Patriot Act: “The NRA’s Global Impact” Episode Recap & Review

The Right To Bear Arms

When it comes to controversial hot topics, no other issue feels as hotly debated as Gun Rights. As a Brit, this volatile conflict flies under the radar with our news but as the NRA’s influence continues to grow worldwide, who knows how long this will last. Back for another slice of politically charged intrigue, Hasan Minhaj returns to discuss this very topic, with a good dose of humour and the usual array of stats and figures to help proceedings.

Beginning with the origins of gun regulations and proceeding to discuss America’s reaction to the recent push-back to how readily available firearms are to the general public, Hasan discusses the recent bill passed by Trump to allow looser gun regulations. This inevitably will allow easier exportation of guns abroad and a tougher time for authorities to track just where these firearms are heading. While this may seem like a win/win for pro-gun lobbyists across the country, the reality is an alarming spike in gun crime in Central America, Brazil and New Zealand.

Through the usual blend of archival news footage and various interviews with experts on the topic, Hasan discuss the implications this bill has on crime worldwide. With shocking exploitative footage of the NRA thanks to “khaki man”, we see officials discussing the best way to handle questions mass shootings. It’s pretty shocking stuff and Hasan balances this well with a perfect blend of comedy and in-depth discussion on the topic.

Given the topic at hand, Hasan does a great job delivering a concise and easy to understand narrative around this. While some of his political references won’t land with those outside the US, others are pretty brutal and personally, this style of humour works the best. One such joke comparing American football to mass shootings is morbidly genius and one of the best jokes the show has put out in quite some time.

Whether you believe gun regulations should be stricter or not is still up for debate but one thing’s for sure, gun crime is on the rise. With school shootings and gang related violence becoming an alarming new norm in Western society, who knows how long this bubble will expand before it pops. One thing’s for sure though, it’s a topic that isn’t going to be solved overnight.