Why Jimmy Kimmel, Other Celebs Are Wrong About Guns

Jimmy Kimmel’s most recent late-night show monologues have had very little to do with laughs — and a whole lot to do with pushing a political agenda.

After a teary-eyed message about gun control on Monday night in the wake of the Las Vegas tragedy, Kimmel doubled down during the next show and stooped to insulting gun owners around the country.

“I want to send special good wishes to those watching from Las Vegas. You know what happened on Sunday night. I’m not going to get deep into it again tonight. I said what I had to say last night,” he noted in his Tuesday night monologue. “But I do want to say something to those nuts who spent most of the day on television and online attacking those of us who think we need to do something about the fact that 59 innocent people were killed.”

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Kimmel continued: “They say it’s inappropriate to be talking about it because it’s too soon. Well, maybe it is too soon for you because deep down inside you know — in your heart you know — you bear some responsibility for the fact that almost anyone can get any weapon they want, and now you want to cover yourself until the storm of outrage passes and you can go back to your dirty business as usual.”

Some celebrities who are calling for new gun laws and restrictions did so just mere hours after the shooting in Vegas occurred. Before they knew the facts, they were already using the deaths of 59 people as a platform to push their politics.

In Kimmel’s mind, you’re a “nut” for wanting to base your opinion on fact — or for pushing back against those looking to get into a political argument only hours after a tragedy.

Related: Mike Rowe on Las Vegas Tragedy: ‘You Are Not Alone’

In Kimmel’s mind, gun owners and those who defend the Second Amendment are in a “dirty business” and are partly responsible for tragedies like the Las Vegas concert shooting.

Not only are those words incredibly insulting to law-abiding gun owners, but Kimmel’s opinions are — like those of most anti-gun celebrities — based on misconceptions.

In his Monday night monologue about gun control, Kimmel pushed many falsehoods that celebrities often think are fact. Among his strange claims, for example, was that AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons are not “used for self-defense.” This is not true. There are numerous instances in which people have used semi-automatic weapons to save their or other people’s lives.

Related: John Rich on Vegas Concert Nightmare: ‘An Attack on America’

In March of this year, a man’s 23-year-old son was home alone in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, when three men in masks broke into the house. One carried a knife and another had brass knuckles. The boy used the AR-15 to defend his home and kill all three suspects. A fourth turned herself into the police later as the getaway driver.

A 15-year-old Houston boy also defended his home and his sister’s life from a home invasion using an AR-15 in 2013. “That young boy was protecting his sister. He was in fear for his life and her life,” Lt. Jeffrey Stauber said to the press after the shooting and investigation.

There are many other stories like this. Aside from self-defense, AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons can be constructively used by competition shooters or military members looking for private practice.

Kimmel also said in his original monologue that Congress is now trying to “legalize the sale of silencers.” This is a falsehood that has been pushed by too many celebrities in recent days. Suppressors for guns are already legal in 42 states. They are often used by hunters and competition shooters because they offer hearing protection. What is actually in front of Congress is the opportunity to strip them of a federal tax — and to make the acquisition process easier.

Related: Country Stars Express Sorrow, Offer Prayers After Concert Massacre

To object to the availability of suppressors for the general public is one thing — but pushing for gun control measures on national television while being uninformed about it is entirely another.

It would take too long to go through Kimmel’s other misconceptions about gun owners and gun laws, but the gist is clear. He’s yet another celebrity who is misinformed on these issues and is pushing generalizations about guns and gun owners, while also insulting those who dare to disagree with him, calling them “nuts” and part of a “dirty business.”

As more and more celebrities call for steeper gun control measures in the wake of Las Vegas, one sees the strange worship of big government that many of them harbor. To think that some magic law is going to simply get rid of guns and violence is absurd. Just ask Australia. Or look at other laws the federal government has passed that have only created black markets, which hurt the country more than help.

Related: Our Nation Must Unite in Prayer After Las Vegas Disaster

An actual debate requires more than late-night soundbites; instead, it requires serious discussions about morality, mental illness, and a whole lot more in this country.

Perhaps instead of pushing half-baked ideas about guns and insulting people, Kimmel should drop the divisive and polarizing politics and go back to making people laugh — something that could actually bring people together right now, instead of tearing them apart.

And if he’s really interested in the idea of guns in this country and how to prevent violence, perhaps he should showcase real discussions for his audience — and invite onto his show people who disagree with him to chat about gun laws, gun owners, and larger cultural issues in a country far too polarized at the moment.