A Horrible Day

I am so angry. 

I am so sad.

Yesterday an attractive candidate with no experience in government but a whole lot of money won the Democratic nomination for Congress over one of the finest public servants I have had the privilege of knowing. I wish the winner well in November and will do what I can to help him. But how do we establish a means for policy, experience, wisdom, and vision to be more important and money less important in our elections?

Yesterday a millionaire gun-lobby shill --- a Q-Anon sympathizer, an documented liar, a woman who chased a gun-violence survivor through the streets of Washington shouting at him, a candidate who disdained participating in non-partisan interviews, a racist, a Putin supporter --- defeated a bunch of more reasonable and patriotic right-wing candidates for the Republican nomination for Congress. How do we protect First Amendment rights and also lessen the influence of racism, trolling, foreign interference, and other evils on our elections?

Yesterday, as a council member at my church, I had to listen as some seemed to favor removing our congregation from our church denomination which would, in effect, remove me from the congregation that has been my church home since 1962. Heart-breaking. How do we bridge the divides even in our churches?

What a horrible day.

But all of that seems small compared to the horror of 19 children's and two adults' lives being obliterated by another gun massacre in Texas. In the last 36 hours authorities have had to ask parents for DNA swabs so the bodies of their children, mangled and exploded by high powered weapons, could be identified. How do we --- the vast majority of Americans who want common sense reforms like background checks for gun purchases, required training before first time gun ownership, "red-flagging" of those who are a menace to themselves or others while protecting legitimate gun owners from misuse of those restrictions, limits on huge magazines and semi-automatic weapons, etc.--- get past the gun lobby and pass laws to lessen the bloodshed and death?

Elections matter, my friends.

Let's be frank: If you vote for Marjorie Taylor Greene this fall you are voting to allow the slaughter of more children. Period.

If you vote for ANY NRA-supporter, you are voting to allow more carnage. Period.

Some folks want to talk about abortion as a horror and yet many of those same folks support politicians who want to continue to do NOTHING about gun massacres?

Other countries have crazies and extremists, but other countries do NOT have this degree of gun violence.

The problem cannot be completely solved or quickly reduced greatly, but we can do SOMETHING.

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P.S.: Disagree? Discuss it on your own blog all you want. I will delete any "gun rights" bullshit posted here. I am no longer interested in debating those who pretend the Second Amendment was intended to enable the slaughter of children.