I wonder how many of us around the US don't want to say what's on our minds about guns because we feel intimidated by all those people who insist on turning our nation into an armed camp.
And I wonder how many of those who insist on banning abortion, while tolerating children being murdered in school on a regular basis, see any logical inconsistency between those two policy positions.
I wonder how many of us around the US don't want to say what's on our minds about guns because we feel intimidated by all those people who insist on turning our nation into an armed camp.
And I wonder how many of those who insist on banning abortion, while tolerating children being murdered in school on a regular basis, see any logical inconsistency between those two policy positions.
They don't see logical inconsistency. I posted something in reply to a post by a male who labeled himself as responsible had posted a photo of a female carrying a full term baby with something like ¨your body your choice does not include this baby's body,¨ as though this full term baby was independent from the woman's body. I congratulated this male, saying that I was assuming his responsibility meant that he had had an irreversible vasectomy, knows the number of children in foster care in America, knows what happens to those foster children after they are forced out of care at ages 18 - 21 into a world they are not prepared for, and that most end up on the streets prostituting themselves or turning to drugs. Many end up in prison. I asked how many foster children he has adopted. What his community and the churches in the community are doing to provide for, nurture, and educate those children as his political party denies government aid to those struggling - which will include more and more women who are forced to give birth to children they cannot support. One response was from a male asking how would I feel if I had been aborted. Another a female who called my reply red herrings. These people have no interest in what happens to children who are born. I worked with foster youth. I taught children who were adopted from foster care. Their stories are blood curdling nightmares. But these narrow minded, hypocrites don't bother to think beyond the murder of a fetus. That children are slaughtered doesn't bother them. That is just a red herring.
Thank you, Galilee. I’m an adoptee who has been told I should be grateful I wasn’t aborted. My response is ….“ same soul, different body”.
Members of my local Republican Executive Committee believe adoption is the “humane compromise” for a woman or child who becomes pregnant as the result of rape or incest. My response ⬇️
A woman or child who faces such a traumatic, forced pregnancy may have the option to: 1)carry the pregnancy to term, or,2) have a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy. Some may have absolutely no say in the decision,including those who have been human-trafficked.
Fetuses cannot be adopted.Adoption is an option only once there is a living child. If a person carries a pregnancy to term, even if this decision was not freely chosen, the decision is to :1)parent the child, or,2) relinquish the child for adoption.
Many birth mothers who suffer the life-long trauma of relinquishment,as well as adoptees, should not be used as political pawns.
And please stop telling adoptees they should be grateful they weren’t aborted. This “pro-life” gaslighting only serves to promote a false equivalence.
If the woman who is carrying an unwanted fetus is black, she knows the chance that that baby will be adopted is close to zero and thus will chose to "just keep it".
Actually, their support is for a zygote. My friend is an NNP who recently had to intubate a set of twins reportedly at 26 weeks. When the babies were delivered, they were obviously nearer to 21 weeks. She told me how difficult it was; “ it was like intubating jello” she said. Of course and thankfully they passed within hours. I used to work in a NICU once upon a time. A preterm delivery at that gestation was considered a “ spontaneous abortion”. It’s disgusting what the repugs are doing and making healthcare providers do.
Thanks to all of you who responded with personal horrifying experiences. Last night I listened to some male pontificate about his role in passing some anti abortion law. Pffft. Then there are the self-righteous women who are should know there's not one word in the NT about abortion. These people are at the least pro-misery and at the worst, pro-death. And just this week we had a report from Maryland about some 80 years of hiding sexual exploitation by priests. Hypocrites, all.
Women should collect DNA and ID from every sex partner and then take them to court to support and raise (or keep!) the human she was forced through involuntary servitude to bring into the world. Why aren't law firms taking up this challenge?
I never considered the child being a zygote & yet I took biology classes in college. This is quite enlightening on several levels. I LEARNED. Kudos, Mary Ann.
They also don't consider the women who already have children, and another will drag the family under. Do you tell the kids, "Sorry, we're gonna have to give this one away. You might be next."
These God spouting Republicans don't care about anyone but themeslves and feel it's their "right " to inflict their beliefs on anyone that they don't like.
Any woman who is forced to continue her pregnancy because of regressive laws in her state need only find the home address of her nearest GOP legislator and drop the baby off on that doorstep. If thousands of babies kept showing up on Repub doorsteps, I wonder how they would respond.
Living in this country is indeed become difficult. As a protester during the Vietnam war and for equal rights for woman 50 years ago was different. Today we live in a country where our government supports gun violence and we watch as our children getting killed. We send prayers and do nothing to protect them. In fact we loosen the laws so everyone has the right to gun ownership. That right is more important than children’s lives ??? Yet we woman struggle to have say over our body. Can you imagine women having a say over men’s reproductive rights? Maybe time for every man who impregnates a women he is financially responsible for that child’s life. Yes the number of assault weapons and shootings in this country certainly is a way to control protests because of the fear of being shot. Kind of how fascists countries control their citizens. No one should have the right to assault weapons. The exposure of how our Democracy is not working with people in power able to gerrymander is frightening. Thomas being paid off. Such corruption is disheartening for the future of our country. Having a President that incites violence every chance he gets to gain power is despicable. No wonder he and Putin were such buddies. A salute to those legislators who were brave enough to speak out to protect our children. There are a few good men /women left but much of our attention is focused on the ones who intention is to destroy our democracy.
The Church has long frowned on masturbation.....wasting one's seed. We know how well that has worked out. I recommend an older book, Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven for a detailed account of all the screwball antics around sexuality promoted by the Church as well as some the crazy ideas of what women do.
Zella I wonder how evangelical ‘Christians’ relate the ‘immaculate conception’ to the ‘immaculate emasculation.’ I hope that this would prick their consciences.
Hi Keith, I get your point and totally agree with it! One little niggling issue that is more about theological accuracy ......"immaculate conception" actually refers to Mary herself being conceived without sin ( presumably to be a worthy "God-bearer [Theotokos].)
"Virgin birth" is what you want here. Even evangelical Catholics get these confused!...... Sorry, don't want to come across like the theology police ( do have a PhD in it for whatever that is worth) but your point is a good one and you may as well have the most potent terms at hand. Thank you. All the best!
Carol Congrats on obtaining your PhD! When I was at UPenn, my book NASSER’S NEW EGYPT: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS (1960, NEW YORK, LONDON) was accepted as my dissertation and I would be given credit for teaching several courses together with a ‘customized’ book program for my PhD, but I chose the Foreign Service and the tranquility of Congo (1960-1966).
As history professor (1992-2013) for many years I taught SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EARLY JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM. On the New Testament, I relied heavily on Bart Ehrman, a true authority at the U. Of NC. Recently, I watched his new DVD on Jesus becoming ‘god.’ He skipped over the ‘immaculate conception.’
He made a strong historical presentation on why the body of Jesus could not have been placed in a tomb and, thus, the story of his resurrection was not historically accurate.
In my comments on LFAA I have a tendency to be cavalier rather than scholarly. Regarding the ‘immaculate conception,’ several of my students had professed a similar experience.
At the last church I joined, I first told the minister that I was puzzled by the “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” Happily, he stated that he would not pursue this issue. So what about the Holy Ghost (who subsequently became the Holy Spirit)? My historical impression was that this was declared at Nicaea in 325 as part of a series of resolutions that, in part, were intended to kill a distinct ‘Christian’ movement.
I find that faith is often distinct from historical assessment, since faith requires no factual proof.
Some of my family are now celebrating Passover. I find the story of Moses fascinating, even if it was written about 400 years after his presumed existence.
David, to answer your question: None of them see that in anything at all similar. Nor do they see any conflict with their anti-abortion stance and their horrible infatuation with the death penalty. They have no iota of support for support programs for poor families whose children are malnourished, abused, or raised in "housing" that would curl your toes. It. Isn't. About. Babies. It is about controlling women. Period.
Reminds me of the interview on Amanpour with Christianne and V (formerly Eve Ensler) about global controlling of women everywhere, from the US to Afghanistan to Iran to Africa, everywhere needing a united global response, a worthwhile 13 minutes discussion on the continuing "paradigm of patriarchy" in her book, Reckoning, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/01/30/amanpour-v-reckoning.cnn
Most American women had, and still have no idea, just what a big deal it has been in the recent decades to be able to get out of the condition of pregnant and barefooted. They thought it was a right but in the history of the human race, it's an anomaly. Welcome to the real world, girls.
Yes, I agree, which was the point I was hoping to make. If logical consistency were important to them, they would either drop their insistence on banning abortion in favor of Guns For All -- or they would decide it's a good idea to lock up ALL OF THE GUNS for the sake of the children.
Logic, to them, is like Kryptonite to Superman or holy water, garlic & sunlight to Dracula. They have their own crackhead logic that only they understand.
I enjoy science fiction, and speculative fiction. This current version of "adult consensus reality" reads like sci-fi. I think we could spin it into a pretty good yarn. No time travel, though. When we treat these bizzaro characters -- eg mtg -- as characters in a fictional tale, it makes it much easier to talk about it. Implausibility doesn't matter anymore because it's fiction. In a fictional tale we could actually talk about locking up all of the guns. And we could rewrite District of Columbia v. Heller for Justice Scalia, and bring the first clause back into contention, "...A well-regulated militia..." Then we could say "Want to own a gun? Join the National Guard -- if they'll have you."
Well-regulated militia…Boy, I’ve been screaming that from the rooftops! If there are no gun regulations to cramp gun owners’ style, where does the “Well-regulated” part fit in?
"To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;" - US Constitution, Section 8
Back in the day, the militias were formed by men who brought their own firearms. Nowadays I'm pretty sure anything like the National Guard provides the actual firepower.
I sure hope one day we'll have a SCOTUS that can correct the travesty of the current 2nd Amendment interpretation.
There's nothing wrong with these types of people that lots of drugs, ECT & perhaps a lobotomy wouldn't remedy, possibly. These are the same people who said that " The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat ". Hate is a VIRTUE to them.
I'm sure you don't mean people whose politics we disagree with should be involuntarily drugged or lobotmized. If so, there's a sizable dose of virtuous hate in your comment
We are quite close to the old tradition of human sacrifice to please and appease the gods. We just have to institutionalize it: provide “undesirable” humans including, of course, children, to the shooters who worship the Second Amendment. Become a country that stands up for its rights without all the unpredictable chaos.
That scenario isn’t fiction. It just happened in the same Tennessee legislature highlighted in today’s letter. White officials expelling two elected legislators from the legislature. And a third, who is white, is not expelled, merely censured. For disorderly behavior and bringing dishonor to the house. The Tennessee Three. Having a voice. All in plain site. What was the purpose of the protest? Gun control laws, children, banning military weapons. And after a judge loosened Tennessee gun laws. After six people In Nashville, including three nine year olds, were killed in a Christian school. A Christian School. Dishonor and protest on the floor. Sounds like next is a duel. Backwards Time Machines for sale in red states.
Yes. And I left out in this late post, the critical factor: the expelled legislators are Black. We might have known even without that detail. We are two countries. Not united.
Rep. Gloria Johnson called out the discrepancy. From a Twitter post about this issue "Reporter asks Rep. Gloria Johnson why she thinks there was a difference between her outcome and Rep. Justin Jones"
Rep Johnson: "I'll answer your question; it might have to do with the color of our skin."
AKA: Lies. The plutocrats, who despise "the little people" may flatter themselves a la Trump, but I think they know when they are lying. It may be "alternate facts", doublethink. and word-Greene-salad, but there is method to the madness, and its all about power; the power of money, the power of position, and the power of violence.
Rational people usually don't shoot other people or smash their craniums, etc., about differences or suspected differences. I read about Pol Pot's " Killing Fields " where the Khmer Rouge would shoot people wearing glasses on the mistaken belief that they were intellectuals that Pol Pot was trying to eliminate.
But that's all posturing. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has asked for the federal government to pay for all hurricane relief in her state. A state that already gets $2.17 in federal $ for every $1.00 they send to the federal government. These crazies can count and they know they can't survive without the blue states. We should secede.
Build it deep as well as tall, just in case they're relatively smart enough to figure out that they can DIG UNDER such a thing. Most of them aren't much for IQ's above the single digits.
I think these comments about the lack of logic and reason in Republican behavior miss the point. The Rs are engaging in a power play, no more, no less. Their illogical and unreasonable statements and positions are merely theater for their "base" (debased base, if I may say so). So forget about "reasoning" them to more sensible behavior. This is war that should be settled by overwhelming force at the ballot box, working through and around any voting restrictions that have been put into place.
Yes, locking up all guns would help. Banning the sale assault style firearms would also be simple and effective. If someone has an assault style weapon and wants to sell it, the state will buy it, then destroy it.
An NRA spokeman once proclaimed that "an armed society is a polite society." Meaning, the gun-worshippers can easily intimidate and threaten everyone who doesn't agree with them. Chilling, frightening, and they are very close to creating their "utopia" where few dare to oppose their madness.
Not to mention that NRA quote is total BS. An armed society is NUTS. Our own is proof!
Back in the so-called Wild West, towns often made gunmen relinquish their weapons prior to entering the town proper. And even now, the shameless hypocritical Rs and their lunatic supporters often have to keep firearms out of their own gatherings.
Knowing that there are millions of orphans in this overpopulated world, I ask that people who really want children to adopt and hope that some social system that works will be devised. I have known two adoptions well. The first an Indian baby taken off a table (where she was left to die) by an American social worker. She brightened our lives as she learned French horn, growing up happy and accomplished.The second a very traumatized black child, now flourishing as the little sister and much protected child of parents with whom she has become the first black citizen of Iceland!
Realizing that it takes exceptional people to adopt as these friends did, recognizing that few in America can any longer afford children, I still have hope that we can put together a system that will allow US to reach out with generosity to orphans everywhere.
Talk about speaking out in an open carry state (even 17 yr olds) is easily said. We have billboards on freeway - with ‘lets go Brandon’. Thats free speech here.
Well, don't be intimidated. I've been overtly threatened online and my standard reply is "bring it bitch, and don't bring it weak." I'm not being glib either.
I wonder how many of us around the US don't want to say what's on our minds about guns because we feel intimidated by all those people who insist on turning our nation into an armed camp.
And I wonder how many of those who insist on banning abortion, while tolerating children being murdered in school on a regular basis, see any logical inconsistency between those two policy positions.
They don't see logical inconsistency. I posted something in reply to a post by a male who labeled himself as responsible had posted a photo of a female carrying a full term baby with something like ¨your body your choice does not include this baby's body,¨ as though this full term baby was independent from the woman's body. I congratulated this male, saying that I was assuming his responsibility meant that he had had an irreversible vasectomy, knows the number of children in foster care in America, knows what happens to those foster children after they are forced out of care at ages 18 - 21 into a world they are not prepared for, and that most end up on the streets prostituting themselves or turning to drugs. Many end up in prison. I asked how many foster children he has adopted. What his community and the churches in the community are doing to provide for, nurture, and educate those children as his political party denies government aid to those struggling - which will include more and more women who are forced to give birth to children they cannot support. One response was from a male asking how would I feel if I had been aborted. Another a female who called my reply red herrings. These people have no interest in what happens to children who are born. I worked with foster youth. I taught children who were adopted from foster care. Their stories are blood curdling nightmares. But these narrow minded, hypocrites don't bother to think beyond the murder of a fetus. That children are slaughtered doesn't bother them. That is just a red herring.
Thank you, Galilee. I’m an adoptee who has been told I should be grateful I wasn’t aborted. My response is ….“ same soul, different body”.
Members of my local Republican Executive Committee believe adoption is the “humane compromise” for a woman or child who becomes pregnant as the result of rape or incest. My response ⬇️
A woman or child who faces such a traumatic, forced pregnancy may have the option to: 1)carry the pregnancy to term, or,2) have a medical procedure to terminate the pregnancy. Some may have absolutely no say in the decision,including those who have been human-trafficked.
Fetuses cannot be adopted.Adoption is an option only once there is a living child. If a person carries a pregnancy to term, even if this decision was not freely chosen, the decision is to :1)parent the child, or,2) relinquish the child for adoption.
Many birth mothers who suffer the life-long trauma of relinquishment,as well as adoptees, should not be used as political pawns.
And please stop telling adoptees they should be grateful they weren’t aborted. This “pro-life” gaslighting only serves to promote a false equivalence.
If the woman who is carrying an unwanted fetus is black, she knows the chance that that baby will be adopted is close to zero and thus will chose to "just keep it".
Thank you for your post, Kathy.
Thank you for your share. Abrazos ❤️🌺
Actually, their support is for a zygote. My friend is an NNP who recently had to intubate a set of twins reportedly at 26 weeks. When the babies were delivered, they were obviously nearer to 21 weeks. She told me how difficult it was; “ it was like intubating jello” she said. Of course and thankfully they passed within hours. I used to work in a NICU once upon a time. A preterm delivery at that gestation was considered a “ spontaneous abortion”. It’s disgusting what the repugs are doing and making healthcare providers do.
Thanks to all of you who responded with personal horrifying experiences. Last night I listened to some male pontificate about his role in passing some anti abortion law. Pffft. Then there are the self-righteous women who are should know there's not one word in the NT about abortion. These people are at the least pro-misery and at the worst, pro-death. And just this week we had a report from Maryland about some 80 years of hiding sexual exploitation by priests. Hypocrites, all.
Women should collect DNA and ID from every sex partner and then take them to court to support and raise (or keep!) the human she was forced through involuntary servitude to bring into the world. Why aren't law firms taking up this challenge?
I never considered the child being a zygote & yet I took biology classes in college. This is quite enlightening on several levels. I LEARNED. Kudos, Mary Ann.
Unfortunately, most of the ¨theys¨ don't get that. They truly believe it is a full term baby. They use the words ¨baby murderer¨.
They also don't consider the women who already have children, and another will drag the family under. Do you tell the kids, "Sorry, we're gonna have to give this one away. You might be next."
Or puts the mom’s life at significant risk
These God spouting Republicans don't care about anyone but themeslves and feel it's their "right " to inflict their beliefs on anyone that they don't like.
Any woman who is forced to continue her pregnancy because of regressive laws in her state need only find the home address of her nearest GOP legislator and drop the baby off on that doorstep. If thousands of babies kept showing up on Repub doorsteps, I wonder how they would respond.
Thank you, for this post Gailee Wells.
Thank you Sharon ❤️
Living in this country is indeed become difficult. As a protester during the Vietnam war and for equal rights for woman 50 years ago was different. Today we live in a country where our government supports gun violence and we watch as our children getting killed. We send prayers and do nothing to protect them. In fact we loosen the laws so everyone has the right to gun ownership. That right is more important than children’s lives ??? Yet we woman struggle to have say over our body. Can you imagine women having a say over men’s reproductive rights? Maybe time for every man who impregnates a women he is financially responsible for that child’s life. Yes the number of assault weapons and shootings in this country certainly is a way to control protests because of the fear of being shot. Kind of how fascists countries control their citizens. No one should have the right to assault weapons. The exposure of how our Democracy is not working with people in power able to gerrymander is frightening. Thomas being paid off. Such corruption is disheartening for the future of our country. Having a President that incites violence every chance he gets to gain power is despicable. No wonder he and Putin were such buddies. A salute to those legislators who were brave enough to speak out to protect our children. There are a few good men /women left but much of our attention is focused on the ones who intention is to destroy our democracy.
Gabrielle Blair, Ejaculate Responsibly
Apparently Fred Trump did not!
Too bad
The Church has long frowned on masturbation.....wasting one's seed. We know how well that has worked out. I recommend an older book, Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven for a detailed account of all the screwball antics around sexuality promoted by the Church as well as some the crazy ideas of what women do.
HA! Love it!!!
Zella I wonder how evangelical ‘Christians’ relate the ‘immaculate conception’ to the ‘immaculate emasculation.’ I hope that this would prick their consciences.
Hi Keith, I get your point and totally agree with it! One little niggling issue that is more about theological accuracy ......"immaculate conception" actually refers to Mary herself being conceived without sin ( presumably to be a worthy "God-bearer [Theotokos].)
"Virgin birth" is what you want here. Even evangelical Catholics get these confused!...... Sorry, don't want to come across like the theology police ( do have a PhD in it for whatever that is worth) but your point is a good one and you may as well have the most potent terms at hand. Thank you. All the best!
This is my third revision of a comment I wrote yesterday in this spot.
The children in the USA -- children of all ages -- are waiting for Congress to solve the gun problem.
Until Congress solves the gun problem, they should be held responsible for all children, of all ages, who are harmed by guns.
If Congress fails to act, they are culpable
Carol Congrats on obtaining your PhD! When I was at UPenn, my book NASSER’S NEW EGYPT: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS (1960, NEW YORK, LONDON) was accepted as my dissertation and I would be given credit for teaching several courses together with a ‘customized’ book program for my PhD, but I chose the Foreign Service and the tranquility of Congo (1960-1966).
As history professor (1992-2013) for many years I taught SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EARLY JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM. On the New Testament, I relied heavily on Bart Ehrman, a true authority at the U. Of NC. Recently, I watched his new DVD on Jesus becoming ‘god.’ He skipped over the ‘immaculate conception.’
He made a strong historical presentation on why the body of Jesus could not have been placed in a tomb and, thus, the story of his resurrection was not historically accurate.
In my comments on LFAA I have a tendency to be cavalier rather than scholarly. Regarding the ‘immaculate conception,’ several of my students had professed a similar experience.
At the last church I joined, I first told the minister that I was puzzled by the “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” Happily, he stated that he would not pursue this issue. So what about the Holy Ghost (who subsequently became the Holy Spirit)? My historical impression was that this was declared at Nicaea in 325 as part of a series of resolutions that, in part, were intended to kill a distinct ‘Christian’ movement.
I find that faith is often distinct from historical assessment, since faith requires no factual proof.
Some of my family are now celebrating Passover. I find the story of Moses fascinating, even if it was written about 400 years after his presumed existence.
Happy Easter.
Evangelical CATHOLICS ? That's a new ( relatively ) factor, at least to me.
Oh, my Lord. Men can ejaculate anytime, any place. How can they control THAT ? Give us chemical castration ? !
I still have a button that says 59 cents.
David, to answer your question: None of them see that in anything at all similar. Nor do they see any conflict with their anti-abortion stance and their horrible infatuation with the death penalty. They have no iota of support for support programs for poor families whose children are malnourished, abused, or raised in "housing" that would curl your toes. It. Isn't. About. Babies. It is about controlling women. Period.
That's the nail on the head - control, not care.
It's about controlling women, minorities, people with whom one doesn't agree and these are folks they certainly do not care one iota about.
Reminds me of the interview on Amanpour with Christianne and V (formerly Eve Ensler) about global controlling of women everywhere, from the US to Afghanistan to Iran to Africa, everywhere needing a united global response, a worthwhile 13 minutes discussion on the continuing "paradigm of patriarchy" in her book, Reckoning, https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/01/30/amanpour-v-reckoning.cnn
Most American women had, and still have no idea, just what a big deal it has been in the recent decades to be able to get out of the condition of pregnant and barefooted. They thought it was a right but in the history of the human race, it's an anomaly. Welcome to the real world, girls.
Agree with every word. Recommend that everyone watch this interview. I'm forwarding it to my discussion group.
LOGIC ? These Bizarros ? Logic, rationality, reason & critical thinking are either not in their skill set or indoctrinated out of them.
Yes, I agree, which was the point I was hoping to make. If logical consistency were important to them, they would either drop their insistence on banning abortion in favor of Guns For All -- or they would decide it's a good idea to lock up ALL OF THE GUNS for the sake of the children.
Logic, to them, is like Kryptonite to Superman or holy water, garlic & sunlight to Dracula. They have their own crackhead logic that only they understand.
I enjoy science fiction, and speculative fiction. This current version of "adult consensus reality" reads like sci-fi. I think we could spin it into a pretty good yarn. No time travel, though. When we treat these bizzaro characters -- eg mtg -- as characters in a fictional tale, it makes it much easier to talk about it. Implausibility doesn't matter anymore because it's fiction. In a fictional tale we could actually talk about locking up all of the guns. And we could rewrite District of Columbia v. Heller for Justice Scalia, and bring the first clause back into contention, "...A well-regulated militia..." Then we could say "Want to own a gun? Join the National Guard -- if they'll have you."
Well-regulated militia…Boy, I’ve been screaming that from the rooftops! If there are no gun regulations to cramp gun owners’ style, where does the “Well-regulated” part fit in?
"To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;" - US Constitution, Section 8
Thank you, JL. Makes me wonder just what Madison had in mind with the 2nd Amendment when he wrote it.
Back in the day, the militias were formed by men who brought their own firearms. Nowadays I'm pretty sure anything like the National Guard provides the actual firepower.
I sure hope one day we'll have a SCOTUS that can correct the travesty of the current 2nd Amendment interpretation.
The US government has trillions worth of weapons, including nukes. This renders the "well regulated militia" moot.
Excellent point.
There's nothing wrong with these types of people that lots of drugs, ECT & perhaps a lobotomy wouldn't remedy, possibly. These are the same people who said that " The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat ". Hate is a VIRTUE to them.
I'm sure you don't mean people whose politics we disagree with should be involuntarily drugged or lobotmized. If so, there's a sizable dose of virtuous hate in your comment
Just the David Dukes & George Wallaces & a few others like MTG, who is, let's face it, plain undiluted BS unhinged & Lauren Boebert.
Wow. So we object to Nazi-like retribution except when we can weaponize it ourselves.
Daniel, your response to me is both intellectually and morally bankrupt.
I should have phrased that differently. You're correct. When my adrenaline is going at full throttle, ANYTHING can come out.
But the punishment for treachery SHOULD at least be crafted to fit the crime. Name a fitting, appropriate penalty, please.
Evocative of "Animal Farm."
We are quite close to the old tradition of human sacrifice to please and appease the gods. We just have to institutionalize it: provide “undesirable” humans including, of course, children, to the shooters who worship the Second Amendment. Become a country that stands up for its rights without all the unpredictable chaos.
That scenario isn’t fiction. It just happened in the same Tennessee legislature highlighted in today’s letter. White officials expelling two elected legislators from the legislature. And a third, who is white, is not expelled, merely censured. For disorderly behavior and bringing dishonor to the house. The Tennessee Three. Having a voice. All in plain site. What was the purpose of the protest? Gun control laws, children, banning military weapons. And after a judge loosened Tennessee gun laws. After six people In Nashville, including three nine year olds, were killed in a Christian school. A Christian School. Dishonor and protest on the floor. Sounds like next is a duel. Backwards Time Machines for sale in red states.
those right wing nuts are digging their own graves...we just have to watch out that we don't get pulled down with them.
Yes. And I left out in this late post, the critical factor: the expelled legislators are Black. We might have known even without that detail. We are two countries. Not united.
The white legislator's position was saved by one vote. I bet she's sick about that.
Rep. Gloria Johnson called out the discrepancy. From a Twitter post about this issue "Reporter asks Rep. Gloria Johnson why she thinks there was a difference between her outcome and Rep. Justin Jones"
Rep Johnson: "I'll answer your question; it might have to do with the color of our skin."
Will we become like Sparta if we get rid of the " undesirable " humans ? This is disturbing indeed.
Anything is possible, what with over population and growing autocracy.
When has the human race proven be be "nice"?
AKA: Lies. The plutocrats, who despise "the little people" may flatter themselves a la Trump, but I think they know when they are lying. It may be "alternate facts", doublethink. and word-Greene-salad, but there is method to the madness, and its all about power; the power of money, the power of position, and the power of violence.
" IN THAT DAY " THEY WILL Face, The HIGHEST Power !
What purpose is logic in the absence of mercy and compassion?
Rational people usually don't shoot other people or smash their craniums, etc., about differences or suspected differences. I read about Pol Pot's " Killing Fields " where the Khmer Rouge would shoot people wearing glasses on the mistaken belief that they were intellectuals that Pol Pot was trying to eliminate.
Gregory Personally I believe that there were scads of mercy and compassion at the Nuremberg Trials. Mercy and compassion for the millions of victims.
Yes, the Acultamuricans must have their own country, religion, language, laws, and facts to be "logically consistent" (!) with their messy-iah.
Let 'em secede & form a new country. If a disaster takes place & they come slamming on the door for aid, we can tell them to eat c**p & die.
But that's all posturing. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has asked for the federal government to pay for all hurricane relief in her state. A state that already gets $2.17 in federal $ for every $1.00 they send to the federal government. These crazies can count and they know they can't survive without the blue states. We should secede.
Sarah Huckfinn Sanders is 6 cans short of a 6 - pack !
Maybe we can build a wall separating the blue & red states. Just give me time to move North or West first, please.
Then we'll really have to build a wall!
Build it deep as well as tall, just in case they're relatively smart enough to figure out that they can DIG UNDER such a thing. Most of them aren't much for IQ's above the single digits.
I think these comments about the lack of logic and reason in Republican behavior miss the point. The Rs are engaging in a power play, no more, no less. Their illogical and unreasonable statements and positions are merely theater for their "base" (debased base, if I may say so). So forget about "reasoning" them to more sensible behavior. This is war that should be settled by overwhelming force at the ballot box, working through and around any voting restrictions that have been put into place.
Exactly. "Their illogical and unreasonable statements and positions are merely theater for their "base" . . ."
Logic--consistent or inconsistent--requires an intellectual function . . .
Yes, locking up all guns would help. Banning the sale assault style firearms would also be simple and effective. If someone has an assault style weapon and wants to sell it, the state will buy it, then destroy it.
It worked to reduce deaths when the 1st Federal assault legislation was in effect from 1994 to 2004!
And I always ask myself, why didn’t the democrats pass a ban while they briefly had a super majority? ( 2009)
Maybe if we point out that guns can and do kill pregnant women and therefore fetuses…????
For them, gun rights trump fetus rights.
Daniel, when laws don’t matter, logic doesn’t matter
An NRA spokeman once proclaimed that "an armed society is a polite society." Meaning, the gun-worshippers can easily intimidate and threaten everyone who doesn't agree with them. Chilling, frightening, and they are very close to creating their "utopia" where few dare to oppose their madness.
Not to mention that NRA quote is total BS. An armed society is NUTS. Our own is proof!
Back in the so-called Wild West, towns often made gunmen relinquish their weapons prior to entering the town proper. And even now, the shameless hypocritical Rs and their lunatic supporters often have to keep firearms out of their own gatherings.
North Korea is very very polite.
L
"Logical inconsistency" is not part of their cognitive domain.
Logic isn't something they use much. They " think " with their adrenals.
Knowing that there are millions of orphans in this overpopulated world, I ask that people who really want children to adopt and hope that some social system that works will be devised. I have known two adoptions well. The first an Indian baby taken off a table (where she was left to die) by an American social worker. She brightened our lives as she learned French horn, growing up happy and accomplished.The second a very traumatized black child, now flourishing as the little sister and much protected child of parents with whom she has become the first black citizen of Iceland!
Realizing that it takes exceptional people to adopt as these friends did, recognizing that few in America can any longer afford children, I still have hope that we can put together a system that will allow US to reach out with generosity to orphans everywhere.
I was behind a big personal truck (Ford 350 or something) recently with a bumper sticker that said "I carry a gun." I was careful in passing him.
Talk about speaking out in an open carry state (even 17 yr olds) is easily said. We have billboards on freeway - with ‘lets go Brandon’. Thats free speech here.
Well, don't be intimidated. I've been overtly threatened online and my standard reply is "bring it bitch, and don't bring it weak." I'm not being glib either.
Nope.