NRA not to blame

I’m reading and hearing dozens and dozens of stories about how the NRA should be held culpable for the tragic deaths in Las Vegas, mainly because of their lobbying efforts and their political contributions to Congress.

That is about as ridiculous as blaming the French trucking industry for the 80 murders in Nice, France when a truck plowed into crowds of people on Bastille Day last year.

Interestingly, I have not seen one word about how Planned Parenthood is culpable for millions of deaths by encouraging and performing abortions.

Planned Parenthood has received billions of government dollars over the years, and has spent millions of out tax dollars annually on lobbying Congress and making donations to the Democrat candidates’ reelection campaigns.

And the carnage continues.

Paper towels

It was uplifting to watch our president tossing paper towels like he was shooting baskets during his visit to our fellow countrymen in San Juan.

It was exactly what Puerto Rico needed, right?

I hope it inspired LeBron James and the NBA to take a knee.

Tom Petty

Tom Petty was a rock-and-roll legend. He was the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, one of my favorite rock bands.

My favorite Tom Petty songs are I Won’t Back Down and Free Fallin.'

We will remember Tom Petty as a great rock-and-roll legend always and forever.

Tom Petty, RIP.

Debris pick up

Miami city officials are more optimistic about getting hurricane debris picked up than Broward’s officials.

The cover story in the Herald’s Oct. 1 In Depth section shows that 12 of 15 Miami-Dade cities believe the debris will be picked up by the end of October.

In Broward, only 4 of 12 cities think this job will be completed by Oct. 31.

Dania Beach thinks it will take until the end of January.

On the other hand, Ron Bergeron, president of an emergency management company hired by these cities to pick up debris, claims that there are only 3,000 trucks in Florida for this task when 8,000 are needed.

He goes on to say that the job will take six months or until the end of February.

What does he know that the cities don’t?

Cuban crisis

Hardliners and cold war warriors in south Florida have earned a pyrrhic victory in their attempt to reverse President Obama’s unimaginable opening of diplomatic relations with Cuba, ending 50 years of distrust and strife.

Hoping to re-ignite the dark and dangerous days of the missile crisis, they have baited with scare tactics an uninformed administration and make it look foolish, by contradicting its own statements on an undetermined illness affecting its diplomatic corps in Cuba.

With killer hurricanes, earthquakes, mass killings, hunger, wars and sickness everywhere, why is President Donald Trump confirming with his action, his preference for antagonism and friction rather than peace and harmony in the world?

Counting numbers

What’s the magic number?

How many must die in one mass shooting before our Bought-And-Paid-For congress passes intelligent firearm control legislation?

All the hackneyed phrases and the “crocodile tears” delivered by politicians, and the flags at half-mast, will neither bring back the dead nor comfort the wounded.

What does it take for Americans to realize — for more than a few weeks after a tragedy — that high-caliber, mega-magazine, rapid-fire weapons have no place either in “collectors’ locked cabinets” or under the bed of depraved loners.

Following the massacre in Las Vegas, the NRA will trumpet their mantra of “a gun in every pocket.”

That would result, in Vegas, of dozens of firearms, being fired in dozens of directions, by dozens of cretins, probably resulting in dozens more casualties.

Eyes on Rubio

According to opensecrets.org, Sen. Marco Rubio accepted $9,900 from the NRA during the 2016 campaign cycle.

Of course, unless there was some kind of quid pro quo understanding in connection with that donation, it is still possible for the Senator to say “no” to the NRA. But will he?

As a voter, I will be watching.

Trump and Korea

Trudy Rubin’s column Oct. 3, “How to tame Kim Jong Un? Tough sanctions, not insults,” is the most recent commentary on the irrational, childish and dangerous speech emanating from Trump.

He apparently is content to play Korean roulette with the lives of tens of thousands of Koreans and Americans.

Based on his constant need to boost his ego, it seems likely that he is willing to insult Kim Jong Un in order to crow about his “toughness” bringing Kim to the negotiating table, in the event that sane political actions of others does so and we are not treated to the spectacle of nuclear war.

Hotel security

Here’s my check list for hotels to help stop what happened in Las Vegas:

Perhaps some form of scanning luggage, especially excessive amounts.

Give housekeeping hints on looking for out of the ordinary objects.

Sensors on exterior windows that set off alarms when they are shattered.

Beyond shameful

Never in the history of the U.S. has a president blamed the victims of a natural disaster and/or mass shooting event for “blowing our budget” as Donald Trump has just done in relation to Puerto Rico’s devastation by Hurricane Maria!

This reaction is doubly shameful and shocking when considering that Donald Trump, his family, and cabinet have run up millions of taxpayer dollars in travel and Secret Service protection in the nine months since his inauguration!

Treason?

Some Miami Herald letter writers that want Trump impeached for treason don’t know the facts about the criteria for it.

There are only two ways, according to Section 3 of the Constitution: Levying war against the U.S., or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

Who is the enemy here?

This story was originally published October 4, 2017 at 11:49 PM with the headline "NRA not to blame."