For What It’s Worth (Quite a Bit, I Hope)

Something Happened in The Streets

Almost Everywhere
March 25, 2018

 

Washington, DC - March 24, 2018

 

I was unable to join in any of the many March For Our Lives events all across the globe yesterday. Hundreds of thousands marched to change America’s insane gun fetish – reportedly 800,000 in Washington, DC alone. Demonstrations took place in hundreds of American cities including Philadelphia, Houston, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles and San Francisco. There were solidarity events in countries across the globe – including Israel, New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., Japan, Germany, Belgium, India, France and Chile. Apparently, the whole world is almost as concerned about our gun violence as they are about our Dear Leader.

Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons during yesterday’s game

 

The creature squatting in the White House was, as usual, AWOL. The Orange Gas Cloud, pledged to take on the gun issue, until the winds shifted due to the NRA blowing gun residue in his face. On this day, Chrump was hiding out at his Mor-on Lago resort, with nothing to say about this remarkable event. In fact, his motorcade went out of its way to avoid having #45 see any protesters - possibly more out of their own self-preservation than sparing his widdle feewings. Chrump's own personal “news” network – Fux News – was the only major network to spend the day trying to pretend these marches did not happen. Two days before the marches, an obsequious interviewer asked Der Furor what advice he would give to his 25 year old self, to which Chrumpy the Clown responded, “Don’t run for president.” Few events in history have warranted time travel more strongly. Maybe he would be the one person who he might have listened to, since he ignored the very same advice proffered by countless people just two short years ago. Chrump could have just told himself not to run then.

You might recognize the building in the background.
Its current part-time occupant would probably not.

Our nation’s irresponsible (according to the folks at Fux and their ilk) youth, starting with survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a gunman killed 17 people and injured others on Valentine's Day, in little over a month organized these events. One of the most important aspects of these marches in the U.S. was voter registration. Republican’ts are known for their ability to marshal rabid single-issue voters when it comes to sexual orientation issues and women’s right to choose. They just might get a taste of their own poison medicine when hundreds of thousands of new minted, newly energized young voters and all those who hear their voices and stand with them, swarm to the polls to oust those claiming to represent people, while instead representing the NRA.

You might recognize the building in the background.
Too many of those who work there do so for the NRA. 

Name That Goon

 

Interestingly, no less than Ronald Reagan – then-governor of California – and the NRA were staunch supporters of severe gun control laws a while back:

In 1967 St. Ronnie Reagan – in cahoots with the NRA – imposed draconian gun restrictions via the Mulford Act in California when the Black Panthers decided to exercise the same Constitutional rights enjoyed by white people while patrolling the streets to keep their neighborhoods safe from police. Can you believe that back in the 20th century black people in America had to fear for their lives…from the police? Thank God those days are over.   

    Black Panthers exercising their God-given right to bear arms in 1967.     

California Republicans eagerly supported increased gun control once the Panthers began their own open carry movement. Governor Reagan told reporters that he saw “no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons.” He called guns a “ridiculous way to solve problems that have to be solved among people of good will.” Reagan also said he didn’t “know of any sportsman who leaves his home with a gun to go out into the field to hunt or for target shooting who carries that gun loaded.” The Mulford Act, he said, “would work no hardship on the honest citizen.” (reposted from July 1, 2016)

To paraphrase Funkadelic, circa 1978: Vote, vote, it ain’t illegal yet. Voting – it’s coming to a machine near you in just seven short months. This election could be the first step toward changing our gun laws, the first step toward freeing ourselves from the asphyxiating grip of Chrumpublican’ts, and the first step (possibly second or third by then) toward the early exit of the 45^th and only gas-based president of the United States. Be sure to stock up on Votegra for everyone you know.   

I. Mangrey reporting. Stop or I’ll shoot you a glance.