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gun rights

Democracy

Jon Stewart just gave an 8-minute masterclass in highlighting gun politics hypocrisy

Stewart used an Oklahoma lawmaker's own arguments to show why his anti-gun-regulation stance doesn't make sense.

Jon Stewart interviewed State Sen. Nathan Dahm about gun legislation.

Jon Stewart is a unicorn among interviewers, masterfully striking a balance between calm questioning and insisting on interviewees providing answers. Not deflections. Not pivots or side steps. Actual, direct answers to the questions he's asking.

Anyone who has interviewed a politician knows how hard striking that balance can be. Politicians are rhetorical magicians, saying lots of words that seem like an answer to a question, without actually answering it at all. Sometimes their avoidance methods are obvious, but usually, they know how to manipulate and control a conversation, deftly steering it in the direction they want it to go. If allowed to, they will not only avoid directly answering a question, but they will manhandle the entire interview, filling the air time with their own messaging. Politely letting them talk allows them to pull all of their favorite tricks.

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Earlier this week, the Ted Cruz campaign posted this image on its official website:

Photo from Tedcruz.org, via TalkingPointsMemo.

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Obama's emotional message on gun violence is worth hearing over and over again.

"Second Amendment rights are important, but there are other rights that we care about as well."

President Obama just revealed a series of executive actions to address gun violence.

After trying and failing to get a gun safety bill through Congress in 2013, shortly after the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, he's making his last stand on the issue.

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In 1994, President Clinton signed a crime bill that, among other things, banned the production of certain military-type semi-automatic weapons for civilian use.

At best, it could be seen as a wise move for public safety — no matter your take on the Second Amendment. What practical need is there for a civilian to own such a thing?

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