AMERICA IS A GUN
By Brian Bilston, courtesy of my loyal reader Michele Falco
England is a cup of tea.
France, a wheel of ripened Brie.
Greece, a short, squat olive tree.
America is a gun.
Brazil is football on the sand.
Argentina,Maradona’s hand.
Germany, an oompah band.
America is a gun.
Holland is a wooden shoe.
Hungary, a goulash stew.
Australia, a kangaroo.
America is a gun.
Japan is a thermal spring.
Scotland is a highland fling
Oh, better to be anything
Than America as a gun.
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So many times Trump and other Republicans have done and said so many horrific things that I have said “This is it, there is no way the vast majority of Americans cannot repudiate the Republicans." Each time I was wrong.
Trump once said I something like "I could shoot someone in broad daylight on 5th Ave and I would not lose any voters." He turned out to be right.
With respect to gun control, the entire Republican leadership has lined up with the NRA. 19 more children are dead. The devastation to parents, grandparents, family and friends is literally incalculable. The hurt is permanent. It can and will never go away. Marriages will end, families literally destroyed, and these Republican assholes are turning a totally blind eye.
Further, and few talk about this, many were injured. We do not know how badly, but the effects of being shot can often be worse than being killed.
In my view, it is not even human to act this way. Where is our moral compass? I learned once that a compass does not work on the moon so I guess I know where it is.
The Archbishop of San Francisco announced he was denying Speaker Pelosi, a devout Catholic, Communion because of her political position on abortion. Where is this guy now? Communion is denied on an issue involving children still unborn. What about the children who were born and needlessly killed?. Are the manufacturers of automatic weapons, the politician who will do nothing to stop their sale going to be denied Communion?
The hypocrisy is overwhelming and we have become a country I can simply no longer explain. I can understand it and I do not know how to teach my grandchildren or even tell clients what is right or wrong. I can tell them what is legal and illegal, ethical or unethical, but not to take my advice to the bank because I can no longer rely on the fact that others with whom I am dealing share any of my values.
I really feel like I have to take Barbara, whatever part of my family share our values, and a handful of friends and just go off somewhere. Liquidate all we can and just get on a boat and cruise until we die.
Wednesday, broken leg included, we return to a country I no longer know or understand. I have not turned on a television since March 18 and I might not do so for a long time. Lying in bed almost 24 hours a day, having had the time to reflect on these absurdities, has really frightened me. I have to find a way to lift the enormous cloud that has descended on, for lack of a better term, my “macro life”. My personal life is great.
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If you did not listen to basketball coach Steve Kerr’s press conference castigating the Senators who refuse to do anything about guns, listen to its very powerful, articulate words.—-very depressing words
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Read a term in a CNN news flash that struck me——-“democratic atrophy”.
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On my Google page this morning was an article the subject of which is Elon Musk’s takeaway on the Depp/Heard trial. Who in the world cares about Musk’s opinion on a subject that is totally unrelated to him? Maybe he has offered a new Tesla to the winner.
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Trump’s message to the NRA is that it is time to arm our citizenry not disarm them. We need more guns not less. How ass-backwards is that?
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Today is our last brunch of our visit to Florence. It is also the last brunch of the season. Anyone visiting Florence from now until probably mid September will have to look elsewhere.
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The Marlins finally won a game but it took our ace pitcher having to pitch 8 innings to do it.
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Apple paid Tim Cook $770 million last year. in some sense, he earned it. One can argue all day about the reasonableness of paying anyone that much money for anything.
What I want to know and am prepared to criticize, is what Cook did with all these millions. I want to see how much went to charity and to places which would improve the lives of others. Building a $300 million super yacht would incur my ire. Feeding a starving country would not.
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Of course, I have written my “shit list” in pencil, because the leaderboard keeps changing. Matters are further complicated by the fact that it is sometimes hard to figure out who is in a position to do the most damage. I think I need multiple leaderboards. One for Senators, one for Congresspersons, one for Governors and one Miscellaneous because, for example, Trump is no longer in public office. He thinks he is but he is not.
Right now, I am focused on the Governor’s leaderboard where Greg Abbott May have just have pulled into a tie with Ron DeSantis. The more I learn about Abbott, the worse he is.
All the usual names are on the various leaderboards. Cruz and McConnell seem to be pulling away from the pack. McCarthy is still on the top, but many are snipping at his heels.
Still, we cannot forget that Manchin and Sinema are the biggest culprits. The Democrats could not unite. They have been in control and blew it.
The Democrats forgot how to compromise. Selfishness prevailed over common sense. Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered. There are way too many pigs in Washington.
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Go Ukraine
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