My impassioned 72-year-old friend (who is now 75, but who’s counting?), who goes by the Twitter name @42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about a few Republican gun-revering buffoons and their response to the Newtown massacre. I am more than happy to oblige.
But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:
Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.
Buffoons
Last Friday, an horrific event occurred in our country, where 26 human beings, 20 of them young children, were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, by a deranged individual.
Like many of you, I shed tears over the weekend as we learned more and more of the facts as to what actually took place at the school. When I think about what took place and the horror those children, teachers and school official went through, I still tear up, even as I write this special comment.
But I get extremely upset, mad, angry, irate or whatever word that describes outrage, when I read and hear the remarks coming from the religious right and the right wing of the Republican Party regarding what took place at the school.
Consider the following remarks and statements:
- Mike Huckabee on Friday remarked, why should we be so surprised at the violence when we have systematically removed God from our schools?
- James Dobson, Focus on the Family Founder, linked the shooting to turning back on God with regard to abortions and the institution of marriage. In effect linking Sandy Hook shooting to abortions and gay marriage.
- Rep. Louie Gohmert, (the male counter part to Michele Bachmann in making outrageous statements) that more people being armed might have prevented the carnage. Wishing that the school’s principal Dawn Hochsprung had an M-4 in her office
- Gov. Rick Perry expressed support for school districts to determine whether their teachers can carry concealed weapons, and other states are also proposing teachers carry concealed weapons.
- The National Review in an editorial written by Charlotte Allen, suggested the shooting occurred because the school was totally run by women, suggesting if a man or men were teachers or administrators at the school, the killings would not have happened.
- Then we have birther Orly Taitz blaming President Obama for the Sandy Hook massacre. Read this article and it will make your head spin. Why the media still covers her is beyond me. Her 15 minutes of fame should be over.
Huckabee in his remarks about God being removed from schools, forgets there is such a thing as the separation of church and state.
As far as Gohmert and Perry, I wonder what they would say if a student overpowered a teacher and took a gun and used it. Who would they blame? The teacher for not be strong enough? Would they expect a 100-pound female teacher to take on a male high school student?
Will getting a teaching degree or certification require taking Hand Gun 101 and Shot Gun 102?
No one seems to have taken into consideration the possible ramification of an armed school. It’s like they want to take us back to the wild, wild, west.
The fact that Ms. Allen could make such a remark when six women gave their lives trying protect the students in their schools is disgusting and outrageous.
All of the above statements, were from buffoons pushing their own agendas and not really trying to address the issues that confront the nation. I hope the task force being headed by Vice Pres. Joe Biden can come up with the solutions that will prevent such tragedy from ever happening again.
Many thanks again for another thorough, relevant piece, @42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.
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Sad Days: Special Comment by my 75-year-old friend
My impassioned “72-year-old” friend (who is now 75, but who’s counting?), who goes by the Twitter name @42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about how many of our most pathetic Congress members have handled this country’s tragic events. I am more than happy to oblige.
But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:
Now for his Special Comment:
Sad Days
In my life time I have experienced many sad days for our country, some of these are, but not all are:
All of the above events resulted to death and injury of many Americans and non-Americans, that have affected and changed the lives of many people and our country.
I know, the way our government operates has changed over the years, with the growth of lobbyists and the amount of money in our political system; but yesterday I saw the death of my country that I was brought up to know and love.
Yesterday was another sad day for me and America. When over 90% of Americans favored a bill that would expand gun background checks of gun sales, made at gun shows and over the Internet, was defeated by a group of Senators who had more loyalty to the NRA and gun manufacturers than to the American people.
That group of Senators showed that the revered words of their most famous Republican, President Abraham Lincoln– that we are a “government of, by and for the people”– no longer has any meaning to them. To them we are now a government of, by and for the 1% and the big corporations.
To Rand Paul I say, the only props used in the gun legislation debate where you and the other Senators who voted against the wishes of your constituents to support the gun manufacturers.
We need to get back to the type of government that was expressed by President Lincoln. That can only be done by voting out members of Congress who don’t represent their constituents and reverse the Citizens United decision. I have faith that this can be done and then enact sane and sensible gun laws, without taking away the 2nd amendment rights of Americans.
Many thanks again for another thorough, relevant piece, @42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.
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