Stephen Macht’s Post

ON POINT: TRUMP & A KILLING ATTEMPT. . .   There’s always a sadness that descends upon much of America from reports of assassination attempts and mass shootings, as if bleak clouds lowered deeper than they had after previous violent happenings and could one day press down further and destroy all of our hopes that something stronger than limp slaps on the wrist could be done about the horror, when we might allow our upsets regarding gun violence to fade faster than in recent years instead of our fighting on for changes ending that which could whisk away innocent human life in seconds, as it almost undid the life of former U.S. President, Donald J. Trump, ironically a targeted individual of whom his political rivals have said has inspired gun shootings of one kind or of another. And, while Joe Biden, Trump’s opponent for election as U.S. President, said the other day that there should be no place for any kind of violence in U.S. politics, it’s fact that very few members of the U.S. Congress have ever said emphatically that there should never be a place in U.S. politics for absence of Full-to-the-hilt responses following the “Rhetoric”postured for undoing gun violence in politics, or within any other American endeavor. There’s a lot of blame for America’s gun violence to go around, a huge part of that smack in the middle of U.S. politics. A U.S. Senator blamed the Biden U.S. Presidential campaign for the attempted assassination of Trump by having portrayed Trump as an “Autocratic ‘Fascist,” though Trump has made clear that he is just that if only “Fascist-lite.” And, a high-ranking member of a U.S. Congressional staff remarked publicly that the shooter who attempted to kill Trump surely needed coaching re. how to aim at his target more accurately. “‘Sanitas,’ Where goest thou?” . . . END, ml 

From the 7/26/2024 edition of The Week magazine. "Editor’s letter Not an hour after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, JD Vance already knew who was to blame: Democrats. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote on X. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Vance, a former never-Trumper now reborn Trumpier-than-thou, was rewarded for this unjustified allegation with the nomination for the vice presidency. But he wasn’t the only one to leap to conclusions. Democrats and Republicans alike urged an end to political vitriol, taking as read that the apocalyptic rhetoric around the election had spurred the shooter to violence. In fact, we don’t know why Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed up to a rooftop in Butler, Pa., a town about an hour away from his home, to shoot Trump. But we are all far too familiar with this type of perpetrator: a white male loner who was bullied in high school and had easy access to guns. It’s the profile of nearly every school shooter. The motives of these young men are a mix of suicidal mental illness, rage, and a desire to finally be seen. Killing children gets you noticed; imagine the attention you’d receive for murdering the former — and possibly future — leader of the free world and igniting massive domestic unrest. But there’s a striking difference between this event and an “ordinary” school shooting. This time, our civic leaders and pundits are putting the blame on media and politicians, on the language they use, rather than where it belongs: on a society sick with guns. America leads the world in mass shootings because America leads the world in civilian ownership of weapons of war. We have nearly 400 million guns in private hands, including 20 million AR-15s, and very little regulation over who can use them. To people in other countries, these statistics are scarcely credible. (See Best columns: International, p.15.) If we are to end the carnage, it’s not simply our rhetoric that’s needs to change. It’s our gun laws. Susan Caskie, Executive editor"

Term limits, impeachment of Thomas and Alito, enactment of an enforceable Ethics Standards, transparency with regard to refusal to recuse and expansion of the size of its members; these are a few of my favorite wishes for a Supreme Court that all honest and ethical Americans expect for the Judicial Branch of our Federal Government!!!

Photo of the year here! Powerful Presidential response after being shot, revealing Trump's fiery passion and commitment to the cause. Nevertheless some prudence, wisdom and reflection is in order as a nation to see what we have learned or if we need more violence to shake and awake us? In 2016, the National Rifle Association (NRA) spent more than $30 million on behalf of the Trump campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data. It was a staggering number compared to 2012, when the group spent about $13 million to try to unseat President Barack Obama and elect Mitt Romney. The Trump campaign represented the lion’s share of the group’s spending—the NRA spent $54 million on the 2016 elections in total. There are suggestions that the total amount could be higher. In 2017, McClatchy reported that the total number for spending in 2016 was “close to $70 million, and perhaps much more.” President Biden: "There is no place for violence in the United States of America. It's sick and one of the reasons we need to unite this country." That being said if the Secret Service cannot protect Presidents from gun shooters, nor police children and teachers in schools, when does the United States CHANGE its GUN LAWS to protect its Presidents and people? If a nation is incapable of protecting its leaders and people, civil society has unraveled and it's existence as a nation may soon cease. Perhaps some heartfelt bipartisan cooperation and legislation from Congress truly putting America First can stop the decades of senseless violence and madness. ~ SOCIAL CONTRACT FOR SUCCESS ~ https://lnkd.in/g4sZKRaH ~ HATERS ~ https://lnkd.in/gNQHC4fx ~ RACISM ~ https://lnkd.in/gezyY3kK ~ MURDER ~ https://lnkd.in/gsUKJrRY ~ Energized by Anger: From Madness to Greatness ~ https://lnkd.in/g3KxQnyv ~ Angry at God & Everyone? From Madness To Greatness ~ https://lnkd.in/gyDbAU3A ~ Oil For The Tin Man: Awaking The Heart ~ https://lnkd.in/gKsnYZUz ~ Update Your Identity: Transcend Labels to Truly Live ~ https://lnkd.in/gNRzX2ww ~ Your Worst Enemy ~ https://lnkd.in/gFW8N_jv PaulFDavis.com EducationPro.us https://lnkd.in/gsW99at5 (Paul's Books) https://lnkd.in/g9cFNCRC (Paul's Lessons) #usa #america #guns #trump #biden #politics #truth #safety #security #peace #law #school #kids #children #education #god #country #nations #world #leadership #dc #nyc #florida #texas #california #colorado #priorities #purpose #leaders #policy #NRA #money #congress #laws #pennsylvania #penn #newjersey #nj #ny #newyork #ohio #michigan #washington #arizona #newmexico #massachusetts #georgia #alabama #louisiana #nebraska #wyoming #hawaii #alaska #minnesota #maga #americafirst

"The aftermath of mass shootings is a well-told narrative in America. Despite the urgency to prevent future suffering, hyper-partisan gridlock among politicians blocks our ability to solve problems. In the wake of the Covenant shooting, in a state where polls consistently show that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are out of touch with the will of the people, our leaders have failed to deliver concrete solutions to give us hope for a future where gun rights and safety are simultaneously advanced. We might have fallen for this narrative ourselves. But 11 Tennesseans, including us, have busted the myth that solutions aren’t possible." I am obsessed in the best possible way with the work being done at Starts With Us. I feel like they're the coolest kids in the cafeteria, and I hope to be invited to each lunch with them. Turns out, I think they welcome everyone, and then pivot to highlight individual's initiatives to turn one idea on to many different (please read "different" as highlighted, bolded, fireworks and a marching band emphasis) people. Check them out! ***** I am Caroline Markel, and my "2024 Theme for Impact" is clear. I stand in certainty of our collective ability to move toward moments of compassion and authenticity so that people feel seen, heard, and safe to create a life of their dreams. The normalization of violence must be leading the conversation, and the spotlight to turn the tide. Our world wide violence is a problem, and I'm initiating hard conversations which fuel reformation. The world victories in this mission are easily applied to any friend, family, co-worker, and corporate responsibility leading to prosperity, safety, profitability, and exceeding any metric for success. I hope you lend your voice to the chorus.  Together, we have the power to change our innermost circles, leading to a positive impact on the world. #MoveMomentforChange #intentionallyfearless #ViolenceIsNotAnOption #DiscussDebateDisagree

This is prime facia evidence, the democrats who are increasingly more neo-marxist, are only interested in taking away gun rights from law abiding Americans. We hear NOTHING for decades of the rampant murderous crime rage in places like Chicago from these Marxist Dems. 71 shootings in 3 days in Chicago and crickets. Yet, when a tragedy of smaller scale, with considerably fewer people killed and wounded, the gun confiscation crowd comes out with the crocodile tears. Make no mistake, these school, mall and night club shootings are heinous and truly tragedies. But why isn't the murderous inner city black on black ongoing rampage important to stifle? Why are not the inner city populations of black people or others of color, worthy of safety? These conditions have existed and persisted for decades in these democrat bastions, and yet year after year, nothing, absolutely nothing is effectively done to protect these inner city people of color. No outrage. But doggone it, we can't let them darn rednecks have their guns. We have seen the department of Justice and intelligence agencies weaponized and directed at political opposition to the Neo Marxist and its deep state. Each time the scream to take away the right for law abiding citizenry to remain armed arises, remember, the school shooting is merely a means to an end. A disarmed and pliant/easily dominated citizenry is the objective. When the marxist left begins to deal with the inner city murder rates, then you may rationally conclude otherwise.

Why do you need a gun? Is it to protect yourself and if it is, from what: ideas, reality, or other people’s views? Is it just so that you can kill people when you want? Is it to get your way? The use of guns and associated violent intimidation was utilized by fascist about a century ago to undermine the Weimar republic and force a different political reality on the people of Italy. In American politics brawls and duels were frequent in congress between 1830 and 1860 over disagreements, some of which led to the civil war. This same approach, or influence tool, of political violence for the forcing of ideas and political positions, seems to be reemerging. There was the unite the right rally in Charlottesville, vigilante actions against black lives matters demonstration, and the Jan 6 attempted takeover of the government. Republican elected officials have made explicit threats of violence in an attempt to force the highly flawed election fraud lie to be accepted, threats of violence were use in an attempt to eliminate vaccine and mask mandates and most recently statements various individuals indicated that if Trump would be convicted for his crimes there would be violence in the streets. Voter suppression is on the rise with the risk of violence to suppress the vote a distinct possibility. The trend toward expansion of the right to a gun and its use   and a broad legal definition of “self-defense” by state level “stand your ground” and “citizen’s arrest” statures are bound to increase vigilantism and individuals seeking to propagate their political and other views through violence. Some of the politics as has occurred in Texas and Florida has infused into political platforms extreme views which implies that violence is acceptable if it is for the “right reason”. Trump is constantly encouraging people to violence to obtain his political and personal objectives. This indicates that extremism, that could include violence, is being normalized and entrenched in some political domains. If violence is the approach to convince others, politically or otherwise, then guns are one of the tools of choice to achieve that end. Support for lax gun laws is not a support for freedom instead it is support for a reduction in freedom by creating a threat of increased violence.     Guns are not needed to protect oneself from bodily harm. Instead, they are used to force others into the correct, ideas, views, and politics: in short to get one’s way. #politics #guns #freedom  

Wednesday’s shooting at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade, which killed one person and injured more than 20, was the 49th mass shooting this year. We are barely halfway through February. So far corporate America has offered primarily silence in response to the shooting. It's a stark reversal from 2022 when more than 500 CEOs and board chairs signed a letter urging the Senate to take “immediate action” on gun violence in the wake of the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. Clearly the appetite for this kind of outspokenness from some of America’s biggest companies has evaporated; the mass shootings, however, have not. The Republican Party’s war on “woke capitalism” and environmental, social and governance efforts has changed the calculus. The bar has gotten much higher for a CEO or board to risk the backlash of publicly wading into a potentially hot-button topic. The idea that a company has a moral or ethical obligation to use its platform is passé. The litmus test is now: does the issue at hand impact a company’s bottom line. When it comes to gun control, the answer from boardrooms seems to be a hard no. But US companies are mistaken if they think gun violence doesn’t fall into the category of a core business issue. I explain why in my latest piece for Bloomberg Opinion.

NEWS: Breitbart reports that more than 140 House Democrats are demanding that the government have the ability to bar military veterans from buying or owning firearms under certain circumstances. They want gun bans added back to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. For decades, the VA has been reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for mental issues, and such issues include using a fiduciary to manage one’s VA benefits, Breitbart reports. But this year, the Clinton-era gun ban was rolled back in the Senate by an amendment put forward by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA). Following the adoption of his amendment, Kennedy said, “Unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to strip veterans of their Second Amendment rights unilaterally. The Senate did the right thing for veterans and all freedom-loving Americans by passing my amendment today.” Democrats in the House are crying foul and demanding the gun ban be added back into the appropriations bill. Democrats don’t want our veterans to have Second Amendment rights. Why? Because they fear veterans might at some point make a stand against the growing tyranny these same Democrats support. Ideally, the way Democrats running our major cities think, the only ones who should have guns are violent criminals, gangs, and of course the private security details that guard Democrat politicians.