Three
shootings in a week. Thirty three people dead. Thoughts and prayers
from Republicans. Demands for gun control and gun safety from
Democrats. All guns all the time folks claim more guns in the
populace would have prevented it. Except. Except there were
'good guys with guns' at the Walmart who not only did not stop the
shooter, they fled, and the police weren't sure who the shooter was
because of open carry. Except the shooter in Dayton killed and
wounded those people in less than a minute. The police responded in
20 seconds, shot him dead in less than a minute but 9 people were
still dead and 26 wounded. No good guy with a gun on the scene could
have stopped that. Republicans: it's not guns, it's mental illness.
It's not guns, it's video games. It's not guns, it's no prayer in
school. It's not white supremacy rhetoric, it's absentee parents.
Democrats: It's the GUNS stupid, other nations have mentally ill
citizens, play video games, don't pray in school and they do not
suffer gun violence. Meanwhile Trump golfs, McConnell issues a
statement about how horrified he is but not horrified enough to bring
the gun safety bills passed by the House to the floor of the Senate.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
And
then there is the guy who thinks every public place should have an
armed 'discreet' professional security force I thought that's what
the police were for like his church has, proud of the fact that
he thinks his church is well protected. I can remember an America
when we didn't need private security forces, discreet or otherwise,
to feel safe in America from Americans.
Just
another week in America, the country that loves it's guns more than
it's children with a government controlled by Republicans, the party
that loves it's NRA money more than protecting Americans, the party
that allows the very people they accuse, the mentally ill, to buy
whatever guns they want, led by a president that demonizes certain
Americans and laughs when his supporters yell 'shoot them'.
We
have a chance in November 2020 to put an end to this. If we don't, we
may never get another one.
I agree with every word you wrote so eloquently here.
ReplyDeleteDid you hear Trump speaking about the shootings just a little while ago? He was obviously struggling to read from a teleprompter.
"Mental illness pulled the trigger. Not the gun."
Fuck. Him.
Thank you Ellen for saying everything I felt too heartsick to try and write. It’s ludicrous what’s happening. Sometimes I can’t believe this is real life. But it is.
ReplyDeleteToday the various politicians from the party of stupid are blaming video games, feminists, LGBTQ people, same sex marriage and etc. I can't stand it.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing this happen in my first home town (Where I used to live before David kidnapped me), it breaks my heart that nothing is being done because the GOP owns DC and Texas. When it happens in your backyard it hurts more. I am at a loss as to why and how this can happen. What have the young men of our country become? Did their parents fail them. Did they not teach them right from wrong? It's just crazy.
ReplyDeleteI have been noticing though that Texas GOP congressmen are dropping like flies. Yes, they are retiring so they don't have to face the music. If that is the case and the Dems can take Texas and crucial Senate seats in Washington maybe just maybe we can change the laws and outlaw these guns altogether. All I have to say is 2019 and 2020 Vote Blue no Matter Who.
Amen. To what you think and say. And to the previous commenters. Surely the actual physical health of us all is being negatively affected by the constant chaos and feelings of nausea that it brings. Outrage. Every day.
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard to believe from a distance. Really very hard.
ReplyDeleteSo well said. Sad it is the state of this country now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything, including we are down to our last chance.
ReplyDeleteWow, an extremely powerful post. You get it so right, so clear, so often. I am so glad I get to read you and so very sad about this sick and wounded country.
ReplyDeleteYou speak the truth, Ellen. Many of these horrendous crimes are committed by men who bought these guns legally. It is the gun, the semi- automatic rifles, that are used to kill many in a matter of seconds. Without those, there would be less victims. Why can’t our lawmakers ban these.
ReplyDeleteAmen & amen. So sad AND SO ANGRY. Plus watching the mental gymnastics of folks who try to claim it's not guns and racism is a little dizzy-making.
ReplyDeleteIt's lunacy, isn't it?
ReplyDelete