See also: Russell Pearce Blames Victims for Dark Knight Massacre (w/Update) See also: Russell Pearce on Blast for Racist E-mails in New Dennis Gilman Video See also: Russell Pearce Apologizes, Kinda-Sorta, for Dark Knight Massacre Remarks
In a major political gaffe that's sure to resonate across the nation, the National Rifle Association's political action committee has endorsed recalled, disgraced ex-state Senate President Russell Pearce, giving him an "A+" rating, despite his outrageous blame-the-victim comments following the July 20, massacre in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater.
The endorsement is listed on the website for the NRA's Political Victory Fund, the powerful pro-gun lobby's PAC, and includes a link to Pearce's campaign site. Pearce is listed along with several other legislative hopefuls and incumbents who have received ratings and endorsements from the group.
Pearce is a longtime gun-rights advocate, who has backed legislation allowing owners to carry guns concealed without a permit, and letting pistol-packers legally have their guns with them in bars that do not display signs indicating firearms are verboten.
But Pearce drew near-universal ire for Facebook comments that came less than 24 hours after gunman James Holmes, wearing body armor and armed with an AR-15 rifle and other weapons, walked into a midnight showing of Dark Knight Rises, released smoke bombs and opened fire on the crowd.
The mass shooting left 58 injured and 12 dead, including a 6 year-old girl and the mother of two small children. Today, the Los Angeles Times reported that the mother of that 6 year-old, who was pregnant with another child, miscarried.
Writing with complete indifference to this human carnage, Pearce, who has mounted a comeback bid for state Senate in Legislative District 25's GOP primary, indicated that the victims were responsible for their own deaths, because they were not armed and mentally prepared to take Holmes down.
"Lives were lost because of a bad man," Pearce typed, in remarks that were later removed from his Facebook page, "not because he had a weapon, but because noone [sic] was prepared to stop it. Had they been prepared to save their lives or lives of others, lives would have been saved."
Several hours later, Pearce responded to the outpouring of anger that resulted from his comments by doubling down on them, lamenting that no one had been carrying, stating that, "You cannot predict where evil will raise its head, but you can prepare for it."
Another day later, after disgust at his remarks had exploded nationwide, Pearce finally apologized for his callous take on the shooting.
Nevertheless, he rationalized his remarks, even as he apologized for them.
"I will never understand policies that disarm honest citizens and leave them vulnerable to the premeditated attacks of madmen," Pearce said in his mea culpa, such as it was. "[B]ut it is still far too early for any sort of discussion over how to prevent the next such attack."
After this kinda-sorta apology, I'm sure the Pearce camp was hoping to put that particular misstep in the rear-view mirror. Though as you know, there have been other scandals brewing since then, including Pearce's "endorsement" by an "Arizona Teacher's [sic] Association," which may or may not have any actual teachers associated with it.
Now, thanks to the NRA, voters will be reminded of Pearce's sick comments over and over again, comments that even many staunch Second Amendment types find morally reprehensible.
