McConnell’s Secret Weapons

Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has continued to work hard in derailing any attempts by Democrats to get bills passed in the U.S. Senate. When he was majority leader he could just simply refuse to allow bills to be brought before the Senate and with a solid majority prevent passage of those that did make it to the floor for a vote.

But, now McConnell has to use other means to stop Democrats and he has the perfect secret weapons to do it.

Senators Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema are two undercover Republicans in the Democratic Party. Described as Democratic centrists, these two politicians are thwarting efforts by Democrats.

Joe Manchin is the most public about his support of the Republicans in the Senate. He opposes doing away with the filibuster, which pleases McConnell, as well as standing in opposition to Senate Bill S.1, the For the People Act, that would set federal law protecting the rights of voters in America.

It seems that Manchin had an epiphany after the January 6th insurrection. In his “come to Jesus” moment he contends that he believed in bipartisanship to advance legislation in the Senate. He came to think that blocking out Republicans input on bills was not the way to bring healing to American politics. So, now he pushes for Democrats to include those poor Republicans and find value in what they espouse.

Never mind that those very same Republicans Manchin suddenly loves never cared about bipartisanship when they controlled the Senate and Trump was president. Never mind that Manchin sat in the Senate and watched Mitch McConnell rule over the chamber like he was some kind of god and treated the opposition like they were cockroaches infecting the Senate. Never mind that they backed every bit of Trump’s authoritarian rule and supported (and still support) Trump’s lies about the 2020 election.

Nope, Manchin doesn’t see any problem with overlooking the transgressions of the Republicans. He doesn’t need to since he sits in McConnell’s back pocket, bought and paid for. I can easily imagine McConnell dancing in his office at the good fortune of the Republicans to have Manchin as one of the roadblocks in the Senate.

The other roadblock, Krysten Sinema is just as bad, though she seems to keep a lower profile in her opposition to her own party. She, like Manchin, opposes doing away with the Senate filibuster rule. Again, like Manchin, the answer to the Senate’s problems is bipartisanship. Apparently she believes that’s what the country wants (Huffpo article).

Has Sinema paid any attention to what’s going on outside the ivory tower of the Senate? Has she not seen the white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and such raising hell? Has she not seen right wingers blasting America about the southern border being overrun by those pesky “illegal” immigrants? Has she not seen the huge number of bills in Republican controlled states that are instituting laws to suppress voting in their states to insure Republicans maintain control of government. Has she not seen how the Republicans in her own state are carrying out an insane ballot audit to “prove” that the election was stolen from Trump?

She must spend her time watching reruns of Sesame Street while wearing rose colored glasses.

It’s clear that these two are Republicans in sheep’s clothing. Neither one of them has the courage to just come out and officially join the Republican Party. It’s clear to anyone with a brain that these two are more interested in obstructionism that bipartisanship. They’re as out of touch as the Republicans are in America.

There won’t be any healing currently or in the foreseeable future. Not as long as we have uncontrolled racism, cops murdering minorities, politicians suppressing minorities, hate towards any immigrants, propaganda masquerading as news, etc., there will be no healed America.

Until next time

Republicans, 99% Stupid!

And I can prove it.

Republicans are so far off the rails that the rest of us should consider banning them from political involvement due to their incapacity to use their brains for something other that soaking up conspiracy theories and outright lies. I will credit Donald Trump, he sure used his talent to spew propaganda to good effect. Joseph Goebbels would be so proud of him.

Republicans have become out of touch with reality. So many of them, both citizens and elected officials, have given up on using common sense, reasoning, and critical thinking. Instead they prefer to follow each other off the cliffs of sanity like good little lemmings. Since most Republicans would say I’m lying, I’ll prove my case.

First up we have Anthony Antonio, who according to a CNN article of his appearance on Chris Cuomo’s “Prime Time,” got caught up in the lies spewed on Fox News about the election being stolen from Donald Trump. “Foxitis” his attorney called it in court. He admits his participation in the January 6th insurrection/riot and takes full responsibility for it. His mea culpa sounds like German citizens after the end of World War Two saying they didn’t know of the evils of the Nazi regime.

His “excuse” for his behavior doesn’t hold water. He’s an adult and supposedly capable of thinking for himself, but he didn’t. Instead he argues he was led by the nose into the depths of the lies. While he now accepts responsibility for his actions, it should not sway the judge in his case to go easy on him. He tried, with a great many others, to take down the government.

Next is an article in Huffpost about the Republican Arizona state senator, Paul Boyer, who now regrets supporting the recount of the November 2020 election in Maricopa County. Apparently he now believes that the recount “makes us look like idiots.” Gee, why would anyone think that an “audit” of those ballots by Cyber Ninjas seem ridiculous? The audit is only being led by the Trump partisan CEO of the company, a company which has NO experience in ballot audits. An audit that hunted for watermarks on ballots that supposedly were printed up by Trump to show fraud in the voting. Also, hunting for ballots with bamboo in the paper to prove they were inserted into the election by the Chinese.

State Senator Boyer needs to explain to the voters in Maricopa County why he believed the lies that Donald Trump had votes stolen from him and given to Joe Biden. There were recounts and audits done by election officials that verified the findings that Joe Biden won the election. This sham audit that he supported seems to be saying that all the election officials, to include the Arizona Secretary of State and the Arizona Governor, were crooked operators in the first place.

Yes, I certainly agree with Senator Boyer, they look like idiots.

We all know, or should know, who House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is in America. If not, he’s a California Republican who is the House version of Mitch McConnell. Of late he and the other Republicans in the House have ginned up a vote to remove Representative Liz Cheney from her position in the Republican leadership (note: I don’t like Cheney either).

So, he sent a letter to all the House Republicans and something he said in that letter is eye-catching. In an MSNBC article report, “We are a big tent party,” McCarthy wrote. “We represent Americans of all backgrounds…. And unlike the left, we embrace free thought and debate.“

“Free thought and debate.” If that were the truth Kevin, then why are you removing a member of the Republican House leadership for having “free thought” when she publicly called out Trump’s election lies and said Biden was the winner of the election and the rightful president? Umm, seems to me that there was no common sense or critical thinking on the hypocrisy of that statement in McCarthy’s letter. Idiots abound Kevin. Put on your dunce hat and go sit in the corner.

Then we have the certain Republican loving media personalities (who shall remain nameless) who are just as much fools as any I’ve already spoken about above. It just so happens that these particular idiots work at the Trump-loving Fox News. I’m speaking of the multiple personalities at Fox News who paraded out the story of the great American hamburger theft they spouted off about in April. They told the American public, mostly Republican dupes for Trump, that President Biden’s climate plan will force the reduction of the consumption of beef by Americans is coming to a McDonald’s near you.

Who failed to do some due diligence on this story? We know Fox News hates anything Biden’s doing as president, but to honestly believe, and report to America, that you’ll be limited to one hamburger a month to help save the climate is so stupid that the Fox personalities are in the same boat as the Republicans in the Arizona Senate. They clearly look like idiots.

Good work people. Fox News ended up having to make an on air retraction of this ridiculously asinine story. You can read all about it in this Media Matters article.

Need I give any more examples of the lunacy of Republicans? I mean, I could go on and talk about the nonsense that comes out of the mouths of QAnon nuts, Representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Senator Ted Cruz, etc, etc, etc. But, why huh? If you haven’t gotten the idea by now of the crazy Republicans, you never will.

This is what you get with them. Do you really think they should have any positions “leading” this country?

Until next time

Guns, Guns, Guns!

The Supreme Court and New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett.

In the 2021 term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett. This is a Second Amendment case that could have far reaching consequences on carrying guns in America.

The case basically revolves around the right, under the Second Amendment, to carry guns in public for self-defense. Two people who applied for an unrestricted license, in New York state, were denied a license and sued.

Now the Justices will determine whether or not the rights under the Second Amendment can be restricted. The Court’s decision could be very bad for America. Should the Court rule that plaintiff’s rights have been violated, it would potentially affect every gun law in the country. You can bet that the lawsuits will begin flying should this happen. The gun nuts will be frothing at the mouth to get to carry concealed guns in public.

Let’s consider this some. Many times in the aftermath of a mass shooting, someone spouts off about if only someone would have been armed, they could have intervened and stopped the massacre. I’m not buying that line of thought. Look at the Boulder, Colorado, shooting. Ten people died, including a veteran police officer. The large majority of people walking the streets are going to confront the triple F choices in a shooting incident of this type. Flight, fight, or freeze are those choices. Most untrained people will do the last, freeze. That’s perfectly understandable too. The shock of a situation like the Boulder shooting will freeze you while your brain is trying to process what’s happening. In Boulder, police were in a sustained gunfight with the shooter and could not take him down. Police officers are trained to confront violence, to overcome any fear and take action. Yet, the shooter was able to keep up the fight until deciding to peacefully surrender to the police.

Now, imagine yourself inside that store, carrying a concealed firearm. The only training you have is shooting at paper targets, that don’t shoot back. If you overcome your fear and break out of the freeze mode, you pull your gun and do what? Are you going to pull a John Wayne and have a high noon shootout with the bad guy? If you do, consider yourself dead. Are your going to tactically advance on the shooter and take him out? Do you even know how to do that from training, not watching television to give you your “training?” Somehow you get to where you see the bad guy and open fire. Have you considered who you might be endangering with your gunfire? If you miss, who might be hit and possibly killed? What about the bad guy shooting back at you, in which you might get hit and possibly killed by that fire? Think it through, you know the truth. Remember, your adrenaline is going to be pumping my friend.

Now, one BIG question. How are the police going to know YOU aren’t a bad guy and shoot you, possibly killing you? Do you expect the police to politely ask you who you are? Nope, likely you’ll likely be in a situation where police bullets are flying your way too. In dangerous situations the police are trained that everyone is a possible bad guy until proven otherwise, unless they are uniformed police. That’s for their own safety. So, still think you can take down a shooter John Q?

But, let’s look beyond a mass shooting incident to just plain everyday life. The Governor of Tennessee recently signed a bill into law allowing the carrying of concealed firearms without needing a license (Texas is working on the same type of law too). Now, your a police officer on patrol and make contact with a driver and passenger in a traffic stop. You know anyone can now carry a concealed weapon, so how are you going to approach the vehicle? The police I knew and worked with will do so with their gun in their hand. A police officer will be potentially dealing with a gun carrying citizen in any contact with members of the public. Can you blame them? I would pray that those citizens don’t make any move that a police officer would interpret as an act of reaching for a weapon, because you’d likely get a bullet or more for your movement.

Then, I consider having an armed public out there. How many hotheads will decide to handle their anger by pulling out and using their gun to settle disputes? Do you potentially want to die over a parking spot argument, or some other inane issue?

The hardcore Second Amendment believers want just what the Court may decide. They don’t believe in any laws “infringing” on their Second Amendment rights, most of them being of the Republican persuasion. Hopefully you know they’re lying right? They don’t want convicted violent felons to have guns, even if that felon has completed his/her sentence and paid “their debt to society.” Also, they don’t want those who are mentally ill from carrying guns either. After all, they are not in their right minds. Well, unrepentant felons don’t care about laws do they? If they want to they will go armed. As for the mentally ill, since they are not in their right minds they don’t know that they shouldn’t, or can’t, carrying a gun. Plus, if there is no licensing requirement, no one will put them on the radar to stop them from going around armed.

Do these type of laws guarantee our protection? No, they don’t. But, they can cause law-abiding citizens to refrain from unlawful activity. There are no absolute guarantees. Heck, the Boulder shooter was supposedly known to the FBI prior to him killing ten people. Yet, he was legally able to purchase the firearm he used to murder ten people.

I’m a gun owner and I support the Second Amendment. I just do support the belief that the Second Amendment prevents implementing reasonable gun laws, like concealed carry permits for instance.

You shouldn’t believe it either.

Until next time

Roundup April 26, 2021

Information and my reactions of news.

I begin this roundup with my thoughts on comments from conservatives about restricting voting for those who are uninformed or ignorant of civics and issues.

An article in the Washington Post reported on comments made by an Arizona Republican member of their state legislature. State Representative John Kavanagh (R) stated, on CNN, that, “Not everybody wants to vote, and if somebody is uninterested in voting, that probably means that they’re totally uninformed on the issues. Quantity is important, but we have to look at the quality of votes, as well.” Of course, he later tried to walk back his words, but that’s to be expected from those who make ignorant statements showing the truth of their beliefs.

An article in USA Today, used in the Washington Post article, on remarks made about voting, gave some more examples. From the article, “For example, Andrew McCarthy stated in National Review: “It would be far better if the franchise were not exercised by ignorant, civics-illiterate people.” Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Republican, warned of the dangers of voting by the “uninformed.” Kevin Williamson, also at National Review, asked whether America “would be better served by having fewer — but better — voters.”

Who are these ignorant and civics-illiterate voters? It’s minorities and the poor who these conservatives are crying about. You know, the people who came out and voted for Joe Biden. Those votes have scared Republicans so badly that they have come out openly for voter suppression by writing and enacting laws to the advantage of Republicans in future elections.

If we use their thinking we must then examine a group overlooked by these “patriots.” That group would be the white supremacist racists, QAnon believing, Trump-loving, LGBTQ hating, REPUBLICANS! These Republicans consider themselves true patriots, defenders of the Constitution, moral and ethical Christians, and the only segment of society capable of determining the direction of American life.

They’re not educated, civics-aware voters. They can’t be. For instance, followers of QAnon are people mentally incapable of using critical reasoning skills (including Republican luminaries Representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene). This is clearly demonstrated by their idiotic beliefs of the conspiracy theories espoused by QAnon. What critically thinking person could believe that Democrats are/were running a child sex ring out of the basement of a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C.? How can “good” Christians categorize those people who deserve the love of Jesus Christ and the rest, like the LGBTQ+ community, who will burn in hell, be educated voters? How can white supremacist racists who want all minorities dead or removed, just as Hitler wanted all Jews exterminated, be educated voters (consider too the number of white people they’d kill for siding with minorities over their white America dreams)?

Certainly these Republicans should be allowed to vote. Of course, they are excused by the commenters I wrote of above. I’m sure that Republicans can’t see any problems with those voters and the democracy they’d have in power. Wait, make that dictatorship, since they want Trump and a family dynasty he’d institute.

That makes John Kavanagh, Andrew McCarthy, Michael Watson, Kevin Williamson, and others of their ilk, to be nothing short of bigoted hypocrites. Apparently they believe the U.S. Constitution doesn’t extend to all the people. Now, that’s ignorant! They and those like them should be the ones denied the right to vote if anyone should be.

Now we move on to an article on heavy.com about a Tennessee man, Sam Johnson. Johnson is the CEO of a company called VisuWell, a telemedicine platform company. It seems Johnson decided to harass an LGBTQ teen boy who chose to wear a dress to his prom. Johnson took offense at the teen’s appearance, telling the teen that he shouldn’t be wearing a dress. The teen’s boyfriend, who was recording the interaction on his phone, related that Johnson made comments, “You look disgusting, you look ridiculous, you look like an idiot…” In the end Johnson was thrown out of the hotel this occurred at, as well as being told by others to leave the teen alone.

What a bigoted sob! Where the hell do people get the idea that they have the right to harass anyone, for any reason. Obviously, they were not taught to mind their own business when they were growing up. That or they decided they could make anything their business, as Johnson clearly did in this case.

Now, Johnson told Newsweek that the was no truth the accusations. He said he was just handling “obnoxious, loud behavior by this group of teens.” Funny, that’s not what we see in the video – which Johnson says (without proof) was edited. I’m willing to bet that if you asked Johnson, he’d tell you he is a “good” Christian too. In reality, he’s a sick, twisted, coward for his inability to allow people to express themselves. To me, his petty behavior is why we have hate crime laws in America.

I wonder if he would be considered to be a person who would make an educated and responsible voter the Republicans want?

Just these two articles alone show the problem with so many people (all Republicans maybe?) in our country. Their ignorance and hatred for all they disagree with leads them to condemn others and decry the inability of those they oppose to be less human and capable than they are. Are Democrats and the left perfect? Nope, not by a long shot. But, they shine compared to the morons I’ve written about in this article. If they are so determined to force people to follow their beliefs only, then maybe they should all relocate and create their own country of bigoted, racist white people. I suggest Antarctica.

Until next time

It’s Not Even a Bandaid

Police reform isn’t likely for minorities in America

The jury has convicted Derek Chauvin on all counts for murdering George Floyd. Chauvin faces a maximum sentence of 12 1/2 years on the most serious count, unless the DA can show aggravating circumstances. While Chauvin is being held to account for his actions as a police officer, it isn’t even a bandaid in the field of police reform. In fact, during his trial other acts of police have caused injury and death to others. One only has to look to the suburb of Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center.

There a 25 plus year veteran officer shot and killed Duante Wright, a Black man, over what started out as a traffic stop for expired registration. It seems, according to the Brooklyn Police ex-chief, that ex-officer Kim Potter supposedly mistook her firearm for the Taser she carried. That seems absurd considering the great differences in weight, and design of the two items, but that fight is for another day. The Hennepin County DA’s Office quickly charged Potter the day after she resigned from the police department.

Duante Wright’s murder was just another example of police operating with a superiority complex. Yes, reportedly Mr Wright had an outstanding warrant, but the officer should have considered other options for taking Mr Wright into custody. It’s just a case of an officer refusing to be stopped from making an arrest. It’s become endemic within policing that an officer ignored is an officer enraged at the audacity that a person refuses to follow the authority of the officer.

Also, consider the case of the 13-year old boy shot and killed by a Chicago Police officer. Adam Toledo was shot after following the orders of Officer Eric Stillman to drop the gun Toledo appeared to be holding and to raise his hands. After raising his hands he was shot by Officer Stillman. If Adam Toledo was complying, why was he shot? Once Adam’s empty hands were raised he wasn’t presenting an immediate threat to Officer Stillman or the public. At that point Officer Stillman had options for taking Adam into custody, but failed to exercise any of them. Has policing become so skewed in this country that police now believe themselves incapable of doing anything less than using deadly force?

The conviction of Derek Chauvin is being celebrated by many, but others are standing on the other side of the jury’s verdict. Take Fox News extreme right mouthpiece Tucker Carlson. His take on the jury verdict is that the jury voted to convict because they (the jurors) didn’t want to be attacked by mobs if they acquitted Derek Chauvin.

“The jury in the Derek Chauvin trial came to a unanimous and unequivocal verdict this afternoon: Please Don’t Hurt Us,” he said on his show, according to Raw Story’s article.

Now, we know Tucker Carlson peddles the outrageous. If any behavior is to be maligned or twisted, Tucker is likely the one to spout off to his viewers. His commentary shouldn’t be considered to be actual news of any kind. Even his own network argued that viewers should be skeptical of Carlson’s comments and a federal judge agreed when tossing out a lawsuit against Carlson. That said, too many on the far right look to Carlson for their understanding of the activities he “reports” on. To the American people, perception is reality. By his comments Carlson appears to think that the police are always right. Of course, he’s not the only talking head at Fox News who pander to extremist right viewers.

According to the Washington Post, there have been 984 fatal shootings by police in the last year. While only a small percentage of fatal shootings by police are classified as unjustifiable, it’s not the only evidence of the attitude of police towards the very citizens they are exercising authority over. While deadly force is the worst case, other interactions by police show their contempt for the general public and minorities especially.

A NJ.com article reports that Perth Amboy police in New Jersey stopped a group of teens, mostly Black and Latino, riding bicycles in the city. Now these teens were seen to be riding their bikes in traffic, at times causing a hazard to traffic. When the group stopped for officers, one officer told the teens that their bikes “are supposed to have licenses and all that kind of stuff.” The unidentified officer went on to promise the teens that their bikes would not be confiscated by police. That didn’t last. Another officer, reportedly a Sergeant, ordered the six officers at the scene to confiscate the bikes. When one of the teens argued with this second officer, he was arrested, handcuffed, and placed in a patrol car. Was this the way to appropriately handle this situation? Wasn’t the verbal warning by the first officer sufficient? Apparently not since the second officer decided that they needed to be showed who’s boss in Perth Amboy.

Policing is not a profession for people incapable of using good judgment and discretion. It’s a tough job and a dangerous job at times. However, it’s also a job that hardened officers against the citizenry and brought them to the position of believing they hold unaccountable authority over everyone. Derek Chavin’s conviction will no more bring positive change to policing across America than did other cases of excessive/deadly force by police.

The ultimate responsibility for the failure to bring nationwide change to the policing of this country falls on the public. Those Americans who are agitating for change aren’t enough. The great majority must join their voices to the demands for change. Unfortunately, this will not likely happen since most citizens either agree with the police, or are afraid of standing out on the “wrong” side of this issue.

The attitudes of police in general won’t change until the public forces that change.

Until next time

More on the Second Amendment

Discussing differing views

On March 24, 2021, I wrote my article called “Dark Ages of the Second Amendment”, which you can read here. To give a quick recap of the article, I wrote that reasonable gun laws are not an infringement of a person’s Second Amendment rights. Firearms being outlawed completely would certainly be an infringement, but since we can own firearms (and I do), reasonable laws can, and should be enacted. Nor would I ever support the confiscation of all firearms in the United States, whether or not the Second Amendment existed.

I received a comment that same day from a person identified as Alan Sexton. In his comment he stated that my views of the Second Amendment were totally irrelevant. He believes any gun law is an infringement. He went on to say that “to the chagrin of the anti-gun crowd, many folks on the political left hold the same view as folks on the right.“

I wrote a long comment in reply to his second comment that any laws are an infringement, but for some reason WordPress failed to post the comment. So, I’m going to recreate the my comment as an article instead.

Let me begin by saying that I once held the same beliefs as Alan, for over 20 years. But, as I saw more and more murders (from individual killings to the mass killings) happening I came to change my views on the Second Amendment. I was also a conservative of the Republican Party during that period as well. Now, either “party” are anathema to me since neither party serves the people.

In my reply, I asked some questions that I hope Alan will read here and give substantive answers to in the comment section of this article. I also offer Alan the opportunity to write an article that I will post on this blog. I guarantee that I will not edit your article in any way. The opportunity is yours to educate people on your Second Amendment beliefs in detail. My email link is listed on my Contact page.

Okay, so off I go.

The Second Amendment reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.“

We will dispense with the part about a well regulated militia, since I (likely as Alan does) believe that is totally separate from the second part dealing with “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. The discussion comes down to what law(s) infringe on the people’s right.

My first question to Alan was that if any firearm law/restriction can not be enacted, then why has the Supreme Court not handed down a ruling that states that no laws may be enacted?

Next, by your beliefs are you stating that:

• Firearms should not have serial numbers (Gun Control Act of 1968)?
• Federal Firearm Licenses are illegal?
• Convicted felons can purchase, possess, and carry any firearm they desire?
• People with serious mental illness can purchase, possess, and carry any firearm they desire?
• There should be no age limit on the purchase, possession, and carrying of a firearm?
• People can possess and carry firearms (whether concealed or openly) into any state legislative building, the US Capitol, any court (including the US Supreme Court), any police station, any jail or prison, any place of worship, any bar/tavern/lounge, any primary or secondary school, any hospital, and so on?
• People can purchase any possess firearms like the M240 machine gun, the M249 SAW, the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, a grenade launcher (M79 or M203 as examples), etc…?

My next question Alan is, how do you propose to deal with the mass shooting incidents that have caused multiple deaths (Atlanta, Boulder, and – just last night – the FedEx building in Indianapolis as examples)? There have been so many that this is a reasonable question. Now, I concede that no law will stop all of these types of incidents, but some could be deterred with reasonable firearms laws. Is America just suppose to shrug our collective shoulders and say “that’s life”?

Alan, how do you propose the removal of any and all firearm laws/restrictions to attain your belief in the Second Amendment?

When the founders wrote the Second Amendment the firearms of the day were black powder, single shot, weapons. Are those then the weapons allowed to the people? Plus, many states wrote laws prohibiting slaves from owning/possessing firearms. Were those laws unconstitutional? Whiles slaves were counted as only 3/5th’s of a person for determining representation, they were classified as people. Also, in 1837 the State of Georgia enacted law to prohibit the carrying of small firearms, concealed or openly. In 1845, the Georgia Supreme Court, using the Second Amendment to reach it’s decision, overturned the portion of the law prohibiting the open carrying of a firearm. The Court left intact the portion of the law prohibiting the concealed carrying of a firearm.

I’m seriously interested in hearing your reasoning on each of the questions I have asked. By answers, I don’t mean just the mantra that the Second Amendment prohibits any infringement (laws or restrictions) on the right to keep and bear arms. This is your opportunity (or anyone else’s who is interested) to educate everyone on the Second Amendment. I also encourage people who are pro-gun control to articulate their reasoning as well.

I hopefully await your comments Alan.

Until next time

Roundup April 13, 2021

Information and my reactions of news.

This is going to be a new thing here. Each week (not necessarily on the same day of the week) I’m going to do a roundup of some of the crazy stories I’ve read or heard and write my thoughts and reactions to them.

From the Idaho State Journal we have an article, written by an Associated Press reporter, describing a pitch to state lawmakers to add about 3/4ths of the Oregon to Idaho. A group called Move Oregon’s Border for a Greater Idaho is behind this fantasy. The people supporting such stupidity say it’s because all the rural Oregonians are dominated by liberal Portland and that they would rather join conservative Idaho. This group also looks to annexing parts of southeastern Washington and northern California in the future hopefully. Hell, maybe they should save some of the rural Canadians north of the border too (can you see me rolling my eyes?)?

Now this plan has a less than a hope in hell of ever succeeding. I find it somewhat hard to believe that these screwy Idahoans are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts for those unlucky conservative Oregonians. First of all, who says all those rural dwellers are conservatives? I live in a rural area in my state and I can damn sure tell you I’m no damn conservative (though this county is overwhelmingly made up of Trump loving conservatives)!

Secondly, since – as this Idaho group states – both Oregon and the U.S. Government would also have to agree, the likelihood of Oregon to give up territory and the income from that territory to a Idaho makes no sense at all. But,l since when has that thought stopped crazy ideas from being pursued in America?

As Forrest Gump says, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

Next up we move to troubled Minnesota, where yet again a Black man has been shot and killed by a Minnesota cop from the Brooklyn Center Police Department. A story from CNBC says that the cop involved in the killing can not be charged with a crime, according to Civil Rights attorney David Henderson. Also in the story, the police chief – Tim Gannon – that he thought this was an accident, that this senior officer meant to use her Taser, not her firearm.

Let’s look at the information we know. One, Mr Duante Wright, was stopped by the cop for either having an air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror or for expired registration (whichever you choose to believe). Two, it’s reported in news sources that Mr Wright had an outstanding arrest warrant and that he fled when police tried to take him into custody. Three, cops wear Tasers on the opposite side from their firearms on their duty belts. Fourth the feel and weight differences alone should have altered the cop that she had her firearm in her hand, not her Taser. Fifth, this cop – identified in an Insider article – as Kimberley A Potter, a 26-year-veteran of the police force.

Now I worked in law enforcement and corrections. I’ve carried both a firearm and a Taser (not at the same time though), so I know what I speak of. The size, feel, and weight differences are blatantly noticeable. How did this veteran cop, who has had training in the carrying of these weapons, grab the wrong one and not know it? Was the outstanding warrant of so serious a nature that this veteran cop was overcome with adrenaline during the attempted arrest that she “accidentally” pulled the wrong weapon and killed Mr Wright?

It seems pretty clear to me that this veteran cop was incapable of keeping a clear head. If she had, Mr Wright would be alive right now. Since she apparently isn’t able to handle situations, then what in the hell is she doing on patrol? Seems she should have duties that do not require her to use either weapon.

As for the thought that she can’t be charged with a crime, why not? In my military service (as a cop) had I ever shot someone with my duty weapon, I would have to stand court-martial to determine if the shooting was justifiable. With the number of police related shootings in America, let cops have to have a jury determine if the shooting is justifiable or not. It’s outrageous that this cop may well be protected by state law. At the least, would this not be negligent discharge of a firearm – whether or not it was a mistake by this veteran cop?

Lastly on this topic, was there no other way to handle this? Since the cop supposedly meant to pull and use her Taser, this says to me this wasn’t a life threatening situation. It seems to me the cop could have let Mr Wright leave the scene and arranged for his arrest at a later point, since they obviously had identified him. It seems clear there was some poor decision making by this veteran cop.

Her employment as a police officer needs to be terminated. She can no longer be trusted to make good judgment calls.

Lastly today I want to speak to the “battle” going on among U.S. Senators over the filibuster rule used by senators to stop votes on bills before them. Since when does the Constitution they so value allow them to refuse to represent the citizens of their state? The filibuster rule is nothing more than obstructionism to stop the Senate from doing their duty for the public. The idea that there is need for 60 votes just to get legislation voted on is criminally negligent. “We the people” don’t send you fools to Congress to find ways to avoid fulfilling your responsibilities. Bills in either chamber of Congress should be voted on and a simple majority should determine the outcome. Senator’s like Mitch McConnell and the tactics he used as Majority Leader and those he now uses as Minority Leader shows his contempt for the American people.

The filibuster rule needs to be done away with. While we are at it, a term limits amendment needs to be added to the U.S. Constitution to keep these lifelong, corporate and billionaire’s toadies from subverting the will of the people.

Dark Ages of the Second Amendment

Conservative lies about the “right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

I am an owner of firearms, as allowed by law. But, I do not believe the Second Amendment provides the right to unrestricted firearm ownership.

The latest tragedy of a mass shooting, resulting in ten deaths, in Boulder, Colorado, is just another reason of why the lies of the Second Amendment arguments by conservatives need to be put in it’s grave once and for all. Americans are fed untruths by gun proponents and gun “rights” organizations, much as the priests tell parishioners what the Bible says and what they are to believe.

There is nothing in the Second Amendment stating that ANY law pertaining to gun restrictions infringes ownership and is unconstitutional. It is the blindness of regular citizens and the lack of their use of common sense that continues to breath life into this belief. Constitutional “rights” are infringed every day. Freedom of speech in the First Amendment does not give a person the right to scream fire in a darkened theater, the freedom of peaceful assembly does not give the right to block roadways, sidewalks, building entrances, or carrying out the lawful (and constitutional) exercise of government, for example.

Plus, the Second Amendment allows for “infringements” on the right to keep and bear arms. No citizen is allowed any weapon they wish to own. Ergo, owning a bazooka, or a machine gun, or a fully automatic assault rifle without a federal firearms license, or a sawed off shotgun (meaning a barrel length under 18 inches long), or a grenade, are all unlawful. It’s common sense. An individual has no reasonable use for any of these weapons and it is the proper behavior of the state and federal governments to enact laws preventing or restricting their ownership. Conservatives and gun rights groups don’t want you to know this, they want you to listen to their preaching only.

It is reasonable to restrict firearms and their ownership. Even conservatives believe this when it aligns with their political beliefs. I don’t see conservatives fighting to allow gun ownership by people with felony criminal convictions or allowing minors to own firearms. It’s their dual standards that allow firearms to be possessed and used that led to the murder ten innocent people in Boulder and eight innocent people in the Atlanta area, and on and on. Why do any of us need weapons that hold 20 or 30 rounds of ammunition in a rifle magazine, or more than 10 rounds in a pistol magazine? How is restricting magazine capacity an infringement of one’s Second Amendment rights? In fact, if laws prevented the ownership of semi-automatic pistols, that law wouldn’t infringe on your right to own a firearm. Revolvers holding six rounds in the cylinder would be legal to possess to protect yourself or your family. If it takes more than six rounds to stop a threat of death or serious bodily injury then I suggest the user is a bad shot and needs time on the range.

Further, the conservative gun rights folks continuously fight to extend the meaning of Second Amendment rights into other areas, such as the right to carry a handgun concealed without a permit and to carry it anywhere, such as the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives (yes lady, I’m talking about you). Yet, concealed carry laws do exist and haven’t been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Laws are meant to protect the people in a society, not to allow crimes to be committed. Would any law have prevented the mass shootings in Boulder or Atlanta? The answer is no. But, had only a revolver been used, the shooter would need to reload after six shots. This would have given people a chance to flee or even stop the shooters. Reloading a revolver isn’t as fast as changing a pistol or rifle magazine. Oh sure, if the shooter has a revolver quick loader and plenty of practice in reloading a revolver with it then it might not change the outcome. However, the huge majority of people do not have this type of training in sufficient amounts to make them experienced experts. I know this is true since I’ve owned quick loaders for revolvers and did regularly practiced with them.

Yet, the conservative lies on the Second Amendment continue and allow such tragedies to happen. Is it altruism on their part to protect the rights in the U.S. Constitution, or is it money and political power that drives their motivations? Personally, I believe it to be the latter. Politicians want the backing of groups like the NRA and the Gun Owners of America to bring them funding for their campaigns and votes to continue their hold on power. I’ve never liked, nor been a member of, the NRA or any gun rights group. They exist only to attack any attempt at reasonable gun control. If these groups didn’t exist, would the majority of the American people demand more laws restricting gun ownership? I’m betting they would. Every mass shooting says yes, we need laws restricting gun ownership, just as much as we need some laws protecting the right to own a firearm.

Conservatives, especially Republican members of the U.S.Congress and State legislatures, are wrong and are supporting evil by fighting against any gun laws in America. Their actions are self-serving. They care not about the people they serve, just the money and power they can get.

All we can do as reasonable, common sense, people is to give the survivors and families of the mass shootings our condolences for their loss and promise them all that we will fight for reasonable laws, like assault rifle and high capacity magazines bans, universal background checks, and waiting periods to receive purchased firearms to help protect America. It is time conservatives grow up.

Until next time

Paranormal Entertainment

The paranormal money-maker.

Before we go any further, we need an understanding of what “paranormal” means. The clearest definition of the word for me comes from Dictionary.com, “of or relating to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation, as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernatural phenomena.“

Do you believe in the paranormal, be it ghosts and spirits, Bigfoot, UFO’s and aliens, skinwalkers, chupacabras, the Bermuda and Alaska Triangles, and other unexplained phenomena? At different times, by different polls, the percentage of believers has run as high as about 60% of the population. That’s a lot of people. Now, as children we’ve all heard at least one ghost story, whether it’s about the boogieman in the closet, a local building that is haunted, or even of a strange creature hiding in the area (like the “Mothman” in West Virginia). Paranormal phenomena is found in many cultures and seems to be endemic in the histories of the cultures. Yeah, when we’re kids we will believe a lot of hard to believe stories. But, then we grow up and – hopefully – use common sense (I know, not so common anymore) and logical thinking to examine what we’re being told and led to believe.

So, what’s the truth about the paranormal? Is this something we chalk up to fairy tales, hoaxes, visual and auditory hallucinations, lies to gain attention, or is it all the truth? Regardless of what you believe, the entertainment industry has found the whole world of paranormal phenomena to be a gold mine for their corporate bottom line. This is clear just by the number of different paranormal shows on networks like Discovery’s Travel Channel and the number of paranormal “investigators” staring in these shows. There is money to be made.

Americans drive this industry. People want to see a ghost, catch a glimpse of Bigfoot, watch inanimate objects get moved or thrown around, or watch an unknown creature moving through the water from the safety of their living rooms for example. Hell, I’m watching a paranormal show on the Travel Channel as I write this article! These shows are entertaining mostly, even if I find the topic being shown hard to believe. It’s funny, when watching these shows how little is ever actually found. Bigfoot constantly slips away for example. Some of the shows take the serious approach and some are just downright comical with goofball actors chasing and trying to trap some elusive creature (I’m not going to mention show names or those in those shows – Google them). Mostly, because of my medical disabilities, these shows are background noise to help the time pass during the long days I spend essentially alone (with my chihuahua and five cats as primary company).

The “evidence” uncovered by the “investigators” or provided by the people being interviewed runs the gamut from whitish fogginess in a picture to lights in the night sky and to blurry images of some “creature” hiding in some forested area. Those aren’t all, but provide just an idea of what gets shown on the shows. Nothing clear and convincing seems to exist. That strange light in the sky that is portrayed as a UFO could be anything. After all, a UFO is just an unidentified object of some type. Is it an alien spaceship? I dunno, the “evidence” is inconclusive for my logical mind. I guess I need one of these UFO’s to land at the White House or Congress and the beings get out and chat publicly with us Earthlings. That would be conclusive beyond doubt. Until then I’ll keep a skeptical mind from shows making money off these subjects. Yet, the U.S. Government has been releasing their classified documents on different paranormal subjects. The reports and investigations were carried out in earnest by agencies of the government, not only in the United States, but around the world. Is this the proof for the truth on, say UFO’s for instance? I can’t answer that. I haven’t read any of these documents, so have to maintain my skepticism (Is there other intelligent life out there? I think that is possible because we aren’t special). I’m not really trusting of our government under any administration. Make of it what you wish it to be.

What about the people who tell their stories in these lucrative shows? Do they believe what they’re telling the “investigators”? Many seem scared, many seem lost for answers for what they’ve seen and heard, and many just seem to want some kind of peace from it. Are they making these stories up? Are they misinterpreting what they are seeing and hearing? I believe there are some who are outright lying hoaxers trying to get some reward out of fooling people and I believe there are people who truly believe what they are relating in the show. What causes them to believe what they’re relating in the show? Hard to know unless we’re standing with them in the incidents they’re talking about when they occur. I believe they’re honest folks. Why would they want to open themselves to potential ridicule? I know I wouldn’t want to bring ridicule upon myself for my honest beliefs and I think most people feel the same way. So, what do they have to gain? Are they paid by the television shows? If so, that doesn’t explain those who have news stories in the press that haven’t been presented on a paranormal show. Plus, these type of stories have been related throughout our cultural history long before television even existed.

In then end, the real gains come only too the “investigators” and networks that make and air these paranormal shows. I won’t say they’re truthful since they’re being presented to make money. Good capitalism isn’t evidence for the facts or truthfulness of the subjects being presented. Unless or until I see hard evidence to convince me otherwise, these shows will remain in an entertainment category for me.

What do you believe?

Until next time.

The Nation’s Wreckage

Trump’s Shame!

Well, it’s been a while. I went dark, initially unintended and later by choice, when I spent two different periods hospitalized in late October and early November 2020. I was already at the point where I was sick and tired of the disaster of Trump and his administration. I did keep an eye on what occurred since the election, waiting for today now that President Joe Biden has replaced the, in my opinion, criminal Donald Trump.

The four years of Trump’s administration has been a train wreck unequaled by any period of U.S. history, to include the American Revolution. He and his followers no longer have a stranglehold on the nation. His Congressional Republicans have had power stripped from them, as it should be, for supporting and promoting all that Donald Trump did to America. Some of those Republicans insisted on continuing to find some way to keep Trump in office after he lost the election. Each one of them should be removed from office as they are unfit to serve. A few, like Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, need to be investigated for any criminal actions and if found, they should be arrested and tried. Even now some of Trump’s congressional lackeys remain faithful, like Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, both QAnon nuts, and continue spouting their nonsense as they worship a disgraced Trump.

Our Capitol was engulfed in a riotous insurrection by members of Trump’s band of ignorant racists and conspiracy believing fools. They were unable and unwilling to accept the election results. After being riled up and sent to the Capitol by Donald Trump, they attempted to stop our constitutional government from carrying out their lawful duties. These followers do nothing but whine about how the 74 million of them have had the election stolen from them. They demand Trump be given his rightful second term, that he “won” by a landslide. Never mind that over 80 million Americans voted for President Joe Biden. They don’t deserve to have their votes matter I guess. These “Americans” trashed the Capitol, causing the death of five people, including a Capitol Police officer. I’m thinking had the Capitol Police formed a line and opened fire things would have been different. After five or six fell to a flurry of bullets, the rest would turn and run as fast as their little legs could move in the opposite direction. Many likely peeing themselves as they ran. Luckily for them there were sympathizers among the Capitol Police who ushered them into the building and allowed them to run wild.

The real animals among Trump’s supporters, groups like the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and the generic white supremacists, have screamed loudly for their members to rise and start a civil war to remake America into their dreamed of Whites Only nation. They’ve lost access to social media for their fomenting of violence. Some, as with many other insurrectionists, have had their wake up call as the FBI arrived and arrested them for their criminal actions. Let them stand in court and be judged and to, hopefully, spend many years in prison for their attempted coup to save their twisted and mentally ill (or deranged) “leader” Donald Trump. Maybe they can request a cell next to Trump’s? Each of these groups are poster children for enacting a domestic terrorism law(s) to place them where they belong, outlawed and driven back under the rocks from which they squirmed out from under. The great majority of these lowlifes are as cowardly as Donald “Pathological Liar” Trump.

Yet, such law(s) would not be in the spirit of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Such law(s) would empower government to decide what organizations are to be labelled terrorist organizations. Imagine another administration of a Trump-like president using the law to silence opposition groups and persons. Americans can not, and should not, trust any government with such power. So, the nation must allow these “patriot” groups to exist and to be allowed to run their mouths. Should they cross the line into criminal speech, we must let law enforcement bring them before the bar of “justice” for punishment. But, this begs the question of whether or not we can trust law enforcement to do their job, something we haven’t been able to do throughout most of 2020.

Donald Trump couldn’t even handle attending the inauguration, instead he slunk out of town on Air Force One while he was still the President. Off to his digs in Palm Beach, Florida. There he will lick his wounds and, some believe, try to control the Republican Party. He told American he’d be back during his farewell speech before boarding Air Force One for his flight to flee Washington D.C. What he may be able to accomplish to that end is anyone’s guess. Certainly, as we have seen, there are plenty of Republicans in federal and state government willing to back his idiocy. The Republican Party is dead, yet they don’t know it or believe it. Even Trump has, or is, considering whether to set up a new party to compete against the Republican Party. Now that would be good, in my humble opinion. What better way to split the conservative voting in the country? His speech to CPAC was nothing more than a repeat of all his lies he has sold those believers in his views. Maybe the Republicanj party should be declared a domestic terrorist organization?

President Joe Biden has his work cut out for him. He has two years before the mid-term election in which to get his agenda in place. As with all presidential terms, the mid-term elections could flip Congress back to opposition control. Then, it’s the usual roadblocks to getting anything done. Both parties operate this way when the President is in the other party. At least he can undo Trump’s Executive Orders. That’s a good start, but with the pandemic still raging and there being a shortage of vaccines, work must focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in America, but worldwide. Many third world nations are stuck depending on the first world nations to aid them in their fight to survive. Humanity demands that every able nation aids those lesser able nations in saving their populations. We will have to wait and see what happens. Beyond the pandemic itself, President Biden must act to aid those who have suffered and are suffering. Men, women, and families have lost their income, some their homes. Many more live on the streets of the country with little hope of help by states already stretched thin and running out of money. Over 500,000 Americans have paid with their lives, how many more will Joe Biden allow to die? How will he aid and protect those who are homeless, those who are so far behind in their rents that landlords are begging for an end to the eviction moratorium (which ios on the brink of happening), those who are food insecure even if they are lucky enough to have a job, and those in the country who have lost the hope for a better life? It’s only been through citizens who have grouped together to aid those in dire straits that the much less fortunate have some chance to get to tomorrow.

I expect in many ways we will see business as usual. The filthy rich will continue to get richer off the sweat of workers. The poor will continue their struggles for daily existence and those in the middle will be expected to pay the bill for getting the country back on it’s feet. I’d like to see changes, like the filthy rich being taxed heavily. I’d like to see corporations be taxed heavily as well. That could be done by just preventing corporations from having so many deductions that their tax bill is negligible. It is far past time these rich people and corporations pony up a fair share. Yet, I doubt the Democrats will have the spine to take on their super donors and corporations. Hell, we know they’re just conservatives under a different name.

In the end we just have to wait and see if all the wreckage is cleaned up. For the record, I didn’t vote for Biden. I’m a socialist, why would I vote for a conservative? I’d prefer, as I have said before, that the governmental system in the United States collapse and a true peoples democracy replace it so that human rights and equality are the absolute law of the land.

Until next time