America’s deadliest massacre in Orlando last Sunday triggered the debate on gun control, and it’s flared up again around the world. Surprisingly (or not), some people don’t acknowledge the obvious correlation between lax gun laws and mass shootings. Many comedians has addressed the issue on their shows or tours.
This is what three of the top comedians have to say about the crazy U.S. gun control laws, or the relative lack of them.
1. Trevor Noah talks about the Orlando massacre on The Daily Show.
Trevor Noah opened yesterday’s The Daily Show on an unusually serious note, by addressing the Orlando massacre. He showed a clip of President Obama’s speech in response to the tragic event, wondering,
“If President Obama ever thought to himself that mass shooting speeches would be such a big part of his job.”
Noah went on to contemplate on how, and why, mass shootings have become so “normal,”
“Every time this happens, it feels like America has already decided; this is exactly the kind of country it wants to be! Because we know how it always plays out; we’re shocked. We mourn. We change our profile pics. And then, we move on. It has become normal.”
Noah continued with a sincere plea that we should not allow this to become normal, and he went on to tell a story from his childhood in South Africa, where he used to run around without tying his shoelaces, inevitably falling down and having to learn from it – to tie his shoelaces if he doesn’t want to trip and fall again. He did not say to his mom,
“Why do you bring shoelaces in to this conversation? Why are you blaming the shoelaces from something the sidewalk did to my knees? Who even says there is a connection between untied shoelaces and falling anyway? You are violating my right to keep my shoelaces untied.”
Yes, Noah realized there is a connection between untied shoelaces and getting hurt, but just in case that metaphor wasn’t clear enough, Noah concluded,
“It is glaringly obvious [that] America needs to make it a lot harder for people who shouldn’t have guns to get guns.”
2. Samantha Bee talks about U.S. mass shootings on Full Frontal.
Samantha Bee didn’t sugar coat her outrage at the numerous mass shootings enabled by a lack of gun control,
“Mass shootings have become so frequent in this country, it seems like the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is another bad guy with a gun, who coincidentally came to shoot at the same place.”
Her anger bordered on despair in trying to understand why nobody listens to common sense,
“Who could have predicted that letting suspected extremist buy guns was a bad thing…. other than Obama less than two weeks ago.”
A clip was shown of President Obama explaining to the audience of PBS NewsHour the absurdity of it all, saying:
“People who we know have been on ISIS websites, from the United States, U.S. citizens, […being put on] the no fly list when it comes to airlines. But because of the National Rifle Association, we can not prohibit those people from buying a gun.”
Bee concluded that Obama may have been explaining the vulnerability of our gun laws at the very same time the Orlando shooter took advantage of it, since the Orlando police have released the following tweet,
“The gunman legally purchased the firearms within last week. In Florida.”
Bee went on to direct her anger at Marco Rubio’s infamous statement on MSNBC,
“This could have happened anywhere in the world. Unfortunately today was Orlando’s turn.”
Bee wondered if mass shootings are so normalized now that we are taking turns? Actually, in the U.S. they are. Statistics confirm that nearly one mass shooting is taking place every single day. What about the “anywhere in the world” comment?
“Not quite, sparky. Australia had five mass shootings between 1987 and 1996. Then the public decided that was no fun. Parliament passed strict gun laws and they haven’t had a mass shooting since then.”
Bee concluded that Australia doesn’t have a Second Amendment, which leads us to explore the brilliant Australian comedian Jim Jefferies’ thoughts on the United States’ unique attachment to its guns.
3. Jim Jefferies talks American gun culture on Netflix.
When Jim Jefferies conducted his Freedumb Tour, he said he’s not against the Second Amendment, but fed up with all the bullshit arguments around it. He means, what it really comes down to for Americans is this;
“Fuck off. I like guns.”
And while it’s not the best argument, he concluded it’s all we got! Because other arguments, such as the need for guns to protect ones family, just doesn’t hold up very well.
“Really? Is that why they’re called assault rifles, is it? I’ve never hear of these fucking protection rifles you speak of.”
In fact, Jefferies once experienced a burglary; people coming in with a machete and a hammer and tying him up. Americans tend to ask if he wouldn’t have been better off with a gun.
“I was naked at the time. I wasn’t wearing my holster […] What world do you live in when you’re constantly back and ready?”
Jefferies went on to poke a final hole in the self-defense bubble with,
“You have guns because you like guns. That’s why you have gun conventions. That’s why you read gun magazines. None of you give a shit about home security. None of you go to home security conventions. None of you read ’Padlock Monthly’. None of you have a Facebook picture behind a security door going fucking yeah yeah.”
Slam! Three comedians telling it like it is. Now, if only people would listen…
Featured Image Screenshot Of Video From The Daily Show, Full Frontal, And Jim Jefferies Via YouTube.
