After yet another tragic loss of innocent lives to America's sick gun culture, Republicans from top to bottom stayed true to form—demonstrating their perverse depravity on gun violence.
Six victims died in Nashville’s school shooting Monday, three of them 9-year-old children. Asked about strengthening gun safety laws in the wake of the massacre, Republican Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota said "any discussion of legislation" was “premature.”
Reminded by CNN's Manu Raju that 103 mass shootings have already taken place in 2023 alone, Thune responded, "It's just premature to talk about it."
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But as craven as congressional Republicans are on the matter, Tennessee's GOP lawmakers proved far more pathetic given the tragedy unfolding in their own state.
Justin Kanew, Founder of the progressive news outlet The Tennessee Holler, commendably walked the halls of the state legislature Tuesday—one day after the massacre—in search of Republican lawmakers willing to engage in any serious discussion about tightening gun laws.
The results were astounding, not to mention shameful, and they show exactly why mass shootings continue to dominate U.S. news cycles: Republicans simply refuse to act to save lives. Kanew approached more than two dozen GOP lawmakers and came up dry.
Republican Rep. Michele Carringer of Knoxville appeared to be completely ignorant of the state's gun laws.
Q: Are you willing to support any gun safety legislation?
Carringer: I have not been involved in any of that.
Q: Would you be willing to be?
Carringer: I'm for protecting our children.
Q: Do you think assault weapons should be at the hands of anyone who wants one?
Carringer: I don't think that is allowed right now.
Q: Yes, it is, actually—you don't think that's allowed? You don't think people can buy assault weapons? What state do you live in? You don't know the laws in your own state? That person bought those legally yesterday.
Carringer: I have not heard the reports from all that, so I have no comment on that.
Q: You don't care enough to read the reports?
Carringer: (Inaudible)
Q: You don't know that assault weapons are legal in Tennessee and you're a lawmaker
Carringer: (Madly pushing elevator buttons to close the doors)
Then there was Jacksboro Rep. Dennis Powers, a literal chucklehead, who apparently thought three children getting slaughtered was a great time to yuck it up.
"Biden is really doing a great job, isn't he," said Powers, chuckling his way through his responses. "Isn't he the best president we've ever had? Joe Biden is great."
The following is a list of about a dozen other responses, along with those who chose to say nothing at all:
Rep. Jeremy Faison
"There were no weapons of war and you know that .... that was not a weapon of war used yesterday."
Rep. Clark Boyd
"I don't have time." (Minimally engages before rushing off)
Rep. John Ragan
(Nothing, in so many words)
Rep. Scott Cepicky
"I'll talk to you after my meeting." (He didn't)
Sen. Becky Massey
"I actually have a gun safety bill ... for gun safety classes for everybody." (That'll stop the AR-15 scourge)
Rep. Kip Capley
"Assault weapons? Who has assault weapons?"
Sen. Shane Reeves
"It's been terrible, man... it's not the right time to talk about it."
Rep. Monty Fritts
"Get out of here? ... You're just a hippy with a cell phone."
Rep. Kevin Vaughan
"What we need to work on more than anything, is man's sinful heart." (Thoughts and prayers)
Sen. Ed Jackson
"I'm in a committee, I've got to go to that."
Rep. Mark White
"We're trying to make sure that all the schools have all the facilities locked at all times." (When Kanew mentions "guns" specifically, White shuts down, won't say the word, calls it a "different issue.")
Rendered speechless:
- Rep. Iris Rudder
- Rep. Jake McCalmon (checks his watch)
- Rep. Tim Rudd
- Sen. Joey Hensley
- Rep. Sabi Kumar
- Sen. Dawn White
- Rep. David Hawk
- Rep. Bryan Terry
- Rep. Paul Sherrell
- Rep. Ryan Williams (supposedly too busy on the phone to respond)
- Rep. Dan Howell (high fives colleagues)
- Rep. Elaine Davis (impressively long speechless avoidance)
Watch the videos (it’s definitely worth the time):
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