Bush and his people are asshats, but you knew that already.

[apocalypsos]

Regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech, after the respectful prayers for the victim's families:

"The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

THIS is what you're going to include in a public statement only hours after the worst mass shooting in U.S. history?!

*curses a LOT*

Comments

[katbcoll.livejournal.com]

This? Does not surprise me. I was actually waiting for a statement like that.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me too. And how sad is it that we fully expect the president to be a dicksmack in the wake of a tragedy?

[katbcoll.livejournal.com]

Sad would be us all betting on when he'd say something like this.

[sevenfists.livejournal.com]

Dude, it's Virginia. I'm just glad they didn't say anything worse.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, that's true. *grumbles*

Man, if there's one reason I'm glad I'm out of Virginia, that's it. (Away from the backwards dicksmacks I hated and home to the backwards dicksmacks I'm used to. *sigh*)

[septembergrrl.livejournal.com]

And he wouldn't have said the same thing if it was MIT? I think Bush is just a dick.

[elbiesee.livejournal.com]

How fast d'ya think the Secret Service would be on me if I went up to Dubya and finger-thunked him on the forehead?

Because he needs it.

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

Ooh, bad form. The better form would have been to avoid the question ENTIRELY.

As it is, I smell flames in the direction of the White House. Whoever authorised THAT statement's going to be the first one on the bonfire.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's true. I have this mental image of a reporter asking a question about that, but I also wish that it had been answered with a, "This is an inappropriate time to ask or address that question. Next!"

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

It actually amuses me that someone would fuck up so badly and SAY that (even though you're probably right on the scenario) because it DOES bring gun control laws into the equation in a scenario where, until that was said, there was no mention of gun control by anyone who wasn't a "left wing liberal". I mean, I have no idea what the media's saying about this, but you can bet your fanny that Faux News and CNN at the LEAST had nothing to say about gun control regarding the shootings.

As a gunowner, I fully support gun control legislation. And now the Administration has opened the way for THAT to be part of the national discourse in speaking of this event - not just by liberals, either. Now it'll be national, and I have the feeling that'll call for a response.

Badly played, Dana Perino - but thank you for bringing it up!

[alicettlg.livejournal.com]

CNN talked about gun control this evening, Jack Cafferty was discussing it (didn't notice if he made any pro or con noises) around 7pm central time tonight. Dunno what time Dana Perino made that comment but Cafferty didn't mention it.

Dunno about Faux News, don't watch them. (Saw CNN only in passing, I just can't drown myself in this tragedy, can't handle that anymore since 9/11 and Katrina so I've been watching PotC: Dead Man's Chest instead. :))

[dagulfsghost.livejournal.com]

More than likely the firearms used were illegally purchased. Most black market firearms are smuggled in from Israel and Argentina where they are made.

I am a firearm owner, and all of my arms are completely legal, granted on the street faced with a common gang member, my firearms would be useless because the criminals have illegal military grade weapons smuggled in from out of country, and I am stuck with legal civilian grade. But I had *I* been on that campus and armed, this nutbag would have only gotten one person before I dropped him.

The actions of common criminals should not have any bearing on law abiding citizens right. Even in Europe people can own firearms for hunting and such, but they actually protect their borders and keep the black market guns from getting into their countries, this is why they have low death rates from firearms, America is completely open and largely unregulated at it's borders. Even if guns are completely outlawed, the criminals will still get them due to lack of border security and only law abiding citizens would suffer.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

True, but only a few short hours after the tragedy when we still have no idea what's going on is not really the best time to address this subject.

Personally, my father's side of the family is filled with hunters, so I have no problem with law-abiding citizens owning guns. The gunman's weapons were probably illegal, but then again if they weren't I wouldn't be surprised either.

[dagulfsghost.livejournal.com]

I have a lot of firearms simply because I can honestly :P I have never hunted in my entire life and really have no desire to do so. I get my meat the old fashioned way, from the grocery store :P

Technically the second ammendment was put in place to keep the goverment in check, the forefathers figured with a well regulated militia if the goverment tried to gain complete power and stopped working for the people, the people would be able to take it back. Lot of good that did, we are now exactly everything they fought against.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I grew up in a family where it wasn't weird to open the freezer in my grandparents's house and find a squirrel my uncle shot wrapped up in tin foil. Thank God they didn't make me eat it. :)

If I had any money I'd probably buy one myself. I really want to learn how to handle one, at least, if only so that I can write guns better in my fiction.

Lot of good that did, we are now exactly everything they fought against.

Ain't that the truth. *grumbles*

[jfc013.livejournal.com]

*fondly reminisces about separation of church and state*

[dagulfsghost.livejournal.com]

Amen! *sorry couldn't resist* :P

[amalthia]

I agree with what you had to say here.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Klassy!

[buffyaddict13.livejournal.com]

wow. he's classy.

*foaming with vitriol and sarcasm*

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

But of course, if they don't throw in a comment to appease the NRA crowd immediately they might lose 0.0004% of the vote!

(Grar.)

[dagulfsghost.livejournal.com]

And for the record, I think bush is an asshat as well. Since we couldn't get him out of Texas and back to Conneticut where he was born and raised, we elected him president, now he is ya'lls problem ;)

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

Geeee-Arggggg. Teeth grinding. Thing like this are why I try to avoid listening to Bush.

I feel the pain. (I have no direct connection with Virginia Tech beyond being a longtime Virginia resident, but I'm doing my best to feel for them. It's horrible that this happened.)

Sorry you encountered the dicksmacks when you lived in Northern Virginia. I managed mostly to avoid them while I lived there (from fifth through 12th grade). I was lucky in that way.

Excuse me, I'm going to go off to fume...

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is two-fold, when you look at it.

1.) A reporter actually thought NOW, when we still don't have a clear picture of the events, was a great time to ask about gun control.
2.) The White House spokesman didn't bitchslap him and say, "You think you can wait until we know what's going on before you bring this stuff up, dingbat?"

Not that I'm surprised by either event, but still.

This is not intended as a flame.

[seferin.livejournal.com]

But it was a GREAT time to ask... they didn't have time to make something up.

[strippedpink.livejournal.com]

yeah, I facepalmed quite a bit at that...sigh.

[mellaithwen]

no words on how fucked up that is

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Well, if they did it without prompting, that's awful. If a reporter asked a question about gun control first, that's ... well, it's still pretty bad, but if they had any class whatsoever they would have declined to answer the question at such a sensitive time.

In summation:

Bush = idiot.

But then, like I said, we knew that.

[mellaithwen]

just saw him on CNN, don't even see him as a president anymore :| he's just a douche on the podium

[roseredathena.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this is the land of the gun-toting hicks and those who fight for the right to bear lung cancer causing death sticks we're talking about. Le sigh.

[florahart]

but that all laws must be followed

Except ones that are inconvenient to the current nonwar effort, that is.

Heh.

Yeah, all around bad. I mean, the reporter has to ask the question because they always have to ask these questions (like the SNL skits where the reporters ask in every imaginable way exactly where the troops are stationed and at what time of day they are least able to respond to threat. heh), but yes, today's response is, hey, maybe now isn't the time to talk about that.

[conuly]

What was he going to say?

"In actuality, the second amendment has been well extended beyond its words, and..."

or maybe

"Way-ul, we needs our guns, so from now one, everybody will have to consent to a stripsearch before being allowed out of their houses, to prove that they have no concealed weapons...."

or possibly

"This sucks. But I'm not running next term anyway, so who cares what I say?"

I mean, honestly, trying to pander to all sides of the issue is exactly what I would expect, so I'm not really disappointed.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Oh, I completely expected him to start in on this subject, but you'd think he'd at least have the common decency to at least hold off on the discussion until tomorrow. (Well, in a perfect world, he would. *eye roll*)

It's just tasteless to start in on it hours after the crime when we don't even have a confirmed final death toll, the gunman's identity, or really anything substantial ... just the bare bones of what's happened.

[speedcat93.livejournal.com]

No, I can't believe his spokeswoman said something like that, this is so unrespectful towards the victims and their families! I'm deeply touched by what happened, I've just seen the news on tv tonight. As quiet_rebel said on her lj, "World is a scary place!" :(

[sabotabby]

He couldn't have let the bodies cool or anything first, could he?

What an asshat.

[septembergrrl.livejournal.com]

One more reason to be glad the ass is gone in less than two years. Ugh.

[wyldemusick.livejournal.com]

It's astounding how vomitous people can be, isn't it? Especially in this Administration.

[dawning-star.livejournal.com]

Oh for fuck's sake, has this man no sense of tact?

Stupid question, I know, but sheesh.

[jessicamariek.livejournal.com]

*linked from dawning_star, is not random internet weirdo*

Is there a "total-fucking-moron" clause in the legalese for impeaching a president? Cuz this should set it off.

*whacks Idiot-In-Chief with clue by four*

[faith21.livejournal.com]

Our president is a TOOL.