Nearly two months after first discussing Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher’s murder-suicide, Bob Costas appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart with searing remarks about the state of gun control and again took issue with a culture he believes glorifies guns.
“When Jovan Belcher texts his friend who says ‘you better have a gun ready,’ and he replies, ‘I have eight,’ what does that tell you?” Costas wondered during his interview with Stewart.
In December, Costas used the halftime portion of NBC”s Sunday Night Football[1] to address the Belcher situation and quoted a column from FOX Sports’ Jason Whitlock[2].
“If Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today,” Costas said.
Later, Costas acknowledged it was a “mistake”[3] to mention gun control on-air because his choice of words “left it open for too much miscommunication.”
But after backtracking from those remarks, Costas attacked the subject anew Monday night with Stewart, opining that there are added risks when guns are placed in the hands of an NFL player.
“We have to acknowledge that guns are glorified in hip hop culture,” Costas said. “Some 70% of players in the NFL are African-American, not all of them are influenced by that part of the culture, but some are. Many of these kids come out of environments where it’s commonplace for a 14 or 15-year-old to be packing.”
“It’s a legitimate question to ask can you expect hundreds if not thousands of football players to do something by which it’s nature is brutal, belligerent, and violent,” Costas began. “Isn’t it reasonable to expect that some of them won’t be able to contain that to the field?”
The Belcher murder-suicide and Costas’ initial comments were followed by the tragedy in Newtown, Conn[4]., which Costas believes reshaped the gun control dialogue.
“Newtown happened, and that seemed to change the tone,” Costas said. “Horribly tragic as that was, it did redirect, and if at least people are now somewhat more willing to think about this more rationally and compassionately, then that’s a good thing.”
Costas stressed the need not to repeal or alter the second amendment, rather the need to change America’s gun culture.
“I think any sane person believes we ought not have high capacity magazines and assault rifles and that there ought to be background checks,” Costas said. “You know what? I’m not exactly sure what’s sane, but I know a lot of what I’ve heard in the aftermath is insane.”
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References
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/03/nfl-costas-speech-reaction/1742313/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jovan-belcher-kansas-city-chiefs-murder-suicide-tragedy-girlfriend-self-leave-orphan-daughter-why-still-playing-sunday-120112 (msn.foxsports.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/04/how-bob-costas-really-feels-about-guns-jovan-belcher-suicide-kansas-city-chiefs/1745491/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/topic/5b1a416d-8e98-43a1-aee1-eef43a1e81e4/connecticut-school-shooting/ (www.usatoday.com)
- ^ The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (www.thedailyshow.com)
- ^ Daily Show Full Episodes (www.thedailyshow.com)
- ^ Political Humor & Satire Blog (www.indecisionforever.com)
- ^ The Daily Show on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
