One of the incredibly horrifying parts of the Texas saga this week had to do with the fact that, of course, the NRA is having its annual conference in Houston in the aftermath of the Uvalde massacre. But, there are more:
--Abbott holding a fundraiser hours after the massacre.
--The continuing mythology about how protecting our children is based upon a “good guy with a gun” shooting the “bad guy with the gun.” Both Trump and Ted Cruz talked about this being the only solution we have, today at the NRA conference.
--Of course, we found out today that cowards with guns, supposedly “good guys,” often won’t do anything while our babies are getting slaughtered. They may just wait outside until troops with more powerful weapons and body armor show up, even as the kids inside are calling 911 over and over and over, begging for help. And the parents can’t do anything, either: the good guys with guns will force them to stay outside. Better to bully a parent than risk your own ass. (Abbott claims that he couldn’t have done anything, either: he was “lied to.” How disgusting.)
--The fact that the Uvalde terrorist was able to walk into a gun store right on or after his 18th birthday and buy weapons of mass destruction may give us some new power as well. So might, I think, the fact that a) voting rates among hispanics in Texas have tended to be low, and b) Uvalde is a largely Hispanic Community.
The gaslighting represented by the NRA Good Guy Meme has been called out many times before. Here is Salon from 2019:
www.salon.com/....
The gun lobby's most pernicious myth: There is no "good guy with a gun"
The NRA's favorite fantasy is nothing short of a shameless lie: Guns will not save the day — they will kill us
--Another part of this propaganda has to do with “hardening schools.” Well the school in Uvalde was hardened so much that no one could get out of the locked doors. And, of course, we ought not have to expect that teachers with pistols but no protection and no training could be part of this “hardening.”
I have one piece of optimism inside all of this rage and sadness: As the good guy with a gun mythology is shown to be an utter, abject lie, perhaps the two mass killings in recent days will force Republican politicians to take a different stance. And, perhaps the combination of the opposition to forced birth and the Good Guy Meme will win us some more seats and offices, particularly—but not exclusively—in Texas.
And, there is this:
www.alternet.org/...
Here are some of the excuses that Republicans are using to explain the recent mass shootings
While most of the world is well aware of the fact that the United States' lenient gun control laws have contributed to the number of disturbing mass shootings, Republican leaders and lawmakers are attempting to make excuses to divert attention from the firearm discussions.
As the days progress, the excuses are becoming more outlandish. According to HuffPost, Republicans have blamed everything from liberal teachers to ADHD medications for shootings that have taken place across the country. Then, there are bizarre remarks from far-right conservatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). While Greene believes there's not enough "God" in schools, Paxton and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) believe there aren't enough guns in schools.
“The reality is, we don’t have the resources to have law enforcement at every school,” he said. “It takes time for law enforcement, no matter how prepared, no matter how good they are to get there. So, having the right training for some of these people at the school is the best hope.”
Boebert, meanwhile, shares on Thursday night that she wants "teachers that can protect themselves and their students."
My hopes for Beto’s chances have risen pretty sharply in the midst of all this awfulness. In Texas, specifically, The stronger chances could spill over to some other states, too, including the Senate seats in Ohio and Florida—adding onto Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and NC. It will, I am confident, help us hold our battleground seats in Arizona, NH, etc.
Lastly, for now, I expect to see vast marches seeking to overcome Republican grift, incompetence and corruption, on 4-5 subjects, between now and the election. Perhaps some pretty strong boycotts as well: donate to or vote for the NRA crowd, and I won’t buy your product.
Will we get everything solved before the election? Of course not. But, background checks, limits on magazines and elimination of AR-15s for civilians might be do-able.
God, I am so mad I could spit. Or worse.
I wonder: can the parents with dead children sue the city and the police for utter incompetence that killed their kids? Perhaps we can get some new laws on that, too.