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!
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Thursday, December 7, 2017
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!
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!
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
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!
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!
Friday, November 24, 2017
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?
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?
Thursday, November 16, 2017
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!
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!
Monday, November 6, 2017
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Our education system must REALLY be flawed!
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!
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!
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!
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