After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics

[boingboing]

Originally published at: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics | Boing Boing

…

[gracchus]

The officers on the scene, Texas Tribune reporter Zach Despart tells her, knew their gear wouldn’t protect them against an AR-15: ‘They are well aware that these types of rounds, because of their high velocity, will penetrate their normal body armor.’

And yet, once again, ammosexuals will insist that there are legitimate, non-industrial uses that explain why these powerful weapons should be available to American civilians.

Obligatory pre-bunking…

Guns Don’t Kill Americans, Stale Bad Arguments Do

This is a catch-all topic dealing with typical talking points regarding gun control in the U.S. that are regularly brought up on Boing Boing BBS. “‘No Way To Prevent This’, Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” was a running series of articles in The Onion that was a satirical reaction to the regular incidence of mass shootings in the U.S.. It’s obvious to most observers why this keeps happening in America, even with dozens of kindergarten students killed in one horrific incident and l…

[knoxblox]

@gracchus

And yet, once again, ammosexuals will insist that there are legitimate, non-industrial use that explain why these powerful weapons should be available to American civilians.

“Plinking”

[gracchus]

“Varmint control”…hunting…home defense…all BS.

[abutilon]

@boingboing

“Futuro Unidad Hinojosa is the IRE-award-winning investigative and special projects division of the Pulitzer-award-winning organization Futuro Media, led by Maria Hinojosa & Peniley Ramírez. Latina-founded and women-led, Futuro Investigates is on a mission to create a new definition of investigative work in the tradition of the best American journalism. We are doing it by centering humanity along with data and field reporting that holds the powerful accountable and confronts challenges that communities of color face across the Americas.”

Thank you for posting. Looks like a great & inspiring group in a sad time.

[Mangochin]

The good kids of TN have the best response to ammosexual GOP’ers

[BradC]

Dr. Roy Guerrero, Uvalde’s only pediatrician, describes the horror of what he saw in the hospital after the shooting

I often wonder how many of the people who argue against gun restrictions and fight so strongly to prevent these tragedies from causing change would keep those views if they had to actually understand the outcome beyond some arms length count of victims they can pray for.

Having worked and trained in a Pathology department (which includes pediatric cases) I have seen some very traumatic things. Among collegues who see the same and far worse (ER docs, anatomical pathology, ICU etc…), I find people develop a bit of a different perspective. It’s generally harder to get worked up over the small stuff. When you have seen the terrible outcomes of preventable things it tends to make you more dedicated to preventing them.

Would Ted Cruze remain as indifferent and callous if he had to actually see what happens because of his inaction? If he walked through the schools/churches with the first responders would he still be able to face himself?

I don’t know the right answer but damn this recurring pattern of preventable losses in the name of freedom is exhausting.

[knoxblox]

@BradC

Would Ted Cruze remain as indifferent and callous if he had to actually see what happens because of his inaction?

[BradC]

Sigh…

[TornPaperNapkin]

My experience with delusional people and addicts suggests that they may simply correct reality to better fit what suits their wants and needs.

For average people then it should make them more aware of the need for gun regulation.

For people like Ted Cruz though… I doubt it.

[j9c]

@TornPaperNapkin

For people like Ted Cruz though… I doubt it.

Having spoken with a variety of gun owners and 2A types here in central Texas, my guess is that Cruz has a talking-points list that runs, like a bad screensaver on an old Windows95 OS, automated, in the background, relentlessly, joylessly… mechanically.

That internal dialogue-as-list has phrases in it like “personal responsibility” and “nanny state” and “constitutional freedom” and “protect my/your family from ______” etc. Doubtless it has more phrases contained as @gracchus rightly points out in that

Guns Don’t Kill Americans, Stale Bad Arguments Do

This is a catch-all topic dealing with typical talking points regarding gun control in the U.S. that are regularly brought up on Boing Boing BBS. “‘No Way To Prevent This’, Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” was a running series of articles in The Onion that was a satirical reaction to the regular incidence of mass shootings in the U.S.. It’s obvious to most observers why this keeps happening in America, even with dozens of kindergarten students killed in one horrific incident and l…

thread started in April 2022.

The Texas pro-gun arguments are not unique in the U.S. by any stretch.
They are often the most flamboyant, most performative and theatrical, routinely signal-boosted in media, because of the many gun massacres and gun deaths we have here. We are a kind of bellwether in this way. No bueno.

[knoxblox]

@j9c

Having spoken with a variety of gun owners and 2A types here in central Texas, my guess is that Cruz has a talking-points list that runs, like a bad screensaver on an old Windows95 OS, automated, in the background, relentlessly, joylessly… mechanically.

And he still didn’t give a damn about CBP putting kids in cages during the Trump administration.

[TornPaperNapkin]

I still hear people talking about how we need to replace teachers with armed forces.

I think a lot more people are gonna have to die before anyone who matters starts to understand they have voluntarily participated in one of the darkest and most evil atrocities ever unleashed on the people of the US.

[Bunbain]

@BradC

Would Ted Cruze remain as indifferent and callous if he had to actually see what happens because of his inaction? If he walked through the schools/churches with the first responders would he still be able to face himself?

à la this scene perhaps,

Though, Percy never actually changed until after they locked him in the storage closet overnight.