THANKS, ASSHOLES RANT

 

The other day, we were coming home and noticed a helicopter circling low just ahead of us. Then we saw intersections being blocked by the police. I later read in the local paper that there had been a manhunt for a wanted, armed man. Days later, I was chatting with my neighbor about the incident and he asked if I had received a "shelter in place (SIP)" warning from the authorities. Both he and the neighbor across the street had gotten the call. I had not. No call, no text. Odd, I thought as I have received them from MSU in the past.

Is this the future envisioned by the Republicans as they slobber to gin up support of their base of 2nd Amendment nutjobs? As one politician remarked after the Uvalde shootings, "the public just needs to get used to reality", one that the Republicans have created: a citizenry armed to the teeth. "Get used to it you pussies. Stop whining and buy yourself a gun and be one of the good guys with guns who will stop the bad guys" is their mantra. SIPs will become commonplace to the point no one bothers to pay attention. 

This is not the environment I wish to live in, one that is slowly being forced upon me. Thanks assholes. 

What is conveniently forgotten (yeah, I know Bin, our lot as apes) is that one of the great uber-heros of the European push Westward, Wyatt Earp, openly violated the modern vision of 2nd Amendment rights. In the cattle towns in Kansas where he was sheriff, he banned guns within the city limits. Why? Having everyone armed to the teeth and getting blasted on rock-gut whisky meant there was a lot of gun play. The corpses were building up and ordinary citizens hollered that they and their families didn't feel safe. What really pushed the issue was not the aforementioned reasons. Nope, it was bad for business. The Earps and others had business interests in these towns and having constant murders in and around their establishments hurt their bottom line. So they, the authorities, began to confiscate guns. It was precisely this action years later, in Tombstone AZ, that led to the infamous "Gunfight at the OK Corral" where once again, the Earps were involved.

So, will the pendulum swing back to saner times? Not for awhile, I fear. Only a massive groundswell of citizenry, fed up with the constant gun violence and death, who finally wise up start booting out of office the dumbasses they employ, will things change. Probably not in my lifetime. We can have school kids in body bags by the hundreds and things won't change. Yeah, the same hypocritical bastards who wail and gnash teeth over the sanctity of the unborn, but then couldn't give a shit about them after their birth, will pivot as they are now and vehemently oppose any restriction to their precious guns. 

UPDATE: being trumpeted as the most important Federal gun control bill in 20 (yep 20) years, Congress actually did something. This best that can be said about it is that it is better than nothing. It's a flimsy tissue covering a gaping wound. It passed only because the GOP thought it was politically expedient to look like they give a shit about murdered school kids. Almost immediately, those Senators who voted for it are being targeted for removal. My view is that it's an exercise of "we did something, now shut up for the next 20 years-we have more important things to do." Like turning America into a theocracy.