Jon Stewart took Republicans to task this Wednesday for their double standard when it comes to which parts of the Constitution they think ought to be protected. As Stewart noted, if it's guns were talking about "the Constitution is ironclad." Terrorism and the NSA spying on us... maybe not so much.
Stewart once again took apart some of the media coverage following the shooting at the Navy Yard this week and followed up with some alarming statistics on mass shootings in the United States:
Stewart pointed out that Monday’s attack on the Washington Navy Yard, which resulted in the deaths of suspected shooter Aaron Alexis and 12 of his victims, meant there were more than 250 shootings with at least four deaths in 260 days this year.
“Our mass shooting average is 96 percent,” Stewart said. “Our mass shooting scores shouldn’t be that much higher than our math and science scores. There have been more mass shooting days than Jewish holidays, and there are a f*ckload of Jewish holidays.”
Stewart also criticized the fact that current gun background check regulations did not prevent Alexis — who was previously reported as “hearing voices” and was arrested in 2004 and 2010 for gun-related incidents — from purchasing the firearm he allegedly used in the shooting.
“Even if the gun store owner was aware that this guy heard voices, and had been arrested on gun charges that had gotten him discharged from the Navy Reserves, that man still would have passed the background check with flying crazy,” Stewart argued.
But as Stewart pointed out in a series of clips, Republicans like Fox News host Eric Bolling insisted on hiding behind the Second Amendment when dealing with gun regulations while advocating for increased police surveillance on mosques.
“So if you believe Mohammed is God’s messenger on Earth and you want to go to a mosque, that’s probable cause,” Stewart said, before referring to an incident involving Alexis.
“But if you believe a microwave is God’s messenger on Earth, and you want to buy a gun,” Stewart said, summing it up with a mocking kiss of his own fingertips.
Stewart wrapped things up with this:
STEWART: When it comes to terrorism, a terrible crime that doesn't kill a whole lot of Americans every year, we're willing to bargain away the entire Bill of Rights. Why is that?
MONICA CROWLEY: We are in a war. Fight the damn war. We are not dealing with traditional soldiers who wear the uniforms of a country. We are dealing with enemy combatants. These are terrorists. The Constitution is not a suicide pact.
STEWART: Well, I'm pretty sure, I'm pretty sure it's not a homicide pact either.
