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Jim Jefferies is no stranger to the ongoing gun debate that rages in America. The Australian comedian’s opinion on the matter first came to prominence in 2014, when his stand-up special Bare first debuted on Netflix. A significant chunk of the routine included Jefferies’s thoughts on the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, and thanks to YouTube rippers, it repeatedly went viral whenever another mass shooting occurred. “I had to bring it up again because most people know me for that routine,” the comic told Uproxx in 2016, when his followup special Freedumb premiered. Unsurprisingly, it also included a gun control bit.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, in the wake of the deadly Las Vegas mass shooting on Sunday, Jefferies — who hosts his own Comedy Central show now — decided to address the latest atrocity. “I appreciate the fact that I have a platform where I can have my opinion heard every week. I don’t take that for granted,” he began. “I’m sure that many people are tuning in to hear what I have to say about this tragedy. I have been very open with my opinions on the Second Amendment and gun control in this country. But I’m going to tell you now that I have nothing more to say.”
Jimmy Kimmel became one of late night TV’s clearest voices with his emotional plea for change, which channeled previous monologues on healthcare to encourage donations to worthwhile organizations and criticize politicians and pundits for refusing to budge. Jefferies, meanwhile, opted for a different tactic. Instead of naming specific names, the Australian comic chose to channel his anger and frustration at the entirety of the United States.
“I’ve said everything I can. You know what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again,” Jefferies continued. “But we didn’t change the laws after Sandy Hook, we didn’t change the laws after the Pulse nightclub, and we’re not going to change them now. So if you think you want to do something, why don’t you tweet #PrayForVegas, change the filter on your profile picture or post broken hearts on your Instagram. But know that you are literally doing nothing but pissing into the wind. This is our reality now. America, you let this happen. I dare you to prove me wrong.”
