NRA- holes

So the NRA promised the American public that they would come up with meaningful solutions, and contributions to the discussion on gun control. These new ideas were well thought out, so much so, that the organization needed a week to put them together. So naturally some people thought that the NRA might, just might, add something of real substance to public discourse. Well as it turns out we should not have worried the NRA's message was the same old tired thing.
since I was a child I have heard the call from conservative groups, the NRA included about putting more guns in schools. Some schools even tried it, Columbine is a famous example, so even as most people gasped at this idea it isn't a new one. It would seem that for all their screaming about tyranny, the NRA is the group advocating far reaching government intrusion into our lives. You see to them, having armed guards in schools is preferable to responsible gun ownership. why prevent guns from falling into the hands of mentally ill people, just flood the country with more guns. Why address issues that lead people to commit acts of violence when you can attempt to address an armed gunman instead.
Oh but it doesn't end there, oh no. It seems that while guns don't kill people, movies and video games do. This argument is almost as old as I am. You see when you are an organization that represents gun makers, you can't even think about limiting what they can make or sell, so you vilify someone else. That's right, those of us who play video games and watch T.V. and movies, we are the problem.
This isn't even what pisses me off about this statement though, you see the NRA is supposed to say stupid shit like this. What pisses me off is that the news media is listening. Where the media had been talking about mental illness and it's intersection with gun laws in feeding mass shootings, now they have changed the dialogue to the topic of violence in video games and movies.
Come on people! The answer is not to become a third world nation, a state that sensors what it's citizens can watch, while surrounding them with armed men.

These colors don't run

Today in the House of Representatives a truly remarkable thing happened. The speaker John Boehnner brought a debt deal bill to the floor to be voted on, or at least that was what he planned to do. The bill called for a tax increase on income over a million dollars, and steep cuts to food stamps, meals on wheels, and other social spending. These types of spending cuts are what Republicans salivate over, but because of the tax increase, an increase on a tiny part of the population, Republicans in the house said they would not vote for it. So Boehnner took his bill and literally went home. There are some Washington insiders who are saying that House Republicans were going to vote against the bill because it would never pass the Senate. I don't buy this for an instant, House Republicans have voted on a number of bills that were similarly "symbolic." They have voted over 20 times to defund planned parenthood, and almost as many times to overturn the Affordable Care Act, so the idea that House Republicans are somehow wary of symbolic votes is not borne out by evidence. 
What it comes down to is this, Republicans don't want to see a single dime in new tax revenue until all social programs are severely cut. They want this so bad that even making a tiny concession is seen as un-patriotic and weak. 
This brings me to the title of my post. As I watched this fiasco unfold today, I was reminded of a scene in one of my favorite movies. In Talladega Nights  Will Ferrel's character Ricky Bobby has a confrontation with a new driver. The new driver has Ricky pinned down and threatens to break his arm if he will not say that he loves crepes. Ricky it should be noted does in fact love crepes, but refuses on principle to say so. Even after the new driver tells Ricky that he can say "I love really thin pancakes", and after his friend Cal tells him that concession is a good deal, Ricky refuses and his arm is broken. 
That is where the Republicans stand right now, even after getting a good compromise, they refuse to do anything, stubbornly standing on a principle that in light of what will happen if no deal is reached, is no principle at all.

More than one cause

The last thing a neglectful blog owner wants to come back writing about is a horrific school shooting. Like many of you I was stunned at what was reported The idea that a person would target children is so shocking it took me until now to even attempt to talk about it. 
I am not sure if what I have to say will be worded just right, or even if it will make any sense, I just know that I have to say something.
I have been open about my feelings on gun control in the past, and do not wish to repeat them here. The truth is, the easy legal access to large capacity weapons is only one of many issues that need to be talked about. One of these other issues that is getting more recognized in recent years is mental illness. Less than 1/3 of people who have a mental illness are receiving any treatment. Mental illness is protected under the American's with Disabilities Act, but these people are the most likely to be under served by programs that could help them. Many programs that help children do not help them once they turn 18. Most of the reason for this is that mental illness, and those who live with one, is still seen as a weakness of character. The negative stigma keeps people from seeking help for themselves or their children. Spending on treatment programs is not even close to keeping up with the need for them. 
I am under qualified to discuss this issue, so I will leave it to more informed minds. What I want to talk about is  something that is simple in concept, and costs nothing to implement. 
I want to talk about compassion. One thing that has been said about all of the shooters this year, is that they were "quiet", "loners", and people "left them alone".
Too often today people are kept at a distance, if they are different. This is what a propose, that we reach out to each other, that we realize that we are all part of the same human family. At a time when family relationships are lost because of political or social views, it might seem impossible to think that we can reach out to people we don't know. This is exactly what we need to do. We need to tell people that it is okay to ask for help, and we need to be there to give all the help that we can. As American's we often reach out in huge and impact full ways AFTER a tragedy, I propose that we reach out to each other BEFORE a tragedy. 
I am not naive  and  I second the view of the president, no law or set of laws can prevent all tragedy, but changing how we treat each other is bound to have a major impact. 
We can do better, we can pass better laws, and more importantly we can change how we treat each other.