I promise that “the truth lives here” and therefore must admit that the following story is not funny. However, it is so ridiculous and one of the wildest conspiracy theories I have ever heard, I almost smiled.
A Texas Republican, (at least he claims to be a member of the GOP), is blaming the Uvalde massacre of 19 children and two adults on crossdressers and transexuals.
Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton said on Monday he intends to introduce legislation to bar people under 18 from attending drag shows in the state, as reported by NBC News. In a statement, he said lawmakers have a responsibility to protect children from the “sexualization” happening in Texas.
Let’s play “six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.”
Assault rifles can be purchased in Texas without a permit or a background check by anyone 18 years of age or older. On May 24, 2022, a lone 18-year-old gunman purchased a military-style weapon, went to Uvalde Elementary School after killing his grandmother, and intentionally took the lives of 19 children and two adults. So, of course, the cause of this tragedy is the result of the shooter seeing a drag show before his 18th birthday. Logical?
On December 14, 2012, I followed the saddest story in my life. Writing for the Las Vegas Guardian Express, I never left my television for hours as the story unfolded: it seemed unreal.
When all the facts were in, 20 small children and six educators were dead. The perpetrator was a lone gunman, armed with an assault rifle. I will not repeat his name, though I will never forget it.
I learned later that before his attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, the murderer killed his own mother. The similarities are sickening. In between these two school shootings, there were many other mass shootings. Some are more notable than others because they were reported by the mainstream media: “PULSE,” a gay nightclub in Orlando, 49 dead: a concert in Las Vegas, 58 dead: a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, 26 dead: Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, 17 dead: and recently, Buffalo, New York, 10 dead, and Uvalde, Texas, 21 dead.
As of June 8, 2022, there were 27 school shootings according to “EducationWeek,” and a total of 200 mass shootings.
Republicans and the NRA gun lobby continue to find new excuses for domestic terrorism, and the ease of purchasing weapons of mass destruction play no part in these tragedies. Are they just plain stupid, or do they think we are?
The NRA has used a facetious slogan for years: “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” I have a new and improved version: “guns don’t kill people, members of the NRA with guns kill people.”
A final note to congress: “do something serious or get the hell out of Washington. We, the majority of Americans, have the right to feel safe living normal lives. Stop protecting the profits of gun manufacturers and gun sellers, and stop accepting money from the NRA.”
I used to support the second amendment. Today I believe only well-trained law enforcement officers should be allowed to carry weapons designed to kill other human beings.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Edited by Sheena Robertson
My nine novels are available on Amazon’s Kindle
Sources:
Daily Kos: In the wake of Uvalde mass shooting, Texas Republican promises to bar kids from drag shows
US News: States With the Most School Shootings
Education Week: Subscribe today for unlimited access to best practices, insights, and solutions.
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of vistavision’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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