The NRA is no longer concerned with the rights of gun owners. The NRA has become a money-making machine with main purpose being to pad the wallets of management and pay off politicians. In fact, by showing absolute unwillingness to compromise they are becoming a threat to responsible gun owners. Add in a fringe element - NRA supporters actually threatening children who survived the latest school massacre - and the group is becoming the face of political peril (regardless of your thoughts on firearms most of us realize how disgusting and flat-out chicken it is to threaten these kids. Yet the bigwigs, the millionaires in management at the NRA who have become rich off your dues are strangely silent.) At some point the scales tip, and politicians continuing to accept money from the NRA will be finding themselves un-electable. By continuing to show unwillingness to do the right thing, to become part of the solution, the NRA will devolve into a small, unimportant fringe group of haters. Threatening school kids who managed to avoid being shredded in the latest massacre. Responsible members should demand immediate change - or separate from the organization. The NRA is becoming a very visible reason for more gun control. (I am fully aware none of this will happen. What WILL happen is things will settle down again, we'll all kinda forget, and instead find something else to concern ourselves with. God knows there's enough other stuff to worry about. Then another massacre will happen a bunch more kids shot to pieces. There will be much crying and gnashing of teeth. Again. The NRA will continue its convenient misinterpretation of the Constitution will continue to blame everyone except those responsible and will continue to pull in massive sums of money to buy politicians and shower on management. The circle will keep going round and round. The only winners in this uniquely American tragedy will continue to be the wealthy elite on the top rungs of the NRA.

typically I haven't much cared one way or another.  That so long as you respect my right to not own a gun it doesn't particularly matter to me if you keep weapons.   Sure, every now and then (and more and more often anymore) when some unwell individual goes off it causes me to think.  But mostly the issue of guns hasn't been high on my list of concerns.  
It is getting there.  I think what might have done recently it is watching a man being interviewed on the news this past week.  A father.  Doing his best to speak coherently about his little girl.   His little angel.  Who had recently been shredded while at school in Florida.  Literally cut in half.  And right after that interview was discussion with the head of the NRA, made a millionaire by members dues, blindly raging how, through his convenient interpretation, the Second Amendment of the Constitution give people the right to have the weapons used to dismember children.  

I think I may be starting to care.  All I can figure is its part of getting old because it's happening to me more and more lately.  
That the Second Amendment continues to be misinterpreted to the benefit of those in favor of gun ownership remains one of the biggest stains on our nation. The language of the second amendment is clear, and, to me so is the intent. The Second Amendment provides for armed militias for purpose of protection of the state.  Put another way - as a group we can own weapons to be used for protection of the government.  

No reasonable interpretation allows me to have my very own goddamn machine gun, whether I use it for "hunting" or mowing down school children.  In fact, the Second Amendment doesn't guarantee me the right to own even a water pistol.  Instead, it explicitly allows the government to decide who can bear arms, and when.  It provides for, even requires government regulation of firearms.  

Or, as put by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger:  "The Gun Lobby's interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud - I repeat the word fraud - on the American people by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime.   The actual purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that State armies - the militia - would be maintained for the defense of the State.  The very language of the Second Amendment refutes the argument that it was intended to guarantee every citizen an unfettered right to any weapon."  

For those of you who don't remember Justice Burger - he was considered conservative, very.  He'd have made Stevie Bannon look like a daffodil-toting liberal. Basically he was a redneck's dream. 

Well, except for his annoying tendency to state the truth.  In this case, that you, me neither of us has a constitutional right to own a weapon whether it be firearm or butter knife.

The Second Amendment is clear.   Misinterpretation to the benefit of private gun owners requires massive sums of money and political clout.  Enter the NRA and gun manufacturers, e.g. very wealthy individuals and groups, , padding politicians pockets lest they might actually start enforcing the guiding documents of the United States of America.  Rather than using their positions of power to be part of the solution, rather than seizing on a true opportunity to make things better - they instead continue with their hate-filled rhetoric, pushing self serving and blatantly incorrect legal arguments to the massive benefits of their wallets.    

And in so doing absolutely positively 100% guaranteeing more massacres. 

We all know that.  The only real question is how do we continue rationalizing our part in putting 11 bullets into a nine-year girl whos biggest sin was going to school on an unlucky day.  

from the New York Times, T. Friedman:

"Our democracy is in serious danger.
President Trump is either totally compromised by the Russians or is a towering fool, or both, but either way he has shown himself unwilling or unable to defend America against a Russian campaign to divide and undermine our democracy. That is, either Trump’s real estate empire has taken such large amounts of money from shady oligarchs linked to the Kremlin — so much that they literally own him; or Trump actually believes Russian President Vladimir Putin when he says he is innocent of intervening in our elections — over the explicit findings of Trump’s own C.I.A., N.S.A. and F.B.I. chiefs." 

There's more in the article, including discussion of "Trump’s behavior continues to amount to a refusal to carry out his oath of office — to protect and defend the Constitution." That a newspaper of note would essentially openly accuse a sitting president of treason shows how far our nation has fallen in just over one year. 

The article goes on to state: "In sum, Trump is either hiding something so threatening to himself, or he’s criminally incompetent to be commander in chief. Whatever it is, Trump is either trying so hard to hide it or is so naïve about Russia that he is ready to not only resist mounting a proper defense of our democracy, he’s actually undermining some of our most important institutions, the F.B.I. and Justice Department, to keep his compromised status hidden.
That must not be tolerated. This is code red. The biggest threat to the integrity of our democracy today is in the Oval Office." - NYT, Friedman

Remember, you didn't hear any of this from me. It's all somebody else's fault, anyway.

Donald J. Trump is anti-democracy.  Definitely Un-American.  Those of you continuing to justify support of this trainwreck?  The same.  

When asked if the United States should have a military parade to show off it's might, the President of the time, Dwight Eisenhower responded:  "Absolutely not.  We are the pre-eminent power on Earth.  For us to try to imitate what others are doing would make us appear weak." 

What this in reality is about is spending what must be a truly gargantuan amount of money unnecessarily showing off.  And coincidentally at the same time thousands, millions of our own people - so many of them veterans, are starving and out in the cold. As in - there are better ways to spend the dough. Anyway, the Eisenhower prez thought it unnecessary to have a military parade. What a wuss. Thankfully these days we are not burdened by such......dignity, even simple common sense. Don't know about the rest of you but darnit, I think we all owe a hearty pat-on-the back to our friend and Fuhrer Adolph Trump. Thanks, and Sig Heil for finding still another way to show the world how teensy your dick is. And what a shithole country you've made the place. For me and for now, it's back to watching the Olympics. And while I'm not, you know, absolutely certain - I swear some of the USA team members have names sounding suspiciously oriental. I'm about positive I saw a Negro on our speed skating team. We have at least one Mexican wearing the colors, I know that. Oh, and there was a USA skater being interviewed and unless I'm mistaken he sounded..... effeminate. I think he may even be a homo. Seriously. If we're not careful our Country might start looking like some weird melting pot of cultures and colors and beliefs and whatnot. Yep, we simply MUST get that wall built. They're takin' over.

Just me. Again. Although this is a repeat. For you anti-democracy/anti-America types out there. You know, those people actually still finding a way to justify support of your president. Somehow still smiling and cheering as President Vladimir Trump continues his march to his place in history as the individual who will have done the most damage ever to the United States of America. As you support his attacks on the Judicial and Legislative branches of the government, integral parts of our system that have been so important in protecting our way of life. As you stand and applaud while he converts the Executive branch into a freaking clown show. Blindly following behind him like so many stupid puppies as he walks you off a cliff. Giving him a big "thumb's up!" while he completes his goal of turning this into a true shithole country.
Every one of you, all you anti-democracy types out there closing your eyes tight covering your hears and humming real loud so you don't have to experience the carnage you are helping cause - every one of you deserve what this low-life piece of shit is going to end up doing to you :)

With that, copy and paste re-post:

We should have built the wall long ago. Kept out all them losers from shithole countries. Goddamn Mexicans and Muslims. Canadians. And the freakin' Irish. Who's idea was it to let in those grimy little spud-chuckers? Christ. As it is next thing you know people will be expecting the right to pray to whatever God they believe in, be able to say what they think read what they want move about as they please. Heck, even the colored folk will be demanding to vote.

WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE BIGGEST SHITHOLE COUNTRY ON EARTH. Not due to the fact we all immigrants or descended from immigrants. No, the USA is becoming the biggest shithole country in the world because Comrade/Grand Wizard Donald J. Putin is in charge. 
No other reason necessary.

Every day, jumping from one disaster to the next. Never missing an opportunity to embarrass, damage, endanger or otherwise cause potential harm to every citizen of this country. Every person in the world.

\Worth saying again: your president represents a clear and present danger to this country. Impeach. Invoke. Remove him from office before he brings the whole thing down.

I'll give him one thing - he is persistent. Every day, it becomes ever more apparent your president will never pass up an opportunity to embarrass the United States of America. Never miss a chance to make you, and me, look like the idiots we are for allowing him to be the so-called president.

Surely you must realize by now that, without his daddy's money and influence about the highest this bozo would have risen is part time used car salesman. Or maybe assistant manager at a McDonald's (late night shift only.) Yet somehow you got the thought in your head: "Hey! Let's make him leader of the free world! Yeh.....that's the ticket!"
Excellent work.
And with that, you're welcome. That I made this entry so brief.  Or I suppose you should thank your president, instead. 

He makes this so easy (that if it wasn't for the fact he is such an incredibly dangerous person in such an incredibly powerful position) it really is a waste of time and effort.  

Welcome to the United States of America.  Fast becoming the biggest "shithole country" in the world thanks to a president completely, absolutely lacking even the most basic elements of class.  Utterly devoid of anything resembling dignity.  

The world is laughing at us.  Laughing, nervously.  Your president is the biggest joke going. 
A very big, very dangerous joke.  And we, you and me are the butt of that joke. 
ha ha

Every day, jumping from one disaster to the next.  Never missing an opportunity to embarrass, damage, endanger or otherwise cause potential harm to every citizen of this country.   Of the world.

Worth saying again:  your president represents a clear and present danger to this country.  Impeach.  Invoke.   Remove him from office.

I am increasingly of the opinion he is capable of bringing the whole thing down.  And it will happen with support of that pack of frightened little puppies otherwise known as the Republican controlled Congress - along with the rest of you nodding along like so many empty bobbly head dolls.

This can get worse.  Quickly.  
I think we will just let it happen.
People like me sounding the alarm.  Lots and lots of people like me. 
Nothing is changing.

What is wrong with everyone

We should have built the wall long ago.  Kept out all them losers from shithole countries.  Goddamn Mexicans and Muslims.  Canadians.  And the freakin' Irish.  Never should have let in those grimy little spud-chuckers.  As it is next thing you know people will be expecting the right to pray to whatever God they believe in, be able to say what they think read what they want move about as they please.  Heck, even the colored folk will be demanding to vote.
WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.  THE BIGGEST SHITHOLE COUNTRY ON EARTH.  Not because we are all immigrants or descended from immigrants.  No, the USA is becoming the biggest shithole country in the world because Grand Wizard Donald is president. 
No other reason necessary. 
Every day, jumping from one disaster to the next.  Never missing an opportunity to embarrass, damage, endanger or otherwise cause potential harm to every citizen of this country.   Of the world.

Worth saying again:  your president represents a clear and present danger to this country.  Impeach.  Invoke.   Remove him from office before he brings the whole thing down.