Who will fill those jobs?

I have to ask this question...all of these people who scream that these undocumented immigrants drain the economy and steal jobs, need to answer honestly...if by some chance, ALL undocumented immigrants were round up and deported tomorrow, how many of the currently 6.6 million estimated unemployed Americans will immediately step into these jobs?! Keep in mind, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, with an estimated 8.2 million of those in the work force. Before you scream that this leave some nearly 3 million that are contributing nothing and collecting welfare (which I have had to say over and over and over....without a valid SSN, you cannot get welfare), keep in mind that there are many workers who bring their families. In many of these families are multiple children, and often a wife that doesn't work. Also, like even American families, there may be an elderly parent that was brought over, because it wasn't believed they could care for themselves back in their country of origin...so they live with their son or daughter here, while said son or daughter works.

Now, back to the original question...if 8.2 million jobs were vacated tomorrow in mass deportations, how many of the 6.6 million unemployed Americans would jump to fill those positions? Keep in mind we are talking crap jobs!! We are talking people who work in fields manually picking crops that are too delicate to use machines to harvest (such as tomatoes, grapes, etc.) and such. We are talking janitorial and maid jobs that are required to keep businesses clean, or to provide those important maid services in the many, many, many hotels and resorts we have in this country. We are talking ditch diggers who dig miles and miles of total ditch each day to accommodate things such as sewer lines from new home and business construction, or who work with plumbers on existing lines that are having issue (these are the worse, because they have to dig up blocked lines, and thus literally find themselves knee deep in shit). How many of the 6.6. million unemployed would jump at these jobs, even for minimum wage? I mean, minimum wage is better than no wage, right? Or, wait, is it not better than the total of their welfare benefits which would be lowered or dropped if they worked, so they hold out for higher paying jobs? How many of those 6.6 million unemployed Americans view these crap jobs that undocumented immigrants are currently doing as beneath them? Personally, I only estimate that 20% would actually jump to these jobs should all undocumented workers be deported tomorrow! That is only about 1.3 million people. That would leave us a shortage of 6.9 million workers needed to fill all the positions vacated by deported undocumented immigrants! Even IF all 6.6 million unemployed Americans jumped to fill these jobs, that is still a shortage of 1.6 million workers.

Given the numbers above, how do you think this would effect the US economy? If an estimated 1.3 million Americans jump into 8.2 million jobs vacated by undocumented immigrants, what will the shortage of labor do to our economy? These are jobs that most people don't even think about, but depend upon! These crap jobs are things that people don't recognize as being contributions to this country, but they are! "But we need doctors, and scientists, and engineers!" Okay, who maintains the facilities these people work at? I mean, we all demand clean bathrooms and such. We expect someone to empty our desk trash daily, and to clean the break room microwave! We expect the grounds of our work places to be nice and tidy...perfectly landscaped entry and common areas! What about our homes? Do we not expect that water come to our faucets and waste move away from our homes? Chances are it was an immigrant of legal or illegal status who dug the ditches for those lines! Do we not expect our trash to be picked up and carried away? When we go on vacation, isn't one of our measures for where we go how clean the place is? Do we not rate hotels and resorts based on their level of service? Do you not realize that there is a high chance that it was an immigrant who made sure your room was ready for your arrival, and who picked up your towels and cleaned your beard hairs off of the sink while you stayed? An immigrant who comes to unclog your room toilet when all that food you eat on vacation causes you to clog up the toilet?

But people really think that Americans who were raised to believe that they are better than everyone else will stoop as low as to do these crap jobs! Just think about how the people who do those jobs are looked at by most people in this country!!! But yet, they are still jobs that must be done...jobs that we REQUIRE. These are jobs that help make this country the place it is...a place people want to visit...or at least used to before our POTUS started spewing things out of his mouth and on his Twitter! These are the jobs that keep our country from being the "shithole" that our POTUS claims other countries are! But no...the people who do these jobs aren't seen as real contributors! They are often treated like crap!! I know this, because my daughter, A NATURAL BORN AMERICAN, was one of the few who saw this work as work....as being something better than no work at all! She worked two jobs as a maid for years until she could get into a place where she could go to school...not collecting a penny of welfare along the way! This is a person who has a disability...she is hearing impaired...and thus has to work 20x harder than most people to make it in this world. The things she used to tell me when she worked as a maid...it sickened me! I hated seeing my daughter work that kind of job, but at the same time was proud of her, because she didn't see herself so high and mighty to not be willing to do whatever work she could find...even if it wasn't glamorous!  And from the stories she has told...rich people are some nasty people...some of the dirtiest people in this country!! My guess is that they have gotten spoiled always having someone to clean up after them!

Do I believe we have a problem with illegal immigration? Yes. Do I believe this was Obama's fault? Oh hell no! And I'm not saying that as an Obama supporter...I'm saying that as someone who has common sense. When you have undocumented immigrants that have been in this country for 10, 20, 30 years...that shows that this has been a problem across presidencies for some time, because at some point this country stopped enforcing their own immigration laws, and now things are out of control! 40% of undocumented immigrants came here legally on visas, and overstayed said visas? How does that happen? Do we not keep track of people who we let in our country? Do we not require employers to report on people who they bring in on work visas, and force those people to leave when at the point said employers let them go? That also brings to question...why do we have to bring in so many on work visas, when we supposedly have all these Americans needing jobs? Oh wait, that is right...these are jobs that they either don't want to do, or lack the education and skills to do (but again, these jobs were stolen from them)!

Like it or not, immigrants are a big reason that the economy in this country has been on the upswing...be it legal or illegal!  If we shipped out the undocumented immigrants tomorrow, I can promise you that we would see a spike in inflation. Americans are quick to complain about how these employers hire "illegals" because they can pay them crap wages, but it is the payment of those crap wages that keep prices where they are. The moment these same employers have to pay harvesters, janitorial and maid, ditch diggers, and other people doing crap jobs the minimum wage PLUS payroll taxes and workers comp, prices will spike! What will that do to the economy? Add to that the fact that not as much product can get to market in a timely manner due to shortage of people and the fact that these employers would no longer be able to work Americans as slave labor, that will also drive up prices. Am I saying it is right that these undocumented workers are treated as modern-day slaves? NO!! I'm merely pointing out that this is what many of them are...willing modern-day slaves...and I say willing, because they come here of their own accord to do this work, because it is a way to send money...ANY MONEY...home to their hungry families who are being crapped on by their own governments! Yes, it is wrong that these people work for crap wages in terrible conditions! I find it completely ironic that the very people who want these undocumented immigrants gone, are the same people who defend "the South's" use of slaves back in the day!

I feel like I'm just rambling on now, so I'm going to close this out. You want these "illegal" immigrants gone, but I can promise you that you will not like the results if you get your wish!

Gone too soon :(

Would they send a child to jail?

I see all these people screaming that DACA recipients broke the law, and they shouldn't receive protections to stay in this country. How does a child break the law because of the actions of their parents? I'm sure we all remember in our childhood our parents determined where we lived. Some probably lived in the exact same place...house even...their entire childhood, and probably wished at times they could move. Some of us move more than we would have liked to...sometimes being at the completely wrong time...and wish we had had some say in the matter. But truth is, until we were old enough to legally leave the nest, we had no say in the matter. Where our parents lived, we lived...and it didn't matter the reason why.

In the same token, many of us had very little say about what we ate or how we dressed as kids. It was our parents' responsibility to provide for us, and we weren't to question how that was done. Keeping that in mind, think about this scenario. Say a parent...for whatever reason...steals food and clothing for their child. Now, receiving stolen property is also a crime. So are we saying that if the child eats that food or wears those clothes, knowing or not that their parents stole the goods, that the child should also go to jail for the crimes of their parents? Remember, again, that the child is fully dependent on the parent, and really doesn't have any say in how the parent obtains the things the child needs! I think most would agree that the child not be sent to jail for the crimes of the parent. However, that is EXACTLY what people are saying about these DACA recipients!

Did their parents break the law by not going to through proper channels to enter this country? Yes. Should the child who came here against their will, and grew up here knowing only the United States of America as their home be forced to go back to a country they do not know, and may not even know the language? NO! DACA recipients are law-biding citizens...they have to be to retain their status! They have to meet a stricter set of rules to live here than we do, the whole while being denied the many benefits we have access to. They do not qualify for food stamps, medical programs, unemployment programs, social security, etc. They DO have taxes taken out of their pay checks and do not get to take advantage of the many credits citizens can claim come the end of the tax year to get a refund, in essence causing them to pay at a higher rate than most Americans in the same tax bracket. They do not have a path to citizenship...if they did, most would have already taken that path. They speak the language fluently (one of the things people scream that everyone in 'Merica needs to do), they work rather than collect welfare (there are quite a few 'Mericans who cannot say that), and they don't get in trouble with the law. I mean, tell me how these people really are a threat to national security again?

How can anyone with a brain...

How can anyone with a brain even entertain the idea that a border wall is a good idea? Aren't there other things we could be earmarking said money for? I mean, for example...that tax cut for the rich that is going to cost us billions and has certain legislators calling social security an entitlement (IT'S NOT) and not thinking it is a big deal to take money from there to balance the budget? Or what about affordable healthcare?

Newsflash...all that border wall is going to be is an expensive conversation piece, if it is ever built! This isn't the Medieval times of walls and moats. This is the 21st century...the time of underground tunnels (yup, right under that wall), drones, cargo containers on ships, trailers on semi-trucks, paid off border patrol agents, etc. The cartels are laughing at us and our idea of a wall stopping them from pouring drugs into this country. The human traffickers are laughing as they load people into containers to be brought here on ships or in the back of trucks...as they pay off agents to look the other way.

In the mean time, we have POTUS using this wall as a demand for a DACA deal...something that will help some 800,000 people who are CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY that were brought here as children without any say in the matter, who know nothing of the country from which they were born. Does he realize that if those 800,000 people pay at least $1000/year in taxes, that is some $800 mil in tax revenue? Yes...because DACA recipients are given social security numbers, pay taxes, and are not eligible for any kind of "entitlement" program. These people cannot get food stamps, cannot sign up for Obamacare insurance, and cannot get unemployment benefits. All the while, because THEIR PARENTS brought them here illegally, they have a very long and expensive process to even be considered for citizenship...a process that often involves them having to go back to their birth country (again, a place they don't even know) for a number of years before MAYBE being granted citizenship!

Don't get me wrong. I can agree we have a problem with undocumented immigrants in this country. People who are capable of making such decision to break the law to come into this country SHOULD be returned back to their country of origin. Immigrants, for the safety of this country, should be fully vetted. An expensive wall is not going to fix the issue!! What happens after this wall is built, and the issue is still there? It isn't like the wall can be returned for a full refund! Those of us with a brain and common sense know that a wall will do NOTHING!

Just an observation...

Have you ever noticed the different stances of folks the first year or so of any Presidency?

Scenario One: Sitting POTUS is of the same party of the person you are talking to, and things with the economy are looking grim. "Well, they have to clean up the mess of the last POTUS, and that takes time!"

Scenario Two: Sitting POTUS is of the OPPOSITE party of the person you are talking to, and things with the economy are looking grim. "See! We elected _____, and everything is going to crap!"

Scenario Three: Sitting POTUS is of the same party of the person you are talking to, and things are good with the economy. "Look at all the great work our POTUS is doing! He has turned things around in such a short period of time!"

Scenario Four: Sitting POTUS is of the OPPOSITE party of the person you are talking to, and things are good with the economy. "Oh, he's just riding the progress that the previous POTUS started years ago!"

Really, which is it? Does it take a long time to create change in the economy of this country? Or can a POTUS bring about quick change? You can't have it both ways. You have to decide how this works, and quit flip-flopping!

We live in an ass-backward world!

Was reading just this morning that the House is working on a bill to loosen gun restrictions. The bill would "allowing those with permits to carry concealed weapons to legally travel with those firearms to other states".

As I read this article, I found myself thinking how ass-backwards this country is at the moment!! We have seen an increase in mass shootings this year, but our Congress is working on loosening regulations, rather than tightening them up? When I read about this bill, I can't help but feel like this is another one of those "good guys with a gun" arguments. Oh, if we have good guys with guns on planes and such, then we can stop terrorists? What?! Sure, it doesn't say that guns will be allowed on planes...mostly that if you are traveling across state lines by car or what not, you can carry, and as long as you hold a permit in the state you are from, other states cannot prosecute you for simply carrying. Even still...it is the whole arm everyone argument, again....that the solution to guns is more guns!

When will they put real time into real regulations that mean something? How about fixing the fucked up background check system that allowed a sicko to legally buy guns and shoot up a church? Or the system that let a single person stockpile enough weapons and ammo for a small militia, and gun down people attending a concert in Las Vegas? How about making illegal ANY mod that allows a weapon to function similar to that of an automatic, or prohibit the sale of automatic weapons to civilians?! Oh, that is right...civilians have the right to have the same weapons as our law enforcement or military...that is the argument. I guess that means that Joe Citizen should also have access to armored tanks, weaponized drones, bio-agents? Right? Because, see....your automatic weapons aren't going to do jack if our government really wants to put us in our place!

I'm just getting so tired with the lack of common sense these days!

Women who vote for sexually abusive men

There has been a lot of talk lately about the kind of woman who would vote for someone like Roy Moore, who has basically admitted to relations with girls as young as 14. Many ask how could any woman vote for a man like this? This was also asked during the Presidential election as women voted for Trump, who was recorded on audio saying thing about he treats women and who has had several women come forward and say he touched them inappropriately and the like.

To answer the question of how a woman could vote for a man like this, you must first understand the culture of those known as Conservative Republicans! I was married for 15 years to a Conservative Republican. If you lived in this world, you would understand. I can't tell you how many times I was told that it was wrong for me to ever deny my husband sex. It didn't matter if I was down with the flu, if he was horny, I was expected to have sex. The Bible was often used to support this idea. I don't know how many times I was told that I should fulfill all of my husband's sexual desires as to avoid him being tempted by OTHER women! I found myself thinking, "How is it he cannot have enough self control to avoid his own temptation?!"

You see, these women are taught that their husband is their keeper. In this culture, men are pretty much allowed to do as they choose, and the woman is supposed to "serve" her husband! At one point, my ex-husband actually handed me a book titled "Me...Obey...Him" and urged me to read it. I never did! I was too strong willed and independent thinking for this man and their culture, and this caused me a lot of grief! Some of the things I could tell you would make you shudder, but I don't have time to tell of it all here right now...and if you read through my blogs, you may be able to get some idea of my life those 15 years.

Basically, in short, if you have to wonder how any woman can vote for men like this, it is because they are brainwashed and conditioned to! They are brainwashed by their parents, their husbands, their church...it doesn't matter what these men do. You have to vote party! You have to vote like your husband or father! People in this culture are not allowed to think for themselves. I mean...think about it. How many different people have you been in arguments with on social media in the last year on political issues, and think about how each of these Conservative Republicans simply follow the same script, many failing to offer any kind of supporting facts or alternate thinking points to support their stance! It is the way they say because it is simply the way they say...the way their culture says. These woman really don't know any other way to vote!

One of the many reasons I have lost faith in the church

I sometimes run into people I used to go to church with, and they ask me what church I'm plugged into these days. They seem shocked when I tell them I don't go to church any longer, and they do their best to convince me why I need to go back! I assure them I have not lost my faith...that I just can't support organized religion, and what it is doing to the world right now. I don't go into details...about how it was the church that stood by and said nothing while my ex carried on in an affair right in front of their eyes (yes, the flirting between them during church was incredibly obvious...so obvious that there were people who were unaware that I was actually his wife), or how after I left said church because I felt it awkward to be there with my ex and his family...considering I had been there for years on the praise team and everything...that no one, not even the pastor, ever called, texted, or emailed to check on me.

Since leaving that church, I have felt free to ask many questions, and in doing so, I've done a lot of reading that showed me much of what is being taught in today's churches is wrong. Not going to go into detail of all of those things here, as I could type for days on those subjects.

But I saw one thing today that hit me wrong, and got me really wondering what role the church even plays in today's society. I saw a post from someone asking for prayer, because her family was being force to move in a matter of days, and they are running short on money. The woman was very stressed.  There were many, many comments of people sending prayers, and assuring the woman that God will provide on time. That got me thinking....today is Black Friday! I wonder how many of those people offering prayer are out shopping the sales right now...the whole while, this member of their church is in financial need. I got thinking...if each family in this particular church (as I know it to be a good-sized church) just gave this woman $10-$20...the amount of money they are probably spending on food and Starbucks today as they run about looking for deals...how this woman would probably have enough money for her situation! But where is her "church family"? Offering prayer?!

But then I realize that seems to be the norm in the church today...and all the more reason I left! Someone needs help, they simply offer prayer, when what people need is action! Do they think if Jesus came across this woman in need, that he would simply offer prayer? I think not!!! I think he would rally up the disciples and figure out if they could do anything to relieve the financial burden...provide moving services or what not. If it was the deposit and rent that the woman needed help with, I could see Jesus calling the people to give...even if it is just a small token...toward helping the woman. It just bothers me how so many people who call themselves Christians can only find it in themselves to "offer prayer" when people are in need. Hasn't it ever occurred to them that God's plan was for the people of the church to help this woman?

Body Shaming

A friend of mine posted a video this morning that rubbed me the wrong way. No, I'm not going to unfriend them or anything like that...I'm not that kind of person to turn my back on you because you may have an idea or a belief I don't agree with. And no, the video didn't make me really feel butt hurt, but it did urge me to speak out on the subject...mostly not just because of what was being said, but because so many people were laughing in acceptance of what was said!

This is the video...remember, I'm about to speak on this:



One thing he said really hit me in this video.... "You ate your way in, you can walk yourself out." The people laughed, thinking this was funny. I'm sure if they showed the audience, there would be many shaking their heads yes and mouthing the word "truth". But it isn't that easy for so many people!!!

We live in a society where looks are everything! It is so much so, that there are many, many products out on the market that people are buying up to make them look different. Notice I said different...not better...because really, what is good-looking to one person is not the same for another. Personally, alot of the things that people do to make themselves look "better" I actually think take away from their appearance. That said, I used to be considerably overweight. For my height, had I gone to the doctor in those days, they would have labeled me as morbidly obese. "An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his/her ideal body weight, has a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes." My ideal body weight for my height and build is between 115 and 130 lbs. At the time, I was well over 200 lbs...I stopped getting on the scale at 200 at which time I wore a size 16, and at the time I finally realized I had to do something, I was stuffing myself into size 18's really needing to go buy size 20. This is on a 5'2" frame! I think it is safe to say I was easily 230 to 240 lbs. At some point after I lost a few pounds, I joined a gym and did their free analysis for new members. My BMI at the time was 43. Now, I don't agree with BMI measurements, because it doesn't take into account muscle mass and bone density (yes, some people do have larger bones...I'm one of them...certain parts of my body today are "bony" but not as tiny as most would expect...my ankles for example). I guess I ate myself into it, right?

See, that is the important thing to consider here...how does a person get there? What is their story? Most overweight people I know don't want to be overweight and they didn't set out to do so!! If you sat and listened to their stories, like mine, you would realize that they can't just easily walk themselves out! How did I get to some 240 lbs? I AM a stress eater. Yes, notice I said AM...not was. I say AM, because I do still find myself sometimes in high stress situations just rummaging through the kitchen when I'm not even hungry. The difference between then and now is that I recognize it, and I can stop myself and redirect to a more constructive way of dealing with my stress. I have found a new outlet in dance, and I spend plenty of hours in the studio. Because I now know and acknowledge that I'm a stress eater. I keep fewer things in the house that are easy to eat...keeping things around that need actual preparation. This is also a deterrent...because if I'm not really hungry, the thought of making food and cleaning the kitchen cause me to just grab a glass of water and go do something else. But, it took me a long time to get where I am at now! I spent years in a state of depression. My first marriage was physically and emotionally abusive, and I feared that if I tried to leave, he would do something bad to me or take my kids away from me. He also used to say that if I got fat he would leave me, and I guess this is kinda where the stress eating started. Unconsciously, I think I was trying to get fat to make him leave, but I guess I underestimated what he deemed to be fat or something, because he didn't leave. He finally crossed the line one night while out with friends, and landed himself in jail for assault on an officer, and that is what gave me my out!

My second marriage I "thought" was better, but in reality, I wasn't really happy in that marriage either. It took me some time to realize it, but I was married to a narcissist. If you have never had an experience with being in a relationship with a narcissist, you have no clue what it can do to even a strong person...let alone a person trying to recover from a bad situation. They are huge manipulators. They will make you think you are losing your mind, and make you doubt yourself. At one point, they shower you with affection...this is their bait! They make you feel good about yourself, make you think you are in a happy place. Then, they slowly tear you down...and it isn't always obvious like with my obviously abusive first husband. No, it starts with little things...things that at first seem harmless...things that are really more controlling than anything else. Like, if you really want to cut your hair, they will tell you something like, "I really like it long." When you do cut it, they will constantly give you a strange look and say things like, "I dunno...guess it will take some getting used to", and will regularly make comments about how you should let it grow back out. In my case, my second husband would also always comment on my breast size, always saying it would be nice if they were a bit bigger, and constantly asking if I would consider getting an enlargement for him. Then, they is always the revisional history to try to make you feel crazy! "But you used to...." Um, no I didn't, but they will keep pushing THEIR history on you to the point you actually start to question if you are actually remembering things wrong!

I describe this scenario, so that you can see how I feel into a completely different mental state in my second marriage...one that pushed me to my highest weight! It was when my mom was diagnosed with diabetes, that I acknowledged my own health (I was hypertensive and pre-diabetic) and made it a point to make a change in my life. Thankfully, this also helped me see WHAT I was actually married to. As I lost weight, he kept criticizing my weight loss. Really!!! One would ask if he just liked bigger women, or if he was realizing he was losing control...afraid that the weight loss will give me confidence and allow me to see through his bullshit! I found out later that it was actually both! See, at one point in time, he told a really good friend of mine that he liked "fat women"...and said it was because they "will let you do anything to them in bed, because they don't get many guys"!! I mean, THAT right there should tell you what kind of man I was married to! Some who have read my other posts will also know that to the outside world, he presented himself as this kind, gentle, Christian soul...yeah, it just turned my stomach typing that! Even being married to this jerk, I took the long fought journey to weight loss, and got back down into my ideal weight range...and I've kept the weight off. Needless to say, I've since divorced his ass, too. But it wasn't easy. I had many backslides...where I gained weight back, falling off of the wagon so to speak. I surely didn't just "walk myself out" of being grossly overweight!! I had to fight...every...step...of...the...way!!!

I share all of this to show where the ideas in this video are terrible, and that we shouldn't be laughing about what he is saying! It isn't being offended, or butt hurt. We shouldn't body shame, because we don't know anyone's story!!! That overweight person may be depressed or may have some medical condition where they have tried everything but cannot lose the weight! That underweight person may be living in an abusive situation that has caused them to become anorexic or bulimic (if you study these conditions, you will find that for most who suffer from them, it is about having control of themselves...everyone else in the world is "controlling" them, and they try to grasp one thing they can control). So don't be too critical of people! Don't judge without knowing their story! You may be doing more damage than anything. And don't entertain people who do!

Same song, different verse!

I had a great day yesterday! We had a dance performance that had me disconnected from the world for the entire day as we ran through techs, costumes, makeup, performance, and many, many laughs. I came off the high to find out about the mass shooting here in Texas yesterday morning. ANOTHER mass shooting, and yet another weekend where there was some sort of tragic loss of life.

This morning, I read the news. POTUS it talking about this being a mental health problem. Oh, so we have a mental health problem, but nearly as soon as you started in office, you undid a requirement for SSA to report anyone who was receiving SSD for a mental health issue to the background check database?! You made it easier for people with mental health issues to get guns, and NOW you want to claim this gun violence a mental health issue?

Let me point this out...this is the second time in just a matter of months that a mass shooting was carried out with a LEGALLY PURCHASED weapon...a weapon, mind you, that used to be banned in this country from 1994 to 2004. A weapon that is not desired because of it's effectiveness for hunting or home protection, but because it is easily customizable to the shooter's tastes! A weapon that in mere minutes can be converted from a semi-automatic weapon, to function very closely to a fully automatic weapon. A gun that you can LEGALLY purchase a magazine for that can hold 30+ rounds of ammo, making it easier to mow down a crowd of people! Tell me again, what Constitutional right dictates that you can own a weapon like this? The right to bare arms does not give an automatic right to an AR...simply that you are allowed to own a gun. This means that our government is fully within the Constitution to limit the TYPES and NUMBERS of weapons a citizen owns. It would also be within the Constitution to require mandatory licensing and training before even owning a firearm. "Oh, but that will make it harder for some to obtain a gun, and thus be a violation of the Second Amendment." Really? If you are still given a path to ownership, how is that taking away your right?

I have another burning question in all of this. I was reading that the San Antonio shooter had been court-martialed, served time, and was dishonorably discharged from the military for assaulting his wife and child. This is a conviction, right? Even though handed down by a military rather than a civilian body, it was still a conviction?! So, tell me how this was not a red flag on this man's background check when he walked into the sporting goods store to LEGALLY purchase this weapon?!

We need better record keeping of our background check system to flag people who should not be allowed to buy these weapons. We need mandatory licensing and training. And finally, we need to go back to banning these easily customizable guns and limit the size of the magazines. No one should be able to legally own a weapon that can mow down a crowd in a matter of a few minutes! There is no civilian NEED for this!