MSNBC "The Ed Show"- Transcript: Charleston Church Shooting

Interview

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Joining me tonight Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senator, good to
have you with us tonight.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY, (D) CONNECTCUT: Yeah, thanks for having me Ed.

SCHULTZ: Your thoughts on what we`re seeing unfold in the last 48 hours
surrounding the flag and also I want you to speak directly as to why you
tweeted what you tweeted today.

MURPHY: Also I`m proud of South Carolina and all of these companies for
recognizing what they should have recognized decades ago, that the flag is
a symbol of racism and not so quietly endorses those people who would
either harbor racist thoughts or carry actions with racist intent. But
you`re exactly right that this is a cover for doing absolutely nothing
continually about the onslaught of gun violence in this country. The fact
is that every day 80 people are dying from guns. And yes it may be that
the flying of the confederate flag had a small part in the racist thoughts
that led this young man to do such damage in Charleston. But if we`re not
going to have a conversation about fixing our mental health system or
passing expanded background checks or quite frankly getting this military
style assault weapons that Walmart still sells at their stores with totally
unqualified clerks to send them out to consumers, then we just haven`t done
our duty.

SCHULTZ: Sure.

MURPHY: And here is my real point here. If we do nothing, if we are
totally silent, then that essentially makes us complicit in these murders.
Maybe a background check wouldn`t have stopped this guy from killing nine
people in Charleston. But when we just remain totally silent in
Washington, we send a message of silent endorsement to the carnage across
this country and that`s got to stop.

SCHULTZ: Senator, if I may offer, it depends upon what kind of background
check we`re talking about. You can`t get into Canada if you have pending
legal action of an issue against you. But you can buy a gun in America? I
mean, that is a fact. So, he was facing a drug charge. So under federal
law that doesn`t disqualify him from buying a firearm. But the fact is it
depends upon what kind of background check you are going to have and what
kind of teeth is going to be in the law. I mean, I think that is where you
are at right now. So, let me ask you. What do you want Walmart and
retailers to do? You said now what about those assault weapons. What do
you want them to do?

MURPHY: Well, listen, I would rather that a place like Walmart not sell
guns. I mean, it goes up to me, Walmart that really has no trained
specialists in selling gun, in training people and how to use guns, in
looking for the kind of people who when they walk into the store are
exhibiting signs such that you shouldn`t sell them a gun shouldn`t be in
that business. I have no problem with licensed independent gun dealers
selling weapons. I just don`t think Walmart should be in that business.
But at the at least shouldn`t be in the business selling assault weapons.

That Tweet that I send out was a screenshot of the advertisement. And in
that advertisement for that particular assault weapon that they`re selling.
They advertise it as a military style assault weapon used by law
enforcement and the military. Right, designed for that usage. So, you
know, they`re marketing in weapons that are designed for the military and
law enforcement and not for personal use. So I`d rather them just get out
of the business entirely. And I just want our corporate community that not
the just ingenious about this. It`s not enough just to stop selling the
confederate flag. You have got to be part of this discussion about how we
can continue to allow almost 100 people every day to die from guns. That
is part of your corporate social responsibility. And I hope that more
companies will step up to the plate.

SCHULTZ: Senator Chris Murphy Connecticut, great to have you with us
tonight. I appreciate your time so much. I think you twitted reality as
what you did.

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