Thursday Jan. 31, 2013
Rogers at a July 11, 2012, press briefing.
It’s not yet aired (as I write at 7:20 p.m.), but the CNN program that Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers appeared on has already been taped.
Word spread earlier today (look at this article or this blog post) that he would appear on CNN journalist Anderson Cooper’s program at 8 p.m. this evening, offering a pro-gun rights view on a special program dedicated to the gun issue, “Guns Under Fire.” Rogers said in a Facebook posting around 6:10 p.m. that the taping is over. Scroll down for his text of his post in its entirety.
As Rogers puts it, it was a bit anticlimactic “but nonetheless a great experience.” He flew to Washington D.C. for the taping at George Washington University, but didn’t appear on the panel called to discuss the issue, it turns out. Rather, he sat in the audience “with other speaking visitors.”
Rogers lauded Cooper as “gracious,” even if he disagrees with his views, and said he spoke for only around 30 seconds, when the CNN journalist asked him for a sheriff’s perspective. A legal analyst responded to Rogers’ comments, the sheriff said, “and basically called me a liar.”
Stay tuned and watch at 8 p.m., if so inclined. Meanwhile, here’s Rogers’ Facebook post:
The recording at George Washington University townhall meeting is over. It will be aired at 8pm EST. Anderson Cooper is a gracious host and certainly a professional in his field (even if I don’t agree with his liberal view). I met him and he was not pompous or arrogant as some celebs are. Anyway, I thought at first, that I was going to be on the panel, but they put me in the audience with other speaking visitors. Cooper asked me a quesiton something about the Sheriff’s perspective on gun laws and background checks, and my thoughts on enforcements. 30 seconds later (approx) I was done and the legal analyst came on and basically called me a liar. So, that was my debut on CNN. A bit anti-climatic, but nonetheless, a great experience. I drove by the White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the place where the government is printing all the money as we speak! So, don’t get your hopes up on my response–I’m not even sure what I said exactly, but whatever it was, I was lying-according to the legal analyst. Interesting that there was another school shooting during the filming (or directly before) in Atlanta. Thanks for all your prayers and support. I remain vigilant on constitutional issues and will continue Serving You!
(Reporter’s note 2/1/13: Spelling of anticlimactic in headline, third paragraph corrected (from anti-climatic).)
Tim Vandenack is a reporter at the Elkhart Truth newspaper in Elkhart, Ind., www.etruth.com. He can be reached at tvandenack@etruth.com or 574-296-5884. Visit him/subscribe to him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter at @timvandenack.
Sheriff Rogers,
I watch the show almost in its entirety. During your segment, the CNN Legal Analyst responded to your comments that what you said was factually incorrect. Then he proceded to cite Article VI (the Supremecy Clause). I am not a lawyer or legal analyst, however I have done a lot of studying on our Government and the Constitution. In my opinion, you are absolutely correct. I think where the legal analyst went wrong by citing the supremecy clause is this, from the studying I have done the supremecy clause is for the Constitution and all Federal Laws pursuant of the same are the Supreme Law of the land. Now If the Federal Government Makes laws contrary to what is in the Constitution already, makes them null and void and it is up to the States and the People to push back against those laws. The legal analyst also claims that the 2nd Amendment is somehow conditional based on some Supreme Court case? that is non-sensense, they are trying to interpret meaning into the 2nd amendment that is just not there.
I am from Pennsylvania, and I stand behind you and all the great Sheriffs across the country that are standing up against the Tyranny.