ff1d1l
pfm Member
Very. This and a grassroots kids movement might be what breaks the NRA stranglehold.
America doesn’t learn
- Thread starter lordsummit
- Start date
What it also does is bring the USA 'money for votes' bribery, or 'support for your election opponent' blackmail system into clear focus. AIPAC controls Israel/ME policy the same way. Quite how people think this kind of 'democracy for sale' is superior escapes me. Not saying UK is much better with the biased media induced hysteria.
Ciunas Audio
Trade: Ciunas Audio
Yes, based on that NYT article, it's not so much direct political donations that the NRA use for influence, rather it seems funded campaigns for their selected candidates - ones who support the NRA mindset & widespread public negative scoring of politicians who want gun control
A similar public shaming of those who financially support the NRA should be instigated - use bully tactics against bullies
A similar public shaming of those who financially support the NRA should be instigated - use bully tactics against bullies
Jim Audiomisc
pfm Member
That's likely, although I wonder to what extent it was the drafters worrying about their indivudual states and positions rather than the 'people'. Bear in mind that at the time the 'people' didn't mean everyone. e.g. not those with a black skin or American Natives.
But the reality is that the USA has had standing established forces for a long time now. And as has been said, I doubt a few 'John Waynes' would get very far by force. More likely they'd elect an idiot as president... Oh, hang on!
But even there, they people who produced the consitution also carefully arranged that in political terms doing anything about anything is almost impossible. The way they put together the rules for the President, Senators, Judges, State legislatures, etc, means they almost all have to sing from the same sing-sheet to get anything done - only to find someone else can break it soon after.
That may be why the USA is still stuck with their version of "English blokes all have to keep in practice with a longbow, just in case".
Jim Audiomisc
pfm Member
Alas, the reaction may demonstrate that they agree with Chairman Mao about solving problems via the barrel of a gun! Cold dead hands, etc.
Jim Audiomisc
pfm Member
It is more indirect in the UK. Partly out in the open - as per the newspapers spouting biassed drivel and 'monstering' politicians their owners dislike. Partly via the hidden influencers - special advisors paid for by big business, paying MPs for 'part time work', taking ex-Civil Servants into cushy well-paid jobs once they've done things the companies wanted, etc. as per Private Eye ad naus.
tones
Tones deaf
It's actually completely wrong. The original intention was that the USA would be like Switzerland was to become, a country without a standing army. What the Founding Fathers envisaged as their fighting force was a continuation of the Minutemen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minutemen
armed citizens ready to put down their tools and take up their guns at a minute's notice. However, the USA found that it didn't work - constant conflict with native Americans as the young USA expanded necessitated a standing army. The Minutemen idea gradually morphed into the present-day National Guard.
DonQuixote99
pfm Member
Chairman Mao, like many politicians, was speaking for effect with no regard for accuracy. As leader of a ginormous cult of personality, he knew well that what counted was the *beliefs and loyalty* of the force with guns.
No American was ever born believing that their freedom and happiness depended on owning guns. This idea has been promoted and incultated, on purpose.
Craig B
Re:trophile
That NRA spokesperson is a bonafide sociopath. Apparently, she started arming herself after receiving a threat from a listener to her former CNN radio show (following her commenting that it was ok for American soldiers to urinate on Taliban corpses, after which CNN decided to distance itself from her rantings).
What You Should Know About NRA Spokesperson Dana Loesch
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a18663982/who-is-dana-loesch-nra-spokesperson/
DonQuixote99
pfm Member
The NRA demonstrates a new political category, the 'useful sociopath.'
sean99
pfm Member
Good article here by a teacher and former marine
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/24/opinion/sunday/marine-gun-classroom.html
"Suddenly, there was a loud bang outside. Everyone froze, until we realized it was a campus utility truck backing up to a loading dock. Then the students relaxed again.
But I spent the next few minutes before class thinking about whether the windows opened fully and would enable 20 kids to escape an active shooter. I checked: They did not open at all. I noticed to my dismay that the door to the classroom opened out, not in, which thwarted my plan to throw my heavy table up against the door in case a shooter blasted his way down the hall. Even after class began, I found myself fantasizing about inventing a bulletproof Kevlar curtain that I could have at the ready to affix to the door frame if the need arose.
Here is something I didn’t think about: I did not think about arming myself to protect my students."
Arming teachers is insane. Planning how to allow students to shelter or escape while impeding the progress of the shooter, and banning the sale of high power automatic and semi automatic weapons is the obvious solution.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/24/opinion/sunday/marine-gun-classroom.html
"Suddenly, there was a loud bang outside. Everyone froze, until we realized it was a campus utility truck backing up to a loading dock. Then the students relaxed again.
But I spent the next few minutes before class thinking about whether the windows opened fully and would enable 20 kids to escape an active shooter. I checked: They did not open at all. I noticed to my dismay that the door to the classroom opened out, not in, which thwarted my plan to throw my heavy table up against the door in case a shooter blasted his way down the hall. Even after class began, I found myself fantasizing about inventing a bulletproof Kevlar curtain that I could have at the ready to affix to the door frame if the need arose.
Here is something I didn’t think about: I did not think about arming myself to protect my students."
Arming teachers is insane. Planning how to allow students to shelter or escape while impeding the progress of the shooter, and banning the sale of high power automatic and semi automatic weapons is the obvious solution.
droodzilla
pfm Member
Another terrific speech from a student in favour of sensible gun controls:
I like the way she uses the psychopath NRA spokeswoman's words ("we're coming for you") against the NRA.
What a contrast to the narcissistic dumbo in the White House.
I like the way she uses the psychopath NRA spokeswoman's words ("we're coming for you") against the NRA.
What a contrast to the narcissistic dumbo in the White House.
Ah, thanks Tones, didn't know that.
Buntobox
pfm Member
She's great. Intelligent, eloquent and driven. People like her can change the world. A group of people, in this case, the youth of America, deciding en masse that this time, enough is enough. If I were among the entitled white sociopaths of the NRA, I'd be scared because this time, a critical mass has been reached. Change is coming whether they like it or not and those demanding it cannot be bought.
