Congressman Robert Garcia

I spoke to Congressman Robert Garcia when he was running for Mayor in Long Beach, California. I liked him but voted for the other guy, due to disagreeing with one of his campaign ideas. He was elected, I moved back east, but think he achieved that goal. 

He tweeted  "Thoughts and prayers are welcome - but not enough. We can decrease gun violence and mass shootings with sensible gun reform legislation. The time is now."

One person replied: Address mental health reforms as normal, sane law abiding gun owners don't commit acts of mass shootings.

Another: Outlaw shooting people.

The last two mass shootings ~ Nashville Elementary school and Louisville bank shooters had no criminal records (law abiding) able to legally purchase AR-15 rifles. How would the first (does not use a people name, something about multi faceted veteran) suggest "mental health reform" would have stopped these two self-described "depressed" shooters?

Is the 2nd that dumb they do not know that there are laws about shooting people? They obviously do not work.

As someone replied to Ted Cruz: It Is The Gun, Stupid.

White in front of you

Keepingitreal changed the Bud Lite subject:

 "Twice, both Greene & Boebert, during the State of the Union, yelled out to the President that he was a liar and repeatedly interrupted and heckled him.
Why didn’t Republicans vote to expel them both, like they did to two African Americans in Tennessee?"

Pine replied:

George Santos told them not to and he seems to be the up-and-coming standard bearer of the Republican party.

Countrygirl:

I think the answer is plainly obvious.

Tired:

The answer is White there in front of you!

Bud Lite

I did not read articles about Kid Rock shooting cans of Bud Lite. Read article about M. T. Greene who tweeted:

"I would have bought the king of beers, but it changed its gender to queen of beers." Her tweet included a photo of Coors Lite in trunk of her car. Alongside of Easter basket and what looked to be bags of Easter candy. I wonder if she is putting cans of beer in kiddie's baskets?

As if a beer can change its name. Along with loss of "M & M sexy go-go boots", I guess GOP now attacking company slogans. Maybe she and Kid will start a campaign to shoot Clydesdales now? 

Twitter users were quick to point out that Coors Lite has been a long time advocate for LGBT.  Some posted images of Coors Pride print ads. 

FabricatorGeneral wrote on the Newsweek article comment section: 

"Republicans always run with reflexive, emotional reactions without actually thinking things through.  It's their entire brand: latch on to the anger that pops up whenever you see something you don't like and indulge it to an illogical extreme.

Remember that time they went out and bought Keurigs and Nikes only to film themselves destroying them...not recognizing that those companies had already gotten their money so they wouldn't care about what they did with their products?"

MWM is "laughing at the idea that Bud Light and Coors Light are 'beer'."

The Secret Sales Pitch

 GOP MO (modus operandi)

"We attempt to escape fear-producing stimuli. By producing fear we can alter people's behavior. When caught in fear we regress step by step to even more infantile and animistic drives." from  The Secret Sales Pitch by August Bullock.

"Democrats (or Liberals) are going to take away your guns."

There was a time I considered getting a pistol, because, if government took away our right to own guns, than only the police would have guns.

I doubt that I knew that was GOP propaganda, nor would I have known that it was GOP saying it would be done by Democrats. I once was a registered Democrat. Now: Green or Independent. No, Democrats are not coming for your guns.

I visualized scenarios and decided I would rather be killed than kill. It was during President Obama's admin when he explained about assault weapons. I slept through Clintons 10 year ban of assault weapons and quick loading ammo. Due to mass shootings, many done with AR-15s and other military style weapons designed to quickly shoot many, I support bans on those weapons of mass murders of strangers.

I in favor of sensible gun laws. Nationwide database, for one. When I read The Secret Sales Pitch it was concerning salespeople. A locksmith (in today's world doorbell ring) salesperson states stats regarding local area burglaries. Cite rise of car thefts; sell The Club or car alarms. 

"Hurry supplies limited!" "Order now, only 5 left." I have checked some of those ads. Usually from badly reviewed, obscure company. Often a newly created company. Creating urgency is a oft used sales tactic. It creates the fear that the home you want to make an offer on will be gone if you take time to think it over. 

Trump effectively uses those tactics. "Weaponized DOJ" "need to get rid of cancer NOW." Cancer being DOJ and Democrats. "Or you won't have a country left anymore." 

Fight like hell! And they did; they lost, and yet the country is still here. He continues to do so, and his fans buy it. Too sad. 

Insurrection

 Repeated comments on Yahoo articles; "if it was an insurrection, why has nobody been charged with insurrection?" or alternately "it was not an insurrection." They also complain about BLM riots. "That was insurrection too." 

I do not know, I was in hospital, did not have access to Internet. I would watch game shows on TV, when daughter visited; listened to music channels. I would play "name that tune," with older music (1970s rock, 1960s R & B, music I listened to) and smooth jazz to fall to sleep to. The hospital volume control held by head did not have to be loud enough to disturb person in neighboring bed.

Not that those peeps knew that. Oy, listening to djt, volume so high, even with my headphones on I could hear it coming from their TV. One night I complained to nurse ~ the lady would blare her TV when she was sound asleep. The nurse said she would wait a bit. So I have to be kept up because nurse refused to lower the volume on sleeping woman's TV? Aargh.

So did not know much about the BLM riots. I read news about them once at home; do not think I watched any videos online. J6 was the first time I turned on TV news in many years. I prefer to read, not watch news. 

I do not know if there is a law labeled "insurrection." Charges might be rioting, disturbing the peace, unlawful entry, destruction of property. In the case of some J6 rioters, it was "seditious conspiracy" charges. 

Insurrection: a violent uprising against an authority or government. That may well describe BLM rioters. But it seemed more like peaceful protests turned violent due to outside agitation. Long Beach, CA for instance was basically peaceful, until out of town thugs arrived to break store windows and steal merchandise. Those types were not protesting police brutality, they were taking advantage of large masses of people protesting. I should not call them thugs; teenagers mostly.

J6 rioters did so under orders from the president. There job was to "fight like hell" to stop the 'steal.' That is prevent Congress people from doing their jobs; they especially wanted to stop VP Pence from presiding over the certification of electoral college votes. Due to the delay, they worked until 3AM to finish the job. 

Big difference BLM and J6. The kids that post those comments just out themselves as mawa racists.

They also ask "How come no BLM rioters were arrested." Or state it as a fact, not a question. And others reply ~ I think, 14,000 arrested. And others say "they get released, no bail, soft on crime." 

Q/T social, Carlson, Newsmax, djt, majority of GOP reps know how to sell propaganda ~ lots of buyers to spread their alternate facts and lies. 

MTG heckles the president but does not like to be heckled

  “This is a travesty,” Greene blared, calling Democrats the “party of violence” as she was shouted down by detractors.

Says the loud mouthed heckler.  I have wondered in comments if she was going to show up with a megaphone or weapon. Photo shows her with the megaphone.

 “Mayor Adams, you send your henchmen down here to commit assault against people by making loud noises." 

The mayor asked people to be on their best behavior."

"A Trump supporter just rushed the banner and tried to tear it up. Started attacking the anti-Trump protesters. Very ugly and heated. Swarmed by media. Police struggled to get in to break it up. Getting heated." A tweet

There was large banner: Trump Lies banner. I watched the Twitter video of the mawas trying to rip up the flag, all peaceful like the J6 crowd.

I need to send MTG a postcard: Do not like to be heckled? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You heckled the president during SOTU speech. Thus showing you wanted to be heckled.

Well Regulate!

 Beth Akers comment: 

Ban assault weapons, eliminate the gun show loopholes, no more internet sale of weapons, all weapons sold will require lock boxes, and all buyers will have to complete a firearms safety course.  Create a national registry.  If a person has a criminal record or a mental illness, no sale. 

Young adults between the ages of 18 - 26 will require a sponsor to purchase a gun.  That sponsor will have to be present, age 35 or older and meet all the same requirements as the purchaser.  If the purchaser does anything nefarious with the gun, both the purchaser and the sponsor will be held accountable.

GOP refuses to consider well regulating citizen militia. 

Choose the gun you want to get shot with?

 State Rep. William Lamberth asked student protestors which gun they wanted to get shot with?

"If there is a firearm out there that you’re comfortable being shot with, please show me which one it is."

Well, yes, Mr. Lamberth, I would be more comfortable being shot (and killed) with a pistol, hunting rifle, BB Gun than an AR-15 that tore elementary school student's body in half? 

Impossible to keep all guns out of “the hands of a crazy person, a deranged person, [or] a convicted felon, and even if it was done, it would do nothing to prevent y’all’s safety.”

Or we will do nothing to prevent your safety? How about "protect your safety?"

Just wait until they reach voting age. How to make enemies and lose voters? Um, maybe that is the title of a book I could write? I probably have enough info on this blog to write it. However, I do need to get Word installed on this computer. Notepad is horrible choice for writing even letters. 

Rep. Tim Burchett

Burchett does not see Congress doing anything to fix gun violence, because any role in Congress will only "mess it up." He does not condone background checks, because  “you have criminals that are going to go around this, and that’s what they do." Tim Burchett is Rep. from Tennessee.

V commented: The same is true of every law...criminals ignore or go around them. By his reasoning we should not have any laws at all.

Burchett also said: "Repenting of your sins and having some sort of reform in this country seems to me to be the way we’re going to have to turn this thing around because we have some very sick, evil people doing some very vile things." 

The Nashville shooter had no criminal record; she legally purchased 7 guns. Travis Reinking's father gave him the rifle he used in his mass shooting. Reinking owned 4 weapons. He had been treated for mental health problem. I am guessing "schizophrenic" due to hearing God's voice tell him to kill people.

Banning sale of military style weapons such as those used by these two in their mass shootings, would be a good place to start. Yes, criminals will be able to obtain them illegally. But would the Nashville shooter have been able to find one to buy illegally? The father was sentenced to 18 months in jail for handing over the rifle to his mentally disturbed son.

Better if Dad had never been able to purchase it. Do not know if he has a criminal record. The vast majority of citizens do not go around shooting and killing strangers. Yet Burchett things we are all sinners? He must be Christian. An example of Republican mentality? 

Peeps grabbing guns

I suddenly got to wondering if anyone thinks peeps is a slur. I mean people, not baby chickens. I do not know why or when I started saying peeps rather than people. Now I am wondering if some think I do mean baby chicks, calling people chickens as in cowards? 

A comment I wrote that I am hoping some that believe GOP propaganda, think & consider:

Does GOP object to law enforcement confiscating guns from meth labs, drug dealers, gang members, and other arrested criminals? Are they against law enforcement grabbing guns from drug smugglers? 

The person who wrote, "Chicago", finished by saying "hold my beer." Huh? Other than outed self as a white racist. Some others mentioned black violence, one even wrote Black, so wondered if that was from a politically correct person or one of that "race." 

Another brings out the anger in me. Something about better living in the south than "that insane asylum, California." Why do people hate California so much? Maybe they pick on Chicago (rather than, say, Los Angeles) due to President and Michelle Obama? 

Need to spend the rest of today penning letters to Congress people. Not enough sleep, woke too early, doc appt, now ready for nap. 

No gun violence

 "There’s no such thing as gun violence. There’s only human violence. It’s intellectually unsound to state otherwise, and the number one cause of death for children in America remains abortion.” Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.)

Round and round they go. Comments on article shared at Yahoo News, are typical. One or two agree that abortion is murder. Most are typical. The tired "guns do not kill, people kill," "if knives were used would you say knife violence," "shall we ban cars," vs. "guns only purpose is to kill," "cars are regulated," "knives and cars sole purpose is not to kill".

Show me a child inside a girl or woman's womb, and I will show you a freak of nature. Must be a teeny tiny child to fit in even a very large female's womb. I am guessing that someone with a small body will have smaller internal organs also. Some baby's hearts or lungs have not fully developed before birth. I am guessing that as the baby grows, so do organs. 

Chicago, the south, red states, libs, shared article "leftugees fleeing blue states" (Forbes) "Democrats wonder why the hell are blacks moving to red states" (maybe the title did not say "hell" but that is how it sounded)  did not notice the publication. or the third on the same subject. Maybe "Examiner."

They want to grab our guns or they are not going to grab our guns. 

How many years has the GOP been screaming that Democrats want to take away people's guns? At least 50, methinks. No one trying to take away hunting rifles, hand guns, or pistols. Exception would be when New Orleans was under martial law, and cops confiscated family heirloom rifles after illegal search of car trunk.

I again broke my promise to stop commenting on articles. I never check for replies. I just hope something I say will cause a person to think. Especially the one that slurred everyone's intelligence, that spelled, in all caps VIOLECE. Did not take time to read before posting? Or does not know how to spell violence? Peeps like that make me laugh. 

That poster: pro guns, anti abortion. 

H.R. 1095 ~ National Gun?

 "An assault on one constitutional right is an attack on them all, and I will continue doing all I can to fight those seeking to seize power from the people and give it to the government." Rep. Barry Moore, Alabama, introduced bill to make H.R. 1095 AR-15 Rifle National Gun of the United States. He also stated: 

"The most fundamental job of a Congressman is to protect your liberties, and I take that duty incredibly seriously." He seems to have forgotten about the right to life,  and pursuit of happiness for children and their parents, killed by AR-15 and other assault style weapons. Also, being GOP, likely forgot about female right to liberty.

Co-sponsors of the bill: George Santos, NY, Lauren Boebert, Colorado, Andrew Clyde, Georgia ~ all Republicans. Santos is a complete fraud, and known criminal. Clyde was born in Canada; college graduate, Navy vet, CEO.  No wonder he wants a National gun, especially a military style one.

How 'bout Winchester rifle if we really need a National Gun? I know nothing about hunting guns, but I think Winchester was popular in the Wild Wild West. Okay, I need to look it up, eh. But first, the only things I knew about Boerbert is her pro trump stance, fight with M.T. Greene, and a few other anti-U.S. of A. statements.

Okay, now I know she owned Shooter's Grill, in Rifle, Colorado, a "Second Amendment and Western-themed restaurant," where she encouraged staff to open-carry guns. She grew up in a welfare household, quit high school believing, her bio says, she could provide better for her family with a job, rather than being on welfare. 

She married a man who works in natural gas drilling company. Her bio claims she is active in her church. Surely, not Christian, who are to love thy neighbor. Most Christians are bound by the Hebrew 10 Commandments Thou Shalt Not Kill. 

Now that I know who she is, I understand her stance on AR-15s and why, with zero government experience she was elected. And there is the reason why the U.S. of A. is so divided. 

DON'T TAKE OUR GUNS  vs. BAN ASSAULT STYLE WEAPONS, STOP LETTING PEOPLE KILL OUR CHILDREN

If it was one of her sons that was killed by an AR-15 wielding mass shooter, would she feel the same? As a mother, can she not understand the pain of mothers who lost their children due to assault style weapons? Her children are not growing up in the era of active shooter drills. Possibly the younger one is. But he is likely not afraid ~ no matter how much the townspeople love guns, they would never attack "me." 

Do we really need a National Gun? And why do Republicans desecrate the stars and stripes by covering the flag with politicians faces? Showing they pledge allegiance to a man (I have only seen two men's faces on them, could be more) rather than allegiance to the nation they want to govern. 

Bruce Y. Lee ~ naked throwing hot dogs

Bruce Y. Lee made a good point in Forbes online article about GOP selling points: 

Umm, just because you don’t have a right to run naked down a city street singing “Hallelujah,” while throwing hot dogs at people doesn't mean that you won’t retain your right to run, to eat hot dogs, or to sing the song “Hallelujah.” In fact, you are free to be naked, sing “Hallelujah,” and throw hot dogs at your mirror, all at the same time. So imposing some restrictions should by no means imply that.

The Lord's Prayer

 Ah, I am easily distracted from my goals! I shared the Yahoo comment because I replied to it on the article. Yes, I still forget my vow to stop doing that. Better to reply here on my blog that no one reads either. Maybe I should try an offline diary?

As a child I was confused by the way we recited The Lord's Prayer (or the Our Father) in public school, and the way I was taught to say it in Catechism (or Religious Instructions.) 

I looked up the verse in my father's Catholic Bible (which I never knew him to read, he was agnostic,) and my mother's Protestant Bible (which she read daily, but maybe not the entire thing, certain verses that she loved.) 

The public school was using the King James Bible version, my church, obviously using a Catholic version. 

I have read all the New Testament, some, like Matthew, Mark, Luke, James read multiple times. I have read a lot of the Old Testament of the Bible. Do not get far in the "begat, begat, begat" stuff ~ too confusing,  nor Proverbs and Psalms ~ too many, too long and most boring. 

Jesus said you cannot serve two masters, you will love the one and hate the other. So I ditched my Bibles and became an atheist. I had long before stopped being Catholic. I could never reconcile using fertility rites with remembrance of Christ's death, and celebrating the resurrection. What does Santa, trees, lights have to do with birth of Christ child? 

I could no longer be Christian and celebrate those two high holy days. I could only celebrate them as American holidays. For better or worse, I choose to go along with family and their holidays. Biblical story of creation did not make sense to me, so yes, reading the Bible turned me into an  atheist. 

Yet I know many who do Bible Studies who remain Catholic or other Christians. I did my own studying. That is the difference. 

Bible & Book Banning

Comment by JJ:
They should make the bible mandatory reading. It's the best way to turn Christians into atheists.
Buy a Bible, but don’t read it, and you’ll be a Catholic.
Buy a Bible, read only what suits you and you’ll be an Evangelical.
Buy a Bible, read it fully, analyze it, reason it, and you will be an Atheist.

The comment was on a Yahoo news shared Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Florida Today, ragging on Ms. Julie Marshall, member of Moms for Liberty, and banning books. Comments either agree with the letter writer or slam her. Typical slurring Democrats, "libs," "lefties" as pedos, wanting 5-year-olds to read porno.

Some slurs on conservatives ~ the typical "trailer park" or "can't read" stuff. A lot pointing out Bible texts which would be inappropriate to read to children. Slurs on the Bible or just nicely worded putdowns. Round and round they go. Such hatred and anger from Republicans towards Democrats. Mostly mocking of GOP from others ~ might be Green, or Democrats, less hating, more laughing than hatring.

The most Irate, often ALL Caps comments from people saying there is no book banning, they can buy it and read it. Truth is that DeSantis and others in Florida, are indeed banning books from school libraries or trying to do so, causing school board vs. parents fights.

One asserted that there have been no books banned since Fanny Farmer. Odd that the American or National Association of Libraries publishes a list of banned books every year in September during banned books week. I think peeps confuse bans on books with a legal ban, removing all copies from shelves, not allowing it to be published at all.

Focus on the Family had a list of books they banned. My sister subscribed me to the mag. I used to read some of the articles. When they banned "The Color Purple," I told sis to stop subscribing me. She did anyway. I no longer read them, went straight to recycle bin along with KKK literature my ex put me on their mailing list.

From comments, I now have titles of a few books I want to read. I read part of a graphic book geared to ten year olds. That helped me understand why parents would not want it in elementary schools ~ okay, for older teens, methinks. A little too graphic for my tastes in children's books.

Anthony Puma ~ if he could turn back time

 50-year-old Anthony Puma says if he could turn back time, he would have stayed home of J6. Do not we all wish we could turn back time before making an awful mistake.

Prior to J6, he posted a plan for action:

“On the 6th when we are all there in the capital [sic] and he is givin [sic] his second term the people will see. Then you never know we might have to start killing some commie bastards. #stopthestea"

He claims he should not be held accountable because Trump tricked him. He did not believe trump would "not steer him down an illegal path." Wait a minute, mawas claim trump did not incite a riot ~ just a peaceful, tourist, sightseeing tour lead by guards.

 So why did Puma scale a wall, enter through a broken window, then ask other rioters in Sen. Jeff Merkley's office if he could join them in smoking pot. Did trump trick him into smoking pot inside a government building? 

I wonder if he knew that trump's father-in-law is a card carrying Communist? Melania's dad might not practice Communism, so why not burn his card and pledge allegiance to the United States of America. Rhetorical question. 

Puma's lawyers says he has suffered enough. He recorded that "we were tear gassed," they went back and were "pepper sprayed," and went back to get inside the building. Did trump announce "leave, the building is closed, go home?" No he let them continue the melee for over 3 hours then told them "we love you, you are special." 

Attack guards, do damage, obstruct Congress? Why is trump running for pres again. He loves people who attack the "blue," break & enter, do damage, and obstruct Congress? Insanity. 

Caught up in the maelstrom

 Geoffrey Sills. 31, of Mechanicsville, Virginia did not go to D. C. wearing gas mask, and  goggles, intending to be violent. He was dressed for protection from terrorists. Oh, my, if a foreign government flew planes into D.C. buildings, the mask and goggles would offer little or no protection.

When he threw pole-like objects at guards, stole one of their batons assaulting at least two guards, it was simply because he got caught up in the maelstrom. 

Well, gee whiz, if a bunch of mawas were jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge at trump's instruction, would he have done so, also? I thought these mawas were all for law and order, obeying officers of the law, Blue Lives Matter & personal responsibility. 

I used to loathe my mother asking me "if your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge..." ~ I was complaining about having to do dishes or not being allowed to carry baby bro' yet friend was; likewise younger cousin. Older, my friends offered me cigarettes. I turned them down. 

I was horrified when my older brother followed the crowd walking over a downed wire fence to get closer to stage to see Dylan perform. I stayed behind, keeping an eye on him, as he was the driver. Caught up in the maelstrom, my arse.

From whom?

 "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!"

"WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!"

DJT's latest. Does he not tire of sounding like an arse?

Calhoun ~ "we shut down the government"

 William McCall Calhoun of Americus, Ga. attorney, age 59, posted on Facebook:  “Today the American People proved we have the power. We physically took control of the Capitol building in a hand to hand hostile takeover. We occupied the Capitol and shut down the Government – we shut down their stolen election shenanigans . . .”

The only shenanigans was Trump trying to rig and steal the election. Not man enough to concede, he sells more lies and incites a riot. 

Secession ~ 1975

Other secession comments; almost all agreed that divorcing red states from blue or secession was a great idea.

Democrats say, then Red states no longer get money from Blue states that support them. No more aid to Texas, New Orleans, after hurricanes or Alabama tornadoes, thank you very much. 

Mawas or GOP hate Democrats ~ Communists is common slur. Drag queens, CRT, other stuff being "shoved down their throats." Reality, it is Christian Right that demands we obey their rules. No women shall be allowed to get treatment for ectopic pregnancy, have a D & C, and shall be forced to give birth to a stillborn baby. Supreme Court gave states the right to deny liberty based on gender. Who is forcing who?

One or two people who commented showed signs of intelligence. My words; do we build a wall around Texas, requiring passports for them to travel to the U.S. of A.? What happens to Interstate highways, paid for by U.S. of A. government? Cross country trains? One asked about commerce between states ~ export/import, tariffs, more laws? Another pointed out today's military as compared to 1861. Any state that tried to remove themselves from nation would be defeated in, I think, poster said, 30 minutes. 

I suggest people look at the 1975 Electoral College map. California was red, Texas and New York were blue. Demographics change, people change party affiliations. There are not red states, there are no blue states, there are states with diverse populations. Would a Green be allowed to live in a Red State? A Libertarian in a Blue State. Ridiculous, unintelligent idea. 

We either live together or perish together. China/Russia would simply love a Divided States of America. Peeps need to stop hating and try listening and understanding others. I understand why some people are opposed to doctor assisted termination of pregnancies. 

But I do not understand why they do not understand all the reasons why the choice belongs to the woman and her doctor. Prove that life begins at conception. Most females do not know they are pregnant until missing a period or two. I had a cousin who did not know she was pregnant until she went into labor.

How can that be? Change of life baby, they used to be called. At that age, the chubby lady was moving towards obesity. Her menstrual cycle had already stopped. She had not reason to suspect the weight gain had to do with pregnancy. 

Nitpicking point, but it is more potential for life, not life itself. A living, breathing, walking, talking female should have more rights than an invisible zygote, blastocyst and even fetus. 

Someone suggested it should be done by county referendum. Okay, so Orange County, California can opt to sede from Los Angeles County? Or secede from the U.S. of A. How would that work? 

No wonder people vote for the likes of M.T. Greene and djt ~ no critical thinking skills. Secession is a terrible idea; can not divorce states without destroying the U. S. of A.