Monday, August 5, 2019

death in America


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.





12 comments:

  1. I agree with every word you wrote so eloquently here.
    Did 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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. Today 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.

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  4. After 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.
    I 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.

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  5. 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.

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  6. It is very hard to believe from a distance. Really very hard.

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  7. So well said. Sad it is the state of this country now.

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  8. I agree with everything, including we are down to our last chance.

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  9. Wow, 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.

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  10. You 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.

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  11. Amen & 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.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.