Bay Area Houston

I said it after the Sante Fe murders. The math just doesn’t add up. Lt Governor Dan Patrick suggested metal detectors for schools.

Get your slide rules out and lets do the math. Lets assume each school will need at least 1 metal detector. There are over 9300 public schools and 1200 charter schools in Texas. Each metal detector costs $4000 (not including the training, periodic calibration, and maintenance). So..

1x10500x$4000= $42,000,000 for just 1 detector per school. Assuming we average a total of 3 per school and you have a $126 Million price tag which does not include the cost of training, periodic calibration, maintenance, technical support, onsite personnel. $126 Million.

Now there are 27,848 churches in Texas that would require this brain fart of an idea to keep us safe from gun violence. There are over 600 shopping malls in Texas. So do the math then realize that this is not the answer for gun safety. As I said:

How will metal detectors in Sante Fe protect our families from a gun nut at a concert? At a church? At a night club? At a movie theatre? On the streets? Only a moron would think this is a good idea. This is nothing but a Dan Patrick gimmick as he heads into an election season with teachers lining up against him. Patrick needs to go back to school and learn some math. 

Dumbass Dan Patrick.

If anyone wanted to win the type of rifle used to kill a bunch of kids in Uvalde you will have to find another raffle/auction. According to Michelle Holland the Advisory Board Chairman of the Lunar Rendezvous Festival the auction is off.

It’s as if gun ownership is a game to some.

I wrote this letter to the editor just a few days before the Uvalde shooting:

So far in the last 10 years they have shot and killed:

10 Blacks in New York
25 Hispanics in El Paso
49 Gays in Florida
60 Whites in Las Vegas
26 Christians in Sutherland Springs Church
11 Jews in Pittsburgh
14 Soldiers in Fort Hood
32 College students in Virginia Tech
17 Students in Stonemason Douglas High School
10 Students in Sante Fe
20 5 year olds in Sandy Hook

I’ve said this before after the last mass shooting.

Where in the flying fuck is the so called “responsible gun owners” in Texas? These cowards sat quietly while their elected officials passed open carry and then permit less carry allowing anyone, ANYONE, to carry a gun in public. Even a cartel member, a drug dealer, a GI Joe wannabe, or even a felon, can walk around in the public carrying a loaded assault weapon and the police cannot ask if they have a permit to carry or if they are even allowed to have a gun. Under Texas law the police have no rights to question a gun owner and any rights to protecting themselves from a gun nut with a gun.

So where in the flying fuck are you fucked up, chicken shit, conservatives? Years ago true conservatives believed in treating your gun like your dick:

• You don’t talk about your gun
• You don’t brag about your gun to others
• You don’t compare your gun with others
• You don’t pull out your gun unless you intend to use it
• You don’t threaten anyone with your gun
• You don’t display your gun
• And you don’t walk around in the open, in public, fondling or playing your gun

State Representative Dennis Paul will be attending church today in preparing to offer support to the victim’s families of the New York shooting.

Texas State Representative Dennis Paul has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims in the Sutherland Church shooting, the El Paso shooting, and the Fort Hood shooting. He proudly stood with other Texas officials at Santa Fe High school offering an endless supply of his own thoughts and prayers to the 10 kids killed. A total of 73 Texans lost their lives in these Texas shootings. These shootings drained Paul’s supply of thoughts and prayers but he stood strong with the support of his church, St Bernadette’s unlimited supply of thoughts and prayers.

Paul reached deep into his thoughts and prayers basket from his church for the 20 grade school kids shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He went even deeper to provide thoughts and prayers to those killed in the Las Vegas shooting and the Orlando Nightclub shooting, and the high school kids at Stoneman Douglas High School.

And now on Sunday Dennis Paul will be attending mass and once again digging deep into the thoughts and prayers basket to offer to the families of the victims in the New York shooting. 10 Americans were killed in a racially motivated attack at a shopping center. Paul will be rushing his thoughts and prayers to the families right before attending the NRA convention in Houston.

 Cripps. MS-13. Proud Boys. Everyone means everyone. Thank you Dennis Paul and Greg Abbott for putting guns on the street with Permitless Carry legislation.

 8 Dead. 5 Seriously wounded. 

 #NoPlaceButTexas again. 1 dead, 5 wounded, one Police Officer in critical condition.

As they say “When he tells you who he is, believe him.”

I would have written another one of my “Why do you have to be a dick about everything?” post, joining the ranks of Sid Miller, Louie Gohmert, the Harris County Republican Party, the Young Republicans of Galveston, and others, but Abbott deserves worse or better. Being a dick about everything seems to be par for Abbott. 

This weekend Chick-Fil-A announced it would discontinue donations to anti-gay organizations. According to Fox News:

Chick-fil-A has announced it will focus on donating to initiatives that further its “mission of nourishing the potential in every child” in 2020 — and that it will no longer be giving to two organizations that it had previously received backlash for donating to in previous years: the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The Salvation Army.

Salvation Army? Really? 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott had to be a dick in a tweet issued shortly after the announcement.

Gun safety activists held a great protest a block away from Texas State Representative “Little Baby” Briscoe Cain’s home. We had a visit by the Deer Park Police thanking us for a lawful and peaceful protest. Cain also stopped at the intersection but refused to look at us or engage but he sent two 18 year olds to attempt to harass us. It didn’t work. They were armed with NRA talking points but clearly were not educated on gun rights. It was like talking to a stump.

The protest was in response to Cain’s threat to Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke. It was well attended with beautiful weather. Great job Rob! Here are a few pics:

The State Republican Executive Committee is comprised a of male and female from each of the 31 Senate Districts in Texas. They are mostly older white people. They are in charge of conducting the business of the party including resolutions. 

 (In contrast, the State Democratic Executive Committee has members from each district as well as 2 members from the Labor Caucus, the Asian-American Caucus, Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, Gay Caucus,Veterans, Women, Environmental, and young Democrats. We are a big, diverse, tent.)

After the latest mass shooting in Odessa which left 7 families mourning the death of their loved ones and many other families saddled with massive bills to treat their gun shot wounds the State Republican Executive Committee took action. 

The SREC voted unanimously on a resolution to oppose enhanced background checks and any type of red flag laws. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls upon members of the Texas Congressional Delegation and members of the Texas Legislature to firmly reject Enhanced Background Checks and Extreme Risk Protective Orders as nothing but cleverly devised infringements of the God-given and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas strongly rejects any implementation of Red Flag laws or Enhanced Background Checks should there be a Special Session of the Texas Legislature; and

Little Baby Briscoe works as a Senior Attorney at Fulton Strahan Law Group. They issued the following press release in support of Cain’s right to make threats towards a candidate for President of the United States.

“The Founding Father of the firm is a decorated war veteran who served this country so that people can enjoy basic constitutional rights like freedom of speech.”

You would think lawyers would know that free speech does not include making threats toward other Americans, or towards a candidate for President especially by a State Representative. Free speech does not mean you can yell FIRE in a crowded theatre. Our free speech has always been limited. Briscoe has the right to make threats. He also has the right to suffer the consequences.

Even I know that. Maybe the lawyers at Fulton Strahan might want to pick up a copy of the Constitution. And read it.

Don’t hold your breath.

After the mass shooting which left 27 dead at the Sutherland Church, the Republican leadership did nothing.

After the mass shooting in Dallas which left 5 police officers, dead the Republican leadership did nothing.

After the mass shooting in Santa Fe which left 10 students and 2 teachers dead, the Republican leadership did nothing.

After the mass shooting in El Paso which left 22 shoppers dead, the Republican leadership did nothing.

After the mass shooting in Odessa which left 7 dead, the Republican leadership did nothing.

So if you think the republican leadership in Texas is going to call for Little Baby Briscoe’s resignation, or remove him from his committee positions, or refer the issue to the Harris County DA’s office or to the FBI, you really haven’t been paying attention.

The Republican leadership will do nothing.

There is a State Representative from Deer Park Texas. He is called “Little Baby” Briscoe Cain. Baby Briscoe is one of those people you want to look at and ask “What the fuck is wrong with you?”. Last night would have been a good night to do it.

After the Democratic debate our own little baby Briscoe threatened a Presidential Candidate and fellow Texan, Beto O’Rourk with a tweet referrencing his little AR-15. This isn’t Baby Briscoe’s first Muttin Busting competition.

A few years ago he was flashing g his concealed handgun at the Texas Democratic Convention which got his little ass thrown out of the convention center. His mother was called to pick him up. She stated: 

“I am so sorry for my son’s behavior. I have told him to not play cops and robbers in the open and to never take his toy guns out of the house. I intend to whoop his ass once I get him home.”

Little Baby Briscoe is going to get another ass whoopin and he should. He should be visited by the FBI. He should be charged with making a threat. He should resign. He should lose his law license. He should be treated like every other immature gun nut idiot who issues a threat to a Presidential candidate.

This isn’t a fuckin game.

It’s all about money in Texas.

As long as Texans have a beer, a big screen TV, and a remote, nothing is going to happen concerning gun safety. Nothing. People being killed in church, shopping, attending a rally, going to school, or just driving on the streets will not, has not, swayed the opinions of Legislators who represent the gun industry. There is only one thing our elected officials understand in Texas and that is money.

Companies who are looking to Texas to bring jobs might think twice when they realize that gun violence has become a way of life, or death in Texas. They might think twice when they realize that our elected officials are more concerned about protecting their relationship with the NRA than protecting the lives of employees and their families. 

Texas has been a magnet for business due to its lax business laws, protections from lawsuits, and low taxes but it is also a magnet for gun nuts walking in the streets dressed in military uniforms, carrying assault weapons with high capacity clips. Maybe some day the companies in Texas will stand up against gun violence much like 145 CEOs did in a letter to Congress. From the letter:

“Gun violence in America is not inevitable; it’s preventable,” the business leaders wrote. “We need our lawmakers to support common-sense gun laws that could prevent tragedies like these.”

Via AP

Enough. Just how stupid are we to allow people to walk around wearing military uniforms, bullet proof vests, carrying loaded assault weapons with high capacity clips in the open? All open carry accomplishes is to appease the extremely small number of extremists who get off by creating fear and looking tough.

Candidate for the United States Senate, MJ Hegar, has posted an open letter to Texas Senator John Cornyn calling for an end to open carry across the nation. MJ can talk from a personal point of view because she has used assault weapons for what they were intended for, to kill people. She writes:

I flashed back to my time in Afghanistan as the sounds of war rang in my ears. This isn’t the first time something reminded me so viscerally of my three tours in combat. But something different happened to me when I heard the terrified cries of children layered over the gunfire. Now I was experiencing war not just as a soldier, but as a mother, and this wasn’t a war zone on foreign soil, but in the streets of west Texas. 

MJ calls for an end to assault weapons on our streets. 

That starts with getting weapons of war off of our streets and calling on governors and state legislators to ban the open carry of weapons. The reality is this: The reasons gun owners like me have for wanting to protect our Second Amendment rights — chief among them protecting our families — are not served by open carry. In recent days, we have seen companies like Walmart and Kroger take the lead and ask patrons to not openly carry weapons in their stores, but we can’t depend on that. Open carry itself is an assault on every bystander within range, as we feel the need to flee and cover our children without the freedom to call law enforcement for help. We must empower people to “see something, say something.” 

I doubt John Cornyn will do anything except to protect those he represents, the NRA. If Cornyn won’t get these military weapons off the streets then we to get him off the streets.

MJ’s full letter can be viewed here.

One of these days the Democratic nominee running for any position needs to turn to their Trump republican opponent and just say “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Really just look right at them and ask “WHAT THE fuck IS WRONG WITH YOU?” and just let it sink in.

Case in point, Arizona GOP Chairman, Kelli Ward. Mark Kelly, wife of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, is running for Senator of Arizona. As you remember Congressman Giffords was severely injured in a mass shooting that left 6 individuals dead including members of her staff. Gabby’s first questions, when she was able to talk, was to ask about her staff. Since then Gabby and Mark have become advocates for gun safety.

With that in mind, Kelli Ward, the Chair of the Arizona Republican Party and former candidate for Senator, thought it would be cute to send out a fundraising letter with the following:

It just makes you want to ask her “What the fuck is wrong with you?”. In fact someone already has done just that after Kelli went to twitter whining about being attacked for being a dick. Calling for her to resign is absolutely ridiculous. She is doing a fine job for the Democratic Party.