appreciate it. >> i was talking there about neil heslin. he shot his 6-year-old son in the sandy hook elementary school. he spoke about it, most recently at a hearing where he was interrupted by gun advocates. he joins me along with senator chris murphy. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> neil, i want to talk to you first, if i may. we've spoken several times. i feel like i've got to know you reasonably well and know the appalling impact of losing your only child, and i found the scene that we watched today from last night's encounter between you and the gun advocates very powerful. and i don't want to put any words in your mouth. i don't want to frame how you felt about this because i know that you've been pretty decent about it. you didn't view what happened as heckling. you respect, i believe, the rights of those advocates to express an opinion. they were answering a question that you put to them. i've got to say, though, from my point of view watching it, i found it repulsive that people would respond to your call for the assault rif

neil heslin made a solid and emotional case about why no one in this country and no one in that audienceds massacre weapons. and then he openly asked that audience if anyone there could give him a reason why they did need massacre weapons, and not one word, not one word that the hecklers spoke was a reason why. not one word. that grieving father's question remains unanswered by the gun fanatics in that audience, who did indeed heckle him. this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. sven gets great rewards for his small business! how does this thing work? oh, i like it! [ garth ] sven's small business earns 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! woo-hoo!!! so that's ten security gators, right? put them on my spark card! why settle for less? testing hot tar... great businesses deserve great rewards! [ male announcer ] the

neil heslin made a solid and emotional case about why no one in this country and no one in that audienceds massacre weapons. and then he openly asked that audience if anyone there could give him a reason why they did need massacre weapons, and not one word, not one word that the hecklers spoke was a reason why. not one word. that grieving father's question remains unanswered by the gun fanatics in that audience, who did indeed heckle him. all stations come over to mission a for a final go. no go call. this is for real this time. we are on step seven point two one two. we have entered our two minute hold. cabin venting has been inhibited. copy that. sys two, verify and lock. command is locked. flight computer state has entered auto idyll. three, two, one. the falcon 9 has launched. preparing for nose cone separation. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers. like gas station sushi. or super cheap car insurance. and then there are good decisions. like esurance. th

. >> my name's neil heslin. jesse lewis was my son a victim in sandy hook.as my son, my buddy, my best friend. and i never thought i'd be here speaking like this, asking for chan changes on my son's behalf. and i never thought i'd be -- the happiest day was the day he was born. my only son, my only family. and the worst day of my life was the day when this happened and i buried him. >> all right. please continue. >> we're not living in the wild west. we're not a third world nation. we have the strongest military in the world. we don't need to defend our homes with weapons like that. >> you had parents on both sides the issue, suzanne. mark's son, james, 6, attended the hearing. we were able to get him on the phone for a while. he says more laws in fact may not be the answer. he spoke at the hearing yesterday as well. >> how do we expect to have any impact on a society and say, we will -- we're going to pass a law, hey, this is inexcusable, we can't allow anymore of this, let's pass a law that will change the course of the future. when we don't enforce the la

. >> reporter: neil heslin's son jesse was killed in newtown, but that didn't seem to matter to the hecklers. >> if there's one person in this room that can give me a reason or challenge this question, why anybody in this room needs to have one of these assault-style weapons or military weapons or high capacity clips? not one person can answer that question. all right. >> please, please, no comments while mr. heslin is speaking or we'll clear the room. >> reporter: this hearing was designed to review the state's gun laws and hear proposals for change. it was the first time family members who lost loved once at sandy hook elementary testified in public. the state's considering enacting a 50% tax on ammunition, expanding a state ban on assault weapons, and banning large capacity magazines like the one used by adam lanza in the newtown shooting. this single mother from waterbury believes those changes would be going too far. >> you will take away my legal ability to protect myself and my children at a reasonable price. protecting myself and my children means i should continue to be able to sele

neil heslin talked about the loss of his 6-year-old son jesse who was shot and killed while urging histes to run. in washington the president and vice president met at the white house with law enforcement officials from towns that have been scarred by gun violence. let's bring in steve kornacki, my colleague here at msnbc, and democratic strategist julian epstein. i want to put this question to both of you if i can. steve, these gun lobbyists are fairly aggressive. they dragged the president's children into the debate with that scurrilous advert but heckling the father of a child who was lost? can you explain that to me? >> if you look at the outpouring of grief for these families, one thing that's separated the aftermath of newtown is this story has stayed in the news. it stayed in the news a lot longer than other shootings and it's kept gun control in the news a lot longer which has created this political opening. when you look at a moment like that, which obviously it's indefen indefensible for somebody to show up at a hearing and treat a man like that, but i think it adds to the mo

. ♪ >>> on monday on our program, we aired a portion of a hearing where we heard from neil heslin whosed son jesse was killed at sandy hook elementary school. we received a number of comments over the last few days so we're going to play the relevant portion in full. >> i don't know how many people have young children or children, but just try putting yourself i'm in or these other parents that are here. and having a child that you l t lost. it's not a good feeling. it's not a good feeling to look at your child laying in a casket or looking at your child with a bullet wound to the forehead. it's a real sad thing. i wish -- i ask if there's anybody in this room who can give me one reason or challenge this question, why anybody in this room needs to have an assault -- one of these assault-style weapons or military weapons or high-capacity clips. and not one person can answer that question. >> second amendment shall not be infringed! >> all right. >> shall not infringe our rights. >> please no comments while mr. heslin is speaking or we'll clear the room. please continue. >> anybody -- any

. >> and that is what neil heslin was saying in his testimony, was that that woman should never have had those weapons in that home with -- you know, knowing the condition of her kid. and so the -- the ways in which wayne lapierre tries to shatter off the debate have more holes in them than he realizes when he is trying to advance this kind of testimony. >> you know i hope what happens, had he testifies in the committee tomorrow is that the nra presses him on the second amendment. does that mean that citizens should be able to have massive fire power to fight a future government. they would lose credibility with their own base. there is a real dangerous current fed on the internet and youtube, of people talking very threatening violent language about what would happen if congress were to impose an assault-weapons ban, and other gun control measures like that father outline, which was quite well said. and i think mr. lapierre needs to address that, including even the conspiracy theories that are circulating among gun rights activists, who claim that the newtown shootings and gabrielle

. >> that was neil heslin, father of 6-year-old jesse lewis, one of 20 children killed in the newtown he joins us live from newtown. first of all my condolences to you and the family. i can't even imagine what you are going through right now. what give use the strength to come out and speak about this publically? >> i really don't know. i just feel it's something i have to do for jesse. along for the other victims. i feel a change, a stand has to be taken with the assault weapons and military-style weapons in high capacity magazines. that's a starting point for safer schools. i just feel very strongly that we don't need those weapons. i want to see them banned. >> do you think there are other parents who are listening to you because there are other parents as well who lost their children who don't agree and who feel like, you know, if somebody has a gun and they want to kill people, they will find a way no matter what laws are in place. >> i agree with that. i'm not looking to ban or see all guns banned or weapons banned. but i just feel very strong. there is no place for these assaul

neil heslin, who lost his 6-year-old son jesse, gave emotional testimony.>> he was high son. he was my buddy. he was might have best friend. and i never thought i'd be here speaking like this, asking for changes. why anybody in this room needs to have an -- one of these assault-style weapons or military weapons or high-capacity clips. and not one person can answer that question. [ background talking ] >> monday's hearing offered the first public testimony by the families of those killed at sandy hook. >>> signs that read "sale" are coming back to jcpenney a year after the chain gave up on sales and promised lower prices all year long. now the ceo says too many shoppers went elsewhere, so he's bringing the sales signs back. i think psychologically people need to see the word "sale" even if it's a lower price. you need to know you're getting a good deal. >> i know you like a good deal. >> i do. >> i do, too. >>> a new study says there's a good connection between when you eat and weight loss. researchers from brigham and women's hospital in boston looked at 42