Alec Baldwin Should Go to Prison
February 1, 2023 1:24pm
Yesterday, prosecutors in New Mexico formally charged Alec Baldwin with crimes related to the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" movie set. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, and Assistant Director David Halls was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon. Halls has already agreed to a plea of no contest.
In addition to starring in the film, Baldwin was a producer. That means he was ultimately responsible for everything that happened on set. And according to the statement of probable cause, he was grossly negligent in those duties. He allegedly skipped the required pre-filming firearms training session and was on his cell phone throughout the secondary on-set training session. Prosecutors say Baldwin created a "climate of recklessness as evidenced by the conduct of the cast and crew documented through statements and evidence.”
And while all that is bad enough, it was Alec Baldwin himself who pulled the trigger (Note: Baldwin says he never pulled the trigger) on the Colt .45 that fired the bullet that killed Hutchins. So in that capacity, he was responsible regardless of what his other responsibilities may have been. But wait! It gets worse. Based upon reviews of the script and interviews with witnesses, investigators concluded the scene didn't require the weapon to be fired. Yet Baldwin fired the pistol anyway... while it was aimed at Hutchins... and he killed her. Director Joel Souza was wounded as well.
But Baldwin has refused to take any responsibility for his actions whatsoever. He even told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he didn’t even fire the fatal round. He said, "I feel that someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is. But I know it’s not me.” No, Alec. It is you. You are absolutely responsible. You are not absolved from responsibility just because someone else handed you the loaded gun.
The irony here is that if Alec Baldwin had taken an NRA gun safety class instead of attacking the organization and the Second Amendment Rights it works to protect, he would have learned to ALWAYS check to see if a firearm is loaded no matter who handed it to him. When I am shopping at a gun store, I watch the clerk check to be certain the gun is unloaded before it is handed to me. AND THEN I POINT IT IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND CHECK IT MYSELF. Even though I just observed the professional verify the gun is not loaded, it is MY responsibility to know with absolute certainty the status of any gun in my possession. That is not a responsibility that can be pawned off onto someone else. My kids knew that when they were five years old. Why didn't Alec?
Alec Baldwin has spent decades attacking the NRA and the Constitution of the United States. If he wasn't such an anti-American hater, he might have been educated enough to not kill someone with a handgun. It is also pathetic that Alec Baldwin and his sycophantic supporters say he cannot be held responsible because a professional armorer handed him the gun on a movie set. That is complete nonsense. Laws do not magically disappear because someone is "on a movie set." It is ALWAYS the responsibility of the person holding a gun to check and know its status. And had Alec done so, he wouldn't have negligently killed someone.
That is why he is facing charges. Hopefully, the jury will see beyond his celebrity status and hold him accountable as any "commoner" would be. He is absolutely responsible for the death of Halyna Hutchins and needs to be sent to prison. And he should join the NRA.