Less than 24 hours after the tragic mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, a Senate panel gathered to debate gun control measures. The hearing was scheduled before the Boulder shooting, and before last week’s shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six women of Asian descent.
The timing of the hearing might seem like a bleak coincidence, then, until you remember that this is America, and pretty much any discussion of gun control is likely to take place in close proximity to a mass shooting.
That’s a fact that Senator Ted Cruz seemingly accidentally pointed out during the hearing, while he was attempting to argue against gun control. (Or rather, against substantial gun control—he’s pushing to pass his own bipartisan but tepid bill aiming to protect the Second Amendment for “law-abiding citizens.”)
“Every time there’s a shooting, we play this ridiculous theater where this committee gets together and proposes a bunch of laws that would do nothing to stop these murders,” Cruz said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during gun violence hearing:
“Every time there’s a shooting, we play this ridiculous theater … Democrats propose taking away guns from law-abiding citizens … it makes it worse.” pic.twitter.com/yXUHsiOPhq
— The Recount (@therecount) March 23, 2021
Cruz really seems to have no self-awareness regarding just how awful it is to have to start a sentence with “Every time there’s a shooting.” That’s not a sentence anyone should be saying but Cruz said it twice, following up his accusations of “theater” by saying, “What happens in this committee after every mass shooting is Democrats propose taking away guns from law-abiding citizens.”
“Every time there’s a shooting.” “After every mass shooting.” Ted Cruz, do you really not see the problem here?
Every time there’s a shooting
Every time There’s a shooting
Every time
There’s a shooting every time https://t.co/qPqm7YFlng
— Jon Spaihts (@jonspaihts) March 24, 2021
When your monologue needs to start with the phrase “every time there’s a shooting…” you should probably recognise the seriousness and scale of the problem. https://t.co/hZuWJ8qzin
— Matt Timblin (@matt_timblin) March 23, 2021
My wife pointed out that the sentence “every time there’s a shooting” makes zero sense in any country but America and if you have to say it @tedcruz that means there’s a problem you refuse to address. https://t.co/0RXK4GPcw8
— Titus (@TitusNation) March 24, 2021
I’m sure it’s a total coincidence that gun rights groups donate more money to Ted Cruz than any other member of Congress except one. (Congratulations to Mitt Romney for holding that title.)
After sixteen people were killed in a hot air balloon in Lockhart, Texas, Ted Cruz authored and passed federal legislation improving safety rules.
I guess that’s not because laws don’t work, but because there’s no hot air balloon lobby funding his Senate seat. #txlege https://t.co/X4N8k24YnE
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 23, 2021
Cruz also used his time during the hearing to attack Democrats for being anti-religion just because they’re tired of hearing Republicans’ “thoughts and prayers.” Cruz calls this objection to prayer “an odd sociological thing.”
He then went on to say that thoughts and prayers alone are not enough which has, obviously, always been the point. But sure, talk more about that political “theater” you hate so much. After every mass shooting.
(image: Andrew Harnik – Pool/Getty Images)
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