Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel explain why it's not too soon to talk about tightening gun laws

It isn not too soon to talk gun laws, say Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel

(Image credit: Screenshots/YouTube/The Late Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live)

last updated 4 October 2017

The federal government's response to the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, in Las Vegas, "has been fine, it's been pro forma," Stephen Colbert said on Tuesday's Late Show, though he had a beef with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying that now isn't the time to discuss tightening gun laws. "Where have I heard that before?" he asked, playing a compilation-clip answer. "They always say that a gun tragedy is never the right time to talk about stopping the next gun tragedy. It's like your alcoholic uncle wrapping his car around a tree and getting out, saying, 'Today's not the day to talk about my drinking, okay? I'm still drunk right now. ... Who wants to go for a drive?'"

House Republicans aren't doing nothing, though. They're planning to vote on a bill to legalize silencers, Colbert said, "because that's the problem with gun violence: It's the noise."

On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel said he had nothing much to add to his thoughts on Monday night, but did want to address "these nuts who spent most of the day today on television and online attacking those of us who think we need to do something about the fact that 59 innocent people were killed" and "almost anyone can get any weapon they want." He suggested they don't want to talk about it because they are partly culpable, then said: "It's not too soon for us, because we're Americans, and last time I checked, the First Amendment is at least as important as the Second Amendment, so we will talk about it, and shame on you for suggesting we do otherwise." Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.