Very random and quick smattering of thoughts

It's all in the user. Facebook can sometimes NOT be a waste of time and a brain sucker. Like today. I saw a post about the Girl Scouts. It was an attack ad by a neo-republican. The crazy psycho tea party kind that we can't get away from as of late. It was accusing the Girl Scouts of wonderful things. Well, things that they thought were heinous, but that I see as essential and inherently good. Such as, inclusion of those whom society deems as "freaks" and educating girls about their bodies and their rights. Anyway, it made me want to read my daughter's Girl Scout book, and when I did, the tears came tumbling down. It was thoroughly, intrinsically, and organically beautiful. A sublime surprise. Wondrous, really.

I think we are reaching that critical mass, finally. Where all this badness explodes and the shapes formed by the fallen debris somehow end up surprisingly friendly - easily approached and repurposed - willingly - into something new, yet already wise: A recycling of our humanity of sorts. I hope I hope I hope. I read somewhere that our nihilistic age of strict rationalism is ending and a re-enchantment of our world has begun. One can only hope, right? 

But one can also contribute. 

Death By US Corporations in Bangladesh

The triangle shirtwaist factory fire, et. al. was supposed to have changed things forever. We, as a society, were supposed to have learned some really hard lessons and changed. Apparently not. America, we have triangle shirtwaist factories all over the world. Do we think it doesn't count as long as it's far, far away? As long as we can buy our precious shirts and our other crap dirt cheap? Well that makes each of us a robber baron, now - doesn't it? Robber barons exploiting worker's lives to keep more money for ourselves - no matter what the dire consequences may be. 

LIFE ISN'T CHEAP, my friends. LIFE can not be bought, nor brought back, at any price. And for that matter, neither can one's soul. 

Shame on Benetton. Shame on Dress Barn. Shame on Joe Fresh, and Shame on The Children's Place. 

Our society may be morally bankrupt, but the universe itself is not. Goodness is still in abundant supply: We must learn to embrace it again. When we do, we'll have finally found our footing, and from there - we will rise up. 

America is meant for better, people. Heads out of the sand! Don't vote-in proponents of predatory business practices. Don't buy what's wrought through exploited lives and sweat. 

The sad fact is that what we accept for others we slowly pull down upon our heads. Now our salaries haven't grown and our benefits have been cut and our working conditions and quality of life have eroded. Leisure time barely exists. Sadly, this may be karma people. I see a tailfeather waddle. I hear a quack quack quacking. Pleased to meet you, Karma. What the duck. 

Overrun

Well, I know no one reads this blog, and that's fine with me, but I'm happy to have a place to write - especially on days in weeks like this - nonetheless. Does that make sense to anyone but me? I wonder.

I feel such utter confusion and the deepest sense of sadness about what has happened to this country in the last 20 years. I don't know if it can be rectified. But, I'm not willing to give up. This is my freaking country goddamn-it. Mine, and yours too. It does not belong to those corrupted senators, nor does it belong to the NRA. But how, HOW do we wrest it back out of their dirty, bloody, smelly-like-money hands? If it can't be done by a hero like Carolyn McCarthy, who did everything right - tirelessly - then who the hell can it be done by? I know that the answer is in numbers, but I just don't think that anyone cares enough anymore. Sure, we'll gather in a figurative sense and re post something on Facebook - or maybe even change our profile picture when asked or influenced to by our peers - but will any significant-enough number of people be willing to do more than touch a screen? 

I was thinking about what a hero Rep. McCarthy is. I've said this many times, but over time the meaning deepens. In the face of this last pathetic legislative debacle, I am utterly in AWE that she has not thrown in the towel after 17 years or so. The patience, the perseverance, the humility, the dedication - it must come from something greater than plain old human "will." It must be love. She must rely on the memory of her husband and the strength of her love for her son in order to do what she does. To me, that is a stunning portrait of humanity. To not give up hope in this utterly disenchanting world, to remain true to your promise to those you love - no matter what: That is beauty.

I then wondered where Colin Ferguson got his gun. Was it at a gun show? Off the black market? was it stolen?
No.
It was purchased legally at a store in California. After a 15 day waiting period. Despite his history of mental instability. Despite records of his arrest in NYC. And despite being placed on a list of dangerous people by the NY State Workers Compensation board.

Because this happened before the government took bipartisan legislative action that resulted in national uniform gun licensing system that included background checks.

Which meant that no one like Colin Ferguson could ever just walk into a store and buy a gun again.

Unless, of course, he went to a gun show. It's like Christmas every day for criminals like him - when they make the gun show rounds.

So why - WHY were we able to work such wonders of legislative success then - and not now? It wasn't that long ago. It was passed the same year I graduated high school. I'm 36 now. That legislation even included an assault weapons ban. Unthinkable today. Apparently.

Witness the way things used to work. Notice the balance of representation from both major political parties. This is Wikipedia's description of the "reaction" to the LIRR shooting:

President Bill Clinton took notice of the Ferguson shooting, calling it a "terrible human tragedy".^[18] The day after the shooting, Clinton announced he asked Attorney General Janet Reno to review a proposal by New York City Mayor-elect Rudy Giuliani that would set up a national uniform licensing system for gun buyers. Clinton cited the Ferguson murders as a factor in his support of the program, which would include background checks, tests and required renewals every two years.^[18] About one week after the shooting, Clinton visited with O'Connor, Blum and McEntee.^[19] During his first major speech since his election as mayor, Giuliani cited the Ferguson murders while he repeated his previous calls for the death penalty and a uniform gun licensing law.^[20] During his monthly radio call-in show, Governor Mario Cuomo called the Ferguson shootings "a dramatic, spectacular slaughter",^[12] and called for stronger gun control measures.^[8] U.S. Senator Al D'Amato said the Ferguson case demonstrated the need for capital punishment in New York because "that is the only fitting punishment for this cold-blooded killer"

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Ferguson_%28mass_murderer%29#cite_note-Barron1209-12)

So, who stole America, people?

And in our age of information, why is this a mystery?

Why are Lobbyists, PACs, the NRA, and the power of their money so completely OUT OF CONTROL?

If we can't pass anything that mentions the word "gun," well then....

Can we outlaw the NRA like we did the KKK?

Or is allowing brutal murder after murder okay...
as long as they pay our senators well?
as long as it is generalized, rather than genocidal?
Or as long as they only victimize those pesky kids?

It's probably that last one, since apparently - kids don't even deserve parents anymore. That's why there's no more middle class salaries to be had. One working class salary per parent - for those who don't want to live in hell but aren't rich. Child rearing is a thing of the past - there's an app for that, I'm sure. A smartphone and an X Box is all you need - no moral teaching or behavioral modification necessary.

If you disagree with that last statement -
If you give a half of a crap about your kid(s) -
If you have an inkling of some kind of love for freedom or for your country left in that jaded heart of yours, then...

DO
SOMETHING
NOW.

I'm going to look into what it takes to run for senator - not what it takes to win - we all know that is $$$$. But what it officially takes to run, and how many people can run in one election, how many signatures necessary if any, and what-not.

When I find the answers, I'll let you know. And then I'll encourage everyone in a state with one of these moneyed NRA senator-traitors - to run and run and run. Or if carpet-bagging is plausible...hmm....

Flood the ticket if possible. If not we'll figure something else out. But something must be done.

I'm not talking about liking a post of a certain color ribbon. I'm not talking about adopting a symbol as your Facebook profile pic. I'm talking about doing something that has meaning. Or else, God help us all.

TBC

-beth