The Political Power of Raccoon Killers

 That didn't take long. A mere six days after Robert Aaron Long went off his nut in Atlanta another 21 year old, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa ran amok in Boulder, Colorado. By the time he was wounded and surrendered to police nine people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time and one cop who responded to the shooting were dead.

Long, despite substantial statistical evidence to the contrary, claims his crimes weren't inspired by racial hatred, but rather driven by an attempt to purge himself of a sinful addiction. As of this moment there isn't any word about Alissa's motive, although one of his brothers was quick to point out there have been signs of deepening paranoia for years.

The media, politicians, and forums like Twitter responded to the two nightmares differently. In the case of Aaron Long, who used a hand gun in three different locations, the focus was on race and bigotry. Six of the eight victims were Asian and the three establishment which were so dangerously tempting to him were Asian owned. His weapon of choice seemed entirely secondary to the narrative. Perhaps that's because even the most zealous anti gun crusader knows there is no fucking way to get any sort of pistol banned in this country.

Then along came Brother Alissa on Monday in Boulder. He stepped into the parking lot of the King Sooper's grocery store at 2:30 pm armed with a variation of the AR-15, the preferred weapon of deadly American psychos from sea to shining sea.

Politicians, left and right, and every sort of media known to humankind immediately charged head long into the gun control shouting match. Over the last 48 hours the shit, as they say, has hit the fan.

As if to provide brief sideshows to the main event at least one right wing publication claimed Alissa's very presence in the country was Barack Obama's fault. He arrived, "The Daily Truth," wrote when Obama threw open the borders to Muslims. Yeah, well the only problem there is Ahmad Alissa's family arrived in the United States when he was two years old during the first term of George W. Bush. Others, of the Q variety, began posting--you guessed it--the entire tragedy was faked.

Today on CNN a Colorado congressman, in response to a question about why anyone would need one, maintained many of his constituents owned AR-15s in order to shoot, "raccoons and other pests." Fellow Colorado representative, Lauren Boebert waited two whole hours after the shooting stopped before sending out a fundraising email saying she needed financial help to stop Beto O'Rourke from taking all, "our," guns. Yesterday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, late of Cancun, told Congress that, as always, democrats were using the shooting to, "conduct useless acts of political theater." He offered the families of the victims, "his thoughts and prayers."

The democratic controlled house pushed through a bill which would require stringent universal background checks, but passage in the senate is problematical. In truth the only way democrats will pass any meaningful gun control legislation is to nuke the senate filibuster rule. It's a strategic maneuver needed for more than the gun issue, but, thanks to WV democrat Joe Manchin's opposition the odds of it happening are slim to none.

So there we have it. The same old response to the same old horror. Nothing. Biden can talk about banning assault type weapons all he wants, but democrats can't even get a bill for background checks passed. How well do you think an outright ban on certain weapons will fare? 

Yes, despite most polls showing at least 60% of Americans desiring some sort of meaningful gun control republicans won't budge. Indeed you can say many things about them, but you will never be able to accuse the bastards of being responsive to the majority of people in the United States.

But hey, at least we know all those raccoon killers will remain happy. Who knew they've become such a political force?

sic vita est

3-24-21