A gun by itself cannot kill; a person needs to be present to pull the trigger. Before the trigger can be pulled someone needs to fill the magazine with ammunition or slide a single bullet into the chamber. A gun cannot chamber a round by itself. Without completing these essential steps a gun is no more harmful than a rock, and less harmful than a knife or baseball bat.
This is common sense, but it seems to be lost on most gun control proponents. One TV personality in particular famously exposed his illogical perspective regarding gun violence during a rant at halftime of a Sunday Night Football game back in 2012. The broadcaster, Bob Costas, was making the comments after Kansas City Chief’s linebacker Jovan Belcher had murdered killed his girlfriend before taking his own life earlier in the week. Bob Costas said the following regarding the horrific situation:
‘In the coming days, Jovan Belcher’s actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here, wrote Jason Whitlock, is what I believe. If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.”
This argument is akin to saying, if guns were magically banished from the face of the earth for eternity, violence would completely cease to exist!
Mr. Belcher was an NFL football player at the time of his death. He could have killed another person with his bare hands if he wanted to. The gun was the tool Belcher ultimately used, but he could have completed his murder suicide with a knife, car, baseball bat, chain, or even a match. The deciding factor in the deaths was not an inanimate object. If the gun is removed from the situation, then a safe situation is not magically created where Mr. Belcher loses his ability to kill. The unfortunate deaths were caused by a human that made the decision to take a life and then to take his own. Belcher could have been mentally unstable, possibly due to sustaining repeated blows to the head throughout his football career. Yet Costas does not speculate how that affected Belcher’s decision making capacity.
Costas forced himself back into the gun debate this week during an interview with “Late Night” host Seth Myers. Politico provided coverage of the appearance on the show and subsequent anti-gun rant.
“Here’s what I would say to anybody who any time they hear the word guns automatically goes off, like, ‘Oh, they’re going to repeal the Second Amendment,’” Costas said. “Let’s make a bet, you and me. Let’s say over the next five years we’ll do a Google search. We’ll have an independent party monitor it. You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I’ll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let’s see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be.
Costas said regardless of Americans’ positions on gun control generally, it’s undeniable that sports has a “gun culture.”
“There is in fact a gun culture, no matter how you feel about the Second Amendment or gun control, leave that aside. There is a gun culture in sports. Since I made that commentary in December of 2012, just since then, forget about the dozens if not hundreds of sorry incidents prior to,” there have been a number of incidents of athletes with weapons, Costas said, ticking off names.
Does Costas really think that all of the “good and constructive” stories involving guns are covered by the mainstream media? I hope he didn’t lose too much sleep staying up while developing his Google search argument. Bob’s naïveté damages his credibility. Even children understand that the media uses fear and despair to generate ratings.
Hmmmm, and Google, of course can be trusted as a source of impartial information? I think not!
Secondly, as to the “gun culture” in sports, this has more to do with quite a lot of the athletes coming out of “the ‘hood”. Their culture hasn’t changed, just their job title and paycheck!
The obvious solution is to ban professional sports.
Ban professional sports and deny the people their Colosseum and Gladiators? No more Christians fed to the lions, fights to the death, and other "entertainment?" As a civilization, we haven't come far, have we?
And all the guards beside him are not armed. Give me a break FOOL. And by the way you got a face for radio not TV.
Hmm, Costas is apparently saying, "Athletes can't be trusted with guns". If that is indeed the case they shouldn't be allowed out in public.
I would sooner repeal Bob Costas from his lack luster existance than I would the 2nd Ammendment but leaving Costas out of the mix provides more space to repeal things that are NOT God given rights, for example the 16th and 17th Ammendments.
Lost all respect for Costas. Just a little wimp with a big mouth and ego.
I haven't relied on the corporate owned media for any information in years. It's all fluff and celebrity gossip anyway. It also spares me having to listen to TV anchors and D-cup bimbos who have never had an original thought in their lives.
Just another " F " ing idiot and one of the main reasons I quit watching and following professional supports about a decade or so ago . The only sports I watch on TV today are those REQUIRING a firearm or firearms .
First murder: Cain slew Able. Question, Bob: What caliber gun did Cain use? Duh?
You cannot debate or discuss ANY topic with an elitist.
The agenda is more important than anything else. And the best way they fight is to use emotional irrational statements that SEEM to support their agenda.
So he thinks that this muscular animal would NOT have been able to kill the girlfriend or himself, IF he had not had access to a gun? ILLOGICAL. But he KNOWS that.
And Costas will ABSOLUTELY NEVER comment on the hundreds of times since that event where a GOOD person was saved because another good person or they themselves HAD A GUN.
But that is not important. Because these logical statements are NOT part of his instructions
You hit on it. Most people will address the other things in life that result in violence. But they do not mention CULTURE. That is because it is so close to race.
Strangely, just like all the other factors, the individual has the ability to DECIDE whether they will follow the violent, irrational way of living or decide to BE BETTER.
It still is a CHOICE. And this choice does not involve KILLING A BABY.
Go a step further.
When was the gun invented? I will guess about 1000 years ago.
And before that, how many people were murdered? Again a guess, but how about several millions.
Right on! Costas has armed security protecting him and his mouth.
When he uses the word "athlete" is he using a dog whistle word for "black"? It sure sounds like that to me. The original gun control measures (in the US) were made to keep guns out of black hands. In Germany in the 1930's it was to keep Jews from having guns. Does Costas think that no one knows what he is saying here? Maybe sports-watchers have room temperature IQs, but they are, by definition, below average intelligence. I suppose that he is known by the company he keeps, or at least by the kind of people who watch him go on (and on and on). He ought to stick to what he knows: watching others bouncing a ball down a court and throwing it through a hoop, or throwing it to another player, or kicking it. That should keep him busy for a while.
True. It's real easy for these elitist talking heads chairs to promote the violation of OUR constitutional rights, as long as they can have their armed personal mercenaries to protect them. Same with the ruling class criminals. Neither give a damm about the people. We're just cash cows that they can exploit for their own benefit.
MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED WITH BLUND FORCE EVERY YEAR IN VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS THAN BY RIFLES-BAN ASSAULT HAMMERS.!!
Right, bobbo. If we had stricter gun laws back then, oj wouldn’t have been able to shoot Nicole with that knife. Dumbazz.
Bob Costas Who is She?
2 U.S. Code § 5207 – Firearms policies
Prohibition on confiscation of firearms
No officer or employee of the United States (including any member of the uniformed services), or person operating pursuant to or under color of Federal law, or receiving Federal funds, or under control of any Federal official, or providing services to such an officer, employee, or other person, while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency, may—
(1) temporarily or permanently seize, or authorize seizure of, any firearm the possession of which is not prohibited under Federal, State, or local law, other than for forfeiture in compliance with Federal law or as evidence in a criminal investigation;
(2) require registration of any firearm for which registration is not required by Federal, State, or local law;
(3) prohibit possession of any firearm, or promulgate any rule, regulation, or order prohibiting possession of any firearm, in any place or by any person where such possession is not otherwise prohibited by Federal, State, or local law; or
(4) prohibit the carrying of firearms by any person otherwise authorized to carry firearms under Federal, State, or local law, solely because such person is operating under the direction, control, or supervision of a Federal agency in support of relief from the major disaster or emergency.
(b) Limitation
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any person in subsection (a) from requiring the temporary surrender of a firearm as a condition for entry into any mode of transportation used for rescue or evacuation during a major disaster or emergency, provided that such temporarily surrendered firearm is returned at the completion of such rescue or evacuation.
(c) Private rights of action
(1) In general
Any individual aggrieved by a violation of this section may seek relief in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress against any person who subjects such individual, or causes such individual to be subjected, to the deprivation of any of the rights, privileges, or immunities secured by this section.
(2) Remedies
In addition to any existing remedy in law or equity, under any law, an individual aggrieved by the seizure or confiscation of a firearm in violation of this section may bring an action for return of such firearm in the United States district court in the district in which that individual resides or in which such firearm may be found.
(3) Attorney fees
In any action or proceeding to enforce this section, the court shall award the prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney’s fee as part of the costs.