On Saturday morning, Australian time, news broke of yet another school shooting in America.
Texas officials have charged a 17-year-old student with murder following the shooting of 10 people, including fellow students and teachers at his high school.
The Santa Fe High School shooting in Texas was the 22nd school shooting in the USA this year alone. 22 school shootings in a mere five months.
And in 2018 alone, twice as many Americans have died in school shootings than at war, according to U.S. military data and media reports of school shootings.
But shooting after shooting, there is no mention of gun reform or changes to gun laws.
Instead, we hear the same responses from American senators and President Donald Trump.
Messages of thoughts and prayers. And statements redirecting blame – to mental health and video games and any argument they can come up with – to ensure they never have to blame guns.
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As congressman Ted Lieu wrote on Twitter, “There is nothing wrong with praying for victims and first responders… But there is something very wrong if that is all you do.”
In his 2014 Netflix special, Bare, Australian comedian Jim Jefferies broke down the sheer absurdity of America’s obsession with guns and their complete unwillingness to amend gun laws.
Referring to Australia’s 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, Jefferies recounted the success of Australia’s immediate changes to gun laws.
“In Australia, we had guns, right? Right up until 1996. In 1996, Australia had the biggest massacre on Earth. It still hasn’t been beaten. Now, after that, they banned the guns. In the 10 years before Port Arthur, there was 10 massacres,” he said.
“Since the gun ban in 1996, there hasn’t been a single massacre since.”
“The Australian government went, ‘That’s it! No more guns!’ And we all went, ‘Yeah, all right, then. That seems fair enough, really.’
“Now, in America, you had the Sandy Hook massacre where little, tiny children died, and your government went, ‘Maybe… we’ll get rid of the big guns?’ And 50 per cent of you went, ‘F*ck you! Don’t take my guns!'” he added.
Jefferies went on to say that although he respects American’s Second Amendment rights, he doesn’t agree with their “bullsh*t arguments and lies”.
According to Jefferies, the main argument Americans have for requiring guns is the need for protection.
“I’ve never heard of these f*cking ‘protection rifles’ you speak of. Protection? What the f*ck are you talking about? You have a gun in your house, you’re 80 per cent more likely to use that gun on yourself than to shoot someone else,” he said.
He also argued that the NRA continues to believe that the answer to gun violence in America is more guns.
“I find the NRA to be hard work… After Sandy Hook happened, the NRA said, and I quote, “None of this would have happened if the teachers had guns.”
Jefferies also attacked the NRA’s push to put armed security guards at every school across America.
Problems with the NRA’s push to put armed security guards at every US school came to light today when a Texas official blamed the Texas school shooting on ‘too many’ entrances and exits.
The Texas official, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who is a fierce opponent of gun control, says there aren’t enough people to put a guard at every entrance and exit to every school in America.
It cannot be any clearer. The answer is gun control. But for now, it seems American officials and fierce opponents to gun control will stick with their “bullsh*t arguments and lies”, just like Jefferies said.
You can watch Jim Jefferies’ full set about gun control, right here.
Top Comments
They will never learn.
It’s tragic, but at least school shootings and shootings in general in the US are in long term decline.
Stats please
Here you go. Do you have any others? Please add. https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Well, there you go. Thanks for that.
Will have to do a bit more digging.
The fact that having armed guards seems normal to Americans appeals me.
This is not normal to Americans. This is a suggestion made by the powerful NRA who are supported by a minority of US citizens.
Actually the NRA isn’t in even the top 10 for political donations, though it does have a large membership. A majority of the US has always supported the Second Amendment, which is why no politician brings a referendum to change it, because it would lose and lose badly.