This morning Salman Rushdie joined many lefty gun-grabbers in using the Colorado movie theater shooting to revive the gun control debate. What sets him apart is that he didn’t approach this as a mere opportunity to score political points for the Left. For Rushdie, it was also a prime opportunity to show off his ability to craft a pun, tragic circumstances be damned.
The "right to bear arms" is the real Bane of America.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
Bane, of course, is the villain in “The Dark Knight Rising,” the film that was showing when the shooter opened fire.
When Rushdie was called out by another Twitter user, he played dumb, pretending his tweet wasn’t a hit-you-over-the-head-obvious reference to the film.
"@adamtreusch: A Batman pun? That's your response to a shooting massacre? Seriously?"Are you unfamiliar with the meaning of the word "bane"?
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
Revolting. If he finds deadly tragedies pun-worthy, why not own it? The word “Bane” was capitalized, a clear play on words that has no place in the hours after a horrific shooting.
@SalmanRushdie Whilst I agree with your stance on gun laws, if 'Bane' was not a mild pun why the capital? #busted
— Ben Armitage (@benoptom) July 20, 2012
@SalmanRushdie u r being disingenuous. Fact u used Bane makes it clear u were attempting a pun. There is a time and place and this isn't it
— R (@Robbie1039) July 20, 2012
Rushdie continued his rant by responding to critics, or as he calls them, “Nugents.”
"@PGourevitch: Anyone else tired of presidential candidates saying they value American life but never a sane word about gun control?" Yes.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
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"@ContentiousMoi: 2nd Amendment is more necessary than ever, for Americans to protect themselves from ruling elite" Protect how, exactly?
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
"@petertimmerman: @SalmanRushdie So true. But maybe a tad too early." a little too late for those kids in Colorado, I'd say.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
After Columbine I was on Bill Maher's old show arguing vs NRA's Ted Nugent about gun control. Lots of Nugents on my timeline today.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
"@DPMurphey: learn about gun law in America before you talk about things you clearly know nothing about." Yes, education an excellent thing.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
"@1opinionatedred: seeing as you're not American I don't think you get a say" I live here. And do Americans not get a say in world affairs?
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
"@1opinionatedred: I don't care if we're not liked it's our country others don't get a say!"The First Amendment includes a citizenship test?
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
"@twolaneflash First Amendment guaranteed by exercise of Second." congrats, sir or madam, you get the prize for dumbest rightwing remark.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
Eventually Rushdie realized he couldn’t get away with pretending the pun was intended.
@StevenJStafford Feel absolutely free not to follow. When did a pun become an insult? When you disagree with the point being made, right?
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
But no apology, of course. Much like Piers Morgan, Mayor Bloomberg and other gun control opportunists, Rushdie remains far more concerned with not letting a tragedy go to waste than with mourning the tragedy’s victims.
Update:
After Twitchy founder/CEO Michelle Malkin tweeted about Rushdie’s pun, he responded by condescendingly defining the word “bane.”
Puns are "ugh", @michellemalkin ? Or only when they express opinions you oppose? Bane: curse, scourge, nemesis, causing misery or death.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
While he has his dictionary out, perhaps Rushdie should look up “inappropriate” and “despicable.” Oh, never mind. He’s too busy calling the waaaaahmbulaaaance:
Anyone who wants to see who follows @michellemalkin and how brilliant their ideas are should check the abuse on my twitter feed right now.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
Michelle responded:
Get a grip. Both you and I — especially you — have faced far, far worse for expressing our views.
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) July 20, 2012
And he’s still going:
Here's the thing: Gun ownership in America is out of control, and leads to tragedies like today's. Don't like puns? Fine. I don't like guns.
— Salman Rushdie (@SalmanRushdie) July 20, 2012
Here’s the difference: we’re criticizing speech, not calling for the government to ban it on the heels of a deadly event. Yes, Mr. Rushdie, we found your pun vile. But you won’t see us advocating pun control.
@SalmanRushdie Cite your empirical evidence, not emotion. ==>http://t.co/r99jLbjf
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) July 20, 2012
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