The Guns are Out of Control
Unpacking Season 2, Episodes 3, 4, and 5 “The Midterms”, “In This White House”, and “And It’s Surely to Their Credit”
If you were new to America, you might think that the President getting shot would make our politicians jump at the chance to do something about gun control.
But of course, The West Wing understands completely that it doesn’t matter who gets shot and killed (even when it’s elementary school students), at the end of the day America loves its fucking guns and the Democrats are too feckless to do anything about it.
Despite the fact that Josh almost died, our senior staff isn’t able to do much of anything about gun control. In the immediate aftermath, Toby urges the rest of the gang to take advantage of the situation, but CJ insists that they are not the story (if not them, who is??). Sam rages against the gun lobby to the new Republican hire Ainsley Hayes (it’s a whole thing). Then he proposes that Josh sue the KKK in order to pay his medical bills, but Josh decides against it (with no mention of how maybe everyone should have universal healthcare).
Watching this in a world post Sandy Hook and Uvalde, where it’s been twenty years past the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, is just depressing. Josh getting critically injured alongside Jed’s more mild injuries is a best case scenario for a mass shooting nowadays. Meanwhile the white supremacist ideals that were behind this shooting have only gotten more prominent and extreme today, with the Department of Homeland Security openly tweeting fascist propaganda now.
Watching these episodes makes you want to scream at your screen to the characters that they have no idea how much worse things are going to get, that they better do something about gun control and white supremacist groups now while they still have a chance. Not to prop up Aaron Sorkin too much, but that was clearly what he was trying to warn America with this arc.
If only we had listened.
Other Thoughts
Sorry for the unexpected month off! Good news though - I got a day job! So at least I’m not broke when I procrastinate on these anymore.
Jed not knowing what an egg cream was at his big age…Toby might be the first Jew he ever met.
Did get a good laugh at the House staying exactly the same after a 400 million dollar spend on the Midterms. But also think of what they could have done with that money instead…
Ainsley accusing Jed of working for the teacher’s union:
Sam’s monogrammed shirt is a great character detail!
Multiple breaks in the action so characters can debate Gilbert & Sullivan…is this when Sorkin got back on coke?