The American Rights "Can't Do" Spirit! Guns?

What Wisconsin Republican Politicians Think: We already know where the Democrats stand on regulations reducing guns deaths and mass shootings. But even the mass shooting deaths of young children, whose bodies were shredded by a high velocity military style weapon, just won't move the needle even a little. A Wisconsin judge was targeted and shot by a gunman who had a kill list of big-name politicians including our governor. Rightwing domestic terrorism? Nah.

It's like nothing ever happened. In fact, it's so bad, that one GOP candidate for governor said, and I wish I were kidding:

Tim Michels: "I believe it's a societal problem. Uh, we have to have people that are afraid of law enforcement...a byproduct of "defund the police movement"...when I'm governor, I'm going to tell law enforcement it's okay to enforce the law." 

You know what he means. 

Ron Johnson is a walking-talking cliche. Imagine the kind of policy that makes "families stronger" and "renewed faith?" What would that be? Toss in "wokeness" and "CRT," where's the argument? Didn't Trump already Make American Great Again?  He had 4 years.

Ron Johnson: “The solution lies in stronger families, more supportive communities, I would argue renewed faith,” he said. “We’ve lost that. We stopped teaching values in so many of our schools. Now we’re teaching wokeness. We’re indoctrinating our children with things like CRT, telling, you know, some children they’re not equal to others and they’re the cause of other people’s problems.”

No one's doing that.  

Here's a list of mass shootings since Uvalde, the dead and injured for life (click to enlarge):

Let's start with this premise:

Shocking Revelation: They're not Like Us; Remember when Republicans made fun of empathy? I started this blog I thought just the facts would move the needle a little, change a few minds on the right. Wow was I wrong. Solving the problem of guns, air pollution, reducing premature deaths, cleaner drinking water, universal health care, funding schools, safe mining regs, spending taxpayer dollars on taxpayers for once...what a dramatic waste of time. It's hard to wrap your head around that. 

Republicans keep insisting they really "can't do" anything. Republicans are so 20th century. Take this Uvalde Elementary School shooting response by Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson of Texas. This is also a popular GQP talking point pushed by Ron Johnson as well. Interesting to note: which is worse, exposure to violent video games; or weekly exposure to heart wrenching, real life mass shootings?

When I grew up, things were different. And I just think that kids are exposed to all kinds of horrible stuff when they listen to rap music, the video games that they watch from a really early age with all of this horrible violence and stuff, and I just think that they have this access to the internet on a regular basis, which is just, you know, it’s not good for kids.”

The logical next question I'm waiting for some reporter to ask: "So your solution would be to pass laws banning or limiting rap music, video games, and require time limits on Americans access to the internet?" I'm still waiting.

Gun Campaign Ads tell the Republican Story: Like Radical Rebecca in Wisconsin:

...and this compilation of GOP video ads:

"Can't Do" democracy is the message! Charlie Syke's recent Bulwark email took the long view about our democracy, and how under MAGA "reality," it ain't gonna work: 

Does democracy work anymore? I spent much of the weekend listening to the chatter from the cool kids’ table about the hopelessness of confronting mass carnage. The “realist” position insists that the problem is insoluble. There are too many guns, and too much entrenched opposition. Failure is not just an option. It’s inevitable. So what this litany of hopelessness really means is that nothing can be done to prevent mass murders under our current democratic system.

At bottom, though, this isn’t just about guns; it is also about the crisis of democratic governance. Because if we genuinely cannot solve this problem, it raises more fundamental questions about democracy’s ability to get things done. A system that cannot keep its children safe, or prevent a million deaths from a pandemic, is a system in crisis, perhaps in terminal decline.