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.