If it weren't for Joyce, there's no way I'd be clear-headed about politics, how and why a lot of our leaders continue to ignore their "job descriptions," and especially, the many, many, many reasons we absolutely MUST vote Blue in November.
Read a book once called “Servant Leadership” that was very helpful to me. It was about leadership in a church context and developed themes of service to God as well as service to whatever group you were serving. It was a long long time ago. I remember themes of responsibility to the position as well as humility, understanding the needs of the group, helping then choose and walk a right path. Being what the book called “teachable” meaning understanding that you were not the fount of all knowledge, had much to learn.
Don’t see much of any of that in (un)- Christian nationalism, do we? Nor in extremists politics on either side. Too many people who think leadership is ordering people to do everything their way. In some cases willing to trash the founding principles of the group in favor of their own values and The thing such leaders hate and above all might be free elections
Well i just described the MAGA-project2025 gang, didn’t I?
In a representative democracy where our leaders cannot get the opinions of everyone on every decision that confronts them every day we need to be sure of the “values” that they will apply to those day-to-day decisions.
When Trump was elected his preferred model for governance had been set by being the absolute head of a smallish family company, where his word was the law. This suits his narcissistic personality.
My idea of a fun debate would be going through the preamble of the constitution asking each candidate to speak for a few mins on what each phrase meant to them and how it influenced their approach to governing, starting with “We the people”.
Rather than reading the current selection of books, I suggest reading a bio of B. Franklin and M. Lafayette. T. Jefferson and G. Washington are next on my list.
Steve, Thank You for that reminder. They are to “serve” we the people. Not do whatever they want as if our government is their personally owned business to do as they please! I realize it is a bit tricky since we vote them in as ‘representatives’ of us. There are many of us with many modified definitions of need.
I have been fighting this argument all my life. When my father died in 1982, after which I raced a letter from the NRA the same infamous piece of shit that was forced out for stealing funds and he wanted BillKatz to renew membership. It was for my father of the same name but it infuriated me and soon after, I wrote my first op-Ed for our daily newspaper. And I’ve been writing ever since. Thinks won’t change because industry owns Congress and the gun industry owns Congress, too. Until our system changes nothing will change. Gun manufacturers have the blood of thousands on their hands and they don’t lose a wink of sleep at night.
If ever there was a case of a slowly boiled frog, it is the United States and guns. Degree by degree, arms have evolved from single shot pistols and muskets which took a minute to reload, to the 6-chamber revolver of the Civil War era, to the automatic and semi-automatic weapon of today with a magazine shooting 50 rounds without reloading. Get 10 of them and you can shoot 600 people from the top floor of a Las Vegas hotel, lickety split. Kafkaesque.
In high school she did an exchange program with a girl from a country ranking #5, and they left for that country, Austria 2 months after a child in Michigan shot several of his classmates dead. I could not wait to get her out of the US after that happened. In my neighborhood in the US, in a house a couple of blocks from the Obama house in my city, an 18-year old shot a university student who was walking down the street at noon because the guy did not immediately give up his laptop. He shot him with an AR-15. How this 18-year old got ahold of that gun I don't know. Too easily, and probably not legally. A friend of a friend who lived on that block and was a surgeon ran out to help the student and said he had never seen so much blood in his life. A boy who lived on that block, who was friends with one of my daughter's friends could not go to school for 2 days he was so traumatized. Everyone who knew about it experienced PTSD, especially since that was not the only incident. During covid another student had been shot by a man was on a shooting spree from one end of the city to another with a young girl as a hostage in his car, until police shot him dead. Gun violence is a huge reason to leave the US. There are 130 countries considered safer and many of them are a lot cheaper too.
I am banking on Jay Kuo being right and a lot of the Old White people who voted for Trump in 2016 died during Covid, only to be replaced by Gen Z voters. These are the most diverse voters in the US. Let us hope they can come through for us in this election as we must for them.
I would like to know the logistics and cost involved in leaving American and moving to another country which ranks #15 (I believe Germany) on the Global Peace Index.
I assume, which is not a safe thing to do, you sold "lock, stock and barrel(s)" said, "Good-Bye" never to return again.
I felt safer living in Egypt than in the US. Even in the time of the revolution, crime was very low and one could go out at 3 am, walk around in the streets alone and not be afraid. People were kind and friendly for the most part. In the US I will not go out and walk after dark. I live near Rochester, NY where the gun violence is not as bad as it was during the pandemic when there weren't enough cops on the streets, but it still seems like there's a shooting every night. Over the summer there were shootings in the state parks along Lake Ontario, during events such as open air concerts and festivals. It just doesn't feel safe anymore.
I worry about the safety of the children (and everyone else) in this country too, but in reality, most citizens can't pick up and move to another country. Besides, I love America and refuse to leave it in the hands of those who would destroy it. I feel as Americans, it is our responsibility to fix it. It is not going to be easy, and it will take much time and effort. So, even though I could, I will stay and defend the country and work to get people to vote and advocate for major changes.
Thank you for the update. I have an Apple laptop, but I haven't seen that happen that I know of. Maybe that's because most of what I end up editing is my replies to posts.
Your keyboard must suck as bad as mine! After two years, I still have a hard time with this laptop, especially the smaller keys that are so close together. They're not made for old people like me.
I miss my old Hewlett-Packard PC, and before that, my IBM Selectric typewriter.
Well said. I'm glad that you took the initiative with that first op-Ed, and that you've continued this fight ever since! I'm also glad that you never gave up on this.
You hit the nail on the head when you described how Congress has been allowed to have a decades-long symbiotic relationship with gun manufacturers, with no accountability, and no end in sight.
As Joyce pointed out, when our Founding Fathers wanted citizens to have "the right to bear arms," they would never have imagined how powerful --- and deadly --- our "arms" have evolved today.
Sorry for your loss. Your father would be so proud of you!
The NRA was once a sportsman’s club. Then the board was taken over by gun lobby zealots in the 1970s and it changed the mission. Their damage was done by repeating a lie that the 2nd amendment was created for individuals when in fact, it was created for well organized militias to defend themselves against central government and in 18th century that was the British government. It was created for states to defend themselves. But as Joseph Gobbles noted, you tell a lie repeatedly and the lie becomes truth. My father wasn’t a sportsman just enjoyed having a small gun collection. I had no relationship with my father. That was his problem.
Wow. Those three points made by Justice Stevens are so clear! Tim Walz is also so clear when he, as a hunter and gun owner, talks about common sense gun laws. I continue to hope that 4 more Justices will be added to the Supreme Court, and that the other court reforms which President Biden proposed will be put into place. On behalf of our childen and our citizens. And whatever happened to the focus on having a "well-regulated" militia, anyway? Thanks again, Joyce!
And why on earth would a militia, well regulated or not, be relevant today when we have a military force, a national guard, marshals and police forces in every state? This clause in the Constitution should be bracketed for history's sake but should be declared non-operational. This would lay the groundwork for bipartisan, sensible gun laws. I'm not naive. This is a monumental lift.
It’s interesting; Oregon has a statute prohibiting ”unlawful paramilitary activity”. I believe it is designed to prevent these fringe groups from calling themselves a militia.
kdsherpa, yes, that whole militia thing is problematic today and the guys (and it is nearly always men) who call themselves militias are standing against the nation at least now, in words, but they are armed. I hope people in authority in this nation are keeping a close eye on their behavior, not to stomp on their rights as those "militias" would like to stomp on our rights, but to see that they don't become more violent than they already are; then hold those involved with January 6th accountable.
While we do have other military and police forces, fewer than 20 states have a state militia for homeland security and emergencies. And yet we still don't have common sense or well-regulated gun laws. That's what's missing.
What we have is a lot of White racists who own guns and make gun laws and other laws that allow them to easily shoot first and not ask questions. Their fear is being catered to by their racist politicians of whom we have plenty with Trump being the big Kahuna Racist. In fact, I believe that having him for president and in the media is making more White people racist, and making them more racist than they would be otherwise. Misery loves company and he is a miserable person commiserating with other miserable people. The Intercept claims that Trump is popular because of his racism. I think they have a point. https://theintercept.com/2024/08/10/republicans-trump-vance-racism-white-nationalism/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter
I’ve frequently repeated the difference between a Black person being stopped by the police and a white person. Within many of our lifetimes, that small town southern sheriff was the law by day and Ku Klus Klan leader by night. I would run too if I were Black. But many white cops don’t understand this difference.
Bill, Chicago's police union president is both charged with repeated brutality, and is a forever Trumper White Supremacist. The police department has a low crime solve rate, and when a professor had strong data to prove that there was a serial killer of Black women in the city, the police said no way, all of the crimes were unrelated.
Linda, I think trump being popular because of his racism is because it allows those miserable people to feel superior to some others. Why they need to feel that is beyond me, but I know that racists do have that need.
Silicon Valley people are famously tone deaf. Will this serve to their disadvantage? It certainly is to ours. The Biden administration's Lena Khan is feared by them for good reason. There are so many wealthy people funding Trump, with the money being poorly spent on his legal bills and other avenues of grift. These are the people bankrolling a strategy to avoid the voters and just get the states people responsible for verifying the election to refuse to do it, and contest it, so that there is chaos and lots of court battles. There are plenty of other nefarious plans they are backing too. These people are not just miserable people, they are greedy as well.
Very Interesting, Linda. I'm amazed at the way people are seemingly fine with voting against their best interests. I'm not saying that if you are Indian you should vote for Kamala because she has the same heritage. But I would think that voting for joy and progress and a good life for all (since they would be included in that good life) would trump whatever trump would do for them. Especially since they probably already have more than they need. For the record, my husband has coined the term GSB (greedy selfish bastard) for such people. I think it applies here.
I have long believed that the way the wealthy plantation owners in the antebellum South stayed in power, is that they (subtly, of course) convinced the impoverished white population that they were superior to the slaves. Had the often desperately poor whites joined forces with the slaves, the planation owners wouldn't have lasted a day. Recently, I came across a book titled "White Trash" which makes just that argument.
That is just very sad. It's clear that those people have been willing to vote against their own interests for a long time. It's one thing to feel superior to someone else, but another to have to struggle to make ends meet.
I have been told, by people who want no restrictions, that the 2nd ammendment ensures that the military would never be used against the citizens. That kind of crazy thinking has only gotten worse when you hear from far-right, and far-left, that after the November election this threat may be a danger requiring citizen resistance [read violence]. This is so off the rims for many reasons.
It wasn't that long ago after George Floyd was killed, when a peaceful "Black Lives Matter" protest took place in DC, not far from the White House (where the slimy coward hid in his bunker following his photo-op in front of the church).
Not surprisingly, Trump used the National Guard to control and intimidate those in the crowd.
I think that this might have been one of his "finest hours" during his presidency (I refuse to use a capital "P" when referring to him), but not as great --- to him, anyway --- as January 6th.
His mental status is so horrible now that it really does scare me to think of what he would do to all of us. Except, of course, those who continue to bow down to him.
They will get trampled, too. He has no loyalty, interest, or compassion for anyone who is not useful to him. When that is done they will be in his way. His cabinet and advisor list of casualties, as well as his ex-wives.
Well, my fingers slipped - sorry! I intended to say, Trump absolutely believes he could, as president, call up the military to stop our fellow citizens from protesting, using “martial law.” Just one more reason to vote BLUE!
Our (hopefully) new Vice President set Ed 24 years in a "Well Regulated Militia" the Army Reserves Forces, which with the Individual States National Guards, are what the Framers meant when they wrote the Second Amendment, and which has been twisted out of reality by Justices like Scalia and Alito. I just wish there was a way to put Term Limits on them short of requiring a Constitutional Amendment, which will be a very big Hill to climb.
A while ago I looked up the meaning of ‘bear’ in colonial times. It meant ‘carry,’ not own. ‘Bear’ is consistent with carrying arms on behalf of a well ordered militia. So much for textualism and originalism.
Arne link—Not only what they say it is, it seems to change whenever it’s convenient or assists these out-of-control cases who envision (dream of) themselves barricaded behind piled up furniture defending themselves (heroically) against the gov’ment.
Tom, it seems Supreme Court conservatives as originalists, get to tell all of us they know just what the founders were thinking and don't care about the different ways language was used 237 years ago. Those Supreme cons care only that their personal beliefs and their donor's wishes are taken into account. It is a shame that the SC cons use their intelligence for undermining our democracy rather than preserving and improving it.
Forsooth they needs must be put aboard a ship of stone, with masts of steel, sails of lead, ropes of iron, the Devil at the helm, the wrath of God for a breeze, and Hell for their destination.
This gun thing scares me to death. I live in FloriDUH where one can carry a gun wherever and whenever. When I go to the Publix I look at my fellow shoppers and wonder which of them has a concealed gun, and if this dude or dudette gets irritated by another shopper, how likely is it that there will be a shooting?
Seriously, did the founders envision this scenario? I doubt it. We need logical gun controls, but of course that won’t happen in FloriDUH. Ever.
I have to say that I have carried, concealed at church twice; both times when the church I’m nominally affiliated with (I play music there occasionally) has been targeted by protesters. Admittedly NOT when I’m ringing handbells (no surprise “clangs” in the back row), but we’ve had some pretty violent protests locally.
They say if a shooter (bad guy) starts shooting they will shoot back. My question is how do you know the church goers from the shooter. I think there would be a lot of carnage and senseless deaths.
Barb, did they have a chain of drive-thrus, like McDonalds? Were they located state-wide, or just in your city? Did they do a background check on each customer before selling a weapon to him or her? Did they ID young people to make sure they were old enough to buy guns (and booze)? Did they sell more than one weapon per visit? Did they sell different kinds of guns, and especially assault rifles and high-powered ones? Were buyers required to get a permit ahead of time? How long were these drive-thrus in existence?
And finally, is there a way for "members of the public/inquiring minds" to access the UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) statistics for that time period? I would love to know the percentages of each category (homicide, attempted murder, assaults, robberies, etc.) compared to today's statistics. This really does concern me, because I can just imagine what our country would be like if Congress should ever --- GOD FORBID gain control of Congress ever again.
Dianne, I don't know the answer to most of your questions. This was ~30-35 years ago.
It was a drive up at an already small store in a strip-mall parking lot. The town was small-ish at the time we lived there, but has grown a lot since. Not a chain and not fancy.
We never went in, or through the drive in. What we knew about the place was based on there sign.
I'm not clear on your last statement, ...if Congress should ever ... gain control of Congress ever again.
Reader, yes, definitely it is the bullies who carry guns putting everyone else at risk, just the way they like it, and our government has Okayed and advanced this bullying.
You got that right. The gun worshippers, ammosexuals, whatever you call them, MUST be armed at all times in case there is an insurrection in the Doritos aisle at Target. They DREAM of being the “Good Guy with a Gun” which is rare as unicorn sightings.
Monica, sorry for including your comment in my reply. I didn't read it until afterwards. Brilliant minds think alike and take these gun laws --- or lack thereof ---, very seriously!
Dianne, I thought I was the only one who feels like you do! Nowadays, I get nervous just being in a public place, whether a grocery store, the post office, or sadly, even in church. I stopped going to shopping malls a few years ago. Active shooters can be anywhere!
Call me very paranoid, but I also get nervous every time I'm in my car. I would never honk at someone for blowing through a stop sign when I have the right of way, nor would I dare to turn and look at the driver next to me at a stoplight.
Our state allows open-carry, making it much easier for any driver who's ticked off or just in a crappy mood to grab his or her gun and start shooting innocent people, simply because they can! There's also the possibility that someone could start firing at someone else, but we could be caught in the crossfire, making us collateral damage.
There are too many nut jobs out there among us now. We definitely DO need logical gun controls. When Harris and Vance win in November, there's gonna be "some new sheriffs" in town!
Just remember: if you see someone in a car with a gun and think they might threaten you, drive up to the door of your Emergency Department. In the event of a mishap - at least you'll get quick care. I heard this advice given to a friend after she had been followed by a road raging human.
These ghost guns just add to the terror. Someone told me registering firearms is pointless because those that want guns will get them. The tragedy with these mass shooting is horrendous, especially with these poor innocent children. I always think back to Uvalde when the police were afraid to go in and confront the shooter because of the AR-15. There is no “safe” place. The laws need to be changed before there are more needless deaths.
In 1996 there were several gun-related massacres in Australia. The federal government passed restrictions on all aspects of gun ownership and use. They also had several buy-back amnesty programs. In the decade 1991-2001 the number of firearm-related deaths decreased by 47% (yes, the decrease had already begun before the new laws were enacted, but can you just imagine a 47% decrease in gun deaths in the US?). These restrictions have been in place for almost 30 years and the government of Australia has no plans to alter it.
I believe the "registering firearms is pointless using that "reasoning" - is the Repubs excuse for not having serious gun control laws. Along with the "good guy with a gun" excuse.
You're right about ghost guns. Just watching the video of the officers at the school in Uvalde freaked me out. Although they were wearing body armor, they were still no match for an AR-15 that the shooter used.
Years ago, my nephew attended a high school that was miles from any metropolitan area. He became ill one day, so my sister-in-law asked if I could pick him up at school. The first thing I noticed was the number of pick-up trucks with gun racks in their back windows. Not only that, but most of those racks contained rifles or shotguns.
A friend of mine who once taught there said the nickname for that school was "Shotgun High."
It's not unusual to notice signs at the entrance to schools that say "NO GUNS ON CAMPUS" or something similar, but they mean nothing to active shooters.
When I went to school in the fifties I remember practicing getting under our desk in case of a nuclear bomb. Like that would save anyone. These children today going through drills for shooters has got to be frightening. The high schools around here now have metal detectors. It is a sad state of affairs. How have you been? It was wonderful to see your name pop up.
Monica, I went to school in the late 50's and early 60's, so I understand completely what you had to go through, too..
The classrooms had tall windows with shades that were always rolled up to the tops. When we had drills, one of the kids sitting close to the windows had to pull them down while we squinched under our desks. When the threats of nuclear destruction got worse, we would go out into the hallways, where there were no windows, kneel down facing the wall, covering our heads with our arms.
I have no idea HOW pulling down shades would be helpful, except maybe to deflect broken glass. Years later, I started wondering why the teacher herself didn't pull down the shades instead of making one of the children do it!
What I remember most was hearing over and over about Kruschev's insistence on having a specific shape for the conference table. (Sounds just like something that Trump would whine about. But I digress.)
I also remember seeing the black circles with three yellow triangles that showed where fallout shelters were located.
It was a sad state of affairs for us as kids, but nothing compared to what my grandkids and their mother (who is a teacher's aide) have to face these days.
The first time we went to California, we saw several billboards that simply said, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." I was too naive to understand that concept at the time, but now those words resonate in my head.
Monica, thank you for the kind words. As long as I wake up with a pulse each day, I ought not to complain. Hope you are doing well,
Same here! It's such a good feeling to realize just how many people are coming together to make sure that Democrats win in November.
I was very impressed with Joyce's "introductions" and how she explains things in layman's terms. I like to read her daily Substacks and her special Friday editions, where she interviews guests. The ones that tell us what to expect in the coming week are very interesting, even though some of them are SCARY at times!
Before I subscribed, there were many times when, I'd read Joyce's Substacks, wanting to respond to comments. I enjoy how down-to-earth Joyce is, and especially how she shares pictures of her chickens and her dog. I'm still amazed with how she has the time to do so many things!!!
I also think it's also the best thing I've ever done.
For around 25 years, I must have spent hundreds of hours doing volunteer work, but never thought of it as "work." I helped out in many capacities, and loved every minute, even if it meant something as unique as getting called out in the middle of the night to help officers with traffic control, knowing I had to be at my real job in just a few hours. Other ones were a lot of fun and/or very interesting. I learned so much!
It broke my heart when I had to move. Unfortunately, I spent more time with the Realtor, looking at houses, instead of checking out organizations in my new county to see who needs volunteers.
I'm proud of what you've done. Congratulations on enjoying this newest chapter in your life!
So timely Joyce. I remember when the Supreme Court protected the rights of the minority when Congress or the President wouldn’t. I remember when it protected those rights because it was the voice of those often ignored when it came to the law. I remember when Justices retired when shamed because of conflicting interests-Abe Fortas. In this case I wish we would go back to those times! This was the honorable Branch of government. Now it’s a disgrace
Yes, it USED TO BE the honorable branch. Those days are long gone, thanks to the Federalist Society and very especially, the extraordinarily dishonorable Mitch McConnell. May his memory be only vilified forever. (Sometimes I wish I could actually cast spells on people.)
I’m thinking about the kids all going back to school this week. I’m thinking about my daughter who is a sped teacher who had to attend an eight hour unpaid Crisis Intervention program in anticipation of this year’s classes.
And when others say it is not statistically likely, that's ridiculous and self-serving. All must respect that while deaths occur the families and friends are scarred. The injured may have lost many of their dreams and goals for the future, and live in pain.
And the understanding that an "incident " may happen in ANY community, at any time, and anywhere. Children are growing up with constant fear & anxiety. Parents have to hope their children arrive home safe each day (hope for their adult children, as well.) Hope for the return of parents, partners, spouses, siblings, on and on.
One real irony is concealed weapons permits are valid voter ID in South Carolina. Of course, one no longer has to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and open carry is legal. I shop heavily with Amazon Prime to transfer the risk of encountering a gun nut while shopping to the UPS driver.
I had to go to the Motor Vehicle Department a few months ago. While waiting for an hour, I found myself looking around anxiously to see if I could determine if someone had a gun, and what I could do if the shooting began. I was stunned to realize that our world has become this nightmare. The poor, poor children in the public school system.
I made a comment earlier that I stopped going to shopping malls. That's No. 2 on my list of places to avoid. Going inside a bank is at the top of my list. I go there only when absolutely necessary.
Coming in as No. 3 would be having to go to DMV. There are so many reasons why that's on my list.
Visiting the DMV brings out the WORST in people! I'm not sure if anyone ever looks forward to the experience. Most times, seating is at a premium. I've noticed that even parking spots are at a premium, especially towards the end of the month.
People complain because only a few of the front-counter windows are manned.
Worst of all is the fact there's absolutely no logic to the way they call out the letters and numbers on your ticket! (Just because your ticket says "G12" does NOT mean you'll be called after "G11" leaves the counter. The person to replace "G11" could be "A19" instead.)
Unfortunately, I had to go there last year. I arrived in a halfway-decent mood, dreading and anticipating the experience. Suffice it to way that I was not disappointed. I brought a book to help me zone out, but after an hour or so, I started getting a tension headache.
When I finally left, I had such an urge to drive beyond the speed limit so I could get back home and scream loud enough to wake up the dead!!!
There's no way I'd want to work there, even if I was surrounded by bullet-proof glass!
This is one of the most difficult issues to understand as partisan. Why would any law enforcement officer or educator want more ghost out on the street? Or any mother or father? Emergency room doctors surely don’t wish to see more gunshot victims. Why isn’t this a non-partisan issue? SMH!
Given that the conservative justices on the bench have revealed themselves to be active partisans, and that the rightward progression by the court during this century was not a drift but was actually driven by monied interests toward the outcome we are facing if Trump wins in November, it seems to me we ought to look at the sequence of decisions on gun ownership as a strategic part of that targeted progression. In other words, these seemingly irrational opinions are a feature of the Roberts Court's purpose, not a bug. In my view, the Republican party has openly encouraged the nation's gun culture and promoted not just gun ownership among its members, but guns that are military grade weapons, as well. Which is to say, they want their side to be maximally armed for the second revolution Kevin Roberts boasted about on Bannon's podcast.
This Court will do nothing that angers the NRA or the big spenders who stand behind the Bench or make seats available on their Gulfstreams. This is where we are. The is how low Roberts, Thomas, and Alito have brought us. They support carrying bump stock equipped machine guns in public? You bet. Just not in their Chambers you’ll note.
There is an illogical response to public health and safety when it comes to guns. There has been a pervasive, well designed, NRA seduction of the population postulating that all of one's rights will be destroyed if guns are regulated. But we regulate many things deemed to be a danger to public health. We now have tamper proof caps; TSA scan of body and luggage; warnings on cigarette and alcohol; Content and warning on food packages; Seat belts; DUI charges.
How many children and teachers will have to die, be militated, traumatized before Congress and SCOTUS pass reasonable laws. In this area we are not well regarded by other countries.
I don't think the number of children and teachers who die make an ounce of difference to the republicans -- in Congress and in the Supreme Court. Their hypocrisy and callousness is beyond comprehension.
Which underscores the fact that Republicans and conservatives ARE NOT PRO-LIFE at all. They are PRO-forced birth, PRO-regulation of women’s menstrual history, PRO-interference with the doctor-patient relationship … and on and on and on.
I believe you are right, kd, about their indifference to the deaths they cause and their incomprehensible hypocrisy and callousness. But it seems like something even darker when people who are given the responsibility to control and protect innocent lives deliberately put those lives in danger or cause some of them to die...over and over and over...in order to gain money and or power.
I'm not a therapist or trained in psychology. But it seems to me that those who perpetuate this situation, with full knowledge of the deep trauma and carnage that follows on a regular basis, have to have some sort of mental disorder. Their lack of empathy is shocking and they are unfit to serve in any branch of government where they could damage the lives of others. They are monsters.
Thanks for this, Professor. In Heller, Scalia's notoriously arrogant dismissal of the predicate, operative phrase of the Second Amendment dealing with a well-regulated militia. That his sniveling colleagues in the majority took no issue with the damnable omission is one of the earlier of SCOTUS capitulation to the NRA and other fanatics in the gun lobby. It's pretty hard to believe that the Founders could have ever foreseen individual arsenals of war weapons in the hands of the unregulated masses who have nothing tying them to legitimate (government) militias.
There you go again being clear-headed
If it weren't for Joyce, there's no way I'd be clear-headed about politics, how and why a lot of our leaders continue to ignore their "job descriptions," and especially, the many, many, many reasons we absolutely MUST vote Blue in November.
Elected officials are not inherently leaders. They are our servants.
Steve, I agree. I couldn't think of the word "servants."
Are they the ones who are supposed to serve at the pleasure of the citizens? I could be wrong at this time of night.
Read a book once called “Servant Leadership” that was very helpful to me. It was about leadership in a church context and developed themes of service to God as well as service to whatever group you were serving. It was a long long time ago. I remember themes of responsibility to the position as well as humility, understanding the needs of the group, helping then choose and walk a right path. Being what the book called “teachable” meaning understanding that you were not the fount of all knowledge, had much to learn.
Don’t see much of any of that in (un)- Christian nationalism, do we? Nor in extremists politics on either side. Too many people who think leadership is ordering people to do everything their way. In some cases willing to trash the founding principles of the group in favor of their own values and The thing such leaders hate and above all might be free elections
Well i just described the MAGA-project2025 gang, didn’t I?
In a representative democracy where our leaders cannot get the opinions of everyone on every decision that confronts them every day we need to be sure of the “values” that they will apply to those day-to-day decisions.
When Trump was elected his preferred model for governance had been set by being the absolute head of a smallish family company, where his word was the law. This suits his narcissistic personality.
My idea of a fun debate would be going through the preamble of the constitution asking each candidate to speak for a few mins on what each phrase meant to them and how it influenced their approach to governing, starting with “We the people”.
Rather than reading the current selection of books, I suggest reading a bio of B. Franklin and M. Lafayette. T. Jefferson and G. Washington are next on my list.
In a perfect world yes, but we have the worst Congress money can buy.
Steve, Thank You for that reminder. They are to “serve” we the people. Not do whatever they want as if our government is their personally owned business to do as they please! I realize it is a bit tricky since we vote them in as ‘representatives’ of us. There are many of us with many modified definitions of need.
I have been fighting this argument all my life. When my father died in 1982, after which I raced a letter from the NRA the same infamous piece of shit that was forced out for stealing funds and he wanted BillKatz to renew membership. It was for my father of the same name but it infuriated me and soon after, I wrote my first op-Ed for our daily newspaper. And I’ve been writing ever since. Thinks won’t change because industry owns Congress and the gun industry owns Congress, too. Until our system changes nothing will change. Gun manufacturers have the blood of thousands on their hands and they don’t lose a wink of sleep at night.
If ever there was a case of a slowly boiled frog, it is the United States and guns. Degree by degree, arms have evolved from single shot pistols and muskets which took a minute to reload, to the 6-chamber revolver of the Civil War era, to the automatic and semi-automatic weapon of today with a magazine shooting 50 rounds without reloading. Get 10 of them and you can shoot 600 people from the top floor of a Las Vegas hotel, lickety split. Kafkaesque.
I was a slow boiled frog that largely moved myself and my child abroad where she is going to university in a country that ranks #15 on the global peace index instead of #131 like the USA does. See pages 8 and 9. https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GPI-2023-Web.pdf
In high school she did an exchange program with a girl from a country ranking #5, and they left for that country, Austria 2 months after a child in Michigan shot several of his classmates dead. I could not wait to get her out of the US after that happened. In my neighborhood in the US, in a house a couple of blocks from the Obama house in my city, an 18-year old shot a university student who was walking down the street at noon because the guy did not immediately give up his laptop. He shot him with an AR-15. How this 18-year old got ahold of that gun I don't know. Too easily, and probably not legally. A friend of a friend who lived on that block and was a surgeon ran out to help the student and said he had never seen so much blood in his life. A boy who lived on that block, who was friends with one of my daughter's friends could not go to school for 2 days he was so traumatized. Everyone who knew about it experienced PTSD, especially since that was not the only incident. During covid another student had been shot by a man was on a shooting spree from one end of the city to another with a young girl as a hostage in his car, until police shot him dead. Gun violence is a huge reason to leave the US. There are 130 countries considered safer and many of them are a lot cheaper too.
I am banking on Jay Kuo being right and a lot of the Old White people who voted for Trump in 2016 died during Covid, only to be replaced by Gen Z voters. These are the most diverse voters in the US. Let us hope they can come through for us in this election as we must for them.
I would like to know the logistics and cost involved in leaving American and moving to another country which ranks #15 (I believe Germany) on the Global Peace Index.
I assume, which is not a safe thing to do, you sold "lock, stock and barrel(s)" said, "Good-Bye" never to return again.
I felt safer living in Egypt than in the US. Even in the time of the revolution, crime was very low and one could go out at 3 am, walk around in the streets alone and not be afraid. People were kind and friendly for the most part. In the US I will not go out and walk after dark. I live near Rochester, NY where the gun violence is not as bad as it was during the pandemic when there weren't enough cops on the streets, but it still seems like there's a shooting every night. Over the summer there were shootings in the state parks along Lake Ontario, during events such as open air concerts and festivals. It just doesn't feel safe anymore.
Sorry that your area has gotten that bad. It's a real epidemic, which may NEVER be brought back into control as long as Trumplicans are around.
I worry about the safety of the children (and everyone else) in this country too, but in reality, most citizens can't pick up and move to another country. Besides, I love America and refuse to leave it in the hands of those who would destroy it. I feel as Americans, it is our responsibility to fix it. It is not going to be easy, and it will take much time and effort. So, even though I could, I will stay and defend the country and work to get people to vote and advocate for major changes.
And don't forget the NUMBERS of guns in America (presently estimated to be over 400 million.)
In fact, if fifty thousand guns were destroyed each day, it would take roughly 22 years to rid the nation of guns, (or year 2046 if started today.)
How old would your children be in 22 years?
Mine would be close to retirement age. My grandchildren are the ones I especially feel sorry for and worry about. I'll be long gone by then.
It’s the courts as well. They can no longer be trusted to look out for the people in this country. They’ve sold themselves out too.
A blue tsunami can straighten out the courts.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
When I “wrote” a letter not raced a letter.
I read that as "received".
OPPs. It was received, dag.
lol. I read it received as well. 😉 Good for you, that letter was your “tipping point” it seems for writing.
Got it Bill.
I didn’t want to lose my likes by correcting it, lol.
Just let us know when you need multiple likes. We will be there for you Bill . Xo
You blocked me from liking you. Strange behavior but I guess it makes you feel good.
So I “liked” myself.
Do you lose likes when you edit (on your laptop)?
Yes it’s all erased. The you go to the bottom and few folks read it.
Thank you for the update. I have an Apple laptop, but I haven't seen that happen that I know of. Maybe that's because most of what I end up editing is my replies to posts.
I don't care about likes. It's social media vanity.
huh. interesting. I haven't seen that happen to me...
Bill, it didn't take me long to figure that out.
Your keyboard must suck as bad as mine! After two years, I still have a hard time with this laptop, especially the smaller keys that are so close together. They're not made for old people like me.
I miss my old Hewlett-Packard PC, and before that, my IBM Selectric typewriter.
I still use my IBM selectrimat. My copier needs replacing.
Well said. I'm glad that you took the initiative with that first op-Ed, and that you've continued this fight ever since! I'm also glad that you never gave up on this.
You hit the nail on the head when you described how Congress has been allowed to have a decades-long symbiotic relationship with gun manufacturers, with no accountability, and no end in sight.
As Joyce pointed out, when our Founding Fathers wanted citizens to have "the right to bear arms," they would never have imagined how powerful --- and deadly --- our "arms" have evolved today.
Sorry for your loss. Your father would be so proud of you!
The NRA was once a sportsman’s club. Then the board was taken over by gun lobby zealots in the 1970s and it changed the mission. Their damage was done by repeating a lie that the 2nd amendment was created for individuals when in fact, it was created for well organized militias to defend themselves against central government and in 18th century that was the British government. It was created for states to defend themselves. But as Joseph Gobbles noted, you tell a lie repeatedly and the lie becomes truth. My father wasn’t a sportsman just enjoyed having a small gun collection. I had no relationship with my father. That was his problem.
I'm so sorry for your dad.
Wow. Those three points made by Justice Stevens are so clear! Tim Walz is also so clear when he, as a hunter and gun owner, talks about common sense gun laws. I continue to hope that 4 more Justices will be added to the Supreme Court, and that the other court reforms which President Biden proposed will be put into place. On behalf of our childen and our citizens. And whatever happened to the focus on having a "well-regulated" militia, anyway? Thanks again, Joyce!
And why on earth would a militia, well regulated or not, be relevant today when we have a military force, a national guard, marshals and police forces in every state? This clause in the Constitution should be bracketed for history's sake but should be declared non-operational. This would lay the groundwork for bipartisan, sensible gun laws. I'm not naive. This is a monumental lift.
That's why the violent MAGA's (Proud Boys, Oath Keepers) refer to themselves as "militia" -- not against the King of England, but against US.
And in no way do these ragtag bands of armed Domestic Terrorists fit the actual meaning of a "Well Regulated Militia".
Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy in connection to Jan 6.
That's true. Very scary, but true.
It’s interesting; Oregon has a statute prohibiting ”unlawful paramilitary activity”. I believe it is designed to prevent these fringe groups from calling themselves a militia.
Count your blessings! I'm naive enough to hope that one day, the other 49 states would have such a statute.
Aren't there nests of them all over eastern Oregon?
kdsherpa, yes, that whole militia thing is problematic today and the guys (and it is nearly always men) who call themselves militias are standing against the nation at least now, in words, but they are armed. I hope people in authority in this nation are keeping a close eye on their behavior, not to stomp on their rights as those "militias" would like to stomp on our rights, but to see that they don't become more violent than they already are; then hold those involved with January 6th accountable.
They're under constant surveillance by the FBI and the ATF.
Absolutely. They (and similar groups) are training to be Trump's well-regulated militia if he determines that another election was stolen from him.
That was my belief as to the word they use and it frightens me.
While we do have other military and police forces, fewer than 20 states have a state militia for homeland security and emergencies. And yet we still don't have common sense or well-regulated gun laws. That's what's missing.
What we have is a lot of White racists who own guns and make gun laws and other laws that allow them to easily shoot first and not ask questions. Their fear is being catered to by their racist politicians of whom we have plenty with Trump being the big Kahuna Racist. In fact, I believe that having him for president and in the media is making more White people racist, and making them more racist than they would be otherwise. Misery loves company and he is a miserable person commiserating with other miserable people. The Intercept claims that Trump is popular because of his racism. I think they have a point. https://theintercept.com/2024/08/10/republicans-trump-vance-racism-white-nationalism/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20Intercept%20Newsletter
I’ve frequently repeated the difference between a Black person being stopped by the police and a white person. Within many of our lifetimes, that small town southern sheriff was the law by day and Ku Klus Klan leader by night. I would run too if I were Black. But many white cops don’t understand this difference.
Bill, Chicago's police union president is both charged with repeated brutality, and is a forever Trumper White Supremacist. The police department has a low crime solve rate, and when a professor had strong data to prove that there was a serial killer of Black women in the city, the police said no way, all of the crimes were unrelated.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/chicago-strangler
They might be right, or they may just not care enough. Either is a tragedy because these cases are largely unsolved.
Linda, I think trump being popular because of his racism is because it allows those miserable people to feel superior to some others. Why they need to feel that is beyond me, but I know that racists do have that need.
Susan, there is an irony of a lot of Indian Tech Bros in Silicon valley being for Trump. His opponent/fan Vivek Ramaswamy is one. As if their wealth is going to protect them from a totally White Supremacist government, carrying out a White Power movement agenda. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/indians-flying-high-in-silicon-valley-destination-c-suite/articleshow/112411149.cms?from=mdr
Silicon Valley people are famously tone deaf. Will this serve to their disadvantage? It certainly is to ours. The Biden administration's Lena Khan is feared by them for good reason. There are so many wealthy people funding Trump, with the money being poorly spent on his legal bills and other avenues of grift. These are the people bankrolling a strategy to avoid the voters and just get the states people responsible for verifying the election to refuse to do it, and contest it, so that there is chaos and lots of court battles. There are plenty of other nefarious plans they are backing too. These people are not just miserable people, they are greedy as well.
Very Interesting, Linda. I'm amazed at the way people are seemingly fine with voting against their best interests. I'm not saying that if you are Indian you should vote for Kamala because she has the same heritage. But I would think that voting for joy and progress and a good life for all (since they would be included in that good life) would trump whatever trump would do for them. Especially since they probably already have more than they need. For the record, my husband has coined the term GSB (greedy selfish bastard) for such people. I think it applies here.
Trump is also racist because he is a very insecure man and JD Vance is another one ...
I agree completely. Vance wouldn't be such a chameleon if he were secure.
I have long believed that the way the wealthy plantation owners in the antebellum South stayed in power, is that they (subtly, of course) convinced the impoverished white population that they were superior to the slaves. Had the often desperately poor whites joined forces with the slaves, the planation owners wouldn't have lasted a day. Recently, I came across a book titled "White Trash" which makes just that argument.
That is just very sad. It's clear that those people have been willing to vote against their own interests for a long time. It's one thing to feel superior to someone else, but another to have to struggle to make ends meet.
If you think about it, what we need is a common sense and well regulated SCOTUS.
I have been told, by people who want no restrictions, that the 2nd ammendment ensures that the military would never be used against the citizens. That kind of crazy thinking has only gotten worse when you hear from far-right, and far-left, that after the November election this threat may be a danger requiring citizen resistance [read violence]. This is so off the rims for many reasons.
It wasn't that long ago after George Floyd was killed, when a peaceful "Black Lives Matter" protest took place in DC, not far from the White House (where the slimy coward hid in his bunker following his photo-op in front of the church).
Not surprisingly, Trump used the National Guard to control and intimidate those in the crowd.
I think that this might have been one of his "finest hours" during his presidency (I refuse to use a capital "P" when referring to him), but not as great --- to him, anyway --- as January 6th.
His mental status is so horrible now that it really does scare me to think of what he would do to all of us. Except, of course, those who continue to bow down to him.
They will get trampled, too. He has no loyalty, interest, or compassion for anyone who is not useful to him. When that is done they will be in his way. His cabinet and advisor list of casualties, as well as his ex-wives.
I spell it prezidency.
Ol’ Trumpy believes in martial law, I e -
Well, my fingers slipped - sorry! I intended to say, Trump absolutely believes he could, as president, call up the military to stop our fellow citizens from protesting, using “martial law.” Just one more reason to vote BLUE!
Our (hopefully) new Vice President set Ed 24 years in a "Well Regulated Militia" the Army Reserves Forces, which with the Individual States National Guards, are what the Framers meant when they wrote the Second Amendment, and which has been twisted out of reality by Justices like Scalia and Alito. I just wish there was a way to put Term Limits on them short of requiring a Constitutional Amendment, which will be a very big Hill to climb.
Served, not set Ed. I apologize for the typo.
I feel your pain, Ed. I do that all the time.
AMEN!
Add 4 and subtract (and replace) 2 or 3. It’s the formula for a sensible court.
A while ago I looked up the meaning of ‘bear’ in colonial times. It meant ‘carry,’ not own. ‘Bear’ is consistent with carrying arms on behalf of a well ordered militia. So much for textualism and originalism.
Textualism and originalism only pertain when they agree with the premise. Total hypocrisy.
So true. Textualism and Originalism is whatever they say it is. We must reform the court.
Amen!
Arne link—Not only what they say it is, it seems to change whenever it’s convenient or assists these out-of-control cases who envision (dream of) themselves barricaded behind piled up furniture defending themselves (heroically) against the gov’ment.
Tom, it seems Supreme Court conservatives as originalists, get to tell all of us they know just what the founders were thinking and don't care about the different ways language was used 237 years ago. Those Supreme cons care only that their personal beliefs and their donor's wishes are taken into account. It is a shame that the SC cons use their intelligence for undermining our democracy rather than preserving and improving it.
Forsooth they needs must be put aboard a ship of stone, with masts of steel, sails of lead, ropes of iron, the Devil at the helm, the wrath of God for a breeze, and Hell for their destination.
That would work too 👍.
Indeed they do
This gun thing scares me to death. I live in FloriDUH where one can carry a gun wherever and whenever. When I go to the Publix I look at my fellow shoppers and wonder which of them has a concealed gun, and if this dude or dudette gets irritated by another shopper, how likely is it that there will be a shooting?
Seriously, did the founders envision this scenario? I doubt it. We need logical gun controls, but of course that won’t happen in FloriDUH. Ever.
Nor Arizona where, to me, carrying a gun into Safeway on your hip, or your purse, is the mark of an ignorant bully.
In Florida you can even take a concealed weapon to church.
I have to say that I have carried, concealed at church twice; both times when the church I’m nominally affiliated with (I play music there occasionally) has been targeted by protesters. Admittedly NOT when I’m ringing handbells (no surprise “clangs” in the back row), but we’ve had some pretty violent protests locally.
That is scary. I just see so many as hypocritical right not with walking the walk and not talking or even acting as they are Christian.
Exactly, what the heck?????
They say if a shooter (bad guy) starts shooting they will shoot back. My question is how do you know the church goers from the shooter. I think there would be a lot of carnage and senseless deaths.
Right. So why carry a gun? If you can’t tell the good guys from the bad?!
Lately I listen to church online, but that’s a whole other story.
I remember when we lived in AZ there was a drive-thru where you could purchase guns and booze. A DRIVE-THRU! I hope that is no longer possible.
Barb, did they have a chain of drive-thrus, like McDonalds? Were they located state-wide, or just in your city? Did they do a background check on each customer before selling a weapon to him or her? Did they ID young people to make sure they were old enough to buy guns (and booze)? Did they sell more than one weapon per visit? Did they sell different kinds of guns, and especially assault rifles and high-powered ones? Were buyers required to get a permit ahead of time? How long were these drive-thrus in existence?
And finally, is there a way for "members of the public/inquiring minds" to access the UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) statistics for that time period? I would love to know the percentages of each category (homicide, attempted murder, assaults, robberies, etc.) compared to today's statistics. This really does concern me, because I can just imagine what our country would be like if Congress should ever --- GOD FORBID gain control of Congress ever again.
Dianne, I don't know the answer to most of your questions. This was ~30-35 years ago.
It was a drive up at an already small store in a strip-mall parking lot. The town was small-ish at the time we lived there, but has grown a lot since. Not a chain and not fancy.
We never went in, or through the drive in. What we knew about the place was based on there sign.
I'm not clear on your last statement, ...if Congress should ever ... gain control of Congress ever again.
Reader, yes, definitely it is the bullies who carry guns putting everyone else at risk, just the way they like it, and our government has Okayed and advanced this bullying.
You got that right. The gun worshippers, ammosexuals, whatever you call them, MUST be armed at all times in case there is an insurrection in the Doritos aisle at Target. They DREAM of being the “Good Guy with a Gun” which is rare as unicorn sightings.
True. You rarely hear the a good guy with a gun protected anyone
Didn’t help Ronald Reagan, who was surrounded by Secret Service and DC Police when he was shot…
Pretty much.
It’s true. I never even honk my horn or make eye contact with another driver.
Monica, sorry for including your comment in my reply. I didn't read it until afterwards. Brilliant minds think alike and take these gun laws --- or lack thereof ---, very seriously!
Dianne, I thought I was the only one who feels like you do! Nowadays, I get nervous just being in a public place, whether a grocery store, the post office, or sadly, even in church. I stopped going to shopping malls a few years ago. Active shooters can be anywhere!
Call me very paranoid, but I also get nervous every time I'm in my car. I would never honk at someone for blowing through a stop sign when I have the right of way, nor would I dare to turn and look at the driver next to me at a stoplight.
Our state allows open-carry, making it much easier for any driver who's ticked off or just in a crappy mood to grab his or her gun and start shooting innocent people, simply because they can! There's also the possibility that someone could start firing at someone else, but we could be caught in the crossfire, making us collateral damage.
There are too many nut jobs out there among us now. We definitely DO need logical gun controls. When Harris and Vance win in November, there's gonna be "some new sheriffs" in town!
Just remember: if you see someone in a car with a gun and think they might threaten you, drive up to the door of your Emergency Department. In the event of a mishap - at least you'll get quick care. I heard this advice given to a friend after she had been followed by a road raging human.
I'm glad that your friend was able to react quickly enough to prevent what could have had a bad outcome!
Thanks for sharing that. Might save someone's life.
There's too much hatred and too many "nut jobs" out on the roads every single day.
Texas is just as bad, with their open carry.
These ghost guns just add to the terror. Someone told me registering firearms is pointless because those that want guns will get them. The tragedy with these mass shooting is horrendous, especially with these poor innocent children. I always think back to Uvalde when the police were afraid to go in and confront the shooter because of the AR-15. There is no “safe” place. The laws need to be changed before there are more needless deaths.
In 1996 there were several gun-related massacres in Australia. The federal government passed restrictions on all aspects of gun ownership and use. They also had several buy-back amnesty programs. In the decade 1991-2001 the number of firearm-related deaths decreased by 47% (yes, the decrease had already begun before the new laws were enacted, but can you just imagine a 47% decrease in gun deaths in the US?). These restrictions have been in place for almost 30 years and the government of Australia has no plans to alter it.
That is amazing. Kudos to Australia!!
off-topic: is that Pearl as your pfp? delightful, if so! Steven Universe is one of the most creative and intelligent shows I've ever seen.
I believe the "registering firearms is pointless using that "reasoning" - is the Repubs excuse for not having serious gun control laws. Along with the "good guy with a gun" excuse.
You're right about ghost guns. Just watching the video of the officers at the school in Uvalde freaked me out. Although they were wearing body armor, they were still no match for an AR-15 that the shooter used.
Years ago, my nephew attended a high school that was miles from any metropolitan area. He became ill one day, so my sister-in-law asked if I could pick him up at school. The first thing I noticed was the number of pick-up trucks with gun racks in their back windows. Not only that, but most of those racks contained rifles or shotguns.
A friend of mine who once taught there said the nickname for that school was "Shotgun High."
It's not unusual to notice signs at the entrance to schools that say "NO GUNS ON CAMPUS" or something similar, but they mean nothing to active shooters.
When I went to school in the fifties I remember practicing getting under our desk in case of a nuclear bomb. Like that would save anyone. These children today going through drills for shooters has got to be frightening. The high schools around here now have metal detectors. It is a sad state of affairs. How have you been? It was wonderful to see your name pop up.
Monica, I went to school in the late 50's and early 60's, so I understand completely what you had to go through, too..
The classrooms had tall windows with shades that were always rolled up to the tops. When we had drills, one of the kids sitting close to the windows had to pull them down while we squinched under our desks. When the threats of nuclear destruction got worse, we would go out into the hallways, where there were no windows, kneel down facing the wall, covering our heads with our arms.
I have no idea HOW pulling down shades would be helpful, except maybe to deflect broken glass. Years later, I started wondering why the teacher herself didn't pull down the shades instead of making one of the children do it!
What I remember most was hearing over and over about Kruschev's insistence on having a specific shape for the conference table. (Sounds just like something that Trump would whine about. But I digress.)
I also remember seeing the black circles with three yellow triangles that showed where fallout shelters were located.
It was a sad state of affairs for us as kids, but nothing compared to what my grandkids and their mother (who is a teacher's aide) have to face these days.
The first time we went to California, we saw several billboards that simply said, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." I was too naive to understand that concept at the time, but now those words resonate in my head.
Monica, thank you for the kind words. As long as I wake up with a pulse each day, I ought not to complain. Hope you are doing well,
As well as can be expected. Beginning to feel my age as they say. I am enjoying Substack. Best thing I’ve ever done.
Same here! It's such a good feeling to realize just how many people are coming together to make sure that Democrats win in November.
I was very impressed with Joyce's "introductions" and how she explains things in layman's terms. I like to read her daily Substacks and her special Friday editions, where she interviews guests. The ones that tell us what to expect in the coming week are very interesting, even though some of them are SCARY at times!
Before I subscribed, there were many times when, I'd read Joyce's Substacks, wanting to respond to comments. I enjoy how down-to-earth Joyce is, and especially how she shares pictures of her chickens and her dog. I'm still amazed with how she has the time to do so many things!!!
I also think it's also the best thing I've ever done.
Like minds as you said.
Yes, indeed.
For around 25 years, I must have spent hundreds of hours doing volunteer work, but never thought of it as "work." I helped out in many capacities, and loved every minute, even if it meant something as unique as getting called out in the middle of the night to help officers with traffic control, knowing I had to be at my real job in just a few hours. Other ones were a lot of fun and/or very interesting. I learned so much!
It broke my heart when I had to move. Unfortunately, I spent more time with the Realtor, looking at houses, instead of checking out organizations in my new county to see who needs volunteers.
I'm proud of what you've done. Congratulations on enjoying this newest chapter in your life!
So timely Joyce. I remember when the Supreme Court protected the rights of the minority when Congress or the President wouldn’t. I remember when it protected those rights because it was the voice of those often ignored when it came to the law. I remember when Justices retired when shamed because of conflicting interests-Abe Fortas. In this case I wish we would go back to those times! This was the honorable Branch of government. Now it’s a disgrace
Yes, it USED TO BE the honorable branch. Those days are long gone, thanks to the Federalist Society and very especially, the extraordinarily dishonorable Mitch McConnell. May his memory be only vilified forever. (Sometimes I wish I could actually cast spells on people.)
I’m thinking about the kids all going back to school this week. I’m thinking about my daughter who is a sped teacher who had to attend an eight hour unpaid Crisis Intervention program in anticipation of this year’s classes.
🙏🙏🙏
And when others say it is not statistically likely, that's ridiculous and self-serving. All must respect that while deaths occur the families and friends are scarred. The injured may have lost many of their dreams and goals for the future, and live in pain.
And the understanding that an "incident " may happen in ANY community, at any time, and anywhere. Children are growing up with constant fear & anxiety. Parents have to hope their children arrive home safe each day (hope for their adult children, as well.) Hope for the return of parents, partners, spouses, siblings, on and on.
Oh, this makes me so mad!
And all this is now normal. 😠
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org
One source for stats.
😢
Can you carry a loaded gun into the Supreme Court to watch what goes on?
Of course not. 100% hypocrisy.
INFURIATING!!!
Ha! Hell no. Only the little people can be slaughtered.
What do you think?
One real irony is concealed weapons permits are valid voter ID in South Carolina. Of course, one no longer has to have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and open carry is legal. I shop heavily with Amazon Prime to transfer the risk of encountering a gun nut while shopping to the UPS driver.
I had to go to the Motor Vehicle Department a few months ago. While waiting for an hour, I found myself looking around anxiously to see if I could determine if someone had a gun, and what I could do if the shooting began. I was stunned to realize that our world has become this nightmare. The poor, poor children in the public school system.
😢
I made a comment earlier that I stopped going to shopping malls. That's No. 2 on my list of places to avoid. Going inside a bank is at the top of my list. I go there only when absolutely necessary.
Coming in as No. 3 would be having to go to DMV. There are so many reasons why that's on my list.
Visiting the DMV brings out the WORST in people! I'm not sure if anyone ever looks forward to the experience. Most times, seating is at a premium. I've noticed that even parking spots are at a premium, especially towards the end of the month.
People complain because only a few of the front-counter windows are manned.
Worst of all is the fact there's absolutely no logic to the way they call out the letters and numbers on your ticket! (Just because your ticket says "G12" does NOT mean you'll be called after "G11" leaves the counter. The person to replace "G11" could be "A19" instead.)
Unfortunately, I had to go there last year. I arrived in a halfway-decent mood, dreading and anticipating the experience. Suffice it to way that I was not disappointed. I brought a book to help me zone out, but after an hour or so, I started getting a tension headache.
When I finally left, I had such an urge to drive beyond the speed limit so I could get back home and scream loud enough to wake up the dead!!!
There's no way I'd want to work there, even if I was surrounded by bullet-proof glass!
This makes me so sad
My dear Lord. Open Carry is terrifying. The slightest annoyance can result in the death of many. It is insane.
This is one of the most difficult issues to understand as partisan. Why would any law enforcement officer or educator want more ghost out on the street? Or any mother or father? Emergency room doctors surely don’t wish to see more gunshot victims. Why isn’t this a non-partisan issue? SMH!
Given that the conservative justices on the bench have revealed themselves to be active partisans, and that the rightward progression by the court during this century was not a drift but was actually driven by monied interests toward the outcome we are facing if Trump wins in November, it seems to me we ought to look at the sequence of decisions on gun ownership as a strategic part of that targeted progression. In other words, these seemingly irrational opinions are a feature of the Roberts Court's purpose, not a bug. In my view, the Republican party has openly encouraged the nation's gun culture and promoted not just gun ownership among its members, but guns that are military grade weapons, as well. Which is to say, they want their side to be maximally armed for the second revolution Kevin Roberts boasted about on Bannon's podcast.
We are so screwed.
Because the GOP is purchased and owned by the weapons manufacturers.
which encompasses gun manufacturers AND munitions makers and purveyors. It's all part of a genocidal whole.
.... and Russia and China and Saudi Arabia ....
This Court will do nothing that angers the NRA or the big spenders who stand behind the Bench or make seats available on their Gulfstreams. This is where we are. The is how low Roberts, Thomas, and Alito have brought us. They support carrying bump stock equipped machine guns in public? You bet. Just not in their Chambers you’ll note.
You can’t carry a weapon at the NRA convention either. That is the essence of hypocrisy!
But they can carry near my grandsons school. Have they no concern for others?
Nope. Nary a thought.
My thoughts from quite a while ago:
There is an illogical response to public health and safety when it comes to guns. There has been a pervasive, well designed, NRA seduction of the population postulating that all of one's rights will be destroyed if guns are regulated. But we regulate many things deemed to be a danger to public health. We now have tamper proof caps; TSA scan of body and luggage; warnings on cigarette and alcohol; Content and warning on food packages; Seat belts; DUI charges.
How many children and teachers will have to die, be militated, traumatized before Congress and SCOTUS pass reasonable laws. In this area we are not well regarded by other countries.
I don't think the number of children and teachers who die make an ounce of difference to the republicans -- in Congress and in the Supreme Court. Their hypocrisy and callousness is beyond comprehension.
Which underscores the fact that Republicans and conservatives ARE NOT PRO-LIFE at all. They are PRO-forced birth, PRO-regulation of women’s menstrual history, PRO-interference with the doctor-patient relationship … and on and on and on.
I believe you are right, kd, about their indifference to the deaths they cause and their incomprehensible hypocrisy and callousness. But it seems like something even darker when people who are given the responsibility to control and protect innocent lives deliberately put those lives in danger or cause some of them to die...over and over and over...in order to gain money and or power.
I'm not a therapist or trained in psychology. But it seems to me that those who perpetuate this situation, with full knowledge of the deep trauma and carnage that follows on a regular basis, have to have some sort of mental disorder. Their lack of empathy is shocking and they are unfit to serve in any branch of government where they could damage the lives of others. They are monsters.
Thanks for this, Professor. In Heller, Scalia's notoriously arrogant dismissal of the predicate, operative phrase of the Second Amendment dealing with a well-regulated militia. That his sniveling colleagues in the majority took no issue with the damnable omission is one of the earlier of SCOTUS capitulation to the NRA and other fanatics in the gun lobby. It's pretty hard to believe that the Founders could have ever foreseen individual arsenals of war weapons in the hands of the unregulated masses who have nothing tying them to legitimate (government) militias.
The Founders would have been in shock.
Scalia isn’t even in purgatory yet. Still in hell carrying the weight of all those guns around his neck. Thomas has that to look forward to.
But Thomas gets to drive there in hits luxury RV.
Maybe he’ll get a flat tire. We can hope.
If I believed in those things, I would agree with you!