Jon Stewart began the week with an all-jokes-aside statement on the tragedy in Tucson, but on Wednesday night's "Daily Show," he took a more humorous approach and mocked Congress' legislation in the wake of the shooting.
The actions of Jared Lee Loughner remind us that there are still violent minds in this country, and that there are no "quick fixes" -- or so Stewart thought. Rep. Peter King (R- NY) is attempting one by suggesting we make it illegal to bring a gun 1,000 feet from a government official.
Stewart had to ask: "How's that supposed to work exactly?" Aside from congressmen wearing bells around their necks, "How do law-abiding gun owners know how far they are from government officials?"
Similarly, Stewart mocked Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA) for suggesting we ban "language or symbols" that threaten public officials, like crosshairs, for example. Since threatening a public official is already against the law, Stewart realized exactly what Brady was up to:
"So basically what you're trying to do his is write a federal law just to saw 'f--k you to Sarah Palin."
As proof that these "quick fixes" are futile, Stewart offered the statistic that gun sales -- especially Glocks -- spiked after the shooting and after these legislation were introduced. His argument is that most of us don't need clarification on "the whole 'thou shalt not kill thing,'" and those that do will not listen.
He concluded the segment with a call to action:
"We end up enforcing laws and forcing everyone to live by rules that only attempt to prevent the last thing that was done by the least controllable among us. It doesn't have to be this way. We must not give in to fear. We must empower our better judgment to create a society where violent rhetoric and imagery is frowned upon, not because it drives the unbalanced to action but because it's inherently wrong."
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