So, it's the day after another mass shooting. What does that
mean? It means we're seeing the same things we see every time:
--> An overall lack of (re)action on the part of the GOP.
--> Talk but not much movement from the Dems.
--> Bang your head! du duh, Metal Health will drive you mad! No,
wait, it's Mental health is the problem not the guns!
--> All the well-meaning but making things worse arguments from
the Left ("Do what the UK/Australia/Whatever did, we're just like
them" "Assault weapons ban!" "Militia, militia,
militia!" - do that last one in Jan Brady's voice). I've explained the issues with this before, not going to do it again right now.
--> All the not so well-meaning, terrible ideas from the Right
(these largely boil down to "MOAR GUNZ PLZ!!!!", because they seem to
follow the "Starship Troopers" maxim that an armed society is a
polite society, like that bastion of politeness, Somalia).
The fact that we see *THE EXACT SAME REACTIONS* from both
sides, every time is a significant part of the reason why nothing is getting
done.
The only things that seem a bit different this time are
--> Actual footage and communications from inside the school at
the time. Expect this to be the case going forward so long as everyone is
equipped with an A/V streaming capable mini super computer.
--> More victim blaming from POTUS.
Things I'd like to see come about as a result of these
inevitable shootings:
--> A ground level mass movement on the part of the people
*demanding* that every last dollar, nickel, and cent donated to politicians and
their PACS by the gun lobby (Hi NRA! Fuck you!) be returned, and if they don't
return it, the voters guarantee those muthafuckers (thanks Ron Perlman!) will
be voted right the fuck out of the office.
--> The politicians and the press actually talking about *gun
violence* in this country. Not just the AR-15s, not just the bump stocks, not
just the mass shootings, but the actual scourge of Americans; that treasured
staple of Americana, the *fucking handgun*. Because things like the school
shootings grab the press, but are still only a fraction of the gun violence in
the nation.
--> A lot of the gun deaths in the US are suicides, typically
male (we're more inclined to shoot ourselves than women, I guess we've been
conditioned to think it's a more manly way to die). I'd like to see us start to
have a genuine conversation about mental health and the related violence,
because while the Right does try to use mental health as a deflection from the
staggering availability of guns, it *is* a factor in many cases. Why? Because
*depression* is a god damn mental health issue, and one that far too many of us
deal with.
Nothing is really going to change until we get the gun lobby
money out of the pockets of the politicians, and that’s not going to change
until we start changing the minds of millions of Americans who have been
culturally indoctrinated, and then hammered with repeated fears of The Others.
I honestly believe that this is a problem we’re going to have to address from the bottom up.
Remember, as you go through your day hopefully not being shot:
#ThoughtsAndPrayersAreUseless
#FaithWithoutWorksIsDead
#FuckTheNRA
I honestly believe that this is a problem we’re going to have to address from the bottom up.
Remember, as you go through your day hopefully not being shot:
#ThoughtsAndPrayersAreUseless
#FaithWithoutWorksIsDead
#FuckTheNRA
