Posted on Jun 19, 2015
SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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I dont know anything about John Stewart. I didn't know he is a huge supporter of changing the gun laws. In this video, he expresses his view about the Charleston shootings. Does he really feel this way, or is he saying it for ratings? I hate what happened, and what makes it worse is that the shooter bought the .45 with birthday money given to him by his dad, which helps support the Obama theory that it's too easy to by a weapon, and that the easy availability needs to change.

Jon Stewart dropped his usual news satire Thursday and opted for a passionate five-minute commentary on the massacre at a historic black Charleston church that left nine people dead. The Daily Show host apologized for not having any jokes to offer, adding, “I honestly have nothing other than just sadness.” Stewart’s powerful speech addressed U.S. defense spending abroad and a failure to protect American citizens at home, pointing out that blacks in South Carolina are still forced to drive on roads named for Confederate generals. “By acknowledging it,” Stewart said, “by staring into that and seeing it for what it is, we still won’t do jackshit. Yeah, that’s us. That’s the part that blows my mind.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/19/jon-stewart-on-charleston-we-still-won-t-do-jackshit.mobile.html
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Maj Matt Hylton
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I loved his commentary. I don't think he said anything specifically about gun laws during the entire commentary except that he didn't want "to get into the political argument
about guns and things..."

I thought it was really more of a commentary about the American people as a whole. We care about terrorist attacks, but crap like this still happens all the time and we really don't care or dedicate much towards it.

Many people are sugarcoating this, but he put it very bluntly. This was a terrorist attack. It was domestic terrorism. A white supremacist attacking a historic black church in South Carolina should not happen 50 years after the civil rights movement, but it still does. Heck, I live in Alabama - I still see people driving around with KKK bumper stickers. How the hell do we not pursue putting every member of hate groups like that behind bars with the same vigor we try to find all Al Quada, ISIS or other Muslim extremists and send them to prison or GITMO?
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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Maj Matt Hylton, where I used to live here in Pasadena, Texas, a KKK building was next door to us. It still exists, but I've never visited it and don't intend to. A friend a work belongs to it. He brought some pamphlets to work one time. I was his supervisor and I made him take all that crap out to his car. We weren't friends after that. I lost all respect for him?
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Maj Matt Hylton
Maj Matt Hylton
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SSG Ryan R. I disagree, I think it fits all three of the criteria defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2331:
"Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:
◾Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law;
◾Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination. or kidnapping; and
◾Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition

The first and third are easy ones. The second one, he confirmed himself through comments he made in the past on social media and to other persons. He intended to "start a civil war" by doing what he did. He most certainly intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population (in his view; anyone that wasn't white in America).

He killed more people than the Boston Bombers, but we'll easily call them terrorists since they are Muslim. That was part of the point of Stewart's commentary. If it falls into the easy category of international terrorism that we've all come to know so well post-9/11, then American society can "deal with it" easier than if attacks come from within. We won't call a spade a spade. A hate crime is a couple white supremacists beating up a minority. A domestic terrorist attack is a guy walking into a church and murdering 9 unarmed people not just because of the color of their skin, but because he wants to start a war between whites and everyone else in the country.
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PO3 Joseph Wieck
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By SC gun laws, he was not allowed to own a gun. His prior drug charges are enough to not be allowed to purchase. That means that someone else bought the gun and right now they are looking at the father as a straw purchaser, which is a federal felony punishable with up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine
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SGT Richard H.
SGT Richard H.
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Annnnd there we have it. Perfect example that gun laws only affect those who are law abiding.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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SGT Richard H., Baarump Bum!
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LCpl Mark Lefler
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The person I feel went too far was the NRA's statement about the shooting, blaming the pastor for not having a firearm on him while giving a sermon. That's what went too far, blaming innocent people for their own murder.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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LCpl Mark Lefler, Now that's downright stupidity. I haven't heard that one. What an idiot.
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LCpl Mark Lefler
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SFC James Sczymanski - John Stewart didn't go to far, not like this, not like this total disregard for human life and suffering for others.
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PO2 Brandon Amacker
PO2 Brandon Amacker
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SGT Efaw (Mick) G. - I too am an NRA member that felt that the board member went too far with his statement. I have spoken with my local NRA representative and found that most members feel the same way. Sometimes people should not express their own views in an official capacity. That's why some people see members as "nutjobs".
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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SFC James Sczymanski SGT Efaw (Mick) G. LCpl Mark Lefler PO2 Brandon Amacker , men, had I known about the comment from the NRA jerk, I wouldn't have posted this question. I would have posted the NRA dickwad's response. That is a terrible, senseless, statement to make, blaming the deceased Pastor. What an idiot.
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Has He Gone Too Far? John Stewart On Carleston Shooting: We Still Wont Do Jackshit’
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
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Sane People don't do things like this.

You can't predict what unreasonable and irrational People will do. Trying to force law abiding Citizens to conform to a standard that won't work on unreasonable & irrational People is not only foolhardy, it's asking for more trouble.

The adage that criminal don't follow gun laws is absolutely true. Disarming society is not going to make anyone safer. It is going to give the illusion that "we are trying to do something."

The TSA hasn't made us safer. The NSA hasn't made us safer. Saying we can't protest in DC hasn't made us safer. Creating the FISC hasn't made us safer. What's next Quartering Troops in everyone's home? That's the only Protection that doesn't seem to be under $^&$%$%^&%$c attack.

I understand the emotion Jon Stewart has. I agree with the emotion, but he is on the wrong side of this issue. It wasn't guns that killed these People. It was a madman. You cannot account for the actions of a madman. If it wasn't a gun, it would have been a pressure cooker, or a plane crashing into a building, or a car loaded with fertilizer. Guns kill an insignificant number of People compared to Heart Disease and Motor Vehicles. It doesn't even break top 10 on the CDC list. Let's start focusing on the big ticket items. Especially when the message is coming from someone who makes their living enjoying the full Protections of one Amendment.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS, that's why they're called criminals. They don't follow any laws. Surely the POTUS can understand that
,if not, he needs to come out of his tunnel vision, and look at all things which encompasses the weapon issue. In MHO.
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Capt Richard I P.
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Excellent comments.
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LTC Stephen F.
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Edited >1 y ago
Well since John Stewart is a performer first and a satirical commentator second he probably has not gone too far to remove him from the public's eye.
In a sense I am glad that he expressed sadness for the massacre in the Charleston Church.
That being said I generally do not concur with his expressed views and disagree with him about gun control in particular.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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LTC Stephen F., I've watched him a few times. His attitude and smile irritates me. He reminds me of Tosh O. He doesn't care what you think. It's all about him and his beliefs.
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SSG James Arlington
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The issue continues to be, how do we keep guns out of the hands of either mentally ill people, or those with criminal records? I own four guns. I am all for sensible laws restricting the sales of guns to lunatics and criminals.
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PO2 Brandon Amacker
PO2 Brandon Amacker
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I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion on this. There are sensible laws in place that restricts the sales of firearms to criminals and the mentally ill. The problem is that these laws are bypassed by straw purchases by unscrupulous or ignorant people. There's conflicting reports on the subject, however they all seem to say the shooter obtainedt he firearm either directly or indirectly from his father for his birthday. The laws only restrict the law abiding citizen, not the criminal element. They will steal guns, buy stolen guns, or have someone else buy the gun for them. People try to focus on gun show sales and private person to person sales as a primary means for them to obtain firearms. Most gun shows feature FFL sellers and they do the same background check they would do in the store. The point is, if they want a gun, they will find a way to obtain a gun.
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LTC Bink Romanick
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I doubt that he was doing it for ratings...he's in his last season.
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
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A very impassioned speech which touches on many topics, some I agree with some, eh.

I would like to hear from the black community in one voice, in unison what they feel will bring an end to racism in America. What is their definition of the solution, what do they want to have in order to say they feel equal? We have a black president, isn't that a good enough example to say, "look everyone in America regardless of race has the same opportunity to make it to the top"? What more is needed to gain racial equality? Being white I assume that disqualifies me from being in a position to understand the real issue of racism.

Our armed forces have no jurisdiction in our country for policing so yes, in some respects it is "easier" to address a foreign threat more immediately than a domestic threat.

How many gun related massacres - Columbine, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Charleston - have come and gone and neither federal nor local governments can pass meaningful legislation surrounding gun control because the argument from the 2A side predominately seems to be , "You're only punishing the legal gun owners and the criminals will still get the guns when they want." Here is yet another case of just that - a person who should never have had one and couldn't get one legally ended up with one. IMHO, 2A as it stands will never be amended to allow for the gun control that is needed because of the overwhelming support for it the way it is. That being said, legally, what else can be done? Pretty much nothing.

The bit about driving down roads named for civil war generals, seriously? Longstreet Ave, Lee Blvd, Hood Road, Jackson Highway, Stuart Drive, Armistead Way, Pickett Lane, Ewell Street - these names are offensive? Fort Bragg, NC, Camp, A.P. Hill VA both located in the south and named after Confederate generals, should we change those too? Have blacks refused to serve at these posts because of the names?

The Civil War was just as much about state's rights than ending slavery, probably a bit more so. To say the southern generals were fighting solely to oppress & rape black people is neither historically accurate nor correct. It's a tainted statement at best.

If you perpetuate 150 year old emotions and aggressions and attitudes as "this is still the way it is in America" then things will never change. 150+ years ago is just that, if we can't get past the Civil War, if people still expect reparations to be made and rely on the NAACP and Affirmative Action to "level the playing field" then we will never get beyond where we are. If every time a white person does something to a black person we automatically assume racial overtones things will never change. If we keep saying isolated incidents are all linked by conspiracy under this cloud of racism, things will never change.

I want it to end as much as everyone else but the rhetoric, media overkill and passion plays don't end every time an incident like this happens. and IMHO perpetuate the problem.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca, I truly wish that would happen I'd love to get some honest feedback from how the Afro Americans think this white, black thing can come to an end.
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
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I think we have all felt some oppression in some way SGT (Join to see). Not getting that job, always being at the mercy of elected officials, taxes, you name it. These things probably can't compare to the feeling of being oppressed because of your race. If one can't empathize we need to be made aware of what the true problems are, and I'm not talking pie in the sky blanket issues but real issues. Statistics IMHO also need to stay out of it to some degree. The one that got me was Ferguson, MO. 69% of the population is black but only 20-ish% of the police force was. You can't say that having 69% of the police force be black is a realistic solution. Neither is 100% of the population has to have jobs, it's not attainable.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca, in some ways I have been oppressed. All of the returning Vietnam veterans were oppressed when they came home from the war. That oppressed feeling still lingers today. It's not comparable to the African Americans in any way. My oppression lasted only until the war was over. They're oppression has lasted a lifetime.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
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On the idea of "we never do anything": well what are we going to do? Aside from the gun control issues (which it seems is not the specific issue here), you can't legislate attitudes. You are never going to pass a law making racist attitudes illegal. Are those attitudes reprehensible? Yes....but unless you act on them, they are not illegal. Unfortunately, the only answer many liberals has IS "Make it illegal." Race relations is an evolving thing. We have come a long way in almost 50 years. We still have a long way to go....but, legislation IS NOT where we need to focus on change. Change in this case has to be done at the grassroots level. When Americans don't tolerate this kind of crap and make it known that this kind of crap is not tolerated, THEN we'll see progress.
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LTC Ed Ross
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Stewart is a typical anti-gun liberal who accepts the premise that all that's necessary is to make guns hard (and very expensive) to get. He fails to understand that guns are part of the life-blood of the American People. We settled a nation and defended it from its enemies with guns. There are many Americans who's grandfathers and grandmothers were alive during the late 19th century and accepted guns as a normal tool of everyday living. Owning guns is a sacred right for all Americans enshrined in The Constitution. When will the left figure out that it's not guns but all their policies over the last hundred years that have coddled criminals and prevented measures to interdict the mentally ill before the commit gun crimes. The answer is never.

http://ewross.com/americans_that_own_use_and_respect_guns.htm
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LCpl Mark Lefler
LCpl Mark Lefler
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LTC you clearly haven't read too much 20th century history as the policies that you talk about are conservative policies not liberal ones. What you fail to understand is human lives are the most sacred right.
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TSgt Chip Dollason
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Edited >1 y ago
Here's a thought and Charleston is my hometown and were I retried to. Why don't we let the people of Charleston grieve because while I may be white, I went to school across the street from this church and I grew up a mile from it too. These were nothing short of extremely wonderful God fearing people. The people of Charleston are a special community that is unlike any other. Notice the riots? The Looting? the Burning buildings? And you never will!!! The Black and the White people of Charleston are proud of our race relations and we are ONE community. As far as the NRA, Obama, Jon Stewart, Hillary, Al Sharpton, the Confederate flag haters and all the people who make a living with a political agenda, SHUT THE HELL UP! Nobody is listening anyway as you can see! At least nobody in Charleston!
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TSgt Chip Dollason
TSgt Chip Dollason
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No Offense to you Sgt Bodine.
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
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TSgt Chip Dollason, I'm very sorry for you and your home town having to go through this. Every time the news shows the people who were members of the church, forgiving the shooter so soon, it shows me how strong and resilient the citizens are. The shooter has no idea how much pain and suffering he caused, and he doesn't care. May he burn in hell.
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