During the November 20 airing of Real Time with Bill Maher, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) pro-gun control comments were countered by Maher’s observation that being armed during a Paris-style attack would at least give citizens a fighting chance to survive.
According to MRC/Newsbusters, Maher stepped in to defend the option of being armed for self-defense after Newsom dismissed the idea of a good guy with a gun having any real success against bad guys with guns.
Newsom said, “I just simply, this sort of mythology, the guy with the gun that’s going to come save the day, I mean, so right out of the movies, sort of this gun-slinging fantasy. The reality is, it’s most likely to create more harm, more damage, more lost lives in those circumstances.”
Surprised by Newsom’s willingness to accept the paradigm of citizens remaining unarmed in such a setting, Maher responded, “Really? So if you were in a restaurant and a crazy gunman came in, you wouldn’t want to have a gun? You’d rather just be shot?”
Newsom responded by suggesting that citizens without proper training might just start shooting in response and make things worse. They might get nervous and “start pointing the trigger or pointing a gun and shooting.”
Again, Maher countered by trying to get Newsom to listen to himself. Maher said, “But hasn’t the worst thing already happened? A crazed madman who’s bent on killing everyone? How could it get worse?”
Maher’s contention was clear—at least being armed would give citizens a fighting chance.
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