Stewart’s discussion with Oklahoma State Sen. Dahm began with Dahm’s defense of pro-gun laws. “I believe the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,” Dahm said. He also said he thinks more guns make us safer.
Stewart shot back by asking when we get to be safer. “We’ve got 400 million guns in the country, we had an increase and gun deaths went up,” he said. “So, when, exactly, does this curve hit that takes it down? Would a billion guns do it?”
Dahm gave the old “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” rhetoric. “I’m saying that because people are the problem, we need to look at the problems that those few people are facing,” he said.
Stewart made another great point: Since Dahm and his party oppose registration and permitting of guns, “How do you know who has a problem in terms of the people you’re giving a gun to?” Stewart asked.
Dahm suggested that the answer is to address “the fatherless crisis” in the U.S. He claimed that 80% of school shooters come from either a broken or fatherless home.”
But that doesn’t mean fatherless homes or kids shouldn’t have guns, only that “fathers need to be more engaged,” Dahm said.
So why don’t police “breathe a sigh of relief” when they are called to a house filled with guns?” Stewart asked.
Predictably, Dahm replied that it’s because the person, not the firearm, is the threat.
“But you don’t want anything that could help law enforcement or society determine whether or not a person is a good guy with a gun or a bad gun with a gun,” Stewart added. “Why take away their tools?”
Because that would infringe upon the Constitutional right to bear arms, Dahm said.
And that’s when Dahm took his first step into Stewart’s trap. First, Stewart got him to admit that while voting is a right, requiring that a voter register before being able to vote is not an infringement.
Then Stewart brought up the right-wing efforts to ban drag show readings to children.
Dahm argued that drag performers can continue to exercise free speech, “just not in front of a child.”
“Why?” Stewart asked.
“Because the government does have a responsibility in certain instances to protect children,” Dahm responded.
Yet gun violence, not drag show readings, are the leading cause of death for children, Stewart said, correctly.
Then Stewart lowered the boom: “What you’re telling me is, you don’t mind infringing free speech to protect children from this amorphous thing that you think of. But when it comes to children that have died, you don’t give a flying f**k to stop that because that shall not be infringed. That is hypocrisy at its highest order.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
