Christmas shopping at Clackamas Town Center

Memorial Christmas Tree in Clackmas Town Center at the site of the recent mass shooting

Am I going mad?

Wayne LaPierre was on television on Sunday morning, pitching the NRA's idea, its  "meaningful contribution," to the nation's search for a solution to the mass shooting problem.  An armed guard at every school.  That's the solution proposed by a man who makes a near-seven-figure salary protecting the interests of gun manufacturers.  More guns.  (By the way, it appears there has been another mass shooting.  This morning, in New York.  Someone set a trap for firemen.)

Here's what he is doing.  He's creating a pseudo-debate, a distraction.  He does not want to talk about Sandy Hook.  Anything but Sandy Hook.  So he floats this idiotic idea to put an armed guard in every school.  (By the way, there was an armed guard at Columbine.)

He hopes to distract.  The Sandy Hook Massacre resurrected the national debate.  LaPierre wants to debate about his idea, not about the sale and manufacture of deadly weapons. He doesn't care if his "meaningful contribution" is never implemented. What matters is that his ridiculous solution is the subject of the debate.  (By the way, brass knuckles, which have the sole function of hurting human beings, are illegal.  Assault rifles with expanded ammunition clips, which have the sole function of killing human beings, are completely legal.)

Nice little thoughts

As it happens, Maty and I went to the scene of the horrible thing that happened right here at home. Clackamas Town Center.  This wasn't the most recent mass shooting.  It was the mass shooting before that.  The one from three days before.

Two days before Christmas and the mall was packed.   Cops, armed cops, were a visible presence.  I bought Maty a skirt and a jacket. 

At the Food Court, the very site of the horror, they'd erected a memorial Christmas Tree. On a fold-up table top, there were shiny red and white cardboard stars and Sharpie markers.  Write a message, a Christmas wish, on a star and they hang them on the Christmas tree or tape them to the glass of the safety rail that encircles the open floor.   Maty wrote "God Bless."  Other stars said "Forever in our hearts," or "You will be missed," or my favorite "Gone but not forgotten."

I wrote 5 words.  "What are we gonna do?"

Business as usual

Cardboard stars on the Christmas Tree and armed guards in every school, huh?  That's our answer?

Come on, people.