…if you don’t support commonsense gun laws then you don’t get my vote…
Change will not happen with the same (mainly) GOP lawmakers. We are talking about numerous decades in Congress. They have failed to do their job. House OverSight launches investigation Foreign Gifts
To the lawmakers, both Federal and State —if you watch this interview with a teacher who survived and you still refuse to pass any commonsense gun safety laws, then your NRA-Funded soul is beyond redemption. Furthermore you should no longer hold any position of authority or public trust…because time after time you have broken our trust.
Mr Arnulfo Reyes’ interview is incredibly emotional and I think you need to watch it. Listen to his recount of what happened in his classroom. All eleven of his students were murdered. He was critically injured. He has had several surgeries to repair the massive damage caused by two .223 caliber ammunition and today he’s having yet another operation. It’s not just heartbreaking because the guilt he will carry with him for the rest of his life is all consuming.
He lost eleven of his children (students) and there is zero doubt he did everything humanly possible to protect his kids. I can’t speak for the Uvalde parents but as a casual observer I hope the parents are not angry with him. Their anger should be directed at Chief “I didn’t have my radio” Arredondo. I’m serious I hope the district attorney indicts Arredondo on Gross Criminal Negligence, Obstruction of Justice because as more facts come out it is abundantly clear Arredondo was a coward and he could have saved a lot of the children….
The same NRA-Funded Republican Lawmakers rush to any TV Camera and “act” like they care. The sad reality is no they do NOT care. This is evident in their inaction which betrays their “thoughts and prayers” —the reality is in America the greatest country on earth parents have zero guarantees that they will be able pick up their children (alive and well) after they drop them off at school. That basic and fundamental right is superseded by the gunnuts holding to the second amendment. And the death grip that the NRA and the gun lobby have on our DC lawmakers and in certain states. Again based on population density Texas typically ranks either number two or three in mass shootings and as previously explained under Governor Abbott he decreased mental health funding by >$211M and enacted numerous laws that made buying a weapon of war easier. Read more here, here or here —I’m not exaggerating I told my family in Texas we are not visiting so long as Gov Abbott & Ken Paxton are in office
Source: Statista June 2022
And I would recommend you also watch Actor Matthew McConaughey’s remarks during his 21+ minute speech —as many of you know he’s a son of Uvalde and his voice coupled with his emotional speech is one you should watch. Because he’s right “the window of opportunity” is closing and that’s an open secret DC insiders know. That lawmakers in DC (mainly the NRA funded Republicans) tactic is: 1) offer thoughts and prayers, 2) say that “something” needs to change, 3) starts a group of bipartisan lawmakers and 4) banking on time to go by —thereby giving these feckless lawmakers an escape hatch. You can literally feel the rage, heartbreak and frustration in McCaughey’s impassioned comments.
If you as a lawmaker continue to be the NRA’s little bitch then you need to be vote out of office. Period
Voters who to continue to re-elect the same NRA funded Republicans need to be “fired” —you are also part of the problem. These lawmakers have had dozens of opportunities to do the right thing but after each mass shooting you cower to the powerful gun lobby. If you won’t want to do your job, then the voters need to vote for a replacement who isn’t beholden to the NRA. Period. Full Stop.
The bipartisan group of senators currently negotiating —trust me when I tell you this, next to nothing will happen because that 60 vote filibuster threshold is just another excuse for these troglodytes. Who have zero appetite to support commonsense gun safety. The real power is vested in us. The voters.
And yes that’s my new redline, if you as an incumbent or are vying for elected office do not support commonsense gun safety laws, then I can not support you and I’d rather write in “swamp donkey” then to vote for someone who’s scared of the NRA/Gun Lobby…. Again the only real way to effectuate change is use the power of the ballot box. As in “we the people” have been vested with that power at the ballot box —for god sake:
Use your power at the ballot box & vote them out
If the NRA funded GOP doesn’t like this new threshold —boo hoo —too bad because I’m sick of the unrelenting gun violence. Everyday there’s another mass shooting. According to recent data from GunViolence Archive 2022 is on track to surpass 2021, 2020 and 2019. I’m certain that our founding fathers never intended for an average citizen to have unfettered access to weapons of war…
…after I watched this video (I genuinely believe all American parents should watch March for Our Lives video) I decided that if I’m sending my children back to a public school (2022/2023 school year) then I needed to buy them some type of protective gear…sadly there is no end in sight for school shootings (see database here) and as a (sometimes) responsible parent it’s my only job to protect my children…
And with the current school year coming to a close, last week I spent a small fortune on buying my children bulletproof backpacks, extra bulletproof strike plates. and bulletproof blankets for the next school year. That’s where we are in America, where parents have to buy bulletproof school items because lawmakers refuse to act.
More disheartening is what’s happening to our teachers and school staff. We have decided that teachers are now the frontline defense. In Uvalde. In Sandhook. In Parkland. In Santa Fe (TX). Painfully since Columbine there have been at least 27 school shootings. In each of these school shootings, countless teachers/school staff deal with survivors guilt and the ocean of grief…
Again I consider teaching as one of the very last noble professions. These teachers love their students like they are their own children. It is absolutely insane that some genuinely think “arming” a teacher will somehow end school shootings. It won’t. Teachers would do just about anything for their students —dozens of teachers/coaches have been murdered by a crazy gunman. They paid the ultimate sacrifice and “arming” teachers (which is a known NRA talking point) puts an incredible burden on them, not to mention the potential liability issues.
My criticism is narrowly tailored to the GOP Senators and I have faith in Senators like Senator Murphy but I have zero faith in any and I mean any NRA-Funded GOP Senators: like Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley , John “not gonna happen” Cronyn et al (read more here)
…if you want REAL change, then you need to vote out…the NRA-Funded lawmakers…
Anything short of that isn’t going to bring change. And while some hope that Uvalde will be different — my retort is if Sandy Hook didn’t make a difference, if Parkland didn’t make a difference —it’s safe to assume Uvalde won’t make a difference. Time and time again DC lawmakers have never risen to the occasion. And one can only conclude these lawmakers are terrified of the NRA and gun lobby. To show you how deranged and powerful the gun lobby is (see fundraising email via Moms Demand Action Tweet where the AFA literally calls upon its members to “expect a battle” at the US Capitol) —they control the NRA/funded GOP senators—the NRA has poured tens of millions into the campaign accounts of the majority of Senate Republicans (see data for 1998 to 2021 NRA lobbying) this is directly from the Gun Owners of America’s March 2022 blitz to its members (see full email here)
Gun owners need to speak out and demand accountability!
On the other hand, 31 senators fought alongside GOA and voted against the bill—so if these pro-gun senators represent you, then our alert will send them a thank you.
Thank you for fighting alongside Gun Owners of America against these gun controls.
On June 7, 2022 the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing —I’ve embedded the expert witness panel testimony below:
Robert A. Pape, PhD —Professor Of Political Science And Director Of The Chicago Project On Security And Threats University of Chicago Chicago, IL Download Testimony
Michael German —Fellow, Liberty And National Security Program, Brennan Center For Justice Former Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D.C. Download Testimony
Garnell Whitfield, Jr. Buffalo, NY Download Testimony -his mother was one of the victims killed during last month’s Buffalo mask shooting.
Justin E. HerdmanFormer U.S. AttorneyNorthern District of Ohio Cleveland, OH -Download Testimony
ProfessorJonathan TurleyShapiro Professor Of Public Interest LawThe George Washington University Law SchoolWashington, D.C. —Download Testimony (to be clear I can’t take Turley seriously because of his ties to Avenatti and his bastardization of our Constitution and laws)
DHS issues NEW threat alert…and it’s terrifying —increased domestic terrorism is on our horizon…
The United States remains in a heightened threat environment, as noted in the previous Bulletin, and several recent attacks have highlighted the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment.
In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets. These targets could include public gatherings, faith-based institutions, schools, racial and religious minorities, government facilities and personnel, U.S. critical infrastructure, the media, and perceived ideological opponents. Threat actors have recently mobilized to violence due to factors such as personal grievances, reactions to current events, and adherence to violent extremist ideologies, including racially or ethnically motivated or anti-government/anti-authority violent extremism. Foreign adversaries—including terrorist organizations and nation state adversaries—also remain intent on exploiting the threat environment to promote or inspire violence, sow discord, or undermine U.S. democratic institutions. We continue to assess that the primary threat of mass casualty violence in the United States stems from lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and/or personal grievances.
The new DHS Bulletin goes in to detail of what the Summer & Fall of 2022 will likely face. Shocker that once again white supremacy rears its ugly head. Because the reality is domestic terrorism is on the upswing. Hence the colloquialism “see something say something” still rings true and the DHS bulletin asks Americans to:
Listen to local authorities and public safety officials.
Several recent violent attacks by lone offenders against minority communities, schools, houses of worship, and mass transit have demonstrated the dynamic and complex nature of the threat environment facing the United States:
Individuals in online forums that routinely promulgate domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have praised the May 2022 mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and encouraged copycat attacks. Others have seized on the event to attempt to spread disinformation and incite grievances, including claims it was a government-staged event meant to advance gun control measures.
The suspect in the grocery store attack in Buffalo, New York in May 2022 claimed he was motivated by racist, anti-Black, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, often referred to as the “great replacement” or “white genocide.”
These theories claim that minorities, multiculturalists, and a ruling elite are deliberately threatening the existence of the white race. The alleged 2019 attacker at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas cited similar grievances and inspiration for the attack, and both the Buffalo and El Paso attackers indicated they were inspired by the 2019 attacker of two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
A violent attack in May 2022 in Laguna Woods, California targeted congregants of a church that serves the Taiwanese community. The attack killed one individual and wounded five others. According to the lead investigative agency, the suspect also placed Molotov cocktail-like devices around the church and secured the doors with chains and super glue.
In April 2022, an individual wearing a gas mask threw two smoke canisters and opened fire on a New York City subway during morning rush hour, resulting in injuries to dozens of individuals. Following the shooting, a number of pro-al-Qa‘ida and ISIS users celebrated the attack, which remains under investigation.
House Select Committee on Jan6th -two witnesses announced for June 9th hearing
And I’m likely taking the rest of this week off except for the House Select Committee on Jan6th attack hearing scheduled to air during prime time on June 9, 2022 —that hearing will broadcast on the Committee’s YouTube Channel, as well as all major networks and cable news -sans Fox News because “Faux”—I mean Fox News is too chicken shit to broadcast actual facts otherwise their indoctrinated viewers would wonder why Fox News continues to carry Trump‘s big deadly lie. Additionally the Committee recently announced these two witnesses will testify on June 9th…
US Capitol Police Officer —Caroline Edwards who was injured during the deadly Jan6th insurrection. She suffered a traumatic brain injury when Defendant Ryan Samsel pushed her, causing her to hit her head on concrete stairs. You read more here and here or generally here (remember when I excoriated the former acting US Attorney …or you watch the YouTube video, that I uploaded over a year ago
Chairwoman Maloney Opens Investigation into Former President Trump’s Failure to Account for Foreign Gifts in Violation of Federal Law…
One thing to remember foreign emoluments but here’s what you should know any and I mean any “gift” valued at more than $415.00 must be cataloged those gifts are owned and considers USA Government Property. The State Department does not have a list of the gifts given to Trump and other senior officials during 2020…the OverSight Committee sent the following letter to the National Archives -reads in part:
These revelations raise concerns about the potential for undue influence over former President Trump by foreign governments, which may have put the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States at risk, and about possible violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the president from obtaining benefits from foreign entities while in office…
April 11, 2022, the State Department revealed that it could not fully account for the foreign gifts Trump Administration officials received during the final year of the Trump Administration. The State Department noted that during the Trump Administration, the Department’s Office of the Chief of Protocol failed to obtain a list of foreign gifts received in 2020 from the White House. The State Department also stated that it was unable to determine the identities of some government officials who received foreign gifts during the Trump Administration, as well as the sources of those foreign gifts…
The Grifter in Chief…hiding foreign gifts? Maybe -but the State Dept rolled him under the bus…
What’s pretty clear in the letter is potentially thousands of dollars in foreign gifts can not be located by the State Department. In my twisted mind I can see Trump absconding from the White House with arm fulls of gifts that are (by law) not his. Again the law stipulates any gift greater than $415 belongs to the United States of America, and are not the personal property of Donald J Ttump
President Trump’s visit to India in February 2020, he received a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a marble replica of Gandhi’s “Three Monkeys” statue, and a spinning wheel, among other gifts. In previous years, President Trump reported receiving dozens of lavish gifts from world leaders, including a Louis Vuitton golf bag and photographs, allegedly valued at over $8,200, from French President Emmanuel Macron, and a gold-framed portrait of President Trump, valued at over $3,000, from the Prime Minister of Vietnam…
…the three furs, three swords and three daggers—were sent to the White House gifts unit to be assessed and appraised but never appeared on any of the Trump State Department’s legally required annual filings for foreign gifts.”12 This included gifts received by Jared Kushner, for which Mr. Kushner paid $47,920 in 2021, after Mr. Trump had already left office
Again you can read the five page letter from the House Oversight to the National Archives, here and you can read the June 7, 2022 House OverSight press release here. If you read the letter carefully it’s obvious that the State Department rolled Trump and other senior Trump officials under the bus. And that absolutely delights me… a lot.
Be Well and make good choices and here’s your extra dose of saltwater therapy.
Someone actually said that I can’t create an Instagram account solely of videos I’ve taken at our beach house —LOLs I have literally thousand of videos stored in many file folders spanning at least nine years. You say I can’t but then I’ll say “oh YES I can and I’ll show you” <snort> “I pity the fool” who says I can’t
Thank you for this. 4 articles in 24 hours, Damn! We appreciate you pulling it all together. I have to read the bitcoin currency again, intriguing but still confusing. Gun laws have got to change for the sanity of our Nation. I hope you are doing better with each day. Take care of yourself and be good to you!
What a horrible mess USA gun violence is! Have you seen any reliable modeling on the effects of various policies or is everything assumed to be proportional?
Thank you for this. 4 articles in 24 hours, Damn! We appreciate you pulling it all together. I have to read the bitcoin currency again, intriguing but still confusing. Gun laws have got to change for the sanity of our Nation. I hope you are doing better with each day. Take care of yourself and be good to you!
What a horrible mess USA gun violence is! Have you seen any reliable modeling on the effects of various policies or is everything assumed to be proportional?