Morning Joe Rips Greg Abbott Over Indifference To Gun Violence
By: Susie Madrak (Crooks and Liars)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Morning Joe highlighted the editiorial in the Dallas Morning News calling for Greg Abbott to do something about the state's gun violence, and Abbott's statement that it was "an unspeakable tragedy."
We tell you that it was not unspeakable, and that the people of Texas need you to speak to it and its cause. There is nothing conservative about refusing to acknowledge evidence or give voice to the true nature of a problem. You must speak to the terrible imbalance that you and Republican leaders have created between the individual liberty of nearly unrestricted ownership of the most powerful rifles and guns versus the increasing decline in society's ability to function without constant fear of violent death.
This has to stop. You cannot say this is unspeakable tragedy and move on. A leader must have the courage to speak. You must look at this horror, at the devastation wrought on these people, and you must summon the will to act to change the laws that have put us in this terrible place.
"And you know what he and other Republicans would say to that. You know what he would say. He would say, mental health, mental health, look over here. What is he doing for mental health, by the way?" Mika Brzezinski said.
"Nobody believes it anymore," Joe Scarborough said.
"Look at funding in Texas for mental health. Compare it to other states. I'm sure it's near the bottom or close to the bottom. I mean, there's always this talk about mental health.
"Any time you corner somebody in a debate about weapons of war and how little children are being slaughtered, how people are being -- worshippers are being slaughtered in churches, in synagogues, at country music festivals, at shopping malls, and they have nowhere to go, they go, 'mental health, mental health,' ignoring the fact that there are mental health problems in London. There are mental health problems in Paris. There are mental health problems across Europe. But the United States, far and beyond any other industrialized country, any other western country, the numbers are staggeringly high here compared to everywhere else, where they have as many mental problems as the United States does.
"You have a group of migrants being run down and killed. Look at this, U.S. has, by far, the highest child and teen firearm mortality rate among peer countries. Our little children are being slaughtered. Greg Abbott has nothing to say about it. He just wants to change the subject. But after Greg Abbott cynically, cruelly looked at a rampage inside of a home, where children -- a child and his mother and family was slaughtered by an AR-15, and, yes, an illegal immigrant -- the question is, how did he get that AR-15? -- the governor cynically and cruelly focused on the immigration status of these poor people and that little boy that were slaughtered and called them illegal immigrants. Right off the top. Just inhumane. He wanted to focus on that, illegal immigrants. so is it any surprise that we have migrants being run over, with this sort of lack of leadership, this sort of cynicism, the hatred in Texas?
"Is it any surprise that we have migrants on Sunday mornings, some of them probably going to church, getting run over while they're waiting for a bus? Who are we that we have a neo-nazi sympathizer, possible white supremacist going to malls to gun down other people? I mean, this is -- there is a sickness in the state of Texas, and that sickness starts at the very top with Greg Abbott, who refuses to protect little children in the state of Texas, whether it's at school or whether it's at church or whether it's at shopping malls."
news.yahoo.com /dallas-newspaper-calls-abbott-act-132637665.html
Dallas newspaper calls on Abbott to act on gun violence
Julia Mueller 3-3 minutes 5/8/2023
The Dallas Morning News is urging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to take action on gun violence after a gunman killed eight people at a Dallas-area outlet mall over the weekend.
“Gov. Abbott, Eight more innocent people were killed in Texas yesterday. This time it was a shopping mall. They were simply going about their day, men, women, children. A man got out of his car and sprayed them with bullets of such a high caliber and in such rapid succession that a mass killing was inescapable,” writes the Dallas Morning News Editorial board in an open letter to the governor.
The board also called out Abbott for labeling the Allen Premium Outlets killings an “unspeakable tragedy,” arguing instead that “the people of Texas need you to speak to it and its cause.”
“There is nothing conservative about refusing to acknowledge evidence or give voice to the true nature of a problem. The people who are dead today are not dead because a twisted and evil soul walked among them,” the editors wrote.
“They are dead because that person was able to obtain a weapon so powerful and with such high capacity that even the bravest and fastest response of law enforcement could not save their lives.”
Abbott focused on mental health in a Fox News interview after the shooting, arguing that there’s a “dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that’s taking place in America.”
But mental health struggles are becoming more common across the world, members of the editorial board, which recommended Abbott for reelection last year, countered, while “no nation suffers from mass shootings like the U.S.”
The outlet mall shooting, in which seven people were injured, comes less than a year after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde last year.
Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D), who represents Uvalde, over the weekend compared living in Texas to “living in communist Russia” and called out Abbott and other leaders and law enforcement for “refus[ing] to tell us the truth as to what’s going on here.”
“This is not the Texas miracle that Greg Abbott likes to call it. We’re living in a Texas nightmare, and it’s a nightmare that they created. It’s a chaos that they created,” Gutierrez said.
Reports indicate the gunman in the Allen outlet mall shooting used an AR-15-style rifle — and reporting found responders to the Uvalde incident held off on confronting the shooter out of concern over the high-powered weapon he used.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Half the "good folks" here on NT have no problem with gun violence.
So how could anyone expect a Texas Republican to be upset by kids being slaughtered?
Maybe if some rich-kids' school.....
We often hear that without guns the violent mentally ill would just use knives, axes, bombs, etc to kill. I cant recall ever hearing of a mentally ill person in the UK who has gone on a successful murder rampage with a knife. If mental illness is what causes mass murder , and not guns, we should be hearing about mass murders by knives, chainsaws, in places like the UK, ALL THE TIME (the same way we hear of mass shootings in America) but we dont. The UK by the way has a murder rate about 1/5 of the murder rate in America.
I’m surprised that you would expect foreign knife deaths to make the news here.
If you’re really interested:
Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero for ammosexuals.
I don’t know the family income levels, but tuition at the Nashville school school shot up by the trans is $16,500-$17,500 per year.
I dont doubt that people in Europe use knives for murder , since they dont have many guns in private hands.
Unfortunately for you and your statistics, I am not talking about homicides per se, I'm talking about mass homicides. Abbott says that mental illness is entirely responsible for mass shootings in America. Therefore we should hear about a lot of mass stabbings in the UK. There have been close to 200 mass shootings in the US this year. How many mass stabbings have there been in the UK this year?
That is very far from rich-kids' tuition.
Knife killings have become sadly common in the UK - I subscribe to the Guardian. But! As you say, these are one-offs. There's no such thing as a mass murder with a knife.
A person who really wants to kill another can always find a weapon, if only a big rock.
Might want to at least google it before making a statement like that.
Another ignorant comment,
2022 Saskatchewan stabbings [ edit ]
On September 4, 2022, 29 people were stabbed, 11 of whom were killed, in at least thirteen locations in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon , Saskatchewan , Canada . [32] Alerts relating to the incidents were extended to Manitoba and Alberta . Some of the victims were believed to have been targeted, while others were randomly attacked. [33] On September 7, 2022, the suspect, identified as Myles Sanderson, was found and arrested near Rosthern . Shortly after being taken into custody, Sanderson died from self-inflicted injuries. [34] [35] [36]
2022 University of Idaho stabbings [ edit ]
In the early hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in their off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho . [37] On December 30, a suspect, 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger, was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania , on four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary. [38] [39]
Good luck!
From your own link,
In the year ending March 2022 there were 261 homicides (currently recorded) using a sharp instrument, including knives and broken bottles.
That is for the entire year in the UK. 261 deaths by stabbing.
As of May 8th, this year,
There have been 202 mass shootings so far this year.
Mass shootings = multiple victims/deaths. And that is for less than 1/2 a year.
Bullshit.
[deleted]
"Nobody believes it anymore," Joe Scarborough said.
I have to ask who made Joe the spokesperson for everyone?
"Look at funding in Texas for mental health. Compare it to other states. I'm sure it's near the bottom or close to the bottom. I mean, there's always this talk about mental health.
I would think they would have the facts when they make a claim like that and not just shoot it out there and hope it sticks.
"Any time you corner somebody in a debate about weapons of war"
Unless I am mistaken the AR 15 is not used by any military in the world, why do they keep calling it a weapon of war?
Do you believe that mental health is the fundamental problem?
It is one of several. Do you think it is not an issue?
I wonder what Ukraine would say if we just started shipping AR-15's over for them to use against the Ruskies.............Instead of what we ARE sending them.............
I'm pretty sure they would accept whatever they can get.
Since they feel the need to keep calling it weapon of war when it is not it makes you wonder if they are just using scare tactics instead of actually being factual. I guess "Big scary looking semi automatic rifles" will not get the response they are looking for. Of course once you define the weapon you are trying to ban "semi automatic" you might lose alot of the support since many many guns are semi automatic.
BTW I am all for universal background checks, enforcing the laws on the books, some sort of red flag law(need to be defined and a way to be appealed ), need to take safety training to get a permit (and needing a permit) and mag capacity at 10. I guess that means both sides of the debate hate me.
Exactly what they are pedalling.
These things are relative. If we were currently only sending them Glocks or shotguns, or bolt-action deer rifles, I think they’d be thrilled.
You do understand that families at the mall are not remotely the same thing as the Russian Army . . . Right? RIGHT??
Anyway, acting like an AR isn’t really efficient at killing a lot of people in a short time - and superior to most other options - is just dishonest. What to do about it is a separate conversation. But let’s not pretend it isn’t a highly proficient killing tool - especially against civilian populations.
I am thinking you missed the point
It may not be an official weapon of war, but can we at least be honest about the fact that it would still be pretty useful as such? I feel like these conversations can never be held honestly as long as some people keep acting like ARs are only good for shooting galleries at the pier.
What semi auto gun isn't (unless you are talking about at a distance in which case a rifle is more accurate I believe). I actually wonder if you were going into a mall to shoot it up if a semi auto handgun with a large mag wouldn't be a better choice. Smaller, compact and the ability to shoot lots of bullets. It seems there is a fascination with the AR 15 style weapon with both the mass killers and the people that want to ban them. I wonder if the fascination with this particular gun isn't growing because of the interest shown before. Of course I am not sure so feel free to correct me.
I think if you are going to tackle a problem like this ambiguity needs to be minimized if not eliminated. EXACTLY what is meant by assault weapon or weapon of war? EXACTLY what are the characteristics of the weapons you are trying to ban? EXACTLY what do you mean by mental health issues? EXACTLY how do you plan to keep guns out of the hands of those you define as having mental health issue? I believe nothing can get done until people on both sides can be honest with themselves and the people they are negotiating with
Putin would thank Brandon endlessly if he gave the Ukrainians AR15's as their main rifle.
Semi auto- at best AR-15 vs fully auto AK47. Russians would take that every time.
Give it a rest.
Why? Do you like spreading misinformation about what you are trying to ban? Why won't you define exactly what it is you are trying to ban?
Great post!
We all want to learn the very best way to kill lots and lots of people!
The mass shooters usually research previous mass shootings and factor that information into their planning.
Oh?
Have you collected testimony from mass shooters?
No, but I read the FBI prepared profile.
OK
We do?
Of course. It's the American way.
You have been watching too much John Wick
Actually... I've never seen a single one. But I do enjoy an occasional action movie.
ARs have numerous advantages over other choices. They are the most popular rifle in America with good reason. They’re the total package. The carbine size makes them useful at long range or relatively close quarters.
They are are light. They fire an extremely high velocity round that is accurate and does substantial damage at close or long ranges. Their recoil system makes it easy and comfortable to let loose many rounds at once. People may fire a shotgun one time and never want to touch the thing again. An AR is positively gentle, by comparison.
This is aided, of course, by magazines that change out quickly and have high capacity. The weapon is also easily customized with accessories that make the shooter more accurate over a variety of ranges.
Additionally, even though it may not be the official weapon of anyone’s military, it looks the part in spades, and every manufacture knows this. They market the weapon on that specific appeal. It’s ironic that opponents of gun control rightly criticize legislation that targets the look of the weapon, while ignoring the fact that people buy the weapon - in part - for that exact reason.
It’s hard for most people to be accurate with a handgun beyond even just a few yards.
The AR-15 was designed to "massacre" people, namely enemy soldiers. It later was adapted for civilian use, but its purpose is still to kill human beings.
So it is no longer a weapon of war. Then why keep calling it one, because it used to be? It can easily be argued the purpose is for self defense and range shooting. The vast majority of people that own them are law abiding citizens. Based on your definition it seems any guns purpose is to kill people so should they all be banned?
Why do you keep saying it is not a weapon of war when that is what it was designed for?
It is not used by any military in any war, ergo it is not a weapon of war. Also as you pointed out it was adapted for civilian use so it is no longer even the same weapon that was originally designed.
It's great to hear the details of weapons. I'm sure that being designated "military" or not is very important to the aptitude to kill people.
Aptitude? There is nothing natural about killing people.
Why do the people that want to ban it insist on calling it military when it is not? It seems very important to them even though it is not true.
Maybe Texas would have more money for mental health treatment if they weren't having to take care of Bidens complete fuck-up on the southern border.
ROFL.
Texas isn't laughing. Neither is any other border state. Come to think of it any US taxpayer with a brain isn't laughing either.
Brandon's border and illegal immigrant fuck up isn't funny at any level.
Let's change topics. Slaughtering children is hard to defend after a while.
Have you ever noticed that the mentally impaired laugh at inappropriate times?
I agree they should have looked it up instead of just talking out of their asses. Having said that, they weren’t wrong .
The Total Amount of State Mental Health Agency Expenditures per Capita in Every State
Looks like the state spending the least on mental health per capita is Florida. In this list, Texas is 4th from the bottom. So, they had it right even if it was just a guess.
This is not news, though. It’s been about a year since the Uvalde school shooting (also in Texas), which Governor Abbott blamed on mental health - after cutting about $200 from mental health funding over the course of about three years.
So there’s a good case to be made that he’s full of shit. I suspect that for many people, the claim “it’s mental health!” is nothing more than a distraction. Mental health is important - much more important than we typically treat it - but I don’t believe they actually care about it.
I am not sure they don't care about it because it would be a monumental task to even define how to fix the problem but I do blame them for not at least formulating a plan and moving in that direction. Although your graphic is interesting I am not sure how meaningful it is. Mental health is one of those things that just throwing money at it may not be a good indicator of what you are doing with the money and how effective you are. "Mental health" and "assault weapon" are two terms that seem way to vague and not defined enough to try and actually address them.
I 100% agree that it cannot be the whole picture. However, it makes for a good starting point for analysis, especially when a state’s spending is living so close to one extreme or the other. And they’ve been cutting funding.
That’s an excuse to not tackle the problem at all. Even Governor Abbott thinks he knows enough about both terms to say the problem is one of them, but not the other.
Exactly. Until both sides come to a realization that it is not just one issue and all others can be ignored we will continue down this shitty road.
So then you agree guns should be regulated?
Regulated by someone setting the laws that knows what the hell they are talking about.
Not some gun grabber that thinks an AR-15 is a "weapon of war".
They already are. I also stated above what I would like to see. Do you think further regulation is the only solution to the problem?
They are regulated, Why don't you start with the piece of Shit Garland actually enforcing laws? or does that not meet your agenda?
It is scary that they can't even define what it is they want to ban before they ban it. I guess if it is a grey enough ban they can add guns to it later as they see fit. I wonder if they think no one sees that is what they want to do.
“Until both sides come to a realization that it is not just one issue…”
Any complex issue requires acknowledgement of the problem, objective diagnosis, reasonable dialogue, and perhaps most important but assuredly most problematic…a willingness to compromise. This does not require an all or nothing solution to begin taking the necessary steps to curb the violence.
Let's do NOTHING!
[✘]
Unfortunately we are lacking in all those areas at the present time
Yes.
But not anything useful, because no one ever changes their mind.
[✘]
That's the spirit!
“Unfortunately we are lacking in all those areas at the present time,”
The leadership vacuum has sucked us all in. It will take an extraordinary group of individuals of all political persuasions to correct our dysfunction. Here’s to the next generation of leaders with the gumption and fearlessness necessary to right our wrongs.
I have only had one cup of coffee today so excuse my pessimism. It seems to me too many of the new up and comers are as (or even more) dysfunctional than our current crop. Compromise may have to be stricken from the dictionary as no one seems to know what it is.
Additional and more current information.....
Just over 50 cents per person living in the state. If you look at that chart I posted above, it’s easy to see that’s not going to change their ranking.
To be sure, any improvement is better than nothing, but it’s neither a quick nor cheap fix. Also, from your article:
So, there’s definitely a lot of work to be done.
That was the point.
Obviously. But you have to start somewhere.
Why?
Given the hyper-emotional tendencies of their viewers, that just seems a wholly unrealistic expectation.