Bush asked about gun violence: "Stuff happens'

[Landslide Lyndon]

Compassionate conservatism.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/jeb-bush-stuff-response-gun-violence/story?id=34209380


 Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush made an eyebrow-raising comment in the wake of the Oregon school massacre -- saying "stuff happens" in response to a discussion about gun violence.

Bush called the shooting in Oregon "very sad," but said he also had challenges that he faced during his tenure as governor of Florida.

"Look stuff happens, there's always a crisis and the impulse is always to do something and it's not always the right thing to do," Bush said at the Conservative Leadership Project in Greenville, South Carolina, referring to taking away rights.

[Blue3]

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

Jeb is an idiot.

[angus]

It is very sad, and stuff happens.  Nothing inaccurate about that.

But hey, if we only round everyone up who has ever told an inappropriate joke or who has ever been a social misfit or been on lunch detention, and if we put them in asylums at a great expense to taxpayers so that we can be absolutely one hundred percent sure that no one ever kills anyone else again.

I'm glad that there's at least one politician who has some honesty.  Granted, he probably won't win any converts to his candidacy--democracy really is overrated, isn't it?--but on a Kantian level I appreciate his comments.

[ObamaThirdTerm]

This guy is SUCH a LOSER.

[Pyro]

I love it when the guys running for high office literally state that they have no solutions for our country's problems. Makes it easier than being let down after years of inaction.

[Intell]

I guess he's copying former Australian PM, Tony Abbot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dHwhlRLRs4

Next thing he needs to do, is just give a reporter the silent treatment then you have the Australia's PM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wT9XS_TvzQ

[eric82oslo]

I love it when the guys running for high office literally state that they have no solutions for our country's problems. Makes it easier than being let down after years of inaction.

I don't like to quote other people's opinions, because it strips you of all individualism imaginable, yet this is pretty much what I'm thinking.

To be honest, I was extremely moved by both Obama's as well as Biden's take on the Oregon tragedy today. Obama's spot on, while Biden's felt very "look at me, I'm so so presidential", so obviously I preferred Obama's answer by a mile in the end. I don't know if it was intentional on Biden's side and I honestly think it was not, yet it was probably his subconciousness which was playing him a trick. I was going to wholeheartedly endorse every word of what clever Biden was saying in this moment and then suddenly he started to digress so very badly that I just couldn't take it anymore and was close to shutting the whole video down. It was almost vomiting how he started to "address" potential future donors.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

"Stuff happens". I'm glad we had his great oratorical skills used to reassure the nation.

[dudeabides]

It is very sad, and stuff happens.  Nothing inaccurate about that.

But hey, if we only round everyone up who has ever told an inappropriate joke or who has ever been a social misfit or been on lunch detention, and if we put them in asylums at a great expense to taxpayers so that we can be absolutely one hundred percent sure that no one ever kills anyone else again.

I'm glad that there's at least one politician who has some honesty.  Granted, he probably won't win any converts to his candidacy--democracy really is overrated, isn't it?--but on a Kantian level I appreciate his comments.

[The Mikado]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Pool fences, threat to the economy and liberty itself.

Jeb Bush was for pool fences before he was against them, though.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-05-26/news/0005260161_1_pool-safety-new-pools-ibern

Here he is signing a law that mandates pool fences in Florida in 2000 (sponsored by a young state rep named Debbie Wasserman-Schultz!).

[Fuzzy Bear]

It's tough being a Second Amendment absolutist when this happens, but this is the time to stand for principle.  The Constitution is supposed to apply EVEN IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE DIFFICULT.

That being said, Obama came off as sincere, and his outrage is, from the point of view of a lot of folks, fully justified and long overdue.  Jeb came off as a guy worried about offending the NRA.  (Even Jeb's Dad once had the guts to tell the NRA to take his Life Membership and stick it after they pilloried a fellow Republican for being "soft".)

Jeb could have stated that obvious.  He could have discussed how fewer lives would have been lost had some of the students there been carrying concealed.  He could have been passionate about that aspect of the issue, and it's NOT an illegitimate argument.  That's not Jeb, however.  Too bad.  Well, not really, because when he looks bad, he's more unelectable.  It's a good thing for America when Jeb LOOKS as BAD as he IS.

[136or142]

It is very sad, and stuff happens.  Nothing inaccurate about that.

But hey, if we only round everyone up who has ever told an inappropriate joke or who has ever been a social misfit or been on lunch detention, and if we put them in asylums at a great expense to taxpayers so that we can be absolutely one hundred percent sure that no one ever kills anyone else again.

I'm glad that there's at least one politician who has some honesty.  Granted, he probably won't win any converts to his candidacy--democracy really is overrated, isn't it?--but on a Kantian level I appreciate his comments.

Except he's not being honest.  What he really means is "Stuff happens because we politicians won't take on the NRA, and I certainly won't."

If he were being honest, he'd be a Libertarian.

If he were being honest, he'd say on abortion "Stuff happens, not government's job to prevent that."
But, he's anti abortion.

If he were being honest, he'd had said on Terri Shaivo "Stuff happens, people die. That's life. Or, I guess that's the end of life."
But, he involved himself in Terri Shaivo

IF he were being honest, he'd say on medical marijuana (if not marijuana in general "Stuff happens, if people want to smoke it, who am I to tell them what to do."
But, he's anti marijuana (and medical marijuana legalization"

No, it's only on guns when suddenly he's a libertarian.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I mean, is he really wrong?

[Donald Trump 2016 !]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Pool fences, threat to the economy and liberty itself.

Jeb Bush was for pool fences before he was against them, though.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-05-26/news/0005260161_1_pool-safety-new-pools-ibern

Here he is signing a law that mandates pool fences in Florida in 2000 (sponsored by a young state rep named Debbie Wasserman-Schultz!).

That's pretty hypocritical.

[angus]

Except he's not being honest.  What he really means is "Stuff happens because we politicians won't take on the NRA, and I certainly won't."

If he were being honest, he'd be a Libertarian.

If he were being honest, he'd say on abortion "Stuff happens, not government's job to prevent that."
But, he's anti abortion.

If he were being honest, he'd had said on Terri Shaivo "Stuff happens, people die. That's life. Or, I guess that's the end of life."
But, he involved himself in Terri Shaivo

IF he were being honest, he'd say on medical marijuana (if not marijuana in general "Stuff happens, if people want to smoke it, who am I to tell them what to do."
But, he's anti marijuana (and medical marijuana legalization"

No, it's only on guns when suddenly he's a libertarian.

I don't know if he is being honest, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.  I might blow myself up in my basement experimenting with explosives, for example, but I don't want any of you to use that as an excuse to make some legislation.  None of it will bring me back, anyway.

The other comparisons are interesting, but they aren't really apt unless you honestly believe that he wants to be a Libertarian.  To be a good Libertarian, you need to believe that we should not maintain a standing army and navy.  To be a Libertarian, you need to believe that public schools should not exist.  I really don't believe Bush is a Libertarian, but I can't get inside his mind.  I know that I'm not a Libertarian.  Are you a Libertarian?  You seem to be, based on your comments.  Libertarians love to point out that everyone is a Libertarian at heart.  I am frequently told by Libertarians that I am a closet Libertarian.  I do believe that marijuana and prostitution should be legal.  I do think that there should be no border fences and that people should be able to come and go as they please.  I do not have a problem with two men getting married.  If you are a Libertarian, then you probably think that all this makes me a Libertarian.  I won't argue with you, but in all honesty I think Libertarians are very misguided, and that none of my positions make me a Libertarian, and I think that Libertarians have little to offer in the way of good governance, and I do not consider myself one.  I respect their innate faith in the good nature of humanity, but I reject their claim that we can return to an agrarian utopia that needs no environmental, educational, commercial, and social regulation.  I would bet that Bush feels the same way.  Since neither of us can read his mind, so let us just agree to disagree.

All Bush said is basically that "Well, that's pretty ed up."  Of course I'm paraphrasing but that's essentially what he said.  There's no inaccuracy in that statement.  It is pretty ed up, but to  up everything even more is of course our paranoid society's instinct.  Just because some assholes decided to take out the World Trade Center, I now have to arrive at the airport two hours early, remove my shoes and belt, constantly pack and unpack my laptop, get probed and prodded, and I charge myself 25 dollars for the privilege, thank you very much.  I do that because a bunch of politicians have to answer to the great unwashed masses every two years and one way to guarantee re-election is to make sure you stir them into a state of paranoia and exploit that paranoia.  Bush at least has the honesty not to stoke those flames, and yes I call it honest when a politician doesn't say, "We have to do SOMETHING."  I'm so sick of hearing that.  Every time I hear the phrase I know I can check off one less liberty.  It's very Orwellian.  

Let us recognize that it is an unfortunate situation.  We could stop selling guns to people--and if that's your point then I'd agree that we probably do have enough guns--but it won't solve the problem.  I find Bush's recognition of this fact refreshing.  I also find it refreshing that he doesn't feel the immediate need to feign outrage.  Of course, it'll cost him politically, but on some level I respect him for this.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

If I was a politician who supported gun rights, I think I could up with quite a few better descriptions than what is essentially "lol, don't care"

[angus]

If I was a politician who supported gun rights, I think I could up with quite a few better descriptions than what is essentially "lol, don't care"

Fortunately for him, then, that is not what he did.

He did, on the other hand, point out that it was sad and that this sort of thing does happen from time to time.  (Granted, he's stating the obvious, but stating the obvious is much less dangerous than some of the other things that politicians like to state, especially in response to tragedies.)

Let us be clear, the relevant quote, according to this article and many other is:

"Look stuff happens, there's always a crisis and the impulse is always to do something and it's not always the right thing to do,"

I am glad that a politician finally had the balls to say something like this.  If you have studied American politics--and I know that you have--then you know that it is the immediate response of our elected officials to immediately go into the mode of "fighting yesterday's war," and often with unintended consequences.

I don't know what laws will change history.  I'm guessing that Bush doesn't either.  

You want this gunman to swing from a tree?  That's another debate.  (of course that isn't necessary because he also executed himself)  You want Walmart to stop selling firearms?  That's another debate.  (I've never owned a gun and I also find it creepy that Walmart sells them)  You want Bush to be more exciting?  That's another debate.  (actually, we all probably think Bush is very Boring so there may not be much of a debate)  Here, the OP only wants to discuss Bush's comments posted in the article.   The comment was accurate, and as far as I can tell from the pictures posted and the comments, there was no Laughing Out Loud.  Moreover, the suggestion that he doesn't care about these things seems antithetical to his comments, which were that he thought that it was "sad and craven."  We may spell a few words differently, but our languages aren't so different that I can believe that you can really read "LOL Don't Care" into his comments.  

[Likely Voter]

What isn't debatable is that this was bad for Bush. He was brutalized for it on social media and spent yet another newcycle on the defensive.

[Figueira]

I mean, is he really wrong?

Yes.

[Mr. Smith]

I mean, is he really wrong?

Don't be silly, that'd be an understatement.

[Maxwell]

Bush needs some kind of media coach. Either that or electroshock.