The recent and increasing gun violence in the United States has, once again, made the red flag topic of gun control the current media focus. Although there seems to be a lot of talking going on there doesn’t seem to be a lot of action. But what’s new? It is election season, so candidates are going to boast their colorful feathers, puff up their chests and sing sweet songs of empty promises to the American people. And we’ll elect one of those pathetic cocks to run the country. But until then we need to sit quietly and listen to them vomit highly partisan bull sh*t all over microphones, reporters and whatever crowd of people will listen to them.
On Thursday, October 8, Ben Carson, the retired 64-year-old neurosurgeon and Republican Presidential candidate, was on CNN talking with Wolf Blitzer when he claimed that the Jews could have stopped the Holocaust if they had been armed more appropriately. Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust resulted in the deaths of more than 11 million minority peoples and their allies. It is believed that more than six million of those were ethnic Jews. Carson told Wolf Blitzer that he believes Hitler would not have been as capable of achieving his goals had the people been armed to the teeth. Carson claimed that the reason most dictators take away the private guns owned by citizens at the beginning of dictatorial rule is so they cannot uprise.
Needless to say these comments provoked a firestorm of criticism. Many celebrities and members of the media are throwing stones at Carson because his implications were very crude and highly speculative. Prominent amongst the outraged is 33-year-old Jewish Canadian comedian, actor and filmmaker Seth Rogen who took to Twitter on October 9 to comment about Carson’s statements. And he held nothing back.
Since then, a lot more people have retweeted Rogen’s tweet over the weekend. As Jonathan Greenblatt, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, pointed out during an interview with ABC, there were not enough firearms available to the public before World War II. Even if Hitler had never implemented a gun-control policy, Jews and other minorities would not have been able to fight back because Hitler’s army had such a large amount of firepower. It was also too vast and well-trained. Citizens carrying weapons would not have been able to stop it.
This is one more example of the kind of useless speculation we can expect to hear mor and more of as we get closer to the election. Often I look at politicians on television and at political events and can’t help but see these GOP candidates as little more that wannabe pop celebrities: making brash and inappropriate comments for attention, pandering to the general opinion, crooked, and simpleminded. Certainly not presidential. Carson’s comments will soon be forgotten once another candidate says or does something ignorant enough to redirect the attention of the media. But it’s sure nice to see someone with some publicity, like good ol’ Rogan calling him out for his foolishness. Seth for President.