the solution is obvious: repeal the 2nd amendment

"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."
second amendment to the U.S. Constitution

• question: in the 21st century does the U.S. need individual citizens who privately own assault rifles for "a well regulated militia"?
• answer: obviously, no
•  question: in the 21st century does the U.S. need state militias for security of its citizens?
• answer: ? debate? (even if state militias were deemed to be a good thing, individual members of state militias wouldn't need to furnish their own weapons any more than members of the military or local police need to provide weapons and ammunition for their jobs.)
• question: in the 21st century U.S., can local, state or federal government protect its citizens from deranged individuals who commit mass murder?
• answer: obviously, no

then the solution is obvious: repeal the 2nd amendment. 

image by LeftPolemicist

File:Repeal the 2nd Amendment logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons

citizens would not have an automatic, constitutional right to privately own an assault rifle. Private ownership would be strictly regulated and taxed, e.g., permit application, rigorous background check, criminal record, committing a crime with an illegal weapon (felony), unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid permit (felony), providing false information on permit application (felony), yearly re-application and tax, etc.

10 days after I posted this blog--John Paul Stevens, ex-SCOTUS justice, shocks with call to repeal 2nd Amendment - Washington Times

"...shocks..."??? what's so shocking about repealing the 2nd amendment? as Justice Stevens says, "the second amendment is a relic of the 18th century".

"The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate."
Article V, U.S. Constitution

• question: has anyone in Congress pursued repealing the 2nd amendment?
• answer: not that I'm aware of
• question: has any state legislature proposed repealing the 2nd amendment?
• answer: not that I'm aware of
• question: why?
• answer: no guts?
• question: why don't politicians have guts?
• answer: party politics ("don't bite the hand that feeds you")
• question: what is the "will of the people"?
• answer: according to polls, most Americans want stricter gun control laws
• question: had enough?
• answer:

who do you trust? 

1. someone who has values similar to yours? The good, the bad & the ugly: let's make America great again
2. someone who doesn't?
3. political parties, financed by billionaire corporations and PACs?

here's how government works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAJl-wZElg

if you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party.

File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons

in the next election--national, state or local--vote for anyone except a democrat or a republican. soon the republican and democratic parties will dry up and die. nothing will be better for the United States of America.

PS similarly, by refusing to patronize dishonest and biased media, they too will shrivel up and die--a triple win for honesty in government, for integrity in reporting the actions of government, and for us. 

mush minds

"A nuclear densometer is a field instrument used in geotechnical engineering to determine the density of a compacted material. Also known as a soil density gauge, the device uses the interaction of gamma radiation with matter to measure density..." 
Nuclear densometer - Wikipedia 

Nuclear densometers are strictly regulated. They must be clearly marked as containing a relatively small amount of nuclear material. Exposure to people when the instrument is in use is strictly controlled, e.g. distance from the device, time of exposure, frequency of exposure, etc. When not in use, nuclear densometers must be stored in a locked, lead-lined container and the container must be stored in a locked storage area.

Likewise, use of x-rays in dentistry is strictly regulated. Patients and employees alike are warned of the dangers of exposure to even small amounts of radiation.

Why aren't assault weapons in the possession of mentally unstable persons similarly regulated? Certainly the threat to public safety is far greater from an unstable person with an assault rifle than it is from a soil densometer or a dental x-ray machine. 

In interview after interview yesterday, government officials acknowledged that for the past 20 years that government officials have been saying that "the mass shootings have to stop". Yet, nothing has been done. The problem just keeps getting worse. 

had enough? 

who do you trust? 

1. someone who has values similar to yours? The good, the bad & the ugly: let's make America great again
2. someone who doesn't?
3. political parties, financed by billionaire corporations and PACs?

here's how government works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAJl-wZElg

if you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party.

File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons

in the next election--national, state or local--vote for anyone except a democrat or a republican. soon the republican and democratic parties will dry up and die. nothing will be better for the United States of America.

PS similarly, by refusing to patronize dishonest and biased media, they too will shrivel up and die--a triple win for honesty in government, for integrity in reporting the actions of government, and for us. 

blowhard

blowhard
    

a person who boasts and

blusters in an obnoxious way

synonyms: braggart, egotist,
big mouth, windbag, swellhead

had enough? 

who do you trust? 

1. someone who has values similar to yours?

The good, the bad & the ugly: let's make America great again

2. someone who doesn't?

3. political parties, financed by billionaire corporations and PACs?

here's how government works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAJl-wZElg

if you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party.

File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons

in the next election--national, state or local--vote for anyone except a democrat or a republican. soon the republican and democratic parties will dry up and die. nothing will be better for the United States of America.

PS similarly, by refusing to patronize dishonest and biased media, they too will shrivel up and die--a triple win for honesty in government, for integrity in reporting the actions of government, and for us. 

after the IRS' targeting scandal in 2010, who should be surprised if the FBI abused their power in 2016?

Byron York: Republicans and those 'attacks' on the FBI 

IRS targeting controversy - Wikipedia

federal government officials who allow politics to influence their actions are not doing their jobs. the same can be said for our elected federal representatives and the biased news media. 

and, who is surprised when no one is held accountable when government employees screw up? like the FBI not following up on a warning about Nikolas Cruz? like employees of the Secret Service, the VA, the IRS, etc. who screw up regularly? 

had enough? 

who do you trust? 

1. someone who has values similar to yours?
The good, the bad & the ugly: let's make America great again
2. someone who doesn't?
3. political parties, financed by billionaire corporations and PACs?

here's how government works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAJl-wZElg

if you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party.

File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons

in the next election--national, state or local--vote for anyone except a democrat or a republican. soon the republican and democratic parties will dry up and die. nothing will be better for the United States of America.

PS similarly, by refusing to patronize dishonest and biased media, they too will shrivel up and die--a triple win for honesty in government, for integrity in reporting the actions of government, and for us. 

tired of the same old actors?

no matter what your cause, having spokespersons like these don't do your cause any good. out with the old--in with the new.

who do you trust? 

1. someone who has values similar to yours?
The good, the bad & the ugly: let's make America great again
2. someone who doesn't?
3. political parties, financed by billionaire corporations and PACs?

here's how government works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIAJl-wZElg

if you vote for a republican or a democrat, then it's not the person who you voted for who is in control--it's the party.

File:Two party system diagram.png - Wikimedia Commons

we don't need congress to change our two party system of government, or to pass a law limiting terms. why would they? neither would be in their, or their party's, best interests. 

we can use our vote to change our two-party system of government and to limit terms. 

out with the old and in with the new.

in the next election--national, state or local--vote for anyone except a democrat or a republican. soon the republican and democratic parties will dry up and die. nothing will be better for the United States of America.

if we:

• don't vote 
• vote republican or democrat because "that's the way that ___________ (parent(s), church, media, teacher, friend, etc.) always votes/voted" 
• always vote straight republican/democrat regardless of the candidate or issues 

then are:

• we responsible citizens of a free government? 
• or are we slaves to government that is not "of the people, by the people, for the people"?

if it's the latter, then freedom will "perish from the earth". (Abraham Lincoln)

PS similarly, by refusing to patronize dishonest and biased media, they too will shrivel up and die--a triple win for honesty in government, for integrity in reporting the actions of government, and for us.