I’ve been somewhat muted recently, as a dear friend lost one of her sons to gun violence last week. His funeral was on Saturday. In the week since his murder there have been 10 multiple casualty gun related incidents in the United States. There have also been around 800 gun related deaths in that same time frame. There is roughly one gun related murder in the United States for every hour of every day of every month of every year. When I say, “This shit has to stop,” I mean “THIS. SHIT. HAS. TO. STOP!!”
Creating and nurturing a culture that worships weapons instead of actual human lives is one of the most significant failings of our society. Our rate of gun violence is 25 times higher than the rate in other high-income countries.
Perhaps we should incarcerate one of those Second Amendment posers for every person murdered by a gun until we run out of politician who think Glock’s profits (and associated campaign donations) are more important than all the lives being destroyed by gun violence. I sincerely hope there is a hell, so all the gun fetishists will have a place to rot in for all eternity.
There has been some progress made since the horror at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The March for Our Lives movement coupled with the NRA’s current internal troubles have presented us with an opportunity to inject some common sense and humanity into the struggle against the death merchants.
There’s a bit of folk wisdom that’s rambling around between my ears this week: “Sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you’re the windshield.” I’m so very tired of the way we keep encountering senseless gun violence and getting squashed by gun money and influence. It’s well past time for us to rise up and shatter their gory windshield. One death is one too many. Shrugging off thousands of them as a cost of protecting a manufactured right is simply inhuman.
So what can we do? How can we make a difference? There are several organizations working hard to push through the NRA’s constant and deceitful firehose of pro-gun propaganda. If you aren’t already involved, one of these groups could use your support.
Everytown for Gun Safety — Umbrella for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. — Everytown is a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence — For nearly 25 years, our legal experts have been producing leading-edge legislative analysis and fighting for a safer America by defending the laws, policies, and programs proven to save lives from gun violence.
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence — The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence seeks to secure freedom from gun violence through research, strategic engagement, and effective policy advocacy.
Never Again MSD — Run by survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting. We are sick of the Florida lawmakers choosing money from the NRA over our safety. #NeverAgain
Betsy Riot maintains WayneLaPierre.com
On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver took the time to tell us about Britain’s new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Seth Myers’ Closer Look reviewed the Racist-in-Rezidence’s weekend attack on Elijah Cummings
This is going to be a very abbreviated Good News Roundup for me. My sincere apologies, but I’m just not up to it right now. Everything I desperately needed and wanted to talk about this week was in the intro section. Please chime in with some good news in the comments.
The Week in tRump, a recap.
- He said several somethings so stunningly stupid as to cause an epidemic of gasps and turning heads.
- He race baited early and often
- He lied — a lot. The lowlight was claiming he personally helped clear rubble and search for survivors after 9/11. I guess he fit that in after he spent time crowing about his building being the new tallest structure in Manhattan.
- His rabid followers showed their slavish devotion to his empty promises and lies
- His congressional enablers stood up on their hind legs and practiced cowering and quivering in place
- CPB and ICE continued to break US and international law by denying petitioners their right to claim asylum at the border. They also continued to demonstrate a complete lack of human decency.
- Did I mention he lied — a lot?
None of what they are doing, saying or trying to do is particularly good news, except in the sense it is cumulatively so offensive it will continue to inspire vigorous opposition and help him to shed more of his core support.
Closing Notes
Continuing good wishes to {{{{oldhippiedude}}}} and {{{{Msdude}}}}
Continued speedy recovery to {{{{niftywriter}}}} my every other Tuesday partner.
Yosef 52 posted Registering Voters and Getting Out the Vote in Pennsylvania.
As always, the lads will play us out.