Dance on America

So, another school shooting in the heart of gun crazy Drumphland. Is anyone even surprised anymore when these tragedies happen?

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a not for profit organization dedicated to simply providing accurate information on gun violence, there have been 1977 gun deaths this year to date.  That's 40 deaths a day across that nation. Let that sink in for a minute. While the shock of any event that ratchets up the body count and involves kids brings the issue front and centre we shouldn't forget the other "statistics". Everyday, bang you're dead, 40 times over. Bang.

The politicians will send their thoughts and prayers, the NRA will meet to plot where to send their money and nothing will change since those douche bag politicians, from the president on down, take money from gun loving freedom chanters that think everyone, even a 12 year old kid, should have an AR-15 to play with.

Social media will be plastered with pro and con arguments, lines will be drawn and re-drawn and a lot of hysteria will ensue. Labels will be hurled and still nothing will change. Why? The country is fucked that's why. And I don't mean the people in general, stupid not withstanding, I mean their system. The way their country has evolved, and I use that term sarcastically, into a melange of special interests chasing the buck and this supposed defence of freedom at all costs. This is about money and power, plain and simple. The GOP gleefully takes money from the NRA and preaches calm and advocates for putting guns in the hands of teachers as much as the Dems take money from unions and pushes for representation to fill their union rolls and coffers. Everyone is guilty here so why not take the money out of the equation. I guarantee you that if lobbyists, super pacs and unlimited contributions were truly banned politicians would actually get back to what they are supposed to be doing, making a difference in the lives of the people that voted them in. While I'm supremely naive not even I am that naive to think anything remotely like that will ever happen.

I recall reading a newspaper op ed a very long time ago discussing the city of New York. The strung out guaranteed to get mugged New York of the late 70's and 80's. A great city that had lost it's way for a number of reasons but it was still New York, it kept dancing like the flapper girls of the roaring 20's with a "we don't care and oh, go fuck yourself in the process" attitude. It was New York after all. Giuliani cleaned it up and the almighty dollar has once again reigned supreme, I felt pretty safe there two years ago, but there was a heavy police presence in the tourist rich areas. The price you pay I guess.

So maybe that's the price society pays when it allows itself to be bought. It's the ultimate balance scales - we give you access to guns without restriction and you let us pocket the money from the guys with blood on their hands. "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" will be a common phrase from the moronic right fringe. Really? No shit Sherlock. Thanks for the clarification because here we are thinking that these guns had become sentient and fired on their own volition. Guns will be guns after all. Gun reform advocates are asking for back ground checks on people, not guns. They are demanding licensing of people, not guns. They are pleading for responsible governance of people that want guns, not the guns themselves. You have to have a license and renew that license for a car every few years but you can own a gun designed to shoot enemies of the state for the purpose of hunting squirrels...something is wrong here. Many somethings.

While I applaud those teens in Florida that are trying to make a difference in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy, the odds are not in their favour. Not as long as there is money to be made and politicians that want their piece of the pie. The country dances on sending thoughts and prayers and the hardest thing I can imagine having to do is happening right now for parents of dead children.

D