Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?
That ship has sailed folks.
Yesterday there was yet another mass shooting in the United States. This time in an elementary school in Texas. 19 innocent children and 2 adults woke up yesterday morning and went to school, like they have countless other days. Little did they know this would be their last day on earth. Little did they know that some deranged 18 year old was about to murder them for no reason. Little did they know they were walking into an ambush. The idiot kid turned 18 a few days ago and went right out and bought 2 assault rifles to celebrate his right to bare arms – because he could – because in America you have that right.
What sane person thinks assault rifles are necessary among the citizenry? Who the hell is stop this carnage, this idiocy? The answer is no one. The corruption in the USA is staggering. Perhaps not that different than many other countries, but the USA is has always been held as a beacon of hope and support for the world. Now the world laughs at them – pities them – because they are self imploding.
A mass murder is defined as 3 or more people killed in one event.
This was not a random act. This happens every freaking day in America. Yet no one does anything.
The Republican party are puppets of the NRA. The National Rifle Association gives them money to make sure nothing more than “thoughts and prayers” is ever extended. Each time we hear about a mass murder, we think “maybe this time will be different”. But it never changes.
The Ted Cruz’s of the world are already blaming the Democrats, accusing them of politicizing a tragic event. Yet, the GOP is more concerned about the unborn and preventing women from having an abortion, even under the most tragic of circumstances – like incest or rape. They only care about a child until the baby is born and then “best of luck to ya – read up on the 2nd amendment – ya’ll are gonna need it”. Good luck living through childhood.
Bodies are not yet cold and the Texas leadership (Cruz, Abbott, Paxton et al) are toeing the NRA line. Can’t possibly infringe on the right to bear arms!!! Must harden the schools. More good guys with guns will stop bad guys with guns. Must protect our kids with armed guards. Must teach them how to barricade themselves in the event a bad guy with a gun shows up with an AR15. Yep makes sense. Send more money to my Political Action Committee please.
Make no mistake. This is about power. The power of the rich pastors that need to keep the money rolling in, so they can continue to travel by private jet and live in multi million dollar mansions, on the backs of parishioners that believe these pariahs can save them. The power to send millions of dollars to politicians drunk on power and wealth.
This is about politicians that are so drunk on power that they don’t give a rats ass about their constituents, as long as they are allowed to make a fortune off their backs. This is about Mitch McConnell preventing hundreds of bills being passed to make the country safer and more equitable for all. This is about dark money from the likes of the Koch brothers and multiple other billionaires. This is about white supremacy and keeping the country white.
This is about packing the Supreme court with puppets, beholden to those that got them their lifetime appointments. There is nothing a-political about the Supreme Court. It is not about applying the law fairly; it is about applying the law to benefit the billionaires that run the country.
The gerrymandering of voting districts, makes it almost impossible for non whites to have a say in the electoral process. Despite the country being roughly 60% democrat, 40% of the country controls the power.
In my lifetime I have seen the USA decline to the point that I worry about them becoming an autocratic nation – possibly as soon as 2024. What is to prevent Canada from becoming the Ukraine to the USA should that happen?
Buckle up folks. The land of the free and home of the brave is no longer free nor brave. America is creating its own oligarchy right under the noses of those that continue to vote them in.
God Bless America indeed.
Since 2017, mass shootings in the United States — described as shooting incidents in which at least four people are injured or killed — have nearly doubled year over year. Already, there have been 212 mass shooting incidents in 2022 — a 50% increase from 141 shootings in May 2017. The year is only 144 days old!!!
Thoughts and Prayers
A look at some of the deadliest US school shootings following Uvalde elementary attack. This doesn’t even take into consideration all the other mass shootings, such as Buffalo just last week.
The most recent two were both in Texas.
There have been dozens of shootings and other attacks in U.S. schools and colleges over the years, but until the massacre at Colorado’s Columbine High School in 1999, the number of dead tended to be in the single digits. Since then, the number of shootings that included schools and killed 10 or more people has mounted. The most recent two were both in Texas.
Robb Elementary School, May 2022 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 18 children, one teacher and injuring others, authorities said. The shooter died.
Santa Fe High School, May 2018 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
A 17-year-old opened fire at a Houston-area high school, killing 10 people, most of them students, authorities said. The suspect has been charged with murder.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, February 2018 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
An attack left 14 students and three staff members dead at the school in Parkland, Florida, and injured many others. The 20-year-old suspect was charged with murder.
Umpqua Community College, October 2015 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
A man killed nine people at the school in Roseburg, Oregon, and wounded nine others, then killed himself.
Sandy Hook Elementary School, December 2012 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
A 19-year-old man killed his mother at their home in Newtown, Connecticut, then went to the nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 first graders and six educators. He took his own life.
Virginia Tech, April 2007 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
A 23-year-old student killed 32 people on the campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, in April 2007; more than two dozen others were wounded. The gunman then killed himself.
Red Lake High School, March 2005 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
A 16-year-old student killed his grandfather and the man’s companion at their Minnesota home, then went to nearby Red Lake High School, where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard before shooting himself.
Columbine High School, April 1999 – Thoughts and Prayers from the GOP
Two students killed 12 of their peers and one teacher at the school in Littleton, Colorado, and injured many others before killing themselves.
5 responses to “Gun Violence in the USA”
It’s a sad state of affairs when politicians put their own greed ahead of the lives of their constituents. I watched reporters crying as they read statements made by grieving parents. I cried with them. I applauded Beto O’Rourke for confronting Governor Abbott. Even if it was political it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, the voters will keep on voting for Republicans.
Hi Erna,
Sorry for the late reply. I completely agree with you. This is not going to end well in the US. Every world power has their day, and I think the US is on a slippery slope to anarchy. They could be the next Roman empire – sooner than we think.
Stay well.
Kent
Thank you for speaking my thoughts, better than I could. I spend 6 months of the year in the deep south, and it is truly a different world.
I couldn’t do what you do Wynne. I know many US residents that are good people, but the country is so divided and so seemingly undereducated, they follow like lemmings. I know the voting districts are being manipulated by the republicans at the state level. It concerns me where this is going. I never would have believed that in my lifetime, the US would be on the verge of losing their democracy, but in my opinion that is what is happening.
I have no interest in traveling to the US any longer.
Stay well.
Kent
I have heard many voice similar sentiments, and I understand. I love my winters in the south, and refuse to punish myself because of the minority of crazies who have an inordinate amount of power, for the reasons you state. I have a great circle of friends there and enjoy the experience. Now, if Canada had a southern possession, would I go there rather than the US….you bet! For my entire life, there has been talk about some Carribean island joining Canada, and Canada has always been uninterested. I can’t fathom why. Could you imagine if we could travel south to somewhere that was Canada, spend Canadian dollars, have Canadian health care, etc etc etc??? That would be incredible.