The world spins in the same direction and at the same speed, every day of the year. Don’t you just wish it would speed up and fling a few of the Neanderthals out into orbit, I know I do and these days that wish seems to be the one most often at the forefront of my mind. I seem to be keeping a roll of pennies in my purse for fountains and wishing wells, just so I can make that wish as often as possible. Do you think I need to up the ante, change my roll to nickels, dimes maybe even quarters?
I only know one thing for certain, the Neanderthals are exponentially increasing in number and space has not seen any of them, not a one in independent orbit. Clearly, my wishes with pennies are not doing the trick.
So let’s talk about Washington’s, hang your heads in shame day, perhaps this should be a national holiday or a new game. The day those who have sold their votes and their shriveled souls voted against 83% the people of this nation, yeah that day. Most of us were focusing on, just give us one thing we have been so beaten down we all focused on one small thing. We would have danced naked in the rain if these Azzhats had voted YEA on Expanded Background Checks (715) in the Senate. We would have celebrated in the streets knowing the long fight ahead, if those prickless wonders would have just grabbed their shriveled balls and stood up to the great and powerful NRA and their money. But no, they couldn’t even give us that one small thing, not even that one small harmless thing. These ideological Stand Your Ground Azzhats said no, we aren’t going to do a damn thing, not one thing to keep you or your children safer on the streets or in their schools. With the parents of Sandy Hook watching from the Gallery they said Nay, to Amendment 715 and a host of other Amendments. We didn’t even know about most of them, we hadn’t even heard about most of them, they had so little chance of getting past the Senate no one was talking about them.
I say, why the hell not?
Well that being said, let us examine all the other Amendments to Senate Bill 649 Safe Communities and Safe Schools, these soulless bastards (and this is an insult to bastards everywhere of which I am one) spent their time debating and voting on. Ready for a ride? Hang on, get your hanky and be ready to gnash your teeth.
Yes, that is correct, you read it right two Amendments’ passed this week, but we didn’t hear much about them did we? The first passed will protect ‘law-abiding’ gun owners by withholding funds from states that release information, please note they also don’t want information released on domestic violence victims. Why is that? Could it be because it is likely this might tell someone who his or her abuser is? This might tell someone, who that likely ‘law-abiding’ gun owner is who is likely to kill them.
By the end of the week, the Senate had ensured the gun nuts ‘law-abiding’ gun owners would continue to buy and sell guns without restrictions. No restrictions on how guns are sold, no restrictions on what kind of guns are sold, no restrictions on to whom guns are sold, no restrictions on ammunition or clip capacity. By the end of the week the Senate, despite every single legitimate poll in the nation saying the American people wanted change, supported Expanded Background Checks, supported restrictions; this Senate pissed on America, pissed on the parents of Sandy Hook, pissed on every victim of gun violence.
Since Newtown and as of April 19, there have been 3,531 deaths by gun in America. Of these fifty-seven (57) have been children under twelve years of age. It is hard to get these numbers; Slate compiles them as no agency has them.
This week just proves we, the people have no voice. Again I weep for us, I weep for each death, each family who buried a loved one, each child who will not achieve their potential.
What now? Where do we go from here? My fury at the tone deaf Senators is boundless, what about you?
Read the debates here:
Debates, April 15 part 1, Debates, April 15 part 2, Debates, April 15 part 3 .Debates, April 15 part 4
Debates, April 17, this one is worth a read, Debates, April 17 the amendment debates
Debates, April 18 Debates, April 18 and let me say I despise this coward Senator John Cornyn, Texas
QBG_Tilted Tiara 
I like it when you peek out of the cave Val because every time that you do we get these wickedly enjoyable postings to read 🙂 🙂 I can understand the guns situation, being that for all those that would gladly give them up there are always so many that wouldn’t, and the ones that never would are the danger.
It’s a catch-22 where a lot of people own a gun for protection and criminals who have no intentions of changing just carry on as normal, it’s a dilemma for sure but as to what the answers are I have no idea.
Have a lovely rest of weekend Val 🙂 😉 xxxx
It is a dilemma where there are no easy answers. Nevertheless, if we are to ever create a normalized society we have to find some.
I love your ‘perhaps it should be a public holiday or a new game’ – you’re so funny, Valentine 🙂
You’re fantastic bringing all this to light. So so commonly, ‘the people’ don’t see it in print this way. Force to you, Valentine.
Thank you my friend, for reading. It continues to be one of the battles I care most about yet one of the battles we continue to lose in this nation.
Val, I wanted to emphasize that none of us should be afraid to raise our voice and issue our heartfelt opinions, no matter how unpopular they may be. I know even we moderates have a tough time being heard here in Texas, but I won’t back down. I certainly don’t plan to flee the state, as if I’m running from a war-torn country. My roots in this state go back further than most people’s; some of my paternal ancestors arrived here from Spain in the 1580s. I’m definitely not going to leave because a slim majority keeps putting fools like Rick Perry into office! I’m going to stay and keep fighting through the written word. The right to free speech is sacrosanct, and I’ll never give up on that.
Alejandro, you are right we should not be afraid yet we are silenced. Just last week a Congressman told a citizen to be quite, he was the Representative and they were nothing more than a citizen. What?
The House passed CISPA, if the Senate also passes our access to information and our ability to access and speak through the written word may be greatly reduced in this format.
I love Texas less and less, yet it the home of my family for generations also. Not only do we elect Rick Perry, but a legislature that supports his insane policies. Witness the tragedy of West. We elect buffoons like Ted Cruz, we continue to send John Cornyn to office his words created absolute furry in me (they are there in the link of April 18).
Isn’t funny, I used to consider myself moderate. I am less so now.
Val, this was well laid out and its clarity gave me chills. The same Congressmen and Senators who are clammering not to put into place the slightest gun control are the same ones demanding the most invasive (unconstitutional) handling of the Boston terrorist that is still alive. How is he any different than Adam Lanza or Timothy McVeigh or the Columbine kids who murdered their classmates? They were all Americans and they procurred and used guns and explosives to harm Americans. The NRA and their lackies talk out of both sides of their mouths. The question is: what is it going to take to change things? Better yet, what is it going to take so that voters stop electing these people. We have the power–we now need the intelligence and grace to do the right thing.
I dealt with this hypocrisy in part 1. In truth, we have climbed down a rabbit hole and pulled the dirt behind us. You are right, only we the people of this nation have the power to change the direction. The question is, will we?
I know that the USA uses the “right to bare arms” rhetoric. And I have long ago learned never to enter any debate about gun laws with Americans because basically I don’t live there nor understand the historical significance . So in fear of getting shot down in a round of hellfire I will voice my views using Australia and its 22 million residents as an example.
In 1996 a madman went berserk in Tasmania killing 35 innocent people. Previously to this, Australia had on average one massing shooting per year. In response our Prime Minister at the time declared a massive crack down on gun ownership. Unless you were a farmer, hunter , officer of the law or had a damn good reason to own a firearm you couldn’t. There was an amnesty which allowed anyone without a NEW gun licence to hand in their weapons. Over 1 million were handed in and destroyed. The new crackdown included very stringent laws. Not all of the public were in favour of the Prime Minister’s decision with many fearing this would result in the underground sale of guns and thus the rise of gangs and armed hold ups. Since the laws were introduced there has been no mass killings (knock on wood), no great rise of armed hold ups and a massive drop in gun related suicides . As for gangs and bikies, they are way too busy shooting each other to worry about the general public.
I have never owned a gun and I have never even held a gun . In fact, I don’t even know anyone who has a gun. I wouldn’t even know where to purchase a gun as I have never seen a gun store where I live (and I live in a city of well over 1 million people). So for me it is very hard to imagine the psyche of people living with the knowledge that their whole community is armed. A hidden, stressful fear lurking in the back of your minds .
Sure we have violence, sometimes terrible senseless violence in our community but I am so very grateful that the “right to bare arms” is not part of our life. That sudden rush of anger, that white flash of rage, that mental breakdown, that festering hatred should never be an arms length away from a gun.
Unfortunately, the genie can’t be put back in the bottle for the USA but there is no excuse or reasoning that could justify stopping the government from tightening gun laws. Just ask any gun victim.
On a brighter note Australia has more deadlier animals than you. 😉
Thank you Loon. I have often used Australia as an example of how to change direction successfully. I personally believe it is never to late to put the genie back in the bottle, but then that is just me. As a gun violence victim, I ask all the time, why does any persons right to own a gun trump my right to be safe in the streets, they never have an answer.
Our society is bad enough without adding fire arms to the mix. I couldn’t imagine having the added stress and fear that any day I may get shot by simply walking down the street. It must have an incredible impact on people’s psyche.
I believe that the reason Australian soldiers, past and present, go to war for our country is to protect our freedom …. and by freedom I mean exactly what you just said … “the right to be safe in the streets”.
You only had to watch the Boston marathon bombing drama to realise that the police, military and national guard are there to uphold peace, not the gun owners. When you fear your own society, you have no freedom at all.
And anywho the Loon should never have the right to bear arms unless wearing a tank top (and even then it’s dubious) 😉
This is deplorable. All I can manage to do is shake my head.
Essentially, that is all I have been doing for the past week.
Val, this is sickening, funny enough I read your post after I read an article about what that idiot Nate Bell said, so it’s somehow less shocking.
http://www.boston.com/ae/radio/blog/2013/04/why_are_so_many_bostonians_telling_arkansas_state_senator_nate_bell_hes_an_idiot.html
Thank you for posting that, my fury knows know bounds but it is wonderful to now and then find some heart and humor.
If you haven’t seen it John Oliver of the Daily Show did the best “story” on this. I can’t embed it into this comment, but he nailed the issue (so did Stewart in the first part)
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/stewart-slams-broken-bad-senate-failure-pa
Thanks for this one, wonderful. If I didn’t make it clear all those votes were just one day.
What bugged me the most about this the latest ballyhoo on Capitol Hill were the senators who took the stance that the proposed legislation was unconstitutional when it’s not there job to determine constitutionality … thus using that ridiculous reasoning to prevent a debate and vote.
Yes, they are off the hook with their reasoning and their reasons. I read the debates, those I didn’t watch and just wanted to stab my own eyes out. I read John Cornyn’s statements and wanted to disown Texas, my home.
Val, your informed analysis is so valuable and your comments so apt! It’s amazing how the far right has so much power…in or out of office – The Tea Party, the NRA, and I’m sure you know of lots of others…
Valerie, I wish I could have even a quarter of your grace. I almost warned you off this one it was so full of my rage.
The odd thing, there are other gun groups emerging now others even further to the Right than the NRA. They are challenging the preeminence of the NRA and beginning to scream their demands, they are starting to get air time. They are frightening.
I am just stunned at the tone deaf Senate.
I’ve been following debates on gun control and especially the ones hosted by Pierce Morgan – man, what a revelation.
I don’t wish to embroil in American politics Val, as I don’t know enough.
But we have a bunch of idiots in Singapore and the we the people are taking action. For now, it is working.
Peace dear,
Eric
I always found Singapore at least civilized, has it changed?
I don’t blame you for not wanting to engage Eric. But some things to me are not politics, some things are simple human issues, gun control and sanity being one of them.
Those of us who are more discerning can see the cracks – and are doing something now and not when the tsunami hits us. Yes, Singapore is a lot better than most countries and our intent is to maintain that for our children and grandchildren.
Since our gun policy changed there has not been a massacre of any kind in Oz since 1996. Very few people owned guns here anyway compared to The States. What is it that you are all scared of anyway? The last thing any of us want to own here is a gun.
I can’t answer for those who believe their right to own guns are greater than every other right, I can’t explain their fear.
The NRA’s Wayne LaPierre said recently that the 1992 Ruby Ridge incident and the 1993 Branch Davidian siege didn’t leave his group with a “warm, fuzzy feeling.” He was referring to the fact the federal government was trying to get info on suspected gun traffickers. The Ruby Ridge gang had ties to White separatists in their native Iowa who were, in turn, part of a ring of gun runners and bank robbers. They were all preparing for some pending race war. But, the NRA obviously was more concerned with protecting their gun rights than the rights of average citizens to be safe from such scum bags.
The NRA also opposed legislation that would have made it easier for people in the medical community to ask patients, including victims of child abuse and domestic violence, about firearms in their homes. They somehow made the leap from doctors inquiring about a safe home environment to Stalinist-type government oppression. The NRA is an extremist group, and the TEA Party is their most egregious offspring.
I’m angry at these spineless politicians, but also at the people who keep putting them into office.
Yet look at Texas, we not only continue to send John Cornyn back when we had the opportunity to send a Democrat, we instead replaced Kay B Hutchinson with someone even further to the right.
We, the people are to blame. We the people are not getting out there and staying out there.
I can’t help but wonder what those from other countries think when they see these amendments that were rejected, especially when they seem so common sense. I read an article about a foreign student studying in the US who said he spent his first three weeks without going anywhere but class and then straight back to his dorm, because he thought everybody in America carried guns. He was that scared.
Carrie, looking on from another country, it seems unbelievable that so many people have guns with no safeguards for anyone, and also that the elected representatives could defy the wishes of the nation. Every one of the amendments were just common sense, and it seemed incredible that these safeguards weren’t already in place… as they are here…
Yes, hard to believe, that’s for sure.
I don’t think that is a stand alone instance. That is what is so sad. That list above Carrie, that was one day of votes, they day they said no to Expanded Background Checks.
It is corrupt enough to implode. It makes me ill.
That it is. I found the votes amazing. I should have listed the order, those were only one day.
To make your wishes come true in Washington, you shouldn’t be throwing pennies into fountains, you should be throwing millions of dollars into Congressional lobbies. That’s how the NRA gets their wishes granted.
Damn, I knew I was doing something wrong.