The Same Old Game

Every day just the same

Old rules for the same old game

All I gained was heartache

~~ “The Bed’s Too Big Without You” by The Police

Yesterday, I was feeling lowdown, dirty, and mean. Just kind of generally pissed off at the state of affairs right now, you know? I’m still pretty pissed off about the stranglehold the NRA has on our nation, but today was mo bettah.

This is purely instinctual and most of you know that I don’t like to deal in gut feelings very often. I want facts and rational thinking. But I also know that sometimes you get a feeling about a person when you meet them...you can just tell that they’re a bullshitter, or that they’re full of themselves, or that there is something inauthentic about them. I’ve learned to trust those instincts as I’ve gotten older. That’s why I knew early on that the Yam was the King of the Bullshitters, and I have been proven right over and over again.

So anyway, today I felt a subtle change in our nationwide gun debate. To be clear, I don’t think that anything will be done soon, because we apparently have a bunch of ball-less wonders in Congress (and that includes both sides and both genders) who love their handouts from the NRA. Do I expect any forthcoming legislation? Nope. And that makes me feel as sick and disgusted with things as ever.

I can’t put my finger on it but something just seems a little different. I could very well be wrong and I might just be putting my own confirmation bias on it. But this is two horrific shootings in just a few days and I wonder if some people aren’t starting to wonder if this is how we really want to live as a nation. It will forever be to our shame that we didn’t do something after Sandy Hook and we all bear that shame. (Some of us more than others.)

There was also something off about all the “thoughts and prayers” comments that were spewed everywhere today. It seemed as though lawmakers were just spouting the usual lines and that even they didn’t believe them anymore. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who is sick of these useless platitudes.

Nothing is solved and nothing will be solved for the foreseeable future. This is a hard truth to accept. But it is also a truth that the majority of Americans want to see strengthened background checks and common sense gun laws. Will that solve every problem or prevent every mass shooting? No. But can we at least start fucking somewhere? Why is that so difficult? It’s a reasonable question.

Yet another gratuitous Comey photo

Last night, I immersed myself in “The Walking Dead.” Today, I stayed home and did my best to get back to my Happy Place™, or at least a place where I wasn’t filled with disgust and rage. I succeeded pretty well. (When I heard Ted Cruz speaking, I decided that enough was enough, and I switched over to music.)

I found some joy today as James Comey switched to his real name on Twitter and he is 100% his own self on there now (and a verified account, to boot). Those books aren’t gonna sell themselves, right? He’s good at the slow tease on Twitter. I should probably rephrase that, but I’ll let it stand. I put on my dangly silver peace sign earrings and that made me happy, too. Sometimes it’s the little things.

I can’t snap my fingers or wiggle my nose and make things better. But I can make an effort to find some peace in my own little corner of the world, and then I’ll go from there. Gotta put your own oxygen mask on before helping others, right?

Here’s the mono version of this great song. I think it has an interesting sound to it, and I might like it better than the album version.

A Nationwide Insanity

Jeebus Effin’ Christ, I am so sick of writing about this.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

And here.

With every mass shooting we have in this country, my outrage and frustration grow. This keeps happening over and over and OVER and we still cannot bring ourselves to pass common sense gun laws, despite the majority of Americans favoring them. Even Republicans!

Congresswoman shot in the head? Nope.

Dozens shot and killed in a theater? Nope.

Twenty kids dead in their elementary school? Nope.

Nine dead in a South Carolina church? Nope.

Fifty dead in a nightclub in Orlando? Nope.

And now they—Republican House members—have been targeted. Several of their own were shot. The response?

They will not do anything to weaken the 2nd Amendment.

Some of the members will start carrying guns.

I honestly have to wonder just what the fuck is wrong with them. How can you look at what is going on here and look at our rates of gun violence vs other countries and NOT COMPREHEND that we have a major problem with guns? What is this bizarre fetish that we have with guns?

It is SICK. It is not normal, and it is not healthy. This isn’t the fucking Wild West and these open carry assholes are not fucking Wyatt Earp.

If you want to have guns to hunt, I support that. Well, I don’t support hunting. I think it’s gross and cruel and it makes me sick. I get it, though. But no one needs to be carrying guns around and it is about goddamn time that we start passing some common sense gun laws in this country.

You’re all so scared of terrorist attacks? From 2001 to 2014, for every life claimed by terrorism (including the 9/11 attack), over ONE THOUSAND died from gun violence. This is not just a matter of domestic terrorism and mass shootings, it is domestic violence, murders, and suicide. We have a major problem in this country and as long as our legislators continue to kiss National Rifle Association ass, this will not be solved.

The NRA is a boil on the ass of humanity. They don’t give a flying FUCK about dead kids or legislators who get shot in the head or a bunch of gays getting killed in a nightclub. All they care about is the money they can rake in with gun sales and lobbying.

As far as I’m concerned, they are a hate group, and they have so much blood on their hands that those damned spots will never be gotten out.

Grades for Trades

In an effort to stem the tide of what seems to be an epidemic of accidental shootings at the hands of children, some cities are looking at a novel solution: asking children to turn in their firearms. The incentive? Receiving a good grade.

One official who chose to remain anonymous due to the possibility of threats from the NRA said, “It seems like you can’t go a day without hearing about some kid shooting another kid...or an adult. We think it could work to get guns out of the hands of children if we guarantee a passing grade in one of their classes.”

When asked how the program would work, he said, “Well, we haven’t worked out all the details yet. We’re thinking that the bigger the gun, the better the grade. Turn in a .22, get a C. A .38 Special would get you a B. A .45 Magnum? Definitely an A. We’re thinking of factoring in the difficulty of the class, too. If you want an A in Calculus, you’re going to have to cough up the big ones. It’s a win-win situation. Fewer guns in the hands of kids, and smarter kids. At least on paper.”

He went on to say that they are also considering a scholarship program. “If you turn in something like an AK-47, you deserve to get a break when it comes to college. Since you’ll be getting better grades through this program, you’re also more likely to get into college.”

NRA spokesmodel Tammy Sue Spratt reacted strongly to the possible program in an issued statement:

“It’s a child’s God-given right to own a firearm. We feel that this is more important than vaccines. A child can fight off those diseases. You can’t shoot a virus, but you can shoot the neighbor kid trying to steal your bike. The only way to stop a bad toddler with a gun is a good toddler with a gun.”

When an official at the CDC was asked about the program, he placed his face in his palm and muttered, “You have got to be kidding me.”

***

This was a silly bit of fun that came to me the other morning. It’s really no laughing matter, though. Although the statistics are out there, it seems that there has been no comprehensive study of the numbers of children who shoot others, either accidentally or deliberately. It does seem to me that this seems to be happening more frequently, but maybe it has always happened, and we just hear about it more. The NRA has tried to block the CDC from studying gun violence as a public health issue, which strikes me as beyond absurd. Gun violence in this country is most certainly an issue that affects every American. President Obama attempted to direct the CDC to pursue this after the Sandy Hook shooting, but sadly, the CDC remains in fear of losing funding from a Congress whose balls are tightly in the grip of the NRA.

One can only imagine the long-term psychological effects such a shooting would have on a child, especially if they are old enough to realize that they have just harmed or killed a person...perhaps even their sibling or their parent. And yet...this still keeps happening and we ignore the consequences. It will continue to happen until people figure out that the NRA is not a benevolent organization. They are nothing more than shills for gun manufacturers.

How many times?

I hesitated to even write about this, because I think it’s still very raw for a lot of people. I had CNN on for about two minutes today, and I couldn’t stomach it. I’ve read a few things online, but have generally stayed away from the subject.

I also hesitated to write about gun violence because I’ve written about it before, here.

And here.

And again, here.

I’m tired of writing about it. I’m tired of being outraged after another violent attack using guns, ranting about it here, saying that something needs to be done...and nothing ever gets done. I feel like I’m beating my head against a brick wall, shouting into a void, taking over Sisyphus’s job and pushing that boulder up the hill, over and over and OVER. I’m tired of it.

This time it was kids. Twenty kids. All of them either 6 or 7 years old. When I was 6 years old, I was playing on swings, riding my tricycle, running around outside like a little crazy person, and asking for a G.I. Joe for Christmas. These kids will never know the joy of such play. Because they’re dead. Twenty dead kids. Jesus fuck, people, what is wrong with us? Even harder to wrap my mind around is the kids who witnessed this. You’ve probably seen the picture of the police leading the little kids across a parking lot, some of them crying, all of them looking frightened. The one that really got to me was the little boy with his hands up to his face, a look of disbelief and horror in his eyes, as a little girl stood there with her arm around him and her head down. The dead children were robbed of their lives; the survivors have been robbed of their innocence. Life kicks the shit out of all of us, but it generally happens over a period of years, giving us time to come to terms and assimilate it into our broader worldview. A 6-year-old witnessing his or her friends shot multiple times has precious few tools to cope with such a thing. There is no perspective, no years of experience, no context, no philosophy, little ability to comprehend the sheer insanity of such a thing (if that is even possible). I don’t know about you, but if I saw one of my friends take a bullet to the brain, I would be horrified, and it would fuck me up. Can you imagine what it would be like for a 6-year-old?

I’ve done my best to stay out of any discussions about this on Facebook, because I sensed my potential to absolutely lose it. One person was arguing that the problem was that the shooter lacked “interpersonal communication skills.” Mike “The Huckster” Huckabee said that it was because we’ve taken God out of our schools. Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said that now is not the time to have this discussion. I’m seeing the usual claptrap about how this is a “complicated issue.” I understand how issues can be complicated, nothing is black and white, only shades of grey...but twenty dead kids? I’d say that’s pretty simple, wouldn’t you? I’m seeing the argument that the citizenry has a right to arm themselves against a government takeover. Really? You’re going to hold off the American military with a basement full of weapons? Tell me more about how you’re going to take down an Apache helicopter with your precious little arsenal. Please. I’m really interested to find out more.

President Obama, please force this discussion. Democrats, please introduce bills to ban assault weapons, high capacity clips, and armor-piercing bullets; introduce a bill to ensure that anyone wanting to buy a gun has to undergo a background check; introduce a bill to mandate a waiting period; introduce a bill to limit the amount of ammunition that an individual can buy. We limit how much freakin’ pseudoephedrine a person can buy...why can’t we do that for ammunition?

It’s time to stop just giving this issue—and it IS an issue—lip service and do something that will make a real difference. I tried a while back with a White House petition, and I didn’t get the 25,000 signatures needed to have them address it. There are new petitions up, and one is approaching 100,000 signatures, so it will be addressed by the White House. Maybe the time is right that something will finally, finally be done.
 
But it is an indictment on our country’s basic decency and sanity that it took twenty dead children to do it.