Can you post the interview with the Sandy Hook parents for those who missed the show tonight?

The segment with Ben Wheeler's parents was one of the most moving I have seen. I immediately made the Sandy Hook promise and will be contacting my elected representatives on this matter. I teach 7th grade and even before Sandy Hook my colleagues and I were fully aware that it could be us. This is too much. There has got to be a change.

Rahel,

I watch you almost every night. You are smart and courgeous...what the heck were you wearing tonight and the questions for the Wheelers were too weird...they are grieving and didn't know what to say...disappointing...is it all about the ratings..???

Peg

That was a powerful interview, and Rachel did well to stand back and let the emotions come through -- consummate professionalism. I'm sure the Wheelers are in the midst of grief big-time, and it will take a lot of courage as they work through their life mission with the memory of Ben close by.

touched my heart am searching to re-post the interview...........

Tonight's coverage of the Sandy Hook parents' news event and interview with Mr. and Ms. Wheeler was far and away the best "interview" that I've ever seen you do. Congratulations and thank you for doing this, but especially thanks to the Wheelers for their willingness, patience, thoughtfulness, civility, and their loving parental commitment to Ben (and Nate). They helped me feel their pain without hurting; I've made the Promise. The Wheelers and the other Sandy Hook parents, teachers and their families should know with confidence that we will keep thinking and talking about their -- and our -- terrible loss. We are indeed grateful for their graceful leadership.

As a father as a Pediatric emergency physician who has had to deal the child victims of violence I was so moved by your interview and the resolve of these courageous parents

Tonight's coverage of the Sandy Hook parents' press event and your subsequent conversation with Mr. and Ms. Wheeler was far and away the best interview I've seen on the show. Congratulations and thanks for doing this, but special thanks to the Wheelers for their willingness, patience, thoughtfulness, civility, and their loving parental example to both Ben and Nate. They helped me feel their deep pain without hurting. I've made the Promise. And the Wheelers, the other Sandy Hook parents, teachers and their families and friends should know with confidence that we will keep thinking and talking about, and pushing our representatives to sensibly address, their -- and our -- terrible loss.

Right to bear arms, or thou shalt not kill? What's it going to be, America?

Unfortunately, I think the only way we get the attention of this nation is by doing what Emmett Till's mother did back in 1955, when her son was lynched. She insisted on an the public seeing the results of what had been done to her son, and the gruesome picture of his open casket sparked the civil rights movement. (See emmetttillmurder.com). We need a wake up call, and our callous society may possibly only understand the impact in such a way.

wow - that interview got to me, not that I wasn't moved and angered by the tragedy already, but like these brave parents, time to do more than grieve.

I made the promise too--collectively, I think we can get something done.

I am annoyed by the democrats. This time the republicans are guilty. The democrats need to be saying the obvious.

We had law in place. Trade was banned in assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and armour piercing rounds. The law came up for renewal in, if I remember correctly, 2003. The democratic minority in congress complained loudly. The republicans refused to act. Hence they were re-legalized.

You will have to decide for yourself how different these mass murders would have been if the ban on trade had been in place. Personally, I guess that half or less would have been killed. If you believe there would have been an improvement under the old law, then you must credit the republican party with these deaths. If Obama thinks its a little blunt for him to say it out loud he should at least have his surrogates do it for him. If Obama won't do it, then maybe MSNBC should. It would have to be better reseached than my own comments. It is time the true culprits were called out.

The republicans have been listening to their own propaganda. Remember Mitt Romney's purchase of fireworks. The republican echo chamber makes this kind of statement. The Chinese have between 35 and 40 percent of our foreign debt. Very shortly someone in the echo chamber leaves out the adjective, foreign. Then, the statement happens that soon the largest share of our debt will be Chinese. It allows for an intentional misunderstanding.

The facts are this. The Chinese hold 7.3% of the U. S. debt. A number slightly less than 75% of all U. S. debt is held right here by our own citizens. Read as "our own rich men". If the republicans decide to refuse to pay our bondholders, they are surely going to disturb a lot of domestic "rich men". In other words they are going to shoot their own supporters. It makes me wonder if maybe they have been believing their own propaganda.

Maybe the smart thing for the democrats to do is to feign losing. Oh my we are losing to the republicans we may have to default on the national debt. That ought to send shudders up the spines of a lot of rich republicans. It might just result in a lot of phone calls to congress from people of wealth and power. It is another item that MSNBC should research and consider. The public needs the truth. You cannot have a democracy without it. Re: Jas. Madison

I just watched the Wheeler's interview with Rachel Maddow on her show, which brought me to tears once again, but also was inspirational. Such bravery, grace, and vision they have acquired in the torturously long yet blink-of-an-eye month since the tragedy.

This may have been Rachel's finest interview, in terms of sensitivity, compassion, and stepping back so the Wheelers could speak on their own terms, saying what they needed to say.

I just want to share one small thing I have done, which now, after seeing the interview, I realize is part of a larger step in carrying out the Sandy Hook Promise launched today.I have a nine year old grandson. I also had two handguns, purchased for "protection" and then left behind by my ex-husband many years ago. I stored them, unloaded, clips removed, bullets boxed, in a little metal lockbox at the back of the tallest shelf in my office closet at home.

I'd been thinking for quite some time about not having these guns anymore. I am not a hunter, and they're useless for "protection", stored as they are, I believe that the 'armed militia' is better off vested now in the National Guard than myself. I rather doubt that I could ever bring myself to shoot another person anyway. To have protected my children when they were young? Yes. To protect myself now? Probably not.

So I'd been thinking that maybe it might be better to turn them in to be melted down and recycled. I'd been thinking that my adorable nine year old grandson might somehow discover that box somehow, someday. I'd been thinking that I could not abide even the possibility of that happening.Then came December 14th, and I knew it was past time to get rid of them forever. So I did.

That's all, my one small act. But I know for sure no harm will ever come from them, that they can never fall into the wrong hands.It's a small start, but we must start somewhere, with something. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lao-tzu.

May this journey bring the Newtown survivors, all survivors, strength, comfort and peace.

A lot of talk about comparison to Sweden, but Sweden's rules are not that soft.

Here is an excerpt from Wiki about Sweden's Gun Law's:

Sweden

Gun ownership requires license and is regulated by the weapon law (Vapenlagen 1996:67) further regulations are found in weapon decree (Vapenförordningen 1996:70). The law doesn't ban any specific firearms or weapons, it merely states the requirements to own one. Everything from pepperspray to full-automatic machine guns are technically legal, and license to civilians can be given in 'special' cases. Like the other Nordic countries Sweden has a high rate of gun ownership, due to the popularity of hunting. The weapons law doesn't apply to air guns and similar with a projectile energy less than 10 joules at the end of barrel. These require no license and may be bought by any person over 18 years. Breech-loading rifles manufactured before 1890 are exempt as well. The gun license is obtained from the Police, and one must be in good standing and at least 18 years old, but exceptions regarding age can be made. To apply one must either be a member in an approved shooting club for at least six months or pass a hunting examination (jägarexamen). The former is mostly used to legally acquire pistols for sport shooting and the latter for hunting rifles. A hunting examination must be passed to actually use a firearm for hunting. One can for instance acquire a shotgun license through a skeet shooting club but may only use it for clay pigeon shooting until an actual hunting examination has been passed. The minimum age for taking an hunting exam is 15 years. A person under 18 years may not own a firearm him- or herself, unless an exception have been made. A person with a gun license may legally under supervision lend his or her gun to a person at least 15 years and older. A person may be granted license to own up to six hunting rifles, ten pistols or a mix of eight rifles and pistols. Owning more firearms than this requires a valid reason. Firearms must be stored in an approved gun safe. Carry-permits are usually only given to armed guards, for civilians it's illegal to carry a firearm around unless between the home and shooting range. Self-defence needs can permit a person to acquire a license in special circumstances. Another reason for gun ownership is collecting. A collector must have a clearly stated demarcation of the interest of the collection. To be a valid interest of collection it must be possible to obtain a complete collection, for example - Pre-World War II British handguns -. A collector may start a second (or more) collection if he or she has collected for several years and shown a great interest in gun history. If the collection holds guns of criminal interest, such as pistols or submachine guns, the police may demand a very high safety level on the keeping of the guns (such as security windows and vault doors). Collectors may also require a time limited permit in order to be allowed to fire their collectibles. Guns can also be owned for affection value or as decoration. If ammunition for the guns are easy available, they have to be rendered inoperable.

Owning firearms is viewed as more of a privilege than a right.

If memory serves me as well, they donot allow automatic's without being in the Home Guard and the soldier must hand in his weapon to be turned into a non-automatic weapon at the time of his departure from service as well as account for all amunition.

The sad truth is people who vote “guns & god” and want exaggerated gun arsenals are usually the ones who are too crazy to have the guns in the first place. Conservative wacko, NRA guns & god enthusiasts. BLAME THEM! In ALL of these school shootings, how did so-called responsible gun owners allow their mentally unstable sons get a hold of their guns and ammo?

Conservative wackos aren't concerned with consequences of their actions, they'll give a weapon to any degenerate who has the cash. Lest we forget these degenerate, ignorant neanderthals voted to hand the nation's nuclear arsenal to George W. Bush... (the horror, the horror) You right-wingers really are hopelessly insane, right? (lol)

Liberals, WHY are you laughing, the genie is out of the bottle. We do need our guns to defend ourselves/ families, these “guns & god” nuts are going to strike out… ONE right-wing crazy killer at a time!
As published on spoact.blogspot.com

“These NRA people tell Americans we need armed vigilantes in schools but at their gun shows no loaded weapons are allowed…” Hal Sparks on radio show 1-12-13

WOW! Conservative wacko hypocrisy knows no bounds.

THREAT OF THE DAY:
“To James Yeager, Tactical Response
My nieces & little sister were threatened by your video, you didn’t specify who are targeted victims of your killing spree. Can you see if a .338 Lapua ULR is pointed at you? “ Pauly “the torch” Garbonzo

I don't expect much to happen at the federal level when it comes to guns. Not as long as the GOP controls the House. So if any new gun control laws will come, it will come at the state level. Blue states will likely enact new gun control laws, red states probably won't. I'm going to make a prediction right here and now. None of these measures will fix the problem.

I watch the MSNBC line-up every Mon-Fri evening... I had no idea what was on the agenda for any of the shows... The only thing I can say for the Rachel Maddow Show... amazing.

The care and respect showed during the interview with the Wheeler's was first-rate. Needless to say, I was a wreck. When will people wake up and realize there is a major problem? These children, nor any of the victims be forgotten. The NRA, the GOP and all these "gun nuts" are inhumane.

I was so impressed with the gentleness and care Rachel took last night with the Wheelers. Having a son killed is such a shock that dealing with people is almost more than a parent can bare. For me, it was the freezer aisle, seeing the Hot Pockets, i was stunned, and fled the store. Those times will come to these parents, but their faith and caring for each other, will help them through.

These parents are such wonderful parents, and I am glad your questions were good and learninging how we can support Sandy Hook Promise, helps us support them. Most especially, at the end of the interview, when Rachel reached toward their clasped hands and thanked them, it brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me once again why Rachel is a top notch interviewer - she listens, she does her homework, she's respectful, she's courteous...and she cares. Brava, Rachel!