Most asinine response to the Boston bombing so far. We have a tie. Hey, we have a three-way tie. First up, the obligatory celebrity babble:
Actor and comedian Jay Mohr waded into the gun debate on Twitter after Monday’s deadly terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon.
“What bothers me most about today is that we’re getting used 2 it. ENOUGH. 2nd amendment must go. Violence has 2 stop. Culture MUST change,” the Jerry Maguire actor tweeted Monday night.
Right, that pesky old "right to keep and bear bombs," that part of the Second Amendment. Next, the senatoral pile-on:
Asked by a reporter whether Monday’s attack makes the argument for addressing sequestration, Hoyer explained, “I think there are multiple reasons for ensuring that we invest in our security — both domestic and international security. That we invest in the education of our children. That we invest in growing jobs in America. And don’t pursue an irrational, across-the-board policy of cutting the highest priorities and the lowest priorities essentially the same percentage…. I think this is another proof of that — if proof is needed, which I don’t think frankly it is.”
It was in response to a reporter's questions, so I guess we should also give the press partial credit for the moronic nonsequitir. Finally, a moment of true journalistic insipidity:
If recent history is any guide, if the bomber ends up being a white anti-government extremist, white privilege will likely mean the attack is portrayed as just an isolated incident — one that has no bearing on any larger policy debates. Put another way, white privilege will work to not only insulate whites from collective blame, but also to insulate the political debate from any fallout from the attack.
It will probably be much different if the bomber ends up being a Muslim and/or a foreigner from the developing world. As we know from our own history, when those kind of individuals break laws in such a high-profile way, America often cites them as both proof that entire demographic groups must be targeted, and that therefore a more systemic response is warranted. At that point, it’s easy to imagine conservatives citing Boston as a reason to block immigration reform defense spending cuts and the Afghan War withdrawal and to further expand surveillance and other encroachments on civil liberties.
Yes, by God, let's hope the bomber was a white American. White privilege will then dictate we move on the other things without all our racist, xenophobic obsessions with mad furriners consumbing the national dialogue.
Gun control. Sequestration. White privilege. If you have a pet cause, you can surely find a way to get some mileage by hitching it to the Boston masscre.
