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America just witnessed another mass shooting in Buffalo, apparently by a deranged, angry, mentally unstable, racist, and violence-prone young person. He committed the act with a firearm. Senseless violence is always tragic. But what is the real meaning? What – predictably – will the political left say, and what should the real message be?
As if using cue cards, the left is out in the media – not suggesting passion be controlled, hard conversations had, traditions respected, common ground found – but the reverse. As if programmed, the left’s talkers roll out – stop free speech, stop offensive social media, confiscate guns, eclipse the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments.
Having lived through the violent 1960s, then the incredible shift to increased societal cohesion, the rise of economic opportunity, evolving equality, a dramatic uptick in standards of living and downtick in crime across minority communities – punctuated by record-setting employment, income, and wages in all demographic groups under Trump – we seem to be slipping backward.
While mental instability has always existed, recent COVID lockdowns, cultural disruptions, economic stress, and leftist fanning of violence have made things worse. But the answer is not limiting free speech, gun ownership, or individual liberties. It is about the opposite.
Opposite? Yes, the opposite. When America lived the opposite of what the political left was pushing – with rising belligerence – the nation was far healthier. When we openly encouraged sharing our differences, even wildly differing views – we all had a healthy outlet for speaking and being heard. A “release valve” of sorts, exactly as the Founders intended, and the truth usually surfaced.
The effect was salutary when we allowed open, honest, and offensive discussions over moral issues, even encouraged them over backyard fences, in grocery stores, coffee shops, diners, and on campuses. Whether the conversation was easy or intense, quiet or loud, about equality, crime, education, or abortion – the effect was to make the First Amendment real, evolve, and resolve.
This is, of course, the opposite of what the political left is now doing – leaking Supreme Court opinions, violating laws by confronting justices at home, intimidating, threatening violence.
Respect for the First, Second, and other amendments is the opposite of leftist tactics and is more about Marxism, Communism, and anarchism. Riots and storming of holy places mid-service, and openly trying to “burn the Eucharist” putting people in fear. Where do you think that all leads?
The churning seems intended to “spin up” the nation, perhaps to warrant a crackdown on those who do not abide by this sort of thing, who want open discussions and free speech, open differences of faith and free exercise of religion, open carry and self-defense, a “right to keep and bear arms,” a society that honors and promotes due process and equal opportunity, merit and individualism, not victimhood, violence and identity politics, let alone redefining science.
Is that too much to ask? Of the left, which seems to have co-opted Democrats, maybe. But for the rest of America and responsible leaders? No. We still have the Constitution, and most Americans want it honored. They do not want fundamental rights shut off in social media, by elite politicians, by a Justice Department using anti-terror laws against parents at school board meetings, or some federal “disinformation board” to censor what we read, hear and say.
Bottom line: By reference to historical texts, records, and the flow of our nation’s progress, MORE speech, MORE worship, MORE support for self-defense and defense of others, MORE gun ownership, and MORE respect for freedoms produces safer, stronger, more dynamic, productive, less stressed, and more agreeable periods.
Odd? Counterintuitive? Maybe, but true. More speech lets air out of the balloon. Broad respect for faith creates contentment. More guns held by legal owners makes a community safer. More attention to due process, not the opposite, creates more public trust. Just facts.
And more respect for the police does that, too – as well as less demagoguery, less demonizing of national leaders and the other party, less disrespect for patriots and veterans, and less fanning of racism.
The point: When we decide to honor the Bill of Rights, things turn out better; when we stomp on those precious rights, fan anger, things go south. How about we start seeing things as they are and get back to honoring the Bill of Rights. The mentally unstable will always exist, but honoring fundamental rights will cause more Americans to find peace, not fear and anxiety, which will help everyone.
We have a seemingly unique domestic terrorism problem that has no apparent solution. The best we can do is send our “thoughts and prayers” and wait for the next one.
Democrats are nothing, if not completely predictable. The NYC subway shooting a few weeks ago was quickly buried by the media and Democrats, after it was discovered the shooter and victims weren’t the right racial make-up to leverage for a repeat of all the familiar talking points you point out above in your article. The Buffalo shooting, on the other hand, plays right into the old, worn out and inaccurate talking points the Democrats have leveraged for decades to inflame their voter base. Especially when they are having troubles elsewhere, that they want to deflect the public’s attention from.
Both stories had unfortunate victims of seriously mentally ill people, that we should all pray for. Yet only one of these two stories will receive nightly news coverage by the mainstream networks and repeated speeches by self-righteous Democrat politicians for weeks to come. For Democrats, it’s all about never letting a good crisis or tragedy go to waste. It’s always about finding a way to advance the ideological goals of the Party.
Since Democrats generally have no use for either the Constitution or Bill of Rights as currently written, it will be a long wait if you are ever expecting them to honor either foundational document of our republic.
Fascist liberals playing politics again trying to make themselves look good when it IS THEIR FAULT since they pushed and pushed for Defund Police.
Crime is OUT OF CONTROL thanks to FASCIST liberals and DICTATOR Beijing biden.
Democrats blame the gun, blame the “ultra maga”, blame the police, etc. etc. Let’s be honest, for the last 50 years affirmative action and minority offsets have made it more and more difficult for whites to be prosperous. Now BLT, CRT and the woke movement have make the white heterosexual male automatically a racist homophobe, guilty until proven innocent. The cream can no longer rises to the top. I’m retired thank God, if I had to compete on this very unlevel playing field I would be very flustered. I feel sorry for my white grandchildren. I fear we will see more of this type of outrage.
The left are modern jacobins. To imagine they can be brought to the table of reason is folly. They will settle for nothing less than everything while we continue making points and endless diagnoses they plan the next assault on the created order. The R party is so frustrating because it mirrors us. We send people like us to parley with savages and then lament lack of results. But when real warriors stand up many of us are shocked and insist on decorum. As churchill said, ‘you can’t negotiate with a tiger if your head is in his mouth’.
This nut listened to countless DIMMs saying whites are the cause of all problems, all whites are racist, etc. If you tell some people what they are long enough, they will eventually start believing you! Hassle your kid and tell him he’s dumb. lazy, etc. and you’ll probably end up with one! “You reap what you sow.”
Maybe the D can blame it on UFO’s.We have 2 D’s investigation of UFO and neither can lead a horse to water…
Real meaning…there is zero accountability so do as you please…lawyers, judges, the government will give you all the excuses you could ever need, so why not???
I have a radical idea; how about more respect for and adherence to the ten commandments.
I have been a gun owner since the age of 5 and I am over 75, I have thought about this issue for a long time. When I was young you never heard of someone doing mass shootings. Then along came the touchy felly Liberal Judges and the moron’s that thought punishment of criminals was too harsh and between the two groups of idiots and the Marxist, who want to destroy America’s freedoms, we get gun control put on the only group of people in America who have done nothing wrong the law-abiding citizen. The 2nd Amendment is there for a reason and if the left would get a firm grip on their ears and pull briskly, they would understand why our Founders thought it was important enough to place at the top of the Bill of Rights. What if there was a Constitutional Amendment to Abortion that read —- A well-regulated abortion clinic necessary to give anyone who wants one and sell the little tikes body parts and give the Democrats a kickback, The right of the people to get an abortion shall not infringed. — And then we pass 43,000 nationwide that restricts that right so only the elite and the criminals can exercise that right, the left would go ballistic, but that’s what law abiding Gun owners have gone through every day for the last 40 years plus.
If the left really wants to stop mass shooting, they need to appoint me Crime Zar and get the touchy felly Judge’s, DA’s, and all other woke, weasels out of my way and I will fix the problem, in 90 days and not one Law Abiding person will lose any rights and the Criminals will think twice about killing good people.
God Save America!
We all need joy in our lives in these difficult times. Well, nothing brings me more joy than my guns. I love loading them, I love firing them, I love how they look on my custom-made rack in my home office. From time to time I’ve been guilty of “playing hooky” from Sunday service to be first in line at the gun show and pick up a new set of the latest firearms (but I think Jesus would forgive me – I know he believed in personal liberty). Then get together with good friends and good beers and try them out. Feel the weight of the ammunition, hear the satisfying clicks and whirs that these beautiful weapons make. Blow a few holes in old cars or trees or such. I hope I never have to use my guns for self defense, because I wouldn’t want to have any sad or scary association with them. They are just wonderful, delightful parts of my life. Praise Lord.
Gun control = subjugation of the populace. That’s all there is to it!
How can any American taxpayer NOT see the Chinese Communist Party in any or all of this? American representatives and senators have been bought by CCP. How many? We don’t really know for sure. But, look at the ‘policies’ and and how they’ve abandoned their oath of office and responsibility to the American taxpayer. These people and their media acolytes are at the very least Communists. At the most, they are pure evil to have abused the American taxpayer this way.
first off there would be far far less crime if the laws were enforced. but the police do not enforce any laws except speeding.
Second the democrats do not want laws enforce unless they are entrapping a conservative.
finally we need to change all the gun and self defense laws to be much more open. if someone break into your home it should be totally ok to shot them. no questions or arrest now hassles just haul the criminals body away. Same is true with mass shooters. if someone shoots them give the guy a medal.
We are far to easy on criminals.
You can very safely bet there were Marxist Democrat Deep Staters–likely FBI–filling this kid’s head full of lies, hatred, and bigotry, and urging him to commit this horrific crime.
People will not solve the problem by locking up bad people because that will solve the problem, just talk about inanimate objects as though the objects have a mind and control people’s actions.
follow the money. it always leads to the best answers.
We ARE seeing ‘things as they are’.
And they are not good. There is zero in common with the old democrat party, which became Communist by 1970.
Talk up the ‘cooperation’ and niceness all you want. Until these vile and violent thugs are put away and gotten out of our faces, there will be neither.
Social media , violent games and movies , irresponsible parents and our education system are the main factors that promote this violence !
Remember this, the second amendment protects all the other amendments and our constitution!
Does anyone think that Putin would be wreaking havoc in Europe now if the Russian population had a well armed citizenry ?
Good article, but the phrase: “we seem to be slipping backward”? You think? Too many folks don’t seem to understand that a gun doesn’t have a moral conscience. I believe that ALL kids should have a class on gun safety. They wouldn’t have to shoot firearms but should know about gun safety, moral responsibility and the tremendous damage that can happen when used the wrong way. Also, if some parents can’t seem to teach the value of life and right and wrong, what is wrong with the ten commandments displayed in schools with an emphasis on “Thou shall not kill”? Then, and maybe most importantly, we NEED capitol punishment for mass killings. If many of these “deranged” individuals knew that they would be exterminated by committing a heinous act, they might think differently. The socialist left wants outraged citizens to declare guns illegal so they don’t have to do their jobs of upholding the laws we already have. Then, we will be one step closer to full control and the “one world government” of the Joe Bidens.
The liberal (democrats) belief is that it is OK to kill babies up to birth and even after they are born! Just leave them on the table to die if the mother doesn’t want it! They protested outside of supreme justices homes to kill babies. With an ideology as such, is it any wonder that some mental case would chose to shoot up an elementary school. Some liberals are even advocating that a mother can abort the child up to 2 years after the child is born! Liberalism is a mental disease. We need a treatment for. Until we have one it is best not to vote for democrats.