Is this the same son who got the minor girl pregnant, and she the great Christian who is against sexual education and calls teachers groomers because they provide safe spaces for gay / trans kids not to be bullied, was proud of her son for doing this. Like she personally had a hand in the selection of the girl and the act to ruin her life and her son’s life also? Stupid uneducated entitled white people …. Hugs
friend of Lauren Boebert‘s eldest son Tyler Boebert has accused the Colorado Republican of covering up details of a car crash caused by the 18-year-old boy, during which the friend, 19-year-old Noble D’Amato, was injured.
D’Amato told the Denver news site Westword that the incident occurred on September 17, 2022, at about 11:30 p.m. According to the 19-year-old, who said he was riding shotgun, the congresswoman’s son was driving his father’s SUV when he flipped into a Garfield County creek bed. At the time, Tyler Boebert was 17.
D’Amato told Westword that he wound up in the hospital with multiple concussions and a severely lacerated hand. “I still have problems with my hand,” he said. “My thumb almost got cut off. It prevented me from getting a welding job because I can’t hold a TIG torch anymore. I’m a personal-care provider now.”
U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) (C) listens alongside members of the House Freedom Caucus during a news conference on the debt limit at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2023. A friend of Boebert’s son Tyler has accused the family of trying to hide a car crash caused by the then-17-year-old boy.STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
After the incident, D’Amato was charged with drug offenses after Colorado State Police said they found he was carrying unprescribed Xanax pills and a marijuana grinder, together with a small amount of marijuana. Officers said D’Amato admitted to taking “a bar”—Xanax—earlier in the evening of the accident, while the 19-year-old insisted Tyler Boebert was sober.
Meanwhile, Tyler Boebert was reportedly issued a “careless driving causing bodily injury” ticket and was summoned to appear in court. But prosecutors in Glenwood Springs later dropped the boy’s case, downgrading it to “a defective vehicle for headlights” ticket following the acceptance of a plea deal, according to the Garfield County Court Clerk’s Office.
Newsweek has contacted Boebert’s team and Colorado State Police for comment by email.
The clerk’s office told Westword that Tyler Boebert was ordered by the court to attend driving school through Colorado’s “Alive at 25” driver’s awareness program and a mandatory review hearing that was scheduled for April 10 to ensure he took part in the course.
D’Amato told the Denver news site that the Boebert family was trying to “hide the fact that I was injured. They just don’t give a f***. It’s the entire family.” He also referred to a previous incident involving Lauren Boebert. In 2019, ahead of the 2020 primary for the Colorado Republican’s congressional district, Lauren Boebert was involved in an off-road incident with her son, dog, and now former sister-in-law Tori Hooper. According to the Daily Mail, which quoted an anonymous source, Lauren Boebert “begged” Hooper to keep quiet about the incident.
D’Amato said he and Tyler Boebert drifted away after the incident but are still friendly. He said he doesn’t plan to take legal action against the Boeberts but he wants Tyler Boebert to stop acting like “he’s a god” just because he’s Lauren Boebert’s kid.
The Garfield County Court Clerk’s Office said that law enforcement just got the ticket wrong the first time. Boebert’s team told Westword that the injury reported by D’Amato “was superficial at best and was addressed by medical professionals out of caution.”
Drag usually involves cross-dressing. A drag queen is someone who performs femininity and a drag king is someone who performs masculinity.
What is the difference between drag and burlesque?
Drag does not typically involve nudity or stripping, which are more common in the separate art of burlesque.
What is drag in culture?
Drag refers to an entertainment style wearing stylized clothing. Most common, it is men wearing women’s clothing cross-dressing, generally for the purpose of a performance. The origin of the term drag is uncertain. The first recorded use of drag in reference to actors dressed in women’s clothing is from 1870.
What is the definition of drag?
Drag is a type of entertainment where people dress up and perform, often in highly stylized ways. The term originated as British theater slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women’s clothing worn by men.
There is a lot more information online. Stop listening to hateful right wing media and republican MAGA leaders with an agenda to vilify groups to get votes. Drag is nothing new or scandals. It simply is being made out that way to create fear and loathing of the right wing voters to turn back the clock of social acceptance of the LGBTQ+
This gutted me. What if they are in the hallway, or bathroom and all the doors are locked? This shouldn’t be a reality for these kids. Or anyone. pic.twitter.com/0IVCVslkc2
Are schools to now be prisons instead of learning facilities? Is that what we want as a country for our children while other advanced countries give advanced education, healthcare, and decent living for their children / public. Hugs
As I keep writing, this is not about protecting children, but instead it is forcing a religious lifestyle on everyone. Clearly in his mind it is a 12 year old girl marrying an older boy / adult man. He would be the first to be appalled if a 12 year old boy was allowed / forced to marry an older boy or adult male. That is because to some religious minded people, girls / women are property of men for the use of childbearing and providing men with pleasure as the man wishes. It is misogyny at its worse. This is about allowing religious parents and church leaders to set the rules for all other parents and those parents kids. It is the attempt to return to a Christian religion dominated society that these religious people are desperate to have as a way to please their god. I wish people would see how blatant this has become. Hugs
During debate Tuesday on a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, Missouri State Senator Mike Moon suggested children as young as 12 should have the right to marry with parental permission.
“Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12? I do. And guess what? They’re still married,” Moon said in response to questioning by Democratic state Representative Peter Meredith.
In debate on the bill, Rep. Meredith cited Moon’s stance on child marriage as inconsistent with his aim of protecting children through his bill banning transgender care for minors.
Moon last appeared here in February when he introduced a K-12 “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He first appeared on JMG in June 2017 when he slaughtered a chicken on Facebook Live in an attempt to make a point about abortion. Yes, really. Moon was a primary sponsor of Missouri’s successful resolution calling for a convention of the states, at which right wingers hope to approve constitutional amendments to ban abortion and same-sex marriage nationwide.
@aaroncrossley beautifully standing up to Sen Mike Moon (bigot/pervert), asking him if he believes that the parents in this room are child abusers. Rep Crossley emotionally & powerfully apologized to us, for how terrible it is to have to hear this hate from our legislators.
A southwest Missouri Republican from Ash Grove, Moon’s support of child marriage in some instances has been long documented. In 2018 Missouri passed a law raising the marriage age in the state from 15 to 16 and requiring parental permission for older teenagers to marry. Moon opposed the bill at the time — citing the same anecdote of a couple he met in college who had married one another at age 12.
Moon’s support of the practice resurfaced during a committee hearing on a bill introduced by Moon that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. If passed the bill would ban health care providers from performing gender-affirming surgeries on any minor or from prescribing or administering cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for a gender transition, unless such minor was receiving such treatment prior to August 28, 2023.
In debate on the bill, Rep. Meredith cited Moon’s stance on child marriage as inconsistent with his aim of protecting children through his bill banning transgender care for minors.
“I’ve heard you talk about parents’ rights to raise their kids how they want. In fact, I just double checked. You voted no on making it illegal for kids to be married to adults at the age of 12. If their parents consented to it, you said actually, that should be the law because it’s the parents right and the kids right to decide what’s best for them. To be raped by an adult,” Meredith said.
If you want to get technical the Bible never specifies an age of consent (for marriage or sexual activity). So IF they want to be biblical they should allow child rape from birth. It’s one of the moral failings that the Bible got wrong. Just like slavery.
Hey, if he thinks 12 year-olds can do adult things like marry he should have no problem with 12 year olds having access to gender affirming healthcare.
This useful idiot accidentally made one of the best arguments concerning healthcare for Transkids.
Girls married off at 12 are not likely to have the knowledge or resources necessary to extricate themselves from that situation. OF COURSE they’re still married! They have absolutely nowhere else to go, as Humbert said about Lolita.
Again people are not forced to go to or watch a pride parade. Yet these Christian Taliban don’t care that participation is voluntary but instead wants to keep everyone from viewing the pride parades and banning them from being presented at all. Please note that one of the people against it was angry that the parade organizers won’t provide a booth for a Christian group to berate the parade participants / viewers and also to demand that gays never have sex with others but instead stay celibate. Also notice that in all prior years there was no issue with the parade, but now the Christian fundamentalists feel free to demand the entire community live by their views like a ruling religion. Hugs
The City of Franklin voted to allow the annual Pride festival to occur in town this year. This comes right after the city decided to wait to vote on the “community decency” policy for another few weeks.
The result came after the aldermen tied 4-4 in their votes, making it so Mayor Ken Moore of Franklin had to break the tie. He said while he approved the permit, he warned those putting on the festival will be under a microscope, but ultimately Moore said he wants to unite the community.
The Tuesday night vote comes just weeks after Governor Bill Lee signed the drag bill into law in March, which bans “adult-oriented performances” in places where children would be able to view them.
Some aldermen said they received threatening emails from people over this vote and repeated that figuring out which way to vote was not as easy of a decision in particular because of a potential lawsuit if they deny Franklin Pride the permit.
According to city leaders, last year, the event’s permit was approved 8-0 and the city has never denied a permit. “I don’t want to see a guy twerking in front of me. I am 60 years old,” said one speaker. “God’s word is clear that homosexuality is a sin,” said another.
While they were in the minority Tuesday night, those who wanted the event to take place believed denying the permit would infringe on their free speech, and send a harmful message to the LGBT community, and people who don’t want to attend are not forced to do so.
Give the tweets below a minute to fully load.
More than 100 people signed up to speak for and against Franklin Pride getting a permit this year. Here is a quick compilation of some of the people who oppose Pride with reasons ranging from homosexuality being a sin to not wanting to see grown men twerk. @WKRNpic.twitter.com/QSbqCa1LRr
The city of Franklin, Tennessee is voting whether to allow a Pride festival. Someone during public comment says it will result in “a rainbow room where 8-12 year-old kids are given butt plugs & dildos.”
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) April 12, 2023
This same Franklin aldermen is scolding pride festival organizers for refusing to offer a booth to this religious group, which believes that homosexual attraction is the result of Original Sin and teachers gay youth to embrace a lifetime of celibacy: https://t.co/6NrSBL7Bm5
HAPPENING NOW: Packed house at Franklin City Hall— hundreds are here waiting to see if the board will approve or deny a permit for the annual Pride festival. @NC5pic.twitter.com/M2BFkjApJ9
We are pleased to announce that the Franklin BOMA has approved our Special Event Permit. Franklin Pride will be on June 3rd at Harlinsdale Farm. pic.twitter.com/VYEuAWM6BE
This woman wearing a “Stop abusing kids” shirt said the Franklin Pride festival permit should not be allowed because the organizers didn’t allow gay conversation therapy groups to set up a booth. pic.twitter.com/FPigQ8PWkV
“I have cash in my pocket. Says ‘In God We Trust.’ … We shouldn’t be subjecting our kids to this whatsoever. … That’s not the way the country was founded.” pic.twitter.com/XARneVK0zj
One mother claimed that the festival was part of a coordinated national movement to groom children. A man read a passage from the Bible about resisting “sexual immorality.” “You think you are doing things based on laws,” a crying woman said, “but you are letting Satan in.”
Read the full article. Festival organizers have already agreed that there won’t be any drag performances.
Please notice that even when the organizers gave into these Christian Taliban by limiting what is and has been accepted free speech in public society for a long time by agreeing that they wouldn’t have drag at the event. Not risky sexual drag from an adult venue but not drag at all. I guess dressing up like Dolly Parton which is a favorite of drag queens is now to sexual for people to see. But it is not enough, these religious haters that want to force their religion church doctrine on everyone, they want the full Russian model of removing pride and the LGBTQ+ removed from society along with removed from the public in all cases. These are the same people that freak out when people want to restrict them from plastering their religious symbols everywhere and who try to pass laws to protect the display of confederate statues / symbols. But they do not give that courtesy to the rest of us, instead they try to demand their church doctrines rule us all. Hugs
If you don’t like Pride Fest then don’t go. Don’t think it’s appropriate for kids, then don’t take any. Problem solved. I steer clear of plenty of things myself. Most of us do.
Also, I have ancestors who were here in the 1600s so I guess that guy would think I have even more say than he does? What bullshit. You’re either a citizen or you aren’t no matter when you or your ancestors got here.
I wonder how he would react if a Native American countered his argument with the fact that their ancestors lived in the area before the white man arrived.
“I don’t want to see a guy twerking in front of me. I am 60 years old,” said one speaker. “God’s word is clear that homosexuality is a sin,” said another.
You can turn around, walk away, close your eyes, etc. But then it’s not about that, is it? It’s about Other People Having Fun.
““God’s word is clear that homosexuality is a sin,” said another.”
A) It’s not all that clear to me that the Christian bible is the word of any god B) The Christian bible isn’t all that clear that homosexuality is a sin, especially when compared with other rules C) Even assuming A and B, the Christian bible has a lot more to say about sins like divorce and eating pork or shellfish, yet I don’t see these folks out in near riot mode against those
Adultery makes God’s Top Ten. I’ve read somewhere that the Christians feel comfortable going after gays because, as opposed to adulterers, they can convince themselves that they don’t know any homos.
I am stunned at how fast and how forceful some religious groups are pushing their demand that everyone live by their church dictates instead of civil law. In One state the pride parade is barely going to be allowed to have a permit after 20 people showed up to push religious reasons to deny the parade permit. They claimed their bible / religious views took priority to any other considerations because of their god / Satan. These people a decade ago wouldn’t have been listened to yet now seem to be calling the shots. In Florida Christian religious views trump all other considerations at town council / legislative meetings. I know in the south a lot of Christian privilege is assumed and there is little you can do right now against it, but it used to never take over the state legislatures. It is terrifying to see how entitled these Christians Taliban are in regulating other people’s personal lives, what other people’s kids can read, what other people’s kids can watch. These religious Taliban are not about keeping their freedoms they are about taking away other people’s freedoms, they are not about being to worship as they believe but about forcing others to follow their churches dictates in what is right or wrong. Hugs
Blistering Democratic opposition couldn’t stop legislation that criminalizes allowing minors into adult shows with “lewd” content from winning Senate approval. The Senate legislation, advancing on a 28-12 party-line vote, doesn’t mention “drag shows.” But (SB 1438) that Clay Yarborough, sponsored, is largely aimed at stopping children from attending those shows.
It authorizes state government officials within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to suspend or revoke the liquor license of any establishment that admits minors to a live, adult performance. A person who admits a child to such a show would face a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines and up to a year in prison.
Democrats believe that the bill could also criminalize public drag shows such as those at outdoor Pride events.
Sen. Clay Yarborough [photo above] first appeared on JMG in 2010, when as a member of the Jacksonville City Council he declared that gays, Muslims, and atheists should not be permitted to hold public office, otherwise God will smite the fuck out of the country. Or something.
“I would say that when I read Romans Chapter 1, I see striking resemblances between where Rome was just prior to its fall in comparison to where America is today. There are striking similarities in what we allow in our societies. Rome did not fall from an outside attack, whether it was military or otherwise. It fell from within because it was morally bankrupt. And I believe we have been treading in that area for a while and the more that we do not embrace that which honors the Lord, we shouldn’t be surprised if the blessings do not continue on our land.”
It comes just one day after GOP Rep Barnaby went on an unhinged, transphobic rant likening trans people to “mutants, demons, and imps” — and GOP leadership remains silent.
Because that same bigotry is animating bills like the Drag Ban that passed in the Senate today.
You should see the parade of young women at the LA Fitness locations here in the Fort Lauderdale area. The women are dressed like something out of Mad Max, strips of clothing barely covering their tits, hanging out all over the place. I don’t object to what they are doing. I’m objecting to the application of one standard at LA Fitness (nothing…kids can go) and drag shows (aunties in drag are being banned).
You’re confused, Caitlin. It’s only embryos/fetuses (esp White ones in ‘merka) that are sacred. After they’re born, fuhgettabout ’em! AR-15 target practice the lot of the lil’ rugrats!
LOL! I am (was) a WASP, but I went to a Catholic college. First time I had (yes, mandated due to course work) to go to mass, I kept thinking, these men are in dresses. With filigree, embroidery, and really ornate hats.
They demand that parents have the right to make medical decisions for their kids, like not vaccinating them, then make it a serious crime to get their child gender affirming care.
GOP: “Parents know best what’s right for their children so government should back off!”
Also GOP: “Our (Republican) government knows better than parents what’s right for children when it comes to drag shows, CRT, education, gender affirming care, rape and pregnancy.”
“When are the sane Floridians going to wake up and do something?“
Probably about the same time that all the sane women in America finally organize to protect reproductive rights….. I’m frankly amazed it hasn’t happened.
The one thing that keeps me hopeful is that, socially, we have not backslid. One could make an argument that social progress is still moving forward. What’s critical is that our straight Allie’s be very awake and stand by us as we beat back these laws. If they “sit this one out” politically, we’re in (deeper) trouble.
Already is undone. Im just shocked at how quickly they are being allowed to take over. Before the feds wake up and realize it, its going to be to late to cut out this cancer
Many years ago (about 30) I was out with my friends at Houston’s pride parade. In addition to the gay and lesbian people you’d expect to see there, there were also a good number of Hispanic families with their kids. I found that odd until a friend told me that this is what Carnaval is like where they are from (including drag queens) so this is just good fun for the whole family to them. They didn’t think they had to shield children from adults in elaborate costumes. They were just putting on a show to entertain the crowd. They got it. I think most Republican leaders get it too. They just need a minority group to bash to distract their base from how sucky their lives are under GQP policies.
The people who habitually groom children into their stupid fucking cult feel they have the right to control others’ freedom of expression, and without any sense of irony, seek to enforce that control by labeling all expression they don’t approve of as “grooming”.
If you REALLY are concerned about children, why not protect them from Ministers and Priests? I mean, if you consider EVERY GAY PERSON a groomer, shouldn’t you consider EVERY Priest and Minister a child diddling monster? Close, or at least tax, the chucrhes.
A man read a passage from the Bible about resisting “sexual immorality.” “You think you are doing things based on laws,” a crying woman said, “but … you are letting Satan in.”
1) We don’t govern based on the Bible.
2) Actually, this is more like letting Satan *out.* :p
OT, but relevant; Back in the day when segregation laws were repealed, white people would just close down all the public pools and fill them in with concrete in order to spite black people. They literally made their own lives joyless in order to prevent other people from having fun as well.
And now that the children of those bigots are being told that reading is not a crime and they have to put all the hidden books back…. they’re doing the same thing and making new rules to just get rid of public libraries altogether.
It’s always the same shit with the Christians. They could quite easily change the channel, not check the book out, not go to the movie, not marry someone of the same sex, not have an abortion, but that isn’t enough. They have to prevent other people from doing things they object to. Newsflash, Christians: your god is losing ground and followers BECAUSE of your annoying and destructive nonsense.
They have their tax-exempt Churches, their schools, home schools, their colleges, their businesses, their radio/TV stations, their internet sites, their Christmas national holiday since 1870, and their cult is protected by the constitution…but that’s not enough, they want to force everyone to join their cult.
Festival organizers have already agreed that there won’t be any drag performances.
Just goes to show it doesn’t matter how may times you make concessions to these maniacs they will not stop until the entire LGBT+ community is erased. I’d go so far as to say that banning drag for fear of being called “groomers” merely encouraged them, and they clearly did not shy away from alleging child sexual abuse, “drag performances” or not.
It’s been said many times, but there’s no hate like christain love.
They claim moral superiority and at the same time overwhelmingly support the most immoral leaders the world has known. They screech about obscenity and at the same time are the most vociferous consumers of porn. They harp on “family values” and at the same time their kids are getting impregnated in middle school, are being beaten by their fathers and are being sexually abused by their clergy. They label us as sexual deviants and at the same time there’s no sexual act that we enjoy that they don’t also engage in. They lie and lie and lie and lie again–claim “gay friends” that they clearly do not have, claim knowledge about us, our lives, our intentions and our activities that they clearly do not hold, and the biggest lie of all–claim that their oppression and marginalization is an expression of love. The glee and schadenfreude that can clearly be seen on their faces every time they succeed at fucking over our community exposes their hypocrisy and treachery.
They may claim to love people like me despite my being an evil sodomite, but I don’t mirror their lie. So I feel free to say that I hate these assholes with the burning heat of a thousand suns. Every time one of these brain-dead morons opens their mouth to mewl about protecting their drooling simpleton brats from people like me, I want to smash their face with a bat. Every obstacle that our community has ever faced can be traced back to the hands of these religious freaks. They cannot die off soon enough for me.
Fuck your god, fuck your families, fuck your values, fuck your churches, fuck your morals and fuck you!
It seems the republican view is that it is OK to break the laws if you are republican. No matter what it seems they give a pass to themselves while wanting everyone else to “take personal responsibility” or “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” Hugs
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (Screenshot/NBC News)
The issue is that Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) represents District 25, which encompasses the community of Crossville, about two hours outside of Nashville. Under the Tennessee Constitution, Sexton can only represent District 25 if he is “a qualified voter of that district.”
A Popular Information investigation uncovered substantial evidence that Sexton and his family lived year-round in Nashville, not Crossville. The piece cited property records, school enrollment, and the observation of his neighbor in Crossville. Sexton’s office, however, did not respond to a request for comment.
After yesterday’s story was published and spread rapidly online, Sexton did communicate with Phil Williams, a high-profile Tennessee reporter. Williams reported that “Sexton argues, as Speaker, he has to be in Nashville so often that it’s easier to have his family here.” So now we know the answer to the question: Sexton, and his family, live in Nashville.
In addition to not living in Crossville, Sexton has also not paid his property taxes on his two-bedroom condo in Crossville for the last two years, according to the Cumberland County website.
Under Tennessee law, “[t]he place where a married person’s spouse and family have their habitation is presumed to be the person’s place of residence.” So, now that Sexton admitted he and his family live in Nashville, there is a presumption that Sexton also resides in Nashville for the purpose of voting registration. That would make his representation of District 25 unconstitutional since he wouldn’t be “a qualified voter of that district.”
The presumption can be rebutted if “a married person who takes up or continues abode with the intention of remaining at a place other than where the person’s family resides is a resident where the person abides.” But Sexton does not “abide” in Crossville while his family lives in Nashville. Sexton, by his own account, lives with his family in Nashville.
According to Williams, Sexton also cited a different section of Tennessee residency law, which states, “a person does not gain or lose residence solely by reason of the person’s presence or absence while employed in this service of… this state.” The issue, however, is not the time Sexton is in Nashville during the four-month legislative session or other official business. The issue is that he lives there year-round, whether or not he is conducting legislative business.
According to the 2022 House Ledger Sheet, for example, Sexton reported working on official business just 42 days outside of the four-month legislative session. But when he is not conducting official business, Sexton still appears to live in Nashville.
John Spragens, an attorney in Tennessee who litigates election law issues — including residency challenges — agreed that there were legitimate issues about whether Sexton was a legal representative of his district. “Residency for voting purposes involves several factors, but someone could easily conclude that Sexton is living in Nashville,” Spragens said. “He’s not the first speaker to do that — just the first to expel members while his own house is not in order.”
Spragens added that, at the moment, “the legislature is the sole arbiter of any member’s qualifications, so it’s up to [Sexton’s] colleagues to decide whether he or any representative should be expelled.” Spragens said that Sexton’s residency could be challenged in court if he runs for reelection.
Gary Blackburn, an attorney who has practiced law in Tennessee since the 1970s, said that what Sexton is doing “violates the obvious spirit of this law” and is “contrary to the intent of the statute.” Blackburn said, however, that enforcement may be difficult because of vague language in the residency statute. Nevertheless, according to Blackburn, the issue of Sexton’s residency is “worthy of public discussion.” He agreed that Sexton could face a court challenge in any subsequent run for office.
As I look into the mirror, shaving a greyed beard from a face lined by time and trouble, I remember a younger face once looking at me from this very glass with similarly sad eyes. A boy of dirty elbows and skinned knees, and behind that perpetually down-cast sight beat a heart filled with impotent rage. I knew my life was wrong, it was unfair, and it was a hot mess of a kid staring back from the mirror that reported horrible things filled with quiet unshed rage and denial of every truth that came anywhere near. At that younger time, I was pure lethality with a gun. I made a game of being able to spin the cap off a bottle without breaking the bottle by just nicking the side with the bullet, but I enjoyed the explosions of the shattering glass when I missed. Like many kids, I relished the wanton destruction, the control of continued existence or the end of that bottle. I felt powerful, skilled, and capable in a world where otherwise I foundered at the whim of forces I felt incapable of withstanding, weak, ineffectual.
If you have never held a gun, you know not the thrill of life, nor of death. For many a gun is the mark of independence, the goal of maturity, the status symbol of greatness. Instead, a momentary pull of a finger decides an accident of foolishness or the demands of a spurned heart and the most intimate of actions lets one be alive still and another not so very much. It is horror and excitement and at no point does the heartbeat slowly for any involved. It is but for targets, some may say, but what is target practice but the refinement of the skills necessary to kill that which you intend great harm? Some say it is an act of freedom to hold the means to life and death in your hands, but whose life, whose death? And why is the ability to take a life a definition for freedom?
From the tenor of this post, many would think I am against gun ownership. To be fair, I couldn’t care less if someone owns a gun. I similarly don’t care if someone owns a pit bull, a monster truck, or wants to live life as a raging karen. It is the unmitigated gall, the pretentious and pompous attitude that one’s ownership of a gun shall not be infringed, even in the misuse and mishandling. Bill upon bill has come before congress, requesting the mere modicum of relief to those of us unwilling to be set upon by others unfettered 2nd amendment rights, only to wither in committee, shot down by the special interests lobby. How sad a people who have decided money is far more important than the life of a school child.
I often wonder if Dylan Thomas knew about the lure of guns when he wrote “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at the close of the day.” When imagined and closeted monsters come and seek to take all that we hold precious, when fear and anger burn so bright as to risk all that is dear, do hold tight to that instrument of power, that wand of courage that burns away the dark and sends the monster back into the closet? But power is fickle, isn’t it? It isn’t only our own fear, our own rage that dispels in the smoke of a smokeless powder concussion. Quiet little sparks in Uvalde, in Sandy Hook, splashed out little stars in last moments of terror. And as those little lives fade, do you wonder if their last thoughts are to be thankful that old men may rage, that young men may rage? Hold on to your fear, gentlemen, do hold on to your fear if that is all you have left.
Don’t be sad, little ones. It’s just the cost of doing business. You understand, don’t you?
At that younger time, I was pure lethality with a gun. I made a game of being able to spin the cap off a bottle without breaking the bottle by just nicking the side with the bullet, but I enjoyed the explosions of the shattering glass when I missed. Like many kids, I relished the wanton destruction, the control of continued existence or the end of that bottle. I felt powerful, skilled, and capable in a world where otherwise I foundered at the whim of forces I felt incapable of withstanding, weak, ineffectual. 
and the most intimate of actions lets one be alive still and another not so very much. It is horror and excitement and at no point does the heartbeat slowly for any involved. It is but for targets, some may say, but what is target practice but the refinement of the skills necessary to kill that which you intend great harm? Some say it is an act of freedom to hold the means to life and death in your hands, but whose life, whose death? And why is the ability to take a life a definition for freedom?
It is the unmitigated gall, the pretentious and pompous attitude that one’s ownership of a gun shall not be infringed, even in the misuse and mishandling. Bill upon bill has come before congress, requesting the mere modicum of relief to those of us unwilling to be set upon by others unfettered 2nd amendment rights, only to wither in committee, shot down by the special interests lobby. How sad a people who have decided money is far more important than the life of a school child.
do hold tight to that instrument of power, that wand of courage that burns away the dark and sends the monster back into the closet? But power is fickle, isn’t it? It isn’t only our own fear, our own rage that dispels in the smoke of a smokeless powder concussion. Quiet little sparks in Uvalde, in Sandy Hook, splashed out little stars in last moments of terror. And as those little lives fade, do you wonder if their last thoughts are to be thankful that old men may rage, that young men may rage? Hold on to your fear, gentlemen, do hold on to your fear if that is all you have left. 
