Asked about the "mass shooting" where a nut job shot three people at a Colorado abortion clinic, President Obama once again became exasperated with the American people.The author thinks it might be part of a case for his removal from office -- not by impeachment, but for cause of mental impairment according to the 25th Amendment. That of course is merely a rhetorical flourish: the 25th Amendment requires members of his cabinet or the President himself to admit that he cannot perform the functions, and the action can be undone simply by the President sending a letter to the effect that "no such disability exists" unless the Vice President anda majority of executive branch heads insist that he is not able. It was very carefully balanced so as not to be an extra tool for Congress to use against a President it didn't like.
"I say this every time we've got one of these mass shootings: This just doesn't happen in other countries."
He actually said this. In Paris.
Still it is a strange thing to have said, in Paris.
UPDATE: The Washington Post fact-checks the statement.
Is his statement true?
In one sense, the answer would be “yes.” President Obama’s statement was in the form of: “Every time X happens, I say Y.”
2 comments:
That one didn't bother me as much as the "fish swimming through the streets of Miami". Tone deaf rhetoric is one thing, outright fantasy is another entirely.
I've already seen one "rebuttal" to the "This just doesn't happen in other countries" criticism (i.e. they were rebutting criticism of the President for saying it. In effect, they said he was "right" because:
This year, France has had 4 shooting incidents that's killed a total of 151 people.
America has had 48,147 that's killed 12,166
THAT doesn't happen in other developed nations.
First off, I SERIOUSLY question if those numbers are correct, but even assume that they are. That means every time someone shoots at someone else in France, about 38 people die. But here in 'Murica every time someone shoots at someone else only 1 person in 4 dies. A quarter of a death per incident.
Either our health care is just that good, our shooting is just that bad, or people in France get fatal lead poisoning from being anywhere near bullets.
We have a neighborhood website, part of the "Nextdoor" system. A neighbor I don't know posted on it today, complaining that we need a stop-sign at some intersection or another, in this very quiet residential backwater of 30-35 mph speed limits, where half the traffic is golf-carts. She also complained that she hardly ever sees a police patrol car, and finished with the observation that "people are scary here." I have to wonder where she lived before.
On the other hand, we recently had a highly uncharacteristic spate of burglaries. On the other other hand, once word got out, people got busy with their camera phones and managed to get a picture of the miscreants, which led to their arrest last week.
It's hard for me to think of my country as a dangerous gunslinger's paradise. It's true that I don't live in, say, Baltimore or Chicago.
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