Grateful Dead

I can't imagine what it would possibly take to make it happen. How could anything be more revolting than what happened at Sandy Hook? NPR reported the other day the FBI estimates that Adam Lanza, who looked about strong enough to fight his way out of the proverbial wet paper sack, was able to fire 154 rounds in just under 5 minutes. I don't know how the NRA lobbyists can possibly sleep at night without the aid of chemicals. And to try and imagine how terrified those poor children were; it is sickening, absolutely sickening to think that maybe, just maybe......lobby money will win again. We'll soon see.

Gun control is really a question of political will in this country. There is no will to take on the NRA and other zealots. On the other hand, if meaningful legislation is passed, the gun industry expects there to be massive gun sales before the law takes effect. It makes me sick. There are now millions of people - regular average people - who want meaningful gun control in the wake of Sandy Hook. What do the gun freaks say when another guy in a small town goes crazy and decides to randomly take several lives and then kill himself? That we need better mental health services? Yes, we do, but that is not the point. I talked to a turkey hunter who said he needs an assault weapon to hunt for turkeys. Why? Because everybody is so wired they take phone calls in the woods from other hunter friends and don't want to take the time to reload when they get a location. Really dude? You need an assault weapon and 6 50 round clips to go shoot a turkey? Can't you just carry several 8 round clips in a hand gun to take out the bird?

If any of my fellow Dead.netters are on other social media outlets like Facebook, I'm sure we've all seen the Republicans posting and sharing picture-quotes from Mr. Reagan about how much he supported the 2nd Amendment and how taking away their assault rifles, bazookas, gatling guns, etc., infringes on their Constitutional rights. What I find interesting about that is how the quotation they keep sharing is only a PORTION of an entire quotation where Mr. Reagan says he could see no need for any civilian to own an assault rifle like an AK47 or the like. HHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Gets you thinking, doesn't it? Like how easily the spoken/written word can be warped and twisted to suit your needs? Yeah, that pen sure is mightly all right!

Persecution takes on many forms, though religious persecution is probably what we see most often. I don't think it's something that's talked about enough, or, at the very least, identified. I would go so far to say that even bullying is, in its way, persecution, especially when there's more than one bully. You're right, though, Anna; it is a pretty interesting topic. One that most Americans would most certainly avoid discussing since so many of us seem to partake in it. Like how, if you support the President's views on gun control, you *must* be a "bleeding heart liberal" and a "dirty hippy" and all other kinds of slanderous words meant to label and coerce those who aren't with "the majority." On a slightly different-yet-also-related topic, is it just me, or are people bullying more now that it's become "an epidemic," or is it simply because it's in the spotlight that we notice it more?

ever'body.

No thanks, just thinking about it gives me mouth barf.

as much as I try to avoid it, it's about as difficult to avoid in our diets as it is to avoid atmospheric oxygen. Especially at the holidays. Right now, those damn "Peeps" are irresistible!! Yellow, blue, purple, pink. Happy Easter.......and do what the Allman Brothers recommended, "Eat a Peep". :)

Heard some rather disturbing, but common to where I live, info. from a delivery driver today at my place of work. After I signed for a delivery, this asshole thought it would be appropriate to espouse his views to me on gun control (I'm guessing he heard the speech on the radio). "My AR-15 is on order; in two months I'll have it and there's nothing that "N"er can do about it." With a smirk on his face, he then asked me for directions to a small town that was on his notepad. I asked him if he had GPS or at least a map and he said he did not. He also let me know his phone was dead and he forgot to carry a charger cord. With that bit of information, I decided to take the time to give him directions to the farthest black hole away from his destination in central Wisconsin that I could think of; he then thanked me for my "help" and off he went. I certainly hope he enjoyed my point of view. (smirk returned :)

Gave a good speech on gun control today. The legislation now being considered doesn't go far enough but we have to march and make phone calls? As Obama said "Shame on us if we have forgotten our duty as parents." He was surrounded by mothers of dead children of gun violence. It was a surreal scene. Their walls, their walls (Are made of cannon balls)

With South Korea. Every new leader has his mettle tested and the new Kim (cult dictator of NK) is not different. The movie Olympus Has Fallen had it's world-wide release last Monday and it totally vilifies NK. Of course, Kim is threatening to nuke us. No one can tell if the intelligence estimate about his ICBMs is accurate or not. The movie is likely a deliberate provocation as America installs it's own version of the "Iron Dome" anti-ballistic missile defense on the West Coast. The attitude from America seems to be to taunt him and let him take his best shot. NK is, of course, a Chinese proxy. NK is never going to be invaded, the deal seems to be "We don't screw with NK, they don't screw with Taiwan." This could be an attempt to defang him at the earliest opportunity or at least to test him as a leader. This movie opens shortly after Rodman visits NK? Give me a break! This whole thing has been planned carefully, from sanctions onward, and this is Kim's first reaction, to cut the hotline. South Korea is taking a hardline stand also. Another provocation by the North, like sinking it's warship three years ago, will lead to war, with 30,000 American soldiers within 10 miles of DMZ.