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