One Year After …

Posted on by under education, guns, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants, Social commentary

Yesterday marked one year since the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers:

  • Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo, 10
  • Jacklyn Cazares, 9
  • Makenna Lee Elrod, 10
  • Jose Manuel Flores Jr., 10
  • Eliahna Garcia, 10
  • Irma Garcia, 48
  • Uziyah Garcia, 10
  • Amerie Jo Garza, 10
  • Xavier Lopez, 10
  • Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10
  • Tess Mata, 10
  • Miranda Mathis, 11
  • Eva Mireles, 44
  • Alithia Ramirez, 10
  • Annabelle Rodriguez, 10
  • Maite Rodriguez, 10
  • Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio, 10
  • Layla Salazar, 11
  • Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10
  • Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10
  • Rojelio Torres, 10

Since that tragic event, what has happened?  Well, aside from the numerous and completely useless ‘thoughts and prayers’ that have been sent to nobody in particular, NOTHING.

In the year since Uvalde, there have been more than 650 mass shootings in the United States, and still, Congress, state legislators, state governors, and the courts have done naught but sit on their fat arses … or in some cases, even reversed what few gun laws that were in existence.

In the immediate aftermath of the Uvalde tragedy, Congress did manage to pass one milquetoast piece of legislation that …

  • included incentives for states to pass so-called red flag laws that allow groups to petition courts to remove weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others
  • expanded an existing law that prevents people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun to include dating partners rather than just spouses and former spouses
  • expands background checks on people between the ages of 18 and 21 seeking to buy a gun

Not many teeth in that law, but worse yet,  there is a new bill on the table in the House today that would repeal the law and what little it does.  So no, my friends, NOTHING is being done to prevent another Uvalde … or Parkland … or Sandy Hook … or Columbine.  No ban on assault weapons, no new training and licensing requirements … in fact, many states have recently eliminated any requirements for permits related to carrying a concealed weapon.

Is this why Republicans and religious groups are so hellbent and determined to keep women under their thumb, force them to become baby manufacturing plants, so that we can afford to have our children shot to death and still have a hefty population?  Does that offend you?  Well, then, don’t tell me … call or write to your members of Congress and tell them how you feel!

There is something deeply flawed with a country, a people, who value their right to own a killing machine more than they value the lives of their own children.

27 thoughts on “One Year After …”

  5. Jill, here is a summation of the policy of the Republican Party observed over the years by this independent voter and former Republican and Democrat:

    it is not a major issue if lack of good drinking water, toxic chemicals in the environment or larger and more intense forest fires and hurricanes due to climate change kill more people;
    it is not a major issue that easy access to assault weapons or adaptors to make assault-like weapons kill more people and suicides are the most frequent gun death;
    it is a major issue that history books include references to the parts of history that will make you squirm;
    it is a major issue if people who may vote for your opponents get a fair opportunity to vote;
    it is a major issue that the separation of church and state gets in the way of an evangelical agenda; and

    -it is a major issue if a woman can govern her sexual health (within the confines of Roe v Wade).

    To me, my old party is not focusing on the right things and, in some cases, greasing the skids to let more bad things happen. Keith

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    • A definite case of skewed priorities, isn’t it? Sadly, the people seem to see things the same and keep voting against their own best interests. Sigh. I’m feeling a bit like it’s time to kick aside my ol’ soap box, maybe use it for kindling.

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  6. At this point, I am resigned to the idea that this is all intentional. I did the math earlier, and America was averaging 115 deaths a day from guns in 2023. That includes accidents, homicides, and suicides.

    If we experienced a plane crash daily that killed 115 people, the airlines would all be grounded within a week. Nobody would be flying until they figured out was was causing the crashes. There would be nothing off limits either in getting to the cause of the crashes.

    I think it’s intentional because there’s a small subset of the population that’s driving this insane gun policy. I don’t know what the endgame would be, but I do know it won’t be long before we go from six degrees from Kevin Bacon to six degrees from gun violence. We’ll all know someone who’s been a victim of gun violence or we’ll experience it ourselves.

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    • Oh yes, no doubt you are right about the airplane analogy. Unfortunately, most people don’t hear about the gun deaths every day. Perhaps that’s part of the problem? Perhaps the major media publications should all have a block at the top of their sites saying: xxx deaths by guns yesterday! I hadn’t given thought to it all being intentional … rather just human greed, but you may be right. And yes, I’ve already experienced gun violence twice, and I’m sure most people have or will during their lifetime. The answer, I’m afraid, is for people to wake up, but that seems unlikely to happen, doesn’t it?

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      • I believe we’ve become desensitized to the news reports. I know several people who have stopped watching the local news because the first 10 minutes is usually about deaths from shootings, robberies, or car accidents. I wish I had an answer to the never ending violence.

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        • I fully agree … we have. I’ve said it many a time, that people in the U.S. have become inured to the everyday gun violence. There is only one answer, Bro, and that is to drastically reduce the number and availability of guns to the public, but you and I both know that is as likely as me growing wings and learning to fly.

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  7. And, despite, how many shooting are going to happen, that needed gun-control bill still, will, never make it past the drafting or the, reading stages, until the heads of the Republican Party lose their next-of- kins by huge numbers, the Republicans will never realize, just how important it is, to get a, gun-control bill, passed into, law.

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    • As long as We the People keep electing people who are under the spell of the gun manufacturers and their big money, nothing will change. It is up to us, but unfortunately, about half the population in the U.S. is pretty much ignorant and care more about the immediate moment than the long term.

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  8. No amount of killing of innocents seems to either touch the hearts and consciences of pro-gun folk, nor put true fire in the bellies of the majority of legislators who would ‘think it very nice if there was gun control’. While the majority of folk are probably thinking ‘I hope it doesn’t happen to us,’
    Aside from several ‘difficult’ scenarios which come to mind, it would seem the only hope will come from those who own just one gun who think this is going too far getting together with those who don’t own guns but ‘get it’ why some folk own one of two. Sitting down and saying ‘There’s got to be a way out of this, before more little kids get killed’, then working it out into a nationwide movement.
    Slim chance I know, but the ‘difficult’ scenarios are far worse.

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  9. We keep on screaming, but we might as well be living in Antarctica. The problem is milquetoast politicians on the left side of the house being scared to upset raving lunatic politicians on the right side of the house. The USA badly needs to elect politicians with balls, even if they are women!
    I think the truth is there is no real Opposition to gun violence in Congress, just people playing games that We the People cannot win…

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      • Thanks, Sir Roger. I just woke up from a sound sleep with certain words running through my head, and I need a place to write them down. Here is as good a place as any.
        Coming from a a province as I now do where oil and gas are still the main topic of a nasty election fight, I would j6st like to say we cannot continue to live on the oil of hatred, or the gas of fear! We must move ahead to greener fields where the energy of love and the food of peace serve we the people, not control us!

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    • Yes, I did a bit of thinking tonight, and concluded that my blog is … rather a waste … the only people listening to what I’m saying are the ones who already believed as I did. I think … I think the U.S. has written its agenda and it is not in line with the country I wish to live in. People … apparently the majority of them … care more for their ‘lifestyle’ than the survival of the species. I … haven’t given up yet, but I am very close to just giving up. Hope is but a word with little or no meaning these days. LuL

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