Category Archives: Politics

The Witch Hunt that Wasn’t

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Son of a bitch this pisses me off!  BuzzFeed just had to screw the pooch with a vaguely verified story about Trump and now we will be subjected to a barrage of “fake news” tweets and Fox News chest thumping, all of it because reporters employed by a normally credible news organization got all churned up by the vainglorious temptations of first reporting.  The huge majority of the news produced by our prominent mainstream media is accurate, but one report out of 100 that proves to be dubious is all it takes for the Trump camp to claim validation to their “all mainstream news is fake news” position.

Once you extract yourself from this pile of horse shit , the odor won’t linger so long when you realize Trump and Giuliani have basically acknowledged the legitimacy of the Mueller investigation and will find it difficult to call it a “witch hunt” any longer.  Robert Mueller’s decision to reprimand Buzzfeed is obviously viewed by Trump as a very favorable outcome for him.  In light of the complimentary comments made by both Trump and Giuliani about Mueller’s decision to break with precedent and make a public statement, we should with some certainty be assured that the president will finally come to grips with what the Mueller investigation is all about- an impartial imperative to seek out the truth.

Accuracy Before Hubris- Please!

 

Senator Hatch Has Had It With All The Annoying Corruption Restraints

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When Senator Orrin Hatch was recently asked by CNN reporter Manu Raju how he felt about President Trump being implicated in felonious campaign finance crimes,  he admonished the nosey reporter by saying that it was just another attempt by Democrats to hurt the president.  After Mr. Raju rudely interrupted the Senator with a querulous fact that it was a Trump appointed federal prosecutor and not the Democrats who were making the accusations, the senator shrewdly pointed out that he “didn’t care,” and added,  “all I can say is he’s doing a good job.” Hatch Glad Pesky Laws Don’t Intimidate Trump

Senator Hatch went on to shame the reporter, taunting him with jabs at his lack of common knowledge of the workings of a modern democracy.  The senator stung the scribe with phrases like “the economy is doing great” and “we are in better shape than before he was president,” verbiage that surely served as a humiliating reminder to Mr. Raju that Orrin Hatch couldn’t be more pleased with the shape of his personal bank accounts.  Cleary the reporter had to realize he was in over his head.  As every good citizen should know there can be no greater president in the eyes of a senator than one that can somehow manage to sign off on a law that passes along  huge windfalls in real estate tax breaks to esteemed members of the legislative branch of our government.  

Continuing his civics tutorial with  this unprepared pupil, Senator Hatch reminded Mr. Raju  that in this country you can make “anything a crime under the current laws” an obvious reference to the fact that we need fewer laws in order that fewer be broken, or maybe we need more laws to counter all the laws that are already being broken.  He was not quite clear on all the crime and brokenness.  But one thing he did make perfectly clear.  He was not about to stand around and do nothing about all the botheration,  and before he retires he is bound and determined to scour the capital city to find out just where all these inconvenient laws are coming from.  

If you are interested in more captivating discussions concerning Senator Orrin Hatch, perhaps you might like to read  Senator Hatch Ranks the Presidents

Trump Set to Schedule Statue of Liberty for Demolition

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Continuing his unremitting rage against French President Emmanuel Macron and anything French, President Trump today announced his plans to blow up the Statue of Liberty and replace it with something better.  After unleashing a barrage of anti-French  twitter tirades, banning French toast and French fries from government commissaries and placing a 50% tariff on French wine, White House staffers are hopeful leveling the iconic French gift to America will finally appease the president’s wrath.

The president revealed his plan during a meeting with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and members of the National Parks Service, which he oversees.   Zinke indicated he is in complete agreement with the president.  “I met with the president this morning and I understand how he feels.  Dynamiting Lady Liberty would be the perfect response to those insulting remarks Macron made about President Trump during his World War I Commemoration speech.   We get rid of a decaying eyesore plus I can then lease out New York Harbor to some of my Manhattan friends for oil exploration.  It’s a win-win,” Zinke stated.

Zinke went on to explain that the president has never really cared for Lady Liberty, and has been contemplating his idea  ever since India unveiled its 600 ft statue of Indian independence leader Sardar Patel.  Zinke mentioned it is the president’s feeling that since  the statue that universally symbolizes American patriotism does not even clear the knee caps of the one in India, he would see to it his “America First” policy was implemented appropriately and erect something more manly.  

 

 Mock up of proposed Statue of Greatness that will replace the Statue of Liberty. The 800 ft sculpture will rotate 360 degrees atop Trump Tower, and will be able to be seen from five surrounding U.S. states

 

“Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate of people other than your own comes first.”  Charles de Gaulle quoted in Washington Post

 

 

 

 

 

Rudy Giuliani Confident He Will Have Serial Killer Released in 30 Days

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Rudy Giuliani, newly appointed defense attorney for infamous serial killer David Berkowitz, told Fox News reporter Jason “Fig” Newton he will have the Berkowitz convictions overturned in 30 days.  Known more widely as “Son of Sam,” Berkowitz admitted to killing six people in New York City in the mid 1970’s and is serving six consecutive life sentences for the crimes.  When asked what kind of exculpatory evidence he has to present,  Mr. Giuliani said he was certain his “facts are in the eye of the beholder” defense was a “slam dunk”.  Behold the eyes of Rudy Giuliani  “The guy got a raw deal.” Giuliani stated.  “Sure he said he committed those murders, but at first, right when he got caught, I bet he said he did not commit those murders.  So which story are you going to believe?  And there are a lot of other people out there that if you asked them if they shot any of these victims, they’ll tell you no.   So, you round up 50 people, and they all tell you they never shot anyone?  If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.  50 people in the United States of American and not one of them ever shot anybody?   Come on!   Who are you going to believe?  Who are you really going to believe?”

Speaking from his prison cell during a short interview with Fox’s Newton, Berkowitz said he was ecstatic to have Mr. Giuliani in his corner.  “I have to say I’m a bit dumbfounded, but I guess that’s how the law works nowadays.  I mean Mr. Giuliani would know, right?  Believe me if this works out I have more than a dozen referrals living in this very building I can hand off to Rudy.”

 

Maybe you might enjoy reading Brainwashed if you have nothing better to do, and if you are reading this it appears that is the case.

ATTENTION: Big Fire Sale at Trump White House- Don’t Miss Out!

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Ok.  A “bit miffed” is hardly how I feel about this shit Government for Sale.  What is going on here?  Is it possible that the man governing the county is this brazen?  The guy who’s speeches at every one of his political rallies past and present contains anti-China rhetoric that inflames the attending masses into jingoistic hysteria.  The guy that professes we must take away jobs in China and bring them back home.  The guy that threatens to punish countries that do any business with Iran or North Korea. That guy?  And on top of it with this maneuver Trump chooses to discard the warnings of U.S intelligence sources that the phones mentioned could be used to conduct espionage.   I guess its’ OK to ignore inconvenient U.S. law and national security and change political/trade policy course  as long as the pay-off is more money into the president’s pocket.  Somehow Trump has managed to avoid addressing the hypocrisy of  using foreign labor to manufacture his branded products.  But this!  WTF!

Then there is this Pay for Play  Unbelievable.  A little less than a year ago when a Qatar  billionaire and former prime minister of the country declined to invest in the Kurshner’s financial albatross, all of a sudden the Trump administration threw support behind the embargo that Saudi Arabia and three other regional countries instituted against Qatar.  Now that the the Kushner’s have essentially persuaded a Qatar backed investment company to bail them out, all is well and President Trump has instructed the middle eastern states that are blockading Qatar to end the sanctions.

This is absolutely in-your-face corruption, and you could easily call the Kushner case extortion.  Both of these exploitive developments just recently occurred, within days of each other.  But there is no kind of lingering discussion about any of it, because, once again, the news cycle involving the Trump administration is diverted by yet more scandal and attempted obstruction. Every time one door of the Mueller investigation appears to be closing, another one opens up.  The list of characters involved in campaign intrigue grows longer every week.  How Giuliani can make a demand that Mueller wind up his investigation is absurd.  The loose ends that keep cropping up are evolving into a Gordian Knott.  From my perspective unraveling this mess could go on for years.

Unless the investigator is really, really good.  Which brings me to my personal conspiracy theory.  Mueller is that good and Trump knows it.  It’s the only explanation I can think of that would propel Trump to contradict entrenched policies of his that stoke his base of support.  And the Kushner thing should not be ignored.  Father and son have been scouring the world to find someone to save them from bankruptcy, and Qatar has thrown them a life-line.  The end is near, but so what?  Trump connections have salvaged his son-in-law’s business, and the president might as well personally cash in at every opportunity before the roof caves in.  What’s going to happen?  Kushner’s have a signed agreement with a Qatar investment firm, and basically whatever schemes Trump can come up with to pile up personal wealth will be untouchable.  He might as well keep milking the cash cow  while he still can.

The good news here if you are disgusted with the Trump presidency is it really appears Mueller has something on Trump he will not be able to deny.  Whether it is collusion, corruption, obstruction, conspiracy, treason, or egregious financial misconduct, Trump’s Gordian Knot of malfeasance  is so complicated that at its untying there is bound to be something personally embarrassing.  One thing for sure.  Whatever the outcome of the Muller investigation, Trump and his family will be laughing all the way to the bank.

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Recent Polling Tilting in President’s Favor

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Last week’s polling results seem to indicate President Trump’s favorability ratings are on the upswing.   Though his Vehemently Enthusiastic numbers slipped 2 percentage points into the Mildly Disappointed range, it would appear that modest decline is offset by the dramatic 12 point shift from the Despondently Suicidal upward to the slightly less unfavorable Mind-numbingly Apathetic.  It is unclear if these polling deviations were due to recent intensive investigative probing or if there is some kind of psychological adaptation occurring.  Those polled were asked to give a response to several questions related to the president’s governing policy, administration, and past and present conduct.  Topics covered included:

Nepotism and related corruption, repetitive failure of administrative officials to complete federal disclosure forms,  Stormy Daniels, cover-up, hush money, rampant cabinet corruption and abuse of power, bloated personal and family travel expenses, Russian involvement in democratic processes, campaign involvement with Russians, obstruction of justice,  personal involvement with Russians,  the Mueller investigation in general, hypocrisy of Asian production of Trump products,  administrative staff turn-over, administrative staff incompetence, ignoring proper personnel vetting processes, Access Hollywood tape, hiring former lobbyists, the Steele dossier,  Karen McDougal, juvenile name-calling and bullying, Steve Bannon, personal “fixer” Michael Cohen, political/personal conflicts of interest, violations of the emoluments clause, refusal to release  tax records, tax evasion, Carl Icahn, condoning insider trading,  admiration of diabolical despots, professional hiring/firing practices, grasp of basic domestic policy, grasp of basic foreign policy, mocking the physically handicapped,  inconsistent Middle East military strategy,  multiple sexual assault allegations, reading competency level, incomprehensible ability to convince white evangelical Christians to abandon Christian principles, understanding of scientific data and inquiry, acceptance of responsibly, Paul Manafort, money laundering, distorting reality, paranoiac criticism of media and law enforcement, obsessive/compulsive television viewing, creepy physical attraction to daughter Ivanka, incoherent rants and tweets, inability to tell the truth, threats against political opponents, threats against common citizens, demonizing minorities, condoning activity of known hate groups, demolishing public safety safeguards, expansion of religious exemptions to anti-discrimination protections, James Comey, undoing expansion of overtime pay,  endangering worker safety, stifling consumer protection agencies and thwarting financial industry safeguards, hypocritical hiring of undocumented workers, concealing White House visitor log, withholding DC Trump hotel documents, Michael Flynn, narcissistic and self-congradulatory rhetoric, multiple bankruptcies, stiffing creditors and contractors, tenant intimidation, housing discrimination, mafia ties, Trump University fraud, inordinate number of golfing excursions, self-dealings of Trump Foundation, estate tax repeal and other tax breaks for the wealthy, misleading the public about who benefits from tax plan, lying about how tax plan affects personal finances, duping the general public by insisting Mexico will pay for a border wall, caving to hedge funds and private equity firms, massive cuts to student aid, allowing big companies to pollute our air and water and otherwise inflict irreparable damage to the natural world.

When people were asked how they were able to extract themselves from the group considering suicide, poll participant Troy Smuckers suggested folks do what he did and enlist the help of a local mental health facility.   “It’s all pretty overwhelming and I came real close,” he said.  “Fortunately I got in touch with Steve at the Trump Help Line downtown and he said what has been helping a lot of people is simply taking a 20 pound sledge hammer and knocking out a wall of their house.  Guess what?  Steve was right!  Now that huge hole in the side of my house is a lot bigger problem then all this fucking bullshit Trump is shit-staining the country with.  Ya. I feel pretty damn good!”

 

Mr. Smuckers attributes his more positive outlook on life to the purchase of a 20 lb sledge.

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Facebook Shenanigans

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As you are now well aware one of the best places around to get fake news is right here on Facebook.  Well guess what?  Apparently my fake news is too fakey or not fakey enough, or something.  My secret sources are telling me they never saw my last two posts.  Something fishy is going on here.  I am reposting both- Trump Organization To Test Lucrative Pornography Market and White House Tragedy    If you enjoy great fake news click on these links. You don’t want to miss out.  I know Facebook is in the process of taking measures to restrict bad fake news, but my fake news is the most honest fake news you can get.   I intend to get to the bottom of this and if I smell discrimination believe you me there will be hell to pay.  You deserve the best  fake news and as always I am committed to delivering it.

                                     

Purveyor of shitty fake news                      Count on me for accurate fake news

Chronological Newspaper Snippets of White House Tragedy

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PRESIDENT TRUMP FOUND DEAD- FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED (Wednesday AM edition)

This morning the nation received the shocking news that the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, died sometime last night.  President Trump’s lifeless body was discovered by the White House butler, Farnsworth Stuffington, at 6:42 am.  Mr. Stuffington mentioned in his official statement  that he became alarmed when the president failed to open his bedroom door to receive his customary breakfast of sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy and diet Coke.   “He was just lying there stone cold on his back, with that half-eaten cheeseburger clutched in his hand,” Mr. Stuffington said.

 

WH butler Farnsworth Stuffington

The FBI and local DC police were immediately summoned.  Something of particular interest to law enforcement seems to be that half-eaten cheeseburger.  It was taken into custody and held for toxicology testing. ” I’m not accusing the cheeseburger of anything nefarious,” stated FBI agent Boyd Badgeman.  “But the president just passed his physical with flying colors.  Something’s just not right here.”

White House communications staff reported that lab test results should be available in a few days.   Funeral arrangements are pending until a full investigation and possible autopsy are performed.  President Trump’s wife Melania, who has refused to share living quarters with the president until he agrees to undergo a complicated medical fumigation procedure, has been living in an undisclosed location and could not immediately be reached for comment.

A cheeseburger similor to one at left might have been involved in sudden death of president

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POLICE SWITCHBOARDS SWAMPED WITH SELF-ACCUSATORIAL PHONE CALLS (Wednesday PM edition)

Within minutes of media reports of President Trump’s death, dozens of local McDonalds employees called various law enforcement offices to admit criminal involvement.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said DC Police Chief Thomas Tueguns.  “McDonalds managers, grill cooks, cash register clerks, one after another, from thirteen different McDonalds locations here, and two in Pennsylvania.  The FBI got a call from a McDonalds employee in Michigan.  They all say they slipped something into the president’s cheeseburger. Emergency switchboards were tied up with these crazy calls all day long,” Chief Tueguns added in exasperation.     ************************************************************************

MULTIPLE SUSPECTS INTERROGATED FOR PRESIDENTIAL THREATS (Thursday PM edition)

Less than 36 hours after President Trump passed away, law enforcement has interviewed  nearly all of those who criminally implicated themselves in his death.  So far 42 McDonalds employees have been detained and held for questioning for threats against the president.  The following are a few  excerpts of recorded remarks of some of these people who work in the DC area:

Dale Swift (grill cook- Washington Harbor location):  I hate the stupid son of a bitch.  I mean, you can take just so much.  I did it and I’m glad I did it!  Lock me up for life.  It’s worth it.

Kra’Vontre Williams (french fry monitor/cashier- Massachusetts Ave location):  You think I’m not smart enough to slip some poison in his burger?  Why you think you be waitin’  twenty minutes for your fries?  I don’t just, like, disappear you know.  I’m back helpin’, pullin’ shit from the freezer.  Hell I could poison anyone I wanted to.  Stupid cracker was gonna get us all nuked. Says he’s all safe and shit at McDonalds.  Guess I showed him.

Timothy Buttersweat (night manager- Wisconsin Ave SW location):  I’m night manager now, but it won’t be long before they promote me to daytime, once they find out about this.  It wasn’t me personally, but let me tell you I have a very dedicated team.  I don’t know which one of them did it, but I am extremely proud of whoever it was.  At least twice a week I would meet with everyone that was closing down with me and we would go over the plan.  See, like everywhere we have our share of vermin running around, so there’s rat poison all over the place.  You just quick-step to the back and grab one of those poison trays and sprinkle a good bit on his burger.  That pompous turd drove by here in his limo at least once a week. He couldn’t resist our cheeseburgers and thought he was safe here.  It was just a matter of time.

Michael “Spike” Sullenrascal (grill cook- East 104th St location):  What a stupid fucker!  He thought we couldn’t poison him?  HA!  Shows ya what a moron he was. I got so sick a’ that bastard flying’ off to his snooty golf courses.  Putter-in-chief, that’s what he was.  Gonna bring back all those jobs from China.  Hell, his businesses probably got jobs.  Instead a’ slinging’ burgers I guess I wouldn’t mind a job at one a’ his places. Only thing is, in order to get to work in the morning, you have ta take a long boat ride— to CHINA!  Fuckin’ scumbag.   You bet I poisoned him. I was ready for him.  Kept my little bottle of strychnine handy right in my pocket.  Here.  Bottle’s right here. I dumped all the poison on his burger so it’s empty now.  What more proof do you want?  I know Jerry is trying to take the credit, but you don’t see no strychnine on him do ya?  I did it, you know it, and I’m the one that deserve all the credit.

Jerry Weaseling (french-fry monitor- East 104th St location)- Oh boy did I do it!  Piece of cake too.  We all got a good laugh out of president Chito spoutin’ off how he’s all afraid of cheeseburgers unless they’re made right here. What a dip-shit!  Now I know you guys been talkin’ to Spike, but he’s full of crap.  All talk, believe me.  That aint strychnine he’s carrying around.  Hell it’s probably just powdered sugar.  Check it out if you don’t believe me.  I’m the one has the concentrated jimmy jones juice. No way I’d be walking around with that shit though.  I stashed it in a special place and just waited for ol’ Trumpty Dumpty to show up.  Man, you’d have to be crazy to take  the risk totin’ that nasty stuff in your pocket.  But Spike really aint crazy.  He’s shifty but he aint crazy.  You can’t believe him. I mean it. He’s all talk.  I’m the one.  I did it and It’s me that deserves the credit.

La’Dee’da Rubright (drive-through attendant- East 39 St location):  Everyone said I gotta do it.  Even my gran momma.  If Trump ever comes in your place girl, you just GOT-TO-DO-IT!  That’s what everyone kept sayin’ cause we all know he’s crazier than a sprayed cockroach.  Sure enough, he pulled right up in his big fancy limousine and ordered a couple cheeseburgers.  I had my special salt shaker all ready.  Keep it hidden behind a stack of paper bags.  Arsenic what’s in it.  Heck you can get it right on Amazon.  My boyfriend said it would never work.  He said the president would figure it out, or like he has some food taster hangin’ around or somethin’.  But I guess that shit worked out pretty damn slick didn’t it?  Planted his fat ass right in the ground.

Jose Ramirez-Gonzalez-Ramirez (grill cook- 14 St SW location):  Si, si.  I deed it.  He send the ICE out and they grab my mother.  Trump- he is bad hombre.   He muy loco if he think a burger I make for heem is safe to eat.  Mexican cooks, they say- una hamburguesa de Trump es uno hamburguesa de muerte.  We are, like, brothers, compenaros.  And we are many.

Adding to the bazaar circumstances that have developed is the fact that law enforcement is not even considering an investigation of any McDonalds business since the cheeseburger was prepared in the White House kitchen.  “The only plausible suspects would be White House staff,” Police Chief Tueguns stated. However, any threat to the President of the United States is subject to Secret Service investigation, so anyone involved in the mass admission will be interviewed and possibly prosecuted.

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VERDICT IS IN- CHEEZEBURGER NOT GUILTY! (Friday PM edition)

Toxicology tests have confirmed the cheeseburger implicated in President Trump’s death was a perfectly fine, upstanding cheeseburger as far as cheeseburgers go, and not tainted in any way.  Chief toxicologist Barry Noseworthy stated,  “Other than the fact that the cheeseburger in question was a typical saturated fat catastrophe and a bit overdone, there was nothing about it that was questionable.  As tragic and untimely as the president’s passing was, I am sure he found the portion of the cheeseburger that he managed to consume before he expired to be very satisfying.”

As the nation mourns,  esteemed televangelist Reverend Jerry Pharisaic summed up the president’s end of life most eloquently when he said, “Like all of us, this great man had his struggles with life.  He loved cheeseburgers, yet he feared them.  But through constant prayer the Lord gave him the strength to deal with this conflict and showed him the way.  Initially the president followed that path to McDonalds. But with God’s help and the president’s own valorous courage, he was able to finally face his demon. We should all take comfort in the fact that the cheeseburger meant him no harm, and that President Trump had to have really enjoyed that final cheeseburger.”

In a related matter, the district’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr Seymour Graves,  has issued the official pathology report.  Listed as the president’s cause of death is a massive heart attack precipitated by a perilously high cholesterol diet and sedentary life style.

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The NRA, Gun Culture- and Throw the Bums Out

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This blog is mostly history of the NRA and our gun culture in general. I have tackled the subject a dozen times, but for those inclined to move on to something else for that very reason, this time I mean to be less satirical and considerably more informative.  I am suddenly optimistic that we just might have reached a tipping point in the gun control debate.  There is a lot of information here, but the last five paragraphs are strictly my opinion and certainly not as technically supportive. If you just want to read more qualified material when you reach that point, skip to the link in the second to last paragraph.  All three links in this blog  are very enlightening but long,  so I have tried to provide content abridgment, for the first two anyway, in the interest of time. I think any of you who are up for confronting your state representatives will find much of the following material useful.  

God damn it this pisses me off!  Funeral arrangements were still being made for a few of the 17 people mowed down in the Parkland FL school shooting and the CEO of the NRA is centerstage at the CPAC convention fomenting his venomous brand of propaganda.  Wayne LaPierre is truly pond scum.  And the next day the President of the United States is addressing the same crowd, reenforcing  some of Mr. LaPierre’s talking points.  Just as annoying was how he once again pandered to the audience for the applause he so desperately seeks by rehashing past state electoral victories and telling blatant lies.  However, you would think someone in an advisory capacity would inform him that getting the crowd fired up with chants of “Lock her up” might not be the best idea.  This is the sort of thinking I can’t get my head around.  Sure the sophomoric response from the crowd gives Trump a boner.  But do these people, including Trump, not see the  irony in reacting this way when what Trump is accusing Hillary Clinton of is divulging classified information.  That is exactly what he is guilty of by employing a  White House full of people who have no security clearance.  And likely on the horizon are some serious charges being leveled against him and/or his family by Robert Mueller.  They are just asking for avenging chants of “Lock him up” in 2020, if the president is even still around.

This is where we are in America.  Politics is so polarized people can’t or do not want to reason logically, and the hostility has pervaded society in general.  It’s all just nuts.  Going on and on about all this just makes people sick.  But I have a blog and venting helps me retain my sanity.  To spare you, I will try to narrow the focus of this to just one aspect- our gun culture.  And I will let others with more knowledge of the subject give you detail.  In the interest of time, I will do my best to give a synopsis of the links, because no doubt you don’t have the time to read through all of this.  Come back later and read any of the material if you have places to go.

Particularly outrageous during the CPAC convention was the accusation thrown out by Wayne LaPierre’s accomplice Dana Loesch.  She implied that mainstream media somehow orchestrates mass shootings.  It’s the type of comment that underlines what the NRA does best-  promote conspiracy theories.

    LOESCH                                            LaPIERRE

Doesn’t mind shooting her mouth off                                 Doesn’t mind if you get shot

It was not always this way with the NRA.  Politicizing their agenda is a fairly recent development.  Here is a history of the organization NRA History.  A synopsis of the article is this: The NRA dates back to just after the Civil War.  So upset were two Union officers with the marksmanship they had witnessed  during that conflict they started the organization with the intent of improving the firing efficiency of anyone interested in doing so.  As the years went by the NRA became known for its promotion of safe and proper use of firearms, often supporting the governmental restrictions of their use.  That all changed in 1975 with the creation of the group’s first lobbying arm- the Institute for Legislative Action.

That branch of the NRA progressively took over, and by the mid 1980’s the organization transformed itself from one advocating gun safety, marksmanship and hunting into an uncompromising political institution intolerant of any form of restriction and proping up its position with the ambiguity of the second amendment.

This is an article about how the NRA has manipulated the very cryptic wording of the second amendment. How NRA Rewrote 2nd Amendment.  Synopsis: As late as the mid 1990’s Gallop polling  revealed the majority of the country still wanted stricter gun control laws.  in 1991, Chief Justice Warren Burger said the second amendment was the biggest fraud perpetrated on the American people by special interest groups that he had ever seen.  But as the NRA pounded away at our sensibilities with propaganda and conspiracy theories, and by taking advantage of legal decisions that steadily opened up the spigots of political donations, somehow public opinion started to change.  Whether you are happy with the status quo or fed up with the gun culture of this country, you have the NRA to thank or blame.

The landmark 2008 Supreme Court  “Heller” decision affirmed the right of non-military individuals to possess a firearm for traditional lawful purposes. It’s the NRA’s “go-to” judicial statement they always refer to.  It was one of those 5 to 4 decisions that makes you wonder if the founding fathers got Article Three of the constitution right.  As you might know, originalist Judge Scalia wrote the majority opinion, but what is rarely discussed is his clarification.  When asked if there are restrictions embedded in the Heller decision, he said “What the opinion in Heller said is it will have to be decided in future cases… some limitations (on the right to bear arms) are permissible.”  The right to bear arms he stated, will be decided by what society determines appropriate, and it does not mean individuals have the right to bear all types of arms.

***************************** MY THOUGHTS*************************

Is the Parkland Florida massacre going to finally be the catalyst to initiate limitations?  As a society have we at last had enough tragedy to change our gun culture?  Not if this congress has anything to say about it.  It’s time to start thinking now about making a statement at the ballot box and applying what Judge Scalia was referring to. Yes, enforce current laws and improve access to mental health.  If you think violence and permissiveness are too prevalent in society, watch your damn kids.  Outlawing bump stocks, raising age limits, mandating universal background checks and coordinating  law enforcement reporting are no-brainers.  That’s a good start.  But we need to do more.   It is sickeningly obvious we have too many guns in this country.  We need only to look at every other developed country in the world to see how pathetically we compare regarding gun violence and also to study what they have done to make things better. After reviewing all the mayhem as well as the information at our disposal, it is glaring apparent we can no longer fail to address our assault rifle problem. Ordinary citizens should not be allowed to purchase military assault firearms and large capacity magazines. That is a combination of weaponry that is intended to spray rifle fire and kill human beings.

I once had a semi-automatic hunting rifle.  I enjoyed target shooting with it more than I did hunting.  But when I did hunt I do not ever recall firing more than two rounds at any poor creature I was aiming at.  A hunter does not need a military weapon that is intended to spray bullets and kill other human beings.  If you require a magazine that holds more than six rounds I would argue you should not be in the field tracking an animal.  Any decent hunter will tell you one shot is optimum.  Any more and you ruin a good portion of the meat.  And if you enjoy target shooting like I once did, fine.  By all means it makes sense to hone your skill if you are a responsible gun owner.  But you don’t need an AR-15 for the stimulation.  Get yourself a true hunting or target rifle.  Better yet, a muzzle loader that requires more work than just pulling a trigger.  The exercise will do you some good. And there are way better choices for home defense than an assault rifle. As much as I hate to say it, a hand gun makes far more sense for that.  I am  hopeful future restriction and more severe penalties for illegal use of those things will trickle down from any momentum that initial, positive gun control measures create.

So no more assault rifle sales.  But what about all the assault rifles that are already out there?  My preferred option would be to round them all up and crush them for scrap metal.  But of course that is not feasible.   For those who own one now, logically you should be “grandfathered”.  But if you do own one, it needs to be re-registered in a national data base. Believe it or not there is no such thing in this country. This is the time and this is where to start.  And I believe there should be extremely hefty legal penalties for anyone carrying one around that does not comply with any restrictions that are or will be in place.  And by carrying around I mean transporting to a firing range. That is the only place it should ever be used or publicly viewed.  I can not comprehend how the NRA succeeded in forcing open carry laws down our throats.  Allowing anyone to walk down the street toting an AR-15, or any kind of long rifle, is absurd.  We do not live in a third world country.  As society has suddenly come to grips with predatory sexual violence, we should be just as appalled by this similar form of hyper-masculinity being foisted upon us by the NRA.   I do not know much about assault rifles but if there is a way to add a substantial tax to the ammunition I say do it.  I would personally donate generously to any kind of buy-back program.  There are assault rifle owners out there that are sawing them in half.  I would gladly lend you my reciprocating saw if you are so inclined.

The answer to solving gun violence is not more guns, like the NRA preaches.  If the ridiculous idea of having our teachers packing heat does not expose the sorry state of the pathetic, dysfunctional misanthropy that the NRA has instilled in this country I don’t know what will.  As a country and leader of the free world we should be far better than this.  The conversation has to include banning sales of military weaponry.  Read this for reference if you want some depth on assault rifles: Fuck You I Like Guns  The first civil right of all Americans is to be free of domestic violence.  Corporate America at least is taking a stand.  Thank you First National Bank of Omaha for getting the ball rolling.  And wow!  Thank you Dick’s Sporting Good’s for not stocking assault rifles any longer.

One final word and it is addressed to everyone, but especially those young students that are speaking out.  You are inevitably going to feel frustrated with congressional and presidential leadership that is heartlessly absent.  But your involvement can have a significant impact. The business community is already listening to you.  I was a college student in the 60’s and as a group we were a constant thorn in the side of political leaders, and it made a difference.  I caution you not to go to the extremes of that time.  But tweeting is not enough.  Support political candidates who share your concerns.  Help them and apply voting pressure in any way you can. If you are not old enough to vote, you can still volunteer and speak out. The youth vote in the past has tended to be dismal. Don’t let this moment of opportunity wither away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ministers, Secretaries and Wishful Thinking

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I don’t know if you’ve heard, but  British Prime Minister Theresa May has created a new governmental position that is called  the “Minister of Loneliness.”  No lie.  And according to recent polling there, the appointment is not without warrant.  I guess there are a lot of lonely people in Britain.  Older people, disabled people, citizens who are unable to deal with Brexit, people still trying to get over losing the Second Boer War- they’re all  reported to be especially vulnerable and having a very difficult time with their upper lips and I suppose whatever else they like to keep stiff over there.  You certainly have to hope the new appointee can get to the bottom of it all.

Newly Appointed Minister of Loneliness

I do wonder about the official title though.  Shouldn’t it be the Minister of Happiness?   If you work for the government, your title should be what you are supposed to be doing, what you should be good at to help citizens out, not the opposite.  I mean they call their justice department the Ministry of Justice.  It’s not the opposite.  It’s not the Ministry of Injustice.   The Ministry of Defense does defense stuff, not offense stuff. Great Britain is a democracy for Pete’s sake. That minister is not out there blowing shit up just for the heck of it.  You certainly don’t want your Lord of the Treasury tossing money out of a window of the Parliament building or purchasing non existent bridges.  And so you don’t want people in this new department knocking on doors to make sure people stay lonely.  You should be doing your best to make people happy.  Minister of Happiness.  That’s really what the job is all about.  I think  Prime Minister May should pull her head out of her ass.

Criticism asside, I do like where Theresa May is trying to go with this though.  We could probably stand a Secretary of Happiness over here. So many  people I know are just plain glum these days.  It’s a trend that’s difficult to ignore.  What I think would be even better in the way of a new governmental position in the U.S. though is a Secretary of Truth.  Think about it.  The reason people are so despondent is we’re sick and tired of all the bull shit.  It just wears you out.  Makes you unhappy.  And pissed off.  A Secretary of Truth could solve a lot of problems.  It would take care of loneliness, anger, confusion, so many things. I am sure the entire country would be grateful.

LEFT: perfect candidate for Secretary of Truth

While we’re at it, how about a Director of Congressional Syncophants and a Supervisor of Obstructionists to investigations of Foreign Attacks.   If those guys do their jobs right we could collect all the ass kissers and the treasonous, and treat them to a nice meal- on one of those big boats you see that’s been mothballed and is really more of a floating restaurant.  Then as this governmental gathering is distracted by an evening of dining and drinking, we can tow this restaurant-ship far out to sea.  And then send a navy destroyer out there to blow it up.  And any aircraft carrier in the vicinity could send out a squadron of F-18’s to strafe and bomb whatever is left.  Might as well get a nuclear submarine involved and have it torpedo anything resembling a large remnant of the vessel as it sinks.  Just to make sure. That would be just the ticket to get the county headed in the right direction.  It would make me happy too.

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Seriously, what keeps getting lost in all the tweeting and furtive activity is the fact that our country has been attacked!  Furthermore, after an entire year in office our president has shown no interest in performing his primary, sacred duty to protect the people and our democracy from this type of foreign intrusion. And for reasons I do not understand, instead of responsibly enacting  their constitutional duty to check executive dereliction and abuse of power, several members of congress have shown nothing but contempt for citizenry by obstructing practically any type of investigation into this destructive foreign activity.  We need to put a stop to all this nonsense.  Call your members of congress and complain, and most importantly, store up your anger and utilize it in November.

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