Should we reduce the incidence of gun homicides with stricter regulations about who can buy a gun and under what circumstances? Jeb Bush doesn't think so, offering an argument that's strikingly reminiscent of Donald Rumsfeld trying to explain away the chaos and looting in postwar Iraq.
In Greenville, South Carolina, Jeb Bush, arguing against calls for gun control after major tragedy, says, "stuff happens."
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) October 2, 2015
Full "stuff happens" quote: pic.twitter.com/ay2dbLd0Lw
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) October 2, 2015
Here's Rumsfeld:
Stuff does, obviously, happen, and that will continue to be the case under any policy regime. But what stuff happens depends crucially on public policy. The evidence from Australia and other countries suggests that when you have fewer guns, less "stuff" that involves being dying of gunshot wounds happens.