May 27th, 2022
My Dear America:
It has happened once again.
A Lone Gunman in Texas walked into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas this week after shooting his Grandmother and crashing a truck he had stolen. When the tragic standoff with police was over The Gunman, Salvador Ramos, as well as two teachers and 19 Angelic looking Elementary Students were dead.
There are a number of Red Flags with regard to how this incident was handled by Law Enforcement Authorities, but the truth is that regardless of how you look at this situation, it is clear that if the young man who brought this Tragedy on Uvalde was not able to easily buy 2 Automatic Rifles and Ammunition legally it is doubtful that he would have been able to kill over 20 people.
Unfortunately in Texas it was all too easy for Salvador Ramos to buy his Automatic Rifles and carry out his desperate and Cruel last act. The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott has done all he can to make Texas a place where Gun Enthusiasts can live their dreams of buying guns at Young Ages and carrying guns anywhere and any time they please.
Abbott (A Republican) was furious this week when Beto O'Rourke (A Democrat who is running against Abbott for Governor) interrupted Abbott's Press Conference regarding the shooting. Before Abbott had O'Rourke rudely hauled out of the Press Conference, Beto loudly confronted Abbott regarding his Right Wing Gun Policies. Although O'Rourke was not able to get much of his point across at the Press Conference clearly O'Rourke will be having much more to say on the subject in the near future
This may, in fact, be the straw that breaks Greg Abbott's back in the Gubernatorial Election.
When it comes to the Issue of Gun Safety and Gun Violence in Texas it appears to me as though the wind is at Beto O'Rourke's back at the present time.
But getting back to Salvador Ramos.
He appears to be one more member of "The Lone Gunmen's Club", along with countless other Disturbed Loners, who have sought to give their lives meaning by taking the lives of others.
It's a Club that began with Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, The Shooters at Columbine High School, who reacted to their classmates who bullied them with Gunfire. The "Lone Gunmen's Club has continued to add members exponentially and almost uninterrupted since then. Many of the hundreds of Columbine Copycats seem to point to the Columbine Killers as their inspiration to mow down their classmates or others Human Beings who they might encounter in Schools, Churches, Grocery Stores, Movie Theaters or elsewhere in the United States where people might gather in groups.
Clearly Republicans are correct when they point out that Mental Health is certainly an issue when it comes to mass shootings. There is no doubt about that. Clearly the Lone Gunmen are almost always, like Salvador Ramos and others, Young People that are outsiders who are picked on and bullied by others.
Ramos, for instance was picked on by some of his classmates because he had a stutter and a strong lisp and his Family had little money. Some of his classmates made fun of his clothing. In some cases some of his tormentors called him "School Shooter" as a term or derision. He had few or no friends and as time went on and he was the target of his classmates beating him up he began to lash out violently against strangers, friends and Family. some of his peers saw him as Weird, Rude and Scruffy. He was known to like playing violent video games such as Fortnite and Call of Duty. Once he showed up to play basketball with a friend with cuts on his face and told his friend that he cut himself for fun.
After continued problems at school Ramos dropped out of school and got a job working at a local Wendy's. His manager noticed that he rarely interacted with other workers at the Fast Food Restaurant. Ramos told some people that he wanted to go into the Marines just so he could kill people.
He had no criminal history but he may possibly have had a Juvenile Record. He had a history of physically fighting with others.
One thing was for sure, like many other members of "The Lone Gunmen's Club" this young man was clearly disturbed and should never have been able to buy a gun or in any way get his hands on a gun.
It is easy to look at what happened in Uvalde and hate this young man for what he did. But it is time that all of us look at this and other situations like this and realize that our culture needs to wake up to reality. It is probably not possible to prevent every Lone Gunman from carrying out what they might feel is their deadly destiny but some Sensible Gun Legislation is needed badly to stem the tide in which Disturbed People can easily get their hands on Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Certainly Congress can finally pass Gun Legislation demanding Sensible Background Checks for anyone purchasing a gun.
And Lets wake up to reality and return to doing what we did in the Nineties when we passed an Assault Weapons Ban which we allowed to lapse.
These could be two sensible pieces of legislation which might do something to prevent some murders.
Certainly, what voters in Texas can do is get behind Democrat Beto O'Rourke and help him to defeat Republican, Greg Abbott in the race for Texas Governor.
And Democrats around the country can and should unite around candidates in their states who stand for sensible gun legislation.
Enough of this Republican Bullshit that Okay's AR 15's for everyone and open carry guns for everyone.
No Democrats are trying to keep Responsible Guns from Responsible People.
Hunters don't need to worry about Democrats taking their guns away. Democrats are not looking to take guns from Hunters. They never were. That is simply NRA Bullshit Nonsense. Many Democrats are Hunters also.
And if Republicans are concerned about increasing funds for Mental Health that's Great. Lets see you start voting to put your money where your Mouths Are.
It is time for Republicans to stop standing in the way of progress and it is time for Voters to recognize that watching Fox News and that voting for Republicans is only going to continue to erode Democracy in America.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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