Blog #5: South Carolina

I am beyond disgusted — eyes welling up off and on this morning watching the news and throughout the evening after today's classes as I watched Rachel Maddow. I feel nauseated, crushed, and have to understand living in a country that once again will point the finger and yet do nothing. It horrifies me to see the lives of my fellow human beings ended. I am white, agnostic, gay, married to my wonderful husband for over 15 years, and feel nothing but gratitude and privilege to have wonderful friends, family and loved ones of every race, religion, relationship status, and sexuality. This is not a race issue, this is a human race issue.

Let's take a quick look at the Bill of Rights. Written in 1791, America had:

• Just come out of the Revolutionary War 8 years before
• Was in the middle of the Chickamauga War involving the Cherokee
• Was in the middle of the Northwest Indian War with Western Confederacy and Great Britain
• Just started the Whiskey Rebellion with frontier tax protesters
• Had 15 States
• Had 3 territories just east of the Mississippi
• Had 3 disputed areas with Spain and Great Britain
• Florida and the panhandle all the way over to the Mississippi was under Spain's Control
• EVERYTHING west of the Mississippi was still under Spain's control
• The entire Pacific Northwest was unclaimed
• Alaska was under Russian control

Now back to the Bill of Rights and specifically the 2nd Amendment, which reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Review the timeline again above. American existence was threatened by the North, South, East and West. The population was moving in masses westward (killing everything in its path, by the way). There was an understandable need to protect the free state. But where is the danger of the state being taken over now? Is Texas, or any other of the remaining 49 states in a security crisis of being wiped off the face of the map? Will Michigan just walk into Indiana and say it's theirs now? The need for citizens to have the right to bear arms has long been over. Frankly, I don't need the Supreme Court Justices or an army of lawyers and politicians in the back pocket of capitalism to convince me otherwise.

Why does government spew out crap for a week or two after a horrific act like this and nothing changes? Why is it always a time of mourning and reflection? How many months and years do we listen to politicians say "No More!"? How many times do we need to hear our leaders say we are the only country in the world where acts of cruelty and murder of this type are so high?

It's all about numbers. See the graphs below on gun sales and taxes in the U.S.

$15 BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE IN 2013, $74,450,000,000 TOTAL SINCE 2008

IN 2014, THE GOVERNMENT COLLECTED $6,654,725,428 

IN BUSINESS AND EXCISE TAXES.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available online at: www.bis.gov/lau/home.htm 

Maybe the focus of attention should shift from obsession over The Kardashians, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, American Idol, Red Carpet Events, and Selfies. The voice and pocket book of those who demand to carry guns is loud and large, and legislation is now allowing guns to be carried on college campuses under the guise of increased protection by numbers. I wonder who is giving our leaders the advice and statistics that make this sound like a good idea? Look above. For the few who truly care, it seems beyond overwhelming to find a platform to be heard while so many backs are turned to us. But let's keep trying!