Hey folks, this blog title sounds insulting, but I have no intention of scaring off all three or so folks who follow this stuff. It's nothing more than an attention-getter. That said, do you ever wonder who creates the titles and content for many of the e-mail pleas sent us by the dozens?
An example: You've received e-mails imploring us to sign petitions to protect bees, and other pollinators, from pesticides. Anyone who follows the Neanderthals in the so-called human races, knows that these folks commonly respond to such pleas as, "You only care about the bees (or whales, porpoises, trees, or whatever the e-mail is urging us to save). You don't care about people." These folks don't care much about people (except for themselves), but they have a point.
More than once, I've replied to these e-mails (after signing the petition) that they'd get more traction in their efforts by urging us to think about chemical factory workers, farm workers, farm families, and those who use water that has been poisoned by these chemicals. In other words, talk about real human beings. I've urged them to target their e-mails to those who might find it more important to save people than pollinators. Sure, we must prevent pollinators from dying, but guess how much any pollination will help if many of us die from these chemicals, too? You have it-- damn little.
Here's another point that no one seems interested in making. Back in the mid-1960s, when I was entering my teens, my older, and protective, cousin bought me several annual memberships in the National Rifle Association-- yeah, that same NRA that today more resembles a fascist organization. Actually, it is a fascist organization.
Back then, the NRA was about safe firearms handling, and promoted various degrees of target-shooting, and safe hunting. Now, it has devolved into a racist, anti-environmental herd of bigoted (and stupid) old (and not-so-old) mostly white guys. Want to know who's most responsible? Search the web with "Who hijacked the NRA,? and you'll find the name Harlan Carter, who began his dirty deed in 1977. A common louse named Wayne Lapierre continued to spread Carter's brand of poison, using the oldest tactic in the world--fear--to turn his minions against the thought process.
In the "World According to Wayne LaPierre," accomplishing background checks for potential firearms buyers is the first step toward government confiscation of firearms. Here's where the actual thought process should come in. Under eight years of Bill Clinton, and under eight years of Barack Obama, how many attempts were there to seize private firearms? How about zero? But, according to these fear tactics, "the Democrats are out to take our guns." Never mind, for example, that many Democrats (yours truly, included) own and use firearms. Never mind that anyone who believes what the late and great hunting writer Jack O'Connor would refer to as "applesauce," or "pure moonshine," would also believe that a single parking violation, followed by prompt payment, would get your car seized. If one's skin is black, it could happen, but those white, flag-waving morons who believe that tripe will keep their car until its wheels fall off, and most will keep their firearms if we institute better background checks. School shooting survivors need safety, not those misconceived "thoughts and prayers," and not better CPR techniques. Teachers largely understand that if they are armed, the police will rakishly assume that those with firearms are the perpetrators. It's probably impossible to prevent every school and other mass murder by psychologically unfit folks, but keeping the latter from being able to legally purchase or own firearms, will help plenty. We can also re-institute bans on the kind of weapons which prompted 2008 Democratic Primary Presidential candidate (retired U.S. Army General) Wesley Clark to say that a place exists for those who want to use military weapons. Clark wonderfully referred these wannabes to the Army. Also, fearful and non-thinking Americans give mental health professionals as much credit for their work by as they do climate scientists who correctly point to human activities as the reason for global warming (or climate change; take your pick).
I see none of this kind of response on any of the many e-mails in my box urging me to fight the NRA.
Where do all these self-named "free thinkers" get that they're able to think at all? The only "thinking" they seem to be capable of is what the bozos on Faux News whisper in their tender ears. In other words, they prefer to "think" as long as someone else does it for them. My guess is that most of these folks have/had at least one authoritarian parent. Research on that topic seems to indicate that the best way to cultivate authoritarian and socially-irresponsible children is to become an authoritarian parent. In other words, to rule by fear and dogma. Doesn't work, folks.
Getting the bigots out of the NRA is akin to getting private money out of politics, and nicotine out of tobacco. Those issues, and many others, will quickly be non-issues. How many elected officials could the NRA (or fossil fuel, nuclear, chemical, urban-sprawl house and highway-building industry, etc.) buy off, if they were not allowed to spend their private money on them?
It's all about the thinking (and following the money). I still like what Ben Franklin said long ago: "The way to see by faith, is to shut the eye of reason."
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