Waleed Aly has unleashed a scathing review of the state of modern America and its ‘gun-loving’ culture after the mass shooting in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of 59 people and injured more than 500.
The Project host labelled the USA a ‘nation in denial’ in a monologue on Wednesday night, and repeated throughout that the horrific details and images of the attack ‘will happen again.’
Local resident Stephen Paddock, armed with 23 legally purchased rifles, fired thousands of bullets at a 22,000-strong country music festival at 10pm Monday evening local time.
‘The truth is, the thing about this act is not how evil it is but how incredibly ordinary its become. And this will happen again,’ Aly says.
Waleed Aly has unleashed a scathing review of the state of modern America and its ‘gun-loving’ culture after the mass shooting in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of 59 people
Revellers described hearing automatic rounds during the concert sparking mass panic and chaos
Aly began the segment by condemning how ‘familiar’ the events of Las Vegas feel, and that no matter the tragedy nothing appears to change within the sentiment of a lot of American citizens and politicians.
‘This will happen again, it always does and it’s always the same way.’
He decried the reaction of President Donald Trump and his choice of words, saying his use of the adjective ‘evil’ was evidence of him ‘hiding something’.
‘You would think after a mass shooting, especially the deadliest in US history, gun reform may actually happen, but that’s not what happens,’ Aly says.
The Project host references the ever-increasing gun statistics in America that has seen gun ownership double in the last 50 years to from one gun to every two people, to now being one gun to every one person, resulting in over 300 million firearms in the United States.
‘Instead of seeing a reduction, the talk of gun reform will see Americans flock to gun stores today.’
He identifies that major gun manufacturing companies, including American Outdoor Brands and Sturm, Ruger and co. have experienced increases in sales of more than 4% since the Las Vegas mass shooting.
‘And this will happen again.’
Aly began the segment by condemning how ‘familiar’ the events of Las Vegas feel, and that no matter the tragedy nothing appears to change within the sentiment of a lot of politicians
Revellers described hearing automatic rounds during the concert sparking mass panic and chaos
Thousands fled as bursts of gunfire could be heard for more than five minutes, at least 50 were killed and 200 more injured
This, Aly says, is largely due to the callousness of one of the nation’s largest lobbies, the NRA, and their refusal to address the issue at hand and often give a delayed response to such atrocities.
‘What’s the NRA got to say?’ Aly asks before cutting to a blank screen.
‘Nothing, and that will happen again.’
The NRA spends more than $3 million every year lobbying politicians, and contributed more than $30 million just to the now-President Donald Trump’s campaign.
Following the attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando in 2016, the last deadliest mass shooting in America’s history which claimed 49 lives, the NRA took two days to give a statement.
‘That’s what they do every time. So tomorrow or the next day, they’ll be back to doing what they always do, lobbying politicians to make sure absolutely nothing changes,’ The Project host laments.
Police say Mr Paddock, described as a local man, opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas Village from a room across the street in the Mandalay Bay Hotel shortly after 10pm
Thousands fled as bursts of gunfire could be heard for more than five minutes, at least 50 were killed and 200 more injured
‘It’s too easy to make this about one person and not a nation in denial. It’s too easy to mourn the victims and choose to do nothing to protect them.’
Despite proven results with banning high-powered assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons, including the case study of Australia which has not seen a single mass shooting since overwhelming gun reform after the Port Arthur massacre, America remains resistant to change.
‘11,660 people have been killed by guns in ths us this year, and this will happen again.’