NBC Spotlights Sandy Hook Denier — Grieving Parents Are Furious – Kveller
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NBC Spotlights Sandy Hook Denier — Grieving Parents Are Furious

Megyn Kelly really doesn’t get it sometimes, does she? She recently did a  pre-taped television interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Jones, who is a known alt-right radio personality, previously called the Sandy Hook massacre “completely fake.” Jones also believes 9/11 is an “inside job.”

Clearly, that didn’t sit well with the families and community affected, who years later are still mourning the 20 elementary schoolers and six employees who were murdered.

The interview is scheduled to air Sunday, which is also Father’s Day. Irony at its worst.

Jones’ complete statement, per The Washington Post:

“Sandy Hook is a completely fake, with actors, in my view, manufactured. I couldn’t believe it at first. I know they had actors there clearly. But I thought they killed some real kids.”

A mom who lost her 6-year-old daughter Ana during the 2012 shooting spoke up, because her daughter’s murder was being erased–and that’s not OK. Nelba Marquez-Greene ended up seeing a clip that was released Sunday of the interview–and she was absolutely horrified, airing her frustration on Twitter:

As our sister site JTA reported when one such “truther” was recently convicted, the Sandy Hook “truthers” are not just conspiracy theorists who hang out online. They swarm of harassing trolls who have made the lives of grieving parents living hell. And Jones gives them succor.

Kelly, rightly so, has received tons of backlash for the interview–but she’s still defending it. She even tweeted that it is her job to “shine a light” on Jones–because he has been praised by President Donald Trump. Not a good reason. She also is legitimatizing his opinion, which is absurd:

Márquez-Greene disagreed, telling the Washington Post that “shining a light” on Jones just means giving him more followers–and validating his opinion:

“Shining a light works on cockroaches. It doesn’t work on Alex Jones. Any time you give someone like Alex Jones a platform, their followers will double-down or increase their attack on grieving families. You can’t just put him in a box and say he’s just a character. He’s really hurting people.”

Washington Post also reported today that Kelly has been dropped as the host of a gala organized by Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, a nonprofit against gun violence, because she makes dumb choices to give credence to hateful people. The organization’s co-founder and managing director Nicole Hockley made a statement:

“Sandy Hook Promise cannot support the decision by Megyn or NBC to give any form of voice or platform to Alex Jones and have asked Megyn Kelly to step down as our Promise Champion Gala host..It is our hope that Megyn and NBC reconsider and not broadcast this interview.”

Advertisers have also been outraged by Kelly’s support of Jones, as J.P. Morgan Chase announced its decision to pull all advertising from NBC until after the interview airs on Sunday. And yet, the executive producer for Kelly’s show, Liz Cole, stated that Jones “is someone who is worthy of examination, by sitting down with him, there’s value in that.”

David Beard, a journalist, captured it all in a Tweet:

These people need a reality check. I’m just going to leave you with this heartbreaking letter from another Sandy Hook victim:

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