The two teachers who protected their students did not need time to think. They instinctively put their bodies in front of the children to protect them. They gave their lives to protect them.
How could the police just stand and wait when they knew that those children were calling 911 and begging for help?
It seems to me that those police, from the top on down, should resign their positions immediately.
Virginia, Though I deeply empathize with the sentiment you so eloquently render, are we not obligated also to ask why our laws permit a private citizen to be more heavily armed than the officers enlisted to contain him.
Why do ordinary citizens need access to a variation of a military combat weapon?! Without extenuating circumstances, why should an 18 year be allowed to purchase guns, when they cannot even rent a car???!!!!
That is right. They can’t buy alcohol or tobacco products. This entire country is cock-eyed! If they want to be able to use military grade weapons, they should join the military.
@JennSH, Considering that throughout this thread, I have amplified my profound concern for the failure to enact common sense federal restrictions, I have no idea why you posted this question. Am I missing something?
Virginia, I would note that the reason I asked relates to a very real concern that the factor dominating the narrative, likely by design, could be law enforcement’s negligent inaction as opposed to the more eminent need for common sense gun regulation.
The local police definitely did not do as they were trained to do. At least they pulled other children out of harm’s way. The Feds were the ones who finally disregarded the local police chief’s orders and went in and killed the shooter.
Barbara Jo, I doubt if there is a single Democrat in this country who does not ask that question. The problem is, not enough Republicans ask that question.
Virginia, I agree. My concern rests with how opponents to regulation, in particular, already are exploiting the law enforcement debacle to distract from a more global failure.
I agree. The Texan Senators are acting like no one knows that the police choked. The police chief at least must resign, but I still think they all should resign. They went against their training. They had that training just two months before the massacre.
I'm repeating myself, but I think whoever provided the training should do a little soul-searching. All these tragedies and the various ways of blaming anyone but ourselves happen in the context of a larger culture that is in love with violence. The whole thing makes me furious. As far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer. Get the damned guns off the street. The problem is, where do you start when the tide rolls against you? The only immediate move that has a chance is to take the risk and stop the filibuster.
It seems, Barbara Jo, that Virginia is mirroring your sentiment. She is also pointing out the cowardice of men pledged to protect the citizenry. "Though" is not the correct word.
Rosalind, Please note that as much as I empathized with Virginia’s sentiment, I subordinated that clause because I view the global failure to restrict gun ownership as more eminent.
Rosalind, A sentence like the one I constructed simply conveys that while the first clause—empathizing with Virginia’s sentiments—is certainly important, the subordinating structure indicates that I deem the main clause—the absence of gun restrictions—as more important.
I suggest you check your facts before accusing one person of denigrating another.
Additionally, this boy should have been flagged and given mental health treatment when he was much younger. Why is it that people always see the signs after a shooting?
As do I. More importantly, we need school counselors in the schools to evaluate any children who exhibit problem behavior or who seem disturbed. Then they can be referred to psychologists or psychiatrists for the help that they need.
While I agree with schools needing more counselors, most school boards are loathe to pay for them. The high school my kids graduated from had two counselors for over 1300 students.
After over 20 years as a second and fourth grade teacher, my daughter has gotten her master’s degree in counseling. The class that she had two or three years ago caused her to make that decision. So many of those children were so difficult, that she decided it was time to get her degree in counseling. Teachers do not have time to counsel students.
Perhaps schools should be required by the states to have two or more counselors. The states will have to assist in paying for these counselors, obviously.
My cousin is a cop—a Trump voter to be sure. However, he’s totally in favor of gun laws to be passed! Why? He says when the “bad guys” out arm the weaponry of the “good guys,” it’s time to make changes! With the weapon he carries, or has access to, and going in against any multi-clipped semiautomatic anything is like, his words, a “death trap” for him.
Good for you. If I could march, I'd march. In whatever ways we can, whether it has any impact or not, for the preservation of our souls, we have to do everything we can.
That is absolutely correct. There are still so many good and thoughtful and just basically fully-human beings out there that we have to connect and push back in every way we can. Being able to read and leave comments helps. Thanks.
Hello, Virginia. I think one word in your comment covers at least part of the problem, and that word is "instinctively." The dynamics of our culture, the clear attitudes of entitlement, and freedom from accountability in our police forces that have gone unchecked for many decades, have finally taken a serious toll as they have robbed perhaps decent men of the natural instinct that would say, "Save those children."
If we don't do something about violence unchecked among our policemen we can hardly expect them to turn around and march into a classroom to save children. The very fact that they had to stand around and think about it, for heaven't sake, is game over.
They certainly should resign if for no reason other than to set an example for their fellow officers across the country.
I just read one of those news alerts about a mother who drove to Robb Elementary 40 miles the day of the shooting. The Feds would not let her go into the school and handcuffed her to the fence. One of the local police uncuffed her and she walked to the side and hopped over the fence and ran into the school. She brought her two children safely out.
A father tried to go in after his child and the police pepper sprayed him. A couple of other parents were able to get in and get their children out.
Robert, I found your math very clever and wonderfully devastating for "Senator" Cornyn. Of course I could argue that split-second decisions mean the second is split at least in two so that would be 175,560 split-second decisions. I live in Texas so I'm putting "Senator" in quotes since he is not representing me or the majority of Texans. The two horrors that stand out in this for me are 1) those beautiful children so mutilated and torn by bullets that their parents could not identify them requiring DNA to identify them. Do people understand the true barbarity of that!? 2) those cowards staying put while listening to gunshots coming from the classrooms with each shot meaning a child was dying or dead. How many did they let die that could have been saved if 1 split-second right decision had been made. It certainly shatters the argument for more "good guys" with guns. This should mean court martial for each and every one of them and impeachment of both Texas "Senators" for not upholding their oath to the Constitution and putting all their constituents in mortal danger. In a democracy rights come with the responsibility to protect the rights of others and most assuredly the right to life. Rights which one applies only to himself is called anarchy. There is no way for them to distract us this time. Change is now inevitable and close at hand. There are no "good" Republicans anymore. Step 1: President Biden declares a national emergency and raises the age to buy guns to 21. 2. We, the People, oust every Republican in November 2022 and vote in a super majority of over 67 Senate seats to non-Republican candidates. 3. In January 2023 a new law codifying gun safety and accountability is passed and bans assault guns. 4. The illegitimate Justices on the rogue Supreme Court are impeached in February 2023. 5. President Biden nominates the replacement Justices in March 2023. 6. in April the rights including women's rights taken away in June 2022 are restored in April 2023. And we all live happily ever after not in a fairy tale but with the United People of America. To the veterans of our military services, thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Cathy! Another excellent plan. The problem is, of course, motivating enough people to act against the current horror show of the GQP.
I think we need to show all America exactly what those kids and teachers looked like when the cowards called cops finally entered the classroom. It is not enough to say they were "killed". People need to see what that type of weapon and ammunition does. See it, feel it. And say it: "This does not happen in other countries...why?" because: "Republican leaders enabled this."
Remember the horror of seeing that little Vietnamese girl who had been roasted by the US military? This is a very hard thing to imagine. But the nation needs a shock treatment.
And I guess I must admit, I am sick of losing to the monsters of the "right" by not playing hard ball. We are often too guilty of taking the "high road" to defeat. But I do hear you.
Thanks for posting the link, Bill. A very thoughtful article. We are a culture steeped in violence in films, video games, etc. to the point that none of it seems real. It's abstracted until it's not. By that time it is too late. The rest of the nation is waking up to the fact that guns don't protect--they maim and kill. I've lived in Oakland, California long enough to know that.
Texas duck hunting: When hunting migratory birds, the tubular magazine must have a plug inserted so that the total holding capacity of the shotgun does not exceed three shells (one in the chamber, 2 in the magazine).
Certainly the pictures would cause great pain to the families whose children were murdered in that massacre but I'll bet all of us have learned somewhere along the line that sometimes great pain is the price we pay for the changes we want. I'll bet another great pain for those families will be if nothing changes.
Last night 60 Minutes repeated its piece on assault weapons. It shows the difference of a revolver bullet & assault rifle bullet shot into a gelatin block. The gelatin block was modified to be like our bodies soft tissue. The difference was eye opening. The quote I remember is "it's like a bomb has gone off inside the body".
And these are the weapons used against children? The party of so-called "family values" condones this? I spent all weekend pulling weeds and thinking out loud, "The Republican Party is the party of death and despair." That is all it is now. How cruel.
I call them the No Choice; Pro-death party now. And instead of Republicans I'm starting to call them RPINO (Republic Party in Name Only - pronounced Rip Pee No - the party that rips you off, pees on you with lies and always says No.
I agree. They are also the party that desires money and power above all else. They don’t care about the people whose bodies are torn apart by these military style weapons. How anyone could vote for a Republican who refuses to ban these weapons is beyond me.
I'm an artist so I can't look at these images or they stay with me in the way that names and numbers stay with other people. But I can imagine the carnage and I wish others could do the same.
That's the point! Just made a poster with the heading "Not My Kid!" the AR15 rabbit question, the photo of the headless rabbit, the AR15 answer and the "REMEMBER UVALDE when you VOTE!" Yes, it hits the emotions hard but I want to use it. We can't turn away this time.
Perhaps we could show what this weapon and bullets would do to rabbit or something if shot it in the head. I agree it would be painful and disrespectful to show the human remains. You can bet all the funerals will be closed casket.
I was thinking the same. This could and should be our Emmett Till moment. Like the photo Emmett Till's mother wanted Americans to see of his face literally beaten to a pulp, the one that sparked Rosa Parks to not give up her seat. The photo that inspired a generation to join the civil rights movement!
Bill, I've thought about that image a lot over the weekend and that was the last time I marched in a demonstration. I'm marching June 11. This has got to end now.
I am right with you on that! How do we accomplish all of that? We still have to deal with the American citizens who disagree with us.
I wonder if putting the medical examiner’s photographs of those 19 children and the two teachers in front of the Republicans and Manchin and Sinema would move them to vote for stricter gun laws?
Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger as Republicans must also be held accountable for their Party who has moved strongly away from traditional conservatives.
Yes, and Cheney has become a hero by simply doing what any human being with a grain of integrity and sense would do. She has stood firm to her support of the basic policy positions of these monsters.
Nothing will move Sinema, she has become a rogue "Senator". She doesn't care about women or children in need. Arizona will insure she NEVER has another term. Manchin is no better.
They are already scrambling to find some argument that still involves more guns. The difference in Uvalde is the "good guys" utterly failed and, in fact, contributed to more children dying. The fewer doors and trip wires is another ridiculous argument because of fire codes etc trading one kind of catastrophe for another.
For one brief moment let us pause to imgine the brave local law enforcement officers locked up with a bunch of armed schoolteacher and only one door for escape.
Dream on. Manchin only got exercised when he could visualize the victims as his own grandchildren. They are all our children. Whoever came up with man being created in the image of God must have been joking.
Who is to do this? Surely the mainstream media wouldn't touch it. I doubt Substack would permit it. Cathy Leonard's long comment makes me realize how badly we need an actual game plan for any of this. This idea also assumes that the photographs would have any effect. Remember the recording of the children at the southern border crying and screaming when they were taken from their mothers? Reaction: Nada. I wish I could feel more encouraged. Sorry, Virginia.
We are at a tipping point, Dean! And, I and many others are going to start jumping up and down to keep it tipping until we address all this. One of my favorite short videos is this one by Derek Shivers on how to start a movement: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=how+to+start+a+movement+derek We need first followers and then make people worried they'll be left out if they don't join the movement! Treating everyone with respect and welcome is key.
While you're at it, try reading Gene Sharp's, From Dictatorship to Democracy. It's short and sweet and has been banned in most authoritarian countries, most notably Russia. Plus, I just watched the video and it was great! And it made me smile. Thanks!
You are so right. We need a movement at the very least. What we really need is the spirit of revolution. There's a hard wind blowing, Cathy, and your voice is the one that will lead the parade.
That's a hard call to show the photographs. So painful and disrespectful to the families. Maybe we can find some war photos of victims of this kind of gun.
And, Cathy, there it is in a nutshell and here you are with your wonderful numbered list--the time for discussing is past. Nothing short of decisive, confident, clear action, no explanation or apologies, is going to have any effect at all. It does really challenge a man of Biden's temperament--a talker and negotiator by nature--but now is the moment. We have let so many of these moments go by; we are pushing against a strong tide; and it doesn't matter now. We have to do the right thing no matter our doubts or hesitation or desire to just discuss it one more time. My good thoughts go out to President Biden at this crossroads.
Yes, it is definitely time. President Biden has got to realize that Congress is nothing like the one he served in. Republicans today care nothing about service to their country or representing their constituents. All they care about is money and power. They will not discuss or negotiate, unless it is a ploy to run the clock out.
I'm probably going to keep recommending this movie but, if you have Netflix, watch "Power of the Dog" for a many-layered story of the complexities of our toxic American idea of masculinity. I think the insistence on a man's right to carry a gun--the more powerful, the better--is, at its core the desperate defense, in American English, of a man's right to be a Man in some fantasy of what that means. Strong, tough, stony-faced, always able to defend the womenfolk and the children, and always, always armed. I hate to get all Freudian about it, but it isn't much of a stretch to see the phallic in those long barrels of steel. I think the zealous and unreasoning defense of the right to carry these weapons is the defense of half the population who feel their very existence threatened.
Nobody gets that frantic over a few rules governing the ownership of an object, a man-made tool.
For the rest of us, whether it's gun control or pro-choice, it isn't just the one issue but because the plan for each of them is an open door to the loss of other rights.
I will close with my usual refrain, sung to the sound of llamas humming, "When is somebody on the Beltway actually going to read the Second Amendment?" Unless all these MAGA's are planning to sign up for active duty, there shouldn't be anything to discuss.
I don’t have Netflix because I don’t have access to the internet where I live. Directv will probably have it on to rent. I will watch it them, although the reviews made it out to be dark.
I guess the majority of men have used guns every since they were invented. Some women like guns as well. I don’t and I would never be able to kill anything, except maybe a snake.
I don’t remember there being a problem with guns when I was a child. Some drastic change has happened When did it start?
It is dark. If you don't watch dark, this isn't the movie for you. For me, dark content is always overridden by the artistry of fine filmmaking and by the integrity of the subject matter. As I said, this is filmmaking of a quality I've never encountered and I have absolutely never seen nor read this kind of depiction of the complexities and poison of the American idea of masculinity. To your question about the change, there was an excellent article just recently in The Washington Post that tracks the whole progression of events. The short answer is that the NRA, always a supporter of gun control, changed leadership and the whole thing shifted focus. That's an inexcusably superficial summary but I'll look for the article and if I find it, I'll post it.
And what about other rights that are bring taken away by states like the freedom to choose and the right to vote. In order to be a United States the federal government must enact laws that make everyone equal under the law in all states.
Yes, Stephen, We have three branches of the federal government under duress: the Executive recovering from the previous devastation of the former administration, the Legislative with one party obstruction blocking anything constructive coming out of Congress, the Judiciary unchecked Supreme Court dismantling democracy with Citizens United (legalizing bribery), gutting voting rights, and now taking away rights -- inalienable rights at that. Time to think like a non-violent revolutionary. Read How to Win by George Lakey. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600693/how-we-win-by-george-lakey/
The idea is great but unfortunately it can’t be implemented. The reality is we the voters are the only people who can reduce gun violence by voting for politicians who want gun safety and laws to protect everyone. There needs to be a power shift from the NRA and politicians they support to we the people. Until that happens the merry go round continues.
Stephen, I think with this shooting we have reached a tipping point and can make this happen especially if we avoid negative self-fulfilling prophecies that we can't do anything. Yes, we can change this. This will become an unstoppable movement!
"All healthy societies are ready to sacrifice the existential moment for their children's future and for children after those. The sense of the future is behind all good policies. Unless we have it, we can give nothing either wise or decent to the world."
--C.P. Snow
I believe Snow says everything we need to guide us to make smart decisions about guns, climate, public health, education, democracy, human rights, and virtually every other issue we face.
Laurie, thanks so much for that, I completely agree with Snow and with you. In each of the areas of public policy you mention, the gop is virtually unanimous in their “wrong” decisions on the issues. To use Robert’s clever, and sickeningly, correct math construction, the gop wrong decision calculus approaches infinity.
It is appalling to yet again listen to the gop attempt to control the narrative. Our politicians are morally, emotionally, logically and thoughtfully incapable of showing any decency. They are the true legacy of Joe McCarthy.
It makes me so sad to see the Dems make the same mistake over and over. My Senator, Schumer, is so disappointing, as is Murphy, in this situation. The definition of insanity, expecting a different outcome.
I agree that it's challenging to hang on to hope. The Dems might be making mistakes, but it's the craven, cowardly Republicans in Congress who deserve all the blame for blocking all efforts to rein in this gun nightmare. Congress could legislate - - this country has numerous skilled lawyers who could craft a workaround of the reactionary SCOTUS justices.
The GOP is scared of losing power. Many informed voters are exhausted.The American cultural foundation is no longer baseball and apple pie; instead, it appears to be tribalism, self-interest, and owning your own assault rifle/gun.
I would like to put them on my blog. I tried to find which of Snow’s writings contains the quote but could not locate it. Do you have it? And I can either include your name or simply refer to you as a commenter—your choice. If the former is ok, can you provide a short description of yourself? My blog is http://annieasksyou.com.
Anne, I've had that quote (and hundreds more) for decades - I don't recall the source. Please refer to me as a commenter. I'm delighted you want to share the quote!
All the complex issues taking our time, energy, resources and focus from democracy, voting rights, gun safety and climate change, to human rights, abortion, racism, health care and on and on, can be solved quite simply. The United States is a Democratic Republic where we elect representatives to speak for us, unfortunately there seems to be only one party listening to “we the people”. The second party seems more interested in listening to “we the monied”. Corporate or private dollars speak louder than ethics and morality.
The lowest trump card beats an ace all the time, and the vote trumps the money all the time. There are more Democrats the party of ideas, than Republicans the party of status quo. Nothing changes with minority rule.
I am once again grateful for your eloquent and powerful response to the Republican refusal to work with Democrats to solve another of this country’s problems; in this case assault weapons. In addition you gave us the contrasting images of two teachers’ instinct to protect their students versus the 19 police waiting on the safe side of the locked door. Waiting for what? Who ordered them to wait? Your split second decision math is graphic and effective and real. Thank you for that!
In the aftermath of the Columbine shooting (1999), I suppose I understood, at least theoretically, that sometimes it takes a generation for an event to awaken our awareness. But if now, so many years after that event, we still are behaving as though it did not occur (e.g., Littleton,1999; RedLake,2005; Blacksburg,2007; Newtown,2012; Roseburg,2015; SantaFe,2018; Parkland,2018; Uvalde,2022), then, as men and women who are concerned with one another’s lives, can we afford, lest we become accomplices, to remain silent each time leadership asserts (in a country with more guns than people) that this is not who we are? I don’t expect an answer. I simply ask, this Memorial Day, that we sit with the question.
IT is always amazing to me that when one of these horrific mass [or even individual ] shootings that the republicans right away say we should pray for the families, but any discussion about taking some kind of action like enacting some gun law protections is politicizing the situation and this is not the right time. Well if politicizing means taking some action[s] to save lives, than I'm all for it. We're virtually the only country where every time we turn around there are more deaths and we won't take any steps to try and make changes. As plenty have said , we require licenses to drive and drink, et. but won't do anything about guns. I don't care if people want to have guns for things like hunting, but automatic weapons are only for one purpose - killing! These "gung ho" gun folks think they are macho, but they really look and act like little kids still trying to play cops and robbers. They are mainly a bunch of cowards who have yet to grow up and don't care about others.
Until the Republicans can see that they are losing the majority of support from their constituents over this, they will never vote for banning assault rifles or any other common sense gun laws.
May 30, 2022·edited May 30, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Thank you Robert. Yesterday, DOJ Public Affairs published a "Justice Department Statement
on the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School '.DOJ will review the chaos. "The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions & responses that day ... to help first responders prepare for and respond to Active Shooter events." Presumably that review will include the capable actions of 9-1-1 Operator's ability to patch in to the police the six (6) calls from children within Room #111. A review should include a Log of interagency digital communications leading to the monent the Feds ( U.S. Border Control) "overrode" the Local ICD Onsite Commander & charged the Shooter ending the tranedy at 87,781 seconds into the debacle. Never again.
Listen up Senator Cornyn and the rest of you lying Republican "gangsters set out to rob the world," as Woody Guthrie described the fascists of his era: "All you fascists bound to lose." Guthrie's guitar was his "Fascist killing machine," the instrument of justice he used effectively to challenge the fascist threat. Well, here we are again, only this time the evil is arising right here in the U.S.A. within the Republican Party, and all freedom-loving Americans must now stand together in solidarity and resist, condemn, and actively defy, via civic and political means, the anti-democratic forces mobilized to destroy the Constitution. Let this Memorial Day be the day we all make the split-second decision to confront the cowardly bastards who allowed innocent children and teachers to die while they stood by and watched it happen, and then lied and made excuses about it in the aftermath. Protecting the nation against people like this isn't something to think about, it's a split-second decision to act now, in the present moment without any concern about the outcome. As Chris Hedges said: "I don't fight fascists because I think I can win. I fight fascists because they're fascists." Woddy Guthrie's weapon was his guitar; our instrument of resistance, if we all choose to use it, is our constitutional right to vote. As Abraham Lincoln said, "The ballot is more powerful than the bullet."
I haven’t read all the comments so this may have been addressed but I keep thinking that the delayed response by the police may have been consciously or unconsciously related to racism. It was reported that the area and the school were heavily Latino. Given the tenor of our time and racially motivated violence it is not unreasonable to think that Latino children are not as “valuable” as white children. I have not read any analysis of this horrible incident that mentions this possibility. Thoughts?
It will be painful, but we must address the question you raise. If a single law enforcement officer had a child in that school, he would have been first through the door. Texas law enforcement apparently does not reflect they community it polices.
Dr. Kellogg, I read your comments yesterday, spoke of them to a friend, and came back this morning to revisit your wisdom. Have we exiled ourselves so dramatically, and so irrevocably from one another that this could be true? I fear it could be so.
Whether or not we have exiled ourselves from one another which seems to be true at this time in history, we must speak out about the curse of racism and the need for people to ignore and minimize it’s effect on our lives and our democracy. That will create the community we need!
I believe with you that we need to “speak out about the curse of racism,” though I find it challenging to move beyond the despair. At times, it seems to be everywhere––the racism and the despair. As for creating the community we need, I find refuge in this one. It’s a daily practice that I keep coming back to, and I am grateful for it. As I am for this exchange.
I wonder, if approaching the midterms, Democrats should consider leaning into this issue almost exclusively as the single most compelling way to distinguish most of our candidates from most of the GOP's. Messaging is often a weak link for Dems as many of the issues that animate us don't lend themselves to simplistic, MAGA-style phrasing. But common sense gun control might be the most efficient way to to 1) appeal to the reasonable wishes of the vast majority of Americans who are justifiably horrified by these massacres, 2) clearly distinguish Democratic candidates from their Republican opponents and avoid getting bogged down in unwinnable debates about vulnerabilities like inflation, high gas prices, etc. that, though global in nature, will still be blamed on Dems by the GOP and 3) own a crystal-clear and easily-understood issue. The electorate tends to support the President in times of war. The casualty statistics that comprise gun violence in America are tantamount to that of a war, albeit undeclared. Perhaps we should declare it as such as a winning strategy. And as Rob (and so many others) have correctly said, I make no apology for politicizing this inherently -- and tragically -- political issue.
"I understand that Republicans are the opposition, that they have come to accept staggering levels of death as the price they must pay to advance their political agenda on everything from Covid to guns.
But I am on the same page as they are on one point. They see the passage of gun safety laws as a slippery slope that could lead to more sweeping laws and even, one day, national gun registries, insurance requirements and bans. I see the same and I actively hope for it.
When I hear Democratic politicians contorting their statements so it sounds like they’re promoting gun ownership while also promoting gun safety, I’m not only mystified, I’m miffed.
Why can’t everyone just be upfront? We have too many guns. We need to begin to get some of them out of circulation. That may include gun buybacks, but it must include no longer selling weapons of war to civilians." . . .
"Gun culture is a canard and a corruption.
It makes people fearful and convinces them that guns provide security. More guns equate to even more security. But in fact, the escalation of gun ownership makes society less safe."
Thank you. I may use Blow's comment: "When I hear Democratic politicians contorting their statements so it sounds like they’re promoting gun ownership while also promoting gun safety, I’m not only mystified, I’m miffed." We don't have a gun safety problem in America. We have a gun problem. We should stop talking in code. Some people shouldn't own guns, and some guns should be outlawed. That isn't gun safety. It is gun control. We need more of it, not less.
Yes, and Ted Cruz and his ilk who say getting rid of guns makes no difference is a willful denial of the statistics shown by countries that allow no guns and the before and after of countries that have done away with most of their guns. People kill people. Without the guns, there are no shootings.
I agree with reader Larry Lewin 100%! I am going to work like crazy to elect in or out of office encumbents & candidates who support the gun laws Americans have supported & asked for. Ban assault weapons. Ban high capacity magazines. Background checks. Raise the age to buy a gun. Red Flag laws. This along with our voting rights, reproductive rights, climate solutions. From these all other public policies for the good of the nation will come. Access to healthcare, affordable housing, etc. It is time to stop praying & as Robert implores with every issue, activate. We don’t have to take on the nation, each of us can work within our precinct, our county our 2 US Senators. Keep it simple & focused. We can do this.🔥🇺🇸💪💙
I think we need to be clear that “politicizing the tragedy” is nothing to be ashamed of and not, in any case, something that only Democrats do. When Republicans observe something they don’t like, they are quick to impose - and act on - their supposed solutions. What was Trump’s reaction to the “tragedy” of “caravans” of unwanted immigrants coming to our borders an attempt to politicize the tragedies that motivate these people to make the journey?
So when the accusation of politicization rears its ugly head, we should just say, yes, that’s what politics is for, and you also do it all the time. We cannot let them define the boundaries of the permissible.
May 30, 2022·edited May 30, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Correct including civil liability for the police agencies specifically the 'Texas Rangers' with their cowboy hats & incomprehensible "Director" who broke down after 1 tough question. The citizens of Uvalde have lots of questions. Note, see Robert's comment below.
Civil liability is a good solution here, but the police will be protected by sovereign immunity (among other defenses). The families would need to prove they were acting outside the scope of their duties--a very tough obstacle. A possible violation of civil rights is also an avenue, but also has very high standard of proof. At the very least, they should all resign.
Good point Robert. I am not a Texas licensed lawyer. I do know the Texas AG ( yes Ken Paxton) has a Law Enforcement Division that provides defenses by Texas AG attorneys to law enforcement personnel & Tex officials acting in their 'official capacity'. Hence the need for the DOJ's catalog & precise timing of action, non-action & the 'offical capacity' of the around 80 or so actors. Bottom line, we are talking about the Duty to Act. Question:what is the jurisdiction of the local, so-called incident ICD commander who is also an elected Olvalde official? Exactly who & exactly when were the Feds called? Did the 'offcial capacity' of actors shift the instant the U.S. Border Patrol arrived? The Fed onsite commander certainly discharged his/her duty admirably.
I went to pick up a grocery order (delivered to my car in the parking lot), and felt myself scanning the people moving about. I realized my subconscious was remembering the Buffalo shooter, and how he started killing people in the parking lot first.
My husband and I are going to attend a climate rally (which will be attended by mostly “blue” voters) outside of our state capitol building, which is located in a more Republican, pro-gun area of our state. I privately wonder if we shouldn’t go, because this sort of crowd may be a tantalizing target for someone like the now-famous confederate flag waving insurrectionist who hailed from that same area.
My point is: by giving gun owners all of the freedoms they think they are constitutionally due by the second amendment, it seems that the rest of us are giving up our freedoms overall.
Rebecca, I have been having that same thought. When the pandemic began, I self-quarantined and still do to this day, I won't enter an enclosed space where people do not wear masks. However, my choice to shop online and curbside has a second aspect - fear of armed, open carry people. Like you, when I'm sitting in my car waiting for the groceries, I am scanning the parking lot and thinking of a backup plan if someone starts shooting. I DO feel as if I have given up my freedoms and my rights because of the proliferation of military grade (and other) weapons and the laws and the politicians who make them a danger to us all. There was a time of innocence (at least for me) when I thought laws and politicians were in place to protect and serve. Not now.
The two teachers who protected their students did not need time to think. They instinctively put their bodies in front of the children to protect them. They gave their lives to protect them.
How could the police just stand and wait when they knew that those children were calling 911 and begging for help?
It seems to me that those police, from the top on down, should resign their positions immediately.
Virginia, Though I deeply empathize with the sentiment you so eloquently render, are we not obligated also to ask why our laws permit a private citizen to be more heavily armed than the officers enlisted to contain him.
Why do ordinary citizens need access to a variation of a military combat weapon?! Without extenuating circumstances, why should an 18 year be allowed to purchase guns, when they cannot even rent a car???!!!!
That is right. They can’t buy alcohol or tobacco products. This entire country is cock-eyed! If they want to be able to use military grade weapons, they should join the military.
@JennSH, Considering that throughout this thread, I have amplified my profound concern for the failure to enact common sense federal restrictions, I have no idea why you posted this question. Am I missing something?
Definitely. Assaults rifles must be banned as well as all military grade weapons and ammunition.
Virginia, I would note that the reason I asked relates to a very real concern that the factor dominating the narrative, likely by design, could be law enforcement’s negligent inaction as opposed to the more eminent need for common sense gun regulation.
The local police definitely did not do as they were trained to do. At least they pulled other children out of harm’s way. The Feds were the ones who finally disregarded the local police chief’s orders and went in and killed the shooter.
They might well have been "trained" but given the results I would have to question the seriousness and the quality of that training.
Barbara Jo, I doubt if there is a single Democrat in this country who does not ask that question. The problem is, not enough Republicans ask that question.
Virginia, I agree. My concern rests with how opponents to regulation, in particular, already are exploiting the law enforcement debacle to distract from a more global failure.
I agree. The Texan Senators are acting like no one knows that the police choked. The police chief at least must resign, but I still think they all should resign. They went against their training. They had that training just two months before the massacre.
I'm repeating myself, but I think whoever provided the training should do a little soul-searching. All these tragedies and the various ways of blaming anyone but ourselves happen in the context of a larger culture that is in love with violence. The whole thing makes me furious. As far as I'm concerned, it's a no-brainer. Get the damned guns off the street. The problem is, where do you start when the tide rolls against you? The only immediate move that has a chance is to take the risk and stop the filibuster.
It seems, Barbara Jo, that Virginia is mirroring your sentiment. She is also pointing out the cowardice of men pledged to protect the citizenry. "Though" is not the correct word.
Rosalind, Please note that as much as I empathized with Virginia’s sentiment, I subordinated that clause because I view the global failure to restrict gun ownership as more eminent.
The english Language has words that express understanding without denigrating another person’s feelings.
Rosalind, A sentence like the one I constructed simply conveys that while the first clause—empathizing with Virginia’s sentiments—is certainly important, the subordinating structure indicates that I deem the main clause—the absence of gun restrictions—as more important.
I suggest you check your facts before accusing one person of denigrating another.
Yes, that is what I was saying.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
Thank you, MaryPat. Yes. What will we do
Additionally, this boy should have been flagged and given mental health treatment when he was much younger. Why is it that people always see the signs after a shooting?
Hence, the reason why most Americans support “red flag” laws.
As do I. More importantly, we need school counselors in the schools to evaluate any children who exhibit problem behavior or who seem disturbed. Then they can be referred to psychologists or psychiatrists for the help that they need.
While I agree with schools needing more counselors, most school boards are loathe to pay for them. The high school my kids graduated from had two counselors for over 1300 students.
That is appalling!
After over 20 years as a second and fourth grade teacher, my daughter has gotten her master’s degree in counseling. The class that she had two or three years ago caused her to make that decision. So many of those children were so difficult, that she decided it was time to get her degree in counseling. Teachers do not have time to counsel students.
Perhaps schools should be required by the states to have two or more counselors. The states will have to assist in paying for these counselors, obviously.
My cousin is a cop—a Trump voter to be sure. However, he’s totally in favor of gun laws to be passed! Why? He says when the “bad guys” out arm the weaponry of the “good guys,” it’s time to make changes! With the weapon he carries, or has access to, and going in against any multi-clipped semiautomatic anything is like, his words, a “death trap” for him.
Yes I saw somewhere what I think is possibly the most basic question I've heard: What rational society sells guns to children?
This is no longer a rational society and I've decided to march on June 11 because I just can't sit down any longer.
Good for you. If I could march, I'd march. In whatever ways we can, whether it has any impact or not, for the preservation of our souls, we have to do everything we can.
That is absolutely correct. There are still so many good and thoughtful and just basically fully-human beings out there that we have to connect and push back in every way we can. Being able to read and leave comments helps. Thanks.
Hello, Virginia. I think one word in your comment covers at least part of the problem, and that word is "instinctively." The dynamics of our culture, the clear attitudes of entitlement, and freedom from accountability in our police forces that have gone unchecked for many decades, have finally taken a serious toll as they have robbed perhaps decent men of the natural instinct that would say, "Save those children."
If we don't do something about violence unchecked among our policemen we can hardly expect them to turn around and march into a classroom to save children. The very fact that they had to stand around and think about it, for heaven't sake, is game over.
They certainly should resign if for no reason other than to set an example for their fellow officers across the country.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment.
I just read one of those news alerts about a mother who drove to Robb Elementary 40 miles the day of the shooting. The Feds would not let her go into the school and handcuffed her to the fence. One of the local police uncuffed her and she walked to the side and hopped over the fence and ran into the school. She brought her two children safely out.
A father tried to go in after his child and the police pepper sprayed him. A couple of other parents were able to get in and get their children out.
What a heartbreaking situation.
Robert, I found your math very clever and wonderfully devastating for "Senator" Cornyn. Of course I could argue that split-second decisions mean the second is split at least in two so that would be 175,560 split-second decisions. I live in Texas so I'm putting "Senator" in quotes since he is not representing me or the majority of Texans. The two horrors that stand out in this for me are 1) those beautiful children so mutilated and torn by bullets that their parents could not identify them requiring DNA to identify them. Do people understand the true barbarity of that!? 2) those cowards staying put while listening to gunshots coming from the classrooms with each shot meaning a child was dying or dead. How many did they let die that could have been saved if 1 split-second right decision had been made. It certainly shatters the argument for more "good guys" with guns. This should mean court martial for each and every one of them and impeachment of both Texas "Senators" for not upholding their oath to the Constitution and putting all their constituents in mortal danger. In a democracy rights come with the responsibility to protect the rights of others and most assuredly the right to life. Rights which one applies only to himself is called anarchy. There is no way for them to distract us this time. Change is now inevitable and close at hand. There are no "good" Republicans anymore. Step 1: President Biden declares a national emergency and raises the age to buy guns to 21. 2. We, the People, oust every Republican in November 2022 and vote in a super majority of over 67 Senate seats to non-Republican candidates. 3. In January 2023 a new law codifying gun safety and accountability is passed and bans assault guns. 4. The illegitimate Justices on the rogue Supreme Court are impeached in February 2023. 5. President Biden nominates the replacement Justices in March 2023. 6. in April the rights including women's rights taken away in June 2022 are restored in April 2023. And we all live happily ever after not in a fairy tale but with the United People of America. To the veterans of our military services, thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Cathy! Another excellent plan. The problem is, of course, motivating enough people to act against the current horror show of the GQP.
I think we need to show all America exactly what those kids and teachers looked like when the cowards called cops finally entered the classroom. It is not enough to say they were "killed". People need to see what that type of weapon and ammunition does. See it, feel it. And say it: "This does not happen in other countries...why?" because: "Republican leaders enabled this."
Remember the horror of seeing that little Vietnamese girl who had been roasted by the US military? This is a very hard thing to imagine. But the nation needs a shock treatment.
I had not thought of showing those pictures to anyone other than the Republican politicians who are refusing to vote for common sense gun laws.
We can’t show those pictures on the news. That would cause too much pain to the loved ones of those children and two teachers.
I hear you. And no such pictures should be shown...unless the parents allow it. While the respect for the feelings of the families involved should reign supreme, I think a few images shown with full permission would be an important statement. The Times did a piece on this that is interesting and sensitive to both sides of the idea. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/30/us/politics/photos-uvalde.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220530&instance_id=62734&nl=the-morning®i_id=33042661&segment_id=93727&te=1&user_id=e08b92ee59adb111468b1dba5a132594
And I guess I must admit, I am sick of losing to the monsters of the "right" by not playing hard ball. We are often too guilty of taking the "high road" to defeat. But I do hear you.
Thanks for posting the link, Bill. A very thoughtful article. We are a culture steeped in violence in films, video games, etc. to the point that none of it seems real. It's abstracted until it's not. By that time it is too late. The rest of the nation is waking up to the fact that guns don't protect--they maim and kill. I've lived in Oakland, California long enough to know that.
https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/So_now_the_question_is__is__223_too_much_for_rabbits_if_you_want_eat_them_/3-613884/
Texas duck hunting: When hunting migratory birds, the tubular magazine must have a plug inserted so that the total holding capacity of the shotgun does not exceed three shells (one in the chamber, 2 in the magazine).
Certainly the pictures would cause great pain to the families whose children were murdered in that massacre but I'll bet all of us have learned somewhere along the line that sometimes great pain is the price we pay for the changes we want. I'll bet another great pain for those families will be if nothing changes.
Absolutely agreed that the greatest pain will be if nothing changes.!
Agreed and beautifully said.
I just searched for photos of a rabbit shot by an AR15. and found this in the AR15.com forum. Scroll down past the ads to see the photos. Question: ...is .223 too much if you want to eat the rabbit? Answer: Headshot only is you want to eat the meat. I've made this into an email signature but not sure I should use it. https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/So_now_the_question_is__is__223_too_much_for_rabbits_if_you_want_eat_them_/3-613884/
Last night 60 Minutes repeated its piece on assault weapons. It shows the difference of a revolver bullet & assault rifle bullet shot into a gelatin block. The gelatin block was modified to be like our bodies soft tissue. The difference was eye opening. The quote I remember is "it's like a bomb has gone off inside the body".
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ar-15-mass-shootings-60-minutes-2022-05-29/
And these are the weapons used against children? The party of so-called "family values" condones this? I spent all weekend pulling weeds and thinking out loud, "The Republican Party is the party of death and despair." That is all it is now. How cruel.
I call them the No Choice; Pro-death party now. And instead of Republicans I'm starting to call them RPINO (Republic Party in Name Only - pronounced Rip Pee No - the party that rips you off, pees on you with lies and always says No.
I agree. They are also the party that desires money and power above all else. They don’t care about the people whose bodies are torn apart by these military style weapons. How anyone could vote for a Republican who refuses to ban these weapons is beyond me.
Those weapons should be banned completely for civilian use except for police SWAT units.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
Let's also ban expanding bullets that rip through the body like a baseball with claws spinning.
Excellent. I'll go look for the video.
I'm an artist so I can't look at these images or they stay with me in the way that names and numbers stay with other people. But I can imagine the carnage and I wish others could do the same.
That is horrible. I don’t even want to think about what the bullets did to those children.
That's the point! Just made a poster with the heading "Not My Kid!" the AR15 rabbit question, the photo of the headless rabbit, the AR15 answer and the "REMEMBER UVALDE when you VOTE!" Yes, it hits the emotions hard but I want to use it. We can't turn away this time.
Perhaps we could show what this weapon and bullets would do to rabbit or something if shot it in the head. I agree it would be painful and disrespectful to show the human remains. You can bet all the funerals will be closed casket.
I was thinking the same. This could and should be our Emmett Till moment. Like the photo Emmett Till's mother wanted Americans to see of his face literally beaten to a pulp, the one that sparked Rosa Parks to not give up her seat. The photo that inspired a generation to join the civil rights movement!
Bill, I've thought about that image a lot over the weekend and that was the last time I marched in a demonstration. I'm marching June 11. This has got to end now.
I am right with you on that! How do we accomplish all of that? We still have to deal with the American citizens who disagree with us.
I wonder if putting the medical examiner’s photographs of those 19 children and the two teachers in front of the Republicans and Manchin and Sinema would move them to vote for stricter gun laws?
Vote Blue, register 18 year olds to vote, convince good Republicans that their party no longer represents them.
I contend there are no "good" Republicans. The traditional good Republican needs to know their party has left them and become a hideous cult of death.
I agree with Cathy that there are no "good" Republicans left with perhaps
the exception of Cheney and Kissinger. My sobriquet for them, Evil R's, seems very appropriate at this point.
Representatives Cheney and Kinzinger as Republicans must also be held accountable for their Party who has moved strongly away from traditional conservatives.
Yes, and Cheney has become a hero by simply doing what any human being with a grain of integrity and sense would do. She has stood firm to her support of the basic policy positions of these monsters.
Nothing will move Sinema, she has become a rogue "Senator". She doesn't care about women or children in need. Arizona will insure she NEVER has another term. Manchin is no better.
I certainly hope that you re right. Neither of them should have another term.
Manchin isn't hard to figure out. He owns a lot of stock in fossil fuel.
Doubt it would move them, they would figure out a way to turn it around. They only care about themselves.
They are already scrambling to find some argument that still involves more guns. The difference in Uvalde is the "good guys" utterly failed and, in fact, contributed to more children dying. The fewer doors and trip wires is another ridiculous argument because of fire codes etc trading one kind of catastrophe for another.
Why do we continue to entertain the idea of "good guys with guns?" So much of this makes no sense whatsoever.
For one brief moment let us pause to imgine the brave local law enforcement officers locked up with a bunch of armed schoolteacher and only one door for escape.
I guess you are right. They are horrible, uncaring selfish people.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
Dream on. Manchin only got exercised when he could visualize the victims as his own grandchildren. They are all our children. Whoever came up with man being created in the image of God must have been joking.
I hope that a REAL Democrat will run against him and win. The same for Sinema.
Who is to do this? Surely the mainstream media wouldn't touch it. I doubt Substack would permit it. Cathy Leonard's long comment makes me realize how badly we need an actual game plan for any of this. This idea also assumes that the photographs would have any effect. Remember the recording of the children at the southern border crying and screaming when they were taken from their mothers? Reaction: Nada. I wish I could feel more encouraged. Sorry, Virginia.
We are at a tipping point, Dean! And, I and many others are going to start jumping up and down to keep it tipping until we address all this. One of my favorite short videos is this one by Derek Shivers on how to start a movement: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=how+to+start+a+movement+derek We need first followers and then make people worried they'll be left out if they don't join the movement! Treating everyone with respect and welcome is key.
While you're at it, try reading Gene Sharp's, From Dictatorship to Democracy. It's short and sweet and has been banned in most authoritarian countries, most notably Russia. Plus, I just watched the video and it was great! And it made me smile. Thanks!
You are so right. We need a movement at the very least. What we really need is the spirit of revolution. There's a hard wind blowing, Cathy, and your voice is the one that will lead the parade.
No person is a leader until they have followers! Be a first follower and then a leader of people wanting to follow you. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=how+to+start+a+movement+derek Welcome and respect are key.
I'm a champion welcomer and respecter. Just a little grumpy sometimes. :-)
That's a hard call to show the photographs. So painful and disrespectful to the families. Maybe we can find some war photos of victims of this kind of gun.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
She is the kind of leader we all need to follow and make a movement. https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement?language=en
And, Cathy, there it is in a nutshell and here you are with your wonderful numbered list--the time for discussing is past. Nothing short of decisive, confident, clear action, no explanation or apologies, is going to have any effect at all. It does really challenge a man of Biden's temperament--a talker and negotiator by nature--but now is the moment. We have let so many of these moments go by; we are pushing against a strong tide; and it doesn't matter now. We have to do the right thing no matter our doubts or hesitation or desire to just discuss it one more time. My good thoughts go out to President Biden at this crossroads.
Yes, it is definitely time. President Biden has got to realize that Congress is nothing like the one he served in. Republicans today care nothing about service to their country or representing their constituents. All they care about is money and power. They will not discuss or negotiate, unless it is a ploy to run the clock out.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
Wonderfully envisioned and let's work to make this happen!
“There are certain laws that need to be constructed in a way that promote the best possible stewardship of human life, and of a peaceable community,” - Bishop Daniel Why do gun rights get absolute priority over all other rights most especially a child's right to life? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brownsville-bishop-daniel-flores-gun-ownershoip-sacred_n_629307b1e4b0b1d9845703a0
I'm probably going to keep recommending this movie but, if you have Netflix, watch "Power of the Dog" for a many-layered story of the complexities of our toxic American idea of masculinity. I think the insistence on a man's right to carry a gun--the more powerful, the better--is, at its core the desperate defense, in American English, of a man's right to be a Man in some fantasy of what that means. Strong, tough, stony-faced, always able to defend the womenfolk and the children, and always, always armed. I hate to get all Freudian about it, but it isn't much of a stretch to see the phallic in those long barrels of steel. I think the zealous and unreasoning defense of the right to carry these weapons is the defense of half the population who feel their very existence threatened.
Nobody gets that frantic over a few rules governing the ownership of an object, a man-made tool.
For the rest of us, whether it's gun control or pro-choice, it isn't just the one issue but because the plan for each of them is an open door to the loss of other rights.
I will close with my usual refrain, sung to the sound of llamas humming, "When is somebody on the Beltway actually going to read the Second Amendment?" Unless all these MAGA's are planning to sign up for active duty, there shouldn't be anything to discuss.
I don’t have Netflix because I don’t have access to the internet where I live. Directv will probably have it on to rent. I will watch it them, although the reviews made it out to be dark.
I guess the majority of men have used guns every since they were invented. Some women like guns as well. I don’t and I would never be able to kill anything, except maybe a snake.
I don’t remember there being a problem with guns when I was a child. Some drastic change has happened When did it start?
It is dark. If you don't watch dark, this isn't the movie for you. For me, dark content is always overridden by the artistry of fine filmmaking and by the integrity of the subject matter. As I said, this is filmmaking of a quality I've never encountered and I have absolutely never seen nor read this kind of depiction of the complexities and poison of the American idea of masculinity. To your question about the change, there was an excellent article just recently in The Washington Post that tracks the whole progression of events. The short answer is that the NRA, always a supporter of gun control, changed leadership and the whole thing shifted focus. That's an inexcusably superficial summary but I'll look for the article and if I find it, I'll post it.
And what about other rights that are bring taken away by states like the freedom to choose and the right to vote. In order to be a United States the federal government must enact laws that make everyone equal under the law in all states.
Yes, Stephen, We have three branches of the federal government under duress: the Executive recovering from the previous devastation of the former administration, the Legislative with one party obstruction blocking anything constructive coming out of Congress, the Judiciary unchecked Supreme Court dismantling democracy with Citizens United (legalizing bribery), gutting voting rights, and now taking away rights -- inalienable rights at that. Time to think like a non-violent revolutionary. Read How to Win by George Lakey. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600693/how-we-win-by-george-lakey/
Yes, I agree. It is time for Congress to learn that and start doing it.
To do that we need to elect representatives who believe in statesmanship and vote out those who are there for personal power and supremacy.
“There are certain laws that need to be constructed in a way that promote the best possible stewardship of human life, and of a peaceable community,” - Bishop Daniel Why do gun rights get absolute priority over all other rights most especially a child's right to life? https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brownsville-bishop-daniel-flores-gun-ownershoip-sacred_n_629307b1e4b0b1d9845703a0
I agree with Bishop Daniel. All of those Republicans who profess to be Christians should listen to him.
Oh from your lips to God’s ears.
The idea is great but unfortunately it can’t be implemented. The reality is we the voters are the only people who can reduce gun violence by voting for politicians who want gun safety and laws to protect everyone. There needs to be a power shift from the NRA and politicians they support to we the people. Until that happens the merry go round continues.
Stephen, I think with this shooting we have reached a tipping point and can make this happen especially if we avoid negative self-fulfilling prophecies that we can't do anything. Yes, we can change this. This will become an unstoppable movement!
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
"All healthy societies are ready to sacrifice the existential moment for their children's future and for children after those. The sense of the future is behind all good policies. Unless we have it, we can give nothing either wise or decent to the world."
--C.P. Snow
I believe Snow says everything we need to guide us to make smart decisions about guns, climate, public health, education, democracy, human rights, and virtually every other issue we face.
Laurie, thanks so much for that, I completely agree with Snow and with you. In each of the areas of public policy you mention, the gop is virtually unanimous in their “wrong” decisions on the issues. To use Robert’s clever, and sickeningly, correct math construction, the gop wrong decision calculus approaches infinity.
It is appalling to yet again listen to the gop attempt to control the narrative. Our politicians are morally, emotionally, logically and thoughtfully incapable of showing any decency. They are the true legacy of Joe McCarthy.
It makes me so sad to see the Dems make the same mistake over and over. My Senator, Schumer, is so disappointing, as is Murphy, in this situation. The definition of insanity, expecting a different outcome.
I agree that it's challenging to hang on to hope. The Dems might be making mistakes, but it's the craven, cowardly Republicans in Congress who deserve all the blame for blocking all efforts to rein in this gun nightmare. Congress could legislate - - this country has numerous skilled lawyers who could craft a workaround of the reactionary SCOTUS justices.
The GOP is scared of losing power. Many informed voters are exhausted.The American cultural foundation is no longer baseball and apple pie; instead, it appears to be tribalism, self-interest, and owning your own assault rifle/gun.
https://fb.watch/dkH_HR5ma1/
Thanks for sharing this, MaryPat. She makes a ton of sense.
Laurie Caplan: The Snow quotation and your amplification are profound and valuable directives for us. I thank you.
Thank you, Anne.
I would like to put them on my blog. I tried to find which of Snow’s writings contains the quote but could not locate it. Do you have it? And I can either include your name or simply refer to you as a commenter—your choice. If the former is ok, can you provide a short description of yourself? My blog is http://annieasksyou.com.
Anne, I've had that quote (and hundreds more) for decades - I don't recall the source. Please refer to me as a commenter. I'm delighted you want to share the quote!
❤️
All the complex issues taking our time, energy, resources and focus from democracy, voting rights, gun safety and climate change, to human rights, abortion, racism, health care and on and on, can be solved quite simply. The United States is a Democratic Republic where we elect representatives to speak for us, unfortunately there seems to be only one party listening to “we the people”. The second party seems more interested in listening to “we the monied”. Corporate or private dollars speak louder than ethics and morality.
The lowest trump card beats an ace all the time, and the vote trumps the money all the time. There are more Democrats the party of ideas, than Republicans the party of status quo. Nothing changes with minority rule.
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE THE BASTARDS OUT!!
I am once again grateful for your eloquent and powerful response to the Republican refusal to work with Democrats to solve another of this country’s problems; in this case assault weapons. In addition you gave us the contrasting images of two teachers’ instinct to protect their students versus the 19 police waiting on the safe side of the locked door. Waiting for what? Who ordered them to wait? Your split second decision math is graphic and effective and real. Thank you for that!
In the aftermath of the Columbine shooting (1999), I suppose I understood, at least theoretically, that sometimes it takes a generation for an event to awaken our awareness. But if now, so many years after that event, we still are behaving as though it did not occur (e.g., Littleton,1999; RedLake,2005; Blacksburg,2007; Newtown,2012; Roseburg,2015; SantaFe,2018; Parkland,2018; Uvalde,2022), then, as men and women who are concerned with one another’s lives, can we afford, lest we become accomplices, to remain silent each time leadership asserts (in a country with more guns than people) that this is not who we are? I don’t expect an answer. I simply ask, this Memorial Day, that we sit with the question.
Please don’t forget Buffalo so soon, motivated as it was by racial animosity which is part and parcel of the insistence on the need for guns.
Mitzi, Indeed, I didn’t forget Buffalo. I simply chose, in the aftermath of Uvalde, to list as examples the most deadly school shootings.
IT is always amazing to me that when one of these horrific mass [or even individual ] shootings that the republicans right away say we should pray for the families, but any discussion about taking some kind of action like enacting some gun law protections is politicizing the situation and this is not the right time. Well if politicizing means taking some action[s] to save lives, than I'm all for it. We're virtually the only country where every time we turn around there are more deaths and we won't take any steps to try and make changes. As plenty have said , we require licenses to drive and drink, et. but won't do anything about guns. I don't care if people want to have guns for things like hunting, but automatic weapons are only for one purpose - killing! These "gung ho" gun folks think they are macho, but they really look and act like little kids still trying to play cops and robbers. They are mainly a bunch of cowards who have yet to grow up and don't care about others.
Until the Republicans can see that they are losing the majority of support from their constituents over this, they will never vote for banning assault rifles or any other common sense gun laws.
Thank you Robert. Yesterday, DOJ Public Affairs published a "Justice Department Statement
on the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School '.DOJ will review the chaos. "The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions & responses that day ... to help first responders prepare for and respond to Active Shooter events." Presumably that review will include the capable actions of 9-1-1 Operator's ability to patch in to the police the six (6) calls from children within Room #111. A review should include a Log of interagency digital communications leading to the monent the Feds ( U.S. Border Control) "overrode" the Local ICD Onsite Commander & charged the Shooter ending the tranedy at 87,781 seconds into the debacle. Never again.
Listen up Senator Cornyn and the rest of you lying Republican "gangsters set out to rob the world," as Woody Guthrie described the fascists of his era: "All you fascists bound to lose." Guthrie's guitar was his "Fascist killing machine," the instrument of justice he used effectively to challenge the fascist threat. Well, here we are again, only this time the evil is arising right here in the U.S.A. within the Republican Party, and all freedom-loving Americans must now stand together in solidarity and resist, condemn, and actively defy, via civic and political means, the anti-democratic forces mobilized to destroy the Constitution. Let this Memorial Day be the day we all make the split-second decision to confront the cowardly bastards who allowed innocent children and teachers to die while they stood by and watched it happen, and then lied and made excuses about it in the aftermath. Protecting the nation against people like this isn't something to think about, it's a split-second decision to act now, in the present moment without any concern about the outcome. As Chris Hedges said: "I don't fight fascists because I think I can win. I fight fascists because they're fascists." Woddy Guthrie's weapon was his guitar; our instrument of resistance, if we all choose to use it, is our constitutional right to vote. As Abraham Lincoln said, "The ballot is more powerful than the bullet."
I am putting this in my back pocket for future use: "I don't fight fascists because I think I can win. I fight fascists because they're fascists."
Perfect! I'm putting it in my back pocket as well.
I haven’t read all the comments so this may have been addressed but I keep thinking that the delayed response by the police may have been consciously or unconsciously related to racism. It was reported that the area and the school were heavily Latino. Given the tenor of our time and racially motivated violence it is not unreasonable to think that Latino children are not as “valuable” as white children. I have not read any analysis of this horrible incident that mentions this possibility. Thoughts?
It will be painful, but we must address the question you raise. If a single law enforcement officer had a child in that school, he would have been first through the door. Texas law enforcement apparently does not reflect they community it polices.
Dr. Kellogg, I read your comments yesterday, spoke of them to a friend, and came back this morning to revisit your wisdom. Have we exiled ourselves so dramatically, and so irrevocably from one another that this could be true? I fear it could be so.
Whether or not we have exiled ourselves from one another which seems to be true at this time in history, we must speak out about the curse of racism and the need for people to ignore and minimize it’s effect on our lives and our democracy. That will create the community we need!
I believe with you that we need to “speak out about the curse of racism,” though I find it challenging to move beyond the despair. At times, it seems to be everywhere––the racism and the despair. As for creating the community we need, I find refuge in this one. It’s a daily practice that I keep coming back to, and I am grateful for it. As I am for this exchange.
I wonder, if approaching the midterms, Democrats should consider leaning into this issue almost exclusively as the single most compelling way to distinguish most of our candidates from most of the GOP's. Messaging is often a weak link for Dems as many of the issues that animate us don't lend themselves to simplistic, MAGA-style phrasing. But common sense gun control might be the most efficient way to to 1) appeal to the reasonable wishes of the vast majority of Americans who are justifiably horrified by these massacres, 2) clearly distinguish Democratic candidates from their Republican opponents and avoid getting bogged down in unwinnable debates about vulnerabilities like inflation, high gas prices, etc. that, though global in nature, will still be blamed on Dems by the GOP and 3) own a crystal-clear and easily-understood issue. The electorate tends to support the President in times of war. The casualty statistics that comprise gun violence in America are tantamount to that of a war, albeit undeclared. Perhaps we should declare it as such as a winning strategy. And as Rob (and so many others) have correctly said, I make no apology for politicizing this inherently -- and tragically -- political issue.
Nor should you apologize, your points are very well taken and should make sense even to the political consultant class who already know everything.
"Avoid politicizing?" Seriously? To express my feelings, let me quote from Charles Blow's opinion piece in today's NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/29/opinion/gun-safety-republicans.html)
"I understand that Republicans are the opposition, that they have come to accept staggering levels of death as the price they must pay to advance their political agenda on everything from Covid to guns.
But I am on the same page as they are on one point. They see the passage of gun safety laws as a slippery slope that could lead to more sweeping laws and even, one day, national gun registries, insurance requirements and bans. I see the same and I actively hope for it.
When I hear Democratic politicians contorting their statements so it sounds like they’re promoting gun ownership while also promoting gun safety, I’m not only mystified, I’m miffed.
Why can’t everyone just be upfront? We have too many guns. We need to begin to get some of them out of circulation. That may include gun buybacks, but it must include no longer selling weapons of war to civilians." . . .
"Gun culture is a canard and a corruption.
It makes people fearful and convinces them that guns provide security. More guns equate to even more security. But in fact, the escalation of gun ownership makes society less safe."
Thank you. I may use Blow's comment: "When I hear Democratic politicians contorting their statements so it sounds like they’re promoting gun ownership while also promoting gun safety, I’m not only mystified, I’m miffed." We don't have a gun safety problem in America. We have a gun problem. We should stop talking in code. Some people shouldn't own guns, and some guns should be outlawed. That isn't gun safety. It is gun control. We need more of it, not less.
Yes, and Ted Cruz and his ilk who say getting rid of guns makes no difference is a willful denial of the statistics shown by countries that allow no guns and the before and after of countries that have done away with most of their guns. People kill people. Without the guns, there are no shootings.
I agree with reader Larry Lewin 100%! I am going to work like crazy to elect in or out of office encumbents & candidates who support the gun laws Americans have supported & asked for. Ban assault weapons. Ban high capacity magazines. Background checks. Raise the age to buy a gun. Red Flag laws. This along with our voting rights, reproductive rights, climate solutions. From these all other public policies for the good of the nation will come. Access to healthcare, affordable housing, etc. It is time to stop praying & as Robert implores with every issue, activate. We don’t have to take on the nation, each of us can work within our precinct, our county our 2 US Senators. Keep it simple & focused. We can do this.🔥🇺🇸💪💙
I think we need to be clear that “politicizing the tragedy” is nothing to be ashamed of and not, in any case, something that only Democrats do. When Republicans observe something they don’t like, they are quick to impose - and act on - their supposed solutions. What was Trump’s reaction to the “tragedy” of “caravans” of unwanted immigrants coming to our borders an attempt to politicize the tragedies that motivate these people to make the journey?
So when the accusation of politicization rears its ugly head, we should just say, yes, that’s what politics is for, and you also do it all the time. We cannot let them define the boundaries of the permissible.
"we should just say, yes, that’s what politics is for, and you also do it all the time."
Cowardice. Raw cowardice is what we saw from those gun-toting so-called servants of the people. They should be given jail time at the very least.
Correct including civil liability for the police agencies specifically the 'Texas Rangers' with their cowboy hats & incomprehensible "Director" who broke down after 1 tough question. The citizens of Uvalde have lots of questions. Note, see Robert's comment below.
Civil liability is a good solution here, but the police will be protected by sovereign immunity (among other defenses). The families would need to prove they were acting outside the scope of their duties--a very tough obstacle. A possible violation of civil rights is also an avenue, but also has very high standard of proof. At the very least, they should all resign.
Good point Robert. I am not a Texas licensed lawyer. I do know the Texas AG ( yes Ken Paxton) has a Law Enforcement Division that provides defenses by Texas AG attorneys to law enforcement personnel & Tex officials acting in their 'official capacity'. Hence the need for the DOJ's catalog & precise timing of action, non-action & the 'offical capacity' of the around 80 or so actors. Bottom line, we are talking about the Duty to Act. Question:what is the jurisdiction of the local, so-called incident ICD commander who is also an elected Olvalde official? Exactly who & exactly when were the Feds called? Did the 'offcial capacity' of actors shift the instant the U.S. Border Patrol arrived? The Fed onsite commander certainly discharged his/her duty admirably.
I went to pick up a grocery order (delivered to my car in the parking lot), and felt myself scanning the people moving about. I realized my subconscious was remembering the Buffalo shooter, and how he started killing people in the parking lot first.
My husband and I are going to attend a climate rally (which will be attended by mostly “blue” voters) outside of our state capitol building, which is located in a more Republican, pro-gun area of our state. I privately wonder if we shouldn’t go, because this sort of crowd may be a tantalizing target for someone like the now-famous confederate flag waving insurrectionist who hailed from that same area.
My point is: by giving gun owners all of the freedoms they think they are constitutionally due by the second amendment, it seems that the rest of us are giving up our freedoms overall.
Rebecca, I have been having that same thought. When the pandemic began, I self-quarantined and still do to this day, I won't enter an enclosed space where people do not wear masks. However, my choice to shop online and curbside has a second aspect - fear of armed, open carry people. Like you, when I'm sitting in my car waiting for the groceries, I am scanning the parking lot and thinking of a backup plan if someone starts shooting. I DO feel as if I have given up my freedoms and my rights because of the proliferation of military grade (and other) weapons and the laws and the politicians who make them a danger to us all. There was a time of innocence (at least for me) when I thought laws and politicians were in place to protect and serve. Not now.