From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
NRA-ILA FAX ALERT
Vol. 7, No. 22 6/2/00
"ROSIE THE HYPOCRITE" OR "ROSIE THE PARANOID"?
Rosie O'Donnell, fast becoming the nation's most outspoken anti-gun
extremist, has been having a tough time with the media lately. Last week,
it was revealed in the press that one of the beleaguered talk-show host's
bodyguards has applied for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in
Connecticut (see FAX Alert Vol. 7, No. 22). In light of her past
statements that only the police should be allowed to own firearms, and
that gun owners should be jailed, this latest revelation had many in the
media calling O'Donnell a hypocrite. Now Rosie is trying to defend her
anti-gun, and thus anti-personal protection, views while also defending
her employment of bodyguards most Americans simply cannot afford. She
started with her on-line newsletter, where she claimed to speak for all
"gun control advocates," stating "[o]ur mission is NOT to prevent law
abiding citizens...from owning a licensed and registered gun.... We are
not trying to take away your gun...." Her newsletter then went on to
criticize the newspaper that reported the story, and then claimed that the
local police were "politically motivated" when they investigated whether
or not the bodyguard O'Donnell had stationed outside her son's school was
illegally carrying a firearm. Either Rosie does not believe that the
police should investigate possible criminal acts when they involve
celebrities, or she has simply convinced herself that she is the target of
some conspiracy. She also doesn't seem to want people to think that she is
responsible in any way for her having professionals hired to protect her
and her family, as her newsletter closes by stating her bodyguard "works
for a security firm" (a rather pointless assertion, as most bodyguards
do), and that the firm was hired by Warner Bros., which employs O'Donnell.
However, she earlier stated "I chose to have a �bodyguard' for my
children." So is it her decision or Warner Bros.?
Rosie's next attempt to defend her hypocrisy and paranoia came on
Thursday, when she appeared on NBC's Today with Katie Couric. O'Donnell
reiterated her claim that a local Connecticut police department has
targeted her for political reasons, and implied that the media has treated
her unfairly by reporting her "do as I say, not as I do" attitude. Rosie
did reveal to Couric, however, that she has had armed security protecting
her home from time to time while at the same time she continues to promote
restrictions on Americans who wish to provide for their own protection.
O'Donnell even made the outrageous implication that NRA has somehow
attempted to scare and threaten her. But some efforts to further her gun
control agenda actually made some of our points. She complained that the
article about her security guard exposed the fact that he was currently
unarmed, and that she felt the illusion that he might be armed added to
his effectiveness as a deterrent to violent, criminal attacks. Of course,
advocates of Right to Carry laws have been saying for years that if
criminals don't know who is armed, but know that virtually any of their
potential victims might be armed, then they will be less likely to attack
anybody. This view is supported by extensive research, including that done
by Yale senior research scholar John R. Lott, Jr., which evolved into the
1998 book More Guns, Less Crime, the seminal work on the benefits of fair,
non-discretionary Right to Carry laws. As stated last week, though, we
doubt Rosie is about to support the Right to Carry movement and help lobby
for the passage of laws establishing such systems -- especially
considering rumors circulating that the talk-show host is being groomed as
the new spokesperson for HCI. With O'Donnell's television future in
question (there are rumors that her TV show will not be back next year
because of sagging ratings), and Sarah Brady apparently looking to step
down from HCI's helm, Rosie would appear to be ready to step into a role
for which she has been rehearsing.
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