Bill Maher hosts Cornell West 

Why doesn't Bill press this guy for a straight answer? The guy is allowed to bloviate and obfuscate with nary a peep from courageous contrarian Maher.

Bill asks can math be racist. West answers something about my brother...speaking truth...universal love, even for Trump...whatever. Why does Maher put up with this? 

A Modest Proposal

On the other hand Maher's closing monologue was great and brought up an issue that I don't recall thinking about. Hollywood is careful to not give encouragement to smoking, fat shaming, racism, environmental destruction--the list goes on--but glorifies gun violence and revenge. It is gun violence and revenge that is at the heart of school shootings. He makes the point that Hollywood will not show an actor smoking because it might make smoking look cool, but positively glorifies actors committing the most fantastical acts of revenge using guns. To call this hypocrisy is an understatement. 

Why, when we are admonished to consider every possible factor in the cause of preventing school shootings, is this one totally ignored? And it calls to mind what might be an effective gun control measure that might pass both constitutional muster and be consistent with concern for gun rights. Why not raise the age at which one is permitted to buy a semi-automatic rifle, especially those that resemble military weapons, from 18 to 21? 

Unlike many gun control proposals that come in the wake of mass shootings, this measure would possibly have stopped some of the crimes they are meant to prevent. The disturbed young men who committed these atrocities seem to be attracted by the idea of gunning down the defenseless with a military looking weapon. They could use pistols to the same effect: their victims are defenseless and at that range aiming is not really an issue, especially when you don't care who you kill. Why, then, do these young men choose to use so called 'assault rifles'. For the same reason so many Hollywood shoot outs involve rifles. Because they are acting out a fantasy. A fantasy that involves being all powerful and playing God. A pistol would do the job but it doesn't fit with the image. 

Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe they would get just as much satisfaction from using a pistol. But it might. And in the case of school shootings, even if it stops only one, isn't it worth it?