Washington Clown Car

…but Not Funny

Last Friday’s post from Susie Bright brought to light that, with Republicans, No Lives Matter.

Trump was a slap to America’s illusory decorum, the most brazen of the court jesters. He openly adored other dictators who ruled by the sword. But Donald’s a dead clown walking now. The heart of the GOP, and their Democratic Party centrist sycophants, follow a map that dismantles the very quiver of democracy— a propaganda campaign and territory grab that resembles an incel’s wet dream. These men and their Stepford Wives are the mirror of the mass shooter— there’s no psychological tissue between them.

The Texas GOP don’t care whether the cops on scene in Uvalda did anything or not — that’s not the goal. This school is nothing to them. Incompetence is ideal. If more people give up on the political process, and give up on public education, it’s a win for Senator Cruz and Governor Abbott. If those two lose their election, they’re through, and they will commit any crime to stay in power. They have nothing without their terror props. Imagine the nausea in their own families.

If you carry the totalitarian tote-bag, it’s full package. You can’t pick and choose. It’s a death cult, and like all KoolAid, unquestioning obedience is part of the ride. No Lives Matter. What do we do next? Chop wood, carry water: there is no standing still . Stop pissing about these issues like we’re shopping for a smart position. We’re fighting for our lives.

(Susie Bright is an American feminist, author, journalist, critic, editor, publisher, producer, fine print editor, and performer, often on the subject of politics and sexuality. She is the recipient of the 2017 Humanist Feminist Award, and is one of the early writers/activists referred to as a sex-positive feminist.)

And one of my most articulate friends on the planet, Robin Ashook, posted this reply on FB responding to a fucked-up world comment. Worth re-posting here.

Our f*cked up world didn't create this. Decades of Republican lawmakers indebted and in league with the NRA created this. Democrats have been trying for decades to put gun control measures into effect, controls in line with the rest of the world that has only a small fraction of the gun deaths America has, and almost no mass gun massacres. The UK had a school massacre and immediately toughened their laws and in the 20 years since there's not been another. Australia had the Port Arthur massacre in the 80s and did the same thing - cracked down and bought back guns and nothing since. Same for New Zealand; after the Christchurch synagogue massacre, their Parliament immediately implemented a massive buyback and outlawed automatic weapons.

Republicans, deep in the pockets of the NRA will continue to block ANY common sense reform. Republicans. They couldn't wait for the Democrat-crafted assault weapon ban to expire in 2004 so they could make good on their promises to their pay masters. They struck down any renewal and did everything in their disproportionate power to dismantle any controls. Gun violence deaths have increased 273% since then. Republicans did this, are doing this. This blood is on their hands.

We need to name the architects of this nightmare, call them out at every turn. Republican lawmakers. Republicans.

We are no doubt collectively responsible for many ills, but this particular fucked-up-ness belongs to a minority percentage of the country. We are not all so fucked up that we think arming everybody with anything they want and letting them loose on society while openly or concealed carrying, is just a fine and dandy idea. That is the Republican's very own ring of hell, the rest of us are being forced to live in it.

Republicans. It's the modifier that needs to be heavily included in every conversation about child massacre, active shooter drills, arming teachers, and every other crackpot response they have come up with to keep the money train rolling.

I don't mean to seem argumentative and I'm sorry if I do. I am just sick of the media pulling punches about it, saying things like "50 senators" or just lawmakers, or Congress - it's not, it's Republican senators, Republican lawmakers. They need to own this and we need to make sure they do.

And I do remember those drills. They seemed unreal, a danger I didn't quite understand and really couldn't imagine. I worried, but mostly because the adults were worried. I found those yellow and black civil defense shelter signs that used to be posted in municipal buildings much scarier. I could imagine being herded into scary basements in old, dark buildings.

Still makes my stomach clutch a little.

And the Washington Post’s Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer penned a lengthy article describing Mitch McConnell’s decades-long effort to block gun control.

The Standard Gravure massacre provided an early glimpse of how McConnell — now the Republican Senate minority leader — would handle mass shootings and their aftermath over the next three decades, consistently working to delay, obstruct or prevent most major gun-control legislation from passing Congress. McConnell would go on to follow a similar playbook time and time again during his seven terms in Congress, offering vague promises of action, often without any specifics, only to be followed by no action or incremental measures that avoided new gun regulations. As a Republican leader, he also helped dissuade his conference — as after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. — from supporting gun legislation and, as majority leader, refused to bring up significant gun-control measures for a vote.

“If there’s any one individual in the United States to blame for our inability to put things in place to prevent gun violence, it’s Mitch McConnell,” said Peter Ambler, the executive director of Giffords, a group devoted to fighting gun violence. “McConnell understands he’s hostage to that extreme base that just doesn’t tolerate any departure from any of their views.”

Again I say… Just. Vote. Blue.

And now…