I've been in some discussions on social media as of late with regards to recent issues that have left me wondering about our education system. It isn't the misspellings or the terrible grammar that gets me. I mean, even mine isn't perfect. No, what gets me is that people don't even know how our country works!!!
Perfect example....
I was reading a rant today from a lady (a Trump supporter, mind you), who insisted that she was tired of her tax dollars going to undocumented immigrants, and that she was "filing paperwork to no longer have to pay taxes". Naturally, the comments in response were along the lines of "good luck with that" and "great, so that will mean that our tax dollars will now have to pay for you in prison". This woman goes on with her rant stating that it isn't even legal for the government to collect taxes...that it is in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. THIS was the moment I had to step in, and give the woman a little bit of a lesson on history and government.
I had to explain to her that the reason our country declared independence from British rule was because we were being unfairly taxed without representation. THIS is what our Constitution protects against! Before our declaration, Parliament was imposing taxes on the colonies, while the colonies had no representative in Parliament to speak on their behalf. Therefore, they had no voice when it came to the taxes being imposed on them, and thus this is considered taxation without represntation.
Today, at every level of government that can impose a tax on the people, we have elected officials. At the local/city level, we are broken up into precincts or districts and the people of those areas elect their representative to the City Council. The state is also divided up into districts, and as such, we elect senators and representatives to the state congressional body, as well as to the federal Congress. All of these people are supposed to represent the interests of the majority of the people in their designated area, and thus are our representation in terms of lawmaking, which includes taxes. If we don't like how our representative is voting on our behalf, we have the right to call or write that representative and state our case. We can also speak at the next election with our votes, but voting against that person in hopes that they will be voted out of office. Local, state, and federal taxes are very much legal, as we all have a voice of representation at every level.
Not to mention, the Sixteenth Amendment of our Constitution specifically allows for the collection on income tax: "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from
whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States,
and without regard to any census or enumeration."
I would love to see what happens with this particular woman and her taxes. The article she was complaining about was the Governor of California signing a bill giving new students a free year of community college if they enroll full time, and she immediately went off assuming this was only for people of color, and that undocumented immigrants would benefit from it. Sounds to me like she needs to try to get that one year of college and go take a crap load of US history and US government courses!
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
I thought California was part of the US!
There are tweets about the NFL bullshit! There are what feels like a billion tweets about "fake news", and equally as many complaining about Congress (more pointedly Democrats) not getting the job done.
There have been fires burning in northern California for 3 days now!!! 21 people are confirmed dead, many are "missing". Nearly 200,000 acres burned...homes lost, businesses lost, state revenue lost in the form of what will probably be tainted grapes (as this area brings in the biggest amount of revenue due to wine sales). Thousands of people are sleeping in shelters right now, wondering when they can return home, and if there will even be a home to return to.
I have to ask, as POTUS, where are the tweets of concern and condolences for these Americans?!
There have been fires burning in northern California for 3 days now!!! 21 people are confirmed dead, many are "missing". Nearly 200,000 acres burned...homes lost, businesses lost, state revenue lost in the form of what will probably be tainted grapes (as this area brings in the biggest amount of revenue due to wine sales). Thousands of people are sleeping in shelters right now, wondering when they can return home, and if there will even be a home to return to.
I have to ask, as POTUS, where are the tweets of concern and condolences for these Americans?!
Friday, October 6, 2017
Remembering what it was like
Being born in the early 70's, and living my tween and teen years in the 80's, I remember what it was like to live during the Cold War. I remember those phony "tornado drills" in school...they weren't tornado drills. We believed they were back then, but as we got older, we realized that going into the hallways and lining up against the wall in what any of us who have done yoga know as "child's pose" wasn't the way you respond to a tornado in the area. No, this was the "kiss your ass goodbye" drill in case of a nuclear launch! They called it a "tornado drill" as to not freak out a bunch of children.
On the radio, we would hear songs from artists singing about how much they hoped both sides would realize that a nuclear war was one that was not winnable. We saw movies such as Red Dawn, and the potential of nuclear war was the topic of many a TV story line. When the Cold War was over, we breathed a sigh of relief. We saw the Berlin Wall come down. The USSR was dissolved, and the country once again became known as simply Russia. Or focus then turned on the Middle East...a war that was far less scary as there was little chance of that causing the annihilation of an entire planet.
But we fast forward to today. This back and forth exchange of words between our President and the leader of North Korea...a nation who has been doing more and more testing of missiles that could be fitted with nuclear warheads. We again see news headlines that elude to the threat of WWIII...a nuclear war that will only destroy earth with no real winner. We have to unstable people with itchy trigger fingers, and we are closer to nuclear war now than we ever were in the 80's. I wonder if school children are again having to do "tornado drills" in schools as the threat becomes more and more real. "It could be...the calm, the calm before the storm." These are the cryptic words recently spoken by our President. North Korea has already stated that previous tweets would be construed as a declaration of war by our country. We have the Secretary of State trying to calm things down, and our President saying it is a waste of time.
I again feel that fear in my heart...like in the 80's...replace "Russians" with "North Koreans" in this song (yeah, I know...we already know the answer...he doesn't).
On the radio, we would hear songs from artists singing about how much they hoped both sides would realize that a nuclear war was one that was not winnable. We saw movies such as Red Dawn, and the potential of nuclear war was the topic of many a TV story line. When the Cold War was over, we breathed a sigh of relief. We saw the Berlin Wall come down. The USSR was dissolved, and the country once again became known as simply Russia. Or focus then turned on the Middle East...a war that was far less scary as there was little chance of that causing the annihilation of an entire planet.
But we fast forward to today. This back and forth exchange of words between our President and the leader of North Korea...a nation who has been doing more and more testing of missiles that could be fitted with nuclear warheads. We again see news headlines that elude to the threat of WWIII...a nuclear war that will only destroy earth with no real winner. We have to unstable people with itchy trigger fingers, and we are closer to nuclear war now than we ever were in the 80's. I wonder if school children are again having to do "tornado drills" in schools as the threat becomes more and more real. "It could be...the calm, the calm before the storm." These are the cryptic words recently spoken by our President. North Korea has already stated that previous tweets would be construed as a declaration of war by our country. We have the Secretary of State trying to calm things down, and our President saying it is a waste of time.
I again feel that fear in my heart...like in the 80's...replace "Russians" with "North Koreans" in this song (yeah, I know...we already know the answer...he doesn't).
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Have to stay on this gun issue for now.
As more information is coming out on the Las Vegas shooter, the more I find myself here scratching my head asking even more questions!
How is it this man bought 33 firearms...mostly rifles...over the course of 11 months (that is 3 firearms a month), and he remained under the radar? Oh, because we are not required to register our firearms, and sellers aren't required to report who they sell firearms to....so no one was keeping track! Every time I have brought up mandatory firearm registration this week, I've been responded to with the excuse that if people were required to register their firearms, the government will know exactly who has them, and these people would be targeting for confiscation of said firearms should the government turn into a dictatorship or something. How could citizens defend themselves against the very thing the Second Amendment serves to prevent? A couple of points here, people:
- In every state that has a conceal or open carry permit process, people have run out in droves to get said permit, because they LOVE the idea of being able to carry their firearm on their person in public (you know, the whole 'I could save people in a mass shooting' argument). Guess what? By getting that permit, you have already told the government you at least have a handgun! Oh, and do you have a hunting license? Yeah, you have just told the government you likely own a rifle! Don't give me the bullshit excuse that registration would allow the government to have a list of gun owners!
- Do you REALLY think if the government wanted to completely take over and take our freedoms away, that your home arsenal is going to help you? Do you have full body armor like the soldiers for the government would have? Do you have tanks? Oh, I get it...you have a drawer full of anti-virus for every possible biological weapon that could be thrown at you, right? You have rocket launchers to take out drones? The point I'm making is that if an evil government takes over, they are not going to go door to door confiscating firearms! That would be too much work! No, they will use other means to drive us out of our homes, and if you come out baring your firearm, they are just going to shoot you down!
Seriously, no one NEEDS more than maybe one or two personal protection firearms, and another 2-4 for sport...as I do understand different rifles for different types of hunting and such. NO ONE NEEDS a semi-automatic rifle (which, as we have found, can be purchased legally, but easily modified to function as an automatic...which I will address in a bit). No one needs ARs. No on needs silencers.
And that brings me to...why are bump stocks legal? As you may have read, several of these LEGAL semi-automatics were fitted with LEGAL bump stocks which allowed them to be fired faster...closer to that of an automatic. Here is a link that describes this, with an illustration of how it works: What Is a Bump Stock. Why does anyone NEED this? You do realize that this combination of LEGAL firearm and modification is what led to the loss of life being so high in Las Vegas! It is this rapid fire that enabled this shooter to kill 58 people and injure another 500+ in the matter of 11 minutes! Sure, there would have still been deaths and injured could he not rapid fire, but the counts wouldn't even be as close to being as high! This combination needs to be outlawed ASAP! "But people will still buy this stuff off of the black market." You know, I'm tired of that excuse. Here is the deal...if something is illegal, sure, people may be able to get it off the black market, but we are not manufacturing more of these items for public use, and they are not allowed to be imported in by anyone other than our military! Every time a law enforcement officer finds one, they can take it off the street and have it destroyed, thus lowering the number of these things on the street, making them harder to get...even black market.
A little side note here that some of you may not know...there is this bill called The Share Act that not only weakens some current gun regulations (such as those covering silencers), but also restrictions on the hunting of wildlife, even if the species is endangered and/or on a wildlife reserve! Imagine, a heard of bison in the Grand Canyon which is basically like shooting fish in a barrel...all for sport...not for food, but for a trophy to put on one's wall!!! This is what we have come to as a people? So little compassion for life...be it human or animal...that we take pride in taking down innocent animals that we never intend to use for food? Many of you may know, I'm pescatarian, because I believe in preserving animal life if possible. I don't have a problem with using products that come from animals without harming the animals themselves...eggs from free-range chickens (they are not actual chicks unless fertilized by a rooster, and eggs from laying hens are specifically kept away for this reason), milk products from cows or goats (why cheese is still allowed). I'm not going to sit here and tell people they have to stop eating meat, and abandon all their products that come from animals. I just choose to do my part by eating less flesh so that fewer animals meet the slaughter house to meet the country's needs, and I advocate for eating less meat so that we can raise fewer animals for this purpose. This helps improve the living conditions for these animals in the time they are living, and can serve to regain farmland for human consumption crop use, which will also help the environment. Again, if you are a hunter, I don't have a problem with you as long as you eat what you kill, and aren't doing it simply for sport and a wall trophy! I also believe that wildlife reserves and national parks should be safe-havens for animals, and that if a species is endangered, they should be on the no-kill list. Why this little rant? Because once the sting of this event is over, the NRA will be lobbying for this bill to be heard! It means more money for gun and ammunition makers. Oh, yeah....did you know that this bill also will loosen restrictions on armor piercing bullets? Just thought I would mention that for all the "Police Lives Matter" folks, who also tend to be the same people who push for less regulation of firearms! That's right, The Share Act will also put more police lives in danger! I felt I should throw that out there!
The whole thing infuriates me! How can people be so closed minded? "There ARE laws, and laws don't stop criminals. Murder is already illegal. This is strictly a mental health problem...we need better mental health care!" While I agree we do need better access to mental health services for people who really want help, people forget a HUGE point here...the people who commit these mass shootings like this are not the kind of people who will admit to and seek help for a mental health issue! These people think they are perfectly normal!! Just listen to people interviewed so far from this guy's circle...no one noticed anything out of the ordinary with this guy! Even if they did, you can't force a person to go seek help. It is hard to get a psychiatric hold on a person for more than 72 hours, if you believe they are harm to themselves and others. Arguments for better mental health care are a moot point in this situation!
How is it this man bought 33 firearms...mostly rifles...over the course of 11 months (that is 3 firearms a month), and he remained under the radar? Oh, because we are not required to register our firearms, and sellers aren't required to report who they sell firearms to....so no one was keeping track! Every time I have brought up mandatory firearm registration this week, I've been responded to with the excuse that if people were required to register their firearms, the government will know exactly who has them, and these people would be targeting for confiscation of said firearms should the government turn into a dictatorship or something. How could citizens defend themselves against the very thing the Second Amendment serves to prevent? A couple of points here, people:
- In every state that has a conceal or open carry permit process, people have run out in droves to get said permit, because they LOVE the idea of being able to carry their firearm on their person in public (you know, the whole 'I could save people in a mass shooting' argument). Guess what? By getting that permit, you have already told the government you at least have a handgun! Oh, and do you have a hunting license? Yeah, you have just told the government you likely own a rifle! Don't give me the bullshit excuse that registration would allow the government to have a list of gun owners!
- Do you REALLY think if the government wanted to completely take over and take our freedoms away, that your home arsenal is going to help you? Do you have full body armor like the soldiers for the government would have? Do you have tanks? Oh, I get it...you have a drawer full of anti-virus for every possible biological weapon that could be thrown at you, right? You have rocket launchers to take out drones? The point I'm making is that if an evil government takes over, they are not going to go door to door confiscating firearms! That would be too much work! No, they will use other means to drive us out of our homes, and if you come out baring your firearm, they are just going to shoot you down!
Seriously, no one NEEDS more than maybe one or two personal protection firearms, and another 2-4 for sport...as I do understand different rifles for different types of hunting and such. NO ONE NEEDS a semi-automatic rifle (which, as we have found, can be purchased legally, but easily modified to function as an automatic...which I will address in a bit). No one needs ARs. No on needs silencers.
And that brings me to...why are bump stocks legal? As you may have read, several of these LEGAL semi-automatics were fitted with LEGAL bump stocks which allowed them to be fired faster...closer to that of an automatic. Here is a link that describes this, with an illustration of how it works: What Is a Bump Stock. Why does anyone NEED this? You do realize that this combination of LEGAL firearm and modification is what led to the loss of life being so high in Las Vegas! It is this rapid fire that enabled this shooter to kill 58 people and injure another 500+ in the matter of 11 minutes! Sure, there would have still been deaths and injured could he not rapid fire, but the counts wouldn't even be as close to being as high! This combination needs to be outlawed ASAP! "But people will still buy this stuff off of the black market." You know, I'm tired of that excuse. Here is the deal...if something is illegal, sure, people may be able to get it off the black market, but we are not manufacturing more of these items for public use, and they are not allowed to be imported in by anyone other than our military! Every time a law enforcement officer finds one, they can take it off the street and have it destroyed, thus lowering the number of these things on the street, making them harder to get...even black market.
A little side note here that some of you may not know...there is this bill called The Share Act that not only weakens some current gun regulations (such as those covering silencers), but also restrictions on the hunting of wildlife, even if the species is endangered and/or on a wildlife reserve! Imagine, a heard of bison in the Grand Canyon which is basically like shooting fish in a barrel...all for sport...not for food, but for a trophy to put on one's wall!!! This is what we have come to as a people? So little compassion for life...be it human or animal...that we take pride in taking down innocent animals that we never intend to use for food? Many of you may know, I'm pescatarian, because I believe in preserving animal life if possible. I don't have a problem with using products that come from animals without harming the animals themselves...eggs from free-range chickens (they are not actual chicks unless fertilized by a rooster, and eggs from laying hens are specifically kept away for this reason), milk products from cows or goats (why cheese is still allowed). I'm not going to sit here and tell people they have to stop eating meat, and abandon all their products that come from animals. I just choose to do my part by eating less flesh so that fewer animals meet the slaughter house to meet the country's needs, and I advocate for eating less meat so that we can raise fewer animals for this purpose. This helps improve the living conditions for these animals in the time they are living, and can serve to regain farmland for human consumption crop use, which will also help the environment. Again, if you are a hunter, I don't have a problem with you as long as you eat what you kill, and aren't doing it simply for sport and a wall trophy! I also believe that wildlife reserves and national parks should be safe-havens for animals, and that if a species is endangered, they should be on the no-kill list. Why this little rant? Because once the sting of this event is over, the NRA will be lobbying for this bill to be heard! It means more money for gun and ammunition makers. Oh, yeah....did you know that this bill also will loosen restrictions on armor piercing bullets? Just thought I would mention that for all the "Police Lives Matter" folks, who also tend to be the same people who push for less regulation of firearms! That's right, The Share Act will also put more police lives in danger! I felt I should throw that out there!
The whole thing infuriates me! How can people be so closed minded? "There ARE laws, and laws don't stop criminals. Murder is already illegal. This is strictly a mental health problem...we need better mental health care!" While I agree we do need better access to mental health services for people who really want help, people forget a HUGE point here...the people who commit these mass shootings like this are not the kind of people who will admit to and seek help for a mental health issue! These people think they are perfectly normal!! Just listen to people interviewed so far from this guy's circle...no one noticed anything out of the ordinary with this guy! Even if they did, you can't force a person to go seek help. It is hard to get a psychiatric hold on a person for more than 72 hours, if you believe they are harm to themselves and others. Arguments for better mental health care are a moot point in this situation!
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
How I would change gun laws.
If I had say into gun laws, here is how I would change the laws:
1. REQUIRED FEDERAL REGISTRATION of ALL firearms. All sales should require that the seller register that the sale took place (which should include the name, address, and ID number of the person buying the firearm), and the buyer would then have 30 days from the date of sale to register the firearm. If the buyer does not register said firearm, fines and/or jail time could be ordered based on the length of the delay of registration, and how many notifications the buyer received for violation. Think this a violation of your privacy? Well, how is it that I'm required to register my car and my dog, but you aren't required to register your firearm?!
2. No ammo purchases should be allowed without valid registration for the firearm for which the ammo is being purchased. If the ammo does not fit the firearm registered to that person, they cannot buy it. If there are no firearms registered to the person attempting to make the ammo purchase, they cannot buy it!
3. If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, this needs to be recorded in a central database, and no one with a diagnosed mental illness should be allowed to purchase a firearm.
4. There should be a stated limit to the number of firearms an individual can own. No one needs 42 firearms! Tops, a person should be allowed 5...handgun for personal protection, and 1-4 various for hunting or sport. Again, since registration will be required (see #1), a check in the database before the purchase is completed will show if a person has met their limit.
5. There should be a limit to the amount of ammo a person can purchase within a certain time frame, and large amounts should be flagged.
6. One should have to submit to a fingerprint background check with ALL gun purchases.
7. I should be illegal to buy or sell firearms or ammo on the internet. It should be required that all purchases be made in person, and that any required documentation filled out and ID checked for all firearm purchases.
8. AR and semi-automatic weapons should be outlawed for private citizens. There is no need for these weapons outside of our military and law enforcement!
These are just a few ideas I have. I'm not hearing about rights and such at this point. You should be lucky you even get to keep your firearms with recent events!
1. REQUIRED FEDERAL REGISTRATION of ALL firearms. All sales should require that the seller register that the sale took place (which should include the name, address, and ID number of the person buying the firearm), and the buyer would then have 30 days from the date of sale to register the firearm. If the buyer does not register said firearm, fines and/or jail time could be ordered based on the length of the delay of registration, and how many notifications the buyer received for violation. Think this a violation of your privacy? Well, how is it that I'm required to register my car and my dog, but you aren't required to register your firearm?!
2. No ammo purchases should be allowed without valid registration for the firearm for which the ammo is being purchased. If the ammo does not fit the firearm registered to that person, they cannot buy it. If there are no firearms registered to the person attempting to make the ammo purchase, they cannot buy it!
3. If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, this needs to be recorded in a central database, and no one with a diagnosed mental illness should be allowed to purchase a firearm.
4. There should be a stated limit to the number of firearms an individual can own. No one needs 42 firearms! Tops, a person should be allowed 5...handgun for personal protection, and 1-4 various for hunting or sport. Again, since registration will be required (see #1), a check in the database before the purchase is completed will show if a person has met their limit.
5. There should be a limit to the amount of ammo a person can purchase within a certain time frame, and large amounts should be flagged.
6. One should have to submit to a fingerprint background check with ALL gun purchases.
7. I should be illegal to buy or sell firearms or ammo on the internet. It should be required that all purchases be made in person, and that any required documentation filled out and ID checked for all firearm purchases.
8. AR and semi-automatic weapons should be outlawed for private citizens. There is no need for these weapons outside of our military and law enforcement!
These are just a few ideas I have. I'm not hearing about rights and such at this point. You should be lucky you even get to keep your firearms with recent events!
Okay...NOW, I will address this!
We have had 24 hours to mourn, and allow some of the facts to come out. I feel now I can better address the situation as I see it.
There still is not a motive for this act of terror...and yes, it is terror! I keep seeing people touting that because no political or religious motive has been found, it can't be called such. Terror is anything that strikes fear in people, and yes, these events in Las Vegas have left people afraid! What we do know is that this was an older (in his 60's) white male who was rather well off. He was the son of a bank robber...a father who had been diagnosed with mental illness. Because of this, naturally, everyone is going with the lone wolf, mental illness excuse for this man's actions, though so far nothing has been uncovered to support the shooter suffered from mental illness....only the reports of his father's. It has been pointed out...and has gotten me thinking, as well...how race often seems to play out in these things! Someone noted, if the person is Middle Eastern, it has to be jihad...if the person is black, we start hearing how blacks are more likely to kill people...but if the person is white, it is mental illness, and ALL people want to talk about is mental illness! They don't want to talk about the weapons they used, or how they got them, etc. MENTAL ILLNESS! MENTAL ILLNESS!
But let's talk about the weapons of choice here for a moment...guns. After searching all of the shooter's residences and the hotel room, 42 firearms were recovered (23 of which were in his hotel room), thousands of rounds of ammo, and pounds of ammonium nitrate! Now, it is being said that it appears all the firearms and ammo were obtained legally, and some were then altered to function as automatic rifles. The question I've had to ask is how can someone LEGALLY obtain this much fire power, and stay under the radar?! I've been on some discussions about gun control, and I do believe that this issue needs to be taken up by Congress. Now, I'm not saying that folks need to have their guns taken away...which I've had to try to explain to people, yet they don't get. When you say gun control, all the Second Amendment fanatics quickly go into the "it's my right, you can't have them" defense, coming up with a billion scenarios why gun ownership should remain legal...thinking that you want to ban ALL guns. No, I'm not calling for a ban. I'm being realistic! NO ONE needs 42 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo! Let's be real here! One firearm to protect your person and/or your home. Maybe two to three different guns for hunting or sport, if you are into that. That is all a person should be allowed to have. I'm not saying ban all guns...I'm saying we need to set limits on how much a single person can actually own! If we don't already have it, we need a database, where we record every purchase of a firearm or ammo, and red flags are raised in various situations...like say, if too much ammo is being bought within a short period of time. When a person has reached the "legal limit", they are informed by the seller that they cannot purchase the firearm or ammo, and if they have questions, call a number. "Well, what if I sold..." Then, once talking to the person on the phone number provided, if you have proof of the sale, you can submit it and after review they can give you your firearm credit back. If we want to allow people to be collectors, maybe require a special collector license that requires a mental check every year or two. If a collector fails a check...they will be flagged, and no longer allowed to purchase further firearms or ammo until they can pass a mental check (i.e., to avoid error, they can ask for a recheck after 2 months, while their purchase right is suspended). We also need to outlaw ARs and semi-automatics (as these are the easiest to convert to fully automatic with a few instructions from the internet). No one NEEDS these for home protection or hunting!
This data base should also contain entries for anyone diagnosed with a mental illness, regardless of if they are actively on medication (because anyone can simply stop taking their medication), and they should not be allowed to purchase a firearm. "But that is a violation of HIPA and doctor/patient privilege...etc." Really? You are screaming mental illness in these cases like Las Vegas, but you don't want to limit sales to people with actual diagnosis? And no, the person at the point-of-sale should not have access to the details. Much like it works when your credit card is denied...they receive a code when they run the person's ID (you know, because we can chip and use magnetic strips on those these days to contain all identifying info) that indicates the sale cannot go through, and they simply tell the customer, "Sorry, but I can't sell to you today. Please call this number, and you can talk to someone about why you are flagged." Of course, this would also mean reinstating the Obama-era policies that Trump so quickly undid upon taking office that prevented people who receiving SSD for a mental illness from buying firearms!
And then there is the issue being brought up with regards to suppressors. I've made the argument that no one NEEDS a suppressor, and that Congress should not proceed with deregulation of these in light of this. I was told to go do my research and quit watching movies! Seriously, I know what suppressors do, and no one NEEDS one. I've heard the argument "it allows you to use your firearm without having to wear ear protection"...that sounds like a want, or should I say a don't want...you don't want to wear ear protection, so you want a suppressor! I've also heard the argument that it quiets down your firearm so you can target practice on your own property if your neighbor doesn't like the sound of guns. Again, this sounds like a want...you want to target practice on your property. Truth be told, most people cannot do this because they live in neighborhoods, so you can really just do what they do if your neighbor is too bothered, and go to the range! You don't NEED a suppressor!
Bottom line, we need better gun control in this country! I keep hearing that there have been some 272 mass shootings of 4 or more people so far this year according to some group tracking these. I'm not certain about those numbers, but what I am certain is that we are seeing more and more of these kinds of events like Las Vegas, Orlando, and Sandy Hook here in the last decade of my life than I recall in my earlier years on this earth. Something needs to be done! "But they will just continue to buy on the black market"...well then maybe we need to concentrate more on shutting down the black market than say...I don't know...busting people for recreational pot! "But it will take money to build the database you speak of, and whatever organization needed to monitor and field consumer questions"...okay, well we really don't need that damn wall...so let's use that money to actually help prevent tragedies like this!
There still is not a motive for this act of terror...and yes, it is terror! I keep seeing people touting that because no political or religious motive has been found, it can't be called such. Terror is anything that strikes fear in people, and yes, these events in Las Vegas have left people afraid! What we do know is that this was an older (in his 60's) white male who was rather well off. He was the son of a bank robber...a father who had been diagnosed with mental illness. Because of this, naturally, everyone is going with the lone wolf, mental illness excuse for this man's actions, though so far nothing has been uncovered to support the shooter suffered from mental illness....only the reports of his father's. It has been pointed out...and has gotten me thinking, as well...how race often seems to play out in these things! Someone noted, if the person is Middle Eastern, it has to be jihad...if the person is black, we start hearing how blacks are more likely to kill people...but if the person is white, it is mental illness, and ALL people want to talk about is mental illness! They don't want to talk about the weapons they used, or how they got them, etc. MENTAL ILLNESS! MENTAL ILLNESS!
But let's talk about the weapons of choice here for a moment...guns. After searching all of the shooter's residences and the hotel room, 42 firearms were recovered (23 of which were in his hotel room), thousands of rounds of ammo, and pounds of ammonium nitrate! Now, it is being said that it appears all the firearms and ammo were obtained legally, and some were then altered to function as automatic rifles. The question I've had to ask is how can someone LEGALLY obtain this much fire power, and stay under the radar?! I've been on some discussions about gun control, and I do believe that this issue needs to be taken up by Congress. Now, I'm not saying that folks need to have their guns taken away...which I've had to try to explain to people, yet they don't get. When you say gun control, all the Second Amendment fanatics quickly go into the "it's my right, you can't have them" defense, coming up with a billion scenarios why gun ownership should remain legal...thinking that you want to ban ALL guns. No, I'm not calling for a ban. I'm being realistic! NO ONE needs 42 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammo! Let's be real here! One firearm to protect your person and/or your home. Maybe two to three different guns for hunting or sport, if you are into that. That is all a person should be allowed to have. I'm not saying ban all guns...I'm saying we need to set limits on how much a single person can actually own! If we don't already have it, we need a database, where we record every purchase of a firearm or ammo, and red flags are raised in various situations...like say, if too much ammo is being bought within a short period of time. When a person has reached the "legal limit", they are informed by the seller that they cannot purchase the firearm or ammo, and if they have questions, call a number. "Well, what if I sold..." Then, once talking to the person on the phone number provided, if you have proof of the sale, you can submit it and after review they can give you your firearm credit back. If we want to allow people to be collectors, maybe require a special collector license that requires a mental check every year or two. If a collector fails a check...they will be flagged, and no longer allowed to purchase further firearms or ammo until they can pass a mental check (i.e., to avoid error, they can ask for a recheck after 2 months, while their purchase right is suspended). We also need to outlaw ARs and semi-automatics (as these are the easiest to convert to fully automatic with a few instructions from the internet). No one NEEDS these for home protection or hunting!
This data base should also contain entries for anyone diagnosed with a mental illness, regardless of if they are actively on medication (because anyone can simply stop taking their medication), and they should not be allowed to purchase a firearm. "But that is a violation of HIPA and doctor/patient privilege...etc." Really? You are screaming mental illness in these cases like Las Vegas, but you don't want to limit sales to people with actual diagnosis? And no, the person at the point-of-sale should not have access to the details. Much like it works when your credit card is denied...they receive a code when they run the person's ID (you know, because we can chip and use magnetic strips on those these days to contain all identifying info) that indicates the sale cannot go through, and they simply tell the customer, "Sorry, but I can't sell to you today. Please call this number, and you can talk to someone about why you are flagged." Of course, this would also mean reinstating the Obama-era policies that Trump so quickly undid upon taking office that prevented people who receiving SSD for a mental illness from buying firearms!
And then there is the issue being brought up with regards to suppressors. I've made the argument that no one NEEDS a suppressor, and that Congress should not proceed with deregulation of these in light of this. I was told to go do my research and quit watching movies! Seriously, I know what suppressors do, and no one NEEDS one. I've heard the argument "it allows you to use your firearm without having to wear ear protection"...that sounds like a want, or should I say a don't want...you don't want to wear ear protection, so you want a suppressor! I've also heard the argument that it quiets down your firearm so you can target practice on your own property if your neighbor doesn't like the sound of guns. Again, this sounds like a want...you want to target practice on your property. Truth be told, most people cannot do this because they live in neighborhoods, so you can really just do what they do if your neighbor is too bothered, and go to the range! You don't NEED a suppressor!
Bottom line, we need better gun control in this country! I keep hearing that there have been some 272 mass shootings of 4 or more people so far this year according to some group tracking these. I'm not certain about those numbers, but what I am certain is that we are seeing more and more of these kinds of events like Las Vegas, Orlando, and Sandy Hook here in the last decade of my life than I recall in my earlier years on this earth. Something needs to be done! "But they will just continue to buy on the black market"...well then maybe we need to concentrate more on shutting down the black market than say...I don't know...busting people for recreational pot! "But it will take money to build the database you speak of, and whatever organization needed to monitor and field consumer questions"...okay, well we really don't need that damn wall...so let's use that money to actually help prevent tragedies like this!
Monday, October 2, 2017
Now is not the time for politics!
I was saddened when I read the news this morning about the mass shooting in Las Vegas...50+ dead, and 400+ injured. I'm getting so tired of every week there being another example of hate in the world! Okay, it may not be every week, but it sure feels like it!
So, this morning I post about my heavy heart, saying there is too much hate and disregard for human life in the world. Immediately, one of my family members goes on saying something along lines of with the media blasting hate in the news for weeks, and all the hate out of Hollywood and the NFL, it is no wonder...that satan is here on earth. Really? Now is not the time for politics! Now is the time for waking up!!! Religion, politics...while fine that we all have different ideals, beliefs, and opinions...continue to drive a wedge between us! Again, I'm reminded of my favorite Jonathan Swift quote:
In the past week, I've been in many discussions about current events that resulted in me simply having to walk away once the insults and hate speech started flying! People cannot even have a simple discussion without resorting to attacks. I find this especially true when people are presented with facts that go against their belief system...they get defensive and start personally attacking those presenting the fact, even when others are simply making statements attacking no one. Do I feel that the current administration has fed into this? You bet I do! But at the same time, I find so much hate coming from the supporters that voted for him, and it is no wonder. And no...it isn't just the right...the far left has lost their damn minds, as well! It seems so many on either side have no regard for other people....it is all about them, them, them! Do I believe in the NFL protests? Yes, because I do believe there are people in this country being treated unjustly, and that needs to be corrected. Do I support violent protests, regardless of the cause behind them? No I don't, as I don't support anything that aims to cause harm to others...and damaging property does still cause harm to people. You destroy a store front, that store may be that of a small business owner who is just struggling to get by, as an example.
This country has literally lost it's mind! I don't know....maybe this is end times! Maybe this is what it looks like! If so, from what I've seen lately on social media and such, the people who are so sure they are the ones to be taken up in the Rapture are the ones that, in my opinion, are the most likely to get left behind! I made a joke after the whole "end of days prophesy" of 9/23/2017 showed nothing significant happened..."What if the Rapture did happen, but no one was qualified to go?!" What if this was true?
So, this morning I post about my heavy heart, saying there is too much hate and disregard for human life in the world. Immediately, one of my family members goes on saying something along lines of with the media blasting hate in the news for weeks, and all the hate out of Hollywood and the NFL, it is no wonder...that satan is here on earth. Really? Now is not the time for politics! Now is the time for waking up!!! Religion, politics...while fine that we all have different ideals, beliefs, and opinions...continue to drive a wedge between us! Again, I'm reminded of my favorite Jonathan Swift quote:
"We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."
In the past week, I've been in many discussions about current events that resulted in me simply having to walk away once the insults and hate speech started flying! People cannot even have a simple discussion without resorting to attacks. I find this especially true when people are presented with facts that go against their belief system...they get defensive and start personally attacking those presenting the fact, even when others are simply making statements attacking no one. Do I feel that the current administration has fed into this? You bet I do! But at the same time, I find so much hate coming from the supporters that voted for him, and it is no wonder. And no...it isn't just the right...the far left has lost their damn minds, as well! It seems so many on either side have no regard for other people....it is all about them, them, them! Do I believe in the NFL protests? Yes, because I do believe there are people in this country being treated unjustly, and that needs to be corrected. Do I support violent protests, regardless of the cause behind them? No I don't, as I don't support anything that aims to cause harm to others...and damaging property does still cause harm to people. You destroy a store front, that store may be that of a small business owner who is just struggling to get by, as an example.
This country has literally lost it's mind! I don't know....maybe this is end times! Maybe this is what it looks like! If so, from what I've seen lately on social media and such, the people who are so sure they are the ones to be taken up in the Rapture are the ones that, in my opinion, are the most likely to get left behind! I made a joke after the whole "end of days prophesy" of 9/23/2017 showed nothing significant happened..."What if the Rapture did happen, but no one was qualified to go?!" What if this was true?
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