The panelists of “The View” were not happy that the U.S. Senate voted down a bill that would bar suspected terrorists, felons and the mentally ill from obtaining guns — just one day after a mass shooting killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California.
“Yesterday, we were talking about how people on the terror watch list can still legally buy guns in America,” said Joy Behar on Friday’s show. “It’s an amazing thing, isn’t it? You’re on a watchlist, can’t get on a plane, but you can buy a gun all you want in this country. The Senate also had a chance to do something about this, and they blew it. Every Republican except one voted against it. Thanks a lot, guys, for making us feel safer.”
Others mostly echoed her sentiments, though Paula Faris tried to point out that the terror watchlist is notoriously bogged down with glitches, noting that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy was mistakenly placed on it and couldn’t rectify the error for two months.
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Raven-Symone gave props to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for being, thus far, the only Republican presidential candidate to publicly recognize the need for some kind of gun control.
“Yesterday, I said I just want someone to recognize what’s going on, and he said last night, he would ban guns to people on the watchlist, if only the list was narrowed,” she said. “If they fix the [loopholes] Paula was talking about , that’s wonderful.”
Raven-Symone also pointed out that the political correctness in the country might have prevented the San Bernardino massacre after reports came out that a neighbor had not reported allegedly suspicious behavior due to not wanting to be seen as racist.
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Behar was quick to respond, “But it depends on how suspicious the activity was, that’s the point.”
Even Candace Cameron-Bure, the most conservative of the group, seemed open to some kind of gun-control legislation after San Bernardino, but warned of a “slippery slope.”
“I want to see some sort of sensible gun control,” she said. “But it is a slippery slope, Joy, when you’re saying, ‘Who cares, it’s only a couple of people who can’t fly or buy guns.'”
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She went on to quote Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, who invoked the law that if someone on the terror watchlist is indicted, then at that point they can no longer buy guns.
“I think there’s still a middle ground,” said Cameron-Bure. “This is why this discussion keeps going on. This is why it’s not resolved, because both parties are so staunch in their positions on each end.”
“We don’t feel safe anymore, and it sucks,” Behar concluded.
