If you haven’t seen the gun-control debate where Ben Shapiro handily defeated Piers Morgan, here it is again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJdhAm_oUUsHere’s the very first thing Shapiro said, calmly but directly:
“Honestly, Piers, you’ve kind of been a bully on this issue. Because what you do — and I’ve seen it repeatedly on your show, I watch your show and I’ve seen it repeatedly — what you tend to do is demonize people who differ from you politically by standing on the graves of the children of Sandy Hook. Saying [your opponents] don’t seem to care enough about the dead kids. If they cared more about the dead kids, they would agree with you on policy. I think we can have a rational political conversation about balancing rights and risks and rewards of all of these different policies. But I don’t think that what we need to do is demonize people on the other side as being unfeeling about what happened in Sandy Hook.”
Morgan’s only response to this was to hiss “How dare you?” over and over. Shapiro was exactly right and Morgan had no defense, so he doubled down on his shaming tactics.
Since then, Morgan has taken to Twitter in a “Jerk Store” attempt to win that debate retroactively. He has failed utterly. He lost face last Thursday night, and he’s still not happy about it.
Well, if Piers Morgan can’t prove Ben Shapiro wrong, he might as well prove Ben Shapiro right. The following played out, again, on Twitter:
Come on our #GunsInAmerica townhall tomorrow night @benshapiro – I want a balanced debate. #CNN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 14, 2013
@piersmorgan Anytime.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 14, 2013
@benshapiro great, see you tomorrow night. live at 9pm from NY studio.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 14, 2013
Set for @piersmorgan Round II tomorrow night. He promises “balanced debate.” We shall see.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 14, 2013
At this point, I was expecting an ambush. And indeed, that’s exactly what Morgan was setting up, as we learned when the two couldn’t come to terms:
UPDATE: @piersmorgan not happening tonight; they said no 1-on-1. That’s not “balance.” Anytime Piers wants real balance, I’m here.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 15, 2013
Not going to participate in a Jerry Springer-esque carnival of grief. If @piersmorgan wants to do rational discussion, he knows where I am.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 15, 2013
Do stop bleating @benshapiro – I invited you to take part in a townhall debate on guns, you agreed, now you’ve ducked it. Grow a pair.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 15, 2013
.@piersmorgan By townhall debate, you didn’t perchance mean trotting out gunshot victims to stand on, did you Piers?
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 15, 2013
The debate will include gun crime victims, yes @benshapiro – do you have a problem looking them in the eye? Like I said, grow a pair.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 15, 2013
.@piersmorgan LOL! Thanks for admitting your ambush tactics — the very ones I accused you of. Pathetic.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 15, 2013
Unfortunately @benshapiro won’t now be appearing in our town hall debate on guns tonight – he didn’t want to face gun crime victims. #CNN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 15, 2013
So it’s clear that Morgan wasn’t proposing a debate, but a public shaming. He knows he can’t keep up with Shapiro, and he doesn’t like how that feels, so he wants another opportunity to do what Shapiro didn’t let him get away with doing the first time.
Morgan’s antics would be amusing if he weren’t using the emotional pain of crime victims and their families in a cynical ploy to get revenge on someone who humiliated him on his own show. He’s using those people as human shields.
No wonder the English don’t want Morgan around anymore. If they ever did.
Shapiro has written a book called Bullies, and Morgan just provided an addendum for the paperback version. When a bully is defeated one-on-one, he demands a rematch… and brings friends.
Update: This just in.
.@piersmorgan has reversed course, now guarantees 2 solo segments. He will undoubtedly continue to exploit SH. But it is back on.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 15, 2013
Hey, maybe Morgan is finally being honest and will argue in good faith? Ha ha, just kidding.
Update: Sounds like Shapiro is getting that one-on-one rematch, which is magnanimous of him. And it’ll be separate from the townhall segment, so Morgan can’t use grieving families as shields.
