A memorial dedicated to the 19 children and two adults killed on May 24th during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School is seen on June 1, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. | Source: Brandon Bell / Getty
That’s it. I am convinced conservative pundits and politicians are engaging in a secret competition to see who can come up with the most asinine anti-gun regulation arguments they can attach to the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Marjorie Taylor Greene — of “peach tree dish” fame — argued that the problem was a “lack of God,” mental illness, a “peach street dish” and a lack of meds despite Salvador Ramos never having been diagnosed with any mental illness. Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson blamed rap music and video games. Others blamed the immigration crisis despite Ramos being a U.S. citizen. Donald Trump Jr. argued that Ramos could have committed the “exact same” crime with a bat that he did with an assault rifle.
And if you didn’t think anyone could possibly come up with a more ridiculous argument, Fox News host Laura Ingraham is here to shout, “Hold my beer.” (Or, in this case, “Hold my blunt.”)
Citing research from the prestigious University of This Is What I Heard, Ingraham has suggested that the reason an 18-year-old bought guns with premeditated plans to commit a mass shooting was that—wait for it—he was smoking weed.
Republicans love to blame everything but guns for mass shootings.
Laura Ingraham is trying to bring back “reefer madness.”
— Gabe Sanchez (@iamgabesanchez) June 1, 2022
“Why aren’t people in general not talking more about the pot psychosis–violent behavior connection?” Ingraham asked her guest, Dr. Russell Kaymer.
“This is something that the medical community is well aware of,” Ingraham continued. “Yet, you get the sense that the billions of dollars on the line are more important than our kids. And what’s happening especially to young men in the United States, who are frequent users of this high-potency THC that’s now in marijuana products sold legally in dispensaries across the United States. I mean, this at the very least needs a serious national conversation.”
Imagine defending the guns used to carry out a mass shooting that killed 19 children and, at the same time, accusing the medical community of deciding the freedom to smoke marijuana is “more important than our kids.”
Ingraham added: “And yet people like Beto [O’Rourke]—and I’m not trying to drag you in a political conversation, Dr. Kaymer—but they’re fine with going in and do a run on the guns. And I guess you can argue that, if that’s what you want to do, try to get rid of the Second Amendment, but yeah, completely oblivious to what legalization of marijuana has done and is doing to an entire generation of Americans with violent consequences.”
First of all, no serious lawmaker is looking to do away with the Second Amendment. And it appears that Ingraham is aware of that because she kept qualifying her statement with, “I guess you can argue that.” It’s the kind of thing you know you have to say when you know you’re presenting a strawman argument.
Of course, Kaymer did his job as her guest by vaguely citing his colleagues as evidence that there’s any link between violent mass shootings and cannabis use.
“What we find in studies [is that] it’s very clear that the use of the high potency marijuana is strongly associated with the development of psychosis,” Kaymer said. “My colleagues in Colorado are sounding the alarm because that was one of the first states to legalize. It’s practically a daily occurrence that kids come into the emergency rooms in florid, cannabis-induced psychosis.” (Weed wasn’t legal in Colorado when Columbine happened, but whatever.)
Anyway, the fine folks on Twitter have essentially dubbed the whole segment Reefer Madness 2022.
I live in WA state. We are all potheads. Coffee, pot and the great outdoors.
We have, so far, stopped all potential school shootings through proactive policy & community involvement.
Try again Laura.
— Virginia Kneib (@VKneib) June 1, 2022
Reefer Madness obviously doesn’t cause mass shootings.
Not one person has ever been reported shot at a Willie Nelson concert. pic.twitter.com/VPLeXud3Ym
— Robby (@robowski5951) June 1, 2022
When your talking point is Reefer Madness it’s time to put a sock in it. https://t.co/plD9PimjQ3
— Devin Nunes’ cow
(@DevinCow) June 1, 2022
By “well researched”, she means that she watched “Reefer Madness” once. pic.twitter.com/DauWDTAKac
— Brynn Tannehill (@BrynnTannehill) June 1, 2022
Laura Ingraham is now blaming “pot psychosis” for the violence in America. Sorry, lady, but the only thing people are tearing up after some weed is a microwave full of hot pockets & weird things like chips dipped in ice cream, because it sounds delicious.
— Kyla In The Burgh
(@KylaInTheBurgh) June 1, 2022
Good morning to everyone who knows that people who smoke pot don’t go around shooting other people, they tear up a bag of Doritos. Fuck Laura Ingraham.
— Amy Lynn
(@AmyAThatcher) June 1, 2022
BREAKING: Desperate to distract from guns, Laura Ingraham laughably asks why people aren’t instead talking about “pot psychosis” and an imaginary link between marijuana and “violent behavior.” RT IF YOU THINK THAT REPUBLICAN TALKING POINTS ARE PATHETIC!
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) June 1, 2022
Wow. “Reefer Madness” turns 90 in a few years. I didn’t think anyone would honestly circle around to that bullshit ever again….but it is funny to watch someone try.
I mean, the best defense against someone smoking pot is….a bag of chips. https://t.co/z7CGSSrAUz
— LSAClassOf2000 (@LorneEC3) June 1, 2022
I mean, we have got to be scraping the bottom of the absurd right-wing talking point barrel at this point, are we not?
SEE ALSO:
Donald Trump Jr. Argues Uvalde Shooter Could Have Done The ‘Exact Same Thing’ With A Bat Or Machete
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