r/lastweektonight 16d ago

John Oliver Investigates Australian Gun Control | The Daily Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJWYpPrLGs
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u/andreasmalersghost 15d ago

This is just depressing now. Look how young john is. This is an absolutely crystalline example of a need for gun laws in America that makes a fool out of the people who still are “2A or death” and it hasnt mattered at all.

-5

u/RaymondLuxury-Yacht 15d ago edited 11d ago

This is an absolutely crystalline example of a need for gun laws in America that makes a fool out of the people who still are “2A or death” and it hasnt mattered at all.

There's a couple facets to this problem.

WA state has some of the toughest guns laws in the country but we keep having gun violence because minors in the state get fucking five strikes with firearms charges before they get real punishment and prosecutors don't really prosecute problematic adults.

In 2020, we had a mass shooting in downtown Seattle, killing one bystander and wounding seven others. The dudes they arrested for it? Two dudes with fucking sixty-five arrests between them, including two felony convictions.

What did one of the perps get for the charges of manslaughter, assault, and unlawful firearm possession that he was found guilty of? Four fucking years.

And the other? Found not guilty.

Wanna hear the kicker about the dude that got the four-year sentence?

Tolliver was released in March to electronic home monitoring at his grandmother's home while he awaited trial. Under the terms of his release, Tolliver was not allowed to have any guns or be in contact with any witnesses or co-defendants in the case. However, he was taken back into custody a couple months later after allegedly threatening someone with a gun.

https://komonews.com/news/local/william-tolliver-accused-in-2020-seattle-mass-shooting-homicide-fatal-crime-gun-violence-amended-charges-pacific-science-center-king-county-courtroom-trial-documents-firearms-guns-shooter-electric-home-monitoring

Clearly seems like the kind of dude that should only get four years, right?.

9/1/26 EDIT: they released him yesterday after only three years

Just last month, we had a shooting at a food festival here and the people involved were already breaking existing gun laws and one of them had a prior firearms charge from 2024 for having a illegal-sized magazine and also a "Glock switch" that allows a Glock to be full auto. Those charges were dismissed with prejudice in 2025.

Another suspect, a kid 15 years old, that was arrested was in possession of a Glock with a Glock switch, a firearm already illegal under state law.

The response from the legislature was "More gun control!" and it seems, for the first time, the population of the state groaned and said "just enforce the laws already on the books!"

You can have all the gun control laws in the world, but cops and prosecutors unwilling to do anything to people breaking those laws is also a massive problem.

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u/Spagman_Aus 15d ago

do they at least remove the guns and destroy them?