In the latest episode of The Problem With Jon Stewart on Apple TV+, viewers are treated to a show of controversial firepower as the host takes on self-proclaimed Second Amendment absolute arbiter Nathan Dahm (R-OK). The first law to combat the red flag. As Dahm cringes under Stewart’s cutting cross-examination, the flaws in Dahm’s arguments become all too apparent, revealing a man who excels in integrity and reasoning. Despite Dahm’s attempts to employ rhetorical tricks, he’s no match for Stewart’s finely tuned bullshit detector, leaving viewers with a distinct sense of the moral gulf that exists between the two men.
Here are some highlights from the conversation:
About Fake More Guns Means More Safety:
Stewart: By the way, just for clarity. I am not against the second amendment. I don’t want to ban guns, but you say more guns make us safer?
Dahm: Yes.
Stewart: So, when? We have 400 million guns in the country, and our number of firearms has increased and the death toll has gone up. So when exactly does this curve arrive? This takes it. Will a billion guns do that?
Rep Dahm: Let’s just run those numbers. You know, 400 million [guns] 50,000 [gun deaths]. You’re talking about less than a part, not even a percentage, of a hundred percent
Jon Stewart: But it goes up, not down. So your argument is backwards.
On Daham’s claims that we need to focus on other problems besides gun killing:
DAhm: If we’re going to talk about saving lives, that’s a bigger problem in America than guns. If we are talking about individual lives, about ways to protect them, about the loss of life in America. There is a loss of life through fentanyl, and there is a loss of life through obesity. America’s obesity crisis has cost six times as many gunfire lives.
Jon Stewart: Right, and you’re the guy who says, “You know what’s going to help this? Ice cream.”
On the danger the police face when answering local calls:
Stewart: You. You also make it less safe for the police and for people. When the police go to a local call, it’s the most dangerous call you can make, in your world, if they know there are firearms in the house, that’s the safer call. Is that what you say?
Representative Dahm: No. Because the police treat every situation as…
Jon Stewart: But “more guns make us safer.” So why don’t the police go to a house full of guns, why don’t they breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that this Second Amendment–which-must-not-violate–is being fruitfully exercised in this house?
About their hypocrisy:
Stewart: You want to block kids’ drag show readings?
Dahm: Yes.
…
Stewart: Why are you banning? Is this free speech? Do you violate the freedom of speech of this performer?
Dahm: They can continue to exercise freedom of expression only, not in front of children.
raid
Why? Because the government has a responsibility to protect …Stewart: [at mention of “responsibility to protect” he bends his ear] I’m sorry?
Dahham: The government bears responsibility in some cases…
Stewart: What is the leading cause of death among children in this country? And I’ll give you a hint. It’s not a drag show readings for kids.
Dahm: Right, yeah.
Stewart: So what is this?
Dham: I suppose you’d say it’s firearms?
Stewart: No, I wouldn’t say it as if it was an opinion. That’s what it is. They are firearms. More than cancer, more than car accidents. And what you’re telling me is that you don’t mind infringing on free speech to protect children from this amorphous thing that you’re thinking about, but when it comes to children who died, you don’t mind stopping that, because that “shall not be infringed.” This is hypocrisy at its highest degree.