From cartoonist Clay Jones about ‘Stuff Happens,’ Jeb Bush, and the Oregon mass shooting
Jeb Bush’s reaction to the mass shooting in Oregon was “Stuff happens.” Afterward, he said his quote was taken out of context. The presidential candidate’s actual quote is: “We’re in a difficult time in our country, and I don’t think that more government is necessarily the answer to this. I think we need to reconnect ourselves with everybody else. It’s just, it’s very sad to see. But I resist the notion — and I did, I had this, this challenge as governor, because we have, look, stuff happens, there’s always a crisis and the impulse is always to do something and it’s not necessarily the right thing to do.”
So doing something is not necessarily the right thing to do. I’m glad we set the context straight here. He’s playing to the gun lobby and conservative voters, those who believe there should not be any more regulations on firearms and that we probably need more guns in society (because that’s been working out so well so far). Do nothing. Shrug shoulders. What exactly does this guy plan to do if elected? I know if he becomes president, a lot of people will be saying something “happens.” It will start with an “S” but it won’t be “stuff.”
This was my second idea. I had my first idea all day Tuesday, but I held off drawing it because I was afraid it might be obvious and another cartoonist would draw it. Actually I felt one particular cartoonist would draw it. I’m not psychic. Maybe it’s because I’ve been a fan of his for over 25 years, and we both think weird. Yes, he drew a variation on it, and I think it was better than my original idea. Here it is.
