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Rep. MTG predictably made a statement calling for more guns to combat the pervasive gun violence and slaughter of innocent children š” This is an excellent interview with Jon Stewert interviewing Nathan Dahm (OK state senator) about the āmore guns make us saferā argument. Well worth your time to watch, please watch to the end. youtu.be/tCuIxIJBfCY
Rep. MTG predictably made a statement calling for more guns to combat the pervasive gun violence and slaughter of innocent children š”
This is an excellent interview with Jon Stewert interviewing Nathan Dahm (OK state senator) about the āmore guns make us saferā argument. Well worth your time to watch, please watch to the end.
https://youtu.be/tCuIxIJBfCY
Cathy, thanks for Jon Stewart's interview of an Oklahoma state senator. I felt embarrassed for Nathan Dahm, who apparently fails to realize his "purist" (as in "wrong") interpretation of the Second Amendment does not hold up to simple logic in any way at all. A sign of intelligence would have been for him to get up and walk out of the interview before being utterly humiliated, but he just let Stewart walk all over him. (I watched to the end, but only from morbid curiosity.)
There is no pro-gun argument that can stand up to the statistics. That our government cannot limit firearm possession after years of mindless slaughter among our civilian population is also an embarrassment. And, to the extent our country is a democracy, WE are an embarrassment.
It's not that our government CANNOT limit firearm possession; it's that Republicans won't let such limits pass because of their greed and that of firearms manufacturers. No ordinary person needs a combat weapon in daily life. If a person wants to use a combat weapon, join the military, be trained and submit to the Code of Military Justice.
āTraining? OH NO!!!! Yer infringing on my right to be ā¦ on my right toā¦ on my rightā¦.oh up yours, yer infringing and I shall not up with it putā
Dave, you got it! Thanks for the humor on this wretched day.
Gallows humor for sure
Measure 114 here in Oregon which passed is still being held up by an eastern Oregon judge. The legislature is thinking about presenting some bills which do the same as the measure. Rs in the legislature will attempt to scuttle it. In the meantime KGW, the local NBC affiliate is doing a five part series on the Greater Idaho movement where people in eastern Oregon and southern Oregon want to be part of Idaho which should tell you all you need to know about these areas. In one interview a person said that western Oregon had more representation. Duh....more population than the sparsely populated eastern Oregon.
They will stop at nothing, hate rules the fools
Bryan and Jenn, agree with your comments. Brainwashing is a technique of mental control.
Those accepting to live within that controlled environment feel safe and accepted and valued.
Going outside their "world" makes them vulnerabe....may lose friends....may lose their job.....neighbors may criticize....friends at church may condemn....may not win their government position the next time around....etc...etc. May even place their family in danger.....may have "secrets revealed about some misbehavior ie financial or another more personal misbehavior". Humans are vulnerabe to threats.
Where are our heroes? They are quivering wimps hiding behind the NRA with their firearms.
I write this simply due to Jon Stewart's clear and uncomplicated interview. We register most everything we buy. A weapon....and that is what a gun is....it is used to kill something alive unless you are at a shooting range where one is training to shoot something alive at a time of ones choosing.....
In my opinion there should be background checks and mental evaluations prior to purchasing a firearm. Haven't we seen enough children and adults slaughtered to come to this conclusion!!!! What are you afraid of....why are such checks opposed? This is common sense!!!!
Because itās a tactic to keep the populous dumb (book banning, replacing principals and librarians with parents), frightened (guns) and confused with the goal to control. I know, sounds like a conspiracy theory, but who is going to reach out and help us when we no longer have a Democracy? Why do we have to follow the paths that others (Germany, Africa) have already paved and suffered, for us to learn? Itās exhausting! I was so impressed by the 99yo woman in Florida who spoke before a school board assembly.
https://www.wflx.com/2023/03/23/martin-county-woman-100-creates-quilt-show-opposition-book-ban/
Indeed. Widespread ignorance and fear are features to the far right not bugs. Fear is the dung from which fascism sprouts.
She was simply marvelous!
"Those accepting to live within that controlled environment feel safe and accepted and valued." Outstanding explanation.
JennSH, for 11 of the past 15 years we have had a Democratic president.
During those 15 years, Democrats have controlled the House for 6 years. Technically Democrats have also controlled the Senate for 6 years, if I am not mistaken. They could have eliminated or found a way around the filibuster if they had thought it important to do so. But apparently it is not only the GOP that has been corrupted by the gun lobby.
This failure by our government is a continuing bit of insanity that is hard to explain to people who are not Americans.
Repubs outdo Dems in the evil department by leaps and bounds. Have you forgotten the resistance to Obamaās very existence from every Repub, especially Mitch. My memory is still goodā¦
Or find something more useful to do.
The ability to rationalize has no limit. The 2nd Amendment taken in context in no freak'n way justifies the right of all citizens to own a single shot musket unless they are part of the militia. I have heard pro gun arguments for years and the tortured rationalizations are just that. More guns = dah. A sickness in this country of ours. The pain and suffering forced on us by a minority is evidence of a broken democracy. Can't we fix it?
In the Heller the decision,Scalia foisted the faux originalist position on us to REwrite the 2nd amendment! However, even he cautioned about the inclusion of assault weapons, but he lacked the courage to actually exclude them!
May Scalia roast in Hell...
Interesting that Heller was successfully used by Massachusetts to ban AR-15s. The actual ruling is basically says that: There are military weapons, and all other weapons. Military weapons can be banned. For all other weapons, any and all kinds of regulation can be applied short of an outright ban. There are no absolute rights, not even the 2nd Amendment. Everything can be regulated.
Massachusetts successfully made the case that AR-15s are military weapons. (I agree). The Federal Judge and the Appeals Court agreed. The lasts sentence of the ruling (available on line) was: "Justice Scalia would be proud."
https://www.universalhub.com/2019/massachusetts-ban-certain-assault-weapons-upheld
John:
The same holds true in Highland Park, IL. and one other community there. The community also bans assault - type weapons which are considered military. That was a part of Scalia's opinion. The true gun nuts overlook what Scalia said to promote their own, altered, and illegitimate arguments.
Notice how the rabid 2nd Amenders misconstrue the word "organized" in organized militia.
Patricia, notice how they also equate āmilitiaā with āangry white mobā?
Didja ever wonder how quickly these same rabid 2nd anendment sentence diagramers would āregulateā an equivalent āangry black mobā?
And yes, I recognize my question is hypothetical conjecture, but still, huh?
Legally armed and open carrying Black Panthers protecting their children at school caused then California Governor Ronald Reagan to enact a prohibition on open carry firearms and greatly restricted the ability to obtain a concealed carry permit.
Aside: I don't think those 2A proponents could diagram a sentence.
Ally, you beat me to itā¦was thinking of what Reagan did as I was reading this. Heartily disliked him as CA governor due to his policies and was appalled when he was elected president and enacted many of them nationally to our continued detriment.
LOL. Ally, I agree that they couldn't diagram a sentence.
According to the Pew Research Center most of the guns are owned by white males. The sale of AR 15 weapons is a recent phenomenon with 2/3 of these weapons being manufactured since 2012.
This coincides with Obama being president and white males in particular feeling they need to be āprotectedā. Whenever discussions about banning these military weapons come up, sales go up. Meanwhile gun manufacturers are making record profits and by law are being protected from liability.
Michael Moore started his Bowling for Columbine movie with a cartoon of white men carrying guns saying āfear of a black manā.
(This was even before Obama)
Iām a broken record about how racism has fueled most of Americaās dysfunction. Itās not just Black people in the crosshairs now. Allowing this weapon on our streets is beyond crazy! Our problems are deeply rooted in how we relate to each other as human beings living in a āfreeā society.
Itās a sad state of affairs when mass shootings are the leading cause of death for our children!
Guns appear to be more important to Republicans than children.
Sad too the leading cause of death in our young is due to greed.
I agree, Gina. Like so many of our problems and weirdnesses, American gun craziness is likely rooted in racism. In fact, gun-love may be one way racism is passed down from one generation to the next, a kind of deadly euphemism based on a feeling and a wink, all the gun lovers on the same page.
There is nothing quite as empowering -- apparently -- as a loaded assault rifle, legally owned.
Ironically, itās worse when white, terrorist, paramilitaries are organized.
To add a light comment at the bottom of this heavy discussion of the worst of our politics: Has anyone seen the 1990ās movie with Walter Matthau and another comic of equal excellence called āThe Survivorsā? It precedes the Proud Boys and pokes fun at the very idea of what they stand for. Guns in the forest.
Dahm isnāt smart and he certainly isnāt clever or as well-read as Jon Stewart. He didnāt stand a chance, which I am glad.
FOX viewers don't watch Stewart. The only way they would see these kind of interviews if they appeared in Prime Time on FOX not news.
Your point is well taken Christina but, political paralysis on gun mayhem in the USA is much more than a two party division. Consider women as a voting bloc, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers & district controlling "indepedents". The end of gross gerrymandering would help as well ... alot.
I like to think that what WE can take away from the arguments Stewart raises and the way he defends his viewpoint are perfect "ammunition" to use should we find ourselves having to defend our positions. He is a lesson in how to deal with these people. THAT, to me, is what we can take away from it. Of course, the right wouldn't give Stewart the time of day, but WE can use his methods of countering their positions. We can collectively reach more people on the right than he can.
Spot on Bruce & I like YOUR use of caps.
Yes yes yes! Exactly!
"A sign of intelligence would have been for him to get up and walk out of the interview before being utterly humiliated"
I'd say rather that a sign of intelligence would have been to graciously admit that Stewart is right....
No Republicans are that intelligent these days.
Cathy, how do you think I feel? I have to live in the same state as this POS and I do not use that term lightly. The other day I was walking through the Wally World parking lot when I accidentally met the sullen paranoid gaze of the ballcap-wearing fellow getting into his oversized truck. As he settled himself I could see the giant heater bulging on his hip. Chilled me to the bone. I wish I had a spaceship to take me out of Okahoma, maybe the whole USA.
Carolyn Paul Every day you live in fear because $$$$$- and power-grubbing repugnicant politicians care only about themselves. Meanwhile, your life becomes one of fear. Absolutely UNFORGIVABLE. I am so sorry.
Thanks for the link. Stewart lasered through the distractions and the side issues and nailed that ideologue to the wall.
I don't think it's mindless slaughter. I think it's organized to look chaotic. There is something extremely malicious going on here
The logic of forcing women to grow and birth babies just to slaughter them is pretty hard to wrap a brain around
The arms manufacturing folks make their living off men who are willing to fight.
Well, it sure happens like clockwork.
You ought not feel embarrassed for Mr. Dahm, he chose his arguments himself and opted not to take any of the chances Stewart gave him to avoid making an a** of himself.
I saw that earlier and thought Jon Stewart makes an excellent interviewer because he is not held to any MSM constraints. He nailed that pipsqueak, Dahm, beautifully by calling him a hypocrite. That was so pleasurable!
What's chilling is that Dahm appears to actually believe what he's saying. That people vote for this kind of guy speaks so poorly of those voters. One part of the Republican strategy is to reduce funding for public education, toward the dumbing down of those who would support them, while they send their own kids to private schools. Those voters don't even see how they're being used and sold down the river, since it's their kids, as well, who are being slaughtered by guns.
Truly they are the children (rats in this case) who follow the Pied Piper.
āThatās not a subjective opinion, thatās 50,000 dead people.ā
Thank you, Jon Stewart, for stating the obvious so well: more guns equals more dead people. Full stop.
Three dead nine year olds. Again. How is this even remotely acceptable?
Youāre absolutely correct. Itās not even remotely acceptable. Yet, here we are.
The Onion headline put it best years ago:
āāNo Way To Prevent Thisā, says only country where this routinely happens.ā
Hey, Sheila. Just wanted to put this link out here for all to see.
Republicans were 100% recipients from the NRA in the 2022 elections.
Jim Jordan's name is first on the list (scroll down to see the individual reps' names) https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/recipients?id=d000000082
Wowza...all there in black and white
Or, should we say are there ARE white?
Cathy, thank you for the link. Jon Stewart really ties Dahl into knots.
More Jon Stewarts, please, ASAP! Thanks, Cathy.
Cathy, MTG is a nitwit. I'm appalled with this group of whorish GOP morons.
Should add Nikki Haley and her yes to ban TikTok, but no ban on weapons, rather increase of metal detectors in schools .... the latter really helps (NOT) when someone shoots his/her way into the school rooms, or?
I saw that clip with Jon Stewart, it is fantastic.
I've posted this already this morning but in case any might miss it, this is well worth the watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rt-3lmG5bU
Thanks for this clip, Miselle. Part of it was all over CBS Mornings, but not the whole thing. I will listen to Brian T Cohen for the rest of it. Thanks, again!
You're welcome, Lynell!
On another thought, I had started donating to the DNC back when Obama first ran. A LFAA reader (who I haven't seen post in awhile) Ellie Kona, inspired me to start writing letters and postcards. I had become discouraged with the DNC not supporting some (viable, I thought) Democratic candidates and felt my time and funds were better spent this way.
Now, I am retired and do these two things which cost me only time: I read articles online at Yahoo and msn.com. People are entitled to their "opinions" but when I see outright LIES (ie "The big guy has been selling US intel for over 40 years. "And yes, I saw exactly that!) I will report the comment to the moderators.
My Hispanic son in law is a mouthy conservative, gun toting, legalistic Baptist church voter. I was astounded by the amount of HIspanic vote tfg received! The Democratic party is not utilizing the strategies to reach these voters (Frequent commentor Mike S tells us this all the time.) Brian Tyler Cohen started a HIspanic channel and is asking for people to subscribe and view a few to help it catch on. I watch his clips almost daily, and then I click on the Spanish version while I read or do other work. This costs me nothing, but it might help!
Elie Kona inspired me as well. I pretty much read every Ellie post back in my first 2 months in the Community, my silent period. Thank you Miselle & thank you very much Ellie.
Morning, Miselle!! I, too, miss seeing Ellie on LFAA. I believe she may still be active on heathersherd. I also started out donating to DNC but heard from others that it was better to donate directly to the candidate.
Thanks for the tip about reporting to the moderator. I cringe when I see blatant lies in a post!
I took note of Brian Tyler Cohen's announcement that he was starting a Hispanic channel. Hopefully, it will help with your son-in-law. Fingers crossed for you!
Cathy, thank you so much for this Jon Stewart clip. I wish he would run for public office.
Lauren Boebert and Margie Greene must be so proud that women are finally stepping up and asserting their second amendment rights to shoot children.
(gag)
Leave it to the GOP to turn the conversation about limiting guns and gun violence to instead victim blame the school administrators for not being armed, oh and of course use this as a dog whistle for transphobia... They've successfully moved the goal posts and reframed the discussion, they don't care that gun violence happens, they just care that it can make them look bad so in some round about way they need to make it "The Lefts" fault. Which is why they want to blame this on "Left Wing" terrorism or trans people getting testosterone or something now. It's infuriating, and makes no logical sense. Maybe MTG should introduce legislation to ban all CIS men from owning guns if they are afraid of mass shootings, domestic violence, bomb threats, hate crimes, etc. But no, they don't actually care, they just want to drum donations, and use fear to divide people as usual. They can go decades literally ignoring right wing terrorism and celebrate it even but talk about limiting guns and they lose their minds.
You are 1,000% right about how the GQP will use this slaughter to their own "advantage" politically. It is WAY beyond nauseating to see this happen over and over and over and over again.
Thanks so much for sharing that interview. As frustrating as it was to listen to that state senator, I would like to have heard his response to Stewart's last statement, even knowing it would probably have made my head explode. On second thought... I'm good.
Thanks Cathy. That's Stewart at his best, and he saved the absolute best for last.
Why is the beginning of the 2nd amendment āwell regulated militiaā ALWAYS left out when citing the 2nd amendment? I know this topic has been discussed on this page before, along with pertinent Federalist papers, but I donāt understand why they get away with it.
I keep wondering the very same thing!!!
Jon makes the perfect argument and makes the state senator squirm at the end. Doubtful Jon will make a dent on his view. The republican party is a cult of white extremists and we need to recognize it as such.
Cathy
Thank you for sharing the link. Jon's laser focus excoriated Dahm. He was masterful at holding Dahm's feet to the fire and not letting him derail the interview. Particularly liked how he dismantled Dahm's argument that MORE guns are the answer: "By your logic, police going on a domestic violence call where there there are lots of guns in the house makes them safer."
Dahm was left stuttering and stammering. More interviews, Jon!
Thanks, Cathy. This interview is impressive. Jon Stewart models a way forward in conversations with gun fanatics.
Yes, Stewart controlled the interview masterfully and did not let Dahm change the subject and ramble aimlessly likepeople of his ilk usually do, but Stewart did not convince Dahm to change his mind on any issue, major or minor. My guess is that if you could get a thousand 2nd Amendment aficionados (or a thousand magats) to watch the interview, you would find in the end that nobodyās views on gun-rights had changed. Gun-laws cannot be changed by converting magats to decent human beings. Gun-laws can only be changed by outvoting the SOBs. There are just barely enough decent Americans to do that, but all of them must cast votes, regardless of the obstacles Republicans put in their way. If you have time to invest in politics, join a good get-out-the-vote organization and do what you can to help.