Transcripts For KQED Frontline 20170531

Major support for frontliis provided by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information is available at macfound. Org. Additional support is provided by the park foundation, dedicated to heightening Public Awareness of critical issues. The john and Helen Glessner family trust, supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. The ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. At fordfoundation. Org. The wyncote foundation. And by the frontline journalism fund, with major support from jon and Jo Ann Hagler and Additional Support from millicent bell, through the millicent and eugene bell foundation. In tucson it was a beautiful, crisp, Clear Blue Sky with a few puffy white clouds. It was a perfect january morning. Narrator 40year old arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords was about to meet constituents at an outdoor shopping center. I went to thank her for her being kind of a bluedog democrat and really working for the people and not for the lobbyists. Her first person she met with was a young man that was in the army reserve. She took some pictures with him. And that was the last picture taken of her before she was. Before she was shot. He shot gabby from about three feet away, right in the middle of the left side of her forehead. He had a 9 millimeter glock in his hand and a 33round magazine in it. There was a bang and then a slight pause and then a continuous bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. succession of gunshots emptied the magazine in 15 seconds. There were 33 wounds from 33 bullets, so it looks like every bullet hit a person. 911, what is your emergency . I could see him advancing, quickly im thinking, i wonder what its going to feel like, how bad its going to hurt if he shoots me. Narrator the killer tried to reload, he dropped the high capacity magazine, was tackled, and dropped the gun. Im not able to get the gun, because its too far away, but i am able to get the magazine that he is pulling out of his pocket. Customers have tackled the suspect. They are holding him down at the safeway. We need a lot more units here and i believe Gabrielle Giffords is here. Narrator there were 19 victims gunned down. 13 were rushed to area hospitals, six were dead. Congresswoman giffords was in critical condition. When i got to the hospital, she was just recovering from surgery. At one point that evening i remember one tear coming down her eye. It was just one bloody red tear. I think that kind of said it all. The tragic shootings in arizona are bringing the National Debate over gun control. Saturdays attack is now putting gun laws under a magnifying glass. Narrator then, once again, a familiar response a public call for the federal government to just do something something about guns. Guns, those damn things. So what happened here how did this slip through the cracks . Here you have one of the democrats own in congress being struck down a shooting which showed the effect of weak gun laws. As we wait for the latest medical update, president obama is working on the speech that he will. At the white house, initially there was sort of a waitandsee. And i think a lot of it rested on, to what extent was the president going to be willing to take this up . Breaking news, weve just learned that president obama will be going to tucson on wednesday. This just in president obama just said that he will. Narrator in the wake of the shooting, the president was facing a political crisis on an issue most politicians try to avoid. President obama will deliver what some have called one of the most important speeches of his presidency. President obama on a mission to comfort and rally the. Please welcome the president of the united states, barack obama. cheers and applause if this tragedy prompts reflection and debate as it should lets make sure its worthy of those we have lost. Narrator people who wanted to do something about guns listened carefully. The president was enormously compassionate. He was enormously eloquent, but he did everything in his power to avoid using the word gun in the wake of that shooting. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but i know that how we treat one another, thats entirely up to us. The silence was deafening. His gun control ardent supporters were irate. The degree of fury over this really cant be captured in words, but he was never going to do it. Narrator washington insiders say his advisors told him the political cost was too great to take on the nations most powerful lobby the National Rifle association. It was an extraordinary moment and an extraordinary commentary on the advantage that the nra enjoys. And the tilt toward the side of the debate that says there is simply nothing more to be done about regulating the civilian ownership of guns. We just. The issue is off the table. Narrator without lifting a finger, the National Rifle association had demonstrated its power. They are the best equipped, most feared special Interest Group on capitol hill. They are sort of the Gold Standard in how to do lobbying work in washington. Two wellarmed robbers outgunned cops. This time the madness struck in california. Narrator this is the story of the rise to power of the nra. Firing a semiautomatic rifle at least 50 times. It was lunch time, but it looked like war time. Narrator how, over the years, in the face of violence and tragedy. The gunman fired between 50 and 100 rounds. Narrator . Public outrage came up against political reality. It was rage unleashed. A massacre on a commuter train. The kind of violence that Many Americans fear most. After firing off 30 bullets the nightmare ended. Narrator its a story that took a dramatic turn in the aftermath of one particular shooting. We begin tonight with a deadly shooting at an american high school. Narrator . In a colorado high school. This time the boy was 15, it was in the School Cafeteria that he went after his fellow students. 911, what is your emergency . Theres a shooting going on at Columbine High School. Ive got shots going off like crazy. Youve got multiple shots now in the cafeteria. Narrator the deadly assault on Columbine High School in littleton. Were going to continue to follow this horrific situation taking place in littleton, colorado. Fox has an alert on the horrific mass shooting. Narrator the School Surveillance video showed police some of the story. Terrorized students fled when they heard shooting in the hall 188 rounds. rapid gunfire then a bomb went off in the cafeteria as the two assailants, seen here, enter the room and hunt for student victims. They had killed 13 and wounded 23 more. You see some of the victims being taken out. We want to advise you we have no confirmation. I was in touch with my wife. And she was getting upset because she hadnt heard from daniel. She had gone to one of the places where they were taking students who had escaped, and his name was not on the board. She didnt see him. He didnt call. Narrator tom mausers son daniel was a sophomore, 15 years old, studious and quiet. By nightfall his parents went home to wait. We had to spend that night not knowing if he was dead or alive. You cry a lot. We tried to sleep. I couldnt. I went downstairs, two levels down from the bedroom. And i was crying out, and my wife heard me and came down. What can you do . Youre just. Youre just hopeless. Narrator fbi documents show the bodies they found in the school library. Daniel mauser was one of them. Hiding under a table, he had been shot point blank in the face. In the days that followed, the police gathered evidence, including home videos of the attackers and their weapons. Yo what up dog . I heard you got some beef with me, niggah . Narrator they had assembled a small arsenal sawedoff shotguns, a 9mm carbine rifle, and a tec9 pistol with a 30 round magazine. The shooters got a friend to buy some of the weapons at a gun show without a background check. It would become known as the gun show loophole. Columbine is really the ultimate nightmare. Because columbine really brought to the surface the idea that a couple of disturbed teenagers, if they want to on any given weekend, can go to a gun show and assemble the weapons they need to go and take over the school and start shooting everybody. At the Colorado State capitol the anguish over the columbine massacre turned to protests. Narrator in the wake of the shootings, thousands of protestors marched in denver demanding that something, anything be done. 8,000 strong, they targeted the National Rifle association. Narrator daniel mausers father joined them. I had a sign made at a sign shop with daniels picture on it, and words, my son died at columbine. He would expect me to be here today. Narrator the protestors had a familiar target the guns. Something is wrong in this country when a child can grab a gun so easily and shoot a bullet. Into the middle of a childs face as my son experienced. applause something is wrong. The National Rifle association, target of much anger in colorado. Narrator as it happened, just blocks away, the nra was gathering for its long planned annual convention. Gun enthusiasts insist there is no connection between the columbine tragedy and weapons. Narrator inside, top executives of the nra weighed how to respond. They issued a Public Statement of sympathy and then sent out their most famous member Charlton Heston. cheers and applause thank you, thank you, thank you. To this day, when i would look at Charlton Heston, i didnt see the president of the nra. I saw moses. You couldnt have picked a better caricature of who you wanted speaking with that stentorian voice of his. America must stop this predictable pattern of reaction. When an isolated, terrible event occurs, our phones ring, demanding that the nra explain the inexplicable. Why us . Because their story needs a villain. Narrator despite the shooting, the nra stayed focused on its core beliefs. The base of the National Rifle association believes so strongly its more a religion, or what a religion used to be. Theres a passion involved in it. The nra is the closest thing that a Membership Group can have to just pure patriotism. They love their country. As long as there is a Second Amendment, evil can never conquer us, tyranny in any form can never find footing within a society of lawabiding, armed, ethical people. Narrator heston tapped into a fundamental fear of nra members that the government would use columbine to restrict and then take away their guns. Purchases at gun stores start to go up astronomically as people who are thinking about buying a particular gun over the course of the next year or so worry that they may outlaw it. I better get it while i can. Narrator hundreds of thousands of new members signed up for the nra right after columbine. The gun is a symbol of freedom. The only thing that keeps bad government from taking over. It really has nothing to do with guns; it has to do with freedom. Do you give your freedom to the government or do you keep it within yourself, within your community, within your family . And thats the broad appeal. Narrator but for the nra, the gun wasnt always a political issue; it had once represented something for hunters and sportsmen. This is an organization that back in the 60s was a very tame, not particularly political organization. The National Rifle association has made possible the training of thousands of instructors. The nra was a safety organization. They helped people teach their children and their friends and family how to use and store and keep firearms safely. Narrator then the assassinations of the 60s. There has been a shooting. I repeat, a shooting on the motorcade in the downtown area. Narrator john f. Kennedy, Martin Luther king. My thanks to all of you, and now its on to chicago, and lets win this. Narrator and robert f. Kennedy. Many American Cities erupted into armed conflict. In response, Congress Passed the First Comprehensive gun control law in decades. Effective crime control remains, in my judgment, effective gun control. Narrator those were fighting words for some in the nra. The 1968 gun control bill banned mail order sales and restricted some purchases. Nra people said, wait a minute, weve got other things to worry about than teaching guys how to shoot or how to hunt and so forth, or collect guns. And thats when, that was the transformative period. Narrator it formally happened in 1977 at the Nra Convention in cincinnati. As they got down to business, there was a showdown hunters and sportsmen versus gun rights activists. The National Rifle Association Convention in cincinnati went into overtime last night, a stormy allnight session. When it was over, some dissident members had taken control of the 400,000member organization. What it means is even stricter support for the right to bear arms and against gun control. The core of nras Political Support comes from a very conservative Republican Group of people. Theyre the ones who give the money, theyre the ones that pay the freight for all the political battles. And theyre very conservative. Narrator just a few years later, another dramatic shooting. This is an nbc news special report. See the president coming out now. gunshots narrator president reagan, shot in the lung. people shouting . And his press secretary, james brady, in the head. They said six shots in two seconds. Narrator in the aftermath, once again, a call to do something. These incidents seem to keep happening, and that is a tragic puzzle. Narrator although reagan stayed out of it during his presidency, over the years jim brady became a powerful symbol. A Gun Control Group formed around him. And by the time bill clinton was elected, the movement had found a president willing to take up their cause. Clinton cracked down on guns. The anticrime initiative, banning the import of assault style handguns, the assault weapons ban, and the brady bill, requiring background checks at gun stores. It seemed like victory for the antigun forces, but thats not how the nra saw it. I think nra benefited tremendously through the clinton years, because of the extreme radicalism of the antigun. Call them left wingers, i call them regressives, not progressives, but the antigun people. Its in combat that the nra thrives. Its with enemies that the nra is best able to communicate its point of view. And, above all, raise money. The president of the united states. applause narrator so, near the end of his administration, in the wake of columbine, the president would once again take on the nra. You have a unique chance a chance to make sure that the children of columbine are never forgotten. Well, columbine was one of those visceral events where people reacted as parents and as people, not as politicians. And thats how clinton reacted. I mean, all he could think about was, that could have been my kid. Narrator behind closed doors clinton told top advisor bruce reed to push more gun restrictions. The attack in columbine was such a shock to the body politic that we felt the country needed to do something. Narrator a bill to close that gun show loophole was quickly rushed to a vote in the senate. Mr. Ashcroft, mr. Baucus, mr. Enzi. Narrator as the roll was called, the vote became closer and closer. Mr. Hatch, mr. Helms. Vice president gore called to the capitol to break a deadlock. New law to govern gun sales were deeply. Narrator gore needed to break the tie. On this vote the yeas are 50, the nays are 50. The senate being equally divided, the Vice President votes in the affirmative, and the amendment is agreed to. It was a setback today for the gun lobby and its allies in congress. Narrator one month after columbine the nra had lost. The first round. The president praised the senate today for what he called the common sense of their vote. Narrator the bill then headed to the republican controlled house of representatives, and that was where the National Rifle association would make its stand. 49yearold Wayne Lapierre led the nra. Wayne lapierre is the nra. He built the nra into what it is today. Narrator in the 1970s, he started as a lobbyist. If youre a political junkie like wayne or like myself, it was a wonderful job. Youre working with all these people and having these fights. And youre cutting your teeth. Narrator but lapierre was no ones idea of a gladhanding lobbyist. He was a very quiet man. I was amazed he was a lobbyist because he did not have the hailfellowwellmet attitude or personality that i associated with politicians or with lobbyists. Narrator and surprisingly for the nra, he was not a gun enthusiast, more comfortable on k street than in a duck blind. The safest place you could be with wayne and a gun back then was in a different state, because he really did not know anything about guns. Politics, yes; guns, no. Narrator and inside the fractious politics of the nra, lapierre was skillful navigating between the sportsmen and the gun rights activists. Wayne could put a finger to the wind and see which way it was blowing, and he would position himself so that neither side would be offended and might even think that he were in fact on that side. In an organization that is so beset by factionalism, his being unmoored to any particular point of view is actually very helpful for him in terms of being able to ride the torrents that have occasionally swept through the nra and emerge always on top. Narrator during the early battles with the Clinton Administration, those political skills were put to the test. In an effort to energize the gun rights activists, he released this incendiary fundraising letter. The semiauto ban gives jackbooted government thugs more power to take away our constitutional rights, break in our doors, seize our guns, destroy our property, and even injure or kill us. Arent you concerned when you say, nazi bucket helmets, government thugs, kicking down doors, killing, maiming people. Arent you inciting people . Arent you willing now to apologize for the tone of this letter . Those words are not far, in fact, they are a pretty close description of whats happening in the real world. And in response to that, many mainstream republicans, george h. W. Bush being the leading example, said, this is not the nra im a member of. Narrator president bush resigned his lifetime membership in the nra. President clinton lined up the leadership of the National Rifle association in his crosshairs today. The nra fundraising letter calling federal atf agents, quote, jackbooted thugs. Narrator before long, lapierre was forced to backtrack. Wayne, right up front, why the apology . Well, larry, if you Say Something and you offend people and you didnt mean to, what you do is you apologize. We never meant that letter to broadbrush all of federal Law Enforcement, all of batf, or all of Law Enforcement in general. Narrator but to the nras hardliners, lapierre was showing weakness. Bad move. There was a big uproar from the nra membership over that. The membership wanted a tough guy. The membership wanted somebody that drew a red line, who didnt compromise, who didnt cave. Narrator and so in the spring of 1999, as clintons proposal to close that gun show loophole now moved from the senate to the house, lapierre made a fundamental decision he would stand tough. What we see is the president now dusting off every tired old gun control bill that has been around his administration for the last six years. The nra needed to go and show that it could stand up to the president , that it could stand up, and it could toetotoe meet him in the ring and bash his brains out. Narrator the nra counterattack began by sounding the alarm to its members. phone ringing wayne la pierre, executive Vice President of the National Rifle association. This year more than ever, your vote really can make a difference. Narrator within days, members received this fax from nra headquarters. The clintongore administration isnt wasting any time attempting to further its aggressive antigun agenda. Fear is a much greater motivator in american politics than anything else. The fear of losing rights that you perceive you have, when that fear level is high, thats when the groups that represent the issue do well. phone dialing nra calling with an urgent legislative alert. Narrator the nra turned loose their members, flooding congressional offices with telephone calls and letters. You dont need thousands of people, and you dont need millions of dollars. You need hundreds of people who will get on the phone. And really, a couple hundred people to show up at a town hall meeting. You do that a couple of times, and your member of Congress Gets the message. Im Charlton Heston. We need your help to protect. The nras membership, if it had one political trait they vote. Its that simple. You are a politician. You want to get elected. You want votes. Nra has votes. Those in favor of the amendment will say aye. Aye those opposed will say no. No members will record their votes by electronic device. Narrator after the nra lobbying blitz, the white house came up 22 votes short. Gun control legislation on capitol hill was left for dead today on the floor. A handsdown victory for the nra. When i saw that after this horrific tragedy despite everything that people say about, we have to do something to prevent this from happening again, when they couldnt do something as basic as that. I was livid. The National Rifle association opens its annual convention today. The Nra Convention here is rallying the gun rights. Holding its annual convention in charlotte. Narrator one year after columbine, it was time for another nra national convention. Ladies and gentlemen, and members of the National Rifle association of america, your president , Charlton Heston narrator they had overwhelmed the Clinton Administration and successfully demonstrated their power in congress. It had been a very good year for the nra. The nra is back cheers and applause narrator and now, the nra would take the offensive. That leads me to that one mission that is left undone winning in november. cheers and applause the race between george w. Bush and al gore, thats the last year that the gun issue played a Critical Role in american politics. Narrator now it was time to settle a score with the man who had broken that tie vote in the senate al gore. I want to say those fighting words for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially for you, mr. Gore. laughter from my cold dead hands cheers and applause narrator they would spend 20 million on the 2000 election, the most aggressive Political Campaign they had ever undertaken. Al gore wants government testing, licensing and registration for all firearms owners. He cast the vote that would have shut down every gun show. This year, vote freedom first because if al gore wins, you lose. To all of you in west virginia, its halloween and al gore doesnt need a mask to scare gun owners and hunters. The nra wins because its patient and because long after americas dismay about these gun massacres has faded, the nra and its membership are still thinking about guns. Good evening, everybody, and welcome to our election coverage 2000. Stay with us. Were about to take you on an exciting and bumpy ride. Narrator on the night of the election, it all came down to a handful of critical states. The winner in ohio is mr. Bush. Narrator one of the first to go was ohio. We found in the exit poll is gun owners, 40 of the voters in ohio are gun owners, and they went almost 60 for george w. Bush. George w. Bush gets west virginia. Narrator west virginia. West virginia, which has been solidly in the democratic column for a long, long time. Bill clintons home state has gone bush. Narrator and arkansas. Six electoral votes and they go for bush. Narrator and even al gores home state of tennessee. Tonight, embarrassing Vice President gore by snatching his states 11 electoral votes. Al gore lost his home state, lost west virginia. These are states that he should have won. Had any of those states gone the other way, al gore would have been president. Florida goes bush, the presidency is bush, thats it. Narrator in washington, they say the nra was a decisive factor in al gores defeat. In no small measure, it was that fight over guns after columbine that had the Firearm Community more enlivened, engaged, and a few votes difference in florida, and the whole thing would have gone the other way. I, George Walker bush, do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. Narrator george w. Bushs inauguration would mark the beginning of a decade where gun control was off the agenda in washington. The assault weapons ban would expire. The Supreme Court would rule that individuals had a constitutional right to own guns. Congress would pass a law to protect gun makers from lawsuits. The gun control forces were left in disarray. The Gun Control Movement is fragmented. You dont have what you need to mount a true movement, which is committed warriors people who dont need money, who dont need fancy galas come out because they care. Thats what the gun people have. Narrator for the nra, it was total victory. phone ringing heavy breathing 911. Whats the location of your emergency . Sandy hook school. I think theres somebody shooting in here, in sandy hook school. Down the hallway. Narrator 11 years later. Theyre still around me. Theres still shooting. Narrator 154 rounds from a bushmaster semiautomatic rifle. rapid gunfire newtown 911. Whats the location of your emergency . Narrator it was friday morning, december 14. Sandy hook elementary school. I believe theres shooting at the front its still happening okay. Do you see anything or hear anything more . Narrator it lasted less than six minutes. I keep hearing shooting i keep hearing popping. Narrator this time it was six and sevenyearolds. Please hurry. Please hurry we smell fire from the gunshots. You guys come into my room now. Get in here. Okay, well. Theres still shooting going on. Please. I need, i need assistance here immediately. Ah, i still hear him shooting. Narrator 20 children and six adults were shot dead. Okay, get everyone you can going down there all right. Let me. Narrator outside it was chaos. My daughters in that building, please i have five children who ran from sandy hook school. There were just more emergency vehicles and personnel and helicopters than i had ever seen in my life. I couldnt i just it was a surreal scene. I just couldnt believe it. Narrator mark bardens son daniel was a first grader at sandy hook elementary. More and more of the kids were being collected by their families and. No daniel, and there was this growing group of parents that were growing in concern, wheres my child . Narrator nichole hockleys son dylan was another first grader at sandy hook. I saw some first graders but i couldnt they were all sitting down, but i couldnt see dylans class. And youre searching, searching the eyes, searching the faces for someone that you recognize, and i just. I couldnt. They told us that, if you havent been reunited with your loved one yet youre not going to be. So, that was just. And the room just erupted. But even then i still didnt believe that dylan was dead. Because none of it made any sense whatsoever. This is a school. These are firstgrade kids. voice breaking this doesnt happen. And you see on his face the pain and the angst. The president said it was the saddest day of his presidency. Newtown had the same impact on barack obama that columbine had had on bill clinton. What happened in newtown broke his heart. It was devastating for everybody. The majority of those who died today were children beautiful little kids between the ages of five and ten years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. You could see when he spoke just how sickened he was by the whole thing. As a country, we have been through this too many times. May god bless the memory of the victims and in the words of scripture, heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. Narrator this time obama decided to try to do something. It was like, if this isnt going to do it, then what is . And so they knew they had to act quickly, because you have to capture that concern and that attention that the issues getting. Narrator he handed the job to Vice President joe biden and told the staff to make something happen. It was in a context of sorrow, extreme, i mean. Anger and frustration about why cant we do something about this. It was like enough is enough is enough. Put together something for me, joe. Narrator this time it was also a crisis for Wayne Lapierre. Within the inner circles of the nra, the wives of senior nra officials shedding tears and saying to their husbands, something has to happen. You have to do something different, honey. Narrator his advisors wanted him to lie low, but lapierre had a very different idea. Expecting trouble, he hired personal security guards and headed into washington. Without telling anyone, lapierre himself staged a press conference in washington, d. C. Narrator the media gathered. Many expected a chastened and conciliatory lapierre. I think there was an assumption that surely hes going to throw the gun safety advocates, and for that matter the newtown parents, some kind of bone. Narrator but lapierre had Something Else in mind. The only way, the only way, to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. And he almost immediately goes right back to what they usually say, which is that the answer to this is more guns. What if, when adam lanza started shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School last friday, hed been confronted by qualified Armed Security . His comments are aimed directly at the gun owners of america to rile them up, to get them behind the nras noholds barred, neversaydie, you know, nocompromise position. Our children. We as a Society Leave them every day utterly defenseless, and the monsters and the predators of the world know it and exploit it. Narrator in washington, they said the speech was a political disaster. Nra, stop killing our children narrator in new york city, lapierre was called the craziest man on earth and a gun nut. But those who know lapierre say the speech was no miscalculation. This was not off the cuff. He didnt lose it. This was very thought out. And they decided on a strategy and they executed the strategy. Because the people that it resonated with gave more money, and this is what you need to do in order to keep that. That tough persona. And weve got to send the signal that this is not the time to compromise, that obama is the enemy. And they want to take your guns away. Yes, its too bad about the kids, but we are not going to back down. Narrator in newtown once again, out of grief, an impromptu Political Movement was forming. Friends and neighbors were determined to do everything within their power to make a difference. We created a name for our group, sandy hook promise. We then developed a promise, which is the essence of what we believe must be done. I just had no idea what to do. I didnt know anything about gun violence. I didnt know anything about politics. Its been one month since i lost my son dylan, and 25 other families lost their loved ones. We dont really know what were going to do e dont really have an agenda. Were not sure what it wants to be yet. Narrator they began by talking to experts. The very first thing i said to them in our very first meeting was, you are about to wade into the roughest waters in american politics. Nothing is nastier than the gun debate. And they had what i think any reasonable expectation would be is, we have just been through the worst gun event in the history of the united states. And something surely is going to change. Narrator some of the families wanted to push to outlaw the types of weapons used in the sandy hook shooting highcapacity magazines and assault weapons but the seasoned veterans of the political gun wars delivered a dose of reality. What i knew, and was able to impart eventually to them, was that a new assault weapons ban was not going to happen, that there was basically no appetite for that in congress, that the highcapacity clip ban made sense, but probably also was politically impossible in part because there just were so many highcapacity clips in circulation. You can buy them on the internet for ten dollars. That was an unfortunate learning for me in that there is going to be resistance to this. Narrator they were told the very best they could hope for was expanding background checks, closing that gun show loophole, and even that would be an uphill battle. In memory of those lost, and in tribute to their families, i ask that you please join me now in a brief moment of silence. sirens wailing narrator reality was setting in at the white house, too. As christmas approached, joe bidens task force debated how to respond. Some worried the president himself would be a liability. Since the president s trust with republicans was already so damaged from health care, from the fiscal cliff fights, and from all the other fights hed had with them. If he were to say, i want you to do this and i want you to do that, it would have been dead immediately. Because most republicans didnt want anything to do with something that he supported. Narrator what the white house needed was someone from congress who could try to find middle ground in the highly polarized world of gun politics. As your senator, ill protect our Second Amendment rights. Thats why the nra endorsed me. Ill take on washington and this administration to get the federal government off of our backs and out of our pockets. And ill take dead aim at the cap and trade bill. Narrator joe manchin, an arated nra member and junior senator from west virginia, was shaken by the newtown shootings. It really got to me. These are babies, five and six yearold children. Who would have ever. Its just beyond my imagination, most americans, to conceive that anything this horrific could happen in america. Light bulbs went off at the capitol. Harry reid and Chuck Schumer and their aides realize, wait a second. We now have a democrat with an a rating from the nra saying he wants to do something. Narrator manchins plan was to draft a simple bill that would require background checks at thousands of gun shows where a significant number of sales take place. He hoped that even the nra would be on board. Manchins argument to the nra is, look, youll never find a gun safety bit of legislation that is as gunfriendly as this. And all were really doing is closing a loophole. I felt this would be something that they would embrace. It was truly a time that Wayne Lapierre and the nra, the leadership, could have rose to another level, complete other level. Narrator with polls showing wide public support for expanding background checks, manchin and the Vice President figured they had a chance. I was optimistic. Over 91 of the American People supported expanding background checks. 80 of the households that had an nra member supported it. Narrator at first there was hope lapierre might go along with the bill. The nra went to meetings with manchin. They made some suggestions on some wording and changes from that standpoint, so yes, they had input. And we valued that input. Were starting to see almost a glimmer of possibility in washington where the nra is at least talking to manchin. Narrator but many in the gun Rights Community were furious at the talk of compromise. The two small groups, the gun owners of america and the National Association of gun rights, began to circulate letters saying, we hear that the nra is compromising with manchin they used that word, the dreaded c word that theres a compromise bill. Narrator larry pratt was the executive director of gun owners of america, representing 300,000 of the most fervent gun rights activists. The manchin bill was not aiming at loopholes, it was aiming at nailing down some remaining freedom that American People have. Gun control simply kills people. And for senator manchin to wave the bloody shirts of those children from newtown is. Despicable. Narrator pratt quickly issued an alert to his members, warning them about the nras talks with manchin. We put out an alert saying, please, if you belong to the nra, call this guy at this number and ask him to urge the powers that be to oppose the bill. Narrator at nra headquarters, they got the message. The nras main anxiety at that moment is not losing, is not seeing something enacted. Its not looking soft to their own membership and to the substantial number of americans who probably number in the millions, who think the nra is not tough enough. Narrator in the middle of april, the nra pulled out of the talks. Suddenly the nra stopped cooperating with manchin, stopped returning their emails, stopped calling. Narrator lapierre launched a fullscale assault on the legislation. Remember this tv ad . Narrator and even went after senator manchin. As your senator, ill protect our Second Amendment rights. That was joe manchins commitment, but now manchin is working with president obama and new york mayor michael bloomberg. Concerned . You should be. Senator manchin was vilified by the nra. It was almost like a personal vendetta. So they chewed up one of their own. It was stupid, absolutely stupid. Narrator the nra activated its playbook, denouncing the legislation, alerting its members and threatening lawmakers. You can deal with any things you know up front youre dealing with. I knew they were not going to be supportive. I was fine with that. I didnt know that they would be in opposition as strong as they would and come out as strong as they did. Narrator but the democrats had a secret weapon, and one day she appeared on capitol hill. Gabby giffords. Giffords had been progun, the proud owner of a glock 17 handgun. We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you. Thank you. Its decision day for new gun control legislation in the senate. The first votes taken today on the gun safety legislation. Members of the families in the gallery today. With parents of the victims looking on. Sitting in the gallery watching the vote, i was so anxious. And i genuinely thought we were going to be okay. It would be close, but i thought it would go through. Mr. Baucus, mr. Begich. Narrator the votes of five key senators would decide the matter. None of them would agree to talk to frontlinabout their position. As the roll was called, the crucial votes were slipping away. I remember sitting there kind of in a daze. Mr. Lautenberg, mr. Leahy, mr. Lee. And thats about all. I just. Im sorry that i have such a. Mr. Reed of rhode island, mr. Reid of nevada. You know, i think my psyche was just kind of letting in little bits at a time, it was just all so. Such a whirlwind of craziness for me. Mr. Schumer, mr. Scott, mr. Sessions, mrs. Shaheen, mr. Shelby. Narrator also watching in the gallery, tucson survivor pat maisch. I went from being sad to being mad. Theyre all down there in their good ol boy stance, shaking hands, chatting. Mr. Wyden. gavel banging on this vote the amendment is not agreed to. Like peoples lives arent in the balance on this, and i just thought they needed to be shamed. They should be ashamed of themselves. I stood up and said, shame on you. Shame on you there will be order in the senate. Because they needed to be shamed. Shame on them. Shame on me if after what ive gotten to witness i choose to be quiet. Im surprised that she was the only one, actually, that burst out. Because it was so intense and so charged. The gallery will refrain from any demonstration or comment. They felt betrayed. Thats the word, betrayed. How could they vote that way . Dont they understand what happened . How can they do that . How can this be . I mean it was disbelief and a sense of betrayal. That was the mood. Narrator manchins bill had fallen five votes short. The defeat effectively ended any talk of a National Effort at gun control. Its over for now. And it may be over for a very, very long time. Victory builds the next victory, defeat builds the next defeat. We cant ever afford to lose one, because then weve lost something tangible and essential to the definition of being an american. Narrator in washington, they say the nra came out of the shootings at sandy hook stronger than ever. The nra plays the game of democracy more effectively than any other influence group in washington. It is an organization that works the levers of democracy in a way that is not illegal or improper, its just very, very effective. Mark my words. The nra will not go quietly into the night. We will fight narrator neither Wayne Lapierre nor any current nra official would agree to be interviewed for this film. Next time. All the stuff you learned about in medical school is really just a tiny little bit of what it means to be good at doing our job. Based on the bestselling book by atul gawande. So many people i see, their death comes as a surprise. Frontline takes you into the Difficult Conversations between doctors and patients. I just was wanting something positive to say. The reason i regret it is because i knew it was a complete lie. Go to pbs. Org frontline for more of frontlines reporting on the gun debate and the n. R. A. They are the most feared special Interest Group on capitol hill. Then subscribe to our youte channel. Now you can get original short frontlidocumentaries. And connect to thfrontline community on facebook, twitter, and our tumblr page. And if stories like this matter to you, sign up for our newsletter at pbs. Org frontline. Frontlinis made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. And by the corporation for public broadcasting. Major support for frontliis provided by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information is available at macfound. Org. Additional support is provided by the park foundation, dedicated to heightening Public Awareness of critical issues. 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Man i really value pbss News Coverage because i think its very rigorous journalism woman clear and concise reporting man both thoughtful and thought provoking woman mind blowingly honest and open woman information that will help me make a good decision with so much at stake, this Election Year one place has the news you need to decide pbs steves salzburgs cathedral, constructed in the early 1600s, was one of the first grand baroque buildings north of the alps. Its sunday morning. The 10 00 mass is famous for its music, and today its mozart. Enter the cathedral, and youre immersed in pure baroque grandeur. Dona nobis nobis pacem since it was built in only about 15 years, the church boasts particularly harmonious art and architecture. In good baroque style, the art is symbolic, cohesive, and theatrical, creating a kind of festival procession that leads to the resurrected christ triumphing high above the altar. Nobis dona nobis nobis pacem pacem music and the visual art complement each other. The organ loft fills the church with glorious sounds as mozart, 250 years after his birth, is still powering worship with his musical genius. Nobis nobis pacem nobis pacem announcer it was fought in the north and in the south, in the air and on the ground. It was fought in the white house and in the halls of congress, in americas streets and colleges and living rooms. Now catch a special sneak peek at the Television Event of the year as pbs previews the vietnam war. Of the vietnam war was provided by bank of america with funding from the following. And by members of the better angels society. The corporation for public broadcasting and by viewers like you. Thank you