Christmas "doorbuster" special at Cabela's

You too can become a mass killer.  For only $524.99 you can be the proud owner of a semiautomatic tactical rifle, with a 16” chrome-moly steel barrel, available with 10 or 30-round magazines.  You know, the kind you use for hunting squirrels.

Worried that they won’t sell you the rifle because you are on the no-fly list.  No problem.  You say you are on the terrorism watch list.  No problem.

Incidentally, go for the 30 round magazines.

If you threw away your paper, I’ll save the circular for you.  It’s in the same Times News with the front page story about the San Bernardino killing.  It’s also the issue with the comment by Jeremy T. Glaush about how determined killers will use other weapons if denied guns, like a lead pipe.  I wonder how many more would have died in San Bernardino had the killers been armed with lead pipes.  Scary to think about.

Mass shootings, every day

In the U.S., on average, a mass shooting occurs every day.  A “mass shooting” is defined as one in which at least four people are injured or killed from gun fire.  According to a front page article in today’s Times, 462 people have died and 1,314 have been injured in mass shootings so far this year.

A spokesman for the group “Everytown for Gun Safety” noted that while 14 people were killed in San Bernardino, probably another 88 people died from gun violence in the U.S. the same day.

We do nothing.  In fact, if you are on the terrorism watch list, you are not restricted from buying guns.  You might not be able to fly, but an AK47 or an Uzi shouldn’t be a problem.

You will know us by the company we keep

The Pennsylvania Republican Party is using Donald Trump for a fundraiser to be held in New York.  This is the man who has made fun of a handicapped reporter.  Who has demonized Muslims.  Who has called for the deportation of 11 million people.  Who knows nothing about foreign policy.  Who has cheated thousands of students who signed up for his “Trump University.”  Who has stiffed hundreds of creditors by declaring serial bankruptcies  

Instead of shunning him, Pennsylvania Republicans see a him as a way to raise funds.  Has Sen. Toomey repudiated this?  Not to my knowledge.  Has Heffley repudiated this?  Not to my knowledge.  This is despicable, but I guess the money they hope to make is too good to turn down.

I cannot remember an American political party sinking this low.

Mainstream Republicans

Tonight I read that many mainstream Republicans are frightened of a Trump-Clinton or a Carson-Clinton matchup, but not for the reason you think.  They aren’t worried that in a matchup like that, Clinton would win.

What they are worried about is that something drastic would happen to her campaign, and she wouldn’t win.  It is good to know that there are still patriotic Republicans out there who care about this country and what might happen to it if one of these ignorant men would win the presidency.

How Democrats might do better

My friend Sue came up with a suggestion to last night’s question about how we can persuade lower income citizens to vote, and to vote Democratic.  

Prepare a brochure with comparisons of the Democratic and Republican positions on a number of important issues.  Keep the language simple. Keep it short.  Print the brochure in color.  Include a number for people to call if they want to register.  Take it door to door and drop it off so you don’t get into long discussions or arguments.

Sue even offered to help prepare the brochure.  I think the idea has promise.  When we finish the text, I’ll post it.

Why Democrats lose elections

I will now quote the first three paragraphs of a front page article entitled “Kentucky, Beacon for Health Law, Becomes a Lab for Its Retreat” by Abby Goodnough that appeared in today’s New York Times.  

Carolyn Bouchard, a diabetic with a slowly healing shoulder fracture, hurried to see her doctor after Matt Bevin was elected governor here this month.

Ms. Bouchard, 60, said she was sick of politics and had not bothered voting.  But she knew enough about Mr. Bevin, a conservative Republican who rails against the Affordable Care Act, to be nervous about the Medicaid coverage she gained under the law last year.

“I thought, ‘Before my insurance changes, I’d better go in,’” she said as she waited at the Family Health Centers, a community clinic here.

In the recent election that brought Mr. Bevin to power, 31% of Kentuckians voted.  Some of the poorest counties supported him.

This is the same phenomena Linda, Edie, Patti, and I encountered when we tried to register people who were living in publicly subsidized housing.  People weren’t interested in voting, saw no reason to vote, and refused to register.  

I have no idea how to break through that kind of thinking.  I also know if we don’t come up with some way to raise the consciousness of people who should be the natural supporters of liberals and progressives, we are doomed to leaders like Ted Cruz or Donald Trump or Jeb Bush.  

Any suggestions?

Trumbo

Bryan Cranston, whom you may remember as the star of “Breaking Bad,” stars in a movie about Dalton Trumbo, a Hollywood screen writer who was one of the blacklisted “Hollywood Ten” in the 1950s.  Trumbo was the screen writer for such films as “Exodus” and “Spartacus.”

We saw the movie tonight at the Pocono Cinema in Stroudsburg.  I would like very much if movies like “Trumbo” came to Mahoning Theater, but they seldom do.  Bruce, the manager at Mahoning, appreciates quality films and books them occasionally, but unfortunately Carbon County does not have great demographics for serious cinema.

If you can get “Trumbo” on Netflix or one of those streaming things, I recommend it.  (I have no idea how to do that, which is why I often drive to movie theaters in Allentown or Stroudsburg.)  

In “Trumbo” you will see how hysteria can lead to all sorts of injustices.  You will also see just how craven John Wayne, Hedda Hopper, and Ronald Reagan really were.  I really recommend this film.  The scenes with John Goodman alone are worth the price of admission.