TRUMP'S GUN - Twang Goes the Magic Google Finger

“The right of a nation to kill a tyrant in case of necessity can no more be doubted than to hang a robber, or kill a flea.” ― John Adams

One of the most striking images of this administration and Trump's election for me was Trump aiming a pretend gun through the TV at Americans.

I googled 'images TRUMP TARGET' in honor of Trump and his crowds calling for the death of Hillary Clinton. Remember Palin's targets on the faces of Dem politicians?

Maybe Trumpolini should have read the Bible as well as Mein Kampf. As He sowed, so he reaps. Do not come after me, NSA. I am a scholar. This is what I found with a random sampling. I entitle this photoshop art on the left below 
What me worry?

If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed. - Benjamin Franklin

"Apology for Printers" (1730); later in Benjamin Franklin's Autobiographical Writings (1945) edited by Carl Van Dore

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." - George Washington

An article entitled Voices from Donald Trump's Rallies, Uncensored is Worth Reading. You can hear the crowd call for Hillary's death. Hillary won the popular vote. 

I got thrown off twitter for quoting John Adams, specifically the quote with which I began this bitty photo essay. And I said that I am praying for a patriotic Armed Forces Sniper Team. Took about a week for twitter to deep-six me. Trump still had his twitter at the moment. And Trump was actually, and has been killing Americans. Non, je ne regette rien. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. 

The NRA's Two Second Amendment Lies

J Nagarya:

The NRA's Two Second Amendment Lies

The gun industry political front NRA tells two lies about the intent of the Second Amendment.  

1.  That the Second Amendment protects an "individual" "right" to possess guns.  

Comparison with the several prior Supreme Court decisions, and the legislative history -- the Congress' Debates of the writing of the Amendment, which are LEGAL AUTHORITY -- shows that Scalia's "Heller" decision is an outlier.  In "Heller" he falsely held that the Amendment protects an individual right -- for which he was excoriated by legal experts across the political spectrum for ignoring this adjudicatory standard:

When a conflict over the interpretation of a law cannot be resolved within the text of the law, one reverts to the legislative history of the law -- in this instance Congress' Debates of the writing of the Amendment.  

The facts from those Debates:

The subject of the Amendment is well regulated Militia, and its purpose to establish a National Defense, relying on that Militia.  The Militia is not an individual, and is a public institution, regulated under both Federal and state constitutions and laws; thus the Amendment is irrelevant to the issue of private, individual gun ownership:

James Madison is called "the father of the Constitution," and the gun industry/NRA claims that Madison wrote the Second Amendment.  If both of those are facts, then the word "people" is consistent in meaning from beginning of the Constitution to the end of the first 10 Amendments.  The first three words of the Constitution are "We the people," not, "We the individual".

This is the first draft of that which became the Second Amendment, which the gun industry/NRA calls the "Madison" Amendment -- but which it never quotes.  [Here I clarify it for the logic-impaired]:

"The right of the people [PLURAL] to keep and bear arms [this phrase is the well-regulated Militia, and was drawn from four state constitution Militia Clauses] shall not be infringed; a well armed, and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person [INDIVIDUAL] religiously scrupulous of [AGAINST] bearing arms [in well-regulated Militia] shall be compelled [INVOLUNTARY] to render military service [in well-regulated Militia] in person." 

Source: Creating the Bill of Rights: The Documentary Record from the First Federal Congress (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, Paperback, 1991), Edited by Helen E Veit, et al., at 12.  (This volume is readily available from Amazon.)

Note the word "compelled": Militia service was a DUTY -- not a "right".  And note the words "people" and "person": if a person -- individual -- claimed "religious" exemption from that DUTY, his case was scrutinized individually. 

The only "individual" "right" Congress debated was that last clause -- "but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service" -- and it was obviously dropped from the proposed Amendment before it was ratified.  Thus the Second Amendment obviously does not protect "individual" ANYTHING. 

Only by ignoring the legislative history -- Congress' Debates of the writing of the Amendment, which are LEGAL AUTHORITY -- could Scalia falsely hold that the Amendment protects an "individual" "right".

2.  That the purpose of the Amendment was to establish a "right" to "take up arms" against the gov't -- which is refuted by the Constitution itself:

Art. I., S. 8., C. 15. The Congress shall have Power To provide for calling forth the Militia to . . . SUPPRESS INSURRECTIONS.

The Founders themselves twice established the precedent on the point:

Under the Articles of Confederation, "Shays's" rebellion was suppressed by the state's legitimate well-regulated Militia, and the rebels charged with, tried for, and convicted of, TREASON, and sentenced to death.

And under the Constitution, AFTER the Second Amendment was ratified, the "Whiskey" rebellion was suppressed by Federalized Militia, lead by George Washington, and the rebels charged with, tried for, and convicted of, TREASON, and sentenced to death.

The Congress, as a co-equal branch of gov't, has the authority and power to overturn Supreme Court decisions.

Overturn "Heller".

PLEASE CIRCULATE INTACT.

        Posted at 8:13 5/19/2022 - I pay for this publishing service monthly. Disqus where are you? It is now 8:47.

Gun Factoid

Injury is the leading cause of death for persons aged 1-44 years in the United States. More than half (55%) of all injury-related deaths are caused by motor vehicles and firearms.. Although the number of deaths from motor-vehicle crashes has exceeded those from firearms, since 1968, differences in the number of deaths have declined: from 1968 through 1991, motor-vehicle- related deaths decreased by 21% (from 54,862 to 43,536) while firearm-related deaths increased by 60% (from 23,875 to 38,317).

Based on these trends, by the year 2003, the number of firearm-related deaths will surpass the number of motor-vehicle crashes, and firearms will become the leading cause of injury-related death. This report compares trends and patterns of deaths resulting from firearm- and motor-vehicle- related injuries in the United States from 1968 through 1991. - CDC

I have written a lot about guns and other weapons here over the years. My attitude progressed from earnestness through despair through insult to cheering for all the penis woundings in editorial tone.

Ultimately, I am tired down to the ground of all the dead toddlers. Not the famous school shooting toddlers. Every day toddlers. Every week I read about another child death from guns. Now, we have 11 year olds shooting 8 year olds over a puppy. A toddler killed its Mother. I am so tired of grieving. Our toddlers are dangerous now. And so it goes.

I read the above from the CDC and the light came upon me. I am not going to argue on right wing ground with ammosexuals. See example of such below. We do not need to take away guns by force from whackjobs. I think my plan could work. Talk me down?

Pat PlumDumpling • Like I said, you completely ignore Logic. Just because you don't like or want guns does not mean you have any say in my rights to own one. Want to confiscate them?, I would say you might get some if you start in someplace like CA, but guess what?, you will be starting a very bloody 2nd civil war, not to mention how many of the idiots going door to door would not make it past the first block. And again with the stupidity in thinking that this will do anything to help gun violence, when you are not addressing the problem, that the criminals (the group that commits the vast majority of gun violence) will not be following any of your new laws. Also, any form of registration, or mandate on legal gun owners will not work because at that point you are infringing on our rights, and unless you can get the 2A and 4A removed you are just another blathering Anti-gunner.

I say: A gun should be like a car. Registered, licensed and insured. Each and every gun. With the same penalties if you violate the rules. Department of Motor Vehicles for Ammosexuals. BAM!

One of the nicest things about not owning a car is not having to stand in line to pay fees and fines at DMV.

Bill Allyn's Justice Reform List

Click Me!

Published again for obvious reasons.

I found this excellent essay about law enforcement on Crooks and Liars. It was just hanging out in the comments. The author, Bill Allyn, has posted it on a number of online sites. I hope I can help his comments go viral by publishing them here. I think he covers all the bases. Bill Allyn approves this message. 

Justice System Reform List

America has a serious, institutionalized, systemic law enforcement problem. Over the last 4 decades, our law enforcement has become increasingly militarized, putting every citizen at risk of being shot and killed for nothing more than reaching for their wallet, as instructed, or less. This may increase safety for police officers (debatable, in the long run), but at the expense of making American citizens far less safe, which is the exact opposite of the goals of law enforcement. We need to create systems that bring back accountability within every level of the justice system.

Nationally, we need to:

1. Create citizen oversight committees with powers of subpoena and prosecutorial discretion for every law enforcement agency in the country. A special independent prosecutor must be assigned immediately for officer-involved shootings. Committee members should be randomly selected and replaced often, like grand jurors, to avoid corruption.

2. Require law enforcement officers to be personally insured to protect taxpayers from lawsuits. Too risky for insurance? No insurance, no badge. Insurance could be partially publicly subsidized.

3. Require every law enforcement officer to wear a camera. No camera, no gun. Also, implement GPS tracking on all police cars and cameras.

4. Require yearly psyche tests to screen out potentially abusive officers.

5. Require random drug and steroid tests.

6. All police agencies must keep a database of every officer-caused civilian injury, shooting or killing, and that data must be periodically transmitted to a third-party, non-biased national database.

7. Any officer involved in a shooting must be alcohol and drug tested immediately.

8. Officers should be made aware of studies on abuse of power, such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures. Ensure there are clear policies on use of force.

9. More training to deal with mentally ill, or a mental illness crisis unit. More training and encouragement to use peacemaking, conflict resolution, and de-escalation skills. Increase educational requirements, focusing on psychology, sociology, and social work.

10. Create a special number (third party, independent of police) to report police brutality. Victims of police brutality and the families of police shootings should immediately be appointed an attorney to represent their position/case.

11. Create national database of abusive officers, so they don’t just get hired elsewhere.

12. Reverse militarization of police forces. Take away military weapons, APC's, uniforms, and especially the attitude. Police officers are civilians, not a branch of the military. Require at least 5 years between active duty military and civilian police employment. Keep SWAT/military weapons and equipment under lock and key only to be used in genuine emergencies. Quit viewing the community you police as a “war zone”.

13. Prohibit television shows that glorify bad, illegal, or unconstitutional policing, such as “Cops”. Glorifying these behaviors creates a dangerous situation for American citizens and should not be tolerated.

14. Increase community outreach. Hire officers from the community. Officers need to be more in touch with the people they are sworn to protect.

15. End no-knock raids. It is perfectly legal for a home owner to respond to a break in with gun in hand, which gets them killed when the police are the intruders. This makes it unreasonably dangerous on citizens, especially when cops often go to the wrong address.

16. Reform forfeiture laws to protect citizens’ property rights and due process. No forfeiture proceedings until after conviction. All forfeiture proceeds go directly to the victims of police brutality and the families of police shootings.

17. End drug prohibition/war on drugs. Use harm reduction strategies.

18. End private prison industry.

19. Create a national organization dedicated to these ideals.

Ballad of the Sunday Gunny

Gun fired during Mass
By William Kibler, The Altoona Mirror

A legally carried handgun discharged in the pocket of an attendee at Easter vigil Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday evening. A critical piece of the handgun apparently caught on the man's pants as he stood up, according to Altoona police officer Christy Heck. The safety apparently was not engaged, she said.

Print by Jared Aubel.  Find out more HERE. There are other versions of this fine Print. 

Ballad of the Sunday Gunny by Lance Thruster

Well, I don't care if it rains or freezes,

long as I can do trigger squeezes,
sittin' in church, packin' in my pants.
Comes in colors, blued or silver.

My good book don't try to pilfer.
I'll mow you down if you so much as glance.

Get yourself a Great Equalizer.

Your congregation won't be any wiser,
A manly grip of abalone shell.
10 round mag, now ain't that scary, 

right in front of the Virgin Mary,
I will send your sorry ass to Hell.

Gun goes off, now ain't that somethin'.

Folks'll think that I'm a bumpkin.

I almost shot my nuts clean through.
Make sure you're safe on Easter Sunday, 

and not some boob laughed at on Monday
just because you put a bullet in the pew.

Where is Benjamin Franklin when you need to talk to him? - UPDATE

I wrote this in 2017. Now this article from Wapo gives more substance to my alarm:

The U.S. says humans will always be in control of AI weapons. But the age of autonomous war is already here.

The Pentagon says a ban on AI weapons isn’t necessary. But missiles, guns and drones that think for themselves are already killing people in combat, and have been for years.\

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. - Benjamin Franklin 

Congress is not at all interested in what the American people want. And they have no plans to give us anything we want. That becomes more obvious by the day and the event. 

And the government (yours and mine) is working on robot soldiers to kill a lot of us when:

Scott Olsen - Getty Images

1. climate change produces riots because of famine and liack of potable water everywhere or 
2. there is an "American Spring." Mass civil rights demonstrations and food riots are so messy. 

Governments are planning to kill you and me only if necessary, of course. And they have the machines to do us now in great numbers. Right now. And they are working on improving them. And they have secret courts.

So stop with the "lizard people" and "they coming to take our guns, RickyBoy" conspiracy theories and wake up. Just because you are paranoid does not mean no one is following you. Wake the fuck up, World. We all have a big problem. A problem not amenable to retaliatory force. And we cannot solve it if we do not help each other.


UPDATE: Nobody read this much. Most folks probably dismissed my concern because they think I am a crackpot.

I am a crackpot. So the only argument I can extend is continuing to provide information. Talk me down. I am scared.

Progress on developing armed robot soldiers is continuing. As this article from WIRED asserts. I do not know what Franklin's concept of "well-armed" could be when we are confronted with such golems.

Killer Robots With Automatic Rifles Could Be on the Battlefield in 5 Years

• BY ALLEN MCDUFFEE
 

“They’re not just tools, but members of the squad. That’s the goal,” Lt. Col. Willie Smith, chief of Unmanned Ground Vehicles at Fort Benning told Computerworld. “A robot becoming a member of the squad, we see that as a matter of training.”

Darpa Robotics Challenge

UPDATE 2: 

Military Researchers Develop Corpse-Eating Robots

• BY JOHN SCOTT LEWINSKI  
 

From the file marked “Evidently, many scientists have never seen even one scary sci-fi movie”: The Defense Department is funding research into battlefield robots that power themselves by eating human corpses. What could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE 3:
If the Atlantic is writing about robots, robot weaponry and other golems, I guess I am not crazy paranoid after all.

If the Robots Kill Us, It's Because It's Their Job

Don't kill us, guys.

PATRICK TUCKER

UPDATE 4:
Is this a mosquito? 

No. It's an insect spy drone for urban areas, already in production, funded by the US Government. It can be remotely controlled and is equipped with a camera and a microphone. It can land on you, and it may have the potential to take a DNA sample or leave RFID tracking nanotechnology on your skin. It can fly through an open window, or it can attach to your clothing until you take it in your home. 

Read more At http://www.snopes.com/photos/technology/insectdrone.asp#pQ6D2qlAHs9yrW0o.99

The Penis and the Gun or This is for Fighting and This is for Fun

There are a number of websites that are tracking accidental gun wounding and gun death. You can read a new gun death or wounding story every day in America. I was in a constant state of upset. Toddlers dying and/or shooting their Mother or their little brother. Just unbearable. And then I switched. 

The whole American gun debacle is so ugly, ridiculous, and constant that all I can do now is laugh. Do you think maybe God has a sense of humor? A truly black sense of humor? I mean, what would you find funny if you were God? I think "BANG - right in the penis!"

Gun enthusiasts shoot themselves in the dick regularly. Oh the schadenfreude - it is delicious. "His girlfriend's little pink pistol" got him right in his little pink pistol.

I asked myself, "Self, could something funnier than some guy shooting himself in the dick exist?" How low can God go? Oh me of little faith. How about shooting your Mother in church? Lord, have mercy. Have mercy, God, on a suffering people. God say "Be calm. Breathe. Free will."

First come the dick shootings and then come the Mama fraggings in that order. I had to stop there were so many. Incoming!

Yakima Herald, Washington - WENATCHEE — Authorities say Martin Eugene Hoyer was on the second day of a methamphetamine binge when he decided to kick in a neighbor’s door to rescue her from hallucinatory “Mexicans.” When he did so, the handgun in his waistband discharged, sending a bullet through his lower abdomen and into his scrotum, police said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Police in Portland say a man suspected of shooting a neighbor shot himself in the groin while trying to leave the scene of the crime.
LEHIGH ACRES, FL - A 23-year-old man was taken to the hospital with multiple burn wounds after he accidentally shot himself in the genitals with a flare gun, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Man accidentally shoots himself in groin at Alaska State Fair by Tegan Hanlon
A man in Macon Georgia shot himself in the penis on Thursday, according to WMAZ Channel 13.
CHANDLER, Ariz. – Police are preaching firearms safety after a Chandler man accidentally shot himself in the penis with his girlfriend's little pink pistol.
Police in the town of Rio Claro received a call around 8:00 a.m. on Sunday from witnesses who had heard a shot coming from a parked car. The responding officers found a driver slumped at the wheel bleeding from his... private parts.\
Argus Leader Donald Anthony Watson was admitted to the Avera McKennan emergency room about 1:30 a.m. Sept. 6 for a gunshot wound to his penis, according to an arrest affidavit. When questioned by police, the 43-year-old said he was shot by “a black guy (who) tried to rob” him while he was taking out the trash at his apartment.

 Last but not least, the mama woundings. I had to stop. I am a Mama. 

Sheriff's deputy unintentionally shoots mother during wedding ceremony
Cory Golightly is a sheriff's deputy in the McCracken County Sheriff's Department in Kentucky. He was off-duty, attending a wedding with his mother at the Bardwell Baptist Church in Carlisle County when he dropped his gun.
According to witnesses, Golightly was adjusting his jacket and the gun and holster fell out. The gun discharged when it hit the floor. The bullet hit his Mother. Golightly's mother was taken to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition. The pianist at the wedding said Golightly was very composed throughout the incident. "He said, 'Mom, breathe and be calm. Be calm," he said. Golightly has been placed on paid leave while the incident is investigated. His name is Corry Golightly. 

Mississippi woman was severely injured on Tuesday after her son accidentally shot her in the face. WDAM reported that Richard Lawrence told officers he was sitting in his truck showing his mother his new .38 caliber pistol when the gun mistakenly discharged, shooting the woman in the face.

Seems right to publish this unfinished article by Bede : Return of the Big Guns

When the Skatalites reformed in the mid-1980s, they released an incredible album, Return of the Big Guns, which -- for the first time -- gave those of us who never saw them when they were in the process of helping create modern Jamaican music, a chance to hear in high-fidelity what they must've sounded like from the bandstand:

Hey Rube !!

Graphic by Favianna Rodriguez.

Hey, Rube!" is a slang phrase most commonly used in the United States by circus and traveling carnival workers ("carnies"), with origins in the middle 19th century. It is a rallying call, or a cry for help, used by carnies in a fight with outsiders.

Know your local Nazi. It is not who you think it is. You want to read the Chicago Riot Study. Why?

We need a nuanced understanding of “who” stormed the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021 in order to know who we are dealing with and create viable solutions for the future. Accordingly, CPOST has conducted a systematic analysis of the complete set of individuals arrested by the FBI and Washington DC police for offenses related to the storming of the US Capitol, numbering 235 as of January 28 2021, and expected to grow...

One primary driver stands out across the three separate studies, all with different methodologies: Fear of the ‘great replacement’, the belief that the rights of minorities will overtake that of whites. This holds even when controlling for a wide variety of factors.

This report is site specific where Capitol Insurrectionists originated by County. I will get back if Pennsylvania is one of the super insurrectionist States. The format of the Chicago Riot Study is user friendly. It takes some time to absorb all the information. The conclusion of the Social Scientists is that we are in big trouble. Big trouble. Hey Rube!

The information below comes from a comment at the Washington Post. I wonder how it relates if at all to the Study.

The "Top-10" Moocher States

Federal Revenue sent to these States for EACH DOLLAR the Treasury collects from them.
Mississippi - $2.02 Tennessee - $1.92
Alaska - $1.84 Oklahoma - $1.80
Louisiana - $1.78 West Virginia - $1.76
North Dakota - $1.68 Alabama - $1.66
South Dakota - $1.53 Kentucky - $1.51                    #BeBreast

At least I know there is something wrong with me.

Why do zealots have such difficulty with the concepts Armed Liberal, Pro Choice Mother, and Peaceful Nonviolent Demonstration? Anybody else notice that deficiency?

This is what passes for a right wing intellectual. Poor guy looks like Trotsky. Trotsky was assassinated. Seriously.

Dave Granlund is the Editorial Cartoonist.

Matthew Vadum‏@vadum

Note to MoveOn anti-free speech thugs: Our side has guns, tens of millions of them. Behave yourselves. #tcot

"Something Bizarre Happened" - Republicans once passed Gun Legislation

Karma by Rik Oostenbroek

Time to republish this given the new mass shooting. This is a link to a database of mass shootings. I am afraid to go to the Mall.

NOTE: I do not let Democrats off the hook here. Get off your dupas, you cowards. I wrote this in 2014.

Owning a gun must be like owning a car. We must register and insure every gun including the guns of LEOs. We must have a license to operate a gun. Noncompliance will result in appropriate enforcement = fines and/or imprisonment.

WASHINGTON -- Something bizarre happened in the House of Representatives on Tuesday: Republicans quietly passed gun control legislation.
The bill, which renews the 1988 Undetectable Firearms Act, faced so little opposition in the House that it was only debated for 10 minutes and passed on a voice vote. It's the only gun-related measure to get a House vote since Democrats launched a major push for action on gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting late last year. - Jennifer Bendery

These do-nothing Bastids could not or would not get any gun regulation legislation passed. Most Americans wanted some sensible form of gun regulation after the baby murders, even a majority of the members of the NRA and gun dealers. This bill prohibits or modifies by law printable plastic guns only.

It is a (Congress'-butts-need-saving-first-and-we-will-get-to-you-folks-later) decision. Plastic guns can get through the scanners at public buildings that protect these privileged Folks.

This is funny in a black humor kind of way. And then, when you have thought about it for awhile, you want to puke. I do not know, maybe prayer does work. You just have to pray to the right Goddess.

You look like overpriced overpaid overstuffed overwrought Turkeys again, Congress. Happy New Year.

John Darkow sums it up:

Hot damn!

The Honorable Stephanie Flowers is a force to be reckoned with.  Watch as she ends a Stand Your Ground Bill in an Arkansas Judiciary Committee hearing all by herself. Spit-spot. 

Watch the man on the left try and stop her. Flowers' argument is sound and informed. I hope the dude is not a Democrat. If he is, he needs fired. Pay attention to this smart woman, Democrats. This is a/the winning argument.

OMG GOP WTF? PASTORTICIANS.

The Republican party is full of pastorticians. Bleating about how much you love Jesus and how much Jesus you'll shove up everyone's asses is a requirement for anyone who wants to be elected to office as a Republican. - Margaret Whitestone

Thoughts and Prayers - MAGIC GOOGLE FINGER

HaPenis is a Warm Gun

I wrote this vile snarky article about guns. Because the article and guns are getting renewed attention, I thought I would double down. I like attention

I utilized my MAGIC GOOGLE FINGER again. I googled PENIS GUN. The results range from the literal through the cartoon to the sublime as usual. 

I hope you, Cher Reader, appreciate what I do for you. I suffer so because I am a dirt. Adsense will have nothing to do with me because my blog has...gasp...pornography. 

This photoshop made me wince when I saw it. And I have an inny.

Pistol Smoke Drawing Pencil On Paper by BenziDraw

Giant Mutant Robot Scorpion Penis with a Gun by YYS-Musey

I do not know what to say about this. Naughty, Google. Naughty.

America, we still have a problem. I wrote this in 2014. Gun Regulation for Xmas?

 

Gun control? We need bullet control! I think every bullet should cost 5,000 dollars. Because if a bullet cost five thousand dollar, we wouldn't have any innocent bystanders. - Chris Rock

I like graphs a lot. Graphs make things clear in a way that words alone cannot. Grok the graphs and weep.

I also like tattoos. I thought this design was subject appropriate. The tattoo design can be seen with other designs by the artist HERE.

In the fierce debate that always follows the latest mass shooting, it's an argument you hear frequently from gun rights promoters: If only more people were armed, there would be a better chance of stopping these terrible events. This has plausibility problems—what are the odds that, say, a moviegoer with a pack of Twizzlers in one pocket and a Glock in the other would be mentally prepared, properly positioned, and skilled enough to take out a body-armored assailant in a smoke- and panic-filled theater? But whether you believe that would happen is ultimately a matter of theory and speculation. Instead, let's look at some facts gathered in a five-month investigation by Mother Jones. See the rest of the article at the link. 

Death Guitar in Las Vegas - Hat Tip to Dave Hickey

I woke up to news of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.

The Republicans passed a bill to make sure whackadoos like me can get guns.

NOTA BENE:

Business community especially take note. These are the places it is no longer safe to go in America because of domestic terrorists: movie theatres, malls, concerts, schools, church, book fairs, parades. Can we fix this now please?

We used to have parades with kids riding bicycles with red white blue bunting. We gave a prize for the best decorated bike. The Mayor and the Knights of Columbus marched.

The mass shooters are primarily white native born males. I think that most of them carried legal guns. It is fair to say many of them had and have mental illness. Like me.

We are suffering in America from stochastic terrorism. I understand numbers better with a graph. I think the graph is saying "Stay out of public places."

Especially now that we have vehicle terrorists and some Repubs are trying to make mowing down protesters in your car legal.

Stochastic terrorism is the use of mass communications to incite random actors to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable. In short, remote-control murder by lone wolf. Learn more at the link.

This is an example of stochastic terrorism, one of many, used by our POTUS which I saw on cable TV. And here is another example:

And this is an example of the crazy thinking gun toting POTUS and other stochastic terrorists produce. This man is threatening to shoot women of a particular political persuasion.

Artists are fighting back. Read the story of the Chump Change mural.

Words cannot convey my pain, sympathy and sorrow. Music can.

Pornography - UPDATE

Hugh Hefner is dead. Some folks are casting shade on his memory by calling him a pornographer. Hugh is the wonderbread Modernist version of a pornographer. Now Big Al Goldsten, he was the pornographer's pornographer. I was there.

Portrait of Goldstein on the cover below.

Screw and Al Goldstein are long gone now but I still remember the fights and furor brought on by Screw's content. I came across an interesting blog that features the cover art of Goldstein's Screw Magazine. You want to go there.

Note: Nothing about this essay is safe for viewing at work. I guess my blog is not safe for work too. So sue me.

SCREW #358, art by Bob Dunker

Pornography is ancient and the controversy over its value or lack of value in human lives continues. I reproduce this cover. It illustrates the editorial tone of the magazine better than any words I could write.

I am ambivalent about pornography. I like to look at dirty pictures. Some of what appeared in Screw made me sick. I appreciated the social satire and Goldstein's crusades for free speech.

I love Cartoon Art. I am a fan of vintage pornography. You can see a gallery of SCREW covers by Milton Knight.

Feminists have been in a long dialogue about the depiction of human sexuality.

"Pornography is about dominance and often pain. Erotica is about mutuality and always pleasure."
Gloria Steinem "Erotica vs Pornography", in Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (1983)

"Pornography is the essential sexuality of male power: of hate, of ownership, of hierarchy; of sadism, of dominance."
Andrea Dworkin, Pornography, Men Possessing Women

“Prostitution, perversion, and pornography are intertwined with independence and radical politics in the history of outstanding women. Radclyffe Hall, Colette, Anaïs Nin, Kate Millett, Erica Jong--all of these women used the money they made from writing about sexuality to make it possible for them to live as rebels, dykes, feminists, artists, or whatever deviant and defiant identities they assumed.” Pat Califia, Some Women

I miss Al Goldstein. Rest in peace. It is true Goldstein was a Dirt. It is true that much of what he published was disgusting. A great deal of it was funny. Very funny. Nothing Goldstein published was as obscene and pornographic as this video below.