Raser’s Edge:  The great undecider!


Do you remember the lyrics of that song: “First you say you do, and then you don’t.  Then you say you will, and then you won’t?”  That could be Donald Trump’s theme song.


The latest, of course, was his trip to Denmark which was scheduled and abruptly cancelled because he wanted to buy Greenland and was told it wasn’t for sale.  The Danes thought it was some kind of joke and when Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen told him it was not for sale he got into a hissy fit, stamped his feet and cancelled the trip.  She was “nasty,” Trump whined.  How dare a woman be nasty to him! 


After the El Paso and Dayton mass killings Trump declared he was in favor of more thorough background checks.  But after the NRA gave him his orders, he backed off that too.


You may recall he was going to slap more tariffs on China, but when someone pointed out to him that the tariffs would increase the price of a lot of Chinese goods that people buy for Christmas he delayed those.   We’re still not sure if he understands that China does not pay the tariffs, the importer does and usually passes them on to the consumer. 
  

You may also recall when Iran shot down an American drone, Trump was going to launch a military action.  Then, he claims, someone told him at the last minute 150 civilians could be killed, so the great passionate humanitarian called off the attack.


These episodes will be brushed off by his loyal worshippers (as a side note, did you hear him declare himself as the “chosen one” to deal with China?) but his behavior is not being brushed off by the rest of the world.  Regardless of how much he brags about it, Trump is not causing the world to respect America more.   The leaders of our allies simply have better manners and understand concepts like diplomacy and decorum.   Like many Americans they are just tolerating him, hoping he will be gone next year and American will really become great again.

Raser’s Edge:  When is enough, enough?

On August 1, I posted a declaration by the top clergymen at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. in which they stated, “We must boldly stand witness against the bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia that is hurled at us, especially when it comes from the highest offices of this nation.”

Two days later a white nationalist entered a Wal-Mart in El Paso killed 22 people and wounded 26.

The Washington clergymen clearly stated that the president of the United States is hurling “bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia” at Americans.  Patrick Crusius,  the El Paso shooter, reinforced this impression by echoing Donald Trump In his hate filled “manifesto.”

The Washington clergymen asked in their essay:  “After two years of President Trump’s words and actions, when will Americans have enough?”  I am asking the same thing. I am also asking, when are Trump sycophants  going to realize and admit that he is poisoning America with his hate filled rhetoric.

If I post an item critical of Trump, the Trumpists respond with vehement attacks against me and passionate support for him.  When I posted the clergymen’s’ comments on Trump, not one of them reacted.  Not one. The sound of silence.  You can decide whether it is hypocrisy or psychological denial, or just cowardice to stand up to a despot.

Hopefully by November 2020 Americans will show that they have had enough and vote the worst president in American history out of office.

https://cathedral.org/have-we-no-decency-a-response-to-president-trump.html

Raser’s Edge:  What’s the problem?

Imposing background checks for purchasing a gun should be a piece if cake.  The mechanisms for doing them has been in place for decades.  In 1985 the Boy Scouts of America required background checks for all adult leaders.  It was nationwide, not by state.

About the same time the Civil Air Patrol—the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary— applied the background check rule to adults who were in squadrons with cadets.  I was in one of those squadrons so I know first hand how it worked.  I had to fill out a form with name, address, date and place of birth, social security number AND I had to go to the local police station and be fingerprinted.  All that was submitted to the FBI.

I would assume that over the last 34 years the FBI’s checking capability has become exceedingly more efficient.  It would not be that difficult to require a similar procedure for purchasing guns.  I’m sure there are electronic ways of collecting fingerprints at the gun store counter.
 
So what’s the problem?  Trump is always bragging about how much power he has.  He has essentially been governing by executive order.  So, if he is really serious about requiring background checks for gun purchases, couldn’t he just issue another executive order?  But, just like Moscow Mitch and the other spineless Republicans in congress, he probably won’t have the guts to cross the NRA.