As we learn more about the El Paso shooter it appears that he is a white-nationalist Latino-hater. In other words, he is disciple of our president.
Trump read a teleprompter speech this morning that obviously some conniving strategist (probably Steven Miller) wrote for him. The words say “let us love, not hate each other.” Does that sound like Trump? No, it does not. Trump is the chief divider of our people, the wellspring of hate and bigotry. I put the El Paso shooting on him. The shooter was only doing what he thought the president wanted, getting rid of the invaders, the rapists, the murderers from the south.
What are Trump and his sycophants in Congress going to do about it? Oh, it’s a mental health issue. It has nothing to do with guns. So, they’ll wring their hands, saying “What a tragedy this was,” express sympathy for the victims’ families, and count on our short term memories to make the problem fade.
Trump bragged that he signed the law banning bump stocks, the device that makes a semi-automatic assault rifle full automatic. Don’t people know that full auto weapons are already illegal (ATF class 3) unless one goes through a number of FBI checks and pays an annual fee? Bump stocks should have already been Class 3 regulated before the Las Vegas massacre. Not much of a concession on Trump’s part.
The president said he would have the Justice Department pursue the death penalty for the shooter. Doesn’t that make us all feel better?
Trump and his Congressional Republicans fill me with disgust. They prefer to take money and support from gun lobbyists and NRA than do the right thing for Americans, the majority of whom want universal background checks on all gun sales, and would be just fine with a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines.
Folks, the only thing we have to combat this idiocy is our vote. Letters to our Congressmen aren’t enough. Republicans leaders are going to follow the party line anyway. I learned that in my dealings with Andy Harris on climate change. We have to kick these self-serving scoundrels out of office.
Bob Moores
Chestertown
Gren Whitman says
State Senator Steve Hershey (R-36) has made some strong statements in the aftermath of three mass shootings last week.
For example: ““I’m done with the thoughts and prayers. I’m done with the phony outrage from scores of politicians. I’m angry. I’m horrified. I’m devastated. Our American culture is suffering. Let’s call this what it is: A white nationalist committed an act of terrorism.” A little later in the day, Hershey wrote: “How many more times are we going to use ‘mental illness’ as the standard response to a mass shooting? That crutch has been worn thin. Here’s what happened in #ElPaso: A guy drove hundreds of miles and committed an act of terrorism. This guy is a hateful white nationalist. Period.”
Go to Maryland Matters for a full report on his remarks.
https://www.marylandmatters.org/2019/08/06/senate-gop-leader-attacks-white-supremacists-gun-violence-on-twitter/?fbclid=IwAR06gLafXKt4KNI6bWuvyq22xBoPVM70VHLQaZ5xGIfZu53rZ1bUrPrw1HE
Steve Narowanskie says
Amen to that!
It was not easy for Teleprompter Trump to speak those words this morning. He’ll never admit that his racist rhetoric contributed in any way to what occurred. How could “the least racist person in the world” admit what is obvious to others. The shooter’s essay read like parts of it were transcribed from a tRump rally. Let’s see if the pile of tweets Tweeter Trump squeezes out early tomorrow morning resembles in any way the words of Teleprompter Trump.
Frances Reed says
What happened in El Paso and in Ohio were dreadful occurrence. But why anyone would think gun control would work IDK. There are approximately 396 MILLION guns in the United States— more than the whole population. Banning someone buying a gun at this point seems totally pointless. It’s like shutting the gate after the horse has escaped. It’s not the guns – it’s the mentally ill and isolated people who use them. They are always going to be able to get a gun – ban all the legal ones and there are still millions of illegal guns available. The problem goes much deeper than the weapon. If there were no guns then knives, explosives (Timothy McVeigh) or vehicles would be used. There is a systemic problem in our country with disenfranchised youth (Who, by the way, didn’t grow up under the Trump administration but Obama’s) Trump has been in office for 2.5 years – whatever happened to these young men was not caused by Donald Trump, but by far earlier life experiences – isolation, bullying, being friendless.
When these senseless, horrific acts occur it is devastating and frightening, but targeting the President as the cause is sheer lunacy. This is beginning to sound more and more like the Salem witch hunt of the 1600’s. Two months ago the Democrat call was “Russian Collusion ” when that didn’t pan out it’s now ” Trump is a white nationalist” . Give up spewing your hatred of Trump people. You have a simple solution— VOTE.
Gren Whitman says
Simple & Constant Arithmetical Law Governing Deaths by Firearms
More guns plus more gun users equals more deaths.
Period. Full stop.
In 2016, the most recent year for which the CDC provides numbers, 22,938 people committed suicide by firearm, while 14,415 people died in gun homicides. Compared with these, the number of accidental firearm-related deaths is minor.
Historical data shows it’s been this way for a while…
Don Sparks says
It is funny how the Dems keep bringing up El Paso ! Where is the outrage with the shooting in Ohio perhaps it does not have anything to do
with that shooter being a Warren supporter and anti police what a bunch of …….. i will let you fill in the blank!
Deirdre LaMotte says
That shooting was not targeted to a specific race or ethnicity.It was horrific as every shooting is but this President has blood on his hands for the Texas massacre. Anyone who denies this is equally
culpable and sane Americans are sick of this.
Don Sparks says
Addressing Ms. Lamotte statement that El Paso was targeted and Ohio wasn’t is just a false narrative! So that guy just picked up his gun and
started walking around trying to figure out where he was going to kill some innocent people! Really ! I’m sorry but people aren’t that stupid!
I understand you hate Trump and that’s your choice and that’s cool! Let me make this statement I didn’t vote clinton or Trump because i though
the people of this country nominated 2 of biggest losers for candidates but that’s my opinion! As far as blood on his hands that is your opinion
so that says Las Vegas ,Orlando, and Newtown was on Obama’s hands ! Sorry but there are sick people out there who do sick things,there are evil people out
there who do evil things and they will continue too do bad things to innocent people! It is just plain lazy to grab the low hanging fruit of blaming Guns or
this person or video games, this country has a whole lot of mentally disturb people and we have to dedicate money and people to help fix this problem.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Mental illness is a worldwide phenomenon. This is a serious problem for all societies.
The United States is held hostage by an organization that promotes the ownership and use of every type of guns by every citizen. As a daughter of a career Marine Officer, all I can say is we as a nation are out of control. This is not video games or evil…please. Video games are most popular in Japan where gun deaths are an anomaly.
There is one organization, the NRA, that has “our” President and the dim-witted Republican Party hostage because of their ownership of fear based, dim-witted people.
One more fact: President Obama is not a racist and spent his eight years in office trying to unify this country. Unfortunately, he is too smart and kind for the trash in this nation.
Don Sparks says
I don’t know what’s worst Right Wing Nuts or Left Wing Nuts. I guess there 2 peas in a pod! Nothing worse than close-minded thinkers.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Our country is a constitutional crisis and
the fool in the Oval Office and his minions are to blame. People fighting for the integrity of our nation are patriots.