Podcast: "I Feel Snitty"
Episode 5: "The NRA: The Never Rational Asshats (Part 1)"
Premiere Date: 8/14/19
Length: 23:45 (3,998 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/the-nra-the-never-rational-asshats-part-1/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty. I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki. Today, I’m going to talk about guns. There’s actually so much for me to share on this subject, I’m going to split this episode up into two parts.
After the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton within a span of 13 hours, I debated on how I was going to approach the subject for the first time on this show. The fact of the matter is I’ve talked about this before, probably ad nauseum according to some. Hell, I even wrote a book which satirized the modern-day Republican Party’s stance on firearms, entitled, LOL at the GOP - Volume 3: Guns Don’t Kill, Cars Don’t Drive, and Ovens Don’t Bake. I’ve spoken and written about the rampant gun violence in this country and how to decrease its frequency so many times, I honestly don’t have anything new to say about it at the moment. So today I’m going to read to you multiple writings of mine on the subject - some serious, some snarky, and I hope that they can help convince some on the far right that stronger gun laws aren’t as frightening as they had previously thought, and individuals of all stripes to fight for common sense gun legislation, and save lives as a result.
The U.S. Cycle of Gun Violence
October 12, 2015
When it comes to the gun debate, this country seems to be in a continuous cycle which shows no signs of being broken anytime soon. The cycle goes like this:
1) A tragic mass shooting occurs somewhere in the country
2) We briefly mourn
3) We attempt to find scapegoats
4) Progressives and Democrats fight for stronger gun laws
5) Conservatives and Republicans say, "Now's not the time to talk about such things."
6) The NRA and similar groups push for more guns and weaker gun laws
7) The issue gets pushed to the side after a week or two
8) Another mass shooting occurs
I'm frankly getting sick and tired of this seemingly never-ending cycle. Within the past week or so, there was a mass shooting in Oregon, school shootings in Arizona and Texas, a shooting in a parking lot following the New England Patriots/Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday, not to mention cops accused of shooting people who were unarmed. At what point are we as a nation finally going to look in the mirror and say, "We've got a problem; we need help"? Sadly, when Congress failed to pass gun control legislation following the Sandy Hook tragedy, it made me doubtful such legislation would ever get passed.
Sadly, I think a growing number of people are becoming desensitized to mass shootings in this country, believe them to be inevitable, which would make gun control legislation pointless. This was nowhere more apparent than with the GOP candidates.
Donald Trump said that such shootings were inevitable, so additional gun laws wouldn't make a bit of difference. Jeb Bush said, "Stuff happens." John Kasich said such shootings were the result of an increasingly isolated society. Bobby Jindal blamed the shooter's parents as well as a broken culture. Marco Rubio went the mental illness route. Carly Fiorina provided her best dance moves in yet again avoiding substance with her response. Ted Cruz diverted attention from the tragedy to President Obama "politicizing" the tragedy. Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson provided the most outrageous and insensitive comments of all (yes, even more insensitive than "stuff happens"), saying the following:
- "...I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, 'Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all."
- "I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed."
- "...There is no doubt that this senseless violence is breathtaking - but I never saw a body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right to arm ourselves away..."
Really? So the twenty 6- and 7-year-old kids who were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a less devastating site than of expanding background checks? ...and this guy was a neurosurgeon? Can you imagine him trying to provide such opinions to the parents of a child who was shot in the head?
Chuck Fuchery: "Doc, is he going to be okay?"
Stephanie Fuchery: "Please say he's going to be alright, please.... Doc?"
Ben Carson: "Mr. and Mrs. Fuchery, I'm sorry to say this, but your son, Chuck Fuchery Jr., is no longer with us. The bullet hole was lodged too far in his brain, we couldn't get to it in time, and even if we did, he would have died anyway."
The Fuchery's: :: start bawling their eyes out ::
Carson: "I do have some good news, though. For as difficult a time as they has to be for you and for as gruesome as the bullet hole in your son's head was, it wasn't nearly as devastating as if your son's shooter, a felon, had lost his right to purchase and fire a gun. Lives are precious, but the 2nd Amendment is more precious, even more so than your son's life. Have a nice day."
What is it with this country valuing property over people? Why have we become so paranoid about having our property taken from us when there's no reason to believe such a thing would occur? Why have we become so paranoid about laws being passed affecting us when the facts illustrate otherwise? Why do we consistently turn a blind eye to gun violence and refuse to try and break this tragic cycle? I'm growing sick and tired of hearing about these tragedies on television, of gun violence research being underfunded, of Republican politicians saying it's too soon to talk about the issue, of Democratic politicians not fighting more for the changes we desperately need, of conservative media outlets diverting attention away from the actual issue at hand, and of the people seeming to just not care anymore. It boggles my mind how far-right conservative Republicans can call themselves pro-life when, after birth, they seem to disregard 99% of lives. The unborn's lives are of greater importance than those living in poverty. Corporations' lives are of greater importance than single mother's. Televangelists' lives are more important than the lives of those in the middle-class. Guns' lives are of far greater importance than the lives of gun violence victims. How about being pro-life from birth until death for a change? How about taking care of our brothers and sisters, regardless of the level of income they bring in annually? How about not stigmatizing mental illness and providing more options for such individuals needing help? How about learning from other developed nations and making it less likely for mass shootings to occur by strengthening our gun laws? It's too soon to talk about gun violence in this country? That's what we've been saying since 2005. Since then, 301,797 people have fallen victim to gun violence in this country. I dare a person to look every one of these victims' families in the eyes and tell them, "It's too soon..." No, it was too late.
Gun laws save lives
October 05, 2017
I've heard every argument there is to hear from NRA enthusiasts whom believe gun laws are either unConstitutional or pointless, and upon closer inspection, each and every argument fails, bigly.
Argument #1: "The 2nd Amendment!"
I'm sorry, but the Constitution is 228 years old. When writing it, our Founding Fathers didn't think to themselves, "No matter the day, no matter the year, man should have the right to bear arms! Even well into the future, when these weapons evolve into machine-gun types, with or without bump stocks, anyone from elders to newborns should have the right to fire these bad boys!" I don't think so. The more technology evolves, the more out-of-date the Second Amendment becomes. Does it need to be abolished? No, of course not. But should it receive an update, or at the very least, when discussing it, should more of us take into account the surrounding context of when it was written? Absolutely. It's like my mama always said, "Just because something was right in 1789 doesn't make it right in 2017." Okay, she never said that, but I digress...
Argument #2: "Look at Chicago!"
Whenever debating gun laws, I'd say there's roughly a 2 in 3 chance a conservative will at some point say, "Well, what about Chicago? They have the strictest gun laws in the country and some of the worst gun violence!" When it comes to firearm death rate, Illinois (in which Chicago resides) ranks as the 12th safest state in the country (there are still 50). The state joined the rest of the country in allowing the concealed carry of firearms four years ago. Not only that, in 2010, Chicago's handgun ban was struck down by the Supreme Court. Lastly, according to The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Illinois was given a B+ grade and ranked 8th when it comes to possessing the strictest gun-control measures. This isn't even taking into consideration the fact that Indiana, which is roughly 30 minutes outside of Chicago, was given a D- grade by the same organization, due to their lax gun laws. So, I'm sorry, but for multiple reasons, the "Chicago" argument is a failure as well.
Argument #3: "Criminals!"
Another popular argument for conservatives when it comes to gun laws is, "No matter how many laws we have, criminals and crazies are going to find ways to get guns! So why punish law-abiding citizens?" What these individuals fail to realize is the objective of a law isn't perfection, for that's not possible. The objective of a law is to decrease the frequency of a potentially hazardous event. There is no such thing as a perfect law. If we were to do away with any law which was broken, we would be a nation without laws. Do we really want to drive in a nation without any traffic laws? I'm not thinking so. While many may still break traffic laws, traffic-related deaths have decreased due to these increased number of road regulations. The same holds true with regard to firearms. With an increased number of such regulations, gun violence decreases. These laws, like any other, may not be perfect, but they're effective, and when faced with such a choice, why on earth would we subject hundreds to thousands of additional deaths when we could prevent them?
Argument #4: "The good guys!"
After a mass shooting, it's commonplace for NRA spokespersons to tell the world, "The only way you can stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun." I'm sorry, NRA members, but that argument has been debunked as well. In a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research at Stanford, it found that, within the first 10 years after enacting right-to-carry laws, violent crime increased between 13% and 15%. The FBI also released data of "active shootings" between the years of 2000 and 2013. An "active shooting" is "an incident during which both law enforcement personnel and citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based upon their responses." So, of these 160 active shootings, 56% resulted in the criminal either taking his/her own life or fleeing the scene. In another 26% of the before-mentioned scenarios, the criminal engaged in a back-and-forth shootout with law enforcement, and typically wound up either injured or dead. Surprisingly (to some at least), 13% of these situations ended with the criminal being restrained by unarmed civilians. Lastly, in only 3% of these active shootings were criminals restrained by armed civilians.
Argument #5: "Guns don't kill!"
The most popular bumper-sticker slogan for NRA supporters is likely, "Guns don't kill; people kill!" I'm sorry to inform them of this, but when it comes to gun violence, there are three common denominators: 1) A shooter, 2) A firearm, and 3) A victim. Without one, we won't have an act of gun violence. So while gun violence may not occur without a shooter, it also won't occur without a gun. For a more accurate bumper-sticker slogan, it should read, "Guns don't shoot people; people with guns shoot people."
Sadly, these five arguments commonly posed by conservative talking heads and politicians are merely excuses for why they actually don't want to pass stricter gun laws - money. From 1998 through 2016, current members of Congress have received a total of $3,533,294 worth of donations from the NRA. Here's how those numbers break down:
Total: 292 representatives received a total of $3,533,294
Democrats: 14 representatives (4.8%) received a total of $120,046 (3.4%)
Republicans: 278 representatives (95.2%) received a total of $3,413,248 (96.6%)
Sadder yet, these representatives' constituents believe in stricter gun laws. According to a Quinnipiac survey which was released in June of this year, 54% believe in stricter gun laws (net +12%); 94% believe in universal background checks (net +89%); 57% believe buying a gun is too easy; and only 35% believe guns make us safer (net -22%).
For those who continue to believe stricter gun laws are ineffective, and due to that, pointless, I'll close with this. According to the grades provided by The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, as well as the numbers presented by the National Center for Health Statistics, here are the facts:
The 15 safest states
- 7.04 firearm death rate
- 2.58 GPA (C+)
- 2 F grades (13.3%)
The 35 other states
- 14.69 firearm death rate
- 0.58 GPA (I'll be nice and say an F+)
- 23 F grades (65.7%)
A grades (A+, A, A-)
- 7 states
- 5.87 firearm death rate
B grades (B+, B, B-)
- 4 states
- 9.03 firearm death rate
C grades (C+, C, C-)
- 8 states
- 10.90 firearm death rate
D grades (D+, D, D-)
- 6 states
- 11.00 firearm death rate
F grades
- 25 states
- 15.59 firearm death rate
Cherry-picking aside, gun laws save lives. To increase the odds of passing stricter gun laws, perhaps we should alter the paranoia-inducing term "gun-control" to pro-life legislation, because that's what we'd essentially be doing.
From Snark to Finish (two-part)
The story of Buster Magnum - a felon without a job or Sudafed, but with plenty of guns
April 25, 2013
Main character: Buster Magnum, who just got out of jail for committing gun- and meth-related crimes
Setting: Pharmacy
Buster Magnum: "Hey, I'd like to get some Sudafed please."
Pharmacist Cindy Chu: "I'll need to see some ID."
Magnum: "ID? I don't have any ID. I just got out of jail and have really bad, um, allergies."
Chu: "I'm sorry, sir, but I won't be able to provide you with any Sudafed until you show me some ID."
Setting: Job interview to become a greeter at Wal-Mart
Interviewer Chip Filet: "Good afternoon, Mr. Magnum. So, tell me, what interested you in this position?"
Magnum: "I just got out of jail. I need a job. I thought even with my history, I could get this job."
Filet: "I see... So, if I may ask, what were you in jail for?"
Magnum: "I had a meth lab in my grandma's garage. I did a lot of that stuff, and sold it too. When I was high on it one time, I just busted out a couple of my Magnums and killed some people. Drugs will mess you up, man."
Filet: "I see. When's the last time you've done drugs?"
Magnum: "This morning."
Filet: "Well, Mr. Magnum, while I believe in second chances, I honestly don't think this is the place for you."
Magnum: "What? Are you serious? I'm gonna..."
Filet: "SECURITY!"
Setting: A gun show in Hicktown, KY
Gun dealer Jimmy Bobo: "Whatcha lookin' for?"
Magnum: "Guns!"
Bobo: "Well, you came to the right place! What kind of guns are you thinking about getting?"
Magnum: "Some Magnums and assault rifles"
Bobo: "Well, I have plenty of those. Here are the Magnums over here and the assault rifles are just a little past those."
Magnum: "Beautiful"
Bobo: "I know. Aren't they? So, how many would you like to buy today?"
Magnum: "What's the limit?"
Bobo: "There's no limit! Buy as many as you'd like."
Magnum: "Crap. I forgot my ID. I..."
Bobo: "Don't worry about that. Why on earth would we do a background check?"
Magnum: "I know, right?" ::laughs::
Beyond Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
December 19, 2013
Led by the Tea Party, the further to the right the GOP travels, the more it appears they're devoid of reality. When it comes to the problems of this world, it'll help more to pray than to actually do something about them. When it comes to gun violence, films, music, and video games are more to blame than the actual device which injured or killed people. Interpretation of scripture trumps scientific evidence to the contrary. Conspiracies take precedence over fact-checking. Yes, in the modern day Republican Party, it's felt like the story of the Easter Bunny is more widely believed than that of Gandhi, and here's a story which attempts to depict just how cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs they've become.
Setting: A group of Republicans sitting around a table in a conference meeting room
Ted Cruz: "Okay, guys - here's the deal. I've set up four stations around the room. You'll each draw a slip of paper out of this top hat, in honor of Abraham Lincoln, to find out which station you'll be at. These four stations include: 1) Watching the violent film An American Psycho on television, 2) Listening to Marilyn Manson's angry Antichrist Superstar CD, 3) Playing the disturbing video game Grand Theft Auto, and 4) Shooting a gun. You will receive brief instructions when you arrive at the stations. After today's experiment, we will show all those gun-control nuts what's really to blame for gun violence! Are you ready?"
Steve King, Louie Gohmert, Michele Bachmann, and Sarah Palin: "Yee-haw! Woo-hoo!"
::the Republicans draw slips of paper from the top hat::
King: "Aw, man. I gotta listen to that weird chick, Marilyn Manson. Shoot."
Gohmert: "I get to play a video game. Well, this is going to be weird. The last time I played one of them was when I was a kid and we played that Monopoly game on some kind of a board."
Bachmann: "Well, I get to watch a movie. Doesn't this film have that Christian guy in it? I like Christians. I'm a Christian myself."
Palin: "Who gets to shoot a gun? This girl does! You betcha!"
Cruz: "Okay, now that you've all drawn slips of paper from the hat, you may all go to your stations. Carefully read the directions and then get to it! Let's do this!"
King: ::listens to Marilyn Manson::
Manson: "The beautiful people, the beautiful people, it's all relative to the size of your steeple, you can't see the forest from the trees, and you can't smell your own s**t on your knees..."
King: ::yells:: "What's going on here? I thought this was a weird chick. Is she one of those she-males? What's he-she talkin' about? What about the forest and the trees? Is this one of those stupid environmental freaks?"
Gohmert: ::plays Grand Theft Auto:: "Well, this is different than that video-board game I played as a child - really different. What's with all of these buttons? Oh, wait, I just pressed something and something is happening. Whoa, this chick ain't hardly wearin' nothin'. I haven't seen somethin' like that in quite some time. Holy moly! Look at the water balloons on her!"
Bachmann: ::watches American Psycho:: "Hey, I thought this man was a Christian! He ain't no Christian! He's probably one of those evil Muslims! This shouldn't be called American Psycho! There are no psychos in America! It should be called All Crazy Evil Muslims Are Psycho!"
Palin: ::reads instructions:: "Okay, I first have to shoot the wall over here. That sounds easy enough." ::shoots the wall:: "Ha! I gotcha! What's next? Next, I'm supposed to shoot the floor." ::shoots the floor:: "Wow, this is way too easy. Well, I'm convinced - guns don't kill anyone. They don't even hurt people."
King: ::gets to the end of the Manson CD:: "Ah! I hate you! I hate you! I hate all of you! Screw you! You all suck! I wanna punch you all in the ovaries! Yeah! Yeah! Did you hear that?!? Huh?!?"
Gohmert: ::finishes playing Grand Theft Auto:: "Where's my gun at? Who else wants to get in my car and shoot some thugs and hos? I'm sick and tired of putting up with them thugs and hos! It's time for them all to die! Who's with me?"
Bachmann: ::finishes watching American Psycho:: "Well, that about does it! You're all going to die! Never have I been so angry! Where's my purse? I need my pistol! Get ready to die!"
Palin: ::continues to read instructions:: "Wow, this next step is the real challenge. I'm now supposed to shoot someone in the head. Okay, I think I can do that." ::shoots and kills Steve King::
::everyone stops what they're doing and rushes to King's side::
Gohmert: "What the heck did you do, Sarah?"
Palin: "I was just doing what I was told to do. It said to shoot someone. I chose Steve."
Bachmann: "Is he okay?"
Cruz: "Of course he is. Okay, let's all allow him to sleep for a little while and gather back at the table to discuss today's events."
::they all sit down at the table::
Cruz: "Alright, so I'll get to Steve when he's up again. Let's start with Louie. Louie, in the video game you played, did people die?"
Gohmert: "Yes"
Cruz: "Did actual people die in the game?"
Gohmert: "Yes"
Cruz: "Did you kill anyone because of it?"
Gohmert: "Unfortunately, yes"
Cruz: "Okay, now let's head over to Michele. Did people die in the movie you watched? Actual people? ...and because of this violence, did you kill anyone?"
Bachmann: "Yes to all of them! I feel so ashamed!"
Cruz: "It'll be okay, Michele. Just don't think about it at all and it'll be just fine. Lastly, Sarah, did you fire the gun?"
Palin: "Three times!"
Cruz: "Did you shoot anyone with it?"
Palin: "Yeah, Steve over there"
Cruz: "Did he die because of it?"
Palin: "No, he's just sleeping. You know Steve!"
Cruz: "Indeed. So, I think we can put this one in the books, folks. We have proven that angry music, violent movies, and disturbing video games are the true causes of gun violence in this country and not guns. When we release this video, the gun-control nuts are going to freak!"
Gohmert: "Idiots!"
Palin: "Yeah, I know, right?!?"
King: " "
Cruz: "Okay, let's end this special occasion with a prayer. Everyone please bow your heads, close your eyes, and let's talk to the Jesus. 'Heavenly father, thank you for bringing us together today and helping us prove to the world that guns are good and don't kill. When Steve is ready to awaken, please help him up and help him clean up all the ketchup that's around his head. Lord, we also pray that we don't lose sight of the invisible due to the actual, that we don't let scientific studies and numbers cloud our judgment any, and that we love and accept everyone for who they are, as you do, even though we know they're going to burn in hell. We ask all of these things in your blessed and holy name. Amen."
Gohmert: "Amen!"
Palin: "Amen! Yes, siree!"
King: " "
That’s it for today’s show. Join me next week for part 2 of this episode. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. Take care.
Episode 5: "The NRA: The Never Rational Asshats (Part 1)"
Premiere Date: 8/14/19
Length: 23:45 (3,998 words)
Link: https://ifeelsnitty.podbean.com/e/the-nra-the-never-rational-asshats-part-1/
Transcript:
Welcome to I Feel Snitty. I’m your host, Craig Rozniecki. Today, I’m going to talk about guns. There’s actually so much for me to share on this subject, I’m going to split this episode up into two parts.
After the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton within a span of 13 hours, I debated on how I was going to approach the subject for the first time on this show. The fact of the matter is I’ve talked about this before, probably ad nauseum according to some. Hell, I even wrote a book which satirized the modern-day Republican Party’s stance on firearms, entitled, LOL at the GOP - Volume 3: Guns Don’t Kill, Cars Don’t Drive, and Ovens Don’t Bake. I’ve spoken and written about the rampant gun violence in this country and how to decrease its frequency so many times, I honestly don’t have anything new to say about it at the moment. So today I’m going to read to you multiple writings of mine on the subject - some serious, some snarky, and I hope that they can help convince some on the far right that stronger gun laws aren’t as frightening as they had previously thought, and individuals of all stripes to fight for common sense gun legislation, and save lives as a result.
The U.S. Cycle of Gun Violence
October 12, 2015
When it comes to the gun debate, this country seems to be in a continuous cycle which shows no signs of being broken anytime soon. The cycle goes like this:
1) A tragic mass shooting occurs somewhere in the country
2) We briefly mourn
3) We attempt to find scapegoats
4) Progressives and Democrats fight for stronger gun laws
5) Conservatives and Republicans say, "Now's not the time to talk about such things."
6) The NRA and similar groups push for more guns and weaker gun laws
7) The issue gets pushed to the side after a week or two
8) Another mass shooting occurs
I'm frankly getting sick and tired of this seemingly never-ending cycle. Within the past week or so, there was a mass shooting in Oregon, school shootings in Arizona and Texas, a shooting in a parking lot following the New England Patriots/Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday, not to mention cops accused of shooting people who were unarmed. At what point are we as a nation finally going to look in the mirror and say, "We've got a problem; we need help"? Sadly, when Congress failed to pass gun control legislation following the Sandy Hook tragedy, it made me doubtful such legislation would ever get passed.
Sadly, I think a growing number of people are becoming desensitized to mass shootings in this country, believe them to be inevitable, which would make gun control legislation pointless. This was nowhere more apparent than with the GOP candidates.
Donald Trump said that such shootings were inevitable, so additional gun laws wouldn't make a bit of difference. Jeb Bush said, "Stuff happens." John Kasich said such shootings were the result of an increasingly isolated society. Bobby Jindal blamed the shooter's parents as well as a broken culture. Marco Rubio went the mental illness route. Carly Fiorina provided her best dance moves in yet again avoiding substance with her response. Ted Cruz diverted attention from the tragedy to President Obama "politicizing" the tragedy. Former neurosurgeon Ben Carson provided the most outrageous and insensitive comments of all (yes, even more insensitive than "stuff happens"), saying the following:
- "...I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, 'Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can't get us all."
- "I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed."
- "...There is no doubt that this senseless violence is breathtaking - but I never saw a body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right to arm ourselves away..."
Really? So the twenty 6- and 7-year-old kids who were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a less devastating site than of expanding background checks? ...and this guy was a neurosurgeon? Can you imagine him trying to provide such opinions to the parents of a child who was shot in the head?
Chuck Fuchery: "Doc, is he going to be okay?"
Stephanie Fuchery: "Please say he's going to be alright, please.... Doc?"
Ben Carson: "Mr. and Mrs. Fuchery, I'm sorry to say this, but your son, Chuck Fuchery Jr., is no longer with us. The bullet hole was lodged too far in his brain, we couldn't get to it in time, and even if we did, he would have died anyway."
The Fuchery's: :: start bawling their eyes out ::
Carson: "I do have some good news, though. For as difficult a time as they has to be for you and for as gruesome as the bullet hole in your son's head was, it wasn't nearly as devastating as if your son's shooter, a felon, had lost his right to purchase and fire a gun. Lives are precious, but the 2nd Amendment is more precious, even more so than your son's life. Have a nice day."
What is it with this country valuing property over people? Why have we become so paranoid about having our property taken from us when there's no reason to believe such a thing would occur? Why have we become so paranoid about laws being passed affecting us when the facts illustrate otherwise? Why do we consistently turn a blind eye to gun violence and refuse to try and break this tragic cycle? I'm growing sick and tired of hearing about these tragedies on television, of gun violence research being underfunded, of Republican politicians saying it's too soon to talk about the issue, of Democratic politicians not fighting more for the changes we desperately need, of conservative media outlets diverting attention away from the actual issue at hand, and of the people seeming to just not care anymore. It boggles my mind how far-right conservative Republicans can call themselves pro-life when, after birth, they seem to disregard 99% of lives. The unborn's lives are of greater importance than those living in poverty. Corporations' lives are of greater importance than single mother's. Televangelists' lives are more important than the lives of those in the middle-class. Guns' lives are of far greater importance than the lives of gun violence victims. How about being pro-life from birth until death for a change? How about taking care of our brothers and sisters, regardless of the level of income they bring in annually? How about not stigmatizing mental illness and providing more options for such individuals needing help? How about learning from other developed nations and making it less likely for mass shootings to occur by strengthening our gun laws? It's too soon to talk about gun violence in this country? That's what we've been saying since 2005. Since then, 301,797 people have fallen victim to gun violence in this country. I dare a person to look every one of these victims' families in the eyes and tell them, "It's too soon..." No, it was too late.
Gun laws save lives
October 05, 2017
I've heard every argument there is to hear from NRA enthusiasts whom believe gun laws are either unConstitutional or pointless, and upon closer inspection, each and every argument fails, bigly.
Argument #1: "The 2nd Amendment!"
I'm sorry, but the Constitution is 228 years old. When writing it, our Founding Fathers didn't think to themselves, "No matter the day, no matter the year, man should have the right to bear arms! Even well into the future, when these weapons evolve into machine-gun types, with or without bump stocks, anyone from elders to newborns should have the right to fire these bad boys!" I don't think so. The more technology evolves, the more out-of-date the Second Amendment becomes. Does it need to be abolished? No, of course not. But should it receive an update, or at the very least, when discussing it, should more of us take into account the surrounding context of when it was written? Absolutely. It's like my mama always said, "Just because something was right in 1789 doesn't make it right in 2017." Okay, she never said that, but I digress...
Argument #2: "Look at Chicago!"
Whenever debating gun laws, I'd say there's roughly a 2 in 3 chance a conservative will at some point say, "Well, what about Chicago? They have the strictest gun laws in the country and some of the worst gun violence!" When it comes to firearm death rate, Illinois (in which Chicago resides) ranks as the 12th safest state in the country (there are still 50). The state joined the rest of the country in allowing the concealed carry of firearms four years ago. Not only that, in 2010, Chicago's handgun ban was struck down by the Supreme Court. Lastly, according to The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Illinois was given a B+ grade and ranked 8th when it comes to possessing the strictest gun-control measures. This isn't even taking into consideration the fact that Indiana, which is roughly 30 minutes outside of Chicago, was given a D- grade by the same organization, due to their lax gun laws. So, I'm sorry, but for multiple reasons, the "Chicago" argument is a failure as well.
Argument #3: "Criminals!"
Another popular argument for conservatives when it comes to gun laws is, "No matter how many laws we have, criminals and crazies are going to find ways to get guns! So why punish law-abiding citizens?" What these individuals fail to realize is the objective of a law isn't perfection, for that's not possible. The objective of a law is to decrease the frequency of a potentially hazardous event. There is no such thing as a perfect law. If we were to do away with any law which was broken, we would be a nation without laws. Do we really want to drive in a nation without any traffic laws? I'm not thinking so. While many may still break traffic laws, traffic-related deaths have decreased due to these increased number of road regulations. The same holds true with regard to firearms. With an increased number of such regulations, gun violence decreases. These laws, like any other, may not be perfect, but they're effective, and when faced with such a choice, why on earth would we subject hundreds to thousands of additional deaths when we could prevent them?
Argument #4: "The good guys!"
After a mass shooting, it's commonplace for NRA spokespersons to tell the world, "The only way you can stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun." I'm sorry, NRA members, but that argument has been debunked as well. In a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research at Stanford, it found that, within the first 10 years after enacting right-to-carry laws, violent crime increased between 13% and 15%. The FBI also released data of "active shootings" between the years of 2000 and 2013. An "active shooting" is "an incident during which both law enforcement personnel and citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based upon their responses." So, of these 160 active shootings, 56% resulted in the criminal either taking his/her own life or fleeing the scene. In another 26% of the before-mentioned scenarios, the criminal engaged in a back-and-forth shootout with law enforcement, and typically wound up either injured or dead. Surprisingly (to some at least), 13% of these situations ended with the criminal being restrained by unarmed civilians. Lastly, in only 3% of these active shootings were criminals restrained by armed civilians.
Argument #5: "Guns don't kill!"
The most popular bumper-sticker slogan for NRA supporters is likely, "Guns don't kill; people kill!" I'm sorry to inform them of this, but when it comes to gun violence, there are three common denominators: 1) A shooter, 2) A firearm, and 3) A victim. Without one, we won't have an act of gun violence. So while gun violence may not occur without a shooter, it also won't occur without a gun. For a more accurate bumper-sticker slogan, it should read, "Guns don't shoot people; people with guns shoot people."
Sadly, these five arguments commonly posed by conservative talking heads and politicians are merely excuses for why they actually don't want to pass stricter gun laws - money. From 1998 through 2016, current members of Congress have received a total of $3,533,294 worth of donations from the NRA. Here's how those numbers break down:
Total: 292 representatives received a total of $3,533,294
Democrats: 14 representatives (4.8%) received a total of $120,046 (3.4%)
Republicans: 278 representatives (95.2%) received a total of $3,413,248 (96.6%)
Sadder yet, these representatives' constituents believe in stricter gun laws. According to a Quinnipiac survey which was released in June of this year, 54% believe in stricter gun laws (net +12%); 94% believe in universal background checks (net +89%); 57% believe buying a gun is too easy; and only 35% believe guns make us safer (net -22%).
For those who continue to believe stricter gun laws are ineffective, and due to that, pointless, I'll close with this. According to the grades provided by The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, as well as the numbers presented by the National Center for Health Statistics, here are the facts:
The 15 safest states
- 7.04 firearm death rate
- 2.58 GPA (C+)
- 2 F grades (13.3%)
The 35 other states
- 14.69 firearm death rate
- 0.58 GPA (I'll be nice and say an F+)
- 23 F grades (65.7%)
A grades (A+, A, A-)
- 7 states
- 5.87 firearm death rate
B grades (B+, B, B-)
- 4 states
- 9.03 firearm death rate
C grades (C+, C, C-)
- 8 states
- 10.90 firearm death rate
D grades (D+, D, D-)
- 6 states
- 11.00 firearm death rate
F grades
- 25 states
- 15.59 firearm death rate
Cherry-picking aside, gun laws save lives. To increase the odds of passing stricter gun laws, perhaps we should alter the paranoia-inducing term "gun-control" to pro-life legislation, because that's what we'd essentially be doing.
From Snark to Finish (two-part)
The story of Buster Magnum - a felon without a job or Sudafed, but with plenty of guns
April 25, 2013
Main character: Buster Magnum, who just got out of jail for committing gun- and meth-related crimes
Setting: Pharmacy
Buster Magnum: "Hey, I'd like to get some Sudafed please."
Pharmacist Cindy Chu: "I'll need to see some ID."
Magnum: "ID? I don't have any ID. I just got out of jail and have really bad, um, allergies."
Chu: "I'm sorry, sir, but I won't be able to provide you with any Sudafed until you show me some ID."
Setting: Job interview to become a greeter at Wal-Mart
Interviewer Chip Filet: "Good afternoon, Mr. Magnum. So, tell me, what interested you in this position?"
Magnum: "I just got out of jail. I need a job. I thought even with my history, I could get this job."
Filet: "I see... So, if I may ask, what were you in jail for?"
Magnum: "I had a meth lab in my grandma's garage. I did a lot of that stuff, and sold it too. When I was high on it one time, I just busted out a couple of my Magnums and killed some people. Drugs will mess you up, man."
Filet: "I see. When's the last time you've done drugs?"
Magnum: "This morning."
Filet: "Well, Mr. Magnum, while I believe in second chances, I honestly don't think this is the place for you."
Magnum: "What? Are you serious? I'm gonna..."
Filet: "SECURITY!"
Setting: A gun show in Hicktown, KY
Gun dealer Jimmy Bobo: "Whatcha lookin' for?"
Magnum: "Guns!"
Bobo: "Well, you came to the right place! What kind of guns are you thinking about getting?"
Magnum: "Some Magnums and assault rifles"
Bobo: "Well, I have plenty of those. Here are the Magnums over here and the assault rifles are just a little past those."
Magnum: "Beautiful"
Bobo: "I know. Aren't they? So, how many would you like to buy today?"
Magnum: "What's the limit?"
Bobo: "There's no limit! Buy as many as you'd like."
Magnum: "Crap. I forgot my ID. I..."
Bobo: "Don't worry about that. Why on earth would we do a background check?"
Magnum: "I know, right?" ::laughs::
Beyond Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs
December 19, 2013
Led by the Tea Party, the further to the right the GOP travels, the more it appears they're devoid of reality. When it comes to the problems of this world, it'll help more to pray than to actually do something about them. When it comes to gun violence, films, music, and video games are more to blame than the actual device which injured or killed people. Interpretation of scripture trumps scientific evidence to the contrary. Conspiracies take precedence over fact-checking. Yes, in the modern day Republican Party, it's felt like the story of the Easter Bunny is more widely believed than that of Gandhi, and here's a story which attempts to depict just how cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs they've become.
Setting: A group of Republicans sitting around a table in a conference meeting room
Ted Cruz: "Okay, guys - here's the deal. I've set up four stations around the room. You'll each draw a slip of paper out of this top hat, in honor of Abraham Lincoln, to find out which station you'll be at. These four stations include: 1) Watching the violent film An American Psycho on television, 2) Listening to Marilyn Manson's angry Antichrist Superstar CD, 3) Playing the disturbing video game Grand Theft Auto, and 4) Shooting a gun. You will receive brief instructions when you arrive at the stations. After today's experiment, we will show all those gun-control nuts what's really to blame for gun violence! Are you ready?"
Steve King, Louie Gohmert, Michele Bachmann, and Sarah Palin: "Yee-haw! Woo-hoo!"
::the Republicans draw slips of paper from the top hat::
King: "Aw, man. I gotta listen to that weird chick, Marilyn Manson. Shoot."
Gohmert: "I get to play a video game. Well, this is going to be weird. The last time I played one of them was when I was a kid and we played that Monopoly game on some kind of a board."
Bachmann: "Well, I get to watch a movie. Doesn't this film have that Christian guy in it? I like Christians. I'm a Christian myself."
Palin: "Who gets to shoot a gun? This girl does! You betcha!"
Cruz: "Okay, now that you've all drawn slips of paper from the hat, you may all go to your stations. Carefully read the directions and then get to it! Let's do this!"
King: ::listens to Marilyn Manson::
Manson: "The beautiful people, the beautiful people, it's all relative to the size of your steeple, you can't see the forest from the trees, and you can't smell your own s**t on your knees..."
King: ::yells:: "What's going on here? I thought this was a weird chick. Is she one of those she-males? What's he-she talkin' about? What about the forest and the trees? Is this one of those stupid environmental freaks?"
Gohmert: ::plays Grand Theft Auto:: "Well, this is different than that video-board game I played as a child - really different. What's with all of these buttons? Oh, wait, I just pressed something and something is happening. Whoa, this chick ain't hardly wearin' nothin'. I haven't seen somethin' like that in quite some time. Holy moly! Look at the water balloons on her!"
Bachmann: ::watches American Psycho:: "Hey, I thought this man was a Christian! He ain't no Christian! He's probably one of those evil Muslims! This shouldn't be called American Psycho! There are no psychos in America! It should be called All Crazy Evil Muslims Are Psycho!"
Palin: ::reads instructions:: "Okay, I first have to shoot the wall over here. That sounds easy enough." ::shoots the wall:: "Ha! I gotcha! What's next? Next, I'm supposed to shoot the floor." ::shoots the floor:: "Wow, this is way too easy. Well, I'm convinced - guns don't kill anyone. They don't even hurt people."
King: ::gets to the end of the Manson CD:: "Ah! I hate you! I hate you! I hate all of you! Screw you! You all suck! I wanna punch you all in the ovaries! Yeah! Yeah! Did you hear that?!? Huh?!?"
Gohmert: ::finishes playing Grand Theft Auto:: "Where's my gun at? Who else wants to get in my car and shoot some thugs and hos? I'm sick and tired of putting up with them thugs and hos! It's time for them all to die! Who's with me?"
Bachmann: ::finishes watching American Psycho:: "Well, that about does it! You're all going to die! Never have I been so angry! Where's my purse? I need my pistol! Get ready to die!"
Palin: ::continues to read instructions:: "Wow, this next step is the real challenge. I'm now supposed to shoot someone in the head. Okay, I think I can do that." ::shoots and kills Steve King::
::everyone stops what they're doing and rushes to King's side::
Gohmert: "What the heck did you do, Sarah?"
Palin: "I was just doing what I was told to do. It said to shoot someone. I chose Steve."
Bachmann: "Is he okay?"
Cruz: "Of course he is. Okay, let's all allow him to sleep for a little while and gather back at the table to discuss today's events."
::they all sit down at the table::
Cruz: "Alright, so I'll get to Steve when he's up again. Let's start with Louie. Louie, in the video game you played, did people die?"
Gohmert: "Yes"
Cruz: "Did actual people die in the game?"
Gohmert: "Yes"
Cruz: "Did you kill anyone because of it?"
Gohmert: "Unfortunately, yes"
Cruz: "Okay, now let's head over to Michele. Did people die in the movie you watched? Actual people? ...and because of this violence, did you kill anyone?"
Bachmann: "Yes to all of them! I feel so ashamed!"
Cruz: "It'll be okay, Michele. Just don't think about it at all and it'll be just fine. Lastly, Sarah, did you fire the gun?"
Palin: "Three times!"
Cruz: "Did you shoot anyone with it?"
Palin: "Yeah, Steve over there"
Cruz: "Did he die because of it?"
Palin: "No, he's just sleeping. You know Steve!"
Cruz: "Indeed. So, I think we can put this one in the books, folks. We have proven that angry music, violent movies, and disturbing video games are the true causes of gun violence in this country and not guns. When we release this video, the gun-control nuts are going to freak!"
Gohmert: "Idiots!"
Palin: "Yeah, I know, right?!?"
King: " "
Cruz: "Okay, let's end this special occasion with a prayer. Everyone please bow your heads, close your eyes, and let's talk to the Jesus. 'Heavenly father, thank you for bringing us together today and helping us prove to the world that guns are good and don't kill. When Steve is ready to awaken, please help him up and help him clean up all the ketchup that's around his head. Lord, we also pray that we don't lose sight of the invisible due to the actual, that we don't let scientific studies and numbers cloud our judgment any, and that we love and accept everyone for who they are, as you do, even though we know they're going to burn in hell. We ask all of these things in your blessed and holy name. Amen."
Gohmert: "Amen!"
Palin: "Amen! Yes, siree!"
King: " "
That’s it for today’s show. Join me next week for part 2 of this episode. Until then, check me out on PodBean, Twitter, Amazon, and Blogpsot. This has been I Feel Snitty with Craig Rozniecki. Take care.
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