These Are The Times That Fry Men’s Souls
May 30, 2022
Memorial Day in America. We observe
this national holiday to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice
in defense of our democracy. In defense of our commitment to protecting life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness under the umbrella of this Great
Experiment, this Republic-if-we-can-keep-it. This is how Benjamin Franklin
described the newborn nation when asked by Mrs. Elizabeth Willing Powel, “Well
Doctor what have we got a republic or a monarchy?” as Franklin left the Constitutional
Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787.
It is unfortunately time to add another cohort to those we memorialize every year on Memorial Day. As their numbers continue to rise day after day, year after year, we must add the many Americans who have perished as a result of the Ratpublican/NRA war – the American/Gun War – that continues to rage across this nation, to those memorialized every year on this day.
The NRA-owned Ratpublican party continues to defend the rights of guns to wantonly take the lives of Americans on a daily basis. They defend large-capacity magazines. They defend assault-style weapons. They defend the rights of mentally ill individuals to wield weapons of mass death. They defend the rights of people to arm themselves in our streets and places of gathering without background checks, without licenses, without training, without being part of a “well-regulated militia.” They refuse to protect the rights of innocent Americans to not be mowed down in streets, to be gunned down in places of worship, in schools, or anywhere else normal people should feel free to enjoy life and liberty and pursue happiness without living in constant fear of being murdered for no reason.
Meanwhile, the NRA convention was held as planned
in Texas (Coincidence?)
just days after the massacre, where speakers exhibited Dali-esque creativity in
blaming everything under the Sun EXCEPT GUNS for all our mass shootings. The tone-deaf/brain-dead
event, featured none other than Donald Tmurp and Ted Cruz. Though he did attend
a fundraiser hours after the shooting occurred, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott decided
not to show up to the NRA gala in person; he was probably afraid of getting
shot. No guns will be permitted in the venue. Just Gun Nuts.
Both Tmurp and Cruz trotted out Wayne LaPierre’s
deranged pronouncement, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy
with a gun.” We now know that 19 law enforcement
officers were standing outside the door
to the Classroom of Death for 45 minutes – minutes that meant life and death…well,
death
The defense rests.
From Their Cold, Dead Hearts
Less than a year ago Abbott proudly claimed Texas as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State” – whatever the fuck that means. At the signing ceremony Abbott said
“Politicians from the federal level to the local
level have threatened to take guns from law-abiding citizens – but we will not
let that happen in Texas. Texas will always be the leader in defending the
Second Amendment, which is why we built a barrier around gun rights this
session.”
Maybe someone should have built a barrier around the
Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Ratpublicans (and Joe Manchin) constantly talk about being “pro-life.” Their actions are consistently “pro-death.” Watch what people do, not what they say. Now, watch the Supreme Court loosen gun laws. Checkmate.
I. Mangrey reflecting.
