TODAY IN STUPID: Rep. Louie Gohmert Cheapens The Tragedy In Colorado

In the wake of the horrifying shooting that left at least 12 moviegoers dead in Aurora, Colorado, most of our political leaders, including Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, offered measured, respectful responses to the tragedy. After all, as the President put it, “there are going to be other days for politics.”

Unfortunately Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) didn’t get the message. During a radio interview on The Heritage Foundation’s “Istook Live!” show, Gohmert blurted a reaction to the tragedy that was so absurdly imbecilic and tone deaf that it must be heard to be believed.

Asked how such a senseless act of violence could occur, Gohmert explained that the shooting was actually caused by modern “attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs.”

“Some of us happen to believe that when our founders talked about guarding our virtue and freedom, that that was important,” Gohmert said. “Whether it’s John Adams saying our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people … Ben Franklin, only a virtuous people are capable of freedom, as nations become corrupt and vicious they have more need of masters … We have been at war with the very pillars, the very foundation of this country.

“You know what really gets me, as a Christian, is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of terror like this takes place,” he added.

“People say … where was God in all of this?” Gohmert continued. “We’ve threatened high school graduation participations, if they use God’s name, they’re going to be jailed … I mean that kind of stuff. Where was God? What have we done with God? We don’t want him around. I kind of like his protective hand being present.”

As Ed Kilgore points out in Washington Monthly, the notion that God would allow a massacre to teach Louie Gohmert’s political opponents a lesson is wildly offensive on its own. Gohmert wasn’t done bringing the stupid, however.

He went on to insist that the only thing that might have prevented the tragedy — aside from letting high schoolers say “God” during graduation, of course — would have been more guns in the darkened, tear-gas-filled movie theater.

“Well it does make me wonder, you know with all those people in the theater, was there nobody that was carrying that could’ve stopped this guy more quickly?” Gohmert asked.

Given that Gohmert is best known for his paranoid conspiracy theories about “terror babies,” it’s hardly a surprise to hear him say something stupid. Even in this political climate, on this sad occasion, Gohmert’s rantings represent yet another new low.

Audio of his interview is below, courtesy of The Huffington Post: