False Outrage
One month ago today, Stephen Paddock broke the window in his 34th floor room in the Mandalay Bay Hotel, and, using modified rifles, pumped out hundreds of rounds of ammunition at the music festival nearby. In this act of domestic terrorism, fifty-eight were killed and hundreds were injured.
When the questions were raised: how did he get twenty-five guns into the room, and how was he able to have a virtually automatic weapons; we were told by the President and the Republican leadership – it’s too soon, we need to respect the dead and injured. Two days after the shootings, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated: “The investigation has not even been completed. I think it’s premature to be discussing legislative solutions, if there are any.”[1]
As the weeks have gone by, the talk about “bump stocks” and high capacity magazines has disappeared: the terror of that night has faded. Even the Facebook posts with hundreds of comments are gone into digital history, and America has once again has lost the opportunity to change our culture of unlimited gun power.
The NRA got what they wanted: the stall that leads to inaction. The President and Republican leadership literally dodged the bullet and their responsibility for safeguarding our nation.
Last night, in a “lone wolf” terrorist attack, an Uzbekistani immigrant to the United States drove a rental truck down a bike path in New York City. He killed eight and injured a dozen: he rammed his truck into a school bus, then got out and waved two “guns” around (a BB gun and a paint gun) until he was shot by a police officer. He left a note in the truck supporting ISIS.[2]
Last night and this morning President Trump tweeted the following:
I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!
The terrorist came into our country through what is called the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based.
We are fighting hard for Merit Based Immigration, no more Democrat Lottery Systems. We must get much tougher (and smarter).
Less than twelve hours after the attack (from a citizen of a country NOT on his banned list) the President has made this a political issue. In his mind, it’s fine to stand on the still warm bodies of the bike path to make political points, as long as it’s HIS politics. There’s no need for an investigation, no need for an appropriate time of mourning.
President Donald J Trump is only interested in speaking out to “protect America” when it suits his political views, just as he is only interested in supporting Americans in trouble when it benefits his vote totals (Texas and Florida, not Puerto Rico.) He is not the President of the United States, only the President of those who share his politics.
Besides all of the evidence mounting to show that Trump’s electoral victory was illegitimate, there is an even more important point to be made. Whether George W. Bush actually should have been President or not after the contested election of 2000, after the September 11th attacks he moved to rally the entire nation together. He spoke not only at the World Trade Center site in New York, but also in Islamic Mosques to assure them that this was NOT a crusade against their religion. It was his actions as a “unifier” that made him a true President of all the United States.
Trump continues to act as President of the “38%.” His outrage is conditional, only when it fits his political base. It’s false, and so is he.
[1] https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/03/mitch-mcconnell-gun-control-las-vegas-shooting-243418
[2] http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/31/us/new-york-shots-fired/index.html
