In their latest attempt to expand the power and authority of the Corpulent Caucasian Conservatives presently in control of our government, federal authorities will begin enforcing pre-existing laws preventing people who use marijuana from owning guns.
Huh? With support for legalization at an all-time high…in consideration of the fact that not even multiple mass murders could inspire our privately-owned Congress to take away anyone’s gun…who the hell thought this was a good idea?
Like most nefarious acts of the present Administration and its flunkies, this one makes sense on almost no level. In Pennsylvania, where 800,000 guns were sold last year and politicians who are either anti-gun or pro-reproductive rights only get elected in Philadelphia, it sounds a lot like political suicide.
"The Myth of the Patriotic Conservative"
As we attempt to understand the Administration’s motivation, I guess we can find some guidance from the knowledge it is far from the first politically-suicidal act committed in the past year by the “worst and dumbest” – the modern Republican Party’s response to the “Liberal Elitist” ideal that the Nation should be led by the “best and the brightest.” But, seriously, dullards…I can see why you don’t mind pissing off women and minorities who weren’t going to vote for you, anyway. But do you really want to make enemies out of heavily armed, epileptic farmers whose wives are on chemo; especially while you’re in the process of taking away their healthcare coverage? Kind of hard to see your logic.
But like most irrational political activities occurring on a regular basis in America these days, this one will provide another opportunity. Trump has already compelled the Republican Party – through its actions, not its bullshit – to clearly demonstrate it has no concern for any of us unless we’re wealthy. Race is not the primary issue. Gender is not the primary issue. And a lot of poor white men might be about to find out how little they matter to the profiteers they helped elect because one of the strongest forces orchestrating the political enslavement of poor white men (along with the Christian Church) has been the NRA.
So now we get to see the full picture. Does this organization, which has long stood as the most active and effective voice against reasonable compromise in dealing with America’s gun saturation, show its true colors and support the Republican agenda? Or does it come out just as aggressively in support of the gun rights of people who use marijuana in legal or medical states? Stay tuned.
Marijuana has exposed a lot of politicians since Nixon used its classification with the most dangerous and medicinally useless drugs to punish the hippies (and prove he was an asshole.) Presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama could have undone the damage and reclassified it but the latter apparently chose to turn it (very effectively, I might add) into a voting issue which could increase Democratic turnout in states with ballot referenda while the former was too busy not having sex with people to be bothered. (He should have tried inhaling.) Its legalization is a cause that should be uniting “states’ rights” advocates from the right and “social liberals” from the left. It’s potential as a revenue source for cash-strapped state governments is unmatched and should appeal to those Norquist zombies who mutter, “no new taxes,” while they’re eating brains. But politicians at the federal level have done nothing in the face of overwhelming public opinion.
And now the Trump Administration wants to take it away from gun owners who use it legally under the provisions of the laws of their respective states.
With Donald Trump, the tipping point is difficult to identify. Sooner or later, he will go too far and even his flaccid lapdogs like Paul Ryan will have to do something. But “too far” is tough to define in our peculiar situation in which more negative press is generated by calling Haiti a “shithole” than by taking away the healthcare coverage of millions of poor children. Pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war is more acceptable than paying off porn stars (So, I’m guessing, they wouldn’t tell anyone you liked them to pee on you? Hard to believe it was so they wouldn’t say they just had “normal” sex with you when you undoubtedly boasted about the event to anyone who’d listen.) And admitting you were wrong about anything is an approach for losers; winners are smart enough to lie and say they were right.
Marijuana could be that tipping point; that magical moment when those people in the red ball caps start to realize they’re not only just as disenfranchised as they’ve always been, they’re also the primary victims of the lies of the Republican Party.
C’mon, JBeau, go take those guns. They're your kind of people. I'm sure they'll understand.
[Featured image by Michael Vado/Flickr]