Rep. Gohmert, master of the telling comparison, indicated that blaming guns for gun violence was like blaming spoons for obesity. He may want to consider a few things.
Louis Gohmert, (R, TX) gave us a dose of the straight stuff recently. LGee, good ol' boy that he is, told us that blaming guns for gun violence was like blaming spoons for obesity. “It’s not the tool; it’s the person.”
How long do we have to listen to this crap? In the US, I guess it will be forever. But, here we go again. Why does America have so many more killing than other countries—say European countries? Do we have more crazies? Are we more tendentious or violent as a people?
According to the OECD, we have an aggravated assault rate roughly equal to that in England. We kill a lot more people. LGee, I am sure you want to know why? It is that altercations among this equally violent bunch of folks don’t result in someone getting shot with lethal weapon.
LGee, you know a meaningful comparison when you see one. Well, try this one on for size. One guy in Yorkshire tailgates another. They get out of their little British cars, argue, and start bashing each other. If they know what they are doing, the result is likely to be contusions, lacerations, and possible concussions. If they don’t know what they are doing, then a punch gets thrown and two guy roll around in the dirt until they get tired. We see the same scenario in a burg in Michigan just this month. But, it involved two concealed handgun licensees. We lovers-of-freedom get two dead guys with weeping families.
LGee, in Texas, what kind of crimes are committed by folks with concealed carry permits? First, you are absolutely correct that these folks don’t really commit many crimes. They are largely older white men and women who can afford the license and training, and who should have no significant criminal records. So, they rarely break bad. But, LGee, when they do break bad what happens? When you compare their crimes to those committed by other folks, licensees crimes are much more likely to involve firearms and gun violence. Check the January, 2013 issue of the American Journal of Public Health for a bit of education.
Remember Kevin Costner – “If you build it, they will come.” LGee, here is a more useful little ditty—If you’ve got it, you will use it. From my experience, LGee, that applies to money, sex appeal, and guns. You say, “Don’t blame the spoon!” You are so right. It is not guns that kill people. It is people with guns who kill people, you dumbass.
LGee, old son, sometime I worry about you. I’m afraid that one night your dreams will be filled with all the people that your mindless policy stances have hurt—children who fail to thrive because of a lack of nourishment, folks injured or killed by firearms because of your stances, people who sicken or die because of your opposition to affordable health care. If it happens, you’ll wake up screaming and be afraid to ever go back to sleep.
You take care now, ya hear?