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The Spectacle Blog
Last night, during halftime of the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Bob Costas called for increased gun control in the wake of the murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher.
On Saturday, Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend. He then drove to the Chiefs’ practice facility where he shot and killed himself in the presence of Chiefs’ personnel including head coach Romeo Crennel.
Costas, quoting a column by sportswriter Jason Whitlock, said, “If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kassandra Perkins would both be alive today.”
Now I have no problem with Costas expressing his opinion as he did this past summer when he criticized the IOC for not having a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich Games during the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics.
But in this instance Costas (and indeed Whitlock) are simply wrong.
Let’s suppose Belcher didn’t possess a gun. There are any number of ways one person can kill another be it with a knife, a blunt instrument or by poisoning. Neither Costas nor Whitlock can guarantee that Belcher would not have committed such a heinous act in the absence of a gun.
Let’s also suppose that our gun laws become stricter. All that means is that there is a more lucrative black market for guns and what would have prevented Belcher from procuring one from that source? Absolutely nothing except money.
I understand what Belcher did what absolutely bewildering. No doubt the people who saw him take his own life will be forever scarred by it. Under such circumstances, it is tempting to look for easy answers. However, easy answers are usually the wrong answers. Costas and Whitlock ought to know better than to succumb to that temptation.
View all comments (18) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/12/03/why-bob-costas-and-jason-whitl
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Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.3.12 @ 5:04PM
If Jovan Belcher strangled his girlfriend and then sat in his car in his garage with the engine running until he died, would Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock be talking about outlawing automobiles, or just the kind with internal combustion engines which produce carbon monoxide. Would the Chevy Volt become the new vehicle of a kinder, gentler NFL (as after all, we also can't have players strong enough to kill a woman with his bare hands, you know)?
Intelligent Design| 12.3.12 @ 5:22PM
A car is just as deadly as a gun. How about car control too? But the liberal airheads might get upset if illegal immigrants can't get a car!
Everyone who is eligible should buy a gun and learn how to use it. If you already own a gun, buy another and more ammunition. "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
Mike W| 12.3.12 @ 5:44PM
Who gives a hoot what that little jock sniffer Costas thinks? Regarding the other person -never heard of him. Don't care.
As conservatives we have to stop patronizing the vehicles of the left, i.e. NBC, ABC CBS and at times ESPN. If those clowns could just talk about football but they can't contain themselves.
spike59| 12.4.12 @ 5:35AM
the 'other person' (whitlock) has made a sideline of screeching about racism in sports; yet found time to send out a racist Tweet about Jeremy Lin
Occam's Tool| 12.3.12 @ 5:52PM
If his GF had a gun, she could have shot the worthless, steroided up POS.
Bob K| 12.3.12 @ 6:05PM
Limbaugh made a similar argument on his show at 1200 Noon today regarding this "alleged" (we must be careful how we describe killings) murder and obvious suicide. And he expanded on it and to the media's response to other "alleged" murders like this.
But doing that here would require a longer written article that actually involves exploring the reasons they happen and why we blame guns for them and not the people who use them.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 12.3.12 @ 6:48PM
As someone twittered out earlier today, we shouldn't blame Costas for the stupid remark, we should blame the microphone.
Bob K| 12.3.12 @ 7:03PM
That's good! LOL
Mike G| 12.3.12 @ 6:49PM
Aw, leave Costas alone. I, too, am in favor of gun control. I control mine using both hands.
Meadow Lemon| 12.3.12 @ 7:08PM
Uh, I wonder what his friend OJ Simpson thinks about this.
http://twitchy.com/2012/12/03/.....j-simpson/
pigdog| 12.3.12 @ 10:00PM
Too bad Sean Taylor didn't have a gun.
spike59| 12.4.12 @ 5:32AM
"Under such circumstances, it is tempting to look for easy answers. However, easy answers are usually the wrong answers. Costas and Whitlock ought to know better than to succumb to that temptation."
-------------------------------------
They OUGHT to know better; but name the liberal who actually DOES
Kingofthenet| 12.4.12 @ 1:02PM
Guns are fine, the 'Private Sale' loophole isn't. Either you are FOR making sure people who purchase weapons are not criminals or mental cases or you really don't care WHO buys guns. Just make private sales finish at a local gun shop with NICS check for a few dollars, simple.
spike59| 12.4.12 @ 3:34PM
so, you think closing the 'loophole'...which also allows me to sell an old shotgun to a neighbor, btw...is going to keep criminals and nutcases from getting guns???? how pwecious is THAT????
Alan's Girl| 12.4.12 @ 1:34PM
Murder begins in the brain. The means for murder is opportunistic. Changing the law will not change the opportunity to commit murder (or any other crime). The change must come to the heart. THAT cannot be legislated in any state.
TXLeeVee| 12.5.12 @ 12:17PM
Time to outlaw high heeled shoes. At the very least, we need high heeled shoe control. I saw an article discussing several instances of people being murdered by high heeled shoes in the UK. I got curious and googled it. Well, it's not exactly uncommon here (the USA). Time to get some regulations in place.
RAM| 12.5.12 @ 3:03PM
Does Costas encourage the playing of NFL football by announcing games? Doesn't that make him an accessory to all crimes committed by NFL players?
Peppermint Tea | 12.5.12 @ 5:13PM
If Jovan Belcher was in a faithful marriage, he and Kassandra Perkins would both be alive today.
Ban infidelity!