Controversial Opinions and Other Thoughts in Book Seven: Reconstruction 2020

Today has been a heavy Animal Meme Day. Lots of cute floofs. Not even because the day was so rough in court. That isn’t… that big of an issue. But some days… just need extra floofs. Because the rest of the world seems to be burning a bit. And when humans are demonstrating how trash they can be… sometimes you just need to know that life goes on.

SPEAKING OF HOW TRASH HUMANS CAN BE:

TOPIC 1:

It needs to be said that I have a complicated and difficult to explain relationship with guns. I am a midwest boy from Affluent White People. Guns were an important part of “male bonding” as I grew up. All of us taking shotguns and rifles out to shoot at clay pigeons. Learning how the range works. All of that.

I presently have family and friends who you could accurately state have an arsenal. Several handguns… multiple shotguns and rifles… AR-15s and various similar weapons. SOME of these people are intelligent, responsible, highly trained individuals that would never misuse their firearm. SOME of these people are frightening examples of how hatred, ignorance, and entitlement create a gun culture of dangerous stereotypes.

What the United States continues to do politically is irresponsible, dangerous, and stupid. From both angles. Conservative Pundits afraid of NRA Backlash are quick to paint ANY firearm legislation as “the beginning of the end for gun rights in America.” Liberal Pundits pushing against the NRA are quick to paint ANY push back to firearm legislation as “serving the NRA’s interests and not caring about American safety.” Sorry, kids. You’re both idiots. You’re both wrong. And this bullshit of “Whoever goes most extreme wins” needs to fucking end.
FEDERAL LAW ISSUE

Question for Liberals: Is it currently against the law to own a “fully automatic weapon”?
Answer: Yes. It is currently illegal for a private citizen to own a fully automatic weapon.
Question for Conservatives: Is it currently against the law to use a bump stock which makes semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic weapons?
Answer: No. The bill proposed which would fix this loophole was killed in legislation by Conservatives who called it “inappropriate legislation.”

SO… when you have Conservatives actively refusing to close a loophole which would therefore honor the spirit of the law? YEAH. Fuck those guys! You can’t have a law on the books and then say, “But if you can get around it, fuck that law!” That’s horridly irresponsible.

Question for Liberals: Is it currently against the law for people convicted of Domestic Violence or people convicted of any felony to have a firearm?
Answer: Yes. It is currently against the law for anyone convicted of Domestic Violence or any felony crime from having a firearm.
Question for ALL People: In the United States does that law actually prevent anyone convicted of Domestic Violence or any felony crime from having a firearm?
Answer: NO. Aside from the fact that weapons are stolen, or purchased on the streets, or completely unaccounted for… there are still Gun Show Loopholes that completely get around things like waiting periods and background checks. So technically, right now, the most violent felon in your state could be carrying an unlimited number of firearms on him.

But look at those things from different perspectives. The bump stock issue? Honestly, FOR SHAME. That’s a big well-earned fuck you to the Republicans and the NRA. BUT from the Conservatives and NRA perspective… think about the second scenario. “Okay, we let liberals write laws to curtail guns but it doesn’t do anything. So we need guns to defend ourselves!” Now… whether you can RESPECT that point of view or not… (or see the logical loophole in it)… there are people in this world who genuinely feel this way and shouting over them or discounting them or insulting them won’t solve anything.

SO… what should happen that will never happen because fuck our world?
(1) Democrats in office should make binding promises guaranteed by contract that they will not pass laws that ban all firearms in the United States.
(2) Republicans in office should make binding promises guaranteed by contract that they will not vote down all laws that seek to regulate the safe sale and possession of firearms.

THEN (and here’s where shit starts getting REAL contentious and fucking horrible)
We actually hold the American Public accountable to safe and intelligent gun sales and possession laws:

All firearms sold in the United States will have serial numbers that are registered with the government. These serial numbers will be tracked by location; allowing the government to know when a gun has been sold, where it was sold, and to whom it was sold. If a private owner perishes or sells the gun; the estate/seller and/or receiver/purchaser shall both update the database as to when the gun has been sold, where it was sold, and to whom it was sold. All commercial and Gun Show retailers of weapons will be required to perform a criminal background check. To facilitate this, the United States will establish a smarter, more efficient, and user friendly Background Check System that notifies of convictions for Domestic Violence or any Felony. Any retailer being notified of a purchaser’s status as “unlawful to possess” that nevertheless sells to that purchaser shall have their license to sell revoked and shall be found guilty of a felony; thus preventing the individual from possessing firearms themselves. Any citizen that wishes to purchase a firearm will be required to take a licensing course and exam. You will learn firearm safety, firearm precision, firearm maintenance, and firearm laws. The exam will test you on your comprehension of those laws, safety rules, and firearm proficiency. Upon successful completion of your firearm exam, you will be Licensed. This license will allow you to concealed carry in proper, legal areas to do so. These licenses will need to be renewed every five years at which time the licensing agency will do a background check, a brief proficiency check, and a minimal medical check. Any felonies, domestic violence convictions, or involuntary-commitment for mental illness will revoke your license and make it a felony for you to carry or possess a firearm. Exceptions will be made for minor children: Any minor over the age of 10 may be in possession of a firearm provided they are accompanied by a properly licensed adult.

That is just a very small… very brief… very surface discussion of what we could do to make Firearm and Firearm Possession more safe in this country. HOWEVER it will never happen… we’ll never even get anywhere CLOSE to anything like the above. For Conservatives… it is WAY too much government interference, invasion of privacy, and inappropriate regulation against gun owners. For Liberals… it is WAY too permissive and does nothing to address suicide by gun or school shootings. So neither party would ever support anything like this.

Which… in a way… brings me to

TOPIC 2:

One of the primary reasons I did not support Barack Obama in 2008 was because his followers bothered the absolute hell out of me. Before the Republicans even had a candidate, my college exploded with Obama-Mania. Almost overnight all of the hallways in the dorms were covered in Obama posters and everyone was talking about this amazing man who we all “needed to get on board and make President.” I knew nothing about the man. I’d never heard his name before that boiling point on campus. I knew nothing of his policies. And I’m not the kind of person to say, “I’ll vote for this man because he’s young.” Or, “I’ll vote for this man because he’s black.” If someone is going to get my support… they are going to need to show me policy reasons backed up by previous action in the public or private sector. Y’know… winning an election like an adult.

But I didn’t start shitting on anyone or raining on anyone’s parade right away. These are college kids who are now massively engaging in politics and I thought “GOOD! This is important!” So I wanted to give them a while to actually… learn more about the candidate. So a few months pass and the fervor on campus for Barack Obama is more than ever. It was like a sweeping viral epidemic of Obama-mania. So I started approaching people. “What do you like about Obama?” “He’s black.” or “He’s young.” or “He’s from the midwest.” So I’d re-phrase the question and try to get these now impassioned and extremely vocal supporters to tell me something about the man’s history in politics or policy positions. NONE OF THEM COULD. The best any of them even came was to tell me what Jon Stewart said on the daily show the other night about the government. And I hung my head in shame but also got really really super duper pissed off enraged. I’m now talking thousands of people around me getting super engaged in politics, mobilizing for a candidate, almost literally praising his name… and not a single person could articulate a policy position. So he’s running as a democrat… but does that mean he’s in favor of expanding medicare or is he pushing for a single payer system… is he going to raise taxes and work on infrastructure or is he going to deficit spend and work on pork projects… does he favor expanded surveillance of American citizens or will he be tough on foreign interests? GIVE ME SOME POLICY LANGUAGE! Nobody could. But the praise swelled. People were literally singing songs about how wonderful it would be to have Obama in office. But none of them could tell me DICK aside from the fact that he was young, black, charismatic, came from Chicago, and running as a Democrat.

And here… for me… is the beginning of what I see as the Zealot Overdrive in American Politics. People were treating Barack Obama as a second coming. So at the very next opportunity, Republicans put in Mitch McConnell. Nancy Pelosi acted like an out of touch, crowing peacock full of idiocy. Obama wins the Presidency but Democrats lose the House and Senate. Mitch McConnell demonstrates his open and brazen desire to tank the country as long as it makes the Democrats look bad and is rewarded for his efforts.

But back to some more detailed looks. Obama is swept into office under a zealot rush. A woman at his inauguration is interviewed and specifically expresses her religious joy at his election because (direct quote) “I won’t have to worry about payin’ rent or nothing!” Expressing an unrealistic and alarming expectation that Barack Obama’s election would usher in some Liberal Utopia with no reason for that to be expected.

Then one of Obama’s first major gaffes. A noted black educator is arrested breaking into a house. It happens to be his own house. The arrest somewhat divides the nation on racial grounds. The white officer’s report demonstrates that the suspect was being argumentative and uncooperative. The black defendant’s statement is that the officer was rude to him and would not listen to him. The President mentions it in an unscripted speech as an aside. Massive issue. This is presidential overreach into a justice department matter. This is inappropriate and furthers a racial divide. Barack Obama invites the officer and the educator to the white house to save face. Conservatives get wonderful propaganda images as the white officer is standing, drinking a beer, while Obama and the educator are sitting and drinking wine. The ultimate propaganda for “The Blacks took the power and The Elites don’t respect you.” Trust that the image still circulates to the Trump Faithful as a reason why “White Hard Working America” needs to “Stay Trump and Proud!” However, the Democrats and the Liberals react as though this whole issue is being exaggerated and the conservative media are doing a disservice to Obama and how inappropriate even discussing this whole issue is. In other words, Conservatives tapped into the Zealot Overdrive players of their movement and the Liberals responded by saying “ignore it.”

Remember the Trump Narrative? Trump for an America of the white, ignored, and blue collar??

But terribly… horribly… painfully… tragically.... Zealot Overdrive found its fucking HYPERDRIVE with Trump and his supporters. And Time Magazine had an interesting, if depressing, article on how and why this might be. Trump’s rhetoric is heavy (and obvious) with the US versus THEM motif. He isn’t inspirational or intelligent or well spoken… but he can fire up the US versus THEM like an absolute master. And while there are a lot of ways to stir up zealots, the best way is always to remind them that they have to be vigilant against THE THREAT. BONUS POINTS if THE THREAT requires your champion to “break all the rules to do what is right.” I mean, fuck… consider the entertainment of our culture… the “lone hero who breaks all the rules to uphold their own sense of justice” is such a popular trope we’ve made god-like characters from it (looking at you Batman and Iron Man). So not only does Trump benefit from this Zealot Hyperdrive where it doesn’t matter who or what he is or if he even has policy opinions because everyone is just so jazzed for him… not only does Trump get that boost… he gets a huge boost from the people that already think “The government is out to get me. The government is corrupt. The government is trying to create an anti-American anti-white global anti-Christian government.” The Zealot Branches that were already conspiracy minded, anti-globalism, or zealously Christian (in their own unique way). And you keep those various branches whipped into a Zealot Hyperdrive Furor for long enough that is hyper enough? You get the people that are saying what they’re saying right now:

“It doesn’t matter if the Russians hacked us if it put Trump in office.”
“It doesn’t matter if he coerced or bribed a porn star to keep her mouth shut.”
“It doesn’t matter if he tried to get dirt on his opponents, it is too important that he remain in office.”
All the way to now… the great hypocrisy. Obama mentions an arrest, and Republicans are up in arms over DOJ interference. Trump specifically tweets about the Prosecutors in a Federal Case against a friend of his (repeatedly) and the Republicans are silent. Bill Barr sees to it that the Stone Sentencing Recommendation is changed… in obvious concert with Trump’s demands… and the Republicans are silent.
“It doesn’t matter if he shows no respect for 3 co-equal branches of government. Trump is too important.”

When the Cult of Personality of a President matters more than the Rule of Law or National Security… it threatens the entire system of government that we have established. And when supporters of a President care nothing for the “entire system of government”… those people are supporting anarchy and a destruction of democracy. And if there is a major political party that is supporting a Cult of Personality President? That party has demonstrated nakedly that nothing is more important to them than power at all costs. I can’t imagine anything more dangerous in politics than that.