While many of President Obama’s critics were quick to jump all over him for admittedly politicizing the mass shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College, GOP candidate Ben Carson chose to politicize it in his own weird way. Carson rolled eyes and raised brows when he wrote on his Facebook page that he “never saw a body with bullet holes that was more devastating than taking the right to arm ourselves away.” People were obviously shocked and outraged over such a comment, but plenty of other people also raised their muskets in the air to celebrate the bold and occasionally clueless candidate’s words.
Carson wasn’t done, though. In addition to his belief that stricter laws won’t stop killers from finding guns, Carson also offered a solution to these recurring mass shootings: “I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, ‘Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all.’” At least one survivor from the Umpqua incident was upset by Carson’s hypothetical bravery, telling CNN, “Nobody could truly understand what actions they would take like that in a situation unless they lived it.”
But Carson has lived it, you see. Well, sort of, if you believe his latest story about why he’s qualified to be 2015’s Chuck Norris.
“I have had a gun held on me when I was in a Popeye’s organization” in Baltimore, the retired neurosurgeon told Karen Hunter on Sirius XM Radio, referring to the fried chicken fast-food chain.
“Guy comes in, put the gun in my ribs. And I just said, ‘I believe that you want the guy behind the counter.'” (Via CNN)
Perhaps I need to consult with a brain surgeon, but that seems like the complete opposite of bravery. For more on Dr. Carson’s How To Be A Tough Guy routine, anchors Tom Storey and Briana Lane weigh in on today’s episode of The Desk.