Almost the entire nation wants common sense gun control to make America safer from mass shootings. Most Republican voters want it. Independent voters and politicians want it. Democratic voters and politicians want it. The only ones who don’t want it are the Republican base, that is, the extremist minority of Republican voters, virtually all Republican politicians, and gun manufacturers.
An anguished father mourning his 18-year-old daughter vented his anger and pleaded for safer schools.
A fear-stricken student who watched classmates die last week wept openly as he called for banning assault weapons.
A mother who lost her 6-year-old son in a school shooting just over fiveyears ago warned that more parents would lose their children if President Trump did not act, adding, “Don’t let that happen on your watch.”
One by one at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, survivors of school shootings and family members of victims shared their stories and their calls to action. The extraordinary public exchange with the president gave voice to an intensely emotional debate over how to respond to the latest gun massacre in an American school.
A week after a gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style assault rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people and prompting a rash of student-driven lobbying for new gun restrictions, Mr. Trump met for more than an hour with grieving people in search of solutions. News cameras captured the unusual listening session, revealing an emotional give-and-take between a president and private citizens that is typically shielded from public view.
Mr. Trump used the event to pitch his own ideas about how to prevent such debacles in the future, polling the group about whether they supported allowing teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons, an idea he said could have halted the carnage in Parkland…
Inserted from <NY Times>
That was yesterday. This morning, Trump was tweeting the NRA’s praises.
Rachel Maddow reported on this story and discussed it with Nicole Hockley of Sandy Hook Promise.
I disagree with Nicole, because she said that nobody favors gun violence and school violence. That appears to be a platitude. I think both the NRA and the Republican Reich do favor both gun violence and school violence. Both organizations depend on fear as a means to further their respective agendas. What engenders fear better than a school shooting? Ammosexuals and frightened parents are flocking to gun stores to buy more guns they don’t need for self-defense. That’s more profit for gun manufacturers. Before the blood dried in the school hallways, Republican fundraisers were flooding conservatives’ email, explaining how those libruls are after their guns. Republicans are raking in more money. In Republican politics, more money equals more power. That’s why I think the NRA and Republican Reich love to see gun violence and school violence.
I would love to be wrong. Can you fault my logic?
RESIST THE REPUBLICAN REICH!!
11 Responses to “The Republican Reich Is the Only Obstacle”
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Nicole could have said “Nobody will admit to favoring gun violence or school violence.” That would have been defensible. Gun manufacturers are pretty openly in favor of mass shootings because the improve sales. Republican legislators taking money from the NRA are clearly happy with mass shootings because they increase their donations from the NRA. But perhaps the most – not shocking, because it’s no longer possible to be shocked – appalling? depraved? – response to this shooting was from those at the White House who more or less openly expressed relief that the Parkland shooting had given them a “reprieve” from the pressures of Mueller’s investigation.
Amd P.S. New from VoteVets – and in my state. And I think this District is winnable – this time. I surely hope so.
Excellent point about Trump. I hope Jason wins! ?
Nazis
Running
America
I agree with the above comments. I watched the WH discussion, heartbreaking words from those students. I (personally) am against teachers being armed. They have enough in the course of a day, and enough on their plates, what with no funding for paper, pencils, books, and teaching resources, that it’s overwhelming them sometimes. Our future in is those classrooms, teachers, staff and students alike.
Perhaps we should stop calling it ‘gun control’, and call it for what it really is, massacre prevention. The shooter got support from the NRA, and the cold blooded repugs embrace this.
*Joanne, I read that about the WH expressing relief and getting a reprieve from the shooting. How F’king low can they go?? Great video. “Yes, we’ve ALL had enough!”
This is from my personal inbox, words from Joe Kennedy III
P –
Last week, our nation’s heart broke – yet again – as we watched students flee Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and learned of the 17 students and staff who were killed.
And immediately, we heard the same tired talking points and empty gestures and hollow words:
hopes and prayers,
let’s take a moment of silence,
now’s not the time to talk about solutions.
They’ve got it backward, P.
Now is not the time for silence.
Let’s talk about responsible gun ownership, and about what that really means.
Let’s talk about why we have weapons of war in our neighborhoods and schools.
Let’s talk about parents who will never see their children smile again, let alone fall in love, have children of their own, change the world.
Let’s talk about the money and campaign promises that buy our leaders’ cowardice in the face of tragedy after tragedy.
Let’s talk about ending gun violence.
Let’s shout about it.
Let’s not stop until we can send our kids to school without worrying that they may never come home.
Joe
I am always encouraged to read positive things sent by officials to people’s inboxes, like this from Joe Kennedy. I try to share those, and am delighted to see them shared by others. I’m not on Joe’s list (but I sure am on a lot of others), so I especially appreciate this. Thanks, Pat!
I like him. ?
What Freya said!
Marco rubio was confronted by survivors, and dodged, dodged, dodged!
tDump is too sick to really care, maybe they all are!
No, I can not fault your logic! Wish I could!
tDump picture is reminiscent of the now old actor with his “Out of my cold, dead hands!” idiocy. The otherwise forgettable guy who Michael Moore interviewed some years ago.
What else did anyone expect to hear from an NRA front man who needed to have these notes at hand to listen to survivors of school shootings and family members of victims in a special listening session? Drumpf needed to be reminded by someone in his staff (he obviously didn’t write these notes himself) that he at least needed to pretend to have listened.
Rachel Maddow makes it very clear indeed that it’s al pretence, there is and never was any intention to really listen to what was said other than those remarks that suit the Republicans/NRA and those people whose minds they have poisoned with fear and hatred. The only thing Drumpf seemed to have picked up on was a remark of one of the parents (?) that perhaps teachers should be armed in class, a suggestion that has been made before after a school shooting and then met with so much opposition that it disappeared again. Now:
Your analysis is correct, TomCat, the ones standing in the way of a solutions are the ammosexuals and the weapon manfacturers, empowered through the NRA and the (Republican) politicians they have bought. Drumpf is just one of those. But the tide is turning, students are out on the streets and people speak out against idiotic proposals (both in general ‘Teachers Are Educators, Not Security Guards’: Educators Respond to Trump Proposal and from experience An Armed Principal Detained a Campus Gunman. But He’s Against Arming School Staff.), or by having it shown as unworkable on the spot (As Gunman Rampaged Through Florida School, Armed Deputy ‘Never Went In’). And with the NRA taking an even more hard-line approach to the shooting than usual, the current debate on gun-control isn’t going to die down as soon as Republicans had hoped and hopefully it will force them into action.
The meeting with Drumpf was nothing more than a scam to appear to placate those there. Of course, Drumpf will deny that, but one need only look at the notes he had in his hand during the meeting! Who needs to be reminded to say “I hear you.” when listening to the stories of people who are so affected by gun violence? . . . someone who does not give a rat’s ass! Drumpf will never go through this as a parent because his son, Barron, is in a private school with Secret Service protection.
There have been a number of town hall meetings recently and Republicans have been met with derision and anger, both well deserved. Drumpf said a little while ago that he hoped there would be another 9/11 type event that would happen in the US to pull people together. Could another school shooting be in the offing . . . only much bigger and ideally conducted by a Muslim, a white nationalist or other radical (ie a Timothy McVeigh)? As Yale historian Timothy Snyder posited in an interview with Chauncey DeVega as it appeared in Alternet:
Admittedly, part of this discussion was about the possibility of Drumpf looking for a means to cancel mid terms and was also about his book, “On Tyranny”. I certainly hope he incorrect. It certainly looks like winter is coming!
Your logic is impeccable! . . . and surprise, surprise, I agree!
Thanks, hugs, and Amen to all! ?