Current Events Commentary (Warning: Explicit Language!)

I know that we said that we were going to try to avoid politics and drama in the writing of this blog, but I’m tired. Really fucking tired. Tired of opening my Facebook feed and seeing rhetoric spewed from all angles and all sides. Tired of being portrayed by the liberal left and anti-gun politicians as a bad guy. So I’m going to vent. As an owner of this blog, I get to do that. Read no further if it irks you. However, if you’re tired too, then read along.

We already know the well established facts of mass shootings and domestic terrorism. As has been parroted since the widespread inception of gun control legislation, guns aren’t the problem, people are. Anybody with a brain that can divorce themselves from the emotion of the debate acknowledges this.

So let’s talk about people…

In this latest event, the victims were mostly from a minority demographic that receives a disproportionate amount of attention these days. A tragedy is a tragedy, no matter the demographic. I have gay coworkers, gay neighbors, and gay friends. Hell, I have gay family. I don’t fucking care, because they don’t infringe upon my lifestyle. We choose different lifestyles, but they live their lives and I live mine, and it’s not a big deal. Nobody cares.

Many years ago in California, I had an immigrant Iranian lab partner during a college class. We didn’t really talk politics or religion, but I knew from our occasional study meetings outside of class that his parents had fled Iran, were obviously intelligent and educated, and that he was a relatively ordinary immigrant college kid. Driven to do well in school, a little shy, and interested in girls and American culture and music. My own preconceived notions may have prevented me from fully trusting him because of his country of origin, but he never gave me any legitimate reason to distrust him.  Likewise, I personally know more than a few immigrants who have become naturalized American citizens and who contribute a great deal of knowledge and productivity to society. Bottom line, immigrants who assimilate to the American way of life and appreciate the freedoms of our nation aren’t a threat. Unfortunately, as I’ll rant about shortly, those freedoms that they enjoy are increasingly becoming an illusion.

I have family, neighbors, and coworkers that vote Democrat. Trust me, l live in a “blue” state… Of course, they are no threat to me personally, but they do have the ability and proclivity to vote in ways that impinge upon my liberties. The political chasm in this country is a large and complex issue that vexes me. Journalist Sebastian Junger has some interesting theories about PTSD and it’s manifestations in veterans that are based on the fact that returning veterans are faced with integrating back into a society that has no clue what they did, why they did it, and can’t even agree among themselves about the value of what they did. This national dichotomy, coupled with rampant woeful ignorance, is a true “perfect storm” for our nation, IMHO.

In that regard, I am also subject to political leaders that I DID NOT vote for, yet claim to represent my best interests. They perhaps are the greatest threat to my liberties. Just today, a Senator from my accursed state of residence spent 15 hours in filibuster on the Senate floor to force votes on two gun control measures that are at their core flawed and meaningless. One is banning persons on terror watch lists from purchasing firearms. On the surface, this sounds like a good idea. In reality, the underlying system needs to be fixed before it can be of any real use. Instead, we have the hassle for hundreds (if not thousands) that it represents in its current form. When it’s virtually impossible for an innocent eight year old boy to avoid the list, the intent has failed. I’m pretty sure I remember a couple of Constitutional Amendments dealing with due process… The other vote concerns background checks on Internet and gun show firearm purchases.  Somebody should tell the idiots and assholes that both are ALREADY subject to background checks. With the exception of individual face to face sales where legal, any firearm transfer that doesn’t involve a background check is ALREADY illegal and it is a felony to knowingly transfer a firearm to a prohibited person. And as with all aspects of law, ignorance is not a defense! For those that think guns are too easy to get, I challenge them to go and LEGALLY obtain the firearm of their choice and report back! We’re the good guys, not the criminals!

And now, on top of all the other bullshit in my news feed (and I really do rely on it for news, I have little use for my television other than occasional entertainment), I get to read some liberal elite pundit from the NY Daily News blather about how he found firing a few rounds from an AR-15 loud, sickening, bruising, and to be an inducement of anxiety, irritability, and even transient PTSD! I fucking dare him to make that claim to the face of any combat veteran that was willing to die for his freedoms or even to my face as an EMS veteran of countless horrific accidents, fatal shootings, and other medical mayhem. He insults and debases the very people who he would rely on for his salvation as he lies cowering in a corner or under a desk, coming to save him with the very tool that he despises and fears. Fuck him. And may I suggest that he try it next time with a suppressed weapon! Oh, wait a minute, suppressors are highly restricted too! At the very least, he should get some competent instruction.

We must, as a nation, reclaim our liberties and security. As much as the term is abused, I’ll use it here… Let the sheepdogs guard the flock. We’re comfortable doing so. To legally constrain us and strip us of our tools is to neuter the most effective measure against terrorism that we have available. Many of you have no doubt seen the Facebook post that’s being copied and pasted ad nauseam. The post describes a typical concealed carry individual in line at the store, surreptitiously possessing a concealed handgun, intending and doing no harm, yet prepared and ready to defend themselves and other innocents from evil, no matter color, creed, or religion. It sounds cliché until you consider that it is the truth for too many of us to count.

There are definitely days that I strongly consider deleting my Facebook account… Needless to say, it’s been one of those days!