If Democrats really cared about gun violence, they would have done something about it when they were running Washington, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) charged Wednesday.
Boehner was responding to a question about whether or not Congress should reconsider barring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from studying gun violence as a health issue, especially since Republicans have repeatedly argued that addressing mental illness is the way to prevent mass shootings.
Boehner said the the topic has not come up in his talks.
"I don’t think there’s been any discussions at this point. It’s not been part of the discussions," he told reporters on Capitol Hill before expressing sympathy for the nine people killed and nine more wounded in last week's massacre in Roseburg, Oregon.
"We’ve seen far too many of these," Boehner said, before putting the onus on Democrats.
"In '09 and '10, we had Democrat majorities in the House and Senate. We had a Democrat president. And this clearly was not a priority for them. The president can rail all he wants," Boehner said, referring to President Barack Obama's angry denunciation last week of Congress' failure to address the issue.
Actually the Democrats HAVE repeatedly attempted to pass new gun legislation in the wake of these horrendous massacres and have been blocked time and time again.
As for Boehner's contention that the Democrats had a filibuster proof majority in '09 and '10 well that is not exactly accurate.
And finally addressing Boehner's comment on mental health, well if he wants to encourage the Republicans to start pouring billions of dollars into the poorly funded mental health programs, that is very welcome news.
However he and his fellow straw man manufacturers should know that it will not prevent a single death from gun violence in this country.
Gun control and/or addressing mental issues aside, there is an bigger underlying problem...
ReplyDeleteThe shootings are not senseless
BY JIM DOWD - OCTOBER 4, 2015
(DailyKos)
The most recent attacker, Christopher Harper-Mercer, follows the strict pattern of highly-aggrieved men trapped in a cultural paradox from which they cannot escape. His and the other attacks like it, congruent down to sporting military-style clothing, are an attempt to call “society” to task for leaving them behind.
To these men, who perceive they are not receiving the level of respect to which they feel deeply entitled, it’s nothing less than a revolution. When you read their posts online they discuss previous attackers like the Dylan Klebold of the Columbine massacre and James Holmes of the Aurora theater shooting and now Harper-Mercer as a martyr, a hero and most disturbingly, a “warrior” for the cause.
These young men, when you read their writings (and they write a lot), are trapped in ideologies insisting on a natural order where the strong dominate the weak.
Overwhelmingly their stunning number of journals, manifestos and posts show them to be captivated by thinkers and leaders like Nietzsche, Rand and Hitler.
Ironically, these typically introverted outsiders fully buy-in to the idea that there should be a ruling class over the “undeserving” in society.
Yet, in each case they have come to realize through a pattern of personal setbacks and failures they themselves are not exactly the Übermenschen ole Friedrich described in Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Additionally, they all suffer from acute paranoia, developing a blind rage at those whom they feel have unfairly usurped the power that is rightfully theirs.
The shooting is simply a release of this cognitive dissonance. It fills the strong need to demonstrate in the context of their ideology they are not the losers, the “others” are.
...And the most effective, cheapest and least blood-soaked way to reduce and remove the motivation for the attacks is to alleviate the fundamental grievance of inequity.
Put simply- we can’t let a generation of young men flounder. Yes, they can be assholes and no we don’t need as much of what young men are traditionally good at anymore- dangerous, dirty and difficult jobs requiring brute strength and a lack of self-concern, but we need young men to grow up into reliable citizens.
And for them to do so there has to be an acceptable pathway, not just a stew of grievances they marinade in until they get their shit together.
Because some won’t and we’ll all end up bearing that cost. And in an increasing number of cases, it will be too much to bear.
---
And they are getting organized. see
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/04/1427765/-The-Shootings-are-not-Senseless
The shootings are not senseless
DeleteRecommended. The article is also posted on Jim Dowd's own blog, http://gloucesterclam.com/2015/10/04/the-shootings-are-not-senseless/
The article cites a paper by Donald G. Dutton, Katherine R. White, and Dan Fogarty, of the University of British Columbia (in Vancouver BC). The paper appeared in Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 18, Issue 5, Pages 548-553. There is a pre-publication version at http://www.researchgate.net/publication/259158350_Paranoid_thinking_in_mass_shooters
Another article referencing this paper is at http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/inside-the-mind-of-a-mass-killer-63517
As bad as Boehner has been, I think that the next Speaker will be even worse. As the old quote goes "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know".
ReplyDeletePoll: Americans Like Kevin McCarthy Even Less Than John Boehner
Deletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2015/10/07/poll-americans-kevin-mccarthy-john-boehner.html
A Tea Party Fascist Will Be Second In Line To the Presidency By Halloween
...If there is any question just how extreme, and how far, both Chaffetz and McCarthy are willing to go to “achieve Republican goals” of decimating the government, especially as “second in the line” to the presidency, their own words should terrify Americans. Some Americans are aware that, like all Republicans, both maniacs want to eviscerate domestic spending on social programs, destroy Social Security and Medicare, “Christianize” America, wipe out the Environmental Protection Agency and hand corporations and Wall Street power over the people, but it is their blatant threats to shut down the government and destroy the full faith and credit of the United States to achieve their goals that is very revealing. Make no mistake, when these maniacs go on television and pledge to conservatives they will have it their way or they will shutter the government and cause a credit default, they are not bluffing.
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/10/07/tea-party-fascist-line-presidency-halloween.html
Well, well, well! Who didn't see this coming? Of course Boner is going to put the blame on Dems b/c EVERYONE and his mother saw that Epic speech. And the new speech is kind of a tard being compared to palins word salad speaker.
ReplyDeleteYep, this was predicable.
And a LIE also,too!
Fuck Boehner and the rest of the other obstructionist Republicans that serve with him in the House.
ReplyDeleteThey are to blame NOT the Democrats! Does he really think we haven't been watching them for the past recent years?
Anonymous3:18 PM
DeleteYes he does!!!
These dodos think fox news is all there is.
Also,too above should be speaker not speech. On Stephanie Miller show they are having pity on him as a possible stroke victim and not the word salad spinner that is lou sarah! But he just blurts out shit, like about BenGhazi being a repub plan to discredit Hillz and get her poll numbers down!
Yes bring back Nancy!!!
Do ya'll know speaker is fourth in line from potus?
A VERY SCARY thought with the ones we have now and one we did have (Boner)
Bring back Nancy Pelosi as speaker please!
ReplyDeleteOh, look who grew a pair after quitting his job! Or should that be who else? Next on Weepy Orange Drunk's agenda, telling President Obama to call the netherlands for advice on dams in the Carolinas.
ReplyDeleteBoehner giving advice cloaked in lies is the only plan b he came up with himself. Go find a rock and crawl under it, mr cheetoes jackass.
John who?
ReplyDeleteThe Nightmare Scenario That John Boehner Fears The Most
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-boehners-nightmare_56157924e4b0fad1591a94c0
Schumer Urges Boehner to Go Big Before Going Home
http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/schumer-urges-boehner-to-go-big-before-going-home/?dcz=
O/T but great news!
ReplyDeleteFederal Court: Anti-Choice Leader Must Hand Over Video Footage to National Abortion Federation
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/10/07/federal-court-anti-choice-leader-must-hand-video-footage-national-abortion-federation/
Pro-Gun Democrat Ignores Bombardment Of Gun Violence Questions In Facebook Q&A
ReplyDeleteMany people asked Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to explain why she voted against a bill to mandate background checks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/heidi-heitkamp-gun-control_5615dba5e4b0082030a12809
The Daily Show Rips ‘Batsh*t Crazy’ Ben Carson for Shooting Remarks
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/tv/the-daily-show-rips-batsht-crazy-ben-carson-for-shooting-remarks/
Matthews Shreds Carson’s Shooting Comments: ‘Anything to Take the Heat Off the Killer’
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/matthews-shreds-carsons-shooting-comments-anything-to-take-the-heat-off-the-killer/
Dem Rep. Tears Into Carson for ‘Callous, Heartless’ Shooting Remarks
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/dem-rep-tears-into-carson-for-callous-heartless-shooting-remarks/
Okay, let's look at this from another angle. If he is so sure the reason there hasn't been any gun control laws passed is because of the Democrats, NOW is the time to strike. FILL his "IN" box with bills for the gun control we really need and then wait to see what he does.
ReplyDeleteHey Fool! Put your money where your mouth is.