Sunday, June 12, 2016

I've Got Nothing.

I woke up today and drank coffee and puttered around, then checked social media. One of my friends posted a "My heart goes out..." type post, and I was honestly confused - I thought she was referring to the death of that young singer from The Voice...but no. I'm caught up now, and I'm numb and I'm really fucking furious.

How do we still allow these weapons of mass killing to be sold to any random asshole who can pass a cursory background check? Shouldn't there be a "WHY?" here? I'm not the first to say it, but if you feel a need to own one, you are by definition too squirrely to be trusted with it. Leaving out the alleged terrorist connection (at this point still unclear, and kind of irrelevant) why do we sell these fucking guns in the first place? Why was the assault weapons ban lifted years ago? This guy bought that gun legally, because he could.

I am not anti-gun. If I felt the need for protection I'd get a handgun suitable for my small lady hands and I'd train like a cop to use it and practice regularly, because if I felt the need to have one, I'd be damn sure I could stop whoever I aimed at and worry about cleaning up bloodstains later. I am not a gun hating gun grabber liberal. Liberals own guns too. The weapon used to kill and maim a bunch of young people out on a Saturday night isn't a gun you'd keep for self protection. This is a weapon designed for mass killing. You can get one more easily than a driver's license in 'Murrica, because GUNS! FREEDOM! FUCK YEAH!

I stepped away from blogging about politics years ago, after my brain thang. I'm feeling the urge to wade in for real and knock heads together. I think I need to look at a lot of cat pictures for the next week.

8 comments:

k said...

I can hardly breathe.
This one might be cracking open the door to gun control, finally. I'm waiting to hear what bullshit the NRA can come up with for this one.

Anonymous said...

Your can count on the NRA for bullshit, because that's all they've got.

Hearts here go out to Americans, again. Just plain awful.

Take a deep breath Catherine, making yourself ill won't change anything.

Gae, in Callala Bay

Caroline said...

Thank you, Catherine. you are right on. this has to stop, has to change.

Catherine said...

I don't know. I thought Sandy Hook would be the turning point. It wasn't.

Anonymous said...

After Sandy Hook I got on the net, found the NRA website, and put a comment on there - to the effect that I am grateful to be an Australian. Got several very terse replies. Apparently I am an oppressed and disenfranchised subject - I sure don't feel it. Our police are armed, but not overbearing.

After one of the mass shootings in the last year (I forget which one, doesn't that tell you something?), I tried to put a comment on the NRA website - they've got smart in the meantime, and you have to be a member to leave a comment. Fingers in ears "I can't hear you, I can't hear you!

We have a fraction of the gun ownership/ per hundred citizens, and the last mass shooting Down Under was the Port Arthur tragedy, in Tasmania, in 1996. But the NRA cannot understand simple figures like this.

When will they ever learn?

Hugs,

Gae, in Callala Bay

KatyaR said...

I'm sick of it, too. The reaction to the Sandy Hook murders made me realize that we will probably never get the NRA to back down. Between them and the asshats that think Sandy Hook was faked, I just want to crawl into a hole every time something like this happens. #thisisnotmyAmerica

jennywren said...

I read yesterday that Mr Obama is planning - or going to try - and ban the machine gun that was used in Orlando. Apparently it was designed for military use not personal - who'd have thought it! I honestly cannot see any reason - any - why a normal ordinary civilian would need a machine gun - it's beyond my comprehension. No such guns should be available on the open market. A rifle for hunters (which I personally disapprove of too but they aren't going to go away) or a handgun for personal protection (makes sense in some areas) but anything else - why?

Catherine said...

Jennywren - I see from your profile that you are from the UK, so yes, our gun laws must seem absolutely deranged, because they are. It's actually easier to buy one of those rifles than to buy some brands of non-prescription allergy meds. It's harder to get a driver's license than to get one. It's harder to register to vote than to get one. Many members of Congress are paid whores to the NRA. Today I feel encouraged, because some Democratic members of Congress have launched a filibuster - basically shutting things down until the subject of guns is addressed. It's a technique the Republicans used to try to block health care. Yeah. You read that right.