Associated Press
In the wake of tragic gun violence, most politicians realize the decent, responsible thing to do is send sympathies to those affected while leaving politics out of it. Others aren't as sensible.
After the Columbine massacre, for example, then-Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) blamed science textbooks for the murders: "Our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who are evolutionized [sic] out of some primordial soup."
In 2007, after the Virginia Tech massacre, Newt Gingrich blamed liberals for supporting "situation ethics," adding, "Yes, I think the fact is, if you look at the amount of violence we have in games that young people play at 7, 8, 10, 12, 15 years of age, if you look at the dehumanization, if you look at the fact that we refuse to say that we are, in fact, endowed by our creator, that our rights come from God, that if you kill somebody, you're committing an act of evil." Gingrich, explaining the VT tragedy, went on to condemn Halloween costumes and the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law.
And this morning, after the slayings in Aurora, Louie Gohmert weighed in with some stupidity of his own.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Friday that the shootings that took place in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater hours earlier were a result of "ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs" and questioned why nobody else in the theater had a gun to take down the shooter.
During a radio interview on The Heritage Foundation's "Istook Live!" show, Gohmert was asked why he believes such senseless acts of violence take place. Gohmert responded by talking about the weakening of Christian values in the country.
"Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important," he said. "Whether it's John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people ... Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country."
"You know what really gets me, as a Christian, is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of a derelict takes place."
I see. So, in the mind of this strange Republican congressman, a madman killed 12 people because of ... the separation of church and State? The First Amendment is to blame for a shooting spree in a movie theater?
If decency had any place in American politics, this would be an immediate career-ender for the ridiculous congressman from Texas. Some political missteps are simply unforgivable.
Update: Gohmert also wondered aloud why no one else in the theater was armed, complaining that the victims should have shot back.
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Looks like Gohmert read my comment from earlier this morning. . .
"We eagerly await the political spin on this tragic event.
-Who wants to bet it will come from the Right?"
yup... you nailed it...
The NRA has a hundred of these messaging packages prepared for these periodic outbreaks of carnage. These are MRE's, pre-cooked and focus group tested years in advance. They are designed to feed fears and political paralysis.
So open up wide for your Mendacity, Ready to Eat.
Gohmert and the right wing politicians all seem to never show any compassion for the victims. Ice water in their blood veins.
Republican congressman from Texas? Doesn't surprise me. He was surprised that nobody shot back? In a crowded movie theater?? And the good people of his district put him in a position that gave him that bully pulpit in order to make such asinine statements.
Does a bear @!$%# in the woods?
A dark, crowded theater filled with tear gas. If someone (or more likely, someones) had a weapon, there would probably been more carnage, unless one of those bullets got lucky, since the ability of a potential assailant to get a clean shot off would be compromised by the tear gas blinding him/her.
And, you know, the body armor the gunman was wearing.
http://www.pibillwarner.com/2012/07/occupy-black-bloc-member-james-holmes.html
Check out this nonsense. This guy is trying to connect Bane in the new Batman to Occupy, and he is trying to connect Occupy to the shooter.
exactly, chris..
It just amazes me how many people are so dim that they believe that male bovine fecal matter
to paraphrase a sketch in Michael Nesmith's "Elephant Parts" "The Republican Party has thought the American public were just dumb. We've revised our thinking. We now hope the American public are total idiots."
A dimwitted statement from Louie Gohmert? Noooo. Who'da thunk it?
It's as predictable as the moon and the tides.
I don't suppose there's any chance that his constituents are smart enough to handle this situation at the ballot box in November. Folks from Tyler, Nacogdoches, Longview, Marshall, etc.-- it's up to you.
John Adams also said:
"This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it"
The Founding Fathers were a more complex bunch than you could possible imagine Rep Gohmert. And all of them from what I have read of them would be appalled by your response to this horrific tragedy sir.
P.S. Adams was a Unitarian
@ JohnMesserly, MRE, Mendacity Ready to Eat, that was positively brilliant. Why in the hell is anybody asking Louie freaking Gohmert his opinion about ANYTHING. "And now for an idiot's view of the situation, our reporter is with Texas representative Louie Gohmert."
What has always puzzled me about the "if someone else had been packing heat" defense is this presumes that an armed individual is instinctively prepared at all times for a combat situation. Unless you've had military/police training coupled with combat experience, the more likely result would be ready, fire, aim.
smh ...
Shame on this tool for using a tragedy to support his own odd view.
Because "good Christians" never commit crimes.
Well, except for murdering doctors.
And the people who bomb the clinics, who murder the doctors, who pray imprecatory prayers, who hide behind a plastic Jesus and who parrot the lie that this is a "christian" nation.
And that Crusades thing.
Oh let's not forget pedophile public servants, liars, cheats, and drug & gay prostitute using pastors.
I think we've confused who should be leading us with who should be in prison.
Scott,, don't forget those who murder doctors in the name of Christ. Lets get honest or would murder of doctors be an eye for an eye. Religion kills people.
Don't forget the Inquisition.
Makes me wonder how the Repugs would respond if any of the victims were abortion doctors. Actually, no, it doesn't.
Between this and the letter that he signed onto with Michelle Bachman concerning Muslim extremist "infiltrating" all levels of government (with no proof)...really??? And he couldn't wait for more than a few hours to say something like this? First, it's nonsense. Yes, I understand that this comes with our First ammendment rights. But it also means we are free to criticize other's speech. That, my friends, is our best weapon. Fight ridiculous speech with rational speech!
And let's be real for a second. Regardless of the culture of a country, or it's beliefs or religion(s), nutjobs exist. This guy in Colorado was a nutjob. Period. End of discussion.
AMEN!
Yes he is a nutjob, and a home grown terrorist, which had nothing to do with immigration and border security.
Great point Myron; this guy is a terrorist. Unless he's Muslim or has dark skin he won't be called a terrorist by anyone in the news media.
True.
a nutjob with more access to guns than to mental health care.
This man is a true idiot. Also, how does he know there were no armed people in the audience? They might've had sense enough not to start shooting through a tear-gassed crowded theater at...what? I have a CCL and there is no way in the world I would've drawn my weapon in a scenario such as this.
then you must not be a true amurican......./snark off.......
Thank you for that comment.I have been trying to make this point all morning on other blogs.
Exactly! My dad has a CCL and would never have shot back. Plus the guy was wearing kevlar, it wouldn't have done much damage. I go with what my dad says to idiots who use the "what if someone had shot back!" argument. What is NO ONE in that theater had had a gun?
I always get concerned when someone says they wouldn't have done this or that under situations they have never experienced. Trust me, most of the time people react without thinking. Fear makes us all do and say stupid things, we can only hope we would react in a responsible manner but we never know.
"What is NO ONE in that theater had had a gun?"
B-b-but guns are the solution to every problem. Everyone should be required to carry one! Praise be the gun! Guns guns guns!
Not only is the first amendment to blame, but the lack of enthusiasm and the attacks on the second amendment are to blame as no one was armed at the movie. Some amendments are just peskier than others.
well, are we sure no one was armed? I hope not but there are states that allow for pvt citizens to pack in all places and at all times...signs of the times: NO GUNS allowed in movie theaters except on the screen.
As fond as I am of my handgun I would have never taken it to a movie theater. Too many things could have gone wrong.... what if a frightened person ran out in front of me after i fired?
Most places that charge admission already disallow firearms. Being that the shooter also had body armor and tear gas (things that are already restricted to the population at large), do you honestly believe they had any concern about the legality of carrying a firearm into a movie theater?
Also, the preconceived notion that everyone would have been firing in every direction is false. You never shoot a firearm randomly—You know your target and what is beyond it. If you can't positively identify your target, then you don't shoot. Period.
But Chris, that requires actual training with firearms. Colorado doesn't require owners' licenses nor registration. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Colorado) They have no way of knowing if gun owners and carriers in the state have even the most basic of instruction.
Really Chris, so you believe that ever gun toteing citizen is as responsible as you would have us believe. That no one would have drawn their a gun and just opened fire. Maybe you are some sort of expert on this topic or you are just naive and don't have a clue how someone would react in that situation. Maybe I am way off base but if history has shown us anything it's that most people carry guns with the intention of using them. If this situation doesn't fall under the "pull that gun out and start a firing" then what does?
Why is it, then, that most of these acts are done by religious nutjobs?
Packing is the Christian thing to do.
And if you happen to kill someone then it must have been Gods will. Zimmerman was packing but if he hadn't then a young innocent teenager would probably be alive. Religion breeds hatred and fear which allows them to use their beliefs as an excuse for murder.
.
In a perfect world there would be a sudden ZOT of lightning from above reducing that a$$hole to a pile of smoking cinders.
You know it had to be mostly teenagers and my heart goes out to those who must suffer through this most unspeakable tragedy .
The NRA has rendered this country a lunatics haven and this will not make one iota of difference . If Gabby Gifford didn't do this sure as hell ain't
The well of stupidity is very deep.
Yes lets have a shootout at the OK Coral, or a movie theater. That's the answer!
That is what the NRA wants, they promote murder on behalf gun manufacturers. When are Americans going to learn that the old wild west days are over.
What an @!$%#.
Congress has a lot to be embarrassed about, and the fact that this clown is a member of that body should be close to the top of the list.
Congress embarrassed? that will be the day...Boehner won't even come out and say Bachmann's out of line with her insidious hatefilled comments...yet, he will go ahead and round them up and corrall them to keep voting for idiotic, useless bills..
Speaking of Bachman . . . didn't Gohmert sign on with her denouncing Huma Abedin as having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood? Yeah, he's a real winner!
Why should Congress be embarrassed? Gohmert serves at the behest of the people of the state of Texas. They should run the man out of Congress on a rail. Of course, he should be very quickly followed by EVERY other member of Congress. They're all jokes.
And Gohmert is the result of the lucky sperm which won the race? How about a do over?
Could it possibly be the way we deal with people with mental health problems, instead of games and separation of church and state?
It couldn't possibly be any sort of rational explanation. That's just crazy talk.
Unfortunately, many people have greater access to guns than they do to mental health care...
Gee, now I don't feel so guilty wondering if there's a Limbaugh connection here...
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Friday that the shootings that took place in an Aurora, Colo. movie theater hours earlier were a result of "ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs" and questioned why nobody else in the theater had a gun to take down the shooter.---
Stupid Idiot!!!!
Anybody notice that this attack took place during a showing of Batman? I bet that we will find out that the shooter was motivated by Rush Limbaugh's crazy rant about the Batman movie being a propaganda ploy against Romney.
IF that were to happen, Rush's next show would be to "explain" that he can't be blamed because he didn't say it was a consipiracy. He will "explain" how the left is responsible because they distorted what he said. Rush is fully prepared for this contingency.
Unfortunately for Rush, his rant about it being a conspiracy theory was recorded and no matter how much he tries to get out of it, the recording needs to be played over and over on the news media. I have always thought this man was dangerous. Something needs to be done to get him off the air!
I'm skeptical. Because it was TDKR, that also means it was a packed house. It seems that whenever deranged individuals choose to inflict their horror, they want to destroy as many lives as possible. In a twisted way, that makes a small theater showing a highly anticipated flick a logical target in its own right. Occam's razor.
Does it really surprise anyone that this guy is from Texas?
Can you imagine the carnage if other people in the theater DID have guns? Several people shooting in a dark theater? What could possibly go wrong?
Once again I am left utterly speechless and astounded by the level of callousness expressed. Too sad.
Sadly, it will just be a matter of time until someone finds a way to blame President Obama.
Funny how no one ever blamed Bush for the VA Tech shootings, but, then again, Bush is a white guy.
You are so right, they will find a way to blame President Obama. NO matter what happens, the Republicans will find fault with the Democrats.
I would just like to ask this guy what kind of gun Jesus would carry. Would he go for stopping power or just trying erase from existence and let dad sort it out. You remember dad, or God?
And while we are on the subject, was personal armament in the Old Testament or the New? And at what point is it moral to yell Yippee-Ky-Aye-******-******! before blowing someone's head off.
Presuming to know what kind of firearm Jesus might carry would be kind of dumb don't you think? At any rate, I think "selling your garment and purchasing a sword" was the Christian thing to do in his day.
Anyway, what makes you think that every Christians are all psychopaths who merrily gun down anyone who gives them an excuse? Aside from the occasional deliverance-type redneck, most pro-gun people I know have a rather high regard for the value of life as they tend to be far less religious than the strictly non-violent.
Okay, I'll bite. The concept is anectdotal as religeon is usually brought into the conversation when discussing the 2nd amendment and Gun Violence. Noticeably, most people who don't own guns somehow don't commit gun violence and a considerable amount of them are non religeous as well as non- Christeo religeon based. The fact is this guy brought it up that without Christ, we are all going to shoot up public places. He is basically saying that we should all be Christians. I'm Catholic and and I think that sucks. So I will have fun at the expense of the loony while I think JC is laughing in the back ground at the image of him holding an AR-15. For a faith based on love there is always a lot of hate being spouted by the "Elders" of the religeon. Bite me.
The literal take on my comment leads me to believe that you are unaware of theoretical imagery in making comedic license in the event of public inanity on behalf of an elected official. Also it sounds like I pinched a nerve. You okay? Was I hitting close to home? Do you need a hug? Tissue?
What a dumbass. Geez.
As a Jew, I don't believe that there is anything "Judeo" in what he thinks is "Judeo-Christian beliefs. His god is NOT my God.
His god is just one of the many voices in his head.
well, unless you can show evidence for "your" god, it's just competing imaginary friends. Everyone is sure that "their" god wouldn't do something they don't like, thus we get each theist making up their very own god that agrees with their personal hatreds and desires. *Your* god advocates for killing people who don't agree with what it supposedly commands, Gary, and none of you theists can agree on what those commands "really" are. Your god thinks that killing a unruly child is fine, that killing those who work on the "sabbath" whever that is, is fine. Indeed, the bloodthirstyness of your god seems to go along swimmingly with this tragedy.