In the wake of the tragic murder-suicide that left Kansas City Chiefs’ linebacker Jovan Belcher and the mother of his child dead, Bob Costas decided to interject his politics into NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
During his halftime segment, Costas said:
"In the coming days, Jovan Belcher's actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? ... If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today."
On Saturday, Belcher repeatedly shot Perkins, his girlfriend and the mother of his 3-month-old daughter, before driving to the team’s practice facility and shooting himself in the head.
The next day is not only the wrong time and place to bring up gun control, but the argument itself is wholly illogical.
As one person on Twitter said: “Yes, Bob Costas, guns are the problem. Nicole Brown Simpson would be alive today if OJ hadn't shot her with that knife.”
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that crazy, murderous people are going to go crazy and murder people, no matter what they have to use as a weapon. Knives, rocks, poison, fire, ropes … I’ve seen CSI; I know there are lots of ways to kill people.
Banning guns will do nothing to stop the killing problem. Not only that, but banning guns has been proven over and over to increase gun-related crimes. In fact, increases in gun sales in a particular area actually decrease the number of gun-related violent crimes.
Imagine that. It’s almost like criminals are more likely to not shoot people that are likely to be armed. This phenomenon is currently on display in Virginia, where the gun crime rate has dropped while firearms sales have reached record highs. Since 2006, the total number of guns purchased in the state has risen by 73 percent, while gun-related offenses have dropped more than 27 percent.
If you’re going to use horrific crimes to advocate for your political positions, at least make sure you get your facts straight. Maybe if Kasandra had been armed, her daughter wouldn't be an orphan today.
Does it surprise you that gun violence goes down when gun sales go up?
Image via Marcin Wichary/Flickr
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Comments 53
Sorry, but I'm still think we need gun control. Why does anyone need an AK-47? And why is it so easy for people to sell guns in certain areas and get them illegally into the hands of illegal immigrants? (I.e. Mexican Cartels) I don't think anyone that has violent mental disorders should be able to have a gun.
Title of this Article: "Stop Using Shooting Crimes to Justify Your Gun Control Agenda"
Clearly, the best crimes for justifying gun control would be parking in a handicap space without a proper tag. Of course shooting crimes are going to be used to justify gun control. That's the point. When someone is shot, they're shot with a gun. If there was more control over who could get guns (ie not the nutcases and criminals), maybe there'd be fewer people shot with guns. Just sayin'.
More guns equals less violence? That is so ridiculously illogical. When someone wants to commit a murder, as this football player did, they will find a way. But the ones that would be stopped are the random, mass shootings like the Colorado theater murderer. He never could have done what he did if it was harder for him to get a gun.
P.S. @FlowerMama: I missed the irony in the title until you pointed it out. You're right - what a ludicrous thing for Jenny to say!
At first they were saying that he was suffering from the effects of concussions/head injuries - went crazy and killed the girl. But hey, that would mean we ought to OUTLAW FOOTBALL, huh? So better change the argument to OUTLAW GUNS.