Welcome To The United States of Lunacy

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

Isn’t it funny (and I don’t mean in a ‘ha ha’ sort of way) that if you mention the word ‘abortion’, people are all up in arms about the “killing” of a fetus, but those same people are supportive of giving everyone the right to kill with guns.

Last year, the Supreme Court struck down New York’s law that required people seeking a license to carry a handgun in public to demonstrate that they had a “proper cause.”  And ever since then, states have been racing toward rolling back the few gun laws we actually have.

Just this week two states made it easier to kill.  In Maryland, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., ruled that a 10-year-old Maryland law related to licensing requirements for handguns was unconstitutional.  And in Oregon, a state judge concluded that a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2022 that would prohibit high-capacity magazines and require background checks and training to obtain gun permits violated the State Constitution.  In other words, anybody should be allowed to own a gun no matter their background, temperament, or capability.  Have a history of beating your wife?  Sure, here’s your gun and how much ammunition would you like to go with that, sir?

In order to obtain a license to drive a car in any state in the U.S. one must first pass a written test to apply for a ‘learner’s permit’, and then pass a road test.  The license must be renewed periodically, usually every 3-5 years.  Such infringements of the law as driving while intoxicated or reckless driving can result in loss of that license.  But most people can walk into a gun shop today and with few or no questions asked walk out with a gun, even an assault-type weapon that can mow down a crowd in seconds.

In Ohio, the state legislature is working on passing a bill that would prevent state and local authorities from helping to enforce any federal laws or rules regarding guns or ammunition.  In my studies of Constitutional Law, I was taught that where there is conflict, federal law supersedes state law, but apparently that is no longer the case.  The Speaker of the Ohio State House says the intention of the bill is to turn Ohio into a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State.”

As of October 31st, some 304 days into the year 2023, there had been more than 565 mass shootings … shootings where 4 or more people were killed or injured.  Nearly twice as many mass shootings as there were days of the year!!!  Oh yeah, we need more guns in the hands of more people for sure!  In the aforementioned Oregon ruling, Judge Robert S. Raschio pooh-poohed the concern over mass shootings, saying “People tend to believe these events are prolific and happening all the time with massive levels of death and injury. The court finds this belief, though sensationalized by the media, is not validated by the evidence.”  BULLSHIT!

Earlier this week there was a mass shooting at a Wal-Mart store about 30 miles north of where we live.  In Louisville, Kentucky, a man who fatally shot five coworkers at a Louisville bank in April questioned in his journal whether he would be able to get a gun despite his mental health struggles and then later, after acquiring one just a few days before carrying out the mass shooting, remarked on how easy the transaction turned out to be.

Not surprisingly, the rollback of gun laws is typically supported by judges appointed by Republican presidents and Republican-dominated legislatures.  The vast majority of Democratic judges and lawmakers would opt for stricter gun laws … for the preservation of life rather than its destruction. Perhaps we would do better to ban Republicans from serving in public office!!!

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54 thoughts on “Welcome To The United States of Lunacy”

  4. Wait until the day comes when a nut (likely to a Republican)with a gun kills a whole lot of politicians. This will make them think twice and realise they are in a dangerous job and may decide to regulate guns.

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Jill, just a few questions that seem to trouble you and me, but gun industry funded politicians do not seem to have a problem with:

    -why do we have a gun death rate several multiples larger than other gun loving countries like Canada?
    -why do we have more gun related deaths than the next 22 richest countries combined?
    -why do we have even a higher margin of children gun deaths than those same 22 richest countries?
    -why is suicide the number on reason for gun death in the US?
    -why do homes that have a gun have a higher propensity for suicide than homes without one?

    Mass shootings are a problem, but the bigger problem in the US is what happens every day. What I detest is politicians who are paid to look the other way or to run out the clock. They are culpable for refusing to address the problem.

    Keith

    Liked by 4 people

    • Exactly, Keith. We ask those questions, but we also know the answer … the gun industry owns about half of our Congress lock, stock, and barrel. You’re right that mass shootings aren’t the only problem, perhaps not even the biggest, but when children are being killed in schools, it gets my attention. I read something interesting tonight, that the suicide rate is higher when Republicans are in charge and drops when Democrats are in charge. Interesting, eh? And it was from a reputable source … I may be doing a post based on it soon. The facts you state should be eye-openers, but we’re so used to them that people aren’t even surprised anymore.

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      • And that is the sad but true commentary on your birth nation! No one is surprised by mass shootings anymore, just by where they happen. “I never thought it would happen here!” Famous last words…

        Liked by 1 person

        • Thanks Jill. I remember one of the solutions touted by the gun industry puppets is let guns be present on college campuses. A friend who now leads a college counseling group noted having guns on college campuses is the dumbest idea she ever heard. Why? The propensity for depression is higher on college campuses than in general society. Kids realize college is not nirvana and they don’t want to disappoint their parents and get more depressed. With guns, all it takes is an impulsive act and the student is dead. Keith

          Liked by 2 people

          • Nothing like asking for trouble, is there? It makes no sense to allow guns on college campuses, nor does it make sense to make teachers train and carry guns in elementary and high schools. It’s just a recipe for disaster.

            Liked by 1 person

  10. Pingback: Welcome To The United States of Lunacy | Filosofa’s Word | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  11. I agree in principle with your comments about needing a license to drive a car. But the thing we’re up against is there’s nothing in the Constitution related to automobiles and licensing. And this is where the gun-nuts have the advantage. Or at least they think they do.

    Liked by 3 people

    • True, but that’s where the argument falls apart! Cars, airplanes, and AR-15s weren’t in existence in 1787, so the framers of the Constitution had no context. Following the flawed logic of the gun nuts, then we cannot have cars or airplanes or computers or any of those things that are not addressed in the Constitution. There is no logic or intelligence to their argument, and I’d happily tell Justice Clarence Thomas and the rest that to their face.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Nothing in the Constitution about “guns” either. If anything the 2nd amendment requires the regulation of arms. Gas lighting for fun and profit.

      Liked by 2 people

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