I bet you didn’t know that there were nine mass shootings in the U.S. last weekend. NINE!!! I bet you didn’t know that last month alone, 1.81 million guns were purchased in the U.S.
Nothing wrong with this economy if that many fools can throw away money on that many guns! If your senator or representative is a Republican, odds are good that he/she has an ‘A’ rating with the NRA. Only one Democrat, Minnesota’s Collin Peterson, has a NRA ‘A’ rating. Last year, Mr. Peterson declared that, “If I hear the words ‘common-sense gun legislation’ one more time, I’ll throw up.”
In the 2016 election cycle, the NRA spent $52.6 million buying Republican candidates. Imagine how many children could have had healthy meals for a year for that amount of money. Instead, some of those children will likely be shot dead by guns because of the NRA and members of Congress.
The only one of the weekend’s minimum of nine mass shootings to make widespread headlines was at a birthday party in Colorado. Six people were killed in that one, and the suspected shooter—believed to be the boyfriend of one of his victims—also killed himself.
In other mass shootings, three were killed and one injured in Woodlawn, Maryland, in a bizarre incident that involved a man shooting and stabbing his neighbors, setting fire to his own home, and ultimately being shot and killed by police. Two people were killed and three injured in St. Louis County, Missouri, when a truck pulled up and bullets started flying. In Compton, California, two people were killed and two injured, while one person was killed and five were injured in a Los Angeles shooting. One person was killed and at least seven were wounded in an altercation at a Phoenix hotel. Four people were injured in each of three mass shootings, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Newark, New Jersey; and Citrus Heights, California.
We have apparently become so complacent, so inured to it all, that these weren’t even widely covered in the press.
Never again, as long as I live, will I vote for a single Republican and I will work to see as many as possible defeated next year. I don’t wish to live in a country where lunacy is supported by the government, where it is no longer safe to even shop in the grocery store or walk down the streets.
Note to non-U.S. readers: I welcome any of my readers who live outside the U.S. and would be interested in writing a guest post about how our gun culture is viewed in your country.
When I heard of the Colorado shooting, I asked myself why a person could do that. The answer of course was: “Because he had a gun”.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly. We all have bad days, but when a person with a gun has a bad day, someone is likely to pay the price.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The thing is it’s not just the laws(or lack of them), it’s the responsible attitude. You need both, you have neither.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You are right about that, my friend. I keep hearing about “responsible” gun owners, but I’ve never met one yet, for in my book a responsible gun owner is one who gives his killing machines up forever. There is no justification for the average Joe to have a gun that has a single purpose: to kill.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are so many mass shootings these days, ppl are becoming inured to the tragedy. Death has become an integral part of our culture, sadly our “leaders” are bought and paid for so nothing can change even if we all protest en-masse. They’ll simply turn a blind eye and point to the 2nd amendment of the constitution. *Sigh*
About that mass shooting in Russia, the kid got the idea from American school shootings. We are most definitely a clear and present danger to the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jill, sadly, small mass shootings in America are not newsworthy. We need signs in our airports, “Welcome to America, I hope you are packing heat.” Keith
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re right, but what a sad statement it makes about this country.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Jill, the State department has a website, as do others, of traveling to various places, and the dangers therein I wonder what others say about traveling to America? Keith
LikeLiked by 2 people
Other nations should caution against travel to the nation that has reverted back to the Wild, Wild West!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m up from writing a post Jill.
I’ll get working on it today & e-mail you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Roger! Got it, and have it on the schedule for this a.m. post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And thank you Jill.
I wish I had a solution for you, but that I fear will only come from within the Gun Owning community when some start to say ‘Enough. Let’s get responsible again,’
LikeLiked by 2 people
There are no simple solutions for complex problems, no panacea for the evils of the world. Sigh. But, we all try to make a difference and, as a former boss once told me, “peanuts make elephants”. Thanks again for your wonderful post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
‘Peanuts make elephants’- nice observation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Courtesy of my former boss, John Clemmons.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Astute fellow 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, Jill, Canadian news sources reported Sunday night there had been 10 mass shootings in the US over the weekend. Either we could not count, or you are missing at least one. I was really wondering why no one on my Word Press blogs was mentioning the lunacy. Apparently the media are getting bored with reporting less than 10 people dying. Mini-nass shootings are becoming commonplace.
And the beat goes on. How simple things were when Sonny and Cher recorded that song some fifty-four years ago.
LikeLiked by 5 people
Could be either, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if our media missed one … as you say, if only a couple of people die, it just isn’t sensational enough to merit column inches. Sigh. I do not understand the love of killing in this country, and anybody who owns a gun, does so for the express purpose of killing, for that is really the only thing guns are for. Sigh.
54 years ago, eh? And now I feel really old! But yes, we thought it was a simpler time … I’m not so sure it was, but we thought so anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Its so sad, but its the sad truth. Here in Germany we have better controls and strict gun laws. Even so, it seems that there are plenty of illegal weapons around. xx
LikeLiked by 3 people
I don’t understand the appeal of owning a tool that was invented and exists for the sole purpose of killing. Sigh. xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
I totally agree with you, Jill! But it had been changed to the hunting instincts of humans. So it could work! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: I Bet You Didn’t Know … | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News
Yesterday the headlines in Aotearoa New Zealand were all about an attack in a supermarket, where an assailant with a knife attacked a staff member. Three shoppers rushed to the aid of the staffer and suffered stab wounds themselves before they managed to overcome the attacker. The attacker, the victim and the 3 shoppers were taken to hospital. The attacker has since been discharged and is in custody and the others have injuries ranginging from moderate to serious. But all survived. Just imagine the consequences if guns had been employed by the attacker, a staff member or a shopper. How many deaths? It reminds us of how much safer we are due to our gun controls when compared to the USA.
LikeLiked by 5 people
We had a few mass stabbings in Canada recently too, Barry. Automatic weapon’s would have been much more fatal, with much larger victim counts. We can only be glad guns were not involved, but that in itself is lunatic thinking. Why are there mass anythings these days in which people are harmed for no reason known to them?
But fools are fools. The insanity is spreading. I heard on the news tonight there had been a mass school shooting in Russia. We didn’t get many facts, but there were said to be a lot of victims. I doubt the news came from official Russian sources, at least not at first. Now I am waiting to hear what really happened. And wondering if the craziness will ever end?
LikeLiked by 3 people
It doesn’t appear that this was a mass attack. The attacker had a single target. The other shoppers were injured while attempting to rescue the victim and disarm the attacker. Attacks in public remain extremely rare here, which is why it made headlines on every form of media.
Under NZ law very little information can be released about the attacker until after the court denies a request for name suppression, so it’s unwise to speculate on motive.
Mass killings on any scale are still very rare here. The Christchurch mosque attack being the only mass murder this century. The previous mass killing was in 1997 when six were killed and the attacker was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Our one and only school shooting occurred in 1923 – that’s 98 years ago.
Since this nation was established in 1840, there have been a total of 17 incidents that can be described as mass killings, 6 of them being familicides. Whatever the cause of mass killings elsewhere, we have yet to be affected by it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
You were born in a good place to live. If only the other nearly 8 billion inhabitants of Earth had been so lucky…
LikeLiked by 3 people
As re the school shooting in Russia … 9 dead, 21 injured from last update I received. The gunman was 19 years old, but no word yet about motive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! I’d rather face down a person with a knife than a person with a gun any day! Against a knife, I stand a chance, for the knife-holder has to get within just a foot or two of me, but against a gun, especially the high-powered assault guns people here own, I wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t believe killing has become so commonplace and so acceptable to the gun nuts that they don’t force the Republicans to adopt the gun safety laws that many of them are supposed to support. It’s sickness in a society that no longer even reports on the number of mass shootings and hat the NRA can claim to support gun safety at he same time as helping sell so many weapons and telling people that gun laws suggested by the Democrats are taking away freedoms. I’d rather have a freedom removed than another life. Stop the NRA from buying any more politicos when they are supposed to work for you.
Cwtch
LikeLiked by 4 people
It is a sickness, and like the pandemic, it is one that is spreading exponentially. ANY form of gun law will be shot down by Congress and the fools in this country will applaud them. Like you, I’d happily give up my 2nd Amendment ‘freedom’ to save lives. Sadly, this nation is a train gaining speed and headed for a big cliff. I want off this train!
Cwtch
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Jill. I’d be interested in writing a guest post.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank You!!! I would love that! My email is : dennisonjill@aol.com … if you don’t mind, go ahead and write your draft, then email it to me. Thank you so much!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hello Jill. I have read that the gun ownership is not evenly distributed country wide. It is something like a third of the country owns 80% guns, but they own a lot of them. But no matter how you look at it, there are too many guns too easy to get and now some states want to do away with any of the gun regulations on open carry. Heck some states allow carrying in bars, the last place I want a bunch of scared trigger happy belligerent people. Hugs
LikeLiked by 5 people
Sigh. In my book, there is zero reason for any average person to own a gun. Period. And you’re so right … alcohol and guns damn sure don’t mix! Sheesh … the lunacy! Got your email … will respond soon, I promise! I’m slow this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I were to write a guest post it would be very brief. It would just say:
Lunacy!
LikeLiked by 4 people
And you’d be spot on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Jill, just another week in blood-stained America. I’ve never been more ashamed of being an American, at least as it pertains to our radical gun culture. Other countries merely shake their heads. Frankly, that’s all I do anymore. How much more outrage does there have to be? Obviously the carnage thus far hasn’t been enough. It’s clear to the gun idiots that these lives lost are nothing but a small price to pay in order for them to buy and amass as many freaking guns as they want. After all, big ol’ Guvment Biden’s coming for them, right? Just another reason, and there are many more, to never vote for a Republican. I’m with you!!!
LikeLiked by 5 people
Same here, my friend. I am ashamed of almost every single Republican legislator, am ashamed of our police, and am very ashamed of at least half the people of this nation, perhaps more. I’ve shaken my head so much that things rattle in there now when I walk. Sanity seems to have left the building. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It sure has. I don’t know if we’ll ever get it back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that eventually we will, but likely not in our lifetimes, my friend. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person