Jody Hice gave up a safe seat in Congress during a year in which his party can reasonably expect to retake the majority,,,so that he could overturn the next presidential election results if his party loses.
Now he has nothing.
I love it. It's one of the few bright spots in yesterday's darkness.
I'm a rare breed... a MA-based gun owner. You think it bothers me that in order to get my gun permit, which is required for all purchases and possession, I had to complete an application, submit State and Federal fingerprints, undergo State and Federal background checks, do an interview with the licensing department at my local police station, and wait 6 weeks for everything to be approved? No. I get to send my son to school knowing he's safer here than many places.
Yes, nothing will be done in the wake of this horrific tragedy, at yet another elementary school for god's sake. But it's worth mentioning WHY nothing will be done. This is a pattern brought to you in America and America only by one reprehensible political party, the Republican Party.
Beto got blowback for speaking about gun confiscations, because as a Texas politician, that's suicidal talk. But he's absolutely right, whether or not it was politically prudent to say it. And therein lies the problem: we're too far gone, and the necessary solutions are impossible.
We need Democrats to hold 60+ Senate seats, Congress, and the White House for any prayer of passage of gun legislation. Then, we need that legislation to survive challenges in a 6-3 Republican, "pro-life" SCOTUS who no doubt takes the Second Amendment very seriously. Then we still have 6 guns in America for every 5 Americans. We've let this go unaddressed for way too long, and now we're stuck with it, and the whirlwind we reap lies squarely with one vile political party, that cowers before the NRA and its own hillbilly voters while little kids are slaughtered.
Remember when, after Las Vegas, even some Republicans said we were going to pass legislation outlawing bump stocks and I believe also muzzles? How did that pan out?
The Second Amendment was originally passed because we didn't have a standing army, and thus it would be necessary for American citizens to defend the homeland from foreign invaders, or even the Indians and slaves who might justifiably be very pissed off at us. Somehow, in the 200+ years since its ratification, it has been misconstrued into a right to own any god damned weapon you want short of a machine gun so you can defend yourself against your own government should it decide to do what exactly? Invade itself? The government has conquered you already; you're an American citizen! Relax! And if the government wanted to turn the full weight and force of the American military on you in your rural or suburban neighborhood, your arsenal of AR15s is probably not going to deter it. So lay off of the Rambo bullshit.
Why will nothing be done? Because we have cowards throughout the state and federal governments who cower before the hateful fascism of the NRA and their cartoonish caricature of the Second Amendment? These weapons should be outlawed, all gun sales need to be highly regulated and anyone who is so afraid of the world that they have to walk around carrying a concealed handgun needs to be licensed and demonstrate that they have been trained to handle the weapon safely. Weapons need to be stored safely. The Founding Fathers had firearms regulations, prohibiting the storage of large amounts of black powder outside of armories, for example; they saw it as a public safety issue. We need to as well.
Dead children and their heroic teachers are now the responsibility of every state and federal legislator in America. Step up and be responsible adults, for Christ's sake.
I was working out in my apartment's gym complex when news of the Columbine massacre broke. Naively, I thought it would at last be the impetus for sane gun laws in this country.
When the slaughter of kindergartners wasn't enough to move the Republican Party, I knew nothing ever would. They won't care about the latest murders any more than they cared about any of the others.
And let's be honest: when you consider the skin color of the Buffalo and Uvalde victims, you especially know they won't be moved one damn bit.
"But a nation that was not shocked into action by the massacre of innocents at Sandy Hook is unlikely to be moved by the latest horror."
No, Charlie. I don't accept this take at all. It isn't the 'nation' that's lacking in shock or in motivation to do something about our out-of-control gun culture. That blame lies squarely at the feet of republican elected officials along some Democratic right-leaners.
They've been allowed to conflate sensible gun control with 'OMG! They're coming for our gunz!!' for too long.
The nation IS shocked. And horrified. AGAIN. This nation's heart and soul bleeds for these victims and the families and friends they leave behind. So, please direct your comments where they belong. This 'nation' is captive to the politics of minority rule. Let's see your article aimed at them.
The SBC scandal is easy for this ex-Catholic to understand. Most evangelicals buy into the horseshit of, the man as head of family and women as subjective to his desires. Couple that nonsense with the "the flesh is weak" horseshit and you have a recipe for sexual abuse that is and will always be forgiven by the SBC.
I know there are good folks out there that believe in the principles of religion as a way to build moral character and help mankind, but there has been a glut of actual proof for about 4 decades now that churches aren't anything more than another way for men who seek power to weild it.
As to the gun issue, hard agree. When we did nothing after Sandy Hook, I accepted that far too many people are willing to accept that sacrificing innocents to gun violence is the price they are very wiling to pay for their "right to bear arms". They sicken me, but they have won.
The whole gruesome affair is a matter of stochastic violence. Republicans don't care because it's a preparation for more general violence, which they look forward to. This, apparently, is what they meant by "Second Amendment rights."
There is no reason we can't mandate licensing, safety training, and accuracy testing for gun ownership. The Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, yet we mandate driver's licenses and training.
Also, if the Feds can track and limit the purchase licking allergy medicines, why can't track and limit the purchase of ammunition?
The Republicans have achieved their goal: utter hopelessness and helplessness about gun violence. And every mass murder is an opportunity to sell more guns. Guns are the answer to guns.
I suggest a bumper sticker: guns don't kill people, gun owners do.
Paradoxically, a smaller percentage of Americans own guns than they did fifty years ago. If you own one, you're in the minority. And yet there are more guns per capita in circulation than ever before.
The reason? A hard core that owns several dozen apiece. And as these Christmas card photos illustrate, they control one of the major political parties.
If Republicans are going to try to paint us as the party of little kid molesters, can we at least try to paint them as the party of little kid slaughterers? At least one of those characterizations will have some basis in fact.
My sense of frustration and disgust with Republicans (and some Dems as well) who refuse to do anything but parrot "thoughts and prayers" after each tragedy knows no bounds. No matter how many deaths, they do nothing and express their moral outrage at those who point the finger anthem as "woke" and "far-left". Their loyalty to the NRA and the gun manufacturers seems to continually override their moral/legal obligation to do just about anything else. I truly find myself at a loss of words to express my contempt for them. Even when it directly affects them - Steve Scalise I'm talking to you - they do nothing. Bowing to the NRA gods irrespective of the outcomes.
The GOP truly stand for "Guns Over People".
Perhaps Dems should run on that as a continual reminder of just how the GOP has betrayed the citizens of this country.
Oh but wait! The NRA is holding a big meeting in Houston, Texas tomorrow May 26 & 27 where we can hear the complaints and cries of all these fucking murderers. I hate this country. The ONLY thing we are NUMBER ONE in is murder. What in the name of God is wrong with our elected leaders and American voters that we allow this to continue. America is nothing but a myth surrounded by greed, hate and AR-15’s.
We need to personalize this for Republicans. I think gun control groups need to run ads on Fox news where parents that look like (or actually are) Maga conservatives hold up pictures of their dead child and say "I'm a patriotic Republican, just like you. My 4 year old boy was killed by an AR-15 assault weapon at Uvalde grade school. I want Ted Cruz to tell me why he prioritized gun manufacturer profits over the safety of my son. (customize for each parent / grandparent / politician). Instead of lifting up thoughts and prayers Ted, why don't you lift up legislation to protect our children and ban assault weapons. Are you a corrupt politician in the pocket of gun companies or are you a good Christian Ted? Because a good Christian would know what to do." Frame it as Corrupt politicians against Christian families - because that's a fight we can win in Rural America.
In the 10 or so years since Sandy Hook, have there been any states that tried a "more guns" approach? If not, why?
Being from the South in the 80s, we had mandatory "Hunter's Safety" in my school. (The presumption was everyone was going deer hunting, and you needed the class to get your hunting license, so why not let the school teach it?) Why isn't that mandatory in every school? We shot rifles on the football field at the end of the week to show our mastery of the concepts. You could get sides of beef donated and let the parents come watch their kids destroy it.
Also, why haven't more states tied gun safety courses to gun ownership? You buy a gun, you are auto enrolled in safety training. If you haven't completed it in six months, your gun is taken away and you have to buy a new one. If our right to speech and assembly can be curtailed for safety-based reasons, why not the right to possess guns?
As a parent of a young child, I am just kind of over not doing ANYTHING. I am ready to vote for a slate that excludes anyone in office in the last 10 years that didn't submit some legislation aimed, at a minimum, at increasing gun safety.
A Bad Night for Trump’s Big Lie
Jody Hice gave up a safe seat in Congress during a year in which his party can reasonably expect to retake the majority,,,so that he could overturn the next presidential election results if his party loses.
Now he has nothing.
I love it. It's one of the few bright spots in yesterday's darkness.
I'm a rare breed... a MA-based gun owner. You think it bothers me that in order to get my gun permit, which is required for all purchases and possession, I had to complete an application, submit State and Federal fingerprints, undergo State and Federal background checks, do an interview with the licensing department at my local police station, and wait 6 weeks for everything to be approved? No. I get to send my son to school knowing he's safer here than many places.
Yes, nothing will be done in the wake of this horrific tragedy, at yet another elementary school for god's sake. But it's worth mentioning WHY nothing will be done. This is a pattern brought to you in America and America only by one reprehensible political party, the Republican Party.
Beto got blowback for speaking about gun confiscations, because as a Texas politician, that's suicidal talk. But he's absolutely right, whether or not it was politically prudent to say it. And therein lies the problem: we're too far gone, and the necessary solutions are impossible.
We need Democrats to hold 60+ Senate seats, Congress, and the White House for any prayer of passage of gun legislation. Then, we need that legislation to survive challenges in a 6-3 Republican, "pro-life" SCOTUS who no doubt takes the Second Amendment very seriously. Then we still have 6 guns in America for every 5 Americans. We've let this go unaddressed for way too long, and now we're stuck with it, and the whirlwind we reap lies squarely with one vile political party, that cowers before the NRA and its own hillbilly voters while little kids are slaughtered.
Remember when, after Las Vegas, even some Republicans said we were going to pass legislation outlawing bump stocks and I believe also muzzles? How did that pan out?
The Second Amendment was originally passed because we didn't have a standing army, and thus it would be necessary for American citizens to defend the homeland from foreign invaders, or even the Indians and slaves who might justifiably be very pissed off at us. Somehow, in the 200+ years since its ratification, it has been misconstrued into a right to own any god damned weapon you want short of a machine gun so you can defend yourself against your own government should it decide to do what exactly? Invade itself? The government has conquered you already; you're an American citizen! Relax! And if the government wanted to turn the full weight and force of the American military on you in your rural or suburban neighborhood, your arsenal of AR15s is probably not going to deter it. So lay off of the Rambo bullshit.
Why will nothing be done? Because we have cowards throughout the state and federal governments who cower before the hateful fascism of the NRA and their cartoonish caricature of the Second Amendment? These weapons should be outlawed, all gun sales need to be highly regulated and anyone who is so afraid of the world that they have to walk around carrying a concealed handgun needs to be licensed and demonstrate that they have been trained to handle the weapon safely. Weapons need to be stored safely. The Founding Fathers had firearms regulations, prohibiting the storage of large amounts of black powder outside of armories, for example; they saw it as a public safety issue. We need to as well.
Dead children and their heroic teachers are now the responsibility of every state and federal legislator in America. Step up and be responsible adults, for Christ's sake.
I was working out in my apartment's gym complex when news of the Columbine massacre broke. Naively, I thought it would at last be the impetus for sane gun laws in this country.
When the slaughter of kindergartners wasn't enough to move the Republican Party, I knew nothing ever would. They won't care about the latest murders any more than they cared about any of the others.
And let's be honest: when you consider the skin color of the Buffalo and Uvalde victims, you especially know they won't be moved one damn bit.
"But a nation that was not shocked into action by the massacre of innocents at Sandy Hook is unlikely to be moved by the latest horror."
No, Charlie. I don't accept this take at all. It isn't the 'nation' that's lacking in shock or in motivation to do something about our out-of-control gun culture. That blame lies squarely at the feet of republican elected officials along some Democratic right-leaners.
They've been allowed to conflate sensible gun control with 'OMG! They're coming for our gunz!!' for too long.
The nation IS shocked. And horrified. AGAIN. This nation's heart and soul bleeds for these victims and the families and friends they leave behind. So, please direct your comments where they belong. This 'nation' is captive to the politics of minority rule. Let's see your article aimed at them.
The SBC scandal is easy for this ex-Catholic to understand. Most evangelicals buy into the horseshit of, the man as head of family and women as subjective to his desires. Couple that nonsense with the "the flesh is weak" horseshit and you have a recipe for sexual abuse that is and will always be forgiven by the SBC.
I know there are good folks out there that believe in the principles of religion as a way to build moral character and help mankind, but there has been a glut of actual proof for about 4 decades now that churches aren't anything more than another way for men who seek power to weild it.
As to the gun issue, hard agree. When we did nothing after Sandy Hook, I accepted that far too many people are willing to accept that sacrificing innocents to gun violence is the price they are very wiling to pay for their "right to bear arms". They sicken me, but they have won.
The whole gruesome affair is a matter of stochastic violence. Republicans don't care because it's a preparation for more general violence, which they look forward to. This, apparently, is what they meant by "Second Amendment rights."
There is no reason we can't mandate licensing, safety training, and accuracy testing for gun ownership. The Constitution guarantees freedom of movement, yet we mandate driver's licenses and training.
Also, if the Feds can track and limit the purchase licking allergy medicines, why can't track and limit the purchase of ammunition?
The Republicans have achieved their goal: utter hopelessness and helplessness about gun violence. And every mass murder is an opportunity to sell more guns. Guns are the answer to guns.
I suggest a bumper sticker: guns don't kill people, gun owners do.
Paradoxically, a smaller percentage of Americans own guns than they did fifty years ago. If you own one, you're in the minority. And yet there are more guns per capita in circulation than ever before.
The reason? A hard core that owns several dozen apiece. And as these Christmas card photos illustrate, they control one of the major political parties.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/15/the-gun-numbers-just-3-of-american-adults-own-a-collective-133m-firearms
If Republicans are going to try to paint us as the party of little kid molesters, can we at least try to paint them as the party of little kid slaughterers? At least one of those characterizations will have some basis in fact.
My sense of frustration and disgust with Republicans (and some Dems as well) who refuse to do anything but parrot "thoughts and prayers" after each tragedy knows no bounds. No matter how many deaths, they do nothing and express their moral outrage at those who point the finger anthem as "woke" and "far-left". Their loyalty to the NRA and the gun manufacturers seems to continually override their moral/legal obligation to do just about anything else. I truly find myself at a loss of words to express my contempt for them. Even when it directly affects them - Steve Scalise I'm talking to you - they do nothing. Bowing to the NRA gods irrespective of the outcomes.
The GOP truly stand for "Guns Over People".
Perhaps Dems should run on that as a continual reminder of just how the GOP has betrayed the citizens of this country.
Oh but wait! The NRA is holding a big meeting in Houston, Texas tomorrow May 26 & 27 where we can hear the complaints and cries of all these fucking murderers. I hate this country. The ONLY thing we are NUMBER ONE in is murder. What in the name of God is wrong with our elected leaders and American voters that we allow this to continue. America is nothing but a myth surrounded by greed, hate and AR-15’s.
We need to personalize this for Republicans. I think gun control groups need to run ads on Fox news where parents that look like (or actually are) Maga conservatives hold up pictures of their dead child and say "I'm a patriotic Republican, just like you. My 4 year old boy was killed by an AR-15 assault weapon at Uvalde grade school. I want Ted Cruz to tell me why he prioritized gun manufacturer profits over the safety of my son. (customize for each parent / grandparent / politician). Instead of lifting up thoughts and prayers Ted, why don't you lift up legislation to protect our children and ban assault weapons. Are you a corrupt politician in the pocket of gun companies or are you a good Christian Ted? Because a good Christian would know what to do." Frame it as Corrupt politicians against Christian families - because that's a fight we can win in Rural America.
In the 10 or so years since Sandy Hook, have there been any states that tried a "more guns" approach? If not, why?
Being from the South in the 80s, we had mandatory "Hunter's Safety" in my school. (The presumption was everyone was going deer hunting, and you needed the class to get your hunting license, so why not let the school teach it?) Why isn't that mandatory in every school? We shot rifles on the football field at the end of the week to show our mastery of the concepts. You could get sides of beef donated and let the parents come watch their kids destroy it.
Also, why haven't more states tied gun safety courses to gun ownership? You buy a gun, you are auto enrolled in safety training. If you haven't completed it in six months, your gun is taken away and you have to buy a new one. If our right to speech and assembly can be curtailed for safety-based reasons, why not the right to possess guns?
As a parent of a young child, I am just kind of over not doing ANYTHING. I am ready to vote for a slate that excludes anyone in office in the last 10 years that didn't submit some legislation aimed, at a minimum, at increasing gun safety.