The quintessential example of the leftist double standard is when sanctimonious media elites who are surrounded by armed guards, demand law-abiding gun owners be stripped of their constitutional right to defend themselves. The latest example came when Daily Show host Trevor Noah condemned Fox News for not demanding gun control.
A quick news flash to those who may not watch Noah’s show, the problem is always the gun, no matter what. This is the rationale by which he used to attack Republicans and Fox News for suggesting the prevalence of mass- shootings are due to a deeper flaw in society, Noah lamented:
And this weekend's tragedies seem to have motivated lawmakers in D.C. Some Republicans are proposing new red flag laws to take guns from people who show signs of threatening behavior. While many Democrats are focusing on things like universal background checks, renewing the assault weapons ban and getting high capacity magazines banned, which makes perfect sense.
I mean, the mass shooter in Dayton had a gun that could fire 100 bullets before he needed to reload, which is insane, I don't care what anybody says. I know some people would be like, “We need guns to hunt, yeah but if you need 100 bullets to kill a deer, maybe you should try fishing.” And while most legislatures are trying to figure out which laws will curb future mass shootings, Fox News has chosen to spend most of their time telling people that shootings have nothing to do with guns. Starting with Mike Huckabee, who thinks we shouldn't have fewer guns, we should just have more God.
Noah took the opportunity to assail Christians with a nasty lecture:
Yes, according to Huckabee and many people on the right, the real problem in America is not access to guns, it's a lack of access to God. So, if people were more religious, then they wouldn't do bad things….Hell, in the 1960s in America, white evangelicals said God told them black and white people shouldn't mix.
So either people pick and choose when and how to use God, or maybe God's just so far away. He's hard to hear, you know? Yeah, maybe it's the distance. He's up there, like, love thy neighbor. And people are, like, “What? Black people should be slaves.” ... Now, if you don't think religion is going to solve America's mass shootings, luckily the Presidential Advisory Network has another solution. Instead of fewer guns, they just say we need more parents.
Okay, now to be honest, I don't think this is the worst argument in the world. It does help young men to have a stable family life, but it's also hard to have a stable family life if your dad is getting gunned down at a Walmart. Like, I would love for every young man in America to magically have a perfect upbringing that helps get rid of their rage, but I have no idea how you are going to achieve that. Because you can write laws that will regulate guns. You can't write laws forcing people to have a good family life…..But as usual, the best worst ideas on Fox can always be found in one place. Sean Hannity, prime time Fox News host, and neck with hair. You see, according to him, America's problem isn't too many guns, it's not enough guns.
A video of Sean Hannity then played in which he put forward the argument that gun free zones attract criminals:
I have been calling for a long time, every school, secure the perimeter of those schools. Equip them with retired police and military. I want guys to donate 15 hours, I think we could cover every school, every hour, every day add a metal detector and I think we're gonna have safer schools. Have one armed guard on every floor of every school, all over every mall, the perimeter and inside every hall of every mall. Now that gives us an instant response opportunity that we normally wouldn't have.
Noah’s response was a garbled jumble of talking points that suggested at its conclusion Republicans and Fox News hosts’ are hypocrites for claiming to protect American freedoms:
Every hall of every mall? That sounds like the bleakest Dr. Seuss book ever. In every hall of every mall, on every floor and every door, we need a guard in every room or we'll end up in the tomb…Look man this isn't a new idea. After every mass shooting, Hannity and many other people say that having more armed guards everywhere is the only way to stop these shooters. What they seem to forget is that guns are everywhere in America..Like, Hannity mentions schools and malls, but as we've seen, mass shootings can happen anywhere. So are you gonna put an armed guard in every Walmart, every movie theater, every synagogue, every mosque, every church, every office building, every bar, every nightclub, every concert, every garlic festival? To have enough police for that you realize we'd all have to become police…And for me the strangest part of this argument honestly is this, Hannity and Fox News talk every day about protecting American freedoms, but if everyone in America is forced to live in a world of perimeter fences, metal detectors, and armed guards in every hall, then it starts to feel like society is living in a prison and the only thing that's free is the gun.
A person who is advocating for millions of Americans’ gun rights to be infringed upon is not one to be talking about defending American freedoms.
Comedy Central's The Daily Show
08/06/19
11:07:42 p.m. Eastern
TREVOR NOAH: Let's get into something a little more serious. Since the two mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso and Dayton, the conversation around sensible gun legislation in America has been reignited because, let's be honest, having two shootings back to back makes the conversation unavoidable. It's the same way forgetting your kid once at home means you’re an unlucky mom, but if you do the same thing twice, social workers are coming in. And this weekend's tragedies seem to have motivated lawmakers in D.C. Some Republicans are proposing new red flag laws to take guns from people who show signs of threatening behavior. While many Democrats are focusing on things like universal background checks, renewing the assault weapons ban and getting high capacity magazines banned, which makes perfect sense. I mean, the mass shooter in Dayton had a gun that could fire 100 bullets before he needed to reload, which is insane, I don't care what anybody says. I know some people would be like, we need guns to hunt, yeah but if you need 100 bullets to kill a deer, maybe you should try fishing. And while most legislatures are trying to figure out which laws will curb future mass shootings, Fox News has chosen to spend most of their time telling people that shootings have nothing to do with guns. Starting with Mike Huckabee, who thinks we shouldn't have fewer guns, we should just have more God.
MIKE HUCKABEE: It's our cultural fault and part of what we've done, we've created a culture in which we've said there is no God. The common denominator in all of this is not the particular weapon, it's the hate inside the heart, it's the loss of morality, it's that disconnecting from a God who values all people and who would never let me do that to another person. That's just not how we're hardwired from the father above.
NOAH: Yes, according to Huckabee and many people on the right, the real problem in America is not access to guns, it's a lack of access to God. So, if people were more religious, then they wouldn't do bad things. My only problem with this argument -- the whole God argument -- is that everyone seems to have a different idea of what God is saying, right? He says, like, God and evil will never mix if you have God in your heart you’re a good person, but think about it. In the Middle Ages, the crusaders said God told them to kill people in the Middle East. Hell, in the 1960s in America, white evangelicals said God told them black and white people shouldn't mix. So either people pick and choose when and how to use God or maybe God's just so far away, he's hard to hear, you know? Yeah, maybe it's the distance. He's up there, like, love thy neighbor. And people are like what? Black people should be slaves? I honestly don't know where Huckabee is getting this from because even in the Bible, even in the Bible, people who are close to God still do really bad things. Alright, like there's the story of King David. He literally walked with God all the time, like they hung out together, but that didn't stop David from killing a guy just so that he can sleep with his wife. That's in the Bible, by the way. David loved God but he loved ass just a little bit more. Yeah, look at him in that painting. Look at him in that painting, he's going, oh got to get that ass. Look at that face! David's nasty. So that's Huckabee, leave guns alone, and get it to God. Now, if you don't think religion is going to solve America's mass shootings, luckily the Presidential Advisory Network has another solution. Instead of fewer guns, they just say we need more parents.
MARTHA MACCALLUM: These young men have no father, no father at home. So you have to go back to some of the institutions and ask yourself, what's different about America now?
TUCKER CARLSON: Nobody really believes this is about Donald Trump or assault weapons, if only. Young men are the problem. "No communities, no fathers, no mentors, no initiations into personal responsibility."
DR. WARREN FARRELL: What happens when boys are dad deprived is they don't have a male role model to channel their testosterone constructively.
NOAH: Why does that guy sound so creepy when he's saying that? Okay, now to be honest, I don't think this is the worst argument in the world. It does help young men to have a stable family life, but it's also hard to have a stable family life if your dad is getting gunned down at a Walmart. Like, I would love for every young man in America to magically have a perfect upbringing that helps get rid of their rage, but I have no idea how you are going to achieve that. Because you can write laws that will regulate guns. You can't write laws forcing people to have a good family life. Is it just going to be, like, a dad at the door, kids daddy's decided to run away with his secretary. Actually, dad, the law says you have to stay. Damn you Congress! Let's go and play some catch. But as usual, the best worst ideas on Fox can always be found in one place. Sean Hannity, prime time Fox News host, and neck with hair. You see, according to him, America's problem isn't too many guns, it's not enough guns.
SEAN HANNITY: I have been calling for a long time, every school, secure the perimeter of those schools. Equip them with retired police and military. I want guys to donate 15 hours, I think we could cover every school, every hour, every day add a metal detector and I think we're gonna have safer schools. Have one armed guard on every floor of every school, all over every mall, the perimeter and inside every hall of every mall. Now that gives us an instant response opportunity that we normally wouldn't have.
NOAH: Every hall of every mall? That sounds like the bleakest Dr. Seuss book ever. In every hall of every mall, on every floor and every door, we need a guard in every room or we'll end up in the tomb. Goodnight, pumpkin. Goodnight daddy, I'm glad the law made you stay. Look man this isn't a new idea. After every mass shooting, Hannity and many other people say that having more armed guards everywhere is the only way to stop these shooters. What they seem to forget is that guns are everywhere in America. Parkland had an armed guard, but he was afraid to go in. The country music festival in Vegas had armed guards, but the guy was shooting from the window of a hotel. And as for instant response, the police in Dayton, Ohio responded to that mass shooting in 30 seconds. Less than 30 seconds, in fact. Think about that. That is an amazing job by those police. They could not have done a better job and still nine people were killed in 30 seconds. So I don't think people think about this the right way. Like, Hannity mentions schools and malls, but as we've seen, mass shootings can happen anywhere. So are you gonna put an armed guard in every Walmart, every movie theater, every synagogue, every mosque, every church, every office building, every bar, every nightclub, every concert, every garlic festival? To have enough police for that you realize we'd all have to become police. And I don't want to be a policeman. I don't. I'm mixed. It's confusing. The white half of me would always be pulling the black half of me over, I'd never get anywhere. And for me the strangest part of this argument honestly is this, Hannity and Fox News talk every day about protecting American freedoms, but if everyone in America is forced to live in a world of perimeter fences, metal detectors, and armed guards in every hall, then it starts to feel like society is living in a prison and the only thing that's free is the gun.
