Republican Death Porn

So why is the Montana Republican party sending oversized postcards of a dead woman in a body bag to homes in Montana?  I know this is an inflammatory question, but after viewing the postcard, I’m not certain there is a nice way to ask the question. Here is the oversized postcard send to our homes in early March of this year:

Here is the back of the postcard:

You'll note that I took off the personal cell phone number of JP off the postcard.  The Montana Republican State Central Committee thoughtfully included it on the postcard.  They also sent postcards to the districts of Julie French and Doug Cordier.

The story starts with House Bill 693, introduced by Jack Wells (R). The actual name of the bill is "Excellent Legislation Meant to Excite Republicans For Unlimited Damage to Democrats" or ELMER FUDD.   HB693 (sometimes known as HB340) expands gun use by allowing everyone to carry concealed weapons, encouraging people to brandish weapons, and discouraging prosecutions of gun crimes.  Every law enforcement official in the state spoke out against the bill.  Reps JP, French and Cordier stood up for common sense and the law enforcement community and voted no, then, bam, their district gets hit with these premade postcards.  Who knew that these formerly respectable legislators were in favor of the gruesome death of your neighbors? While Montana Democrats wereangry, even the Republicans were upsetat these cards.

"We did not know anything about it until last night," he said. "We did not support it, we did not authorize it, we did not know it was coming. I would hope as representatives we can stop this kind of stuff."

But Chris Wilcox, executive director of the state Republican Party was unrepentent:

"It's interesting that nearly every candidate in Montana claims to support gun rights when they run for office. When it comes time to vote, constituents get a real look at where Democrats stand."

Republicans also responded by pointing out battered women attack ads sent by Democrats to homes during the last election. The logic is impeccable: if the Democrats can send out postcards with pictures of battered women, then Republicans can send out postcards of a dead woman in a body bag.

This sordid mess is continuing because the Elmer Fudd bill to expand gun rights is still pending in the Montana legislature.  Move-On is commonly attacked by the right because it is has undue influence on our politics and laws but if Move-On had 1/100 of the power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) then we would be out of Iraq yesterday.  The NRA and the gun lobby holds enormous sway over the laws and politics of the state of Montana.  Hell, even Gov. Brian Schweitzer proudly touted his gun credentials during the last election.  Even police officers kowtow to the NRA in the very article that opposes them:

Many are avid supporters of organizations such as the National Rifle Association.

The problem for the NRA comes from its success.  For all intents and purposes, the NRA and the gun lobby has won rock solid support for gun rights in Montana. No Montana politician would commit political immolation by even suggesting gun control.

So the NRA still has its clout, its money, and certainly has its swagger but with nothing to do.  It could work for hunters rights and access, but instead has decided to expand gun rights across the entire country.  Here is the NRA working their magic in our next door neighbor North Dakota.  

But there is trouble brewing for the NRA.  They have a hunting group who is actually interested in promoting hunters rights instead of gun rights and they have the Zumbo affair.  The career of Jim Zumbo was destroyed by the NRA in a chilling, cultlike hysterical manner.  Zumbo has become a verb in the gun community for the annihilation of dissent.  The NRA is not a healthy organization, especially for folks with different reasonable opinions.  I don't think you need to have a ninja outfit and a assault rifle to hunt gophers, even big terrorist gophers like the one in CaddyShack.  You probably won't need your nunchucks either.

But the NRA are an effective special interest and they have many friends here.  When they needed a new Elmer Fudd gun law in Montana, they knew who to ask: Jack Wells.  Jack is a ultra conservative Republican legislator from Manhattan, Montana.  When I googled his image, it said "Creepy- Jack Wells"  (I thought "Damn, this internet thing is smart.  I always viewed Jack Wells as creepy as well.") If the NRA asked Jack Wells to show up in the Montana House wearing a multi-colored wig, a polka-dot yellow coat, green and black check pants, then he would show up to the House looking like this.

Unfortunately, the NRA didn't ask Jack Wells to dress up in a multi-colored wig, a polka-dot yellow coat, green and black check pants, they asked him to change Montana law to greatly weaken gun laws and allow violent criminals to escape prosecution. This is what Cascade County Attorney Brant Light said about House Bill 340:

"House Bill 340 would give criminals a license to commit homicide in Montana."

Every Republican Legislator stood with the NRA instead of our local law enforcement folks.  Let me say that again.  Every Republican Legislator from the party formerly known as the "Party of Law and Order" voted against the law enforcement establishment in Montana.  Essentially, they thought that gun rights were more important than the lives of our peace officers.

And it isn't just a matter of laws and rules and rights, it is also a matter of vision.  I live in the same beautiful valleythat Jack Wells lives in.  I look at the same beautiful mountains, I drink the same water, I breathe the same air.  I have lived in Bozeman for thirty years and I have never felt physically threatened in any way. I have never been in a fight. I feel completely safe in any part of town at any time of the day or night.  I leave my keys in my car and it hasn't been stolen in thirty years.  We live in a safe community, we live in a safe state.

I don't need a gun to deal with my fellow citizens, my friends or my neighbors.

I don't need a loaded weapon in my coat because I am afraid of what others might do to me. Republicans from GW down to Jack Wells like to imagine themselves as tough guys, but how tough can they be if they have to have a gun or an army before they confront the world.  A coward with a gun is still a coward.  Tough guys have to use violence or the threat of violence to advance their ideas because their ideas are not strong enough to stand on their own merits. Bullies need guns.

I do not understand how Law Enforcement officials in Montana can be members of an organization like the NRA who is so casually reckless with the safety of its officers.  I do not understand how the Republican party places the wishes of a special interest group over the lives of its peace officers.  I do not understand why County Attorneys in Montana belong to a political party that willfully and gleefully humiliates them. I don't understand why a party so demonstrably proud of their Christian values would send a picture of a dead woman in a body bag to homes across Montana to advance a violent agenda and smear a political opponent.  I don't understand men who are so afraid that they have to have a gun in their pocket to feel like a man.