22 Feb 2013 10:38 am
John McCain Response To Gun Control Pressure 'Appalling,' Says Mother Of Mass Shooting VictimCaren Teves, mother of a victim of the Aurora, Colo., mass shooting in July, said Thursday that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had responded reprehensibly to her gun control question earlier in the day, when he told her that she needed some "straight talk."Teves' son, Alex, was 24 years old when he was gunned down alongside 11 others inside a movie theater. On Thursday, Teves, of Phoenix, attended a town hall held by McCain with hopes of encouraging the senator to support an assault weapons ban, which would restrict the sale of weapons such as the semi-automatic rifle used by the Aurora shooter.McCain responded sharply to Teves' attempt to push the legislation."I can tell you right now you need some straight talk. That assault weapons ban will not pass the Congress of the United States," McCain said, drawing cheers from the crowd.In an interview with Talking Points Memo, Teves expressed disappointment in the way McCain handled her question.I was very surprised that a senator, who has been in office for over 30 years, would address a grieving mother, who just lost her son exactly seven months prior -- yesterday was the 20th, I lost my son on 7-20-2012 -- to tell me that I needed some straight talk, Teves told TPM.Teves also said she was "surprised" at the continued indifference McCain and his staff had shown her, both at the town hall event and in response to a previous attempt she had made to reach out to the senator.It takes a lot for me to just get out of bed every morning," Teves said. "I mean, this is still so new and so fresh, that my son was murdered. And I just expected a little more respect from someone whos been in office over 30 years, and his staff. Between that and the form letter that we received, its just, its appalling.(Read TPM's whole interview with Teves here)In the wake of the Aurora shooting, McCain appeared to suggest that he'd be open to discussing the merits of an assault weapons ban. When such a bill was revamped and introduced after December's school massacre in Newtown, Conn., however, McCain took a more rigid tone, saying that it would have no chance of passing in Congress.McCain came under fire from constituents on both sides of the spectrum in sessions held during the congressional recess. On Tuesday, McCain was forced to defend his position on comprehensive immigration reform to a number of disgruntled voters who pushed back with extreme views on undocumented immigrants.Putting aside my feelings about the ban on any type of weapon, I find it extremely callous for John McCain to have told a Mother whose son was murdered,that she needed some 'straight talk'.He never offered her one word of sympathy for her loss, and he did not chastise the crowd for cheering.I am so disappointed in the man that John McCain, who I once respected, has become.You can watch the video of that exchange here.