Eugene Robinson Ties Charleston to Sandy Hook, ‘There’s Always the Gun’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

ROBINSON: "You know, first, let's hope this is indeed over. It looks to have been a lone wolf attack. But, again, if as has been reported, the suspect was involved with white supremacist activities. You know, we can only hope and make sure that there is nothing more organized going on. I guess the second thing I would point out is how many times a does this have to happen? How many times do we have to have these mass shootings? The one thing that ties them all together is the gun. There's always the gun." 
MITCHELL: "I know we're hearing the sirens. I'm not sure whether that's from your location, Eugene, or from benji's." 
ROBINSON: "Mine." 
MITCHELL: "I think it was from benji's, in South Carolina. Eugene, if you could pick it up there with your thoughts about how many times we have to see this. I have to say that in terms of the gun reference, the most emotional recent massacre that I can think of is Sandy spring, that brings to mind --" 
ROBINSON: "Sandy Hook." 
MITCHELL: "Sandy Hook, rather, that brings to find the motion of today and watching all night and of thinking about the history of South Carolina and the history of church attacks." 
ROBINSON: "That's absolutely right. You know, here there is the added component of race in this attack. But in terms of just the emotional shock, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Tucson, Virginia tech, we can go on and on. One of the saddest days of my life I spent in -- at Virginia tech after that mass shooting rampage. And again, we're going to be riveted by this disaster. It was an attack on the nation, in my view, not just on this one congregation. I'm sure President Obama will have something to say at some point. I'm sure candidates for office will have various things to say. And we will all pay attention, but will we do anything about it? Will we take any steps to make sure that there's not another mother Emanuel, which I guess is going to be the catch phrase for this tragedy."