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You know there are times when it’s a good thing that I am where I am and Congress is where it’s at. For if I were closer, I would be hard to dissuade from marching up the Capital steps and hunting for Reid and a few others to throttle.
Being not of the assaultive behavior type, that’s saying a lot for me.
If you haven’t heard, Reid has pulled Diane Feinstein’s assault weapons bill from the docket and will not bring it to the floor for debate.
His reasoning: he cannot produce 60 votes for it’s passage.
Since when is this the rule for whether a bill is deemed appropriate for debate. Has there never in the history of that august? body been a time when a Senator has given so empassioned a plea that it has so shamed the other members that they have had a change of heart?
Okay, so I’m dreaming. Undoubtedly so. But is that an excuse?
Tell me that Turtle-man Mitch McConnell would announce the usual GOP filibuster. Go ahead tell me that it was useless to try.
It was not useless. I am aware enough, I think, of the stupid rules of the Senate to know that that was likely. Mitch is a stooge after all, of who ever is paying his ticket to ride the gravy train formerly known as the US Senate.
But there would be A RECORD.
Even if that record is nothing but the GOP ploy to protect their sick caucus from having to stand up in public and vote NO to rational gun laws. Let them admit in full view of the American people that they side with gun manufacturers and dealers and that they too are part of the insane bunch of fools who think Obama is just biding his time before he outlaws all guns in the US and we are in the throes of a civil war.
Let the so-called Democrats, who are no more than GOP’ers in disguise, who also are on their knees before the god NRA offering the sacrifice of more bodies and more babies to the insane machinations of sociopathic teenagers and young men who decide that suicide should be accompanied by a body count beyond one. Let them be forced to admit the shame of who and WHAT they are, by voting NO so that I can see them.
Let them spout all their idiotic rhetoric that guns don’t kill people, and legitimate hunters score better bambi kill when their gun looks like GI Joe military weapon, all the while they spray a rain of bullets on a defenseless deer, making the meat unfit for finding let alone eating. Let them moan and groan that respectable people are being forced to give a name and address before purchasing a 30-bullet clip, while they routinely do that to board a damn airplane.
Let them say it all, and let us see them saying it, and see it for what it is.
More of the damn same crap we endure every damn day from those who are supposed to be representing us and the COMMON GOOD.
When was that point?
When was that point when we gave up all sense that our government’s elected officials were actually there to represent us, the average American. When did it turn to representing only the rich and the powerful and their ceaseless greed for money and power to shape the world in a way that serves them, while making the rest of live like animals, gnawing at each other, holding our pistols in terror, fearful to lose that little that we have.
Was it always the point? Was this country started on that basis and have I been living out the lie that I MATTERED AT ALL?
I’m beginning to believe it’s all just a cosmic joke. I’m beginning to believe that government was never “of, by and for” me, but of, by and for THEM, with me as the worker ant, ever dutifully dying and grubbing on their behalf.
Am I mad as hell?
Yes.
Mad enough to do what?
I don’t know. Except at this moment I just want to fire the lot of them. I’m not sure any of them are “smarter than a 5th grader,” and I’m pretty sure a band of 5th graders could do no worse.
The soap box now belongs to you!
Related articles
- Harry Reid Drops Scary Looking Gun Ban From Anti-Gun Legislation (stoptheaclu.com)
- Harry Reid Decides Newtown Families Don’t Deserve A Vote On Assault Weapons Ban (mediaite.com)
- Senate Leaders Drop Assault-Weapon From Gun-Safety Bill (bloomberg.com)
- Too Far? Michael Moore: If Gunman Killed Harry Reid’s Grandkids, He Wouldn’t Drop Assault Weapons Ban (mediaite.com)
- Delusional White House After Harry Reid Killed Feinstein Assault Weapons Ban: ‘We’re Going To Find The Votes’ To Pass It As Amendment (patdollard.com)
- Feinstein’s Gun Ban Shot Down By Harry Reid (thegatewaypundit.com)
- Feinstein on assault weapons ban: ‘I’m not going to lay down and play dead’ (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
Existential Ennui 
Americans and their guns is a curious topic for non-Americans such as myself.
As you mention, a few Americans happily use their guns to slaughter innocent critters, and every so often some kid goes berserk and goes on a killing spree of locals.
However, you don’t hear much if anything about senators or wall street types or greedy corporate executives etc. being hunted down and shot. Why not?
Not that I’d encourage such an activity.
you know I guess that’s a big surprise. Certainly some people get mad enough. I’m very happy it doesn’t happen, but I’m rather surprised that it doesn’t. !END
Amazing! Elected representatives protecting American’s God-given, constitutionally protected rights seems to bother you but liberals running around the country committing mass murder doesn’t bother you in the least?
you made no sense at all. I think you need to see a doctor about the lack of brain matter in your skull. !END
yupperz….McCongress at work.
I’m no fan of McD’s, but I think you insulted them! !END
hmmm….you’r right. At least with McDonald’s you can fix the indigestion with Rolaids.
I can’t believe Harry wimped out (again)! Love the graphic of him… suits to a “T”. Equal blame goes to the 10-20 cowards who couldn’t or wouldn’t come up with the needed votes.
Yeah they all just suck don’t they? !END
I don’t know what Harry Reid was thinking, but he’s well aware that all that McConnell needs to do to filibuster the bill is just one phone call from McConnell to Reid. Record or no record for that bill, there were hundreds of bills filibustered in the last 4 years, and very few of those filibusters caused much outrage.
And it’s also possible that Reid didn’t even have 50 votes for the bill. There are a few pro-gun Democratic Senators, and there a few more Democratic Senators from red states, who might just vote against it so that the bill doesn’t get used against them in the next election.
Politics… don’t you just love it?
What an ugly institution we have. Lately, saying, “it might be bad sometimes, but it works,” seems awfully hollow. All I know is that Congress has been a huge disappointment for far too long.
One wonders if there is any solution, other than voting them all out. But will we improve things by doing so? I’m just not sure. !END
I think strict term limits is the best solution. The problem is professional politicians. We need to erase “politician” as a description of a viable career. Clearly the professionals have had their day and we could obviously do a lot better with amateurs. The Founders were not professional politicians.
lwk
LWK, sorry to interrupt, but may I? Couldn’t help overhearing/reading from my desk… I think term limits would ensure that the loudest, most right wing of the zealots came to power every few years, and that people like Barney Frank would be lost after a term or two. Rotating inexperienced people who clamored for or bought an election instead of allowing skilled legislators to create legacies (Ted Kennedy, Mo Udall, Howard Baker, Tip O’Neil, George McGovern) would weaken national office to the detriment of us all.
I know we have a ton of asshats in Congress, but some of those people are working hard for the right causes. Hate to lose ’em to some arbitrary term limit, especially if the Koch Bros were going to buy the next guy for the job.
Squatlo wrote:
“I think term limits would ensure that the loudest, most right wing of the zealots came to power every few years,…”
I see nothing in your statement above that would led me to believe that “thinking” has anything to do with whatever process you use to aquire opinions.
Barney Frank was one of the prime architects of the subprime mortgage mess, and he and Dodd saddled us with some of the moronic Dodd-Frank Act. Not to mention one of his lovers running a whorehouse out of Frank’s domicile.
Ted Kennedy should have spent at least a few years in jail for death of Mary Jo Kopechne. He drove a car off into water and left her still alive to die a slow death as she asphyxiated in a bubble of air in the car. It was something like 18 hours before he finally notified the police after consulting with his lawyers. Anyone who didn’t have his fortune to buy off people would have been in jail.
And yes, Tip O’Neil, probably the single most responsible party if losing S. Vietnam to the Communists. Americans had won the war while they were there. Then they left under a treaty. Nixon left office and Tip O’Neil and the Democrats refused to send even one bullet in supplies to the S. Vietnamese when they pleaded for supplies – not troops – to fend off the then N. Vietnamese offensive.
As a Vietnam Veteran I personally consider Tip O’Neil to be a traitor his country and many of my friends who fought and died to defend the Republic of South Vietnam.
“Squat Low”? Your screen name is well chosen.
lwk
“Tip O’Neil, probably the single most responsible party if losing S. Vietnam to the Communists.”????? Duh, like it was “Ours”?????
Yupperz….that Tip…. he sure fucked things up. Now we are still dealing with the hordes and hordes of Red Commies that invaded us. gees…get a life…..
you are unaware I presume of the studies done in states that have term limits. That might change you opinion. And the Founding Fathers were mostly all elites of their time. They were not politicians simply because there was not country at the time. Think a bit deeper before you speak. !END
I agree it would have been a good idea to keep the Assault Weapons Ban in the bill. Then it would have obvious what a total political loser it is.
An AR-15 carbine is undoubtedly one of the best possible weapons for home defense you can own, especially with a 30 round magazine. I defend that statement in “Who Needs An Assault Rifle” on my blog.
You wrote:
“More of the damn same crap we endure every damn day from those who are supposed to be representing us and the COMMON GOOD.”
The Founders, who were fairly above average in intelligence and knowledge of human history to that time, felt that an armed citizenry was absolutely dependent on an armed citizenry that could resist tyranny. The 2nd Amendment isn’t about hunting Bambi, and no AR-15 “sprays” bullets – it is not a machine gun.
And finally, yes guns don’t kill people. People make the decision to pull the trigger and it is something within some people that is the real agent of killing. The gun is just the extension of their will and choice, just as it is an extension – a good extension – of the will of those who defend themselves and others.
Self defense is constructive violence.
lwk
free2beinamerica2.wordpress.com
That is utter rot. You have a rather faulty understanding about what the 2nd amendment was designed for. It was intended in party to placate the South into signing on to the new constitution, without fear that the North might invade with a federal army and take away their slavery rights. Secondly it was from deep fear based on English history, in having a federal standing army. It was felt that states should supply troops to quell either foreign invasion or domestic uprising by calling them up as necessary. It was not until recently that an individual right was ever contemplated. The first use of the state militias was during Washington’s presidency when it was called up to put down the Whiskey rebellion–citizens rising up against their own government. So get some facts before you spout. And please don’t lecture me about weapons. I probably know more than you. Just because you don’t just need to depress the trigger once, doesn’t mean that you can’t fire off a “spray” in seconds. Lanza fired 151 bullets in something like 5 minutes. Get real. Nobody needs a semi-automatic rifle with a big clip to defend their home. Any competent cop will tell you that a shotgun works far better.
People kill people with guns. Stop being such a stooge. !END
You wrote:
“You have a rather faulty understanding about what the 2nd amendment was designed for. It was intended in party to placate the South into signing on to the new constitution, without fear that the North might invade with a federal army and take away their slavery rights.”
Want to bet who has read the Federalist Papers and who has not?
See No. 28, 29, and 46 where Alexander Hamilton and James Madison explain very clearly the intent of the 2nd Amendment is to protect against tyranny by the Federal government through the use of a standing army.
And:
“It was not until recently that an individual right was ever contemplated.”
Not according to District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) which looked at the writings of the Founders and ruled the 2nd Amendment always was an individual right.
And:
“People kill people with guns.”
People are alos killed by cutting or stabbing, blunt objects, strangulation, hands, fists, feet, or pussing, and arson. People killed other people long before guns were invented.
Dr. Gary Kleck did a study that showed that Americans used firearms over 2 million times a year in self defense. In the vast majority of cases the gun was not fired and no one was hurt. The aggressor left the scense once he knew the intended victim was armed.
Therefore logically guns are used far, far more often to save life, than to take life in the context of civilian gun ownership. Therefore logically the purpose of guns – based on scientific evidence of how they are predominantly used – is to save life, not take it.
That is why some time ago I went to the trouble to get a concealed carry permit. My intent is to save life, primarily my own life and that of members of my family. I did not get a permit because I had any deep desire to kill a criminal.
lwk
Hah, I meant “pushing,” not “pussing ….”
Save your stupidity for another place. I majored in political science in undergrad. And yes, the Federalist papers say exactly that….Just AS I SAID. The was a fear of a central federal standing army, therefore a STATE Militia was opted for that could be called up BY the federal government as needed. Duh. And you would have to look at a long line of cases regarding to the 2nd amendment to understand that for more than a century, the right was considered a militia right and not an individual right. Heller is but the full statement to that effect. Oh, I’m a lawyer too, so please don’t presume to teach me law. Go go away. !END
You wrote:
“I probably know more than you.”
Decades ago I trained as a professional gunsmith. However my career diverged to something more profitable with computers many years ago (went back to school and got a degree in Computer Science using the GI Bill). However I do miss working on guns at the level I once did.
If I chose to I have sufficient skills with machine tools (lathes, milling machines) and hand tools to build firearms in my workshop (I have no intention of doing that, but technically I have sufficient skill to do so). I normally handload most of ammunition I shoot at the range.
I am also a Vietnam Veteran. I used to shoot in DCM High Power matches which go out to 600 yards. I have a concealed carry permit in Texas. My son is now in the Marine Corps and qualified as an expert marksman in boot camp, and I take some pride in teaching him about firearms from an early age.
And you wrote:
“Just because you don’t just need to depress the trigger once, doesn’t mean that you can’t fire off a “spray” in seconds. Lanza fired 151 bullets in something like 5 minutes.”
I don’t know that the official report is out yet, or how many rounds actually hit a person. I do know this. The Navy Seals say that their best trained operators, some of the best in the world where one individual may fire more rounds in training than an entire company in Army, cannot fire aimed shots faster than 1 round a second. That is the very best in the world. I doubt Adam Lanza came anywhere close and from what I have heard he had more like 15 minutes than 5 minutes.
And wrote:
“Get real. Nobody needs a semi-automatic rifle with a big clip to defend their home. Any competent cop will tell you that a shotgun works far better.”
I defend my views in detail here:
Who Needs An Assault Rifle?
http://free2beinamerica2.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/who-needs-an-assault-rifle/
lwk
how thrilling for you. And why am I not surprised that you are from Texas. I’m sure you feel really manly being strapped. And you are simply wrong. The reports on the school shooting have been filed. 151 shots were fired, and the time, dated from the 911 call which came within a minute of his entry into the school, totaled 5 minutes. Learn the facts before you open your mouth. And your trolling is tiresome don’t you think? !END
Sherry writes:
“I’m sure you feel really manly being strapped.”
That kind of insult clearly signals the paucity of your intellect.
“… dated from the 911 call which came within a minute of his entry into the school, totaled 5 minutes.”
See:
“Police and other first responders arrived on scene about 20 minutes after the first calls.”
http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/12/us/sandy-hook-timeline/index.html
lwk
free2beinamerica2.wordpress.com
Couple typos I now notice, but I am sure you can get the gist of it.
lwk
Whoa… Sherry….you caught a Troll! whatcha gonna do with him? I heard they make good catfish bait…….but I gave up fishing before I started. Fish smell. Listen….the ban is still on the burner…..It ain’t over yet.
and he’s a favorite, a prepper. I wonder if he is smart enough to find the other posts I’ve written on preppers. We stopped watching the show since too many were creating arsenals. After SandyHook we were too sick to watch and find it “funny”…I wish I had a bridge to put him under. Do you think he has pink hair? !END