December 23, 2012

Congratulations, NRA… You Accomplished the Impossible

I have a dirty mouth.  It’s a somewhat source of pride in some circles.  Work in politics?  It’s damn near impossible not to have one.  It’s the nature of the game.  

Don’t mistake my dirty mouth with inappropriateness, though.   I may use words of a questionable nature, but always in an appropriate situation.  

As a child, we were once playing Trivial Pursuit with my grandfather’s sisters - most of whom were on the tight end of uptight.  I was reading the cards, and I said, “I don’t think I can read this.”  My bad.  I should have said, “I don’t think I should read this,” but my Dad didn’t correct my grammar, he just told me to read the card.  After hesitating just a small little while longer, and with my Dad’s impatience growing, I finally said, “Whose first Presidential order was, ‘Let’s get this God damn thing airborne?’”

The immediate aftermath dissolved into a silence that was deafening.  

Like Ralphie on “A Christmas Story”, I picked up most of my dirty words from my parents, (in my case BOTH of them) although I was careful not to use them in front of them.  Even being an adult this long, I still stutter saying certain words and refrain from others entirely, the “F” bomb most especially.  I NEVER use that word in front of my parents, and I’d sooner use it in front of my Dad than my Mom.  There’s a certain sense of respect there.  

But, last Friday, I had been busy in a meeting and had missed the NRA’s initial press conference.  So, when I stopped by my parent’s house on my way home and saw the NRA’s proposals, in the wake of the shooting earlier this month,  including the desire to “arm” the teachers of America, I dropped the “queen mother” of dirty words (I don’t think it is, by the way, just referencing the movie) not once but twice in my mother’s presence.  Although I said, “excuse me but there’s no other word for this….” before doing so, as in, “Are you… excuse me but there’s no other word for this… f—king kidding me?!”

So, congratulations, NRA… you achieved something that I never thought possible.  You said something so profoundly shocking and asinine that you made me revise a personal rule instantly.   You made me scream the “f” bomb in front of my mother.  Twice. In the same day.  

So, my obvious question is this: are you absolutely fucking kidding me? 



Tagged: NRA / Guns / Guns in school / classrooms / Teachers / Education / AFT / Connecticut / Shooting /

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December 18, 2012

tpmmedia: The National Rifle Association may have gone dark on social media following one of the nation’s deadliest shooting sprees at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday, but the pro-gun lobbying organization has continued to publish new online video broadcasts from its official gun-related news arm, NRA News. Somebody needs to sue them.   Now.   I’m not a litigious person… but, I was thinking about it in the car (aka “second best thinking place”).  Only way to get them out of the lobbying business is to ensure they have no more money.  So, either make them pay a bunch of lawyers or pay a bunch of settlements…. because this group?  This group is completely nuts and their money is what keeps regulations from being signed into law.     I’m still iffy on handguns (I’m in Texas, okay?  I think of that as more along the lines of a compromise, because I don’t think people will get rid of their handguns (my dad AND my mom included - me?  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA My dad has told me never to pull a gun on someone unless you’re prepared to shoot them and I don’t think I could do that…) … which is why we need to heavily regulate ammunition sales, instead, when it comes to handguns)… but anything that’s semi-automatic whatever?  No.  The only reason you have a weapon like that (and ammunition) is to hunt humans.  

tpmmedia:

The National Rifle Association may have gone dark on social media following one of the nation’s deadliest shooting sprees at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday, but the pro-gun lobbying organization has continued to publish new online video broadcasts from its official gun-related news arm, NRA News.

Somebody needs to sue them.  

Now.  

I’m not a litigious person… but, I was thinking about it in the car (aka “second best thinking place”).  Only way to get them out of the lobbying business is to ensure they have no more money.  So, either make them pay a bunch of lawyers or pay a bunch of settlements…. because this group?  This group is completely nuts and their money is what keeps regulations from being signed into law.    

I’m still iffy on handguns (I’m in Texas, okay?  I think of that as more along the lines of a compromise, because I don’t think people will get rid of their handguns (my dad AND my mom included - me?  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA My dad has told me never to pull a gun on someone unless you’re prepared to shoot them and I don’t think I could do that…) … which is why we need to heavily regulate ammunition sales, instead, when it comes to handguns)… but anything that’s semi-automatic whatever?  No.  The only reason you have a weapon like that (and ammunition) is to hunt humans.  



Tagged: news / politics / gun control / NRA / newtown / shooting /

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December 14, 2012

A moment of silence for the 27 people dead in today's elementary school shooting.

shortformblog:

gaywrites:

NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBS Connecticut/AP)— CBS News is reporting that 27 people are dead, including 14 students, after a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The gunman is among the dead.

CBS News’ John Miller reports there is preliminary information that the gunman was the father of one of the students. Miller also says that at least a couple dozen people were shot.

Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers. Holding off on posts for a few hours to stay tuned into this. 

This got me:

image

Take a moment to ponder those lost today in this awful tragedy. 

I can’t imagine how much pain will reverberate for the families affected today, not only for the holidays this year, but for the holidays to come…  

Truly the most tragic thing I can think of… 



Tagged: news / newtown / shooting / sandy hook elementary school / sandy hook / connecticut /

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April 9, 2012

reuters: No grand jury investigation in Trayvon Martin shooting The special prosecutor in the investigation of the shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has ruled out using a grand jury to investigate the case, meaning her office alone will decide whether to charge shooter George Zimmerman. The case has captured national attention, largely because of race. Martin was black and Zimmerman, who has not been charged, is white and Hispanic. The state attorney who was previously investigating the shooting, Norm Wolfinger, had said the case would go to a grand jury on April 10, but Wolfinger removed himself from the case on March 22 and was replaced by Angela Corey. “State Attorney Angela Corey has decided not to use a grand jury in the Trayvon Martin shooting death investigation,” her office said in a statement. READ MORE: Prosecutor rules out grand jury in Trayvon Martin case I sincerely hope that the fervor surrounding this case doesn’t die down with this announcement.  Causes in this country tend to run sprints, not marathons, which is why so many of them are lost in the end.   But, besides that not calling a grand jury in this case is a mistake, unless they’re just going to straight out charge him.  There’s too many questionable things about this case that need a grand jury to hear and decide whether or not there is enough evidence to try the case.  Unless they feel they have enough evidence to go ahead and charge him without one (I kind of feel there is), this is a huge, HUGE mistake.  

reuters:

No grand jury investigation in Trayvon Martin shooting

The special prosecutor in the investigation of the shooting death of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has ruled out using a grand jury to investigate the case, meaning her office alone will decide whether to charge shooter George Zimmerman.

The case has captured national attention, largely because of race. Martin was black and Zimmerman, who has not been charged, is white and Hispanic. The state attorney who was previously investigating the shooting, Norm Wolfinger, had said the case would go to a grand jury on April 10, but Wolfinger removed himself from the case on March 22 and was replaced by Angela Corey.

“State Attorney Angela Corey has decided not to use a grand jury in the Trayvon Martin shooting death investigation,” her office said in a statement.

READ MORE: Prosecutor rules out grand jury in Trayvon Martin case

I sincerely hope that the fervor surrounding this case doesn’t die down with this announcement.  Causes in this country tend to run sprints, not marathons, which is why so many of them are lost in the end.  

But, besides that not calling a grand jury in this case is a mistake, unless they’re just going to straight out charge him.  There’s too many questionable things about this case that need a grand jury to hear and decide whether or not there is enough evidence to try the case.  Unless they feel they have enough evidence to go ahead and charge him without one (I kind of feel there is), this is a huge, HUGE mistake.  



Tagged: News / breaking / trayvon martin / george zimmerman / zimmerman / trayvon / shooting / florida / crime / hoodies /

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