point of clarification

I see that the right wing noise machine has spun up and worked its adherents into quite a furor about me.
 
Fox News and its allies are working really hard to deflect attention and anger away from the role that unfettered access to weapons of mass murder played in the latest incidence of mass murder in America. Fox News and its allies want you to be angry at something they misled you into believing I said, so you will take the anger and sorrow and desire for action you feel after a mass shooting, and aim it at me, instead of holding the people in power who could prevent this to account. Fox News, Paul Ryan, and their allies are counting on their ability to fool you into believing their lies, so they can continue to do nothing until the next mass shooting, when they’ll offer thoughts and prayers but no action.
 
For a certain demographic of Fox News viewer, what I’m writing here won’t be enough. They just want to express righteous indignation and pat themselves on the back because it serves their narrative, so I’m not writing this for them. I’m writing this for reasonable people who are as sick and angry as I am about the endless cycle of preventable gun violence in America.
 
This is what I wrote yesterday, when I first saw that I was being misunderstood:
 
“I am so sick and angry that this keeps happening. America is the only first world country where we do nothing while our fellow humans are slaughtered by entirely preventable gun violence every day.
 
“People like Paul Ryan can write and pass laws that can address this epidemic of gun violence, which should be considered a public health crisis, but instead, Paul Ryan and people like him offer “thoughts and prayers” as a shield for their inaction.
 
“I heard privately from some close friends who are people of sincere Faith, and they were concerned that my anger at Paul Ryan would be misread as an attack on people of Faith. I want and need to apologize to anyone who felt like I was attacking them, or their faith (unless that person is Paul Ryan). I respect your Faith, even if I do not share it. I respect that prayer brings comfort and strength and guidance for a lot of people, and if you are one of those people, praying for God to bring comfort and strength to the families and friends of the victims and survivors is a deeply meaningful act.
 
“I am not attacking you or your Faith, and I see that in my anger, I didn’t write my thoughts as clearly as I could have. For that I sincerely apologize to anyone who I offended or hurt. I can’t take it back, but I can tell you that it was never my intention, nor is it my belief.
 
“I am angry at people like Paul Ryan who are quick to offer their thoughts and prayers after mass murder, but who refuse to do anything to even attempt to slow or stop the epidemic of gun violence that plagues America. He and people like him are hoping that you will give him a pass and let him exploit your Faith so he can continue to shrug his shoulders, take money from the NRA, and do absolutely nothing else.
 
“So just to be crystal clear: I apologize to those of you who are sincere people of Faith, who felt attacked by me. That was not my intention.”
 
==
 
To the professional atheists out there who are endlessly cruel, condescending, and dismissive toward people of Faith: I am not your ally and I’m not on your team. Don’t claim me as one of your own, because the right wing noise machine misinterpreted what I said (and I will do better in the future, to prevent my words from being misunderstood and misconstrued so easily).
 
To anyone who believes that my anger at Paul Ryan’s empty words is in any way directed toward the victims of gun violence: Attacking the victims, the survivors, or the victim’s families of any mass shooting, the way Alex Jones does with his false flag lies, is despicable and inexcusable. I want to be very clear: I was not and I am not attacking anyone who was in that church, I am not mocking their Faith. I don’t believe that a reasonable person would believe that I was, but because that lie has taken hold as a narrative, it’s important to me that I restate this, once again: Paul Ryan hides behind empty words about thoughts and prayers, exploiting the real and sincere beliefs held by people of Faith. He and people like him offer words without deeds over and over again, and I’m sick and tired of it. *That* is what I am attacking, and that is what I am angry about.
 
Fox News and its allies are working really hard to deflect attention and anger away from the role that unfettered access to weapons of mass murder played in the latest incidence of mass murder in America. Fox News and its allies want you to be angry at something they mislead you into believing I said, so you will take the anger and sorrow and desire for action you feel after a mass shooting, and aim it at me, instead of holding the people in power who could prevent this to account. Fox News, Paul Ryan, and their allies are counting on their ability to fool you into believing their lies, so they can continue to do nothing until the next mass shooting, when they’ll offer thoughts and prayers but no action.
 
Once again, to people of Faith who find comfort and strength in prayer: I am not mocking or belittling or attacking you or your relationship with God, and if you felt that I was, I hope you will accept this apology.
 
I will not apologize for being angry at Paul Ryan and people like him who have words but no deeds, and I hope that people of Faith will hold him to account.

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288 thoughts on “point of clarification”

  1. I am a person of faith and I agree with you and your statement 100%. I can’t imagine that someone who sincerely follows the teachings of a major religion would not believe that the U.S. needs to do more to keep guns out of the hands of those with a propensity to violence, whether by passing uniform laws from state to state requiring background checks, licensing, insurance, etc. and by outlawing access to semi-automatic weapons like the one used in Texas. It is astounding to me that someone who claims to value life would feel any other way. Don’t let the haters twist your words. You are not wrong. They are not truly people of faith.

  3. If you only posted generic, politically correct stuff everyday, you probably would feel confined in your twitter account and lose interest in it. I prefer to follow the REAL Wil, the one that tweets too much about hockey and other stuff. I wait patiently for the tweets that I find to be amusing or true gems. That is what following should be about. Not changing the person, but just watching them and enjoying their humanity.

  6. As a person of faith, I never thought for a second you were attaching anyone’s faith. Or that you were attacking believers. Paul Ryan and his pack of NRA worshiper have the blood of thousands on their hands. Inaction means collusion with the shooters.

  7. Well said, Wil – both your original statements and these clarifications. Thank you for expressing what so many of us feel!

  8. Paul Ryan was offering thoughts and prayers to people who were literally shot to death while praying. The time for prayer on this issue is long past. People in government need to either show leadership and do something, or STFU.

  9. You’re blaming your ignorance on FOX news? Typical. You said something stupid and insensitive….man up. But like the child you still are, you blame it on someone else.

      1. What laws Jason? I’d love to have a rational conversation about this. But no one seems capable.

          1. I don’t believe it is non sequitur because I think that’s Mr. Wheaton’s point. It’s not so much that praying is worthless, it’s just that Paul Ryan needs to take action. What action would you like Paul Ryan to take. What laws would you like him to submit to the Senate?

            I think it’s absurd that every time there is a mass shooting a Republican is blamed and every time there is a terrorist attack a Democrat is blamed. Both are childish and ignorant.

      1. “People like Paul Ryan can write and pass laws that can address this epidemic of gun violence, which should be considered a public health crisis, but instead, Paul Ryan and people like him offer “thoughts and prayers” as a shield for their inaction.

        What laws Carlos? Have you checked out the gun laws in Chicago recently?

        Tell me what laws.

          1. I think that’s fair. What federal laws would you like to government to add. And how much responsibility go to the Democrats who owned the house, Senate and Presidency back in 2008. They could have done anything they wanted,

        2. What laws? Federal laws that are nation wide and uniform that outright ban most guns and make guns extremely inconvenient to buy for those ones that are available to citizens. Rigorous background checks. None of this buying at gun shows crap. Rigorous gun control on a nationwide basis. States should have some independence, absolutely but the federal government should be mandating a minimum standard of gun control while the states should have the option of being more restrictive if they choose. When I use the word “minimum” in that context, I don’t mean permissive, I mean that federally guns are restricted to a large degree and the states can go further if they wish.

          Gun control works. In Australia leading up to 1996 when there was a national gun buy back scheme in response to Port Arthur, there were 13 mass shootings in the 15 years prior. In the 21 years since, there have been zero mass shootings.

          Zero.

          Gun control works.

          Rigorous background checks is not infringing on anyone’s rights to bear arms. Those checks are only going to stop people of unsuitable character from purchasing guns legally. If you are against that, I would ask you the question “Why do you want people of unsuitable character to be able to purchase guns?”. The purpose of the second amendment is pretty clear. The right to bear arms is there to resist against invading powers or a government that gets a bit too much. People of unsuitable character aren’t going to fight in those fights anyway.

          “but criminals don’t obey the laws”. So what. Most of the mass shooters weren’t criminals before they started pulling the trigger and bought their guns legally. So even if restrictive gun laws have no effect on crime, if we could reduce or eliminate the mass shootings that seems a start. Also, less legal guns means less guns moving from the legal market to the black market.

          “but good guys with guns prevent crime”. Fat lot of good the good guys with guns cowering in the Walmart the other day did anyone. Actually, that’s not true, they did some good for the actual criminal because of all the extra time it took police to process the scene because of all the additional weapons having been drawn.

          Gun control works. Any philosophy that suggests that the right to own a gun is more important than the lives of innocents lost in mass shootings is morally bankrupt.

    3. It might have been insensitive, but Fox News is GREAT at taking things out of context in order to support its own narative to the end of – you guessed it – ratings. Ratings generates ad revenue.

      As a person of faith, I’ll tell you this. Will is NOT wrong. Prayer without courage of action is just empty words said to make ones-self feel good about themselves.

  10. Well said, Wil. Sometimes in the heat of the moment one can react instantly and angrily, and in the process say or intimate stuff that we don’t really mean. It’s cool that you’ve learned your lesson on this one – I’ve done similar things myself.

    But on the shooting thing I totally agree with the general point you were trying to make. Problem is, Fox look for any weakness, and attack an argument by nitpicking. Rather than debate Hillary Clinton’s actual policies, they took her to task for the emails. Just as the whole “prayer” misunderstanding here means it’s easy for them to make you the story, rather than your intended message.

    Nolite te bastardes carborundorum

    Peace and love,

    Ryan.

  13. People of faith, any faith, should be condemning politicians who offer platitudes instead of substantive bills to address this national gun crisis. People of faith, should exert as much pressure as they can on these do nothing, NRA funded shills, and demand action at the cost of their elected seat. Enough is enough. People of faith should know that prayer is as much to help the the one who prays align themselves with God, and as such, to take action to save human lives. Don’t apologize. Continue to challenge the armchair Christians who vote for politicians that debase the message of God.

  14. I for one did not misunderstand what you were saying. I agree with you 100%. Empty prayers are useless. People stop hiding behind your bible and take action. The only reason a common person has to own a gun is for hunting and nobody should be hunting with automatic and semi-automatic guns. Lets stop the NRA from dictating how America should be run.

      1. Wow, one good guy with a gun killed a bad with a gun that had already killed almost 30 innocent people… what’s the win here again? You are a real imbecile, and I truly hope at some point the country does indeed do something to orevent morins like you from “havin mah gun”….

      2. You’re not wrong, but consider: how many people would be dead if the shooter had only been able to get, say, a revolver? Would 26 people still have died before the other guy with a gun stopped him? The statements I read from witnesses said that the whole thing lasted “maybe 15 seconds.” The other guy reacted pretty quickly to stop the shooter — really about as quickly as anyone could reasonably expect. And yet, the shooter still killed 26 people before the other guy could react. If anything, I see this as the perfect example of why “good guy with a gun” isn’t enough. Maybe it’s finally time to reconsider whether civilians need access to weapons that can kill people faster than one per second.

      3. 26 people died before the shooter was stopped. I feel like that’s too many. In fact, if only one person had died that would be too many. I will never understand people who say things like this. Yeah, great, the shooter only killed 26 people! 26 people which included pregnant women and children! You know what else would have stopped the shooter from shooting those people? IF THE SHOOTER DIDN’T HAVE A GUN IN THE FIRST PLACE!

      6. I would like to point out that Mr. Kelley & Paddock were a good guy until he thought about using the gun to kill others.
        I do NOT want to take your gun away, like some sort of prohibition. It’s not always about EXTREMES, BLACK or WHITE.

        People are asking for REASONABLE control of guns. You need to prove you’re a responsible gun owner. Just like a responsible car owner/driver.

        You want a gun to hunt? OK. You want a gun to defend yourself from bear? OK. Want a gun to defend yourself from a mugger? OK Home Invasion? OK. But do you need the ability to shoot hundreds of bullets in a few seconds to hunt? defend against a bear? Mugger? Home invasion? This isn’t a hoard of walking dead zombies were talking about.

        People own guns in other countries. The only exception maybe North Korea. The difference is what you gun can do.

        I would LOVE to be able to do 180 miles / hour on a highway, but there are speed limits. I can buy a car that can do 180 miles per hour. However, for everyone safety I’m not allow to drive that way.

        I get it, the court have ruled American’s have the right to own guns. It’s your right. As a gun owner, can’t you simply admit there are some people out there who may use that tool in a manner that is dangerous and as such we should put some limits in place?

        Yes, there will still be gun violence. Yes, there will still be murder. We’re simply asking let’s make it so they good guys can get there any the bad guy has only gotten off a few dozen shots vs a hundred / thousands.

  15. Come on, Wil at least be honest. Everyone understood the “sack of shit” comment was aimed at Ryan. I tend to agree with you on that, for my own reasons. But the “If prayers did anything, they’d still be alive, ” was the part that bothered most of us people of faith. You dishonored the beliefs and memories of the victims who were guilty that morning of nothing more than to express that faith with friends and family. That was a reprehensible, mean-spiritsd thing to tweet, and I have not seen you apologize for using those incredibly hurtful and disrespectful words at a time like that.

    1. As I have said repeatedly, I am referring to Paul Ryan’s apparent belief that thoughts and prayers are equal to legislative action. I was not speaking about the victims. I understand that I was not clear, and I’ve apologized for that.

      1. Wil, I’m a religious person. I appreciated your anger. Everyone should be angry. For the most part, I understood where you were coming from. If there is a gun law that would have prevented this, I’m all for adding it. But democrats had 60 senators and control of congress in 2008. What on Earth did they do? Nothing. They could have enacted any law they wanted.

  16. Thanks for the clarification. Do you have any specific recommendations? I do not know what Paul Ryan believes but he MAY honestly believe that stricter gun laws will actually do more harm than good because the good guys will turn in their guns, but not the bad guys. Killers target gun-free zones. Strict gun laws don’t help Chicago’s murder rate. But Texas actually has a very low murder rate “per gun” than Chicago does, if I recall.

    1. Strict gun laws don’t help Chicago’s murder rate because its neighbor, Indiana, has lax gun laws and is the source of most guns used in crimes in Chicago. Massachusetts, for example, also has strict gun laws but doesn’t have the high murder rate because its neighbors ALSO have strict gun laws.

      1. BUT CHICAGO is a tired discredited argument. Chicago is surrounded by states, especially Indiana, that have some of the weakest gun laws in the nation. Guns used in crimes in Chicago are almost always traced back to Indiana. Look at states that have strict laws, which are also surrounded by states that have strict laws, and you see that their rate of gun violence is substantially lower than states which border places like Indiana, that have weak laws.

        1. People in Chicago are still breaking the law, because criminals have a tendency to do that. That said, what kind of federal gun laws are you advocating?

          1. Way to paint everyone who lives here as some kind of criminal! Have you ever even lived here? Or do you simply go on the inaccurate portrayals of the conservative media? Honestly, you really need to stop. It’s offensive, it’s disingenuous and it’s just plain nasty.

        2. If the states surrounding Chicago have weak gun laws, why do they have lower rates of crime? I know the answer, I’m just trying to get it to click in your head.

      1. Just to be clear… You think I’m a gun loving NRA puppet? That’s funny. On this issue, both sides hate me, so I think I’m in pretty good shape.

  17. I’m going to say a very Canadian thing now … I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you have to spell this out for people who are attacking you. It must be exhausting. Your comments were very clear to reasonable people.

  20. I don’t follow twitter, so I don’t know how taken out of context the quote I saw was, or even if it was real.

    I still want to see an episode of Big Bang Theory tackle this with Sheldon moderating a debate between you and his Texas Baptist Mother on the subject. Because I am an evil person.

  21. As a person of faith – who prays – your original comments were taken just as they were meant. It’s hard for me to be okay with the whole “thoughts & prayers” line from people who are in a position to do MORE than just pray. They can take real life action that would make a difference. And if they truly believed in the same God I do (as they claim to), they would be taking those actions.

  22. I’ll have to take my usual stance on your writing! I AGREE 100%! I’ve been sick at heart–literally, palpitations, chest ache, and more, since the election, AND things keep getting worse. Sure, mental illness is a problem, BUT new gun laws will help that!!! Keep well and sane in these difficult times, Wil!

    1. Have you considered the possibility that it’s precisely YOU who’s nuts, as your being “literally sick at heart” since the election indicates? Likely not. Your very madness prevents you from such honest soul-searching.

  23. As always, Mr. Wheaton establishes that he is a class act and seeks to energize the discussion about gun control so that something can be done. I don’t think this Congress is going to do anything without the NRA’s blessing, though. Hopes and prayers, Wil!

  24. As an atheist in Canada, I totally agree with you. Hate the belief and not the believer. Please elect people that will do something about the gun problem you have.

  25. Just to add.

    Wil is one of the few celebrities who has made my life better. Because of him, I have game night every week with my son.

    If this evil man obtained these guns legally, I’m all for ANY LAW that would stop that. But laws are the tip of the iceberg. Have you checked out the gun laws in Chicago? How are they working out?

    Today movies are more violent. But Hollywood is never responsible for anything bad. Hollywood only inspires good? If you don’t believe me just listen to an awards show when they can’t stop patting themselves on the back.

    Web content on how to kill people is readily available. How do you control the first amendment, where loonies like this have easy access to content on how to turn semi-automatics and automatic weapons? Do you want big brother monitoring every action? If so blog about the ACLU and tell them to lay off. But the ACLU only does good things…Right?

    In this political correct society a grandmother at the airport is securitized just as much as a Middle Eastern man. How the hell did that happen? That’s a complete waste of resources, and yes, it is political incorrect to say that.

    Guns have always been available… What has changed? More access to violent images. More hate and division by people who disagree with you? Wil certainly expresses that with frequency. Greater internet access of How to Videos? Civil Rights activists which will not allow profiling.

    If you think this is Paul Ryan’s fault, you’re insane.

    1. I don’t think Wil is blaming Paul Ryan as the cause of this incident. I think he’s blaming Ryan as someone who has the power to take action to prevent these types of things from happening again (and again and again), yet who repeatedly does nothing. Would any of those potential actions have stopped this tragedy? It’s impossible to say, of course, but doing nothing certainly didn’t.

  26. Wil, you’re total scum. Total. You’re a degnerate on the same level as Lee Harvey Swinestein. Kevin “Gay Pederast” Spacey, and all feculent Hollywood filth soon to be exposed.

    But your very degeneracy blinds you to this.

    It also blinds you to the fact that you should stay silent. For your twisted ilk, Twitter and so on only hasten your self-destruction and advertise your perverse degeneracy. Those of sound mind see this (even the filth at The Washington Post see the triumphantly ignorant toxicity in your comments). The best thing would be for you to retreat into silence, look seriously inward, read something like In Silence With God by Benedict Baur, and purge the poison from your rancid, polluted soul.

    But you’ll do none of this. Precisely because you’re yet another stinking degenerate.

    We see right through you.

    “O shame, where is thy blush?” (Shakespeare, Hamlet)

  28. “angry at something they mislead you into believing I said”

    Nitpicky edit: ‘misled’ is the past tense.

    Carry on!

  30. As a person of faith I am offended that Ryan uses this opportunity to deflect his inaction with “prayers”. Anybody can say that…but if you have to power to help with more than words…do it.

    1. Real “persons of faith” never call themselves “persons of faith.” This is a term invented by degenerates and counterfeits. What you are it this: total scum, precisely like Wil Wheaton.

      1. You’re insane. As far as this thread is concerned, I may be out on an island, but you’re on Pluto.

  31. I found your comment very accurate actually, still can’t understand how that many people could be so bleary-eyed

  32. Apology accepted, even though I, as a person of faith, was not offended. I understand, and share, your anger. It is people like Paul Ryan who give the world a false picture of what faith is. I can only speak for Christianity, but am sure that all true religions teach the same thing. Faith without works is nothing. Faith used as an excuse is not faith. Prayer is a part of my daily life, but it does not deflect bullets, nor does it keep me safe from the evils in this world. If all we offer is empty words, then we have done nothing. Now is the time to contact all of our representatives in government both national and local, and demand that guns such ass use in this latest attack are kept out of the hands of all but the military. No normal citizen needs any “assault type” weapons. Stand firm, Wil.

    Colleen

  34. There is so much that can be done about violence in the USA and yet all we get is hand-wringing and “thoughts and prayers”. I see you, I hear you, and I rage with you. It is a sore subject with many.

    1. Guns are here to stay. The genie is out of the bottle and can never be put back in. There are over 300,000,000 guns in the U.S. alone.

      The only question is whether civilized people with guns will outnumber criminal scum with guns and thus be able to stop them, as in this latest shooting.

      Pig, you’re not going to take our guns. Ever. Come at us and find out.

      1. Uh huh. So if the laws were changed you’d be fine with being a criminal as well then? Where’s your moral high ground then?

        Not that your moral high ground exists now

  35. Sigh. Fox just likes to stir the pot of “having opinions about other folk’s opinions”, with little effort to get at the true facts, the hard numbers, about violence in America in general, and gun violence in particular.

    As if we needed reminding, Fox has lost awareness of the many differences between fact-free propaganda and fact-based journalism.

    However, we must always remember “echo chambers” exist within all partisan communities, and they come in many flavors for both the left and right.

    There are insane wingnuts on the left, and there are well-reasoned folks on the right. Reject wingnuts of all stripes. Seek reasoned discourse with informed people of all stripes.

    Be the one who sets a table for all willing to sit and talk with respect and manners. Be informed not just on your own favorite positions, but those held by other folks as well. When something new pops up, don’t do an “interrogation so I can fight this”. Instead ask questions to truly understand what their position means, both to them and to folks like them.

    In my personal experience, this approach flips conservatives like Tiddly-Winks.

    1. We see right through you, Bob. You’re a stinking, filthy, degenerate pig trapped in an eternal quest to justify and mask your total degeneracy. Go suck on Swinestein and spare us your virtue-signaling.

  38. Wil – I thought that bought your tweets and your blog post were right on. You speak from a passionate position and are entitled to your opinion.

    Not that I’m supporting Paul Ryan or Congress in general, every time there is an event such as this, the conversation about gun control gets stirred up.

    I would like to offer the view point that we need to be reminded of. Laws DO NOT prevent violence. Criminals DO NOT follow the laws. So while any efforts to introduce additional laws, such as the bump stock issues from Las Vegas or additional background checks or mandatory gun confiscation if you’ve been handled for mental illness or any type of violent crime and you own weapons are admirable and should definitely be included in national conversations, this will not prevent future violence. It is a sad fact.

    Even passing laws make it illegal to manufacture certain types of weapons does not prevent criminals for gaining access to the weapons. It only prevents the law-abiding citizen from gaining access to them.

    1. I really can’t stand this argument, I’m sorry. It’s so disingenuous. If laws don’t prevent bad things, why make any?

  39. Thank you for the quick response to your tweet. Yes it could have been worded better but as a person of faith and a fan of yours I see and understand what you were trying to convey and you are right! It’s time we put our prayers into action..

  40. I am a bit confused. No offense, you say you respect their Faith, but you’ve said Christianity is based on a “bullshit fairytale”. This would be the first and only time I’ve ever read or heard you say anything positive about it. Usually, it’s condemnation for believing in it.

    So, I get you didn’t mean the “firestorm” it is supposedly been turned into, but I just can’t see your sentiment as being sincere when you’ve show little respect in the past.

    I know thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. There needs to be action.

  41. As a person of faith I knew exactly what you meant. “Thoughts and prayers” is empty when coming from a politician who’s record on gun control is nil.

  43. If Wil is right, and it’s the legislators fault, then this guy bough his guns legally. Does anyone know if this guy bought his guns legally? Isn’t that question number one?

    However, I believe I’m the only person even questioning if this mans guns were bought legally.

    2. Feculent pig, dishonorable discharge from the military is a felony. Felons can’t legally buy guns. The shooter was dishonorably discharged and thus a felon. Thus he didn’t legally buy (if bought after the discharge). Stinking ignoramus.

      Why are you so desperate to be eternally gang raped by Paco, Jamal, and Abdul?

          1. I’m for any law that will prevent a person like this from legally obtaining a gun. I’m for any law that makes it easier to validate an application. I’m still not sure he brought these guns legally, but lets say he did. I’m looking forward to dems actually talking about solutions instead of their usual talking points.

            Assault Weapons? It’s a meaningless term. What the hell is an assault weapon? I’m more concerned with videos how to turn semi automatics into automatics. How do you make those illegal? Do Dems want to make semi-automatics illegal. Then say that.

            It’s all rhetoric all the time. From both sides.

            Paul Ryan tweets: ” Reports out of Texas are devastating. The people of Sutherland Springs need our prayers right now.” Based on the information at hand, that’s about all he could tweet. What is he going to do, call for gun laws? He doesn’t even know what gun laws might have been broken.

            Mr. Wheaton is upset and he immediately lays blame to Paul Ryan. I’m personally glad he’s mad, but I also think that’s absurd. Even if Ryan submitted a bill, we still have a Senate.

            Other than bump stocks, nothing could have been done about Vegas. And Bump Stocks were on President Obama’s watch. No one was talking about Bump Stocks six weeks ago.

            If Kelly bought these guns legally, I’m very interested in closing that loophole. And if he bought these guns legally, I will wager that Ryan will submit a bill to close such loopholes. If not, rip him then. I look forward to the debate, even though I have no doubt it wont be honest.

            Seldom do gun laws prevent such shootings. But even if it’s one, then sign me up.

  44. I’m a person of faith and I didn’t feel attacked at all. Prayers are important but at some point we need to actually do something–and I assumed that’s what you meant. I appreciate your quick response and thank you.

  45. Not sure if you’ll ever see this but wanted to comment. For the record, I am a person of faith, and I am also for much stronger gun control.

    When I first saw your tweet I thought it came off wrong, but because I have followed you for a while I knew you were not attacking my faith- you we just understandably pissed off at the whole situation. This is where social media fails us. It is just too easy to take a single comment and run with it. In a normal conversation, or even a blog post, there would be context and explanation. Some people say when tragedy strikes the best thing you can do is get off social media for 24hrs. I have not heeded the advice myself, but I get the sentiment.

    Anyway, I appreciate this post and hope you don’t get inundated with hate mail from “Fox and their allies”.

  48. I admit I was a bit confused at first and was hoping for some clarification. Thank you for your apology: Sincerely accepted.

  49. It’s refreshing to read an honest apology for writing something that was misconstrued. Congratulations for making enemies of some of the worst people in the world; the contrast makes you look even better.

  50. Wil,
    I am:
    From a large catholic family.
    A US Army servicemember since 2010.
    A concealed carry holder.
    An award winning marksmen.

    I have met you once and I was a fan before.

    Now I implore you to NOT stop. I personally didn’t find anything you said to be offensive. I agree with the point you were trying to make and I am not alone. Faith has it’s place. However, faith will not fix our gun regulations and laws. Chicago is not a standard for our country as a whole. There are fixes that could be put in place that would still prevent a prohibition style reaction to gun control with a diminished value of gun violence.

    Your shot at Ryan was perfect. I appreciate the clarification on your stance on faith. But the original point made was absolutely correct.

    A very proud fan,
    Joshua

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