PRESIDENT OBAMA AND OTHERS IN POLITICS AND THE MEDIA ARE
HAVING THE CONVERSATION WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY REQUIRED TO HAVE
ONCE EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS WHEN THERE IS A MASS SHOOTING AT
A U.S. UNIVERSITY: IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO TALK ABOUT FIXING
THIS PROBLEM OR SHOULD WE WAIT SOME NEVER DEFINED PERIOD OF
TIME BEFORE WE ATTEMPT TO BROACH THE SUBJECT?
HE WILL GET TO THAT
SOON.
FIRST HE DOES HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT PRAYERS, AND THE
POWER OF PRAYER, WHETHER THAT IS ENOUGH IN THIS CASE.
JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND I SAID A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THAT,
AND I SAID EACH TIME WE SEE ONE OF THESE MASS SHOOTINGS, OUR
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE NOT ENOUGH.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
IT
DOES NOT CAPTURE THE HEARTACHE AND GRIEF AND ANGER THAT WE
SHOULD FEEL, AND IT DOES NOTHING TO PREVENT THIS CARNAGE FROM
BEING INFLICTED SOMEPLACE ELSE IN AMERICA NEXT WEEK, OR A
COUPLE MONTHS FROM NOW.
WE INOCULATE OURSELVES TO THIS STUFF, BECAUSE WE EXPECT
THINGS TO BE SAID.
EVERYTHING THE PRESIDENT SAID TODAY I
THOUGHT WAS REALLY GOOD, BECAUSE WE SAY, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
I
HAD TO WRITE A FAMILY MEMBER A CONDOLENCE LETTER THIS WEEK, AND
I WROTE IT AND I LOOKED AT IT AFTERWARDS I THOUGHT, I WILL
SEND IT BECAUSE -- WHAT YOU SAY IS COMPLETELY EMPTY BECAUSE
THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY.
IT IS THE MERE ACT THAT YOU SAID IT IS
WHAT IS HELPFUL.
YOU REACHED OUT AND THEY KNOW YOU ARE THINKING
ABOUT THEM.
BUT ALL THESE THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO THE
FAMILIES, I GOT IT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WASN'T MOVED BY
THIS.
EVERY REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, EVERYBODY IS MOVED BY
THAT, I BELIEVE THIS.
BUT HE NEEDS TO BREAK US OUT OF THAT TO
THINK DIFFERENTLY, I LIKE THAT HE SAID THAT, HE SAID A
NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS I LIKED.
IT MAY BE THE EXPECTED THING TO SAY OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
ARE WITH THEM, BUT WE WILL SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES WHO FOUND
WORSE THINGS TO SAY.
THERE ARE WAYS TO MESS IT UP.
THIS NEXT SOUNDBITE FROM THE PRESIDENT, I PARTICULARLY LOVE.
HERE HE WILL TALK ABOUT AGAIN, THE INOCULATION WE
EXPERIENCE IN THE WAKE OF THESE SORT OF TRAGEDIES.
WE ARE NOT THE ONLY COUNTRY ON EARTH THAT HAS PEOPLE WITH
MENTAL ILLNESSES WHO WANT TO DO HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE.
WE ARE THE
ONLY ADVANCED COUNTRY ON EARTH THAT SEES THESE KINDS OF MASS
SHOOTINGS EVERY FEW MONTHS.
SOMEHOW THIS HAS BECOME ROUTINE.
THE REPORTING IS ROUTINE, MY RESPONSE HERE AT THIS PODIUM ENDS
UP BEING ROUTINE, THE CONVERSATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF
IT -- WE BECOME NUMB TO THIS.
AND HE SAID IN THAT SPEECH THAT HE IS GOING TO BE ATTACKED
FOR POLITICIZING THAT, AND INDEED HE HAS BY DIFFERENT
PEOPLE.
THAT DEBATE IS ONGOING, WE MAY BE ABLE TO SHOW THE FOX
NEWS CLIP WHERE THANKFULLY ONE OF THE HOSTS SAYS THIS IS THE
TIME TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION
EVERY TIME, AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN
ANYTHING CHANGING OR EVEN BEING PROPOSED OR EVEN DISCUSSED OR
THOUGHT ABOUT, WHO WILL ATTEMPT TO LAY OUT THE ZONES WHERE
YOU CAN'T ATTEMPT TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
THE PRESIDENT ALSO SAID TO THAT EFFECT, DO WE HAVE THIS ONE
OR NOT?
HE SAID THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD POLITICIZE.
IT IS RELEVANT TO OUR COMMON LIFE TOGETHER, TO THE BODY
POLITIC.
THIS IS A POLITICAL CHOICE WE MAKE TO ALLOW THIS TO
HAPPEN EVERY FEW MONTHS IN AMERICA.
I GET IT.
AND IT IS
ROUTINE, AND NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS, UNTIL LEADERSHIP IS SHOWN
AND ACTION TAKEN AND THE OTHER SIDE SEEMS IMMOVABLE IN THEIR
OPPOSITION TO THIS, BUT ALL OF THIS IS IRRELEVANT UNTIL
SOMETHING TANGIBLE HAPPENS.
THIS STATEMENT HERE, RATHER THAN THE
WONDERFULLY KIND AND THOUGHTFUL WORDS THAT HE HAS HAD AFTER
SANDY HOOK AND THE POWERFUL SPEECH HE MADE AFTER CHARLESTON,
THIS STRUCK ME AS DIFFERENT, BECAUSE 1) HE SEEMED OUTRAGED
AND 2) HE SHOOK US FROM THE NORMALCY AND SAID THIS IS
ROUTINE, I GO THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, AND BLAH BLAH BLAH,
WHICH IS WHAT I SENSED HE WANTED TO SAY.
THAT IS GOOD, AND TO SAY
THE DAY OF, I WILL POLITICIZE THIS, WE SHOULD POLITICIZE IT,
OUR POLITICAL WILL IN THE COUNTRY HAS DETERMINED THAT THIS
IS OKAY AND THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
THAT IS WHAT A PRESIDENT SHOULD SAY.
WHAT DOES HE THINK WE SHOULD DO?
THAT IS STEP TWO.
THAT MEANS COME BACK TOMORROW AND SAY, I AM
PROPOSING THIS.
OR AT THE BARE MINIMUM TO TAKE CONGRESS OUT OF
IT I AM ASSEMBLING -- PEOPLE LIKE TO ROLL THEIR EYES AT
PANELS BUT IT STARTS THINGS GOING.
THIS IS A BLUE RIBBON
PANEL AND HERE IS WHO WILL BE ON IT.
TAKE SANDY PHILLIPS, WHOSE
DAUGHTER WAS KILLED IN COLORADO AND WHO IS ACTIVE NOW IN THE
GUN-CONTROL MOVEMENT, AND OTHER PARENTS WHO HAVE LOST KIDS.
TAKE
A COUPLE OF THEM AND TAKE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND HOW LEGISLATION
WORKS AND HOW THIS HAS WORKED BEFORE, WHO SHEPHERDED THE
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN THROUGH BEFORE.
AND YOU FIND SOME GUN
RIGHTS ADVOCATES WHO CAN SIT AT A TABLE AND HAVE MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT AND YOU START A CONVERSATION.
AND SIX
MONTHS LATER YOU HAVE A REPORT, YOU SUBMIT THAT REPORT TO
CONGRESS AND WE START TO HAVE A LAW.
THAT IS HOW YOU GET THINGS
DONE.
BUT WE CAN'T JUST WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT TIME SO HE CAN FIGURE
OUT ANOTHER WAY FOR THE 14TH
TIME TO BE ANGRY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT, BUT I COULD PROBABLY PROPOSE 10
DIFFERENT THINGS WE COULD DO.
CLOSE THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE,
REQUIRE ALL PRIVATE GUN SALES TO BE CONDUCTED THROUGH AN
INTERMEDIARY WHO WOULD CONDUCT BACKGROUND CHECKS, THAT WOULD
INSTANTLY MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR A CRAZY OR POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS PERSON TO EASILY GET THEIR HANDS ON A GUN WITHOUT ANY
BACKGROUND CHECK BEING DONE.
BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU LINK
BACKGROUND CHECKS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, IF YOU DON'T DO THE
BACKGROUND CHECK BECAUSE OF THESE MASSIVE, GAPING LOOPHOLES
IN THE SYSTEM, WHAT IS THE POINT?
IT IS WINDOW DRESSING.
WE
ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM, NOW GO BUY A GUN EASILY ANYWHERE IN
AMERICA, BUY IT OVER THE INTERNET, DON'T DO A BACKGROUND
CHECK, FUCK ALL THAT SHIT, OR GO TO A GUN STORE AND OUT BACK THEY
USE A GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE TO SELL YOU A GUN WITHOUT THE WAITING
PERIOD.
WE WOULD NOT CALL THAT SORT OF LEGISLATION STRONG IN
ANY OTHER AREA, EVEN THOUGH THOUGH THEY SAY IT IS.
WE WOULD
CALL IT A FA«ADE.
YOU START -- YOU ARE NOT MOVING UNTIL YOU ARE MOVING.
YOU
HAVE TO START.
YOU HAVE TO START DOING THE WORK.
YOU ARE A KID
WITH THREE HOURS OF CHORES AND YOU WANT TO SIT AND WATCH MOVIES
AND FOOTBALL DAY, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TO START DOING THE CHORES,
OTHERWISE YOU WILL NEVER GET THE THREE HOURS DONE.
WE HAVE TO
START THE WORK, WE HAVE TO GET THE FIRST SMALL PIECE.
WE AS A
COUNTRY, WE KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE WITH US.
WE KNOW THE
POPULATION WANTS MEANINGFUL GUN CONTROL, NOT GUN CONTROL
WITH TONS OF LOOPHOLES.
MEANINGFUL GUN CONTROL.
SO START
THE PROCESS.
PASS ONE SMALL THING, AND SIX MONTHS LATER TRY
TO PASS A SECOND SMALL THING.
AND STOP BEING SO AFRAID OF IT.
THE NRA ISN'T NEARLY AS POWERFUL AS WE THINK THEY ARE.
THEY ARE POWERFUL, THERE ARE A LOT OF POWERFUL LOBBIES IN
WASHINGTON, THEY ARE NOT AS POWERFUL AS WE THINK.
THAT IS ONE WHERE THE FOLLOWERS ARE SCARED AS HELL OF
EVERYTHING, BECAUSE THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE A GUN.
AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ALLEVIATE THE FEAR VERY MUCH.
NO IT DOESN'T.
I HAVE NEVER FELT MORE SECURE THAN AFTER I GAVE
UP MY GUN.
I HAVE NEVER WORRIED ABOUT MY SAFETY.
TO BE FAIR, YOU HAVE AN AXE.
THAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.
THAT IS TRUE.
LOOK, THE ONLY REASON -- MOST PEOPLE HAVE GUNS
FOR THE FANTASY.
HUNTING, I GET IT.
BUT IF IT IS FOR HOME
DEFENSE, I MEAN -- AN AXE WILL WORK JUST AS WELL.
IT IS NOT LIKE THEY ARE FIVE ROOMS AWAY.
YOU ARE COMING FACE-TO-FACE WITH SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSE.
YOU SHOULD HEAR THE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT.
WHEN THEY TALK
ABOUT DEFENDING THEIR HOME, I HAVE SEEN THIS, THEY DON'T SAY A
BURGLAR BREAKS IN.
THEY SAY, I NEED RANGE AND I NEED A LITTLE
BIT OF SPREAD PERHAPS, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR OR
FIVE OF THEM --
THEY TALK ABOUT THIS WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT GUNS.
IT IS A FUCKING FANTASY.
WHAT TEAM OF THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BREAK INTO
YOUR FUCKING $100,000 HOUSE IN THE MIDWEST?
WHAT ARE THEY GOING
TO STEAL, YOUR GAME SYSTEM OR YOUR TV?
YOU CAN BUY A NEW ONE IF YOU SELL YOUR GUN.
THEY ALWAYS SAY
OBAMA WILL TAKE AWAY OUR GUNS, HE RARELY SAYS THE WORD GUN
EVEN.
BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO DON'T WANT ANY ACTION.
ONE IS
UNFORTUNATELY THE GOVERNOR OF OREGON, SEEMS RELEVANT NOW.
WHEN
ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING SHE WANTS TO SEE CHANGED IN GUN
LAWS, SHE SAID THOSE TALKS CAN COME LATER.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS
ARE FOR THE DAYS AHEAD.
RIGHT NOW I AM FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING
THE COMMUNITY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A PREVIEW OF WHAT SORT
OF ACTION, BY RESPONSE, YOU WOULD GET FROM OTHER
POTENTIAL PRESIDENTS AND A COUPLE OF YEARS.
REALLY QUICK, I SWEAR TO GOD IT WILL BE QUICK, JUST TO CUT
KATE BROWN A BREAK, SHE IS THE GOVERNOR OF OREGON, AND SHE
ACTUALLY HAS TO MEET WITH FAMILIES, SHE HAS STUFF TO DO.
SHE DID NOT SAY CONVERSATIONS FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD, SHE SAID
FOR THE DAYS AHEAD.
SHE IS LIKE, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW,
I HAVE TANGIBLE THINGS I HAVE TO DO NOW.
I WILL GIVE HER A PASS.
IT WASN'T MY FAVORITE THING TO SAY, BUT --
GOVERNOR OF OREGON GETS A BEN PASS.
UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
ALSO SHE IS BISEXUAL SO SHE GETS A PASS.
WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?
THAT IS ALWAYS RELEVANT.
I'M NOT SURE IT IS.
IN ANY
EVENT, PERHAPS OBAMA WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING OR HE WOULD.
BUT HERE
IS WHAT POTENTIAL PRESIDENTS WOULD DO.
DONALD TRUMP SAYS IT IS NOT
POLITICALLY CORRECT TO SAY THAT, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
DIFFICULTY AND THAT WILL BE FOR THE NEXT MILLION YEARS, THERE'S
GOING TO BE DIFFICULTY AND PEOPLE WILL SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, INSTITUTIONALIZE EVERYBODY?
WE TRIED TO JAIL JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY.
THINGS HAPPEN, WAS HIS OVERRIDING MESSAGE.
I THINK WE HAVE THAT QUOTE.
I DON'T ACTUALLY SEE THAT.
WE MADE IT, I KNOW THAT.
I SAW ARTHUR WORKING ON IT SO I KNOW
IT EXISTS.
BECAUSE WE HAD JEB BUSH TOO, AND TRUMP WAS IN THE
SAME --
WE HAVE JEB'S GRAPHICS.
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT.
THAT WAS "THINGS HAPPEN" FROM TRUMP, JEB BUSH SAYS WE ARE IN A
DIFFICULT TIME IN OUR COUNTRY AND I DON'T THINK MORE
GOVERNMENT IS NECESSARY, THE SAME ANSWER.
STAY ON MESSAGE, BUDDY.
IT IS SAD TO SEE, BUT I RESIST THE NOTION, AND I HAD THIS
CHALLENGE AS GOVERNOR, BECAUSE, LOOK, STUFF HAPPENS.
THERE IS
ALWAYS A CRISIS AND THE IMPULSE IS ALWAYS TO DO SOMETHING AND IT
IS NOT NECESSARY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
STUFF HAPPENS, AND YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD DO
SOMETHING, BUT DON'T DO ANYTHING.
AS PRESIDENT DON'T DO ANYTHING.
WE HAVE THE OTHER BUSH QUOTE, WHETHER THAT IS WHAT HE MEANT TO
SAY.
IT WASN'T A MISTAKE.
WHY WOULD YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT I SAID?
THINGS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, THINGS, IS THAT BETTER?
HE WAS REALLY IRRITATED.
STUFF HAPPENS, THINGS HAPPEN.
IS THAT
BETTER?
THAT IS A RESPONSIBLE, MATURE REACTION.
THAT GUY, MAN.
THESE GUYS DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
FIRST OF ALL THEY ARE
REPUBLICANS.
IF THEY COME OUT IN FAVOR OF GUN CONTROL, NO MATTER
HOW REASONABLE, THEY ARE THE BAD GUY IN PRIMARY SEASON.
SO DON'T
EXPECT ANY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE TO SAY MAYBE WE NEED TO
TAKE GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRAZY PEOPLE.
I DON'T EXPECT THEM TO DO IT AT ALL IN ANY WAY, BUT IT IS
INTERESTING THAT THE FLIPSIDE IS THEIR UTTER LACK OF LEADERSHIP.
THINGS HAPPEN.
STUFF HAPPENS.
THEY WERE TRYING, THEY KNOW IT IS A BIG EVENT, LIVES WERE LOST,
I DON'T THINK EITHER OF THEM WERE BEING FLIPPANT, IT IS
EASY TO THINK THAT QUOTE WAS FLIPPANT.
BUT BOTH OF THEM DID SAY IT.
I HAVE READ THE QUOTES AND THE FULL CONTEXT, THEY ARE NOT
MUCH BETTER IN THE FULL CONTEXT.
IS THE KIND OF THING YOU SAY WHEN IT IS A TRAGEDY BUT I DON'T
WANT ANYTHING TO BE DONE AND I CAN'T PROPOSE ANYTHING, BECAUSE
THEN I WILL LOSE, STUFF HAPPENS.
IT IS A SHOULDER-RAISING KIND OF
REACTION, UNFORTUNATELY, OUT OF THEM.
BEN CARSON WAS SAYING
THERE IS NO POINT IN DOING LEGISLATION BECAUSE CRAZY AND
DANGEROUS PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GET GUNS.
I WILL SAY WHAT
WE ALWAYS SAY, I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT IN COUNTRIES
LIKE THE U.K.
WHERE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A GUN AND
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE GUNS, WE SAY WHERE DO SHOOTERS GO?
THEY
GO TO WHERE THE GUNS ARE.
THAT HE'LL GO TO SCHOOLS
BECAUSE YOU MADE A GUN FREE ZONE.
THE U.K.
IS ALMOST ENTIRELY
A GUN FREE ZONE, AND I HAVE A FEELING THEY HAVE CRAZY AND
DANGEROUS PEOPLE IN THE U.K., THEY DON'T SEEM TO COMMONLY FIND
GUNS.
ODD THAT THE LEGISLATION SEEMS TO WORK THERE, AND WE
INSTEAD JUST FOCUS ON MENTAL ILLNESS AS IF THAT WAS
SOMETHING WE INVENTED ALONG WITH BLUE JEANS AND THE EIGHT
CYLINDER ENGINE.
THEY HAVE INSANITY ALL THROUGHOUT TIME, LEGISLATION
DOES MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO GET GUNS.