¨There are solutions, but we lack the will.¨ This is exactly the difference between America and the rest of the advanced western world. When Sandy Hook happened with no demand for gun reform across the country, it was a horrific look into the soul of the country.
Congratulations and Mazel Tov to you and the family on the wonderful news of the birth of your third grandchild. This kind of great news provides a respite from the mess out here. And then in the same note, sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend. Fitting tribute to take the day to mourn and support. the family.
Re: Biden and documents. A good friend who is a former Foreign Service Officer and ambassador—and who had some upbraiding in his file over insufficiently secured documents IN HIS OFFICE—says the procedures in place are fine. The execution is the problem. So no need for new laws or regulations. Compliance is what’s needed. Biden’s aides clearly have been lax since his Senate days.
What a whirlwind our lives are these days!! Many hearty congratulations to you on the birth of your beautiful grandchild, and deepest sympathies for the loss of your dear friend. Thank you for your clear and elegant explanations of the turmoil we are experiencing. Your observations and insights make it easier to see through the fog of obfuscations and misinformation.
Gun manufacturers make money when they sell guns, the more guns they sell the more money they make. They use some of the money to buy politicians. (I am not surprised that they can buy a politician, but I am surprised at how little it takes to buy a politician.) Gun manufacturers discovered that they sell more guns whenever there is a rumor that Democrats might limit gun sales. It's a vicious circle of hate. Justice Thomas stupidly interprets the Second Amendment so that it ensures people have the right to carry weapons that can kill people. The laws are written so that gunmen are punished ONLY AFTER they shoot someone. If you think about it, Justice Thomas wants to ensure that you have the right and ability to kill someone. None of George Washington's soldiers used rapid-fire AR-15 rifles, and none had automatic handguns with 30-round magazines, so explain to me how one can now say the Constitution's signers intended such a result.
Congratulations! I love those tiny newborns. Brand new people! So amazing. Your daughter is so lucky to have you and Jill to take care of the baby's 2-year-old sister. Time is definitely marching on. I was just remarking to a friend a few days ago that when I first joined your readership, I am pretty sure your three daughters were unmarried! And now, wow!
Losing people we love is so hard. Sorry you are going through that.
I see that my intended Mazel Tov has been said twice already. So here is your third one on the birth of your granddaughter.
Take all the time you need to take care of your loss and never worry about meeting a deadline. Your patient readers have only your best interests at heart.
Loved the "tub of cottage cheese" metaphor. Keep them coming.
"But if we want to stop mass killings, we need to outlaw guns designed for mass killing." So elegant; so simple; so seemingly beyond us to actually enact.
Today I will focus on new life in the form of your new granddaughter. Let us enjoy what is ours to enjoy.
Robert, what 24 people said ahead of me. So sorry for your loss. And Mazel Tov. You may want to take more than one or two days off! Or keep your letters shorter to reserve your energy. Either way, we understand :) Been there, done that.
As fellow grandparents of toddlers, we find the joy and we also mumble to each other: "Why didn't they have kids when WE were younger?!" But still, to watch them grow is amazing.
While Europe was being swallowed by Hitler and the Nazis were exterminating Jews and other "enemies", most Americans were reluctant to enter another world war. It took Pearl Harbor and then Hitler declaring war on us for the nation to rise up and fight. There were still the Lindberghs who sympathized with the Nazis. But they were overwhelmed by the vast majority who saw the threat.
What will be the "Pearl Harbor" to lead to a sane gun policy - that will lead the majority of Americans to recognize what the rest of the world already knows? That placing WMDs in the hands of anyone who wants one is an invitation to death. Lots of preventable death. Isn't MORE THAN DAILY "mass killings" enough? Or does it have to be a bigger slaughter? What will it take for the majority of Americans to fight this stupidity and demand their representatives act?
I think I know the answer and I am terrified. Hint: picture Pearl Harbor.
Your insights on public issues are balanced and helpful. But I write on more personal topics. First, congratulations on your new granddaughter and on reliving toddlerhood with the 20 month old. And my condolence on the loss of the close friend whosr death you are mourning. No matter the headlines, the ebb and flow of our lives is really made up of those events closest to us. Because of your newsletter, we readers form a network of caring for you and yours. Distantly but truly, we share your joys and sorrows. Blessings.
Mazel Tov on your new arrival. May she be a blessing to you and your family.
As to George Santos, I am a member of Concerned Citizens of NY 03. Check out our FB and twitter ( same name) and join us in making sure Robert's granddaughter and all of our children grow up in a country where truth stands for something.
To no one's surprise, the Nation's Finest Fishwrap, er, I mean the New York Times, is doing a good job on the "Biden classified documents story" of trying to "Whitewater" (in Josh Marshall's memorable turn of phrase) it into being something, another "but her emails..."
There are times when I think the country would be better off if something bad happened to that company.
Congratulations on your new granddaughter. I’m always moved by your humanity and integrity in the middle of the cesspool we are navigating these days. You give me hope when it seems there is none.
¨There are solutions, but we lack the will.¨ This is exactly the difference between America and the rest of the advanced western world. When Sandy Hook happened with no demand for gun reform across the country, it was a horrific look into the soul of the country.
Congratulations and Mazel Tov to you and the family on the wonderful news of the birth of your third grandchild. This kind of great news provides a respite from the mess out here. And then in the same note, sorry to hear of the loss of your dear friend. Fitting tribute to take the day to mourn and support. the family.
Re: Biden and documents. A good friend who is a former Foreign Service Officer and ambassador—and who had some upbraiding in his file over insufficiently secured documents IN HIS OFFICE—says the procedures in place are fine. The execution is the problem. So no need for new laws or regulations. Compliance is what’s needed. Biden’s aides clearly have been lax since his Senate days.
What a whirlwind our lives are these days!! Many hearty congratulations to you on the birth of your beautiful grandchild, and deepest sympathies for the loss of your dear friend. Thank you for your clear and elegant explanations of the turmoil we are experiencing. Your observations and insights make it easier to see through the fog of obfuscations and misinformation.
Gun manufacturers make money when they sell guns, the more guns they sell the more money they make. They use some of the money to buy politicians. (I am not surprised that they can buy a politician, but I am surprised at how little it takes to buy a politician.) Gun manufacturers discovered that they sell more guns whenever there is a rumor that Democrats might limit gun sales. It's a vicious circle of hate. Justice Thomas stupidly interprets the Second Amendment so that it ensures people have the right to carry weapons that can kill people. The laws are written so that gunmen are punished ONLY AFTER they shoot someone. If you think about it, Justice Thomas wants to ensure that you have the right and ability to kill someone. None of George Washington's soldiers used rapid-fire AR-15 rifles, and none had automatic handguns with 30-round magazines, so explain to me how one can now say the Constitution's signers intended such a result.
Congratulations! I love those tiny newborns. Brand new people! So amazing. Your daughter is so lucky to have you and Jill to take care of the baby's 2-year-old sister. Time is definitely marching on. I was just remarking to a friend a few days ago that when I first joined your readership, I am pretty sure your three daughters were unmarried! And now, wow!
Losing people we love is so hard. Sorry you are going through that.
And that we are all going through the mass shootings and the USA's gun problem. My younger friend wrote this chilling piece last summer: https://www.damemagazine.com/2022/07/18/the-nra-has-a-dangerous-ally-in-newtown/
I enjoyed the tub of cottage cheese reference. Gave me a smile. Enjoy that tiny baby! And of course the other granddaughters too!!
I see that my intended Mazel Tov has been said twice already. So here is your third one on the birth of your granddaughter.
Take all the time you need to take care of your loss and never worry about meeting a deadline. Your patient readers have only your best interests at heart.
Loved the "tub of cottage cheese" metaphor. Keep them coming.
Congratulations on the new addition to the family!! Wonderful news in the midst of uncertainty. My prayers go out to the Monterey Park community... 😞
"But if we want to stop mass killings, we need to outlaw guns designed for mass killing." So elegant; so simple; so seemingly beyond us to actually enact.
Today I will focus on new life in the form of your new granddaughter. Let us enjoy what is ours to enjoy.
Robert, what 24 people said ahead of me. So sorry for your loss. And Mazel Tov. You may want to take more than one or two days off! Or keep your letters shorter to reserve your energy. Either way, we understand :) Been there, done that.
As fellow grandparents of toddlers, we find the joy and we also mumble to each other: "Why didn't they have kids when WE were younger?!" But still, to watch them grow is amazing.
While Europe was being swallowed by Hitler and the Nazis were exterminating Jews and other "enemies", most Americans were reluctant to enter another world war. It took Pearl Harbor and then Hitler declaring war on us for the nation to rise up and fight. There were still the Lindberghs who sympathized with the Nazis. But they were overwhelmed by the vast majority who saw the threat.
What will be the "Pearl Harbor" to lead to a sane gun policy - that will lead the majority of Americans to recognize what the rest of the world already knows? That placing WMDs in the hands of anyone who wants one is an invitation to death. Lots of preventable death. Isn't MORE THAN DAILY "mass killings" enough? Or does it have to be a bigger slaughter? What will it take for the majority of Americans to fight this stupidity and demand their representatives act?
I think I know the answer and I am terrified. Hint: picture Pearl Harbor.
Your insights on public issues are balanced and helpful. But I write on more personal topics. First, congratulations on your new granddaughter and on reliving toddlerhood with the 20 month old. And my condolence on the loss of the close friend whosr death you are mourning. No matter the headlines, the ebb and flow of our lives is really made up of those events closest to us. Because of your newsletter, we readers form a network of caring for you and yours. Distantly but truly, we share your joys and sorrows. Blessings.
Mazel Tov on your new arrival. May she be a blessing to you and your family.
As to George Santos, I am a member of Concerned Citizens of NY 03. Check out our FB and twitter ( same name) and join us in making sure Robert's granddaughter and all of our children grow up in a country where truth stands for something.
So happy for you, Robert and Jill! Enjoy and savor every second you get to spend with big sister and little sister!
To no one's surprise, the Nation's Finest Fishwrap, er, I mean the New York Times, is doing a good job on the "Biden classified documents story" of trying to "Whitewater" (in Josh Marshall's memorable turn of phrase) it into being something, another "but her emails..."
There are times when I think the country would be better off if something bad happened to that company.
Congratulations on your new granddaughter. I’m always moved by your humanity and integrity in the middle of the cesspool we are navigating these days. You give me hope when it seems there is none.
Does anyone want to see a powerful campaign? Lucas Kunce of Missouri is running against Josh Hawley. He is a Democrat and a former marine.