Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Jimmy Kimmel has always had an everyman appeal. Now, that manifests itself as an everyday guy who's trying to make sense of our politics—and is appalled at what he finds. There was healthcare, when he rallied a huge swathe of the country (opens in new tab) against the grotesque Republican "reform" bills. And now there is the horror in Las Vegas (opens in new tab)—Kimmel's hometown. "It feels like someone has opened a window into hell," he said last night, towards the end of a formidable monologue in which he marked the severity of the tragedy, then demanded action from both lawmakers and the public in a way it seems few others can.
There was something captivating about watching Kimmel—a self-professed newcomer to tackling political issues—attempt to tackle America's unhinged gun debate. He illustrated the absurdity of having something so obviously wrong (opens in new tab), yet insisting there's nothing you could possibly do about it.
Later, Kimmel channeled the helplessness these moments can generate:
But Kimmel wasn't helpless. He reminded the audience that there is a strong constituency for action on guns: 99 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans are in favor of universal background checks. 89 percent of everybody want to stop mentally ill people from obtaining guns.
RELATED STORY
Witnessing the Vegas Shooting Changed This Man's Stance on Gun Control
Yet, as Kimmel sharply put it, President Trump signed an executive order in February reversing an Obama-era initiative (opens in new tab) that made it harder for some mentally ill people to obtain guns. Keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill seems like the most common sense measure possible, yet it is beyond a Republican Congress and White House afraid to ever strain against the NRA's tight leash. Kimmel drove that home by throwing up the photos of all the senators who voted against background checks after Orlando, the last most-deadly-mass-shooting-in-modern-American-history. That was last summer.
But Kimmel has learned enough about the disease in our politics—the disease that has infected the Republican Party from top to bottom—to know how fierce the opposition will be to the idea civilians should not wield military-grade weapons on American streets. He had a line for the Republicans who will vote against any bill, ever, that would lead to even one fewer gun being sold in America, and are instead content to offer their thoughts and their prayers as this happens over and over again.
Yes, indeed they should. They don't reserve many spots in heaven for those who watch the mass slaughter of innocents with a shrug.
RELATED STORY
These Are the Victims of the Las Vegas Massacre
-
Jennifer Lopez Looked Incredible in a Sheer Lilac Dress in NYC
Despite her shoes compromising her balance.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Blake Lively Kicked Off Her Birthday Celebrations at Disneyland
She went to the happiest place on Earth with her sister.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Cardi B Uses Boiled Onion Water to Wash Her Hair
“It’s been giving a shine to my hair.”
By Samantha Holender
-
Why the 2022 Midterm Elections Are So Critical
As we blaze through a highly charged midterm election season, Swing Left Executive Director Yasmin Radjy highlights rising stars who are fighting for women’s rights.
By Tanya Benedicto Klich
-
Tammy Duckworth: 'I’m Mad as Hell' About the Lack of Federal Action on Gun Safety
The Illinois Senator won't let the memory of the Highland Park shooting just fade away.
By Sen. Tammy Duckworth
-
Roe Is Gone. We Have to Keep Fighting.
Democracy always offers a path forward even when we feel thrust into the past.
By Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, hosts of Pantsuit Politics Podcast
-
Current Gun Control Policies Are Ableist
"Solutions" like active shooter drills and arming more people put the rights of gun owners above the rights of America's most vulnerable, including disabled people like myself.
By Heather Tomko
-
The Supreme Court's Mississippi Abortion Rights Case: What to Know
The case could threaten Roe v. Wade.
By Megan DiTrolio
-
Sex Trafficking Victims Are Being Punished. A New Law Could Change That.
Victims of sexual abuse are quietly criminalized. Sara's Law protects kids that fight back.
By Dr. Devin J. Buckley and Erin Regan
-
My Family and I Live in Navajo Nation. We Don't Have Access to Clean Running Water
"They say that the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Why are citizens still living with no access to clean water?"
By Amanda L. As Told To Rachel Epstein
-
30 Ways Women Still Aren't Equal to Men
If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, show them these statistics.
By Megan Friedman