Note: I struggled with how to describe my feelings about the Parkland, Florida massacre in my ordinary newsletter (which comes out every Sunday and will come out in about an hour). I found I just couldn't do it. The grim topic just didn't mesh with an ordinary newsletter. So I've laid out my thoughts below.

PARENTAL ADVISORY: I would not share this text with children. It is just too painful to reconcile the callousness of our fellow citizens to constant mass murders which would be easily preventable...if only Republican elected officials actually put the needs of victims ahead of the desires of criminals, terrorists, and the violently insane.

-- Mark

How the GOP Makes it Easy to Commit Mass Murder

The AR-15: The Weapon of Choice for Mass Murderers Used in Florida, Las Vegas, Newtown, Colorado theater, Pulse Nightclub, Texas Church,

and many, many other places Will be used to kill a large number of innocent people again very soon,

in some other place in the USA...

Let's say you want to commit mass murder:

You want a military weapon originally used by the Nazis

That murders quickly, painfully, and with precision.

You don't want to hunt animals. (The weapon isn't designed for that.)

You want to hunt people.

You want to hurt people badly.

Not to disable an attacker, the way police do,

But to cause maximum pain and maximum death.

After all, murder is not enough for you.

You're a sadist.

You want to kill as many as possible,

As quickly as possible,

As painfully as possible.* (*Watch video in link if you can stomach it.)

So you order your AR-15 with an accessory promoted by the company as being able

"to turn your basic AR into a (nearly) full-auto rifle,

with no need for the onerous National Firearms Act licensing process.”

And you now have your the weapon for mass murder,

Your weapon of mass destruction,

More lethal than anthrax.

Illegal until 2004, 1.5 million of these have been sold since the national GOP legalized them

By removing the assault rifle ban.

And now, with the GOP-approved bump stocks,

You can just about have the firepower of the Nazis.

And what if you are a Nazi.

Or an Al Qaeda terrorist?

What if you're a mentally disturbed youngster who has vowed to commit mass murder?

What if you have a history of torturing animals,

Of domestic violence,

Or gang activity?

What if you've been convicted of shooting innocent people and are out on parole?

No problem.

The GOP in Virginia has steadfastly refused to enact (or lately even consider)

Bills to punish "good guys" who sell such dangerous weapons to the "bad guys."

The GOP doesn't want a basic background check, already used in gun stores,

To apply to gun sales to criminals, terrorists, and the violently insane in the streets.

So if you think background checks are unreasonable

And you can deal with little children being massacred like this on a regular basis,

You'll want to support the NRA and the GOP.

But if you think this madness needs to stop,

The only way out is to elect Democrats.

It's the only way to stop the next massacre.

And the one that will occur tomorrow.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

Thoughts and prayers will not stop the massacres.

Nor will they bring the children back to life.

To think and to pray without taking action to stop the massacres

Helps evil succeed.

For evil to succeed, all it needs is for good men to do nothing

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.