TRAGEDY IN
FLORIDA shocks my sensibility! No!
No! Not again! Yet, I know other horrendous acts have
occurred before on our U.S. soil, though not quite of this magnitude. I
want to rant and rail at the injustice but know others who may read this have
also felt the same emotions, thought the same words which I would only be
echoing. I join the multitudes across the nation and the world sympathizing those who've experienced loss, sending well wishes for those physically injured and the survivors -- so many families and friends impacted.
* * *
* * *
CALIFORNIA
WRAP-UP of 2016 Presidential Primary Election with Democratic Hilliary Clinton
and Republican Donald Trump the top vote-getters. Our
state had less than 50% of registered voters participating – more than our last
election, but not as much participation as in 2008.
One
proposition that passed may have attracted voters -- allows California state
legislators to be suspended without pay for corruption. This came about when three state legislators
who had been suspended were discovered to still be legally collecting their
salaries.
What will it
take to motivate participation of more voters in November?
EARTHQUAKE
5.2 STRENGTH shook my chair in the wee hours one morning last week, but was mild in
comparison to others I’ve felt in years past.
The predicted "Big One" is yet to
come at some unknown time.
LA NINA is
expected to follow our El Nino winter which disappointingly brought little rain
to Southern California. Typically La
Nina follows which means a dry hot period which we may experience for another 3
or 4 years.
ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM results determined I'm still alive. Basically I'm fine except for what's wrong with me -- but that's been true most of my life.
INTERNET CONNECTION has been inconsistent. Frontier purchased the wired portion of services which includes those I use from Verizon a few months ago and possibly some of the problems that came with it. Hopefully the technical people will remedy this frustrating situation.
ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM results determined I'm still alive. Basically I'm fine except for what's wrong with me -- but that's been true most of my life.
INTERNET CONNECTION has been inconsistent. Frontier purchased the wired portion of services which includes those I use from Verizon a few months ago and possibly some of the problems that came with it. Hopefully the technical people will remedy this frustrating situation.
The loss of life is tragic, unspeakable. My heart breaks reading about this tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI've never felt an earthquake, and hopefully never will. I imagine you try not to think about it, since there is no control over when it will happen.
It does seem like there must be some way to encourage voter participation. I would encourage early voting options. One day is not enough. Those who are working 12 hour shifts or who struggle with child care etc., need to have more flexibility for voting.
I soon became accustomed to earthquakes depending on size, type of jolt, shake, or roll and duration and need to seek cover. Then, I wonder is this a foreshock for a larger one to come -- maybe an after shock, I prefer it to be smaller, or is this the largest shock for this time? This all occurs briefly, then life goes on. I don't fret over what I can't control.
DeleteWe do have early voting, also voting by mail -- both are days, weeks in advance, so no reason or excuse for not voting. Can get free transportation if need and ask, plus help at the polls if needed. Some people simply don't care, some don't like any of the candidates, and others have their own reasons, I guess.
Time to rein in assault weapons now. We can amend the constitution. Women and Blacks would still be disenfranchised if we hadn't done so in the past. Lets live up to those ideals in the Declaration of Independence.
ReplyDeletePast time for reining in assault weapons methinks.
DeleteDoes better late than never work?
DeleteMaybe we'll actually get to find out!
DeleteI hope so. I am very proud of my Senator Wrner (D-VA). He took part in the filibuster, and VA is a "conceal carry' state with a powerful NRA. God love him. Like Manchin in WVA, Warner barely won last time.
DeleteI heard some of what he said and hoped dissidents were listening. I think it sounds like absolutely craziness when some individuals suggest everyone of us should carry guns -- a return to the "shoot 'em outs" in old western movies, I guess. One more thing to carry everywhere I go in addition to my cell phone!
DeleteVoting is so important this time and a realization that a major choice will go beyond who is President. Who will choose that next Supreme Court Justice? If we want to see any change in gun regulations to stop someone like the latest mass murderer, who clearly had mental issues as well as using religion as an excuse to kill, it will require gun regulations. He could have been stopped. A lot of them could have with better, sensible regulations. Don't just wish for better is my thought but work for candidates who want to change this and vote. It won't though stop them all because again this young man was said to have felt no remorse even as a child. That is a warning that the country better seriously look at. No empathy leads to no caring what one does to someone else :(
ReplyDeleteYes, much at stake in this coming election -- need meaningful Congressional changes so, I agree, efforts to make that happen are needed. Who we elect for President matters as you note, but we need more. Calif. is one of only a few states with the stiffest gun regulation laws but there's certainly reason to set some consistently for the nation. I think it's very misleading when some candidates state doing so is an attempt to completely do away with the right to bear arms, but I can appreciate the fear associated with the "slippery slope" concept. Effectively dealing with individuals who have mental issues is clearly a challenge not only in the gun issue but generally -- identifying and most importantly, providing treatment for them.
DeleteWow, you packed a lot of topics into this blog entry! I don't know where to start. I'll just say that I echo most/many of your thoughts on the tragedy in Orlando and assault rifles. If anything good can come out of something so heinous maybe we can finally break the NRA's hold on Washington.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see if our legislators act.
DeleteHooray for your state voting to be able to suspend politicians without pay if they are found to be corrupt ! Our state could use that.
ReplyDeleteOpponents said they were fearful an opposing party to convicted politicians would find a way to misuse it against their party.
DeleteGuns are being pushed as desirable consumer items. Profit is what counts. A culture of impunity for gun owners means that there might be as many guns in this country as there are people. This can't end well. Going out and buying our own guns won't help but just will increase the carnage. We are basically doomed, I'm afraid. We all know what needs to be done, and we all know it won't be done.
ReplyDeleteI worry, too, about the militarization of law enforcement. We have killings by police here recently that are quite shocking, new to us around around here.
As to voting, citizens want their rights and they want everything to be simple. That's not the way things work. Anyone who has participated in elections as an observer, poll worker or elections official knows how difficult it is to run an election. The best thing a citizen can do is train as a poll worker and help out instead of complaining.
There seems always to be an element of various size whose motives revolve around money and profit. Everybody with a gun would be like the movies portrayed the old "shoot 'em up westerns".
DeleteI think we do have to be careful to not sacrifice our freedoms due to fear in the name of security which is part of what the terrorists want to happen in order to destroy our values/system/culture.
Participating in the voting process is a valuable contribution for sure. I think the act of educated voting for all officials is a basic responsibility we have to maintain our republic/democracy -- no right to complain otherwise.