The Ideologic Extremism of Terrorists, the NRA, and West Fertilizer Co.

In the same week two young ethnic Chechens succeeded in exploding bombs at the Boston Marathon killing 3 and wounding over a hundred people, the NRA/Gun Industry with a minority of Senators killed gun control background checks and every other proposed gun regulation in the US Senate --which will result in far more deaths and wounded than those two terrorists caused. The irony of the timing should not escape us. Pyrrhic victories both, victories which will ultimately lead to their defeat. The two suspects in the Boston bombing, one dead and one hospitalized and about to enter the nightmare of the rest of his life, literally exploded onto the national scene and their pathetic lives will be dissected looking for the clues about radicalization and motives which seem so distant and hard for us to understand. The NRA/Gun Industry's motives appear to be nothing more than $$$ tapping into a uniquely American gun fetishism. Weaponizing our culture to a degree never seen before is their profit motive, so much so that prominent NRA member Adolphus Busch IV resigned this week. Craven, crass, and caught in a downward moral spiral of munitions profits, the NRA not only lost the majority of the US Senate vote this week, but perhaps lost the little remaining credibility they have. In their Pyrrhic victory will be the seeds of their ultimate loss. The ideologic extremism of both supersedes reason. Viewing the world through ideologic lenses leaves one with tunnel vision oblivious to the results of their limited visions. And the contradictions of the ideologic extremes can be seen in the calls for the surviving Boston terrorist's 5th Amendment rights to be forfeited by the same people who vow to expand the 2nd Amendment to heretofore never seen boundaries. Both the terrorists and the NRA succeeded this week in their short term agendas; perhaps in the long run, though, the victories of both this week will sow the seeds of their defeat. And West Fertilizer Co. failed to disclose it was storing 270 tons of explosive ammonium nitrate (think Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma Federal Building a few years ago) near an elementary school, nursing homes, and residential neighborhoods. This appears to be deliberate criminal conduct in pursuit of $$$ which has resulted in catastrophe for so many. They planted a bomb 10,000 larger than the one in Boston.

Senate Amendments on Gun Control Legislation

The NRA said today the only thing that can stop a bad person with a pressure cooker is a good person with a pressure cooker. Meanwhile, in an amendment to the background check legislation being debated in the US Senate today, Republicans have introduced a bill, since criminals don't follow the law anyway, which will allow the sales of military style assault weapons to inmates in all Federal Prison, State Prisons, and County and City jails. They also believe that convicted felons, rapists, and all those convicted of domestic abuse should be able to freely purchase all such weapons on the internet. And in conformance with NRA's position that all people on the US Terror Watch List should be able to purchase assault weapons, Senate Republicans will also allow the sales of these weapons to the inmates at Guantanamo. "We may be violating all their 5th Amendments rights at Guantanamo, but we'll be damned if we will allow the violation of their 2nd Amendments rights," said gun industry/NRA lobbyist Wayne LaPierre today.

Ten Minute Waiting Period

House Republicans have suggested a new question for the background check legislation should the Senate legislation working its way forward actually pass. The new background check will have just one question for the prospective military assault weapon gun buyer: "Are you planning a massacre of children?" If you answer in the affirmative, then you will need to specify where and when such massacre will take place, and then wait ten minutes, after which time you may proceed to purchase the weapon and all the necessary ammo. House Republican Speaker Boehner said, "Although we are opposed to waiting periods entirely, this ten minute waiting period for mass murderers should pass constitutional muster and is a reasonable compromise, and more importantly, we believe will meet with the approval of the NRA." The NRA believes that the above proposal is in confomance with its proposals, and that armed school janitors should then be contacted on the morning of the planned massacres. "We are still working out the details of who does the phone call to the janitors," Wayne LaPierre said today, "but believe this is a significant step forward. Ideally, the perpetrator of the massacre would give a heads up to the janitorial staff. But, you know, they are not reliable." If you answer in the negative, of course, then you may proceed to purchase the weapon immediately. In neither case, will permanent records be kept.

North Korea Responds

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un responded today to US Secretary of State John Kerrey's offer to open multi-lateral talks with several East Asian Countries. Supreme Leader Kim Jong -un said North Korea is willing to talk provided that the US makes certain concessions including: Kim Jong-un said he wants lifetime membership to the National Rifle Association. "The NRA has managed to turn a massacre of young children into a call for more weapons in schools. That takes chutzpa. That Wayne LaPierre is one crazy motherf*****," Kim said. "He's my kind of guy." Second, "We want Walmart to open a franchise in Pyongyang so we will have the same access to modern military style assault weapons and ammunition as have dozens of mass-killers in suburban neighborhoods in the US. We are tired of receiving China's leftover weapons." "Third," he went one, "I want a membership to Augusta National Golf Course and 18 holes of golf with Condoleezza Rice, Dennis Rodman, and Donald Trump. Mr. Trump reminds me so much of my dad. I also want a lifetime free supply of Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes. They're Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaa ttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!! And finally, I also want a trip to Disneyland and a subscription to Cosmopolitan magazine." US officials are studying the proposal and declined to comment.