![Bill Maher: ‘I Ain’t Giving Up My Gun’ [Video]](http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Bill-Maher1.jpg)
The Inquisitr
Gun control supporter Bill Maher admitted he owns guns for personal protection even though he thinks the Second Amendment is “bullsh*t.”
On the HBO Real Time episode on Friday (see embed below), Maher criticized the failed Manchin-Toomey expanded background checks bill because it prohibited a national gun registry. “ … Of course we need a gun registry,” Maher said. “The Second Amendment is bullsh*t.”
Much of the opposition to the Senate bill centered on concerns, despite denials from Manchin-Toomey supporters, that a federal gun registry would be the next step.
Later in the show, Maher offered this interesting revelation: “As long as we live in the gun country, I ain’t giving up my gun … there have been 12 home invasions in my neighborhood in the last year … I have two guns, one upstairs and one down.” Maher presumably lives in an upscale Beverly Hills enclave.
What do you think? Are owning guns and calling the 2A bullshit two incompatible things? I'm sure the pro-gun crowd who venerate the 2nd Amendment would say so, but is it?
I don't think so. I consider the 2nd Amendment to be anachronistic and meaningless in today's world, notwithstanding the recent Supreme Court rulings. Yet, I don't believe complete eradication of civilian gun ownership is appropriate.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Maher said that he has guns--two of them, one upstairs and one down, and we must wonder how they're stored--for his protection. If you watch the video clip on the source site, you'll see his guests agreeing with him--except for Michael Moore, but as we all know, fat white men oppose gun ownership.
ReplyDeleteThe hypocrisy here is so thick that I'm surprised anyone in that room can breathe. Maher wants strict controls, but he owns guns. He understands that as a celebrity and wealthy person, he'll always have access to protection. Why should he care what happens to the rest of us?
It doesn't matter if the the 2A is BS or if it isn't BS. What Maher has shown is that there is a market for guns and all the legislation and enforcement in the world will not eliminate a market.
ReplyDeleteYou guys a fighting a losing battles. Period. End of story.
orlin sellers
"Later in the show, Maher offered this interesting revelation: “As long as we live in the gun country, I ain’t giving up my gun … there have been 12 home invasions in my neighborhood in the last year … I have two guns, one upstairs and one down.” Maher presumably lives in an upscale Beverly Hills enclave."
ReplyDelete"Maher has never been one to mince words, even in the face of a barrage of death threats. The Real Time with Bill Maher host tells THR that he receives so many negative messages that he's hired a full-time security guard at his home."
So, Maher has a full time security guard at his house, lives in the number one ranked state for strict gun laws, and still feels the need to provide another potential source for criminals to aquire guns by keeping two in his home. The logic seems a bit circular the way he says it. He aquired the guns because he lives in the "gun country", thereby making it more of a gun country.
As for whether owning guns and the second amendment being incompatible, lets see how it would work with the first amendment. This seems to fit in with current events. Would a professional who make a living reporting current events, or a media entertainer who favored the government adding more types of speech formerly considered protected speech, to the list often refered to unprotected speech, such as the ever popular yelling fire in a theatre, defimation, sedetion, etc? For example negative comments about a sitting president. Would those two items seem incompatible, or dare I say hypocritical?
"Are owning guns and calling the 2A bullshit two incompatible things?"
ReplyDeleteIf you are an elitist such a position is totally fine.
Almost everyone who considers themselves to be highly educated, wealthy, a government official, and/or a celebrity also consider themselves to be elite -- above the masses. Bill Maher is a celebrity so of course he thinks it is totally rational that HE can have guns AND that HE can bash the 2nd Amendment.
- TruthBeTold
I don't believe it't the 2A protection that enables US citizens to own guns. We'd be able to own guns anyway.
DeleteWe being the approved minority with the money and time to pass all of your tests.
DeleteTruthBeTold, I'm well educated and teach college English, but I regard gun ownership and carry to be basic rights.
DeleteMikeb, that was a deliberate falsehood. Under your proposals, some few of us would be able to own a firearm of limited utility, so long as it's disassembled or otherwise requires a long time to access. Even fewer would be able to carry said firearm. And the government could easily take even that away.
Yep, trash his own second civil right and then say he is not giving his guns up? Without his second civil right to own them the government could force him to give up his guns.
ReplyDeleteBe careful of what you wish for Bill, you may get it. And lose your guns in the process.
Hmm . . . Bill Maher, who frequently speaks of his habitual illegal drug use, is also a gun owner? That violates a federal law does it not?
ReplyDeleteGranted, it's a law I find repugnant, but I don't think Mikeb does (don't you want to ban mention of the joys of craft-brewed beer on gun blogs?). But even a repugnant law becomes still more repugnant if it only applies to non-celebrities (Mikeb's support of different laws for celebrities notwithstanding).
So in the highly unlikely event Maher ever is charged with illegal possession of firearms, I wonder what his legal defense would be. I would think a decent case could be made for challenging the gun prohibition on Second Amendment grounds, even while using medical marijuana (I don't know if his marijuana use is in compliance with California's medical marijuana laws, but that would be the smart way for him to go about it). Owning guns while legally using prescription pain killers is legal, after all.
Ah--but the Second Amendment is "bullshit." Too bad for him.
Mike, do you think Bill Maher should be allowed to own guns?
DeleteYeah, why not, because he claims to smoke pot?
DeleteYeah, why not, because he claims to smoke pot?
Delete"Why not?" Oh, I don't know--maybe this (bold emphasis added)?
Now, even though I fully support the legalization of marijuana, and strongly oppose the incarceration of pot users, I believe smoking dope should be a disqualifier to gun ownership . . .
I feel the same way about habitual alcohol use, even moderate daily drinking.
. . . Is anything wrong with requiring folks who claim to be responsible gun owners to maintain total abstinence from drugs including alcohol?
And what's this about "he claims to smoke pot"? Is it your contention, then, that he might be lying about it? Keep in mind that federal law prohibits selling a gun to anyone whom the seller thinks might be legally ineligible to buy a gun.
If Maher walked into a gun show, saw a gun he liked offered by a private seller, and during the sale process, told the guy that he just loved smoking pot, would you want the seller charged with a crime for going ahead with the sale?
What if the seller said in his defense that he thought Maher was lying about the marijuana use, and was thus not a "prohibited purchaser"--would you support dropping charges then?
Thanks for doing the work, Kurt.
DeleteYes, Mike, you've explicitly stated multiple times that pot use should be a disqualifier- even with a medical allowance. I am beginning to think politics is the driving factor in your judgements, which is exactly the problem we have with "may issue". He's on the left, he's a celebrity, AND most importantly he supports gun control- so he's good to go. I bet you even think it is ok for Laci to own guns despite the 142 times you've said "one strike, you're out!"
Want some more examples of "why not?" Mikeb (all bold emphasis is mine)?
DeleteHow 'bout:
People who use medical marijuana should not own guns, let alone carry them around, because pot interferes with your motor skills, your thinking, your sensory perception, all of which are indispensible [sic] for responsible gun management.
Besides, medical marijuana patients fall into two categories. Most are people who like to get high and are scamming the system, of course they should be disqualified from gun ownership. The minority is people who really need relief from extremely severe physical symptoms of various diseases, which unfortunately, must disqualify them too [that's too disgusting to reply to].
. . . and how 'bout:
Mine is a sort-of zero tolerance for pot and alcohol and other drugs for gun owners.
. . . and then there's:
Do you think responsible gun owners can smoke pot and continue to be responsible? I don't. I believe one would have to choose, pot or guns. If you want to get high, fine I have no problem with it. Drugs should be legal anyway in my opinion. But, I cannot accept that drug use and gun ownership are compatible.
So why the "why not?" when it comes to Maher's pot and guns? Just another case of you approving of the fact that "everything's easier for celibrities [sic]" (and do I detect an unstated, but very real, "especially left wing 'celibrities' [sic]")?
Bravo, Kurt. You're taking the "gotchas" to a new level.
DeleteThanks, TS--I do like to have my fun.
DeleteYou said "allowed to own guns." Kurt, with his extensive research into my past comments on the matter did not produce the much-desired gotcha.
DeleteI don't believe people should be disarmed for SAYING they smoke pot or for INFERRING they do, which is what Bill Maher usually does, in order to maintain a certain TV persona.
I lump the pot smokers and the drinkers in with the hidden criminals, but as much as you guys try to paint me as one who hates all civil rights, I don't propose disarming them for what they say.
Now THAT is funny. In seven hours that's the best you could come up with, eh?
DeleteAlright--fine. Let's accept the notion that he might have been lying (for some reason) when he said he loved marijuana enough to "marry" it. Let's further accept the idea that he also lied (for some reason) when he told the Hollywood Reporter that he smokes it twice a week. Let's even assume that (for some reason) he's smoking oregano in this video.
So you're telling us, Mikeb, that although we must not trust a pot smoker with guns, we can trust a liar with them?
Oh, and how about my earlier question? Do you support repealing the law that would send the gun seller to prison for selling Maher a gun, after Maher states that he is a marijuana user, or do you support imprisoning the seller for doing so--and if the latter, would you think that saying "I thought he was lying about the marijuana use" is a valid defense for the seller?
I didn't say he was lying. I said he should not be punished for SAYING something whether it's the truth or a lie.
DeleteI have also said a person who smokes dope is not a responsible gun owner.
How much effort are you going to invest in trying to make those two things into some kind of gotcha while TS applauds on the sidelines.
And you said you don't have any followers.
I didn't say he was lying.
DeleteHe is either a marijuana user, and thus ineligible for gun ownership under both your rules and actual law, or he's a liar. There is exactly zero possibility of him not being at least one of those things.
Also--you going to get around to my question about the gun seller some time?
Finally, if TS is a "follower" of mine, then I am equally a follower of his.
Mikeb, you told me once that because I have beer-making equipment, I shouldn't own a gun. I don't know if Maher smokes marijuana or drinks alcohol or puts sparkly paint on his toenails. He's a vile person, but I still defend his rights.
DeleteAw, come on, Mike. You really don’t see me as just a cheering fan holding up a “Kurt #1” giant foam middle finger from the bleachers, do you? I’m a starter on this team!
DeleteI’m still wondering how you are going to disarm half of America with an applied standard that SAYING they engage in disqualifying activities during their “may-issue” interview with law enforcement means they should still get the stamp of approval. Wasn’t the point of “may-issue” on gun ownership so that those whom have never been caught doing something bad, but the authorities know they are not responsible types can be weeded out of the gun owning pool. Shall I go find a quote of you saying something like that, or just root for Kurt to do it?
You're right, TS. You were a starter around here before Kurt ever deigned to honor us with his fanaticism.
DeleteBut, you're support of his flimsy gotcha was beneath you so I took the opportunity to stab you a bit.
What Kurt likes to do with research and quotes is turn the argument from what it is, in this case Bill Maher's gun ownership, into catching me out for inconsistencies or contradictions. It quickly devolves into a tedious bickering over what I meant and what I really believe and what I think, getting further and further from the original topic.
This is a tricky and slick form of personal attack. And it's a drag.
Do try to stay on topic, will ya?
Translation of Mikeb: I don't like it when people use facts and logic and my own statements against me.
DeleteWell, if you found the discussion so far to be "off topic," you'll probably really object to this.
ReplyDeleteHow long do you suppose it will be before California starts correlating medical marijuana cards with the state's gun registry, and sending the JBTs out to confiscate guns?
Don't worry--I'm sure your pal Maher will be granted the "progressive," America-hating asshole exemption.