In the wake of the massive March For Our Lives protests across the country and around the world, many of the douchebag gun-lobby shills were behaving terribly. I truly don’t understand the counter-arguments being made by the NRA-paid shills, quite honestly. I don’t think they understand what they’re trying to say either. The argument seems to be that the anti-gun protests are being led by children and why do we need to listen to children, even when those children are simply trying to say that they’re tired of gun violence in their schools and in their communities? What IS the counterargument to these kids? There is none. But Rick “Frothy Mixture” Santorum tried. This is what he argued on CNN yesterday – keep in mind that the former senator and former presidential nominee is now a paid commentator on CNN. CNN literally pays him for these garbage takes:
“How about kids instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations that when there is a violent shooter that you can actually respond to that…They took action to ask someone to pass a law. They didn’t take action to say, ‘How do I, as an individual, deal with this problem? How am I going to do something about stopping bullying within my own community? What am I going to do to actually help respond to a shooter?’… Those are the kind of things where you can take it internally, and say, ‘Here’s how I’m going to deal with this. Here’s how I’m going to help the situation,’ instead of going and protesting and saying, ‘Oh, someone else needs to pass a law to protect me.’ I’m proud of them. But I think everyone should be responsible and deal with the problems that we have to confront in our lives. And ignoring those problems and saying they’re not going to come to me and saying some phony gun law is gonna solve it. Phony gun laws don’t solve these problems.”
A few points:
CPR classes won’t stop bullets
CPR won’t help someone who is shot
“Take a CPR class” is an incredibly cruel way to respond to children who are saying “we don’t like being shot and watching our friends and classmates being gunned down.”
“Taking a CPR class” and “marching for gun control” are not mutually exclusive
Santorum argues that that they took action to pass stricter gun laws but what they should do is look for ways that they could take action. What?
Santorum is basically arguing that these kids are responsible for the violence by which they are being victimized – that it’s up to them to change the dynamic when an a–hole white supremacist shoots up their school. And now that the kids are saying “okay it’s our responsibility, here’s what we need to do now,” he’s mocking them with “oh whatever, go take a CPR class.”
.@RickSantorum criticizes the March for Our Lives rallies, saying kids should "take CPR classes" instead of "looking to someone else to solve their problems." pic.twitter.com/EjRVIAkUqV
— ALT- Immigration 🛂 (@ALT_uscis) March 25, 2018
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I wonder if he’s doing this completely on purpose. Part of me thinks no one can be that dumb – is he 100% solely focused on stoking the fires of his base (who don’t even watch CNN, but the story has clearly got around) or does he even remotely think this makes sense?
I think he really is that dumb and also desperate to appeal to the base. I’ll never forget his sneering “what a snob” comment about Obama’s agenda that more kids go to college. It was as craven and idiotic as this CPR nonsense.
So many adults have been so desperate to dismiss and discredit these kids and it makes my blood boil.
My BF shared the video of Naomi Waddler speaking and people couldn’t WAIT to comment that she was “obviously being told by an adult what to say”. It’s like they just can’t fathom that children are more articulate, gracious, thoughtful, and poised than their elected officials–oh, and them…more poised than the people who voted for Trump, too..
Most adults are being told by adults what to say. Did Naomi Waddler have help composing and editing her thoughts for a globally televised speech? Maybe. Who doesn’t? But she was very much driven by her own mind and conscience.
I mean, the content of her speech was powerful and moving, but I’m more impressed with her ability to stand in front of tens of thousands of people and deliver with such composure and grace. You can’t fake that kind of bravery and no adult had anything to do with that–that was ALL Naomi. Some of these kids are just born activists and public speakers and it’s a beautiful and inspiring thing to witness.
Kitten, absolutely! That was all her. I was just venting in response to the BS out there. But for the first time in a year, I feel really positive about the future. If these amazing kids are demanding a chance to have a future, it’s our obligation to support them and believe in them.
Kitten
Yes! To stand and speak to that crowd. With powerful emotions coming from everywhere. With threats coming in.
These young adults have more brass than our “leaders.”
Santorum was repeatedly voted the dumbest person in congress by Mother Jones. He really is that stupid.
Santorum can’t attack the substance of the argument, so he is trying to pivot but he is so stupid he cannot do so in coherent way. Why CNN hired him as a commentator is beyond me.
Especially coming from a man with a bachelor’s, master’s and a Law degree. He is obtuse and inane. There is a reason he is a former senator. His comments were offensive and cruel and CNN should cut him loose
I don’t think he is that stupid (although I think he is unintelligent). Everything he does is to further his own benefit. Pretty sure he is trying to signal to some gun lobby folks that he could be a good company shill. Would not be surprised if he tries another failed presidential run.
There’s so many things wrong with this statement. First, you can’t look at something like Sandy Hook and imply that a bunch of elementary students bullied a grown man into killing them. Second, there is no chance CPR can heal a gunshot.
No, but CPR can save the lives of rich, old white men having heart attacks because those pesky kids won’t get off their lawn. Even his counterargument to the protests has a self-serving element to it.
All the men in my department at work support the far right. They keep fox news on all the time in the break room. I can imagine the other ludicrous things I’m going to hear today… Methinks my blood is going boil many times today.
I mean have you heard the asinine statements some of these Reps and Senators have put out in the last 10 years or so? Yes they absolutely are that dumb.
Ok now can everyone with functioning brain cells admit there is a difference between “lesser of two evils” in regards to GOP/ DEM??? Seems like there is a huge difference now that we know Trump lied saying he would be best for women/ children/ lgbtq/ poc! The GOP is at antichrist level!
Nah. As somebody who lives in the state he used to represent, I can assure you he’s always been this stupid and arrogant.
He’s probably gunning for a Cabinet position. He’d fit right in.
I see what you did there… gunning
All of these a-holes know their time is coming, albeit dimly in the rat-infested attics that pass for their minds. Enquiring minds want to know—who exactly is paying this sh!t stain’s bills because it isn’t just CNN. Follow the money newspapers of record—what is at the bottom of this excrescence?
I should know better considering the source, but the total abdication if adult responsibility is breathtaking. The young people of our nation are disgusted with good reason.
no he really IS this ignorant and idiotic. He was tight with the attorney my mom used to work for and she would have to bite her tongue any time he came in
also, I love pointing out that a guy who casts aspersions on others for not being responsible, routinely borrowed money from his retired parents while living on a salary of $162K/year and having superb benefits (courtesy of us taxpayers) – and he may have still been doing that when his wife was earning $4K/month (despite the fact he’s repeatedly attacked women who are mothers from having jobs outside of being a wife & mother)
(the links to that info can be found here: http://cockamamieideasinc.blogspot.com/2005/07/santorum-rules-out-run-for-big-show.html)
They don’t call this idiot Sick Rantorum for nothing.
LOL
Idiot.
Yet his name will live on forever.
At least it was fun seeing the Twitter responses to this from actual doctors who aren’t brain dead morons.
one doctor i followed on twitter shared this article of what a bullet does to your body and how difficult it is to recover from a bullet wound. the toll it takes on the patient, the doctors that treat you….
and how CPR is not going to save you at all (but we all know that).
that is if you survive the shooting in the first place…
“The fact that not a single one of those kids was able to be transported to a hospital, tells me that they were not just dead, but really really really really dead. Ten-year-old kids, riddled with bullets, dead as doornails.” Her voice rose. She said people have to confront the physical reality of gun violence without the polite filters.
it’s a chilling read and despite what we already know, i have to read the article in chunks so i don’t hyperventilate from the grief and anger of it.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/gun-violence
The description of the Parkland victims from an AR-15 shooting did not sound as though CPR could even be done if they were still alive. Certainly not by amateurs.
Rick needs to talk to a doctor about this stuff before making himself sound so foolish. CPR training is useful in general, but it is very unlikely to help with school shootings. What was he thinking?
The same is true for practicing for a shooter situation. Knowing the protocol is useful, such as in fire and tornado drills. But shooting situations are likely to be very different from the more predictable fires and tornados. Keeping your head in a chaotic situation is hard enough for professionals and requires training and regular maintenance of that training, this is why the idea of arming teachers is so incredibly stupid. Prevention is what we want. At least make it harder to get those assault weapons.
CPR in general is not something that should be done by amateurs, to be frank, and most teenagers would probably fall into that category. You can very easily seriously injure somebody while doing it if your form isn’t correct. Even when done by a professional, it’s not only exhausting to perform but unsettling – you WILL most likely crack the person’s ribs or sternum during the process of trying to keep them alive. Real CPR is not the clean operation you see on television. It can be downright violent to witness in person, and considering how traumatic and frightening a school shooting is to begin with, I doubt most people would be in the right mindset to do it.
Rick Santorum is an idiot. He also thinks that women shouldn’t control their own bodies. He feel that men should tell them what to do. He doesn’t believe in birth control or a woman’s right to choose what to do when pregnant. He is a waste.
The Diagnosable Psychopath rate in the GOP has to be approaching 100% at this point.
Yes.
Does this guy have kids of his own? If so, what’s the security like where they attend? He comes across as a callous jerk to have such a flippant remark on this subject.
He and his wife have had eight, one of whom was stillborn and another who has a serious genetic disorder. Yet he opposes the ACA.
Thanks lightpurple, I didn’t know. I would expect better from a parent. Where I’m from, Australia, we have very different gun laws.
He was covered under Congress’ gold plated health plan, so he didn’t care about anyone else.
Plus the ACA made them all buy their insurance on the exchange.
Why should he be for the ACA? He has incredible insurance coverage as an elected official. And his family is included.
I believe his children are homeschooled. He’s not worried about them being unsafe at school. (Not including the creepy fundamental program study)
He brought the stillborn infant home to show the other kids & let them “meet” their sibling.
He has multiple kids in the prime school-shooting age range. His family has also known the loss of a child. His comments were so disgusting. His official portrait should be him sh!tting on his own child’s grave while wiping his backside with hundred dollar bills from the NRA. That is his legacy.
Aren’t there any smart talking heads CNN can hire for the anti-gun law side? The networks are so lazy and cynical to hire these cartoon characters.
I’m absolutely pro-gun reform and support the march. I’m just annoyed by the cynicism in these interviews and in panel shows.
I can’t even comment, I’m so pissed over this shit.
+1
Is he saying that really, at the end of the day, yeah, they will probably witness violence? I mean, he’s not just telling them to be nice to classmates, he’s admitting that gun violence is everywhere and kids in school are somehow supposed to be paramedics?
That’s exactly what he’s saying. He’s just too stupid to realize it.
This man is vile. CPR does pretty much jack when bullets strike vital organs.
Seriously!
I am CPR certified and do a refresher course every 2 years. Honestly my biggest takeaway from it is that while first aid and CPR *can* save lives, there are plenty of cases where it’s going to be useless. AED devices can do a lot more in the case of heart attacks. But an AED isn’t going to do anything to prevent blood loss from bullets hitting vital organs or major arteries. And, even if it would, why should people have to live with the risk of getting those kinds of injuries?? Look at the representative (Scalise) who was shot. Sure, he survived it, but he’s had to have multiple rounds of surgery and physical therapy and so on. The recovery process is looooong, and frankly I imagine you never recover 100% from some of these injuries. All this just so gun manufacturers can stay in business?
When I was in high school, we took health classes and learned CPR, but how does he think that would help shooting victims
They still do, at least in our school system.
This is a very poor pun, but it’s like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. Literally! This guy is such a freaking idiot, it’s hard to form a coherent thought around all the curses I want to fling at him. Learning CPR?? That’s his suggestion? Instead of trying to prevent it from happening in the first place, he thinks having traumatized victims of gun violence administer CPR to their wounded classmates is the answer??
And what’s with this bullshit about how they shouldn’t be asking other people to pass laws to protect them? Last time I checked, that is actually a congressperson’s J.O.B. You get elected by your constituents and you ANSWER to your constituents.
The young will never forget and will be hear long after those old white twits are dust. A fire has been lit and it will burn Rome while Emperor Zero plays golf.
I can’t believe they gave this guy a platform, he is incredibly stupid, and has been over for quite a while. There’s no reason for us to know his opinion on anything.
“There’s no reason for us to know his opinion on anything.”
funny, isn’t it (but not really)?…anytime HRC says anything it’s “she lost and needs to go away” but THIS guy? he lost too, much bigger than HRC, and yet…somehow his opinion on things is relevant?…
“They took action to ask someone to pass a law”: Kind of like you, Rick, when you campaigned for and were elected to the US Senate. FFS.
He “took action” when he accepted money from the NRA too.
They only like to pass laws to hurt the poor and minority communities.
They only want to pass a law to prevent women from access to safe abortion. So following his logic, they should learn CPR for pregnant women who are eight months pregnant.
Santorum has no choice but to be a raving asshole, because he’s been one for so long that he has forgotten how to be a human being. Plus, he’s GOOD at being an asshole. Really, really good.
This may be his MOST outrageous moment, though — essentially blaming the kids for not protecting themselves well enough from the bullets he’s promoting for the NRA. “Ya got shot, kid? Well, now, that’s YOUR fault! You shoulda ducked! That’s not MY problem, or the NRA’s problem, or the problem of whole Republican Congress that was bought and paid for by the NRA — it’s YOUR problem for not dodging the bullets, ya little bastard snowflakes!”
This is probably how rich and aristros viewed the distress of ordinary people in Francs before common people decided to take matters in hand and erected the Guillotine.
People really don’t learn from history
I’ve been saying for weeks now, it’s time to bring back guillotines. Perhaps not just as a reminder of what could happen. If some people and politicians want to act like barbarians, like we’re in the old freaking west and handling situations as such, then it’s time they get exactly what they’re advocating for- a slap chop to the neck.
Your comment reminds me of a sign I saw a sign at the march that said : “21st century guns, 18th century gun laws”.
@justcrimmles ~ I know how much we want to, but we cannot, must not sink to their level. We simply must keep our collective heads held high. We must not advocate for violence right back at them, because we might could become just like them. Nevertheless….pictures of a guillotine on my front lawn are persistently dancing through my brain….just as a statement, of course. Not for actual use, probably not, anyway……
STFU you complete and utter wankstain.
Rick “Frothy Mixture” Santorum LOL
I completely forgot about that and Dan Savage. Totally describes this fungus and the crap that comes out of his mouth
Santorum has been out of office since 2007. Why does anyone still care what he says?
The NRA seems to issue daily talking points to its members from a list to divert and distract on every twitter thread or facebook thread or any message board about gun violence. This list includes: abortion & Planned Parenthood; Chicago; Sanctuary Cities; cars; alcohol & drugs; law-abiding citizens are being punished; Tide Pods; fifteen minutes of fame;; Hitler Youth; the first amendment rights of kids who support guns are being oppressed.
The better question is why CNN is giving him a microphone when he’s had nothing constructive or intelligent to add to public discourse in the twenty or so years he’s been active.
They didn’t seem to learn their lesson from the election when they gave GOP operative hacks legitimacy and too much airtime so they could spread lies and do infomercials for 45’s campaign. Coordinating with the trolls and bots, leaks, the campaign they were able to push their agenda and dog whistle constantly. But they would chastise those on the left when they tried to call 45 a racist siding with people like Jeffery Lord and Corey L. Jeffrey is a raging antisemite but was given a platform for months. The left commentators were on defense all the time and tried to be fair not knowing the true depths of the Russian interference and false news. They would never have time during the segments to discuss HRC’s platform. They would get sucked into the Bernie v Hilary v Stein and led there by the hacks.
So CNN has no shame. They don’t learn.
Santorum is a hatemonger and racist but hey why not give him a platform.
Holy sheet – what did I just read? Is this tosser really Donny Bigly in disguise? His solutions are even more ridiculous than Bigly’s suggestion to arm teachers. A pox on Santorum’s house.
These gun fanatics love guns more than their children. They’d see all the kids dead before they touch the second amendment.
None of them can see how disturbing they are. They’re obsessed with an object that is made solely for killing. Guns serve no other purpose and it makes a coward powerful. Without their guns they’re nothing.
He’s an idiot. Keep it up Repubs who are clinging to your AR-15s. It only spurs on the youth you are dismissing, and they will make their presence known when they vote. They are mobilizing, not a one-off march. NRA has shown that it’s never cared about supporting any gun measures, fighting any type of gun reform tooth and nail for years, lining the pockets of politicians. Their day of reckoning is coming.
What is that argument, btw? Insisting your elected representatives take action is “asking someone else to solve your problems?”
Yep, that’s what he’s saying. Guess he had a lot of contempt for the people of PA, his constituents.
The vast majority of school-aged protesters aren’t old enough to vote yet, you jack hole. What else are they supposed to do but beg lawmakers and the voting public for help? This line of thought completely baffles me. But I am almost gleeful (almost) when I see another career politician or talking head speaking out like an ignorant fool because these kids will remember every word – and they WILL be voting soon. The current political landscape is going to be burned to the ground over the next 5 to 10 years as this generation reaches adulthood, and I look forward to what rises from its ashes.
We thought WE would be the ones changing the world, remember? And we still couldn’t break down the many barriers once we had to do mundane thing like earn a living, laundry and feeding our families. The NRA has been ‘threatened’ by a couple of generations now, without any – without even minimal – success. I’m not convinced our kids (some of them are our grandkids) can get this done. The world has agreed that money is power. Thus, no money, no power. I am feeling quite hopeless this morning regarding US sensibilities of people in power.
I can’t watch a video where he says such things. I’ll probably break it. But please tell me whoever the host was just looked at him speechlessly after he did. Maybe shaking their head?
The state of this country and what passes for news these days is terrifying. I don’t even get what he’s getting at. How the hell does CPR help a gun massacre?
What an ass!
You know age does not make one legitimately sensible. Stupid is stupid no matter what age or title they have. Every time I see Rick S. on CNN, as one of the panel of experts, I turn the channel or turn the tv off. He makes my skin crawl.
I’m so pissed off over seeing this callousness broadcast that I’ve deleted the CNN app off of my phone. I ditched cable just over a year ago and I’m so glad I did. Shame on CNN and any broadcast media that give assholes like this a platform to spew their cruel and twisted rhetoric. Faux News doesn’t even try to hide their bias and propaganda peddling at this point, why are other media outlets letting these right wing nut jobs have air time just so that they can say that they are presenting both sides?
My question only half belongs here, but maybe somebody here can tell me, why these Trump/alt right/NRA supporters (??) are everywhere? They attack everybody everywhere, it is unbelievable. Are they organised? Do they have groups who search certain areas of the internet and attack? They read things which are not even written in the comments. I discovered around 7-9 people (accounts) on twitter who are straight away there, when something is reported about Meghan Markle. They bombarded me yesterday with naked photos of her.
One of them stated today that these kids from the march for our lives are so stupid, that they try to stop a law, the 2nd amendment, which is there to protect them. I’m lost for words. Where was that protection when their classmates were shot?
When they are criticised they answer it is free speech. When I tell them, that free speech does not include defamation, they call me batcrazy. I would really like to meet some of them in person and to tell them a few things.
Yes. They are everywhere and can scan certain buzzwords and flood the comment sections no matter what the topics are.
Those photos are fake, but they do it anyway. They flood the internet and try to get us to engage and 3 or 4 will clearly back up the first one. Then one will pretend to be a liberal BUT and say something to agree grudgingly.
I found one in the WaPo comment section, and it is clear other commenters were on to the game too. The person said “I am a Democrat, voted for Bernie in the primaries and then HRC. But if the Dems can find a good candidate I am going support 45.” They try to sound reasonable.
Now. For real.
What leftist Dem or Independent even would say that. It was right after the march too. No one on the left would vote for 45 just like they lied in 2016 to push the Russian planted idea that Bernie supporters voted for 45. It was proved to be part of the operation to push that along with sewing racial divide. Then they would pretend to be HRC voters and say things to trigger the conservatives and insult Bernie voters to try to make them stay home. Remember 45 pretending to feel sorry for Bernie? Part of the lie to suppress voter turnout. They were even able to get the media to run with these narratives.
Meghan Markle is targeted and lies spread all over the internet by racists. Unfortunately, it has made reasonable people take an unhealthy dislike to her based on the lies and unbalanced people to become unhinged. They play right into latent racism and cultural wars. Dog whistling all over the place.
It is a fairly sophisticated operation but once you catch on it is eye roll worthy. Yet not a lot of reporting on it and what they do.
“Unfortunately, it has made reasonable people take an unhealthy dislike to her based on the lies and unbalanced people to become unhinged.”
Yup, exactly what happened to Hilary. A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth, and if you put enough concentrated effort behind something–and bots work tirelessly, doing the work that it would take years for actual humans to do–it becomes accepted fact.
I find this very dangerous. The lies and hate is everywhere. We should also organise and counter them. We have to! We cannot let this go and avoid it or ignore them. A politician in France said that it was good that the policeman died in Trebes, “one less to vote for Macron”. He was arrested and faces 7 years in prison for this. I start to have a big problem with this so called free speech. This is stretched much to far. Lies and defamation is not free speech. I also see a big problem with facebook and twitter. These social networks offer a perfect platform for the distribution of this.
Honestly, it’s like hell has open its doors and all the devils are out.
No. No. No. No. No. No.
What a surprise that Rick Santorum got voted out of office.
My home state is PA…it was GLORIOUS when he was defeated. He is loathesome. His own home state can’t stand him. Dump him CNN!!
true story: i dumped my college best friend when she started working as an intern for rick santorum. it indicated she was insane or stupid and i wasn’t interested in dealing with either anymore.
Word. I have had to dump people this past election, but my mother had to dump a Ross Perot supporter in the 90s. No one would work with someone in politics they agreed with them.
Lizzie. You did the right thing. 🙂
Does he also want highly trained kids to whip out a gun and shoot along with their teacher to defend their classroom? While you’re at it kids, why not take a first responder course and make sure you keep your flak gear inside of your bulletproof backpack at all times. That way you can have the situation under control, the shooter apprehended, and any survivors tended to by the time law enforcement gets there.
Take CPR. To stave off gun violence. Houston. We have a problem.
The banal face of evil
It is our jobs as citizens to tell our elected officials what’s important to us and it’s their job to listen.
Why on EARTH is cnn paying that tool? Ugh.
An asshole statement like this is exactly the reason why when you Google Rick Santorum, your search result is anal leakage.
Sadly we have stop the bleed classes now put on by my trauma hospital. For any active shooter scenarios. These classes help lay people deal with bleeding wounds due to active shooters cases.
While it’s a helpful class. It’s sad it’s come to this.
Sure, and kids should learn how to pull exploding bullets out of their classmates’ bodies as well.
These damn kids today are spoiled they need to be researching how to extract bullets from their classmates bodies while waiting for the first responnders to arrive.
#sarcasm
Rick is an idiot.
There’s so much money in selling and making of arms. Guys like this don’t care about the gun violence until it’s one of their own. Money is their God!
NJ state requirement mandates that every public school high school student receives CPR, but thanks for the suggestion years later
His remarks are complete idiocy. But when you read comments by extreme pro-gun people you go insane. I finally stopped reading because I was losing my mind with anger, and I have come to realize those people you can’t change nor make any sense of their comments. So I don’t respond or engage with them. You have to move on and focus on getting like-minded people out to vote or only have discussions with people with open minds.
CNN always needs to have an in-house conservative talking head. Something about appearing to be fair and balanced? Oh, wait – that was some other show. Or was it some other network?
At an early point in his career Rick Santorum was recognized to be the asshole he is. Nothing has changed.
Maybe the GOP should take CPR classes, cause come midterms, their chance of reelection will be dead dead deadskie.
CNN needs to fire this d-ck yesterday.
I certainly hope that if/when Mr. Santorum encounters a “school shooter,” the only treatment provided for him is CPR.
Tone. Deaf. Ignoring this person.