by John Walters
It’s The Guns, But Also, It’s The Guys
We step away for one week (after stepping away for nearly a year) and there’s a mass shooting in Chicago at a 4th of July parade and a former Japanese prime minister becomes the second-most famous political figure named Abe to be assassinated. And so many people cry, “It’s the guns!” And they’re right. But also? It’s the guys. If you look at the top 30 mass shootings in the history of the United States, not to mention perhaps every assassination dating back to Julius Caesar, it is always a male that is behind it (the lone exception: a husband-and-wife killing duo in Riverside, Calif., a few years back) .
Now, I’m not sure that we can outlaw men, but it is an interesting fact that no one ever seems to mention. Mental health? In a few instances, but really, it’s testosterone misdirected.
The GOPfather
Over the weekend a few pointed films (All The King’s Men) or docs (“Hitler and The Nazis,” on Newsmax, natch!) appeared on TV, interspersed with clips of the 45th president speaking in Alaska, redefining the meaning of “bully pulpit.” And it occurred to me that his ultimate nickname should be “The GOPfather.” Why? Remember when he first appeared on the political scene in 2015 and career Republican pols such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and Lindsay Graham were describing their rival for the party nomination as a scourge. And then… what changed? He became the populist putz who rallied around all the disenfranchised white folk sick of their country being taken away from them (as opposed to black folk, who 200 years earlier were taken away from their countries).
Anyway, what you notice now is how Republican pols scurry for his blessing as they seek election or reelection. Here in Batshit Crazy, Arizona, a Trump endorsement is mentioned in every political ad if that pol has it (if that pol were truly Trumpian, he or she would simply claim they do have it even if they didn’t… let the truth catch up later). Whereas one GOP gubernatorial candidate is defamed in ads with “She Donated To Obama,” because that’ apparently a terrible thing to have done. After all, how many two-term, elected-by-the-popular-vote (without benefit of a hanging chad) presidents have we had in the past 50 years? Answer: two.
Anyway, it was particularly fascinating to check in on “Hitler and the Nazis” last night on Newsmax, an episode before he came to power, . a veritable blueprint for what Trump and the Proud Boys/Oathkeepers (see: Hitler Youth, all growed up) are doing right now. As someone tweeted this morning, “If you always wondered what you’d have done as Hitler rose to power, you’re doing it right now.” Personally, I believe the war has already begun. And out here in the desert, there’s no shortage of angry white men in pickup trucks who’d only be too happy to use their arsenal to mow down the libtards if a certain someone gave ’em the thumbs up. And who’s going to protect you? The police? Ha ha.
These are not YET dangerous times, but we edge closer to the brink. Hearings and recommendations are nice, and all, but that’s the difference between the elephant and the donkey. The former only cares about winning and has no regard for the rules. The latter seems to care more about the rules and being, what—respected?—than they actually do winning. There’s no reason why right now the justice dept. should not arrest Trump and Bannon and Stone and Flynn and hold them in jail without bond until their trial comes up. So Fox News and millions of Americans will cry “Bloody Murder!” So what? They already hate you, Joe. They’re not the people you need to win over. You never will.
Abraham Lincoln understood all this. Someone in Democratic leadership needs to do so.
A few months ago, on MSNBC (maybe the last night I tuned it), a black pundit weighed in that the Jan. 6 Committee should not seek indictments against any of the aforementioned because that would make them extremely unpopular with hard-line conservatives. And it was at least somewhat uplifting to see Roger Steele, a black man and former RNC chairman, go apoplectic on the dude (my thoughts, too, Roger) as he basically said in not so many words, “What the (bleep) is wrong with you people?!? Who CARES what they think? Why are you trying to appease people would not give two thoughts to stringing up Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi if they could do so? Have you learned nothing from the late 1930s?”
Anyway, what was our original point? Oh yes, that Donald Trump is the GOPfather. And as long as he has this stranglehold on one political party, inducing men to abandon their integrity or values (if, in fact, they ever had any) in exchange for their own political survival or favors, the country overall is blighted. You wanna clean out the neighborhood? You take out the Mafia. You wanna clean out the country? Begin by taking out Donald Trump.
Go Midwest, Young Man?
So USC and UCLA announce that they are joining the Big Ten, and yes we consider that a colossal mistake. For many reasons: 1) travel, and not just for the football teams, but teams from L.A. do not trek to Chicago and parts east after October and win. Not even at Rutgers. Mark it down. 2) The American West is the fastest-growing part of the nation. Sure, take the B1G TV bucks now, but you are creating a vacuum in which schools such as Oregon and Washington and BYU and perhaps even ASU, if it ever gets its act together, will flourish. The Pac-X After Dark is still gonna be a thing, but now Bruin an Trojan players are just gonna hope their charter flight TVs get it as they’re flying home over Nebraska.
How To Talk To Fox News
Here’s Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg giving it to hair-dye guy on Fox News on Sunday morning. Notice how, without raising his voice or having a vein bulge in his neck—calm is his superpower—Secretary Pete continues speaking and does not allow the host to interrupt him. Honestly, he should be the Dems’ presidential candidate in 2024. And here’s a female representative in Pennsylvania, Joanna McClinton, providing a lesson on how to speak to Republican pols:
In A State of Denali
We were only too happy to add Denali to our list of national parks visited and Alaska to the list of states trod upon last week. It’s a park that is the definition of wilderness, as most of its SIX MILLION acres are not reachable by vehicle. That’s okay, because you can still see North America’s tallest peak (20,320 feet) from up to 100 miles away on a clear day. And we were lucky to have a few of those.
Yes, I visited Alaska the same week as Trump. Only a coincidence, we assure you.
What stands out, to me, about Alaska, is how much better the Earth looks in places where man has not encroached upon it. The Last Frontier is a magnificent sight to behold, particularly in those numerous spots that look untouched since the dawn of time. No, I did not see a bear or moose in the wild. Maybe next time. If you’re scoring at home, that’s all 50 states and all seven continents visited. Next up, Mars, I guess. A list of A__________a spots visited or lived in over the course of the years: Arizona, Alabama, Atlanta, Australia, Antarctica, Africa. Ideas, people? What have I missed?
1. Michael Steele (not Roger)
2. Accra, Altoona, Anuptophilia