Thursday, February 15, 2018

Massacre Du Jour: The 2nd Amendment Blues

A well regulated milita, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. --Second Amendment, United States Constitution.


Let's see, where are we? Oh, this week it's Florida.
Fourteen dead kids?

President Slithole says it's the fault of:
1. Democrats (who have not built his wall)
2. Local officials, who did not see the warning signs or better yet, the FBI for not swooping in on this kid
3. Unarmed students and teachers who failed to defend themselves.
4. Barack Obama, because, well, you know.
5. Hillary Clinton, because she is crooked.
6. Ted Cruz, who must be related to the shooter, who was also named "Cruz" and so, you know.


Thoughts and prayers are working over time.
It's not appropriate to discuss laws at this time of mourning, or morning.

Truth be told, Mad Dog, were he President would have no clear plan for dealing with this mayhem, other than perhaps agitating for legislation to restrict ammunition.
Trying to eliminate guns is a losing proposition--that ship has sailed. You can bury guns in your backyard. There are more guns floating around this nation than there are people.
Probably not a good idea to sell any more AR-15's, especially to kids, especially to kids who hear voices.
This kid, we are told lived with an adult who allowed him to keep his AR-15 locked in a gun locker in the house,and they told him he needed permission to unlock the locker. 
These people, the Sneads,  seem like nice people, but why do nice people allow a kid who had been expelled from school to keep an AR-15 in their house? 
Mr. Snead is said to be a "military intelligence analyst."  Now that is a thought provoking detail.
In this country, we probably should not be selling attack rifles and bump stocks to anyone, or at least we should make it just a little tougher for the next boy/man who hears voices telling him  he has to kill all his classmates.


But, you know, this America, man.

England was once a very violent place, lots of murders and beheadings. Somehow, they got past it. Same for a lot of Europe, although some places in Europe still haven't got past it--like Ukraine.

Add guns to the list of things government cannot likely solve all by itself; the list includes:
1. Opioid deaths
2. Opioid addiction
3. Women wanting abortions who should never have gotten pregnant in the first place
4. Illegal immigration by people who want to leave their horrible, "shit hole" countries
5. Global warming
6. Crime
7. Terrorism
8. Cancer
9. Death
10. Taxes.

Other than that, government can do a lot of good things to make life better, to enrich communities and improve life and health and education and foster new knowledge and the advancement of mankind.
But some things will always be with us. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying.
All we can do about those 10 nasties is try something, anything, and keep on trying.


So, I ask you: who, in his right mind can read that frigging 2nd Amendment, the only sentence in the entire Constitution which provides an explanation for the right it is about to confer, who could possibly read this and not understand this is not a right for individual ownership of guns? 

2 comments:

  1. Mad Dog,
    I'll tell you who can read the second amendment and see in it their right to bear semi automatic weapons as well as their right to sell these weapons to 18 year olds-the same nuts who posted on social media that the school shootings are the work of the devil..The devil..Ah, leave it to nasty old Satan...

    One can hope for the rest of us, the time for more meaningful action has arrived. I'm encouraged by the student protests in Florida-let's hope it spreads..Teachers are planning a nationwide walkout on April 20th, maybe that will encourage churches, who have also been the scene of slaughter in recent years, to join the fight. Pick a certain time on a particular Sunday and let congregants from all denominations file out of their places of worship in protest. Trauma nurses and doctors forced to repeatedly treat this carnage would hopefully join the protest. Ditto police and first responders. Citizens like me, who are none of the above, can do their part and stand in support...Only then do we have a chance of convincing the spineless Republican collaborators in Washington that it is in their best interest to back away from the NRA..The latter must be so frustrated with the inconvenience of this latest shooting-they were so close to having congress pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act..A wunderkind piece of legislation which would essentially make the weakest gun laws in the country the law of the land..

    It was heartbreaking to watch the video of the mother in Florida, who lost her 14 year old daughter, scream at the camera for Trump to do something. Oh he'll do something alright. As he told the NRA convention last April, "I am going to come through for you....You have a friend and champion in me"...At least he didn't mince words...

    There's been 430 people shot in 230 school shootings since Sandy Hook-so while Betsy DeVos and congressional Democrats call for hearings, it's time the rest of us take to the streets...
    Maud

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  2. Ms. Maud,

    Nobody would ever accuse you of being unclear.
    After all these years, I'm still baffled by how public opinion affects legislators in Washington.
    The huge peace marches in Washington were a bonding, feel good experience, but did they hasten an end to the war, or was it the Tet offensive?
    You may be right. I hope you're right. It may be tough, this week to vote for Concealed Carry, but some of those guys are saying, "If only that football coach had a gun, this would never have happened."
    Mad Dog

    ReplyDelete