March 29, 2018 Page 5
Politically Speaking
Making Excuses In Defense of Gun
Lobby Is Getting Old, Repetitive
By Cristian Vasquez
Another week has passed since the shooting
in Parkland, Florida and unlike past tragedies
of a similar nature, the survivors have not allowed
their experience to be forgotten by the
news cycle. Simultaneously, much like every
time one of these violent incidents occur, gun
fanatics have pulled every excuse they can to
make villains out of the victims. This weekend
it was former GOP presidential candidate
Rick Santorum. The self-identified Catholic
demonstrated a complete lack of humanity and
common sense during an interview with State
of the Union where he said, “How about kids
instead of looking to someone else to solve their
problem, do something about maybe taking
CPR classes or trying to deal with situations
that when there is a violent shooter that you
can actually respond to that?”
Yes, this despicable excuse for a human being
and incompetent politician is complaining
that high school kids who were shot at by a
maniac are demanding that the nation’s leaders
help prevent this from happening. In one
breath, Santorum condemns students for reaching
out to their leaders for help while telling
them to do something about their situation for
themselves. Maybe Santorum is a gun fanatic,
because only a fanatic would be against something
as reasonable as a background check.
Only a fanatic is more concerned with being
able to shoot 400 rounds a minute than with
limiting access to these murdering machines to
prevent mass shootings. And yes, we get it gun
fanatics: more people die from car accidents
than mass shootings. That doesn’t mean we
should give up on licensing drivers, demanding
current car registration and insurance. Of
course, unless you’re a fanatic and care more
about your ability to shoot guns than anyone
else’s well-being.
Maybe Santorum isn’t really a gun fanatic,
but the hand of the NRA is so deep his pocket
that he has to come out and defend his masters
at any cost -- even if that price includes his
dignity, humanity or basic decency. Since 1990
Santorum has received $115,942 in contributions
from the NRA (https://www.politico.
com/interactives/2017/gun-lobbying-spendingin
america-congress/), so it makes sense why
he would go on national television and attack
victims of a mass shooting. Unfortunately for
Santorum and the gun fanatics there are very
little, if any, logical arguments they can make
against what these kids are demanding. Sure,
this year they are a bunch of whiny, spoiled
brats being influenced by the liberal media run
by Hollywood elites. However, next year when
they turn 18, these kids will become voters.
With their media-savvy ways, they’ll be able
to vote out people like Santorum.
Is curbing mass shootings something that
can be solved simply by restricting gun access?
Probably not, but it is a huge step in the right direction.
It is definitely the first step toward getting
there. Our country’s fascination with violence
is reflected in its ability to stockpile weapons
and reluctance to even discuss the issue of gun
control without causing outrage. Thanks to the
reluctance of people like Santorum to address
the issue of gun access, these kids have gone
from victims of violence to the change that has
been long overdue. Restricting access is going
to save our country -- not learning CPR. •
The Brave City of Los Alamitos
Stands Up to the Liberal Playbook
By Duane Plank
So, I have lived in the South Bay my entire
life…except for a four-year stint when I was a
toddler, residing somewhere in or near South
Central L.A.
Moved to the South Bay 55 years ago…to the
MB, when it was a sleepy beach town -- not
the bastion of overconsumption of beverages,
land and lack of civility that it has become in
the 21st century, but I digress.
Anyway, if I ever sack up and move out of
my comfort zone, I shall consider relocating in
the down-south berg of Los Alamitos. And not
because they have a nice horse racing track at
which I have lost more than a few Benjamins
over the years.
No, I would consider finally cleaning out
the garage and every other overstuffed storage
unit that I have been paying for over the
years -- like the one I rent from the burglars
at Public Storage who keep raising my rate 10
percent each summer to continue their excellent
service (they do nothing, it is a storage unit).
And move to Los Al.
Why? Because whomever is on their city
council, in consort with the mayor, has the
cojones to tell the sanctuary city folks to bleep
off. The Los Al folks said (paraphrase), “Don’t
sign us up for the sanctuary city gig.”
The ire raised in Los Al emanates from typical
blue state rhetoric foisted upon the legal citizens
of California. That includes SB 54, which was
signed by outgoing Governor Moonbeam -- who
was possibly distracted by trying to extort more
money from Cali taxpayers for his boondoggle
bullet train to nowhere. The same blue state
also prohibits police officials from notifying
federal officials in most cases where…illegals…
who could be subject to deportation are about
to be released from custody.
This ridiculous SB 45 is in addition to at
least three other sanctuary city laws passed by
numerous other communities that seem to give
more rights to criminal illegals in the goodold
USA than citizens here legally.
How about that?
The lock-step libs who apparently run this
“blue” state continue to resist whatever rules apply
in America. But the good folks in Los Al said
enough is enough. Good for them, though legal
eagles apparently don’t think that the Los Al folks
have much of a chance of winning, especially
if the kerfuffle ends up in a court of law with
presumed lib judges making the final decision.
The recent Los Al City Council meeting
featured a bunch of proponents of illegals
reading from the same playbook -- how ridding
the country of illegal criminals “rips apart
families.” Really?
None of that “ripping apart families” diatribe
has ever been proven, has it? Just another page
plagiarized from the Nancy Pelosi playbook,
as the resistors resist.
Almost out of time and space. Another week
of the revolving doors at President 45’s White
House. Canning of Security Advisor H.R.
“Disaster” McMaster topped the news cycle
for a few seconds. A lawyer to the president
quits. The stock market tanks again because,
according to alleged “experts,” the Wall Street
shills are worried about Trump’s tariffs. Then
Trump flies off to Florida for a nice romantic
weekend with his obviously oh-so-happy wife
Melania as a “Storm” continues to percolate… •
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