Thursday, April 11, 2013

Senator asks Fox Sports not to broadast Saturday night's NRA 500

April 11, 2013

Mr. Rupert Murdoch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
News Corporation
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036

Dear Mr. Murdoch: 

I write today to urge you to not broadcast NASCAR’s NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13th. This race, which is being sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA), is going to take place during the Senate’s consideration of legislation to reduce gun violence. The race not only brings national attention to an organization that has been the face of one side of this heated debate, it also features the live shooting of guns at the end of the race. This celebration of guns is inappropriate in the immediate wake of the Newtown massacre. But most importantly, broadcasting this race, which will highlight the NRA and its radical agenda during this time, sends a harmful signal to the families affected by gun violence, as well as the millions of Americans who support sensible gun control measures and enjoy your sports programming.

The horror that unfolded on December 14th at Sandy Hook Elementary School has sparked a national conversation about the adequacy of our gun laws. You, News Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Fox News, should contribute and continue to cover this discussion. Given that you have been outspoken in your support of gun reform, it is the height of irony that some would perceive that your company would now essentially endorse the NRA’s extreme position against such laws by broadcasting this event.
Shortly after the tragedy in Newtown, you called on policymakers and the President to strengthen our gun laws, asking, “when will politicians find courage to ban automatic weapons?” This valid question will be answered when the Senate considers major reforms to our gun laws in early to mid-April. As a senator, I can tell you that many of us possess the courage, and will strongly advocate for sensible gun reforms to take assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and require all gun purchasers to submit for a background check. 

You also challenged President Obama to show bold leadership on this issue after he addressed the nation.  I believe that the President has shown incredible leadership since the tragedy by trying to help our country, my state, and the community of Newtown heal in the wake of this terrible event. I would like to make a similar challenge to you.  You should play a constructive role in our national dialogue by refraining from broadcasting the NRA 500.  By airing this race you will be strengthening the brand of a radical organization that is currently standing in the way of meaningful progress on this issue. Today’s NRA bears little resemblance to the one of its founding. It stokes fear and perpetuates a perverse interpretation of the Second Amendment in order to sell more guns and fuel larger donations from gun manufacturers. After the events of Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and so many other senseless tragedies, the NRA continues to say that the only solution to gun violence is more guns. It even disavows common sense measures, like universal background checks for gun purchases - a policy that enjoys the support of 74 percent of its members and that it advocated for in 1999.  

Considering your support of sane gun control measures and the extreme nature of the NRA, I urge you to not broadcast this race on April 13th.  Inserting Fox Sports in this debate at this critical time will give credence to an extreme organization that is opposed to reasonable policies to stem gun violence.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator

12 comments:

  1. 1) Which part of free country do you not understand? It is because of radicals like you that I will support the NRA when I otherwise might not.
    2) You're opinion is in the vast minority of those of NASCAR fans.
    3) Your letter insults the very people you seek to protect by assuming that we are incapable of making the decision not to watch if we agree with you.

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  2. is this guy for real?

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  3. One more "Progressive" who clearly equates the defense of the Bill of Rights as "radical" and "extreme"! The ambulances weren't even off the school property before these bozos were pushing their anti-gun agenda with the blood of the dead and injured and now they call this "inappropriate". That's all we need to know to realize that there is nothing "reasonable" about the anti-gun agenda!

    The high-capacity magazine argument is the dumbest of all. 10 rounds/clip instead of 14... it takes about a second and a half to change clips and you can carry a lot of 10-round clips. That restriction won't save lives and will only force legal gun owners to choose to either buy more magazines or pay for more time at the range because they will have to reload the clips more often during a practice session!

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    Replies
    1. John,

      it is a magazine, not a clip. The M1 Garand uses a clip, which is a disposable item used to hold several rounds together. The vast majority of all semi-automatic weapons today use a magazine, which is a reusable item used to hold several rounds together.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clip_(ammunition)

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  4. If FOX did not show this weekends race they might as well just sell the reset of there races to TNT or ESPN/ABC. No one would watch another race that was on FOX unless they are one of the gun grabbers that are trying to take our 2nd amendment right away form us.

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  5. Currently they are trying to pass a law that states that you must report your gun stolen withing 24 hrs of it being missing to the local authorities, as well as the attorney general. Reason? When they show up at your house to take your weapons because you are prescribed something as simple as ambien to help you sleep, they show up at your door to take your guns. The number one excuse that people give is that they were stolen. Now they get to take you to jail no matter what if you don't hand over your gun.

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  6. Chris Murphy was a congressman who had Newtown as part of his district. Now he is a Senator from Connecticut. I'm not sure if he really believes what he says or if he's just trying to maintain his vote tally from CT. Either way, he is part of the group of politicians who can't deal with others having an opinion different from theirs and I moved from CT just to get away from this type of thinking. Now NASCAR is knuckling under to the pressure.

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  7. I wasn't going to watch this race, I had other plans. Now I am DEFINITELY going to watch it.

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  8. I got a 12th grade education and common sence. These senators are college eduicated and no common sence.I know that if a person is going to kill someone there is no law that is going to stop him or her.If law stops crime than let us pass more laws on drugs,rape,drunk driving then we could live in peace.

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  9. Senator Murphy, whoever he is,Can stick it where the sun don't shine!

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