Thread: Florida shooting survivor: CNN gave me 'scripted question' for town hall, quashed

Florida shooting survivor: CNN gave me 'scripted question' for town hall, quashed question on armed guards

By Gregg Re | Fox News
1 hour ago

A CNN town hall on Wednesday featured questions from survivors of the Florida massacre last week, but one student suggested CNN had provided scripted questions.

A survivor from the Florida high school massacre said in an interview that CNN rejected his proposal to discuss armed guards in schools and instead handed him a "scripted" question to ask during Wednesday night's town hall on gun rights.

Colton Haab, 17, a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School junior and ROTC member, reportedly used Kevlar vests to shield students during the massacre. He said he decided not to attend the town hall after CNN presented him with the scripted question.

"CNN had originally asked me to write a speech and questions and it ended up being all scripted," Haab told WPLG-TV. "I don't think that it's going get anything accomplished. It's not gonna ask the true questions that all the parents and teachers and students have."

"I expected to be able to ask my questions and give my opinion on my questions," he added.

The town hall, moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper, included shooting survivors confronting several officials on gun rights, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, as well as NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch and Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.

The atmosphere at the event was, at times, awkward and even hostile for the Republicans, who were interrupted several times by the jeering crowd.

At one point in the event, the audience cheered loudly when a student asked Rubio if he would pledge to cease taking donations from the NRA.

Tapper stepped in to plead with the audience to allow Rubio to answer the question.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...ed-guards.html

CNN is so disgusting. Such a shame. Used to be such a great news station years ago when Ted Turner owned it.

CNN Scrambles: Denies ‘Scripted Question,’ Invites Pro-Gun Student to Appear


Screenshot / YouTube

by JOEL B. POLLAK
22 Feb 2018

CNN issued a statement Thursday morning denying that it had asked a shooting survivor to ask a “scripted question” at the CNN Town Hall on guns on Wednesday evening in Sunrise, Florida.

On Wednesday evening, junior Colton Haab, a survivor of last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, told local Fort Lauderdale ABC affiliate WPLG that CNN had invited him to appear at the town hall, but he had withdrawn after being asked to recite a “scripted” question.

WPLG reported:

Haab: I expected to be able to ask my questions and give my opinion on my questions.

Reporter Janine Stanwood: But Colton Haab, a member of the Junior ROTC, who shielded classmates in the midst of terror, says he did not get to share his experience.

Haab: CNN had originally asked me to write a speech and questions, and it ended up being all scripted.

Stanwood: Colton wrote questions about school safety, suggested using veterans as armed school security guards, but claims CNN wanted him to ask a scripted question instead. So he decided not to go.

Haab: I don’t think that it’s going to get anything accomplished. It’s not going to ask the true questions that all the parents and teachers and students have.

On Thursday morning, CNN public relations issued a statement denying that anyone had been given a “scripted” question, and inviting Colton Haab to appear on air:

There is absolutely no truth to this. CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night’s town hall, nor have we ever.

After seeing an interview with Colton Haab, we invited him to participate in our town hall along with other students and administrators from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Colton’s father withdrew his name from participation before the forum began, which we regretted but respected. We welcome Colton to join us on CNN today to discuss his views on school safety.

The CNN Town Hall was stacked heavily in favor of gun control, and speakers were carefully selected. CNN chose, for example, to highlight Emma Gonzalez, a student who has spoken at rallies since the shooting and who has blasted President Donald Trump. Gonzalez was seen clutching a piece of paper as she asked a question of National Rifle Association spokesperson Dana Loesch.

Andrew Jerell Jones@sluggahjells

Only @jaketapper & @cnn would think it's a good idea to have the angel that is Emma Gonzalez ask a question to a real psycho #StudentsStandUp
9:23 PM - Feb 21, 2018

Gonzalez attacked Loesch as a mother, telling her, “We will support your two children in a way that you will not.”

Haab’s story appeared on WPLG as follows:



http://www.breitbart.com/big-journal...n-haab-appear/