On a "normal" day, I would be delving into the primary results from yesterday. I would be looking at how it was mostly incumbents who won their primaries, and TFG-backed challengers didn't fair so well, especially in GA.

Yesterday, however, was not a "normal" day... or was it? Everyone reading this is well aware of the horrific elementary school massacre in TX yesterday that left 19 students and 2 teachers dead. It was the 27th school shooting so far this year. On the 124th day of the year, that's about one every 4 days - and that's just schools.

It was only about a week ago that the Topps supermarket in Buffalo, NY became a bloodbath. There have been over 200 mass shootings so far this year - that's more than one a day. It's completely understandable that feelings of impotent rage are giving way to a hopeless numbness. How else are we to cope with this constant mayhem?

The American people have demanded change, but no change has been forthcoming. Republicans in particular have been an immobile blockade to ANY sort of reasonable gun regulations. The majority of Americans want it; the police want it; it's been done elsewhere on the planet. Still, the NRA and a minority of rural voters hold sway over Republicans, and nothing gets done.

How many times have we heard the tired trope of "thoughts and prayers"?

Fuck your thoughts and prayers.

Thoughts and prayers won't bring back those 19 kids.
Thoughts and prayers won't keep us safe at the supermarket... or the news room... or schools.
Thoughts and prayers won't do shit to stop the epidemic of gun violence.

It's been just over 9 years since the Sandy Hook nightmare that left 26 people dead - mostly little kids. Immediately afterward, when emotions were raw, angry, and stunned with grief, the gun fetishists and their in-the-pocket politicians had the gall to say "now is not the time to discuss gun control". The truth is, in their minds, there is NEVER a time to discuss gun regulations because the mass shootings are non-stop. It's a marketing gimmick by the NRA and Republicans LOVE their marketing - as blatantly self-serving and full of bullshit that it is.

NOW is the time. Now is ALWAYS the time. Hell - it's way past time. There are more guns than people in this country, and they have not made us any safer - quite the contrary, in fact. Common-sense gun regulations are the vaccine we need to get this epidemic under control.

NOW!