The National Rifle Association's big yearly conference kicked off in Houston last week, despite the fact the state suffered the worst school shooting in 10 years just days before at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
And among those on the scene were Republican-trolling comedy duo The Good Liars. And boy oh boy, did they capture a moment outside the convention's main floor.
In a now-viral clip, the duo's Jason Selvig interviewed a gun-loving man outside the event who claimed, without irony, more people are killed by hammers every year than guns.
If you're even remotely sentient, you know that can't possibly be true.
But Selvig had the actual statistics to prove it. And whew, did it get weird!
See the video below.
At the NRA Convention someone told us that hammers are used to kill more people than guns. So we looked up the stats in front of them. pic.twitter.com/ju5R8Pqbvk
— The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) May 31, 2022
The man, speaking with the kind of loud confidence that is always a red flag, told Selvig:
"More people and more crime is committed and more people are killed with hammers every year than guns."
"Look at the facts, that is true. Look it up, you can Google it."
Selvig replied as any normal person would:
"I will look that up. I don't think that's true actually."
The man of course immediately doubled down, telling Selvig:
"That is true. Look it up!"
So Selvig did just that.
And you'll be shocked to hear the man doesn't know what he's talking about. Reading off his phone, Selvig informed the man of the actual statistics.
"So the number of murder victims and the weapons used:"
"Okay, number one, handguns, 8,029."
"Number two, firearms—type not stated, 4,863."
"Number three, knives or cutting instruments."
"Personal weapons, fists, feet."
"Then rifles at 455."
"Then blunt objects, clubs, hammers, 393."
"...The hammers, that stat is just wrong."
Naturally, the man immediately conceded and told Selvig he'd re-examine his stance on gun control. LOL just kidding.
He simply changed the subject and doubled-down, telling Selvig:
"The second amendment is still my right and it's still important to me."
Of course, Twitter had a field day with this.
"It's sciiiiiience." https://t.co/kBCBFI3Db7
— Paul Lahticks (@PaulLahticks) June 1, 2022
pic.twitter.com/dAbtDH9QKZ
— GrannyLinda (@GrannyLinda17) May 31, 2022
It's why they had to close down Sears. https://t.co/9cX2OQ2vcV
— Angelo Angelli, JD (@AngelliAngelo) May 31, 2022
Hey MAGA. If a hammer is just as dangerous as an gun then you don't need guns. https://t.co/ngQB0moBWN
— #GopKillsKids (@dawsonjames498) May 31, 2022
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” pic.twitter.com/RwX26kiIMr
— Sҽñσɾ Cσʝσɳҽʂ 😷 #MαʂƙUρBυƚƚҽɾƈυρ 😷 (@D1veBum) May 31, 2022
He didn't even acknowledge that he was totally and completely wrong... He just jumped straight to "My 2nd Amendment Rights" 🤦🏽♀️ pic.twitter.com/u3HBxGpgIx
— She-Wolf (@SheWolfResists) May 31, 2022
Others lamented the seeming impossibility of getting through to many gun rights activists.
This is a great example about how confronting people with facts IS USELESS in the face of their worldview.
This guy just got schooled and shrugged it off, and went right back to being dumb. https://t.co/ehU1OEOcvw
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) May 31, 2022
What is fascinating in today’s political climate is that debates don’t work anymore. Debates work on the theory that facts and figures will be able to sway someone’s opinion one way or the other. This doesn’t work when people have made their minds up on what they want to believe.
— Nitin Murali (@NitinMurali80) May 31, 2022
The Second Amendment is more important to him than the right of children to live.
I'm in the UK, after our first mass shooting - Dunblane the law was changed. There has not been another mass shooting in schools, in the UK since. Its doable - they CHOOSE not to want to do it.
— Kaz (@LindfordHedgies) May 31, 2022
Hey MAGA. If a hammer is just as dangerous as an gun then you don't need guns. https://t.co/ngQB0moBWN
— #GopKillsKids (@dawsonjames498) May 31, 2022
We wish this man the best of luck surviving the American epidemic of hammer violence.