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UPDATED

Newtown Dad 'Heckled' by Gun Rights Activists

A Connecticut legislative hearing on reducing gun violence got heated

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t

Image: AP

The emotional testimony by the father of a six-year-old who was killed in last month's elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., was interrupted Monday by gun rights activists at a state legislative hearing on reducing gun violence.

Neil Heslin, who held up a framed photo of himself with his slain son Jesse Lewis, urged Connecticut lawmakers to ban assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used in the mass-shooting.

"I still can't see why any civilian, anybody in this room in fact, needs weapons of that sort. You're not going to use them for hunting, even for home protection," Heslin said to the packed hearing room, the Huffington Post reports.

News reports say about a dozen gun-rights activists shouted: "Second Amendment!" They said a ban would infringe on their rights.

"There are a lot of things that should be changed to prevent what happened," said Heslin, who mentioned that he grew up with with "firearms, hunting and skeet shooting" and doesn't want all guns and weapons banned. He said he respects other people's opinions and "I wish they would respect mine," USA TODAY reported.

Update, 4pm PST: Conservative sites are pointing out that Heslin wasn't really "heckled." His testimony was interrupted, but he appeared to invite the question himself. You can watch the full video at Breitbart.com. The interruption takes place around the 15 minute mark.

Via USA TODAY, the Connecticut Post, and the Huffington Post.
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Do the families of gun violence victims deserve a special status in the gun control debate?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • Knightkore
    !
    Okay....what about the parents that DO believe in the 2nd amendment still?
    And this news article is why we need the 2nd amendment....to have the government and media continue manipulating and exploiting these parents and the memories of these children to get their agenda done is disgusting....
  • Zazziness
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    Has it occurred to you that the government and media are not exploiting them -- they are giving them a voice? Why do you want them to be silent? Is the 2nd Amendment the only one you support?
  • Keyjo
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    Wanting to ban some semi-auto weapons and high capacity mags doesn't make a person "anti second amendment."
  • u
    mtkopf
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    The parents who DO believe in the 2nd are represented by the gun lobbies who testify inlegislative proceedings as well as bribe llegislators for their vote.

    The govt is NOT exploiting the memories of these children; it is common practice to have victims testify in legislative hearings. Families affected by drunk driving and sex offenses often testify so why do you feel this is different?

    Would you say the same about John Walsh? Isn't he and plenty of lawmakers exploiting the death of Adam Walsh by passing useless
    laws sstripping the basic rights of sex offenders?
  • Knightkore
    !
    @mtkopf John Walsh actually did something proactive and helpful....rather than curtail others Constitutional freedoms that serve to actually protect us....and why focus on guns only....the media and the government has not been even remotely tackling the issue of mental health....where the real problem is....
  • View all 60 replies >
  • o
    thejimbo
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    In reference to the Connecticut Post article about the alleged heckling...

    Mr. Heslin was NOT heckled. This is a lie. The video has been live all day. He looked at the pro gun advocates and asked them, "why do you need these firearms?" One responded, "because of the second amendment."

    Mr. Heslin asked a question and received an answer. He was NOT heckled. Shame on the Connecticut Post for reporting LIES!

    Also, Mr. Mattioli's statement was butchered in that article to fit the anti-gun narrative. He said the following:

    "The problem is a lack of civility,'' said Mark Mattioli, whose son James died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack on Dec. 14. "We do not need complex laws. I am a big proponent of accountability and enforcement."

    "I don't think the gun laws are protecting the people,'' said Mattioli "What have those gun laws done to make Chicago a safer city? I want responsible legislation. It needs to be simple and it needs to enforced."

    "We need much stricter enforcement,'' he said. I believe in a few simple gun laws. I think we have more than enough on the books. We should hold people individually accountable for their actions."

    Mr. Mattioli made is clear he is against new laws, and wants the state to prosecute the laws we have.

    Thank you, Mr. Ken Dixon, writer of the article, for misrepresenting the facts. If you are a subscriber to the Connecticut Post, please reconsider your decision!
  • o
    thejimbo
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    Just to make myself clear, when I said "The video has been live all day." , I meant to say that I watched the live stream of that hearing on the Connecticut General Assembly's website and Mr. Heslin was not heckled at when he had the floor.
  • WilliamWallace
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    In the haste to report something half of these idiots fail to verify what happens. The other half just change the facts to fit their agenda. Politix which half are you?
  • GmanGSW
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    @Knightmare Yup. I wanted to come to your aid, re your response above, but I need to get going.

    @thejimbo, you are right on. Re the media, when are ALL of the facts ever inserted? One has to read both sides of the issue/see both sides of the event/ listen to ALL of the story anymore. Glad you brought up what you did.
  • View all 11 replies >
  • o
    SomethinsFishy
    !
    Allowing special considerations to victims of violent crime is not a good idea. We, notice I say WE have our own biases based on our personal experiences. I, for example, was wounded by 2 FELLOW SOLDIERS in the US Army. The US Army wrote the whole thing of as "....because he denied them a cigarette.." - I DON'T SMOKE AND I'VE NEVER SMOKED. I didn't have a cigarette to deny them! This was a RACIAL HATRED incident, and I suspect the two that wounded me, and tried to call me were Black Muslims. We MUST NOT allow prejudices to influence our laws and though process. Based on statistics, African-Americans commit more violent crimes, especially firearms crime, than any other group. If I were a BIGOT, and let myself get carried away by the convoluted thought processes that are employed by anti-gun zealots, I and other non-African-Americans would be arguing that African-Americans should NOT be allowed to possess firearms based on empirical, statistical evidence.
    That would be A VERY RACIST THING TO ARGUE. Yet, that is EXACTLY what the gun-grabbers are arguing, although there arguments are directed at an inanimate object. Gun-grabbers argue that because so-called Assault Weapons have been misused by violently-mentally ill people (NOTE that the perpetrator is not being held responsible, only the instrument he used) NO ONE should have access to so-called Assault Weapons. This, even though so-called "Assault Weapons" are the weapons LEAST USED TO COMMIT CRIMES. They fall under the category of 'rifle', and if you check for yourself the statistics collected by the US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Rifles/so-called "Assault Weapons" are USED LEAST to commit violent crimes and murder. Yes, they were used in a HANDFUL of isolated, albeit horrific murders, but OVERALL, it is HANDGUNS, and specifically REVOLVERS that are used most, followed by semi-auto pistols, followed by SHOTGUNS, Joe Biden's gun of choice. See the US Department of Justice Reports, in their full size and color at http://assaultweaponsbanof2013.blogspot.com . You'll also realize WHY there is a ban on Federal Firearms Research: The US Department of Justice cannot be extorted, forced, cajoled, etc. into cooking their books to skew statistics in favor of the Gun Control Crowd. Their research DOES NOT back the gun-grabbers, therefore the only option open to the anti-gun zealots is a BAN ON FIREARMS RESEARCH. Also see
    http://2ndamendmentrevision.blogspot.com for a humorous, but sobering read.
  • stepped_in_it
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    "There are a lot of things that should be changed to prevent what happened," said Heslin, who mentioned that he grew up with with "firearms, hunting and skeet shooting" and doesn't want all guns and weapons banned. He said he respects other people's opinions and "I wish they would respect mine,"
    The last line says it all people......IT SAYS IT ALL!
  • stepped_in_it
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    It's all an "impulse" problem.....People now believe they can talk/answer questions in any public forum.....even if they are only part of the audience.
  • o
    cleverusername
    !
    "Heslin asked why anyone in the hearing room would need an assault weapon, and some spectators called out that it was their right. Heslin said he respects others' opinions, and "I wish they would respect mine."

    It was a respectful response back and forth. Strange how you didn't post the whole thing. hmmm do you work for a biased media outlet?
  • stepped_in_it
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    @cleverusername yeppers....NY Times right here in the Tennessee branch! The back woods NY Times of the Tennessee branch to be more specific!
  • PNWest
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    @OhWiseOne Not misinformed WiseOne - polite. I was afraid that if I called the hecklers what they deserved to be called the moderators would have removed my post in no time. What kind of people heckle a man who lost his innocent son due to a tragic gun nut massacre? Especially when the man is trying to change things so that other innocent children do not lose their lives because of similar gun nut violence.
  • o
    OhWiseOne
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    @PNWest They were not heckling him. He asked them a question and they answered him. You know this. Spare me your phony outrage.
  • o
    cleverusername
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    @PNWest Did you even watch the video on your biased links? The video was edited and even so it wasn't even close to heckling like they claimed. USA today "Heslin asked why anyone in the hearing room would need an assault weapon, and some spectators called out that it was their right. Heslin said he respects others' opinions, and "I wish they would respect mine."
  • View all 6 replies >
  • u
    tomincali
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    if the family of vicitms have a say lets start with those in gang infested areas where they all need protection and killings are an every day thing that most never hear about.

    what about the family of agent Terry can they have their say after all the gov was involved with arming his killer? the gov does not listen to the victims families killed do to failure at our borders,refuses to help the local police and even go against governors trying to protect their citizens.

    then again gov does not want the guns from criminals they want those from legal owners only.
  • Knightkore
    !
    The objective here is NOT protection....otherwise the government would be tackling the mental health issue as much or more....the objective here is destroying the 2nd amendment....the progressive liberals....the socialists have been carving up the Constitution piece by piece where our freedoms mean very little....the two real holdouts left are the 2nd amendment and the religion clause....

    It is a Constitution grab....and these parents are letting themselves be used because of their grief....how noble our government is....to exploit them....for the "greater good" of Constitutional "change" and "control"....
  • u
    tomincali
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    @Knightmare do away with our constitution making way for their north American union also the reasoning behind the laxed enforcement on another big issue.
  • u
    tomincali
    !
    @tomincali excuse me they do not call it that right now it is called security and prosperity though it does hook up all three countries for free movement of goods and people.
  • Knightkore
    !
    http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/01/20/...

    Originally the corrupt state run lapdog media reported that ‘the primary weapon’ used Adam Lanza during the Newtown Sandy Hook school shooting was a Bushmaster AR-15 with ‘multiple magazines.’

    Lanza used handguns, not rifles during the shooting. Of course it’s probably hard to hear about any of this from the media even though while NBC reported on this for a few seconds last month, you probably would have never known these as sleazy Democrats continue to use this tragedy for their gun control push. Even with this, Democrats (and other media) are still claiming to this day that Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster AR-15 during the shooting. Never, do you hear he used handguns.
  • Keyjo
    !
    @Neo_NtheMatrix
    Undoubtedly there is a reason. I won't speculate, there could be one or two out of many.
    But I can't help but to notice how this particular father keeps making appearances.
  • u
    mtkopf
    !
    @Keyjo I don't see a problem. I can't even imagine the overwhelming amount of grief he goes through and this is most likely his way of dealing with it. This father is dealing with his grief by fixing all of his energy into a cause, just like John Walsh, just like members of MADD, just like the inner city parents of children who die due to gang violence that join ceasefire.
    The job of all parents is to be your child's biggest advocate. Even after his son's death, this father is still being an advocate for him. I find that honorable.
  • View all 10 replies >
  • Neo_NtheMatrix
    !
    First off, Neil Heslin let me say my condolences to you and all the other surviving family members of the Newton tragedy. I cannot begin to understand the pain you must be going through to lose your child. I respect your opinion and your right to convey it.

    But nextly (yes, it's word so hush up your mouth!), I would like to say I wish there was an armed school personnel (whether janitor, security guard, teacher, or principal) that could have put a bullet in Adam Lanza and sent him straight to the devil before he could have carried out this carnage. If we ban every gun, I mean every last gun, and ban the manufacture of any more guns, the crazy, insane, liberal, and criminal alike would still have access to guns. Since they don't believe in abiding by laws we just have the lawless running around armed and making victims of the rest of us.

    The solution, one I wish was in place before the Newton tragedy, is to have a good person armed with a gun as a counterweight to a bad person armed with a gun. Your son should be here with you today. Oh how I wish that he was. I know you wish it more. If the good citizens of this nation have even an inkling of how deep in pain your family must be, we'd work diligently together to spare any future parents of this agony. It's time to stop trying to take guns away from the good people and work to making sure every good person who desires a gun has one.
  • Knightkore
    !
    You mean how the 9/11 victims families were being listened to when the muslims/islamists wanted to build a mosque/terrorist center on ground zero?

    How interesting....
  • o
    cleverusername
    !
    "Mark Mattioli, father of James, one of those killed, said new gun controls are not right response to the killing of his son and the others.

    "I believe in simple [and] few gun laws," he said. "I think we have more than enough on the books. We should hold people individually accountable for their actions and we should enforce laws appropriately. And I would say we're not currently enforcing them appropriately.""

    http://articles.courant.com/2013-01-28/news/h...
  • RoFroh
    !
    When the government listens and gives special attention to the families of law enforcement officers killed by scumbag illegal immigrant criminals!!!
  • u
    o_g_neckbone
    !
    There was another father at this exact same hearing who spoke out that reducing 2nd Amendment rights would not have prevented his son's death because of the fact that criminals don't obey laws anyway. To me the scariest thing going on in this country is that 90% of the media have a liberal bias and if anyone doesn't fully agree with the liberal philosophy, those people will be deamonized and ridiculed. I personally don't have any problem with an assault weapons ban, but when I can't watch anything on TV that doesn't have a far left agenda associated with the program I feel like I am being bullied into believing a certain way. The liberal media are eventually going to push people away from the Democratic Party if they don't back off a little.
  • ConserveUSA
    !
    I see the point where there are victims and I feel the pain of losing a love one. However, I see people using them as "pawns" to get the message across which is disgusting.
  • ConserveUSA
    !
    Leave the rights of law abiding citizens alone. I love my weekend adventure at the shooting range when the fish aren't biting and hunting season is out.
  • AMSCountryboy
    !
    I am truly sorry that some nutjob killed these kids... but that doesnt give the parents the right to publicly talk about how citizens should lose the ability to own somthing without pissed off people responding to them.

    It is NOT the point that people NEED AR15s. a law abiding citzen in THIS COUNTRY should be able to own one if they choose. Today you gun control freaks want to ban AR15s and AKs... tommorow it will be handguns. When will it end? When we are only aloud single shot rifles? Lol no thanks
  • AMSCountryboy
    !
    I gota say this whole subject grinds my gears! I remember about a year ago (pre awful child killings) i was shooting my buddys AR15 in the woods behind his house. Nobody cared. People around there are used to hearing gunshots. But when we were done i took the rifle to the front porch and sat down and started cleaning it. About 15 mins later a cop pulls into the driveway. He got out and seen the rifle.he asked why we needed a gun like that? I told him "because we have the right to". He smiled and told me he owns one and loves it. Then he told me that he had to come down and check because sombody driving past called and said that there was a man on the porch with a "machine gun". They really said "machine gun". I guess what im getting at is if you are going to have a freaking opinion... at least be educated on the subject. Most antigun people it seems, know next to nothing about firearms
  • u
    RobertJHarsh
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    @PNWest We don't know that for sure. Lanza could have purchased weapons on his own as he had no criminal record to fail a background check with.
  • PNWest
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    @RobertJHarsh And my original post said "And he would also be alive today if Adam Lanza's mother wasn't a gun nut."
  • View all 15 replies >
  • u
    albert
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    My party ,the democratic party,is just using this to play on people's fears it's almost embrassassing ,that's is suppost to be a republican thing.I guess monkey see monkey do.
  • LGRepublican
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    Considering the second amendment applies to all the citizens of the United States (with a few exceptions for felons, etc.) family members shouldn't have any more "say" or "influence" in the gun "control" debate than anyone else. Just because they suffered doesn't mean the rest of us should give up our rights. The whole "you aren't (blank) so your opinion and thoughts don't mean as much" is a slippery slope we don't need to be going down.
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