“Ten men in our country could buy the whole world and ten million can’t buy enough to eat.” Will Rogers
Frankie had a couple of drinks prior to the argument with his daughter and wife over his grandson. As often happens with an argument they get heated and frustrating and Frankie couldn’t handle the guilt and defensiveness from his daughter and his wife. In frustration he stormed from the room shouting “I’m sick and tired of this, I can’t take anymore!” and slammed the bedroom door.
While it seems that the quote from Will Rogers and the story has no connection they do.
Currently our country hasn’t been able to pass any legislation of any real or positive statue for the good of the people. Since Ronnie Reagan American politicians have nested along party lines. Leaving the people behind. This was a slow process and seemed to be the rallying point of one party. Since the 1980’s this party sold its soul to the uber wealthy leaving their base voters in the dust.
That base is as fractured as any dysfunctional family you might find anywhere in the country. These factions believe only in one issue and votes accordingly. This kind of politics works well in spreading corruption and the spread of misinformation. I hear daily from my follow workers on issues we agree on but won’t vote for a “libatard” because they’ll take their guns, or legalize abortion, or allow those “foreigners” in and worse yet give the poor food. (through food stamps.)
Five Million NRA members have dictated and stopped legislation that would promote safe responsible gun ownership. Five million NRA members justify the unabridged ownership of weapons of war leading to the most deadly and violent era in our history. While there is no statistics on the number of shootings in America. The number of shootings is statically higher than 10.54% of Americans who will die or be seriously injured by gun violence.
Those five million NRA members equate to 1.64% of the American population. A minority that hold a country hostage to the whims of the gun industry. A minority that prevents sensible and responsible gun ownership. As a sportsman and sport shooter I find that lack of responsibility lead by the NRA to unacceptable. I had cut ties to the NRA when they took on the New Republican Agenda in 1995 and sought to defeat their leading support in congress fro the state of Washington. Jolene Unsoeld. The NRA’s open support of one party over a true democracy was the first of many steps to the current state of American politics.
The largest words in the constitution is “We The People.” Not we the republicans or we the wealthy or we the corporations. Yet when we the people demand or ask for responsible gun ownership those five million NRA members are whipped to a frenzy with fear tactics of “they’ll take your guns” and the republicans quiver in their shoes. Nothing gets done.
No one wants your guns. Everyone wants responsible ownership. Everyone wants safe ownership. Everyone wants the news of gun violence to end. Well that may never happen but we know that we can’t live in “harden” homes. Work in “harden” workplaces, attend “harden” schools. We don’t want to have to “pack” heat to go to the grocery store, church, theater, or arena.
And when Frankie slammed the bedroom door, slumping on to the bed; his gun, the one he needed to fight off burglars, sat on the nightstand. The gun sitting there didn’t kill him; it was the instrument of his death, had the gun safe law passed, had the lock box law passed had he been forced to take the time to do a combination lock he might have had that moment to gather his thoughts that time to shake the frustration, to think about the situation and stop were stopped by those five million NRA members.
Frankie’s suicide effects not only his family but the 80 people he worked with, his neighbors, classmates, and so many more people in life. For the want of the 6 seconds it would have taken to open a gun safe, a father, brother, co-worker would be here today.
For the want of responsible gun ownership laws 17 young people would be in school today joking with their friends and families. If only 1.64% of the population didn’t hold the republicans hostage.
“Ten men in our country could buy the world and ten million can’t buy enough to eat” this quote is from the 1920’s and reflected the political reality of those times. Today the sentiment of this quote is the reality of today.
(Don’t complain about grammar or spelling, i just lost a real good friend and co-worker. Get over it. There are bigger fish to worry about.)