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.
Leave a Comment:
This moron is an embarassment to his district, his state, and his country. Surely someone with more integrity will run against him this fall, and I'd be happy to donate to that campaign. Louie, Louie...you gotta go now.....
gunz gunz for every deal.......the more u shoot the better u feel......the better u feel, the more u shoot....gunz gunz for every deal.
no disrespect to the fine representative from texas, but i do believe he is the worst of the worst example of humanity. a mouthpiece for the gun lobby at the least, and a malicious maggot at the worst. incite-ing a rare look into the 'zimmorian' philosophy of self defense.
Every election cycle, GOP candidate say the same thin, he or she want to take your guns away, or, what to limit your access to guns. It always spurs increased gun sales and ups the NRA applications. Gun owners are being manipulated by the gun lobby, gun manufacturers and the NRA and they will use gun owners as a private army as they make themselves masters over the middle class "Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters." -Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)- on Friday's shooting. What insensitivity, what opportunism, what madness
Did anyone notice what he said in the interview? I think he gave the Romney plan I've been telling people that they want a HUNGER GAMES type of society here is what he said "Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters. " Ned of masters? Does the GOP se themselves as Masters over the Middle Class? Rachel Hope you dont' mind me sharing this
This is a misuse of a quote from John Adams. The quote is correct but he misunderstands Adams' point entirely.
I don't understand why people are bringing religion into this terrible act of mass murder. The killer claimes he's the Joker. He's actually a dangerous psychopath. He never mentioned whether or not he's right wing or left wing regarding his politcal views. But one thing is certain. He had easy access to the weapons he accumulated. He was able to purchase a lot of guns, body armor, etc. and it went unquestioned. And the fact that he was able to do so is scary. There are many law abiding citizen who own guns responsibly. But the government, state or federal, has to crack down on how much people are buying. A person doesn't need 10 rifles to go hunting. A person doesn't need a dozen pistols to defend him / herself.
I, for one, would feel uncomfortable going to an enclosed public place and realize that many people around me might be "packing" in case violence broke out. Their intentions might be good, but they might pull their guns out if a tray full of dishes fell in a restaurant, or a sudden explosion or shooting took place in the scene of a movie. And if any of these well intentioned persons opened fire, the result would be disastrous.
Louie Gohmert seems to be on a crusade against evidence based thinking. He expects an audience member to: 1) have a concealed firearm 2) a high level of training with that particular weapon 3) experience in a combat situation 4) clear vision after a tear gas bomb explodes 5) no other audience members in the line of fire 6) the luck to shoot the attacker in a vulnerable spot. Also the idea that christianity is under attack is ridiculous. If he said religious belief is waning because of the "stupid as we wanna be" behavior that is displayed on a daily basis, I would agree.
Requirements for becoming a Conservative. 1. Must be a bigot. God only likes rich, straight, white, Christian Men. 2. Must love and own one or more guns. You may have to take back "your" country from anyone who is not a rich, straight, white, Christian man implementing your 2nd Amendment rights. 3. Must believe all conspiracies put forth by Glenn Beck and Michele Bachmann about communists, Muslims, socialists and other evil entities invading our government to overthrow it. 4. Must believe that God speaks directly through Rush Limbaugh like a burning bush. 5. Must believe God sent Sarah Palin to save the United states because she's the only person smart enough. 6. Must have intelligence equal to or lower than dried wallpaper paste.