The Case for the Second Amendment

 

This is the 2nd Amendment as given to us by the Founding Fathers...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

 

Now, let's look at that. Is the "well regulated militia" a state national guard or is "State" meant to represent the U.S. and "militia" the military? This makes a big difference in the interpretation of this amendment. And, the national guard or military "being necessary to the security" of either sounds like we are talking about a group rather than an individual. Of course, all of the discussions and negotiations of the 2nd Amendment were taking place before its passing, December 15,1791.

But then we have, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms," which could be plural, referring to a group of people. What I am getting at here is that the 2nd, as it is written, is far from clear if it represents groups or whether it could include individual gun ownership. Finally, "shall not be infringed" is relatively simple and means the amendment cannot be violated. But it is still to be established whether this 200+ year old measure asserts singleness or government control.

It must be acknowledged that a law that is 200 years old, plus written at a time when there was no established law enforcement--resulting in potential instances of self protection--could need a more modern interpretation. Additionally, the United States over the last few years has shifted to a gun culture designed and implemented by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre that produces maximum profits for gun manufacturers and lines LaPierre's pockets with millions of dollars?

You should understand that all of the above incidents occur in an environment here in

this country that is rocked daily by gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been almost 22,000 gun violence deaths in 2021, including 315 mass shootings. There are 390 million guns on America's streets with the current U.S. population 329 million. America comes in second in firearm-related gun deaths around the world with 37,200 annually; Brazil is number 1. 

But is there a case for the 2nd Amendment? I will leave you with the above facts and figures plus a number of sites, below, relating to guns starting with the mass killings in Colorado and Georgia, in March of this year, and ideas on how to stop all this mayhem...

Opinion | 6 Bold Ideas for Gun Reform That Could Actually Happen

 

• Poll: Majority support stricter US gun laws: 57%
  
  
• I Helped Lead the Gun Control Movement. It’s Asking the Wrong Questions.
  

Explainer: More guns than people: Why tighter U.S. firearms laws are unlikely

• 'Guns apocalypse': Legal experts deliver warnings after Supreme Court decides to take up big 2A case
  
  
• The lawsuit seeking to impose the “death penalty” on the NRA, explained

Samantha Bee gun special: Second Amendment is 'useless,' 'fragile men are drawn to guns'

• Opinion: A bankruptcy trial reveals the deep rot within the NRA

• The case for requiring gun licenses

After repeated ATF warnings, gun dealers can count on the agency to back off; sometimes firearms flow to criminals

• Gun Church That Worships With AR-15s Bought a 40-Acrempound in Texas for Its ‘Patriots’
  
  
• Was the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms Designed to Protect Slavery?

213 Mass Shootings Later, What Has Biden Done on Guns?

• Gun used in Odessa shooting shows risk when chain of illegal sale starts with home-based hobbyist dealers
  
  
• Mass shootings are making news again — here are the legal loopholes that help them happen

At least 22 people shot, 2 fatally, after assailants get out of an SUV and fire assault rifles at a club, police say

• The US has a problem with guns. Here's what to know.
  
  
• America is on a gun-buying spree. Here's what is driving the surge

San Jose mayor proposes gun owners carry insurance, pay annual fee in wake of rail yard shooting

• San Jose mayor proposes gun owners carry insurance, pay annual fee in wake of rail yard shooting

• Why G.O.P.-Led States Are Banning the Police From Enforcing Federal Gun Laws

Gun deaths surge in Iowa ahead of loosened handgun restrictions

Yes, the 2nd Amendment had its place in its day, the days of 1791, but this is 2021, and that need is no longer viable. Gun violence has consumed America due to a gun culture fostered by the National Rifle Assn. and supported by a large array of gun nuts. The time has come for change.

Ronald Reagan would vilify today's Republicans

Ronald Reagan was first a Democrat, later becoming a Republican, then he wrote a book, and that is where I met him. The book's name is "Where's the Rest of Me?"

then referring to the fact that being a Democrat was unfulfilling for him, thus, his switch to the Republican Party. The phrase originally came from his 1942 movie Kings Row, where he woke up in the hospital with both legs amputated, provoking the remark. I was charged with publicizing the book in Los Angeles.

In my first experience learning who was boss in the Reagan family, I received a shipment from my New York office containing 50 copies of his book. Minutes after arrival, there was a call from New York telling me before distributing the publicity copies I must remove a page from the book. On this page was Jane Wyman's photo and, after tentative approval by Raegan, apparently his second wife, Nancy, had ordered that the page with Wyman's picture be removed.

Pictures in a book are bound in similar to the rest of the pages making it near impossible to remove one of them without the recipient noticing. I had five media appointments the next day along with three major Los Angeles book outlets to pitch the book. I spent most of the night meticulously severing the page from eight books. I made the calls the following day with no critical comments. Later, I wondered, did I do that great a job or was there just little interest in the book.

It did catch Bob Crane's eye when I called him later to pitch the book, also with Reagan's first wife removed. In those days Crane did a top-rated morning talk show on KCBS radio in LA. He was a nice guy and, if he noticed, said nothing about the photo. But I got a life lesson from Reagan on our walk from the car to Crane's studio. I stepped on some gum, sticking to my shoe sole. Scraping it on the ground to remove, Reagan stopped me right there in the parking lot.

He said, "I'll tell you something I learned years ago. When you step on gum that sticks to your shoe, you simply cover it with a small piece of paper and keep on walking. I did, and we proceeded on to Bob Cranes studio for the interview. The event went well and we left heading back to our cars. In the parking lot again, after discussing the interview, Reagan told me to check my foot for the gum. I had forgotten but when I looked the gum was gone. Simple, but pragmatic.

There were other talk shows, both radio and television, and in some instances the interviewer would attempt to provoke Reagan on how he became a Republican, others, do we really need Hollywood in politics? You have to remember, this was the mid-1960s. The movie star turned politician was very serious when he would reply that after his success in movies and television, he wanted to give politics a chance and see what he could do for California, maybe the country.

I was repeatedly impressed with the way the man presented himself and the sincerity with which he did it. On a couple of occasions I visited his Pacific Palisades home in the Los Angeles area to discuss strategy on the book with him and his wife, Nancy. It was here that I learned who had the strongest influence on Reagan's life...Nancy. She called him Ronny and would regularly impose ideas for

promoting his book. And most were good.

I could see from these meetings that Nancy would have a profound effect on any political office he held. That, of course, was true throughout Reagan's presidency. But it was a very positive effect in that Nancy was a good person, like her husband, and together they espoused a genuine interest in his political future. I wasn't politically active in those days, but even if I had been, and feeling the way I do about Republicans today, I could never see Reagan participating in this GOP chaos.

Ronald Reagan was strong and with his stature would likely be able to keep Moscow Mitch in line. If not, Nancy would annihilate him. And the likes of Jim Jordan, M.T. Greene, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Reagan would cut them off at the knees. He was not the best president, but far from the worst. His "trickle down economics" is no longer viable but whatever else was wrong with his administration it far exceeds the likes of the recent White House lunatic.

Is Joe Manchin a Senate plant serving Chas. Koch's conservative group?

 

Joe Manchin is naive, possibly, but is there another underlying reason he is opposing President Biden's flagship programs like eliminating the filibuster or the For the People Act? The former will eliminate the possibility of Republicans halting future Biden legislation without a hearing. The latter is an Act to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, in effect, a means to quell the GOP's continuing attempts to block certain voters with state laws.

And who has regularly fought this legislation with PACs like Americans for Prosperity? Here's a quote from a March press release from AFP urging Manchin to work with the organization's grassroots: 

"Sen. Manchin has promised to prioritize policies that work for the Mountain State and push back against harmful, partisan policy coming from Washington that threaten shared West Virginia values. AFP-WV’s new effort encourages Sen. Manchin to keep that promise through digital and radio advertising and its signature grassroots activism."

The West Virginia Senator has done that by dooming the filibuster and For the People Act with his promise of no votes. Here's a statement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., she...

"suggested that Manchin's opposition to the proposal and filibuster reform may really be about measures in the bill aimed at cracking down on lobbyists and dark money."

Most anyone in politics knows the king of dark money is Charles Koch who, by the way, is the founder of Americans for Prosperity. Joe Manchin is a lost cause to Democrats.

 

Arizona teachers fined $5,000 for getting controversial

 

The state of Arizona is famous for the zany antics of its Republican politicians. I call your attention to the ongoing audit of the 2020 election, an effort initiated to please the disgraced ex-president, Donald Trump, with the majority of the GOP minions joining the bandwagon. The leading idiot is Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, and general rabble-rouser for the insane idea that Trump won the 2020 election. 

But that's only background to lead into the latest lunacy by an Arizona legislator, a part of the GOP, of course. It seems that Republican Rep. Michelle Udahl has introduced legislation that could fine teachers $5,000 if they bring up a "controversial" subject in the classroom. But that's not all, this also applies to anyone aiding a person doing the same. Here's George Orwell's take...

"In writing 1984, Orwell's main goal was to warn of the serious danger totalitarianism poses to society. He goes to great lengths to demonstrate the terrifying degree of power and control a totalitarian regime can acquire and maintain."

 Moron Michelle Udahl says her bill is only designed to ensure accuracy of teaching. Elvia Diaz, columnist for USA Today adamantly says "It is not." As far as I'm concerned it stinks of Charles Koch in his drive to make everything conservative and this is his way to warp the minds of children while their young minds are the most pliable. Koch and his gang of radical rights are afraid of a concept called Critical Race Theory (CRT).

This is the definition of CRT according to Britannica...

"Critical race theory (CRT), intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color."

Since it has become clear that Republicans are racists, particularly in their recent statewide moves to limit the ability of people of color to vote, legislation like that of Udahl is probably only the first of many to come, just like the voter suppression movement. Just keep in mind...if you take Koch out of the action, you will have removed the leader.

Animals to Humans: All we want is to live

When you look at a kitten or a puppy and its cuteness just makes you melt, it can also make your day. But what about their day...and future. There are 3,400,000 cats in shelters throughout the United States and 4,200,000 dogs join them. But the sad fact is 1,300,000 dogs are euthanized each year, along with 1,400,000 cats. Some of these euthanizations are due to health reasons but the rest, well, they went over the rainbow bridge when they could have had forever homes.

As an example, Moana came to the A Bigger Purpose Kitten Rescue in Hellertown, Pennsylvania from a hoarding situation, and in this new positive environment had her kitten. Yes, Just one. Mom was "unsocialized and very fearful of people. To help her decompress, they provided a quiet place for the duo and plenty of food for the mom." Pua, her kitten, was well taken care of but mom developed medical problems so the little one had to be bottle fed. Read more...

Here's a great story for those who have lost family members, but first a warning. Most domestic pets are not meant to be outside animals. Where I live in Arizona, I have seen hawks carry off cats, even small dogs and you don't want to hear what coyotes can do. Cats must definitely be kept inside and dogs should be let out, watched, and brought back inside. That said, Brandy disappeared after she went to the backyard one afternoon, her owner, Charles, reported. Fifteen years passed...

She "was in rough condition when the pair reunited, having been malnourished with harmfully long nails.

The story a lesson for the wandering Brandy and Charles to keep tabs on all his animals in the future.

A horse form in Scottsdale, AZ, is adding dogs to its list residents...

"Part of the farm will be transformed into a hotel for dogs who belong to members of the Valley's homeless population. The dog hotel will provide a safe space for homeless pet owners to leave their furry friends while they seek treatment and get back on their feet."

Talking about filling a need. The homeless population continues to grow in this country but not many consider that many in this group also have pets, mostly dogs for protection. When it becomes impossible to care for them, they now have a place in Arizona to help. This is an idea that should be shared nationwide, with the purpose of at least establishing one of these facilities in each metropolitan area.

Love Meow tells this story best...

A pregnant cat found herself in a difficult situation when her family no longer wanted her. A 12-year-old girl saw what happened and offered to take the cat, so she wouldn't end up on the streets in the middle of winter.

This is such a tragic story when a family decides they don't want their pet, then makes the decision to abandon the animal to live on its own, pregnant in this case. This is inhumane treatment and maybe someday there will be justice when lawmakers see fit to protect animals with laws. A Montreal rescue took the mom in and Sylvia, a volunteer, took it from there. "Gisel quickly warmed up to her Foster Mom Stef when she realized that she was safe." Her baby, Pruno, was born.

You find them everywhere, this little guy under the porch who was so hungary that he temporarily forgot to be scared of the people rescuing him in Dorset, Ontario, Canada. Scruffy, with help from the rescue, was on the road to socialization but desperately needed a hand from another cat. Just a month prior Maple had come to Dorset Rescue Kittens from a large feral cat colony in Haliburton.

Maple was also shy and because of this missed several adoption opportunities, lacking the understanding that humans could be her friend. When Scruffy arrived, she Rescue decided to introduce the two and "When Maple came out of her carrier, the two tabbies instantly connected -- it was love at first sight." This included Scruffy following Maple behind the toilet when she was scared. And that's all it took, the two being together, trusting each other. Read more...

And here's the tough one, a kitten with special needs; Swan's (also named Panda) mom was too young for kittens so the little one developed slowly as the runt of the litter. The rest of the kittens were fine and soon became very active but "Swan couldn't keep up with them. The sweet ball of fur spent most of his time napping and snuggling with his people." This is how LoveMeow describes him...

"At eight weeks old, he was the size of a 4-week-old kitten. His ears were still folded and his legs were short and stout."

With concern the caretakers from The Mad Catters took him to the vet and tests revealed Swan had hypothyroidism, which had slowed his growth leading to traits of dwarfism. Then came the right medication resulting in significant improvement. LoveMeow describes Swan's development...

"With an official diagnosis and the right medication, things quickly

improved, and the little panda kitty began to put on weight. He had a voracious appetite and was getting more adventurous each day."

To make a long story short, Swan progressed so that he could keep his own with the other kittens and now he is "ruling the roost." Read more...

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUES AND HUMANE SOCIETY
 

What if you found out you couldn't vote in the next election?

 

Would you be pissed? Or would you be relieved that you don't have to fulfill your voting responsibility? The latter is what Republicans want you to feel, and they are again working hard on their ideological voter suppression, targeting Democratic strongholds. A good example of this comes from the Atlanta Constitution citing new laws passed in the state House...

"A bill to restrict ballot drop boxes, require more ID for absentee voting and limit weekend early voting days passed the Georgia House on Monday amid protests that the proposals would make it harder for voters to participate in democracy."

The key words here are "make it harder for voters to participate in democracy," words you should not expect from a free country with a mentally stable voting population. But we haven't had either since Donald Trump walked into the White House just over four years ago. Although Joe Biden's administration is trying to rectify what Trump put into motion, we still have an anarchy working in this country and a gang of double-digits who still worship their emperor. Read more...

But you remember Georgia, the state where Donald Trump made his last stand

screaming voter fraud in the 2020 election. Also the state that lost 2 Senators to the Democrats, giving them a bare majority. If you don't keep your eyes on every move Republicans make, you can bet your life the left will lose something. They skirted a nation of state legislators right under our nose and during the DNC tenure of Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Now Moscow Mitch is after judgeships.  

However the biggie is the 253 bills in 43 states on the heels of a "rash of baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities," according to AlterNet. Here's why Republicans are doing this according to "Marc Elias, a prominent Democratic attorney and founder of the voting rights advocacy group Democracy Docket...

"Republicans are doing this because they think they can gain an electoral advantage from making it harder for Black, brown and young voters to participate in the process. This is the reaction of a party that knows it can't compete for a majority of the votes."

Eventually you have to take off the gloves and give back to the right the same thing they are spewing at the left. 

 

 

3 scary Republicans worth watching

 

Liz Cheney has bucked the Republican Party by voting to impeach Donald Trump and, although she has taken flack for it in Wyoming, she stands by her vote. But can you believe this?...

"More Americans questioned in a new survey said that they think Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is representative of the Republican Party than Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), underscoring the rightward drift of the GOP."

The Hill reports...

"According to the Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday, 28 percent of Americans said Greene represents the GOP, while 25 percent said the same of Cheney. Forty-seven percent did not offer an opinion."

Although Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) once approved of calls for the execution of Democrats, Republicans still love her and that's why she bears watching. Greene did lose all of her House Committee Assignments, but Rep. Liz Cheney retains her position as No. 3 leader. Kevin McCarthy's take...

"But as Wednesday's internal showdowns concluded, McCarthy and the House GOP decided against punishing two of their most high-profile women, whose views enrage opposite ends of the party's spectrum. The moves were typical of McCarthy's preference to avoid ruffling feathers as he charts his path to someday becoming House speaker."

God forbid the latter happens. 

Steve Bannon has been scary since the first day he walked into Donald Trump's

White House. I have done a number of blog posts on Bannon, most of which on the dark side. Donald Trump accepting Bannon's political cynicism is one thing; the whole Republican Party just illustrates how deeply troubled the GOP has become. Greg Sargent in the Washington Post describes Bannon' comeback...

"Trump’s former adviser is now elevating his profile as spokesman for the pro-Trump wing in a way that usefully illuminates the ugly depths of the GOP’s ongoing radicalization."

Steve Bannon was pardoned by Trump, but the New York Atty. Gen. has just asked for his financial records and plans to compare them with Donald Trump's, which they just received. The two are talking again as Trump becomes desperate for any hand in the storm. Sargent makes it clear, and most on the left agree, Democrats must demand "a full accounting into Trump’s most recent crime against the country, the effort to incite the violent overthrow of U.S. democracy."

And, in Stephen Miller, one of the scariest of Donald Trump's recent aides; always in the background, always proposing the doomsday. Miller was the nucleus of Trump's immigration program exclaiming re. Biden's moves on the issue, "This is madness!" Here are Miller's words...

"This is a policy choice disguised falsely to the court and to the country as a resource issue!" Miller shouted. "That is a lie and it's a lie that threatens public safety."

Stephen Miller has been branded an "Extremist" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, where you can find the best documentation of hate groups in the United States. Here is SPLC's take on Miller...

"Stephen Miller is credited with shaping the racist and draconian immigration policies of President Trump, which include the zero-tolerance policy, also known as family separation, the Muslim ban and ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Miller has also “purged” government agencies of civil servants who are not entirely loyal to his extremist agenda."

Stephen Miller is an ardent follower of Jared Taylor, a mouthpiece for white supremacist ideology, said, "The races are not identical and equivalent." Miller queries: who will pay for these immigrants, but it is clearly his views on white supremacy that guide his ideology. The Guardian said "Stephen Miller: the white nationalist at the heart of Trump's White House." Trump is no longer in the White House, but the heart of the current Trump movement is still white supremacy.