As Twitchy told you, ThinkProgress’ Zack Ford bemoaned the death of “a 19-year-old would-be mugger” who was shot and killed by an armed woman exercising her right to self-defense:
Dana Loesch — and many, many others — have rightly been taking Ford to the woodshed over that mind-numbingly horrible take. Ford’s been trying to practice some self-defense of his own by attempting to justify his garbage position:
I just don’t get @ZackFord’s position here. It’s almost like: Kid is violently bullied on playground, fights back and pushes his bully into sand. No one deserves sand! Shame on the bullying victim for turning the tables on his bully; he should have just stood there and took it!
— Matt Comer (@TheMattComer) January 15, 2019
He shouldn’t have had a gun either, or are you just focused on the mugging victim? It’s tragic that he died, truly it is, and all life is precious. But we can’t be surprised when a person gets hurt or killed while they’re carrying out a deadly act and someone defends themselves.
— Matt Comer (@TheMattComer) January 15, 2019
I’m sure she didn’t intend to kill him. If in a similar situation, I’d feel horrible, but I wouldn’t regret my decision to defend myself. Also, I don’t think the argument for gun control is going to sound anything like “Let people rob you at gun point and you’ll be safe.”
— Matt Comer (@TheMattComer) January 15, 2019
Perhaps not, but I still have to object to the argument that it's better that she had a gun than that he's still alive.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
I agree that no one should have had to die. But I don’t think the victim of the would-be robber, using deadly force himself, is in the wrong here. I firmly believe in gun control, but the right to self-defense is also important.
— Matt Comer (@TheMattComer) January 15, 2019
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I don't disagree, but self-defense is not a sufficient argument against gun control. That's my only point.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
Actually, it’s not only a sufficient argument; it’s a damn good one.
Death by ratio. https://t.co/5CZB9hi5PG
— JWF (@JammieWF) January 15, 2019
That’s evidently exactly what we’re looking at here. Because Ford deleted his initial tweet as well as some of his attempts to justify the initial tweet. And now, he’s attempting to dig his way out of that massive grave he landed himself in:
THREAD: I want to offer both some apologies and clarifications about a poorly-worded tweet I sent about an incident of gun violence. I have since deleted the tweet.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
2. First, I believe people have the right to defend themselves. My tweet suggested otherwise, and for that I apologize.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
3. My tweet also ignored the context that this took place in a neighborhood with high rates of violence. That's an experience I don't have and shouldn't speak to. For that I also apologize.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
4. My tweet suggested that conservative outlets covering this story were happy about a death. That was not my intention, and I apologize.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
Mind if we stop you right there, Zack?
Says “conservatives are thrilled”….I did not mean to convey the idea that conservatives are thrilled. https://t.co/FwhBO07ZKQ
— The Velvet Saint (@velvetsugar76) January 15, 2019
That was literally your only intention. You said "Conservatives are thrilled." There's no other meaning to that. https://t.co/4aLz0v5khX
— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) January 15, 2019
Seriously. If that wasn’t his intention, he really could’ve fooled us.
Moving on:
5. My ideal is for a world in which guns do not have to be a part of anyone's daily life and in which gun deaths are not a part of our daily news. I stand by this ideal and disagree with the proposition that more guns will make people safer.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
6. I'm going to try to be more sensitive in my advocacy in the future. For now, I stand humbled by my mistake and simply ask that others will continue to work with me in good faith to end gun violence for all people.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) January 15, 2019
Well, that’s something, at least. Better than nothing. But not great.
He deleted the trainwreck, then promptly issued this trainwreck. https://t.co/eIMH5McmAG
— Dr. Kankokage (@kankokage) January 15, 2019
"good faith"
— JWF (@JammieWF) January 15, 2019
Does Ford honestly believe that Second Amendment advocates don’t also want a world with less gun violence? Because that’s not only wrong; it’s downright insulting.
Everyone wants that world.
The difference between you and me is that I understand that this will never happen. There will always be bad people who want to hurt innocent people.
Some of us are smart enough to know the innocent people should have a chance at defending themselves. https://t.co/3jt06wIdGt
— Eric Spencer (@JustEric) January 15, 2019
I’d love for this too, truly. Unfortunately evil exists. I’m grateful that this woman (& myself and others) have the ability to carry, train, and go about our lives — and if something God forbid happens, we can defend against it. https://t.co/LlPKLoEcfc
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 15, 2019
Exactly. Still, good on Ford for at least suggesting that he jumped the gun, so to speak. His walkback was far from perfect, but many others in his position likely wouldn’t’ve even done that.
Of course, meanwhile, this remains Ford’s pinned tweet:
If I should ever get shot, I implore you to politicize my injury or death IMMEDIATELY for the sake of gun anti-proliferation.
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) October 4, 2017
So maybe take his mea culpa with several grains of salt.
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