CNN's Piers Morgan is one of America's loudest and most public enemies of gun rights.
What especially sets him off is when someone on his show argues that the Second Amendment was designed to enable citizens to defend their liberty should the U.S. government turn tyrannical.
For example, when conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro made that argument on January 10 this year, Morgan sneered: "Do you understand how absurd you sound?"
Which makes the following exchange from Morgan's May 20 show all the more remarkable.
Speaking about the Obama IRS and Associated Press scandals with his guest, libertarian magician Penn Jillette, Morgan said this:
"I've had some of the pro-gun lobbyists on here saying to me, 'Well, the reason we need to be armed is because of tyranny from our own government.' And I've always laughed at them. And I've always said, 'Don't be so ridiculous. Your own government won't turn itself on you.'
"But, actually, when you look at this -- it's nothing to do with guns -- but actually, this is vaguely tyrannical behavior by the American government.
"I think what the IRS did is bordering on tyrannical behavior. I think what the Department of Justice has done, actually, to the AP is bordering on tyrannical behavior."
"There's no doubt about that, once you use the word 'bordering,' that's true," agreed Penn Jillette. "I also think that it shows you how much we can trust the government and just sit back, which is not very much at all. We have to be ever vigilant."
