One Month After Texas School Shooting, U.S. President Signs Gun Violence Bill …
OK, thanks Washington. But wait, this bill is nothing but a band aid on deep wounds requiring total reconstructive surgery. How so? First, “our” government, which “wasted” $53 billion in 2021 (see below), allocated just $15 billion over 10 years in this new bill. The government “literally wastes” $53 billion on inane studies like pigeons’ behavior on slot machines (it’s true, see below), then allocates a mere 50% — which is a mere $7.5 billion over 10 years — or a mere $3.75 billion annually — to:
- States providing “round-the-clock” emergency psychiatric services to local mental health centers.
- Bans “dating partners” convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a firearm (oh my, all those NFL convicted felons must be in tears).
- “Slightly” enhancing background checks.
- And, finally, providing “our schools” — 130,930 in the U.S. K-12 — with “grants” for school security and violence protection. Grants? You mean, the schools have to hire a grant writer and submit it to the government and wait a year for it to respond? Seriously?
Want to see just how ridiculous that is for “our schools” and the “safety of our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews”? Even if all $15 billion had been allocated to “our” 130,930 schools (K-12) in the U.S., that’s $114,500 per school annually. That’s the Embarrassment of Embarrassments. That’s how little “our politicians” think of “our children.” Seriously, what does $114,500 annually pay for in security measures? A half-drunk 295-pound security guard sitting on the front steps of the school slurping a 64-ounce cup of Pepsi playing games on his iPhone and a sling shot hitched to his pocket for two hours a day four days a week? That’s what those funds will get you for the 130,930 U.S. schools — that’s 53 million U.S. students, 404 students per school.
So sure, the President signs the Bill, and the media from New York to California and everything in between runs front page articles on “Biden’s Big Bill,” but doesn’t even bother to do the math. Many of the country’s top newspapers by readership — Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post — even copied each other by calling it a “Landmark Gun Bill.” Landmark? Think again.
Moreover, the vote for the bill was 234-193. Seriously, 193 voted “against” measures to stop school shootings? Force all of them to resign. TODAY. They’re supposed to work “for the people,” the people who put them into office and pay their salaries. Oh yeah, they likely ran into Congress, scratched ‘no’ on their ballot, and headed off to the beach with the kids. That’s our Senators and Congressmembers, who finally got something done after 142 U.S. school shootings — one per week — since Sandy Hook in 2012, when 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7 were killed.
One hundred and 42 school shootings — and it took 10 years to get here. And we’re still nowhere from protecting “our” children.
Government waste in 2021 was $53 billion. How does this relate to protecting our children and teachers at our schools as well as our synagogues and churches? Read on.
Of this $53 billion:
- $11.3 million was spent on — get this –“telling the people of Vietnam not to burn their trash.” This is not a joke. This is the demented reality of the politicians we voted into office. This is just one of the 15 outrageous expenditures that our politicians funneled OUR tax dollars to. We demand the resignation TODAY of every Senator and Congress member for approving this ridiculous expenditure and the others below.
- $465,339 was spent on — get a grip on yourself for this one — a study of pigeons gambling on slot machines? This is not a joke. These are the politicians who WORK FOR US. Their sheer stupidity and corruption is beyond comprehension. Resign right now! All of you criminals who take millions of dollars in contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA), use insider-trading info to boost your Merrill Lynch portfolio without consequences, and dream about your $3M salary in your next job as a lobbyist for the NRA, Amazon or Allstate.
- These ignorant politicians approved a study for $1.3 million to verify that “bad news decreases people’s happiness levels?” We need a study for this? (CBJ has requested the White House to provide the name of the organization that conducted the study. Stay tuned for the White House’s response — or its avoidance to respond to our question.)
- Our disgraceful senators and congress members approved $773 million for “foreign counties to use our aircraft for free for four years.” What? Imagine what $773M would do to protect our schools, children and teachers? Steel doors that automatically lock. Hiring retired Navy Seals to patrol our schools. (Every steel door painted with flowers, trees, sunrises, sunsets, smiling faces of children from around the world — everything that is good about Planet Earth. As any therapist will confirm, smiling faces of children covering the ice-cold gray steel doors will have a positive psychological impact on our children, reducing their level of stress and anxiety.
- $250 million was approved to build border walls in North Africa and the Middle East. Insanity.
OK, have you had enough of this nonsense by the people WE put into Congress and the Senate? Wait, here’s one more: $14 million wasted on funding a center for Congress’ parties. Are you serious? We demand the resignation of every last one of you for approving this expenditure rather than putting it toward the safety of our school children and teachers, synagogue and churches.
One more stat: The $53 billion breaks down to $15,000 PER taxpayer! Stop this TODAY Congress, Senators and, of course, The Man Upstairs in the Oval, who can weld his power to limits never seen before — if he wants to, that is. But it’s clear that every President since Sandy Hook simply isn’t interested in the protection of our school children.
Just the other night, 60 Minutes ran a piece on “the dozens of companies spending billions of dollars to make air taxis – taking off and landing from tops of buildings, parking garages, and helipads.” Throughout the piece, the FAA — Federal Aviation Administration — talked about “the safety” measures surrounding “the transportation of the future.” Hey, what about our school kids? What about protection for them? Yeah, right.
The Government Waste Annual Report was provided by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Good for you Rand. Now what are you doing to get YOUR colleagues to stop this embarrassing stupidity? We won’t stand for it! Also, maybe you can tell us about the organization who conduct meaningless studies pertaining to the pigeons, Vietnam and the others. Call or text me at 949-648-3815 or email me at Rick@CalBizJournal.com.
Here’s where OUR $53 billion was wasted.
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Texas Tears
In my May 24 column following the Texas school shooting, I blamed the politicians who have shamelessly demonstrated they do not care enough about our children and loved ones and I screamed for them to submit their resignations amid their lies, corruption, and betrayal.
Then, the next day, it was revealed that 19 Texas police officers and Border Agents “lingered” behind the same classroom doors where the gunman was shooting our children and teachers – and at the same exact moment, children in the room were calling 911 pleading “Please get the police in here.” I screamed for “The 19” to be fired for their unconscionable incompetence, stupidity and cowardice; I demanded a new communication system where police hear 911 calls related to the incident they’re investigating.
In Part 3 of this ongoing essay against the individuals who are supposed to protect our children and loved one but are too inept to do so, I’m outlining the precise steps our shameless politicians and keystone cops should follow to halt U.S. gun-mania.
1. Age limits for gun purchasing
a. Most public mass shootings are committed by 21- to 25-year-olds followed by people ages 36 to 45. Regardless, no one under 21 can purchase a firearm. (Two of the last 75 shootings — Texas and Buffalo — were committed by 18-year-olds.)
b. As for every gun buyer over 21, they must go through “The Most Thorough Background Check Process” ever created – and we need that law passed today! Stop stalling White House and get it done no matter what. The gun buyer pays all non-refundable fees associated with background checks.
c. If a gun buyer has anything negative on their record, no gun. This includes any “questionable” social media posts. Zero Tolerance. This is about Taking Extreme Measures to stop this violence against our children and loved ones.
d. If a gun buyer has any psychiatric issues, no gun.
e. If a gun store violates any law, they will be shut down for good. Zero Tolerance. The store owner can go bag groceries for all I care.
f. If someone 21 or older purchases a gun for an 18-year-old or for someone who didn’t pass the background check, they automatically receive one year in prison. If the person they bought the gun for commits murder, they receive a maximum sentence. Zero Tolerance.
2. Scenarios to consider
CBJ reader Judith Hamilton of Los Angeles brought up this scenario: “Rick, my sister was being stalked and asked me if she could borrow my husband’s handgun for protection. If the Democrats’ bill became law, loaning her the gun would result in my husband going to prison for years. That’s what makes this debate so difficult.”
a. If situations like this evolve – and they will — there will protocols in place so the local police are aware. Granted, the police have their problems too (example: Uvalde, Texas), so if the police fail to do their job in cases like this, they’re automatically fired. Zero Tolerance for Incompetence. This is The New Era of Extreme Measures. Everyone is accountable. No second chances. Our children’s lives are too valuable.
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The audacity of the National Rifle Association (NRA) to hold a conference 72 hours after the Texas school shooting in, of all places, Houston — only 278 miles from Uvalde.
Just like the clueless, worthless and useless U.S. Senators and Congress members, and the unfathomable incompetence the Uvalde police, Texas border agents, the NRA is equally disgraceful and shameful and its appalling and reprehensible actions.
Does anyone care about our children and teachers and the protection of our schools? Clearly, they don’t. Their money and power is all that matters to them. Shameful. They should resign and get fired, respectively.
The two-faced NRA didn’t even allow guns into its own convention. Watch this video from the NRA Convention, showing signage prohibiting weapons: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegoodliars/video/7106183647438441770
There were protests outside the NRA conference. People were irate. They were astonished by the sickness of the NRA to demonstrate such callousness while the families of the fallen were crying uncontrollably, planning funerals for their wonderful children, looking at three and four-foot caskets, staring at their child’s vacant rooms filled with darling photos and paintings. Is that enough of those visuals?
Meanwhile, there’s the disgusting NRA raking in the money, signing up new members, funneling cash into politicians pockets, displaying thousands of guns and assault weapons, and bowing to speakers Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. NRA members stuck their fingers in their ears so they wouldn’t hear the crowd, which included Uvalde children wearing pictures of their fallen classmates around their necks.
NRA members were interviewed by many media organizations and after saying their hearts are broken for our fallen children and teachers, they turned right around, cheering the next speaker. Disgraceful.
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Selected CBJ readers’ response to Rick Weinberg’s essay on the Texas School Shooting:
Michael Palmisano, Houston: Mr. Weinberg, you hit it right on the nose with both of your essays. However, I do want to point out that the push for a higher age limit is because of the 18-year-old gunmen in the Texas and Buffalo shootings. If gun purchases are banned based on the age groups, please know that most public mass shootings are committed by 21- to 25-year-olds followed by people ages 36 to 45.
Judith Hamilton, Los Angeles: Rick, my sister was being stalked and asked me if she could borrow my husband’s handgun for protection. If the Democrats’ bill became law, loaning her the gun would result in my husband going to prison for years. That’s what makes this debate so difficult.
