January 6, Christian Patriots, Roe & Fascism

We’re slowly making the slide into fascism.

Evangelical Christians, aided by the recent Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade, are celebrating but they’re not about to give up. They’re coming for the rights of many: LGBTs, people of color, contraception, women’s rights, voting rights and many other issues.

The January 6 Committee is unearthing what we knew about Trump: He was a scared little man, unwilling to let go of power and would do anything to keep it. He plotted. He planned. He schemed, threatened and cajoled. Some of his disciples went along, others were hesitant. Some have since come forward to shed light on this conspiracy to overthrow the government – to steal the election. Funny, though – he was screaming STOP THE STEAL while trying to do just that.

My only hope is that the Justice Department charges him with this, and as a sentence, expressly forbids him from EVER holding federal or public office again.

The man CANNOT be President e.v.e.r a.g.a.i.n.

Meanwhile, supposed “patriots,” wielding Bibles and hoisting flags, have proclaimed themselves monitors of morality, are cheering the SCOTUS’s recent ruling on Roe V Wade because they want to “save the children.” Republicans are jumping for joy but they’ve done nothing to ensure that we’re safe going about our lives.

We’re being slaughtered at parades, in grocery stores, at church, in bars and restaurants.

Our children are being turned to hamburger meat in schools.

Citing the 2nd Amendment – WRITTEN IN 1791 – Republicans refuse to add any teeth to a gun law which would,

A: Raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21

B: Have waiting periods to buy a gun.

C: Initiate a nationwide comprehensive/complete system of background checks that would include any & all police reports of violence, attempted suicide and any other behavior that truly would constitute a “red flag.”

D: Of course – ban the manufacture, sale and ownership of high capacity assault-type weapons and magazines.

E: How about a buy-back?

F: Realize that we ARE NOT LIVING IN 1791 and that the gun laws should reflect this.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I thought that with Trump out of office, things would get better. He exited with thoroughly botching the COVID response. We’ve dealt with this for 3 years now. He’s still around, salivating to get back in the spotlight. Now we’ve got the SCOTUS ruling with hints from Justice Thomas that more draconian measures are to come.

We’re backsliding as a nation and we’re sliding into fascism and Christian Nationalism.

We’re SUPPOSED to be a nation with “freedom of religion,” and freedom FROM religion but the Christian Evangelicals are winning. Eventually this will mean that it will be OK to discriminate against people of any other faith, (or no faith).

When will this end?

The only way will be to turn it around this November and in 2024.

If we don’t, we’re done as a Democracy.

Assault Weapons Were Banned Before. Let’s Do It Again – NOW!

Assault weapons need to be taken off the shelves of gun stores in America. NOW!

This is not unconstitutional.  Machine guns have been illegal since the 30’s.

Just about the same thing, right?  A firearm that’s capable of shooting hundreds of rounds in a short period of time.

I don’t want to hear the bullshit excuse of the NRA or proud “patriots” that this is “taking our guns away.”

It isn’t.

America is under attack from within.  White supremacists are taking the racist rhetoric of Donald Trump to heart.

This HAS to stop – now!

I work in retail.  This could have happened in my store.

Let’s get serious.  We banned assault weapons once before, we CAN do it again.

Lawmakers have not passed legislation limiting semiautomatic weapons since 1994, when they passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which made it unlawful in most cases to make, transfer or possess semiautomatic assault weapons. It expired in 2004.

President George W. Bush let it expire.

Let’s do it again.

1:  Ban the manufacture and sale of assault-type weapons.
2:  High capacity magazines over 10 rounds, illegal to manufacture or sell, too.
3:  Make the manufacture or sale of equipment to convert weapons to automatic fire illegal.
4:  Institute a limit of the amount of ammunition one could buy over the internet and in gun stores.
5:  Why NOT a buyback?  I’m sure we could find the money somewhere to offer people a substantial amount as an incentive.
6:  Increase funding for the ATF and FBI for domestic terrorism.

Finally… and you knew I’d say this:  VOTE OUT THE RACIST HATE-MONGER in the White House.  Donald Trump’s words have given rise to hate crimes.

ENOUGH!  We are living under siege from our very own citizens.

 

 

Dear NRA: Get A Grip. We’re Not Coming To Take Your Guns

Dear NRA:

Understand that despite Wayne LaPierre’s hysterical rant at last week’s CPAC gathering, we are not coming to take your guns, nor are we going to abolish the “right to bear arms.”

All we want are some protections against further slaughter which has become so commonplace in only our American society.

Please understand this.

You & your  members are fond of waving the Constitution in everyone’s face citing that famous passage: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

You hold fast to antiquated wording in a document written pertaining to life 227 years ago. Things were very different. This life no longer exists in our world.

Please understand this.

We do have a “well-regulated militia,”  it’s the National Guard which traces its roots back to 1636.  Our 5 branches of the military, the best fighting machine on the planet; the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, are perfectly capable of defending “the security of a free state,” our United States of America. We have sophisticated technology which could detect an attack, a nuclear one, in seconds, inventions that the creators of the Constitution could never have dreamed of.

The life from 227 years ago doesn’t exist any longer.

Please understand this.

Regarding the “shall not be infringed” part, you’ve already been “infringed.” There are certain weapons that citizens are not permitted to have; machine guns, surface-to-air missiles, grenades, tanks and many others. The framers of the Constitution could not see how life would evolve, nor could they predict weapons used in mass killings.

Life of 227 years ago no longer exists.  Why can’t you understand that?

We are not coming to take your guns away.

You may still have certain guns to hunt with, do target practice or protect your home with, just not those guns which have become so popular with mass shooters: the AR-15 &its cousins which evolved from military use. What civilian actually “needs” a semi-automatic weapon, capable of shredding humans in seconds?  Answer:  nobody.  Ask former military, current law enforcement and trauma surgeons in ERs. They’ll agree.

We are not trying to “infringe” your rights by issuing rules concerning the acquisition of guns.  Just as there are rules for driving a car or flying a plane, or practicing medicine, there must be common sense requirements for obtaining and owning a firearm, too.

Please understand this.

We are not trying to take your guns away. 

We just want some sanity.

There is no sanity in the representation of the NRA when Wayne La Pierre or Dana Loesch get up in front of crowds & espouse farfetched ideas of a government takeover & impending terrorist invasions, or try to scare the crowd with keywords like “loss of freedom.”

The greatest danger to our citizenry are those very weapons you hold dear. The true reality is that the United States of America has the highest rate of gun deaths in the world and the NRA is doing absolutely nothing about it, adamantly opposing any and all common sense attempts to staunch the blood of innocents which flows daily.

In your attempt to defend the Constitution you have lost sight that the “right” of gun owners to own weapons of mass murder infringes on the “right” of our entire population to live without the fear of being killed.

The life of 227 years ago no longer exists.

Please understand this.

All we want is some sanity.

 

 

 

 

 

What About MY RIGHTS Not To Be Killed by A Gun?

WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHTS NOT TO HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR OF BEING KILLED BY A GUN?

I am afraid to go to the movies.

I am afraid to go to a mall.

I am afraid to sit in a restaurant with my back to the door.

I am even afraid to be at work – a grocery store.

I am now afraid to go to a concert.

In fact, I’m wary of going to most public places.

2nd Amendment defenders who scream about their “rights” have forgotten that the rights of the entire citizenry of this country are being infringed and the safety of all citizens compromised.

The Tampa Bay Times reports:  Numerous gun rights bills–especially campus carry–show that Republican legislators are controlled by the NRA and do not understand that if certain limits are not placed on Second Amendment rights, public safety is sacrificed.

That’s it, right there.

 

 

Gun Violence: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

Yesterday’s school shooting in Parkland, FL could have been prevented.

The shooter’s Instagram posts revealed a desire to kill others, including law enforcement.

“I whana shoot people with my AR-15″ (sic), “I wanna die Fighting killing s**t ton of people” and “I am going to kill law enforcement one day they go after the good people.”

Photos on social media accounts showed him holding firearms, knives and even boasting about killing animals.

From the Washington Post:

“An Instagram account that appeared to belong to the suspect showed several photos of guns. One appeared to show a gun’s holographic laser sight pointed at a neighborhood street. A second showed at least six rifles and handguns laid out on a bed with the caption “arsenal.” Other pictures showed a box of large-caliber rounds with the caption “cost me $30.” One of the most disturbing appeared to show a dead frog’s bloodied corpse.”

Yet his followers and friends said nothing.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

Parents, educators:  drill this into kids’ heads.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING,

SAY SOMETHING!

We’ve Lost On Gun Control

When semi-automatic guns became available for sale to American citizens, we lost on gun control.

The Las Vegas shooting introduced the bump stock to the uninitiated. There are countless websites and books available on how to convert semi-automatic weapons to automatic fire.

A machine gun is still illegal for sale and has been since the days of Al Capone and fellow gangsters of the 1930’s. Why are semi-automatic firearms, which can be modified for automatic fire, allowable?

Ah yes, that good ole Second Amendment and the “right to bear arms” thing.

I’ve discussed it in another post and proclaimed it ad nauseum on social media. The “right” to “bear arms” – is no longer a necessity.

We’ve got 5 branches of the armed forces now, with advanced technology.  There’s no need for citizens to run for their guns to protect this country. Those who proclaim they need to be armed because we’re vulnerable to an attack forget to realize our geography. Any strike would come in the form of a nuclear weapon. Their piddly guns would do nothing to stop it.  There goes that excuse.

Afraid of an armed takeover by the government?  Forget it, Bubba.  That same technology would obliterate you and every one of your gun-toting buddies to smithereens.  (P.S.-We’ve already been taken over by corporate America.  Shhhh!)

For the majority of Americans, meat comes wrapped in little packages available at these modern inventions called grocery stores.  Most people live within easy reach of them.   Although some rural dwellers augment their diets with wild game,  we don’t have to hunt for food any longer.

Testosterone dreams of many gun owners focus on protecting their home.  You need an AR-15 for that?  Balderdash!  Get a shotgun.  Depending on the shot loaded and the choke setting on the barrel you can either disable or kill an intruder. You can pretty much hit what you’re aiming for.  Nothing will give an intruder a case of brown underwear faster than the sound of a round being ratcheted into the chamber.  For a maximum surprise, keep one in the barrel (always with the safety on) and you’re good to go.

Hunters who insist they need semi-automatic guns to hunt – shame on you.  You’ve got the advantage of a scope.  It’s supposed to be a “sport,” not a massacre, right?

Oops – I forgot target practice.  You can have a handgun or rifle with limited shot capabilities.  There!  You can go to the range and play Rambo.

There’s no limit on the number of guns or amount of ammunition one can have as evidenced in the Las Vegas shooting.  Searches of homes of other perpetrators of mass killings revealed stockpiles far beyond the reasonable need of an average gun enthusiast.

There should be a limit.

That would not be an infringement of Constitutional rights.

We’ve lost gun control because too many people have these guns.

There’s no way to get them back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gun-Waving, Right-Wing, Racist Trump “Patriots” Are Not Making America Great

“Patriots” waving guns. Nothing more than bigotry on display with a gun.

Donald Trump has legitimized the White Privilege movement, emboldened White Supremacists and brought the haters out into the open.

Trump’s followers are gobbling up his jingoistic bigotry and blatantly flaunting it like a new pair of shoes, something to show off. In the minds of these racist individuals, Donald Trump has made it OK to publicly show hatred toward non-white ethnic groups.

Particularly troubling is that many of Trump’s supporters are gun-waving, self-proclaimed “patriots” who have professed violence against people of color.   Their racism is a badge of honor, coupled with their twisted sense of  bigoted nationalism and fierce defense of a distorted version of the Second Amendment. They feel entitled to “take back” their country. Throw in growing numbers of non-white citizenry which threatens their sense of superiority, the paranoia that Trump is pushing, and the mess becomes a gasoline-soaked tinderbox waiting for a match.

Anti-immigrant hatred runs high for Trump supporters.

Growing numbers of assaults and murders of non-white people are on the rise. This is no coincidence. KKK groups have increased from numbers in the low 90s to more than almost 200 in 2016.  The rise of hate groups  like the recently formed White Lives Matter bunch, openly espouse the rhetoric: “White genocide” is sweeping the United States, caused by mass third world immigration.”  The true definition of genocide is: “The deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation” -or- “The deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group,” I’d say that these “patriots” are a tad bit off base with their claims of mass annihilation of white people.  There are no reports of white Americans being slaughtered en masse by roving bands of immigrants.

Watching any Trump speech is pretty sickening.  White crowds cheer at any mention of “getting rid of immigrants.”  Trump’s promise to build a wall (which he still insists Mexico is going to pay for) elicits utter joy from his minions.  Audience reaction gets cranked up with lies regarding inflated numbers of immigrants that Hillary Clinton wants to admit to the country. Playing into their sense of abandonment by the government, he lies again that Clinton is planning to give illegals Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps and Obamacare. Donald Trump is openly, unabashedly fueling hatred for immigrants – something that goes against the grain of the founding principles of America.

Gun-waving,  right-wing “patriot” haters:  YOU are not America.  Your perverted sense of patriotism is not what has made this country great.

Patriotism is defined by not just waving the flag, but it is anything that celebrates your country or makes it stronger.  Key words:   celebrating your country and makes it stronger.

You do not “celebrate your country” when you run contrary to principles the United States was founded on.  When you express hatred against those of other faiths & cultures, you are actually against what America stands for.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

You do not “make it stronger” by threatening, promoting or acting with violence toward those who have come to these shores for a better life.  You make it worse. Your sense of white superiority is false.  You are no better than those humans you look down upon. This country is for all of us, no matter our color or background or religion.

It is not “your” country to restrict entrance into or demand expulsion of others.

Your revolting rhetoric is sickening.  You are false, fake, an imitation, a counterfeit “patriot,” wrapped in the flag, exuding seething hatred & you use the excuse of patriotism to justify your actions.  You are a sham. When challenged, the only recourse you have is to insult and resort to name-calling.  You have no legitimate defense for your hatred. You hate – period – and that’s good enough for you.

I want nothing to do with your poisonous ilk.  I am for justice, not oppression, for inclusion not exclusion, for tolerance instead of bigotry, acceptance and love, not opposition and hatred.

I am for everything you stand against and believe me, against you I will stand, along with hundreds of millions of  true Americans and citizens of this planet.

You are NOT America.

You are no patriot.

Mass Shootings: The ‘Good Guy With A Gun’ & Reality

You are not John Wayne or Rambo who hits the target every time.

I posted the meme on my Facebook page after the Orlando mass shooting of June 12th.

The ensuing discussion resulted from a comment by a pro-gun friend.

Friend: “That could be because there were no armed civilians at these mass shootings. Mass shooters tend to pick ‘soft’ targets.”

My reply:  “I know we’ve had this discussion before. Yes, I guess they do choose “soft targets.” Our everyday world IS a “soft target.” Much to the dismay of the NRA, we’re not all toting guns in the grocery store, the movies, a mall, in school, a nightclub, at work, in church, at the post office or anywhere else. Unfortunately these murderers, more often than not, choose an assault-type weapon capable of firing many, many rounds in seconds. I think it’s safe to say that even those “good guys with a gun” probably aren’t packing the same, correct?

This brings us to the point which is kinda outlined above in the meme – and I know that you and many other gun owners disagree: Despite all the training and hours at the range, despite the fact that, yes, you may be quite good with a gun – in an active shooting instance, odds are that the “good guy” isn’t going to hit his target. In the utter pandemonium, people screaming, running in every direction, add your body’s own physiological response to the situation. There is much written on this so look it up. It’s more likely you’ll hit someone else – or nothing at all and not the shooter. Then, finally, what happens when the cops arrive? The “good guy” faces a pretty good chance of being gunned down by the cops…, IF he hasn’t had the shooter turn on him first! The average Joe schmo with a gun – even someone who’s had lots of time at the range, probably isn’t going to take down the shooter. Like the above says: “You are not John Wayne (or Rambo or any other gun-glorified hero) and real life is not a fucking movie.” Sorry – I don’t believe it.”

To further show the idiocy of the friend’s remark, I couldn’t help myself.  I had to add:

Me: “Gee, I guess any mass shooter worth his salt wouldn’t consider taking on a “hard target” like a police station.”

Some of these gun owners tend to have unrealistic visions about their abilities. Oh yeah – they could be great at the range, shooting high marks on stationary targets. Perhaps they’re a decent shot while hunting, too.  Of course, this assumes they’d be using a rifle with a scope and any other advantages that would give them. One big difference though:  Bambi, or that paper target, isn’t shooting back!

Regarding the recent Pulse shooting:  There was an armed guard there that night. Adam Gruler, a 15-year veteran of the Orlando police department, traded shots with the gunman.  When the shooter retreated into the crowd, Gruler realized he was outgunned and waited for backup.

In the extremely rare cases that shooters were stopped, it’s been by someone with military experience or law enforcement  training. This time it was not to be the case.

There goes the myth that Mr. Average “Rambo” Joe’s going to take down a shooter.

RELATED:

Do Armed Citizens Prevent Mass, Active Shootings? San Diego Union Tribune, 2016

“The Myth Of the Good Guy With A Gun” Politico, 2015

“Do Armed Civilians Stop Mass Shootings? Actually, No” Mother, Jones 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NRA: You Can Help Stop The Bloodshed!

FROM THE NRA: “They (Obama administration) are desperate to create the illusion that they’re doing something to protect us because their policies can’t and won’t keep us safe,” wrote Cox. “This transparent head-fake should scare every American, because it will do nothing to prevent the next attack.” ~Chris Cox, NRA Lobbying Director. USA Today Opinions, June 14, 2016

Dear NRA:

Your criticism of the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence is a pathetic sham. It is you who has created an illusion. With your vast lobbying power, you have threatened, bought and brainwashed lawmakers for over 40 years. At one time you were a respected entity. This is no longer the case.

In your march to own our government, advancing your own agenda, you have used your perverted version of the 2nd Amendment. It is paraded out at every chance. You are in bed with the gun manufacturers. Tirelessly in recent years, you have fought against public opinion which favors major gun reform. Because of you, because of your insidious influence, every single measure designed to prevent gun massacres or firearms falling into the wrong hands has gone nowhere.

The Republican Party is your lackey. They are afraid of you. Whatever hold you have on them, whatever scandal you keep under wraps to threaten them with, they lack the balls to stand up to you. Not even the horrific murder of 20 little children and 6 teachers at Sandy Hook prompted action toward gun reform. Your only answer was the pitiful suggestion voiced by LaPierre: ‘The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.’ Meanwhile, innocent citizens of this country continue to die senselessly.

Any attempt to redefine the 2nd Amendment to make it relevant to the world of 2016, instead of the 1700s in which it was written, brings howls of rage from the NRA. Muskets are no longer the weapon of choice, but rapid-fire semiautomatics are. To forbid the sale of any weapon capable of firing 50, 100 rounds or more – or those that can be converted (legally or illegally) to do the same or worse, is tantamount to Armageddon to you. To restrict those weapons whose lineage is clearly intended for a military purpose, designed with the sole intent to shred many human bodies in seconds, you equate with the certain ruination of our nation.

Adopting the bigoted, xenophobic fear-based mantra of Donald Trump against Muslims, you’ve declared him the NRA hero and back him for President. Here’s a man on your side: more guns for everybody – that’s the solution! Meanwhile the killing continues. Day after day, week after week, month after month.

The shooting in Orlando this past Sunday was a hate crime against LGBTs, perpetuated by an American citizen – not a terrorist attack!

You, Chris Cox, Wayne LaPierre and gun-rabid minions of the NRA, are all to blame. It is time for the NRA to be the “responsible” voice of gun ownership, not the right-wing, fear mongering organization you’ve turned into.  Help stop the carnage – instead of passing the blame.

For too long you’ve lit the fire, fanned the flames and run in the other direction while We The People mourn our dead and mop up the blood, time after time.

RELATED:

Guns:  Time To Rethink Laws & The Constitution

Guns: Time To Rethink Laws & The Constitution

This was the weapon of choice when the 2nd amendment as written.

 

It has become almost a daily event:  citizens being mowed down by gunfire.

I, like millions ask – WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY?

My opinion:

The United States is a gun-sick society. We solve our problems or take out our grievances by killing.

Citizens are using the Constitution to justify owning firearms that were clearly designed for war and the ability to kill (read shred) many people within seconds.

The NRA has perverted the Constitution and foisted scare tactics upon its members.

Our hogtied elected officials have been bought or threatened by the NRA, and are too gutless to stand up and do the right thing for their constituents and to protect the citizens of this country.

There is a lack of any type of in-depth, comprehensive mental health assessment for potential gun owners and reassessment for current gun owners.

Loopholes in background checks and breakdowns in the system allowed murderers like Dylan Roof and the VA Tech shooter to obtain a gun.

Maybe it’s time to take a hard look at the beloved 2nd Amendment.

My main argument is that it was written in 1789.

Our country was vastly different than it is now!

~~

There were no automatic or assault-type weapons when the 2nd Amendment was written.
The Shelby Star/Jeff Melton/AP

~~

Michael Waldman, who penned “The Second Amendment: A Biography,” has a valid point:   “We’re not going to be able to go back in a time machine and tap James Madison on the shoulder and ask him what to do,” he says. “How the country has evolved is important. What the country needs now is important. That’s certainly the case with something as important and complicated as guns in America.”

Maybe it’s time to rewrite the Second Amendment with relevancy to today’s world, not the 1700’s.

Aside from antique and historic gun collections, I do not believe that any person should be able to have as many guns as they want.

Assault-type or automatic weapons capable of killing many people at a time are unnecessary for the average citizen.  Only those in law enforcement and the military should have access to them.

Guns that can turn a person into instant hamburger meat should not be manufactured or sold – period.  Those that can be modified to semi or automatic fire should be illegal also.

You want a gun?  

Fine – You can have one that fires only a very limited number of rounds before needing to be reloaded.  

It will let you go hunting or to a gun range and practice.  It will also allow some modicum of protection.  

You can still have your gun and it will not infringe on your Constitutional right.

~~

“Open carry” is intimidation and harassment.

~~

In certain states we have the “right” to intimidate others in the form of “open carry” laws. Armed men walk into a store or restaurant with a loaded weapon or stand outside a mosque to show their “strength” to worshipers.  This is harassment.  Look at the photo above.  Who is the terrorist there?

I don’t want to hear that tired adage which is routinely offered by gun proponents:  “If we outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns.” Nor do I want to hear the NRA’s mantra: “Only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun.”  In all of the mass shootings there has never been a civilian shooter who was able to stop the carnage.  The “good guys” don’t stand a chance against a shooter with an assault weapon!

It isn’t the “outlaws” that are committing  these mass murders. Gangbangers are too busy shooting each other in places like Milwaukee, St. Louis, Baltimore and Chicago. That in itself is an unrelated societal fact, just as horrific as mass shootings.  The majority of gang-related murders are committed by repeat offenders, directed toward people they know.  Those who commit robbery, defined as “taking something from a person and using force, or the threat of force,” do not mass-murder their victims.  So much for the “outlaw” defense.

No, it’s non-criminals taking out their warped grudges and fantasies on innocent civilians who are going about their daily lives.  People who are attending movies, a Bible study class, at worship, going to school, riding a train, receiving healthcare, shopping at a mall or serving at a military base. People have been killed in beauty salons, at their place of work or at restaurants.

Countless others – not victims of mass shootings, have been murdered by those who never should have been given access to a gun in the first place but somehow slipped through the cracks.

Why do we have to live under the specter of what is becoming almost daily mass shootings in the most advanced country in the world?

It’s time…, no, it’s past time, that we did something serious and drastic regarding guns in The United States. Overhauling the “right to bear arms” is one of them. People aren’t going to like it.  Their feelings will be hurt, but too bad.

The “right” to own a gun does not outweigh the rights of the citizens of this country to live a life free of fear of murder while going about their daily routines.

The “thoughts and prayers” of our lawmakers aren’t working.

We are tired, weary and sick of all the killing.

It’s time that it stops.

Related:

Deadliest U.S. Mass Shootings 1984-2015

The 2nd Amendment Doesn’t Say What You Think It Does