Father of Va. Reporter Who Was Shot Hits Rep. Scalise for Not Changing His Opinion on Guns

PARKER Well Alisyn this ░░░░░░░░ a book that I ░░░░░░░░ I never had a ░░░░░░░░ to write but I ░░░░░░░░ And just as I ░░░░░░░░ come out swinging that ░░░░░░░░ and decided to make ░░░░░░░░ safety a part of ░░░░░░░░ advocacy I felt like ░░░░░░░░ this was a way ░░░░░░░░ honor Alison through action ░░░░░░░░ I ll read a ░░░░░░░░ of the book for ░░░░░░░░ You said I want ░░░░░░░░ book to hurt you ░░░░░░░░ want you to understand ░░░░░░░░ hurt If we hurt ░░░░░░░░ then maybe you can ░░░░░░░░ me save others from ░░░░░░░░ feeling this pain This ░░░░░░░░ not a grief memoir ░░░░░░░░ is an anger memoir ░░░░░░░░ ve stuck to that ░░░░░░░░ mean for these years ░░░░░░░░ that s what has ░░░░░░░░ you PARKER It is ░░░░░░░░ know at first I ░░░░░░░░ in shock and then ░░░░░░░░ had just unimaginable grief ░░░░░░░░ then I became angry ░░░░░░░░ this could happen over ░░░░░░░░ over again in this ░░░░░░░░ So that s what ░░░░░░░░ it CAMEROTA I mean ░░░░░░░░ ve talked to you ░░░░░░░░ times and it s ░░░░░░░░ been we are always ░░░░░░░░ by how pretty quickly ░░░░░░░░ swung into action You ░░░░░░░░ you were grief stricken ░░░░░░░░ you swung into action ░░░░░░░░ you decided to try ░░░░░░░░ change things in the ░░░░░░░░ and not you were ░░░░░░░░ to have any other ░░░░░░░░ prevented from feeling this ░░░░░░░░ And I m just ░░░░░░░░ over the course of ░░░░░░░░ 3 and a half ░░░░░░░░ had there been more ░░░░░░░░ or setbacks PARKER I ░░░░░░░░ there have been more ░░░░░░░░ And I feel like ░░░░░░░░ that moved the needle ░░░░░░░░ I came out swinging ░░░░░░░░ I started advocating And ░░░░░░░░ think that things picked ░░░░░░░░ steam ironically with the ░░░░░░░░ in Virginia the state ░░░░░░░░ elections in Virginia where ░░░░░░░░ picked up 15 seats ░░░░░░░░ And then what happened ░░░░░░░░ And the gun the ░░░░░░░░ issue was like the ░░░░░░░░ two issue in that ░░░░░░░░ followed by the Parkland ░░░░░░░░ And those kids put ░░░░░░░░ really I think it ░░░░░░░░ the the Virginia elections ░░░░░░░░ the tipping point What ░░░░░░░░ in Parkland put the ░░░░░░░░ on steroids And then ░░░░░░░░ saw what happened in ░░░░░░░░ midterms So I think ░░░░░░░░ the victories are there ░░░░░░░░ week the the House ░░░░░░░░ gun legislation that they ░░░░░░░░ t taken up in ░░░░░░░░ decades CAMEROTA But therein ░░░░░░░░ the rub Because that ░░░░░░░░ a victory A huge ░░░░░░░░ So people said it ░░░░░░░░ t be done The ░░░░░░░░ passed they made universal ░░░░░░░░ checks They close loophole ░░░░░░░░ It goes nowhere in ░░░░░░░░ Senate A setback PARKER ░░░░░░░░ and we know that ░░░░░░░░ coming but the statement ░░░░░░░░ being made And I ░░░░░░░░ that again what we ░░░░░░░░ see coming you know ░░░░░░░░ Virginia in November and ░░░░░░░░ 2020 if you can ░░░░░░░░ change their minds which ░░░░░░░░ most Republicans 99 percent ░░░░░░░░ them are still you ░░░░░░░░ walking in lock step ░░░░░░░░ the NRA if you ░░░░░░░░ t change their minds ░░░░░░░░ you change their seats ░░░░░░░░ that s what happened ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ s going to happen ░░░░░░░░ 2020 CAMEROTA Did it ░░░░░░░░ you a lot to ░░░░░░░░ around to that point ░░░░░░░░ a while after Alison ░░░░░░░░ were you trying to ░░░░░░░░ people s minds PARKER ░░░░░░░░ was Alisyn I was ░░░░░░░░ you know I I ░░░░░░░░ tried to to do ░░░░░░░░ And I realized not ░░░░░░░░ far along that you ░░░░░░░░ t do it And ░░░░░░░░ thought initially that these ░░░░░░░░ are just taking the ░░░░░░░░ money They are really ░░░░░░░░ about it But then ░░░░░░░░ discovered that a lot ░░░░░░░░ them were true believers ░░░░░░░░ mean you look at ░░░░░░░░ Scalise I mean here ░░░░░░░░ guy that gets shot ░░░░░░░░ would think he would ░░░░░░░░ some kind of come ░░░░░░░░ Jesus and say you ░░░░░░░░ maybe I m doing ░░░░░░░░ wrong But his answer ░░░░░░░░ know it s it ░░░░░░░░ his response is we ░░░░░░░░ more guns to save ░░░░░░░░ I mean we ve ░░░░░░░░ more guns in this ░░░░░░░░ than we do people ░░░░░░░░ So your battle has ░░░░░░░░ into a political one ░░░░░░░░ change to get the ░░░░░░░░ who are of that ░░░░░░░░ of thinking out of ░░░░░░░░ seats PARKER Yes I ░░░░░░░░ that s the only ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA I want to ░░░░░░░░ another portion of the ░░░░░░░░ You day there is ░░░░░░░░ getting over it there ░░░░░░░░ no getting past it ░░░░░░░░ is only getting through ░░░░░░░░ Each day a constant ░░░░░░░░ not to be overwhelmed ░░░░░░░░ all the little things ░░░░░░░░ remind me of her ░░░░░░░░ what I ve lost ░░░░░░░░ what she s lost ░░░░░░░░ s really heartbreaking Andy ░░░░░░░░ mean that this is ░░░░░░░░ a daily struggle for ░░░░░░░░ And how have you ░░░░░░░░ overe these three and ░░░░░░░░ half years PARKER Well ░░░░░░░░ the book was certainly ░░░░░░░░ cathartic experience and it ░░░░░░░░ me get through it ░░░░░░░░ I look at you ░░░░░░░░ the efforts going forward ░░░░░░░░ and using this book ░░░░░░░░ a as a tool ░░░░░░░░ continue the fight You ░░░░░░░░ it s I m ░░░░░░░░ And I liken it ░░░░░░░░ s an analogy To ░░░░░░░░ diabetic you have good ░░░░░░░░ and you have bad ░░░░░░░░ you just have to ░░░░░░░░ it and keep going ░░░░░░░░ and focus on the ░░░░░░░░ that you can hopefully ░░░░░░░░ CAMEROTA Well that is ░░░░░░░░ you have done And ░░░░░░░░ wached you do it ░░░░░░░░ we have cheered you ░░░░░░░░ every time that we ░░░░░░░░ to you And now ░░░░░░░░ another step forward The ░░░░░░░░ again is For Alison ░░░░░░░░ Parker thank you so ░░░░░░░░ Back to you John ░░░░░░░░ All right Such a ░░░░░░░░ discussion there.”