Tag Archives: guns

Reflections

Karen Morse: A thank-you note to Aurora

Because in the midst of dark, shocking disregard and cruelty, we were privileged to see such inspiring generosity and caring.

It is impossible to imagine those first disorienting moments. Impossible to comprehend how the night had turned upside down and inside out. The smoke clawing. The audible terror of gunfire and screams of pain. The ripping flash of gunfire. The barely seen figure hell-bent on destruction.

Yet, in this sensory assault, this mayhem, this perversity, decisions were instantly made based on the utmost kindness. While the gunman was cloaked in all manner of protective gear, people chose to use their bodies to protect others. These people had no Kevlar vests to shield them, but they would fling themselves, their futures, their possibilities, their tomorrows over others to offer them a chance. “Here,” they said, “let me use all that I am to protect all that you are. You deserve a chance.”

Friends stayed at each other’s side, offering life-giving assistance. Refusing to leave and try to save themselves. It may have taken months of planning to marry the desire to hurt them with the mans and tools of doing so, but it only took minutes to decide I love my friend, my child, my dear one too much to ever, ever abandon them. True brotherhood made manifest in a theatre, in that frightful, dark theatre in Aurora.

So the strident cacophony of cruelty continues to be silenced by the soft melody of kindness. The pictures of the candles lit, flowers laid by crosses, hugs of comfort shared, all sing this song. The sweet, sweet remembrances of those mortal lives lost. “They were the best of us,” we say, “the best of us.”

To which I add … thank you, Aurora, for reminding us of what is best in all of us.

Political Rants

Kvetch in haste.

There’s a lot going on these past few weeks, so I just want to touch on a few things and go. Touch and go, that’s right.

Fast and fatuous. Congressman Darrell Issa’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted this week to recommend Attorney General Eric Holder be held in contempt of Congress. That, of course, has been reported by all and sundry. What have only really been visible on Fox News are the positively loony allegations that are behind this push for the contempt citation. Perhaps you’ve heard this – it’s a conspiracy theory that the Obama administration allowed the “Fast and Furious” arm sales to go wrong in the hopes that the resulting increased gun violence in Mexico would prompt a popular movement for gun control back home.

Crazy stuff. Except that it’s being repeated by G.O.P. lawmakers like Rep. John Mica, Trent Franks, Joe Walsh, and Issa himself. Sen. Charles Grassley (a.k.a. Grandma) has alluded to this as well. So…. why is it the mainstream media haven’t pointed out the fact that this goof-ball paranoid yarn is driving this whole effort? I’m no great fan of Holder, but this is ludicrous. Question for the mainstream media: when they start eating dogfood on T.V., will you report on it?

Lovin’ it. Hiring is still down. Millions are still out of work. This is a depression, and Congress is sitting on their hands, hoping it stays bad long enough to elect one of their own president. They are not alone. American business, large and small, could make a difference here, but they are making do with fewer workers. Frankly, they like it like this. What’s not to like? They make their existing work force work harder for the same money or less (greater “productivity”). The presence of a large surplus labor force keeps the employees quiet and cautious, afraid to ask for a raise, better working conditions, etc.  And pappy tax cut gets elected president. Am I wrong? Has anyone out there ever worked for a business? I have, and I can tell you…. if they can get away with fewer people, in my experience, they do just that.

One wishes large businesses, at least, would act for the good of the nation and start hiring people again instead of sitting on their historically enormous cash reserves. But that’s not their mission. Their mission is to maximize shareholder value, workers be damned. So prosperity for them doesn’t mean jobs for us. It means more of the same.

luv u,

jp

Political Rants

Commierat.

Another challenging week for those who value sanity. Let’s see what we’ve got in the old political grab bag:

Go West. Channeling Joe McCarthy, congressman Allen West name tagged the entire Congressional Progressive Caucus as members of the communist party this week. Interesting choice. Is this dude trying to lead us back bravely to 1952? Because if he does, he will not be a congressman at the end of that process. Black people effectively did not have the right to vote in Florida back then, let alone represent their constituencies in Congress. Do go there, Congressman! Stay in this decade, at least.

Memento Santorum. Well, this is disappointing. Just when I was getting used to the knock-down drag-out fight that was the Republican primaries, they come to a screeching halt. My guess is that someone got on the phone to old Rick – time to pack it in, old man, and let Mitt start kicking at his general election strategy. Perhaps Mr. Friess made the call himself – suggested Rick hold his ambition between his knees, so to speak. Probably good advice. Looked like the voters of Pennsylvania were prepared to reject him and his bigoted politics for a second time in six years. Nasty S.O.B., that one. Still…. disappointing. Now it’s all Thurston Goodhair Car-Elevator the Third. Even the banker-Republicans are a little disenchanted, but … they’ll rally.

Gun Play. The alleged killer of Trayvon Martin George Zimmerman was arrested and arraigned this week on charges of second-degree murder. They are essentially accusing him of driving a truck through the truck-sized hole in Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law – the one that essentially legalizes murder for anyone with enough brains to arrange shooting their victim without any witnesses. This law is cousin to similar legislation passed or being introduced in state legislatures across the country through the good offices of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), basically an instrument of the NRA in these cases. Inasmuch as the left has all but completely folded on the gun issue, the gun lobby needs to justify its existence by pressing for ever more absurdly permissive legislation on gun ownership, gun toting, and gun use.

“Stand Your Ground” in Florida amounts to standing any ground at any time; a society of vigilantes reminiscent of the film-inspired myths of the 19th Century American West. What could possibly go wrong?

Crime of the Century. A guy in Utica just attempted to rob three banks armed with a toilet plunger. This followed by what sounds like a keystone-cops type of chase by local law enforcement around an ATM. Who says all of the truly big crimes happen in big cities?

luv u,

jp