A bit of cheer from the ebullient Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)–much needed, I think, at the end of this painfully sad week.
Annie
You Just Never Know Where Kindness Leads…
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A bit of cheer from the ebullient Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)–much needed, I think, at the end of this painfully sad week.
Annie
annieasksyou... 
It isn’t just kindness the country needs, Annie, but tight gun control!
Joanna
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Joanna—That’s for sure, and I’ve written about our gun crisis before and will continue to do so.
I have an appointment, but I’ll amplify my response later. I appreciate your comment!
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To continue, Joanna: I think two issues stand out among the many tangled elements in our horrific gun crisis. The first, of course, is that we need strong federal legislation to eliminate weapons of war that have no purpose other than to murder many people very quickly—and to close all the loopholes and strengthen background checks in order to prevent guns from being obtained and used by those who should not have them.
Again I cite Senator Booker, who has introduced legislation to require gun licensing comparable to car licensing—an idea so sensible and basic that it’s hard to imagine anyone opposing it—though the gun lobby will.
The second is that in order to achieve that legislation, we need a huge attitude adjustment. The Republican “solutions” all contain the word “harden”—the school buildings, etc. To my mind, there is too much hardening and not enough softening: of caring for the children, the families, the communities that have been devastated and traumatized repeatedly. The knee-jerk “thoughts and prayers” response and phony attribution to mental health problems (no funding, though) are so dreadfully hollow.
Hence, the need for kindness in our treatment of one another.
I don’t dismiss my own responsibilities. I am enraged as well as saddened that a minority of Americans can stop our legislators from doing what must be done.
Last night I heard David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting when he was in his teens, who has become a very effective advocate for gun safety. I was surprised to hear him say he’ll meet with the NRA (he’s met with many of its members) in order to reach a compromise that moves us forward.
I realized he was demonstrating a maturity and practicality that’s essential to the goal—and not often found among the legislators. His motivation may not be kindness, per se, but his results could be just what we need.
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Cory Booker is alway looking on the bright side. I don’t know how he does it, but isn’t it marvelous that he does?
Rgds,
Tengrain
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Yes, it is marvelous. But he’s no pushover, either. PBS asked every Senator for a position statement post-Uvalde (and post-Buffalo, which we mustn’t let get lost in this fresh atrocity.)
Here’s what Booker is doing and saying. Note last paragraph.
Cory Booker (D) New Jersey
“This is the moment to enact meaningful, sweeping legislation — without it, we are fated to witness the horrors of Buffalo, Uvalde, and so many others over and over again. Inaction is not an option.
Last week I reintroduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, which is based on the simple concept that if you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to buy and possess a gun. Licensing laws are supported by over 75% of Americans and have been shown to reduce gun violence in states that enact them, including my home state of New Jersey. Other commonsense reforms, including universal background checks and implementing federal extreme risk protection order laws, also have broad popular support.
Republicans in Congress are hostage to the gun lobby and are putting power before the interests of our children, their constituents, the American people. It is unconscionable. We must hold them responsible for ignoring the will of the people and for the carnage that results from their inaction.”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/what-action-should-be-taken-on-guns-we-asked-every-senator
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Thank you for sharing that one, Annie!!! I have always admired Cory Booker! Isn’t he amazing?
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He sure is, Jill. Now if he can only get his Senate colleagues to pass his legislation to require gun registration comparable to car registration, we might be making some progress, at least.
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Agreed. An uphill battle, I’m pretty sure, but y’know … at the end of the day, it falls on our shoulders. They say that 89% of people in this country, Republicans and Democrats, support stricter gun laws. So … it’s up to us to vote out the fools who are acting out of their own greed and in the process getting our children killed, and vote IN those who would listen to the will of the people. It’s on our shoulders.
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You know how strongly I agree with you on that! I keep trying to think of a way we can bring together all the passionate constituencies—many overlapping—gun safety, reproductive rights, combating institutional racism, combating climate change, improving health care, economic security, court reform…all the good things that a strengthened democracy can do. Together, we elect a larger House majority and four additional Democratic Senators who pledge to act accordingly.
And then Filosofa doesn’t have to worry about running for President!
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All you suggest might be possible … when/if we finally take the money out of politics. As long as politicians see dollar signs in front of their eyes, they won’t remember to whom they owe their allegiance, who pays their salaries and for all that travel they do. Sigh. I do like your ideas, though, and like you, I will keep fighting for them.
Heck, I was just getting into this running for president thing! It might be fun … as long as I don’t get shot, that is!
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Little bits of kindness? That’s wonderful. Thank you for sharing this.
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You’re welcome! I thought we all might need it/them.
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