Have you seen the video of Steve Kerr on the shooting in Texas? If not, go see it because I can't write better than what he said. He said it with emotion and anger. I can't duplicate or even approach that on paper. But I share the same anger. Enough is enough!
I don't understand the greed of the members o the NRA and all the politicians who are bought off by the NRA. Don't these people have children, grandchildren and love ones.? Don't these people and their love ones go to church, grocery stores and schools? I wonder if these people would still back the proliferation of guns if they or their ones were the ones in that grocery store in Buffalo or that church in Laguna Woods or that school in Texas?
What kind of democracy we live in when 90% of the people want stricter gun laws and an organization can buy off politicians to prevent these laws from passing? I guess it is the same kind of democracy where politicians follow conspiracy theories rather than science leading to deaths of over a million people in a pandemic. It is easy to say we love freedom. But I say the first freedom that a government should protect is the freedom of knowing you and your love ones are safe. There is no freedom if you are six feet under.
Yes, I saw Kerr's press conference the other day. I didn't realize that his father was killed, so this is very personal for him. Probably fell on deaf ears in parts of Texas. I just think you will never get rid of guns in this country, so we have to find a solution from people who are much smarter than I.
ReplyDeleteI always think that something will come out of these shootings but I've gotten to the point that I don't trust any of the politicians to come up with something. Heck, I don't even know if they can compromise to at least come up with a bill.
What did you think of Beto's interruption at Abbott's press conference. I usually don't like these type of things but found it at least ballsy. I'm sure it was a calculated move and his people thought he had to strike when the iron was hot. It'll be interesting to see if it helps him in a still pretty red state.
Had the opportunity to watch Paula Yoo in a Zoom call tonight that was sponsored by my town's library. It was an interesting discussion. I forgot that she worked at the Detroit News and lived in Detroit for a few years. In fact, she met her husband, who went to MSU, while she was in Detroit. She and her husband still visit Detroit but haven't been back since 2019 due to the pandemic.
-LBOAYM
The GOP responses for the shooting were, as usual, incoherent. I have no idea what Herschel Walker was saying. At least he is not an office holder, yet. But Abbott, Cruz and others just utter nonsense. You remember when men with assault weapons stormed the Michigan Capitol couple years ago? No Republicans, that I remember, said it was terrible. I wonder what would happened if bunch armed Black men were to storm the offices of these GOP politicians? Would they more likely to say that these men represent the Second Amendment or would they want the police to shoot them?
ReplyDeleteSpeak of police shooting, how was that the perpetrator in Buffalo came out of it alive? Police have shot Black kids with toy guns but this guy shoots up a grocery store and they gave him a chance to surrender? After police shootings of Blacks, their supporters always say that they had to fire because they believe their lives are in danger and stress hormone make you react violently. So these cops in Buffalo didn't fear for their lives and their stress hormones were not that high when they faced this killer who had bullet proof vest on and had assault weapons? I am not saying they should have shot this guy. But maybe next time they will let a Black guy surrender peacefully.
What Beto did what fine by me although I believe it is a stunt and would not do anything. You can't persuade people who are either heartless or brainless or both.
My only hope is at some point, these kids that survive will dedicate their lives to service and gun reform. As you know, I am not opposed to gun ownership, but something needs to be done. These automatic weapons need to be regulated better. Nobody should be able to just buy one off the shelf let alone 2.
ReplyDeleteI understand that being a cop is very difficult. We need to know why there were officers that didn't close in on the shooter. Was it some kind of strategy? Would things have been different had the shooter been black or dark skinned?
This mental illness excuse is a political talk point. Sure, you can say someone had mental problems but what are you going to do about the next person? Why was it so easy for him to get 2 AK-15's? Should there be tougher screenings? Why isn't that a viable test?
I also don't think you can arm teachers and I don't think adding more security will do much. Plus, no one wants to talk about the costs for doing this. Who is going to pay for the extra security when we can't even fully fund school districts?
By the way, have any of the school shootings ever been done on private schools?
And the shootings aren't happening just at schools. We've seen grocery stores, malls and churches recently.
Like I said, I don't have confidence in our leaders to do anything about it. My only hope is that the future generations who have had to live through this in school to do something when they grow up.
-LBOAYM
I will have more comments later but a quickie here. The NRA is having its convention this weekend. They have prohibited any firearms, knives and other items such as selfie sticks. Wait, I thought more people have firearms, the safer the place is. That is why they want everybody to be carrying guns. Isn't arming all teachers would prevent shootings in schools? I thought it was perfectly fine for the NRA that people carrying automatic weapons into Capitol buildings and police stations. So why can't they carry guns into a NRA convention? It is like not able to wear a baseball cap to a baseball game. Are they actually scared of people who look like them?
ReplyDeleteStill waiting for someone in the media ask the NRA why they ban weapons in their convention when they say that arming the good guys is the way to prevent mass shootings. I guess they don't think they are the good guys at their convention. And that is the point I am asking: who are the good guys you can trust? You arm all the teachers but aren't there bad guys among them or don't some of them have mental issues or domestic problems that lead to violence? An ex-cop shot a man for talking in a theater. Wouldn't the ex-cop be considered a good guy before he killed the man? I don't want a man with such anger problem walking around with a gun.
ReplyDeleteThe GOP and the NRA always point to mental problems as the main problem when a mass shooting occurs. Are Americans more crazy than people of every other country on earth? Well, I would agree that our politicians maybe more crazy or mentally incompetent than those of most other countries.
Adam Kinzinger of Illinois came out for AR-15 ban. He will be one of the few from the GOP in Congress who will support this. We may pass this in the House. But the Senate? Where do you stand Joe Manchin? I am for banning all assault weapons. There is no reason for civilians to have them. If you have to use them for sport hunting, I am rooting for the animal against you since that will be a grossly unfair advantage. That is no longer a sport. If you say you have the right to own and use any weapons you choose. Well, maybe someone likes to use an atom bomb for hunting purposes.