As we all know, the gunman used an “AR-style weapon,” the preferred tool of the majority of mass shooters. As they gathered in a rural Pennsylvania field, a bunch of Rethugs experienced gun violence first hand. The shooter was a young white man, a demographic that’s played a major role in fueling mass shootings.
Instead of sending thoughts and prayers, their leaders have sent hate, blame, and vitriol. It’s the Democrat’s fault, Biden’s fault, anybody’s fault but their own. It’s certainly not the NRA or the gun lobby to blame. Or the partisan Supreme Court that has pretty much given legal sanction to mass deaths due to guns. And it’s most definitely not going to be the fault of elected Rethugs, who have rejected one gun control law after another or their supporters who keep voting for them. And if the gunman does turn out to have had mental health issues, it certainly won’t be their dear leader’s fault even though one of his first acts was allow the mentally ill to possess guns.
I was outraged watching the interviews on the news of the rallygoers. Each one acted just stunned that something like this happened to them. It was the classic cri de couer of one who suddenly realized that the leopards had dared to eat their face. They were stunned, shocked, that gun violence had came for them, killed one of their own, and threatened the life of dear leader.
After all, in their minds they were at a peaceful rally where their revered one was about to launch into a tirade about immigrants, CRT, and his usual hits. Perhaps he was about to call out the press as the “enemies of the people” again, or offer to pay the legal bills for his supporters to “rough up” someone. Perhaps he intended to defame a rape victim again, mock a disabled person, or declaim on the evils of the “radical left.” He might have even begun a serious policy discussion about how he intends to finance his deportation camps or ban “abortion tourism.” Who knows. Either way, these people felt they were entitled to listen, chant, and cheer him on in peace and security.
And yet it happened to them. Chickens do come home to roost and leopards do eat faces. So maybe now (but probably not) they might be open to gun control. We’ll see but sadly I doubt it.
We should be able to go about our day with the expectation that we won’t be shot at. We should be safe in our communities. People shouldn’t have weapons of war that rapidly and efficiently kill and harm us. Some of our most sophisticated death technology doesn’t belong in the hands of anyone with enough money to just walk into a store and buy it.
Let’s see if they content themselves with thoughts and prayers, or if it’s too early to introduce gun legislation now since that only politicizes a tragedy. Maybe his followers will heed their leader’s advice and just “get over it” when it comes to gun violence.
However, perhaps the elected Rethugs and their supporters might be open to gun control legislation named in honor of their lord and savior. Maybe Schumer could dust off a filibustered bill, name it after tfg (STOO — Saving the Orange One maybe?), and send it to the Senate floor tomorrow. Strike while the iron’s hot. Let’s see how many Rethugs would have the courage to filibuster a bill to save their own. I think we all know the answer, but it would be interesting to see it anyway.