Friday, February 16, 2018

Their "Thoughts and Prayers"

Watch closely as a hard rain falls


Here's a tasty little morsel of fact to munch on with your morning coffee: Since the massacre of twenty little girls and boys - and the six women whose job it was to educate and protect them - inside the Sandy Hook Elementary school on December 14, 2012, there have been over sixteen hundred mass shootings in the United States of America. Since that time over three-hundred shootings took place on the campuses of public schools. Ain't that a riot? On the day that the mutilated bodies of twenty little children - all barely out of infancy - became acceptable "collateral damage" to the House of Reprehensibles, the Senate and the National Rifle Association, this doomed country hurled itself - head first and smiling - straight into the pit of hell.

Exactly five years and two months after the Newtown, Connecticut massacre, some murderous little psychopath walked into the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and killed sixteen of his former fellow classmates and the school's football coach. Again, as with Newtown, nothing is going to change. Every Republican reprehensible in Washington (and far-too-many Democratic ones to count) are comfy-cozy in the pockets of the NRA and their Über-Stooge spokesman, Wayne LaPierre. His solution to this latest, totally inevitable tragedy will be, of course, "WE NEED MORE GUNS!!!" The slaughter will continue, unabated, for the remainder of our lives on this troubled planet.  Those rivers of blood will continue to flow; those mountains of broken and bloodied corpses will continue to pile high. This is the way it's going to be from now on. There is no solution to this problem....

Did I say "no solution"? Pardonne moi, Monsieur!

Über Stooge
An epidemic of the random shootings of, say, twenty or thirty Washington politicians (with a handful of NRA reps thrown into the mix - just for shits and giggles, you understand) would do away with America's  insane gun laws - overnight. It makes my head spin to think how fast legislation would fly out of the capital building were something that tragic to occur. Please, I do not advocate the murders of public officials, I'm just pointing out (merely for your reading pleasure, I assure you) the unbounded hypocrisy of most of the politicians that the clueless inmates of Idiot Nation send to represent them in Washington with depressing regularity. I don't advocate murder. I'm just trying to make what I believe to be a dandy point. Chill.

Then again, if I hear one more pro-gun politician say that his or her "thoughts and prayers are with the victims during this trying time", please don't hold me responsible for how I might react....I'm just kidding, I'm fine.

Unfortunately for us, were sane gun legislation passed across the country tomorrow, it would take at least a decade for any tangible results to be noticed. In 2004  George W. Bush stupidly allowed Bill Clinton's assault weapons ban to expire. Since that time, too many of these people-killing-machines have gotten into the hands of too many people who should not have them. Not only should they be banned across the board, the manufacturing of the ammunition that fuels them should be outlawed as well. Wishful thinking, I know. Forgive me.

And while were on the subject of gun violence, the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has made me nostalgic for Bush. Somebody shoot me please.

The demented little thug responsible for the carnage in Parkland, Florida this week was taken into custody after trying to blend in with students fleeing for their lives. Had he not decided to make a getaway, the carnage would have been much more horrific than it turned out to be. If this had been a suicide mission (as was the case five years ago in Connecticut) the death toll at Douglas High could easily have been as much as a hundred or more. Thankfully we'll never know for certain what those numbers might have been. But here's something we need to understand: the numbers will be as high as a hundred or more at some point in the future - and I'm not referring to some vague and distant future - I'm talking about the near future, kiddies. Brace yourselves for the coming storm. A hard rain is gonna fall.

If you or anyone you know are still under the delusion that these routine tragedies are "the price we must pay for our freedom", then there is no hope for you. Only when the day finally arrives that gun violence touches your lives (as it has touched mine) will you understand and appreciate your once-great nation's social and political dysfunction. And don't think for a minute that it can't happen to you. For every day that passes, for every automatic weapon that finds its way into private ownership, the chance that it will happen to you - or someone you love dearly - rises proportionately. As I said on this site on the morning after the Newtown Elementary School  murders: "A people who live in dreaded, mortal terror wondering when and where the next massacre of innocents will take place may, indeed, be many things - no argument there. 'Free' they are not. Let's just stop kidding ourselves here and now, okay?"

And while you're at it, get used to living in a nation in ruins.

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

SUGGESTED VIEWING:

Bowling For Columbine
a film by Michael Moore

This is a documentary which should be seen by everyone with an IQ above room temperature. The rest of you are on your own. Here's a link to pick it up off of amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_11?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=bowling+for+columbine+dvd&sprefix=Bowling+For%2Caps%2C3328&crid=3UO18TWQWV8HB

Watch, learn, think.

AFTERTHOUGHT, 8:50 AM:

Back in 2002 when I announced my candidacy for the NY state senate, I received in the mail a message from the National Rifle Association. They informed me that if my campaign was to be blessed enough to get their endorsement, I would first need to fill out this form. So I did.

 
Needless to say, I didn't get their endorsement. Go figure.

34 Comments:

At 9:26 AM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Tom,

I read your post hoping that you would have the solution to the gun violence in America.
A new law, a new regulation, a new idea, but there was none.

I have an idea, and I'd like your input.

Repeal the 2nd Amendment and confiscate all firearms.

The latest killer did not break any law in getting his gun. Honestly, if the "assault" gun ban were still in effect, or a law banning capacity of clips, he could have caused as near as much damage with a Browning Auto 5 shot gun. The only solution is repeal.

 
At 9:52 AM, Blogger LisaNC said...

As much as I would love to believe that a shooting of our representatives would change laws overnight, I say that if the gunplay at the Congressional baseball game REALLY proved that your vision early on in your editorial is the truest one. Times like this, I wish I believed in Hell. The lack of action in Congress regarding these atrocities shows me our “Christian “ representatives must not believe in it either.

 
At 10:57 AM, Blogger woodenman said...

Maybe Malcolm X was right after all, didn't he come up with the phrase " The Chickens are coming home to Roost"?

I was always shocked at how many people are killed by the US and how indifferent most people are to that fact. We have killed millions of kids around the world since the Koren war and continue to this day. It seems nobody can stop us so maybe Karma is trying to balance the equation. I do not see any solution to the mass shootings and they are picking up in pace dramatically. All we can do is grin and bare it.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-has-killed-more-than-20-million-people-in-37-victim-nations-since-world-war-ii/5492051

 
At 11:11 AM, Blogger Bill said...

Culture is the social behavior and norms of a society. Effectively what has happened is that guns have become a integral part of this countries culture, almost sacrosanct. It is the result of the aggrandizement of the second amendment. It is the result of the demagoguery and fear-mongering of the NRA. It is the result of the gun manufacturer and gun lobby grip on Congress, those whose first duty is to legislate our safety. Yes, some assault weapons meant only to kill will be made illegal. But, it is a choice between continued slaughter or the misaligned "right" to have a killing machine.

 
At 1:55 PM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

If every single gun was magically eliminated this very minute, there would still be school killings and mass murders occurring in our country. It is not a gun issue. It is a heart issue and our embrace of this culture of death. It is the neglect and outright abdication of parents for their responsibility to teach their children right from wrong. When "wrong" and "right" have become subjective and relative, and when folks can grow up and not see the value in others then what is to stop them from releasing their pain by killing anyone that they feel has wronged them as a group? Repealing the 2nd amendment tomorrow will not save any lives, and indeed may even cost more lives as those law abiding citizens would no longer have the means of self-defense to mortal threats. Until we change our attitudes and teach our children respect for life and the value of others once again, these tragedies will continue regardless of whether AR-15's exist or not.

 
At 3:10 PM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"Until we change our attitudes and teach our children respect for life and the value of others once again, these tragedies will continue regardless of whether AR-15's exist or not." ~~ T. Paine

Mr. Paine, U.S history is filled with tragedies by the use of firearms. It may be a new phenomenon when it comes to mass killings, but not really. The U.S. military conducted these kinds of attacks on native Americans for decades -- and those were state-sanctioned.

I believe James's reference to Malcolm X, and that the chickens have come home to roost, isn't farfetched. Karma works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?

Do you think we need MAGAts? ;-)

 
At 5:54 PM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

It is the demonizing and dehumanizing of others that allows people to begin to think that some lives are not worthy of defending since they are so deplorable. It is a small step from there for those on the fringe or those that have mental instabilities or severe anger management issues to start to thinking they can "do something about it" with their guns.

It is even scarier when the government becomes infected with this mind set. That is how Native Americans are then seen not as men but as "red men" and "savages" that are in the way of white settlers and manifest destiny. It is how Japanese Americans are seen as less than the rest of us and hence put into WWII internment camps. Do you think if they refused that the government would not have hesitated to use deadly force to compel them? It is how six million Jews were exterminated in Nazi Germany.

Let's keep teaching hate, pointing out all of the differences, and marginalizing anyone that is different from us. Lets use them as scapegoats for all of our societal problems.
That will make the extermination of some folks even easier by the next idiot that has not been taught right from wrong and thinks killing his former classmates is cool like the latest video game... or the government dictator that has beguiled the ignorant and gullible into thinking some folks are so deplorable that they should be dealt with accordingly.

But what do I know. I am just a "MAGAt" by some folks' definition.

 
At 6:57 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

As I expected my post calling for the repeal of the 2nd drew zero responses either for or against. It is clear from this that the left has no desire to solve this problem but to use gun violence as a political issued against supporters of the 2nd.

New laws and regulations will not work any better than the ones already on the books if, as in this most recent case, the FBI and other enforcement agency's don't do their job. This was not a failure of gun control, it was a failure of enforcement.

 
At 8:33 PM, Blogger Paul said...

After all these years of murders I haven't seen, or heard of one serious attempt to change the Constitution. Prayers won't stop this problem, neither will talk. Put something on paper and start getting signatures! You need 2/3's of the States, the House, the Senate, and the president to sign off.

For Toilet Paper to say getting rid of guns won't stop any deaths, is just a pure lie and hogwash, as usual for Toilet Paper.

Toilet Paper holds Thomas Jefferson as his moral hero. A guy who, if anyone, could have stopped America from being a slave nation, but did not and wouldn't even denounce slavery before he died.

Toilet Paper calls people murderers who simply practice a legal right of abortion and we should listen to this for what's legally right and wrong?

Toilet Paper refuses to debate facts and only injects his religious, hypocritical, opinions based on centuries old superstitions and bigotry.

He refuses to answer direct questions from me claiming I am insulting him because I take offense at him using Thomas Paine's name. I do consider that an insult to Thomas Paine and a simple egotistical stance on his part, which is typical of people like Trump and the Republican fact deniers who try to pass themselves off as something with more serious chops than just the simple liars they are.

Toilet Paper, get back to defending your Republican budget with its trillion dollar debt and your bosses new infrastructure bill with another trillion dollar debt while cutting taxes. The kind of bull that will truly destroy this country.

 
At 6:45 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"Prayers won't stop this problem, neither will talk." ~~ Paul

Agreed. It must me remembered that the rightwing, along with the corporate Democratic wing, plays the "appeal to god game" anytime a tragedy occurs that could have been prevented or lessened. They understand that Marx was correct in his accessment that religion is the opiate of the masses, and they use this very cleverly to their advantage.

"...to say getting rid of guns won't stop any deaths, is just a pure lie and hogwash..." ~~ Paul

Of course it is, but consider the source. Mr. Paine's extremist views totally defy logic and rationality. Other modern civilized nations' strict gun control laws and regulations prove this. Of course, Mr. Paine would never acknowledge this.

"[TP] calls people murderers who simply practice a legal right of abortion..." ~~ Paul

Of course he does. Mr. Paine places his religious and "free-market" (corporate) extremism paramount to the law and constitutional democratic rights, and expects everyone else to, also.

"[TP], get back to defending your Republican budget with its trillion dollar debt and your bosses new infrastructure bill with another trillion dollar debt while cutting taxes" ~~ Paul

Mr. Paine just recently denounced Trump's debt-loaded budget, I noticed on Tom's previous post, however he did not also denounce Trump's tax law which is another give-away to the rich and corporations, and he did not denounce Trump's asinine infrastructure idea.

 
At 9:10 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"As I expected my post calling for the repeal of the 2nd drew zero responses either for or against. It is clear from this that the left has no desire to solve this problem..." -- Majormajor (aka, Chuck)

No, its not clear at all. As a matter of fact, you're projecting your own position -- and that primarily of the GOP and its many NRA patrons and protectors. Of course you already know this.

More likely, though, people are tired of your inane and usually off-topic remarks and other buffoonery, and just refuse to acknowledge your presence. Chuck, everyone here knows you're an alt-right troll of the highest magnitude -- no matter what or which moniker you choose to visit through.

 
At 12:12 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

I have to agree with Mr. Paine on several points.

It is the demonizing and dehumanizing of others that allows people to begin to think that some lives are not worthy of defending since they are so deplorable.

Yes. Mr. Paine has declared Black Lives Matter is a racist hate group. Liberals have been scapegoated, demonized, and blamed daily by Breitbart, FOX(R), Limbaugh, Mr. Paine, and his fellow con-servatives.

It is a small step from there for those on the fringe or those that have mental instabilities or severe anger management issues to start to thinking they can "do something about it" with their guns.

Most certainly. Adkisson and Roof and Dr. Tiller’s killer went into churches to execute liberals, Blacks and a law abiding doctor.

It is even scarier when the government becomes infected with this mind set.

Indeed. Look the bigoted and hateful words of the Great Liar Trump. The Administration, along with Mr. Paine, act like “Reefer Madness” is sound science to justify persecuting cancer patients, as DOJ head Jeff Session says “good people don’t use marijuana”.

Let's keep teaching hate... or the government dictator that has beguiled the ignorant and gullible into thinking some folks are so deplorable that they should be dealt with accordingly.

Request granted:

“Lock her up! Lock her up”. “If I was president YOU would be in jail!”

These the very words of Putin's MAGAts.

But it's those damn liberals who are really the ones to blame for the hate, amirite?

 
At 1:24 PM, Blogger Majormajor said...

jG,, fact is the NRA does not contribute enough money to make it into the top twenty list of contributors, but they sure make a great whipping boy for the left to raise money for their causes.

So what is your solution to gun violence, do you have one? Or do you prefer to continue to sit your self appointed throne of Leftist judgement and criticize any solution, because as I've said you really don't want a solution.

 
At 6:07 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Clucky,I love how you always dive right in to the wrong side of every issue. You regurgitate Limbaugh like Trump mimicks Fox and Friends. No one responded because your post was ridiculous and stupid. No one wants to repeal the 2nd amendment, but there is no reason why we can't take better care of what KINDS of weapons we allow, and WHO we allow to own them. None of that would in any way demean the 2nd amendment. There was a ban on certain assault weapons such as the AR-15 so beloved by mass shooters everywhere, but George W. Bush allowed it to lapse. But it was constitutional AND effective.

You can't own a rocket launcher. (yet) Why is an AK-47 OK? Felons cannot own weapons, why can the legally insane?

It's not an all or nothing proposition, even though that's all alt right neocons like yourself seem to understand.

BTW, the 2nd amendment says "ARMS". It does not specifically mention FIREARMS. Remember that as you defend these "original constitutionalists".

17 more people dead, 14 injured. Good thing they weren't beheaded huh? That would be an OUTRAGE.


 
At 6:44 AM, Blogger Majormajor said...

Ok Mozart, what's your plan for gun control?

 
At 4:56 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...


See how many millions of dollars go to Republicans from the NRA.

Stephanie Ruhle breaks down how much money the NRA has given to Republicans who talk about their "thoughts and prayers"— "The thoughts and prayers are with the victims. The dollars and cents are another story."

https://www.facebook.com/Mediamatters/videos/10155322144601167/

The NRA spent $21 Million supporting Trump and attacking Hillary.

Major MAGAt's "Rightist judgment" says, "let them die". And more shall die, all so the NRA and weapons makers get more blood money for themselves, and more blood money to give to Republicans.

Those monsters are a greater threat to Americans than ISIS and al-Qaeda combined.

 
At 6:15 AM, Blogger Clueless It Seems said...

Just brilliant. I have cancer (was informed of that last week) and all my long life I have never understood the strain of machoism that runs through this country. People are so proud of the pioneers and the fact that they had guns. Guns are for KILLING. AR15s and AK47s and hunting should be OUTLAWED. Of course this will never happen. Some people like lies.

 
At 6:30 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"So what is your solution to gun violence, do you have one?" ~~ Majormajor (aka, Chuck)

Chuck, from my perspective any solutions related to "gun control laws" are only cosmetic and scratch the surface, at best. They don't address the primary problem -- which ultimately revolves around money in politics.

Get private money out of our political processes and solutions will become readily available. As with most problems we face in America today, we continue to try to slay the dragon by cutting off his tail. Until we cut off his head, he'll continue to destroy us.

 
At 8:46 AM, Blogger Les Holmes said...

The number of gun murders per capita in the US in 2012 was nearly 30 times that in the UK, at 2.9 per 100,000 compared with just 0.1.

Of all the murders in the US in 2012, 60% were by firearm compared with 31% in Canada, 18.2% in Australia, and just 10% in the UK.

Co-incidence that the UK has some of the strictest gun-ownership laws in the Western world? Hell, our police do not even carry firearms (only special units do, and there is an AUTOMATIC enquiry if they fire their weapons, no matter the circumstances).

To say that nothing can be done is a lie. Laws are made by men, and can be amended by men. Australia managed it after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre (note: their politicians DID SOMETHING):

Between October 1, 1996 and September 30, 1997, the Australian government paid over $230 million to “buy” (confiscate) and destroy more than 643,000 of the newly illegal weapons.

 
At 1:38 PM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

"But it's those damn liberals who are really the ones to blame for the hate, amirite?" ~ Mr. Dubya

Nope. The far leftists haven't completely corned the market with their hate. The right still sadly exhibits a whole lot of their own, which I similarly denounce and despise. That doesn't seem to be stopping the militant left from trying to do so, though, does it?

Kinda like what you were perpetuating above with more deliberate lies. I don't expect you to stop lying, but I will clarify what I really said for those objective enough to know that there is always another side to the story.

Regarding BLM, I have said that their cause of trying to stop the killing of innocent people of color by actual corrupt officers is a good and just cause which I support. When their group is hijacked too often by punks and thugs that think violence, vandalism, and assault help make their case, then it dilutes a truly important message. And yes, there are even a couple of "leaders" of the BLM movement that have been racist in their comments. Just because a statement comes from a person of color does not mean that it cannot necessarily be racist, Mr. Dubya.

Further, I fully condemned Roof and other killers of good people in the South Carolina Church, murdering of abortion doctors and such. For the record, I don't think a pro-life stance is enhanced by murdering the abortionist.

Last, I never said I was against medical marijuana, Dave. But you are simply being disingenuous here, aren't you? While I have questioned how smart it would be to legalize marijuana for recreational use, I have not stated that I think it should be denied for medical purposes. That said, with the addled-brained, parent's-basement-dwelling, work-averse generations that think pot legalization would be a jolly good idea, the only up side for me is that I think I can make some money by investing in Frito Lay stock and other munchies.

But again, what do I know? I am simply a person that didn't vote for Trump, doesn't condone his ungentlemanly and uncivil behavior who is nonetheless lumped in as a MAGAt too.

 
At 1:56 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

1. Get the money out of politics
2. Start serious background checks on anyone buying any firearm.
3. Training, testing, and licensing, just like driving a car.
4. MANDETORY life sentencing (hard labor returned to prison system) for any crime where a gun is used.


Obviously simple and in need of SERIOUS discussion and tweeking, but that's the basics. Funny, it's pretty much the Bill Obama tried to pass which had the support of over 80% of the population, conservative AND Liberal. The only ones against it were..wait for it...THE NRA. (The leadership, most of the MEMBERS supported it)

I'd ask how Clucky would "solve" the problem, but we KNOW he'd provide AR-15's to kindergarteners for "protection" (At taxpayer's expense of course)

 
At 1:58 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

Oh, and ANY "rapid fire" weapon is banned for the general public, INCLUDINGH ;large capacity magazines. If you need a machine gun to protect your home, either learn to shoot, or move out of downtown Bagdhad

 
At 11:59 PM, Blogger XYZ said...

complacency the doom of man kind.

 
At 7:25 AM, Blogger Lydia said...

Who can sleep since this latest massacre of innocents? Certainly not I. So I'm up eating plain yoghurt out of the tub, and reading your post which, in a strange way, gave me solace tonight. It's nice to have kindreds while stuck in Idiot Nation. ♥

 
At 7:40 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

Mozart, I agree with your thoughts about rapid-fire weaponry and large capacity clips.

Make each illegal, and each having -- at the very least -- the same possession penalties as cannabis.

Obviously, our GOP treasonous obtructionists in Congress, and the demagogue in the White House, will never allow this to pass.

We'll only get their thoughts and prayers -- and be expected to accept only this.

 
At 2:48 PM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

JG, Marijuana should be 100% LEGAL (constitutionally it IS)

Guns kill tens of thousands per year. NO ONE has EVER died as a direct result of using marijuana.

People like Clucky can read my earlier post where I basically said exactly what I felt needed to be done, and THEWN post "what would you do"? Like his heroes he's completely clueless. He even believes we don't see through his multiple "personalities" here.

As far as "thoughts and prayers" they can shove them up their collective asses and set fire to them. It's insulting. in 2013 I think, The Dems and Obama presented COMMON SENSE gun laws, which polls across the board showed that over 80% of the PEOPLE supported them. Of course, the NRA "Leadership" had it shut down. Can'
t get in the way of PROFITS can we?

 
At 3:06 PM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

Mozart, I will give you some credit on a few of your proposals, and not on others.

First, while getting money out of politics is a noble idea, that would be like trying to get the "blue" out of the sky. That is harder to solve than is the underlying cultural issues that are the real cause of our kids thinking that shooting their classmates and teachers is the right and moral way to deal with their pain and other issues. You simply are not going to be able to do this unfortunately, I fear.

I agree that background checks need to be thorough, including for mental health issues. If someone has mental health issues and authorities such as schools or the Air Force know it but fail to report it so that this information can be included in a database for when background checks are done, it really doesn't do any good. Oh, and authorities, such as the police/FBI need to follow up immediately when they have multiple people informing them of the instability of a give person who has threatened violence.

Last, I also agree with mandatory life sentencing for any criminal using a gun in a crime, along with hard labor.

All of that said, all of these things are simply addressing the symptoms of the problem rather than looking at the root cause of why some people are turning to murdering others in mass shootings these days. What has changed that has made this so common place? I would submit it is the moral relativism that has taken hold in this post-Christian age and the embracing of a culture of death where life simply is not respected or valued anymore.

Oh, and fully automatic weapons are not legal for the general public at large already and very few Americans posses them accordingly. Special licensing has to be obtained for the few folks that do wish to acquire or modify their weapons to be fully automatic.

 
At 4:01 AM, Blogger Mozart1220 said...

T. Paine, we could get the money out of politics by getting rid of "citizens united" and making our system like England's. 6 weeks of campaign and all candidates get the same amount of money from a public fund. It only seems impossible because certain factions want it to seem so.

As for automatic weapons, $30 and internet access can get you a number of different devices that convert a semi auto to full auto. Make manufacturing and selling those the same mandatory "Life at hard labor".

Prison is no longer a deterrent. We can fix that too.

But the FIRSAT thing we have to do is take our country back from the alt right fascists that now control it.

 
At 6:30 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"Marijuana should be 100% LEGAL..." ~~ Mozart1220

Agreed, Mozart -- just making a point about the absurdity of the criminal code for each.

 
At 12:31 PM, Blogger Darrell Michaels said...

Mozart, I agree with getting rid of the Citizens United law. It is bad law and definitely doesn't help the situation. That said, I don't know that public funding of candidates is the best way to go either. Frankly, I have not looked into the issue enough yet to know the specifics, but I would like to know how the "government" determines who gets to run and thereby collects public funds to do so. This could open up another whole ball of wax. And no, I don't trust polling as the arbiter of who get funding. If we believed everything polling says, we would be dealing with the corruption of a Hillary Clinton administration right now instead.

I further agree that prison is no longer a deterrent. For violent crimes, it absolutely should be made so.

See, we can find some common ground, sir! :)

As for legalizing marijuana for recreational use, why stop there? Why don't we make meth and heroin and every other hard drug legal too? After all it only hurts the people doing it... right? We should even be so enlightened as to pass out free needles to users in parks like the Dutch do. What could possibly be the downside to all of that, right?

If you think that sounds like a great idea, you obviously haven't had to live with or care for a loved one hooked on such evil drugs -- to see the wasting away of a life that held so much potential instead become nothing more than a good example of why drugs, which started out with smoking pot, is perhaps not the best choice in a person's life.

 
At 4:42 PM, Blogger Dave Dubya said...

While Mr. Paine makes good points on Citizens United and about government funding of candidates, I’m left wondering how he would finish his, “... we would be dealing with the corruption of a Hillary Clinton administration right now instead.”

Instead of what, exactly? The ethical and moral purity of the Trumps? We may never know. Alas.

I wish Mr. Paine would educate himself on the Dutch, Italian and Spanish drug law reforms. He might learn the concept or “harm reduction”. He might learn that gang activity would be greatly reduced. He might learn criminal acts that addicts commit to feed their habits would be reduced as well.

Maybe he would learn how ending alcohol prohibition reduced a lot of gang crime here as well.

But then again, Puritanism is its own perspective and solution. As Sessions claimed, “good people don’t use marijuana”. See? That’s it. No need for any stinkin’ facts on the destruction of lives wrought by incarceration and prohibition, or the “collateral damage” of victims in the crossfire. No need to understand not one person died from a fatal overdose of pot, while alcohol and tobacco rack up a death toll higher than the victims of mass shootings.

And maybe he’d even learn the fallacy of weed as a “gateway drug”. But this all depends on his willingness to learn such notions like treatment works better than prohibition and incarceration.

I am now braced for more accusations from Mr. Paine, as he is sure to find “hate” and many “lies” in my remarks.

 
At 5:05 PM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"...all candidates get the same amount of money from a public fund. It only seems impossible because certain factions want it to seem so." ~~ Mozart1220

Agreed...and we all know who those "certain factions" are.

"...the [FIRST] thing we have to do is take our country back from the alt right fascists that now control it." ~~ Mozart1220

This is absolutely critical. Keep fighting back, at every turn, and deny them any traction. Do not agree upon any concessions, or concede to veiled promises of seeking "common ground".

We're living through the most dangerous times of our lives. Only a united front will turn the tide back to democracy over fascist corporate rule.

 
At 5:50 AM, Blogger Jefferson's Guardian said...

"I am now braced for more accusations from Mr. Paine, as he is sure to find 'hate' and many 'lies' in my remarks." ~~ Dave Dubya

Don't forget accusations of being "ungentlemanly", and, my personal favorite, "nastiness".

Oh, let's not leave out "double-teaming". ;-)

 
At 1:12 PM, Blogger Jimlin said...

Tom, you may want to edit your NRA response. Do you want your address out there?

 

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