligible for weapons from 18 of
221.
You can have trigger locks in
place or other fingerprint
technology so young children and
other people who should not have
guns including a six-year-old
who shot his teacher in Virginia
recently near us are not able to
get two guns.
And you can enact red flag laws
and respond in a quick way.
There are people out there who
have had guns taken away from
them or should not have guns.
I could keep going.
Will this stop gun violence in
America, no.
What will it reduce it.
Yes.
>> I want to give your friend a
chance to respond.
>> Sorry, I think California has
some of the restrictions the
magazine restrictions.
Joe Biden signed into law a bill
that they called the biggest gun
bill and 30 years that has read
flag laws expanded.
So I think they are always
looking at every issue.
But let's not do this or point
fingers at each other saying you
care more than I do or you care
less than I do let's work
together on this.
>> We appreciate your time we
could talk more about this
topic.
Thank you for being with us.