Robert Pacilio's Blog, page 11

“Updated” Top Ten Issues President Trump Fixates Upon:

Back on Sept 10th of 2016, these were the “Top Ten” issues I felt should be the priorities for President-Elect Trump:
10) Decreasing the deficit by decreasing the Military Industrial Complex9) Defeat ISIS  8) Deal with tragedy in Syria  7) Diplomacy with North Korea  6) Polarization in Politics = Gridlock   5) Discrimination and Black Lives Matter 4) Putin Rising  3) Income Inequality Rising, too   2) Public Schools Failing1) Global Warming and Worldwide destruction
That was then. This is now. The President has his own agenda regarding what matters and how he has handled the issues he believes are most threatening:
10) Claiming “Both sides” were at fault in Charlotte protest: He made a moral equivalency between the KKK/Nazis and protesters who objected to them. Remember, he and his father did not allow “Negroes” in their housing in the ’60 and ‘70’s. Hmm.
9) Unilaterally announcing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel: Most diplomats suggested dividing the city up as a capital for Israel and the Palestinians, but not an outright declaration by the USA. Riots have ensued throughout the Arab world This contradicted his policy of working with the Saudi’s (despite their destruction of Yemen!) and reignited Iran and may likely increase ISIS’s dwindling influence. Big mistake. 8) Building ‘the Wall’ so the scary immigrants cannot get their drugs to USA: Well, good luck with that. Oh, and who pays for it? As for the immigrants, notice who works for minimum wage at Mar-a-Lago. Yeah, you guessed it. (He claims he can’t find American gardeners!)
7) Unilaterally Pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords: Who needs to worry about climate? President Obama said it was the most important thing that the nations of the world could do “to save the planet.” Ah, but that brings us to President Obama…
6) Undermining everything President Obama accomplished: Thank goodness Senator McCain voted against the Senate’s plan to Kill Obamacare. Meanwhile, the State Department and the EPA, along with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, are gutted or ignored. Remember what Wells Fargo tried to got away with? Mr. Trump seems to get pleasure out of also criticizing President Bush at every chance he can get—all to stoke his ego, perhaps?
5) Promoting Russia and Putin: There is money to be made in Russia with casinos, hotels, golf courses and nuclear facilities (see Mike Flynn). The only bank that would give Trump loans was the German bank that was in cahoots with Putin. So stopping Russian sanctions (brought on by Putin’s support of the genocide in Syria) via Mike Flynn would be a win-win for everyone. Oh, and pay no attention to the Russian intervention in American elections.
4) Tweeting insults at all who criticize him: Has any American president communicated with ‘the people’ in such a foolish manner? Need I say more?
3) Claiming the Media is ‘Fake News’: The most disturbing part of this priority is how it obliterates fact from fiction and credible from incredible. A Free Press is the hallmark of democracy—that’s Thomas Jefferson’s opinion, not just mine. When the media gets it wrong, they get sued or someone gets fired. Sorry, Mr. Trump, if you are so out of touch with the facts—but alternate facts is another expression for BS.
2) Reversing ‘Robin Hood’ aka the Tax Bill: Give to the rich yacht-donors (and their heirs) and take away the Medicare and Social Security from the poor. That is the Republican plan. When (and if) the bill passes), a 1.4 trillion dollar hole is created in the deficit. Republican deficit hawks will scream bloody murder—and that is why the discretionary programs will be cut. President Reagan and Bush had tax cuts, but that was with hearings, Democratic support and public input. We all know the tax code needs work—too bad Americans have little idea what’s in this 400+ pp goody bag.
1) Screaming “He’s a ‘Rocket Man’”: Since hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, could be vaporized in a split second, this is naturally top of the list. Nothing like goading a nation and making them believe you will invade to get them freaked out so they feel the necessity to build a nuke asap. Oh, Pakistan has them (for decades) and how come we seem okay with that?
And hot off the Press… Dishonorable Mention: Degrading the Women of ‘Me, Too”: The 19 woman claim Trump sexually harassed or abused them. Trump’s reply—Deny, Deny, Deny! That is also what will happen with the Mueller Investigation, too. However, firing the special prosecutor will be the likely end to Trump’s crazy list and the beginning of Pence’s presidency.

The Tax Tip of What Is Left of the Iceberg

Gang:I’ve been off editing my new novel so I have been on the outside reading about what happens in DC. Here is what I think should be considered by all –especially those of you with friends who are in districts or states with representatives or senators with a vote on the tax (handwritten) bill:
FactCheck.org reports: A statistical measure of the U.S. on crime, guns, jobs, health insurance and more under Barack Obama.Brooks Jackson-Posted on January 12, 2016:
Homicides have dropped 13 percent, but gun sales have surged.The economy has added more than 9 million jobs, and the jobless rate has dropped to below the historical median.The number of long-term unemployed Americans has dropped by 614,000 under Obama, but it is still 761,000 higher than at the start of the Great Recession. (reason: retirement, disability and poor education skills)Corporate profits are up 166 percent; real weekly wages are up 3.4 percent.There are 15 million fewer people who lack health insurance.Wind and solar power have nearly tripled, and now account for more than 5 percent of U.S. electricity.The federal debt has more than doubled — rising 116 percent — and big annual deficits have continued.* (Bob’s  addition: the new plan makes this look like chump change)
So… Why do the following: Remove the estate tax? Answer: The “Donors of the top 2% want to transfer all their money to their children so all that money stays in the family…not trickling down to the little people. Why cut off subsidies for the Affordable Care act? Answer: so people cannot afford it and thus lose insurance…meaning Obama care reverts to the 24 million uninsured paid for by insured higher premiums. Why drill in the Alaska Wildlife Preserve? Answer: That is where the big fossil fuel donors want. They believe global warming is unproven science, besides—the money keeps rolling in.
As for debt under President Obama: Again FactCheck.org claims:  “The U.S. government’s debt owed to the public has more than doubled. It is now more than $13.6 trillion, an increase of 116 percent since Obama first took office. And the debt also has grown dramatically even when measured as a percentage of the growing economy, from 52 percent of gross domestic product at the end of fiscal year 2009 to just under 74 percent at the end of fiscal 2015, according to the most recent estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.”(Side note: even the growth we had never increased tax revenues or helped ‘trickle down’ the debt as republicans now claim.)
 Who is to blame? Well, Truman said “The buck stops here”—so I am sure Obama feels he owns this; however, his budget was his offer to Congress. It is Congress who authorizes the budget and sets the spending terms. Who ran congress for the last 6 years of Obama’s term—yep,fully controlled by the same Republicans who now want to reduce tax income and blow another 1 trillion dollar whole in a growing deficit. Hmm. Remember, they are the ‘party of fiscal conservatives’. One more thing, during President Bush’s term the economy was on the verge of total collapse until Obama took over.
Lastly: President Reagan, Clinton and Bush always had hearings and bi-partisan support for all their tax plans. So when things went right or wrong it was not a one party tax bill. (Even Obamacare went through months of hearings and concessions to the Republicans…that’s why so many poor/ middle class folks went nuts when the repeal was ongoing due to its coverage of them.)
What to do? Share this with folks on the other side of the aisle. These are reasonable points that show why a carefully considered tax plan needs to be adopted--not one that is rammed through so no one knows what is in it. Remember, the House does not have to work with the Senate because they can just pass the Senate’s version straight up.<---And I am touching on just the ‘tip of what is left of the iceberg.p.s. check my sources—CBO’s numbers—not ‘fake news’
Bob

Thanksgiving: With a Little Help from My Friends

With Thanksgiving coming, I’d like to express my gratitude to some folks who have helped me and my family so much in the years. I hope I don’t forget anyone…but when I do, please don’t take offense. As Harold Dorr reminded me once, “Just say you had a senior moment.” In no particular order:
Bob Parkington:  He proved just how tough he is—when a car hits you, you dust yourself off…make sure all the bolts and screws are tightened, and head to Paris ! Along with his loving wife Sandy, who nursed him back to health, they provided the great pictures of France for all of us to enjoy. Viva la France!
Kathy McWilliams: who adopts kids into her family with a huge heart and Mark, my best man, whose picture lies next to the word integrity in the dictionary. Their devotion to their boys’ passions is unconditional.
Dave Gibbs: My golf partner and the most honest man I know, and Jeanne, his wife. Put together, they are partners in ‘fun.’
Bob Bjorkquist: The Renaissance man, an adventurer bar none, and his loving road trip partner, Toni.
Linda Englund: Proving the old adage that we all have a great ‘Second Act,’ if we have the courage to step into the white, hot spotlight and never, never, never stop learning and growing.
Chris Saunders: He lost his battle to cancer but never lost his sense of humor and humility.  the most famous man I know, but you’d never know it because he was so damn modest; and Marsha, his wife of 40 years, embodies ‘grace under fire.’ They are the best neighbors we’ve ever known.

Jim Reifeiss: My younger ‘brother from another mother’ who pushed me to be a writer,… and bought me a ticket to see Springsteen.
Joyce and Bill Daubert: Mother and Father Earth—people you count on when the going gets tough.
Harold Dorr: who rides on the Wild Side, reminding me there is a wild side; it’s just not my wild side.
David and Kathy Fares: A couple who reminds me of the joy of being spontaneous—and gracious.
Sandy Gonnerman: Who believed in my writing and implores kids to read.
Tom and Patty McKinney: “Longboards Rule” is an essay I wrote a long time ago about Tom and his family. It spoke of deep appreciation for what people have meant to him and Patti.
Jack and Karen Mosher: The “teenagers” who married, raised a family, and whose love touched so many lives. My Blog about their passing reached 3,275 people.
Monique LT and Faye Visconti: Two teachers who do not know each other, but both know me. Teachers who hold that kids come first in their classes. Their dedication is uncompromising.
Laura Strachan: my literary agent whose been pitchin’ my novels for me, and Christa Tiernan, my editor, who makes me look like I know what I’m doing.
Barb ad Gary Charlebois: The ‘gypsy’ travelers who helped us discover Maui. And Barb, who has helped me when there was a “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”
Rudy and Dee Casciato: Who embrace their boys’ passion (See Mark and Kathy McWilliams)…besides- they’re Italian…’You got a problem with that?’ (I would be remiss to ignore my golf buddies: Ed O’Connor and Mike Parinello and the late, great Tony Goffredo.)
Carol and ‘Uncle’ Don Elder: What greater gifts to give than to give your home to your children?
My family knows exactly what we thank each other for, but sometimes I forget to thank my friends. I know I have left out many folks, please know that I care about you and would be there in a heartbeat.
Bob Pacilio …typing from the Metaphor Café p.s. and thanks to all my former students and debaters/ speakers who have been so supportive !

Lessons from Casablanca: 75th Anniversary: Still the Same Old Story

I’ve been thinking about my favorite film and how relevant it remains despite its black and white. glossy images of a world in turmoil. Here are a few things to remember:

1. “With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But, not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, and so a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up…” This is the opening narration. The direction of today’s refugees differs only slightly; some who can afford it travel to America, but many first cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy or Greece from Africa. It is not Hitler’s Nazis they fear. No, it is the fact that the intense climate’s effect on crops and abject poverty or corruption that has them scurrying for help…for freedom. Unfortunately, due to fear many are turned away, even Syrians whose towns have been blown to bits. This is not the America of Casablanca. That is why “Everyone comes to Rick’s”
2. “And what if you track down these men and kill them, what if you killed all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise up to take our places. Even Nazis can't kill that fast.” Victor Laszlo, leader of the resistance reminds us of the dangers of those who have a singular view of what is a superior race. America was reminded of how these white supremacists are still among us in Charlottesville.

3. “I'm the only ‘cause’ I'm interested in.” Rick Blaine argues the case for isolationism. He is selfish and has been burnt by his fight for the underdogs—and his lost love Ilsa Lund. This is a reminder of what is commonly called “The Zero Sum Game.” In simple terms, anything I give up for another means I lose it for myself. So civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights—each of these groups that have been disenfranchised in the past now wish to be included in the America fabric and given equal opportunity. For some, that takes away from the “traditional” powers. Instead of growing the pie, they feel that the pie is being sliced away from them; thus, they are the only cause they are fighting for. Rick’s mantra: “I stick my neck out for nobody.”

4.  Senor Ferrari: “What do you want for Sam?” Rick: “I don't buy or sell human beings.” Casablanca makes a statement in 1942 about civil rights. Sam, the African American piano player is not for sale. Sam and Rick’s friendship and mutual respect runs deep. This is another lesson relevant today. Once people of good faith meet, the color of one’s skin should never come between them. Black Lives Matter—Human lives matter. But even in Casablanca, the Nazi General states: “As you have observed human life is cheap here in Casablanca.”

5.” If it's December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York? …I'd bet they're asleep in New York. I'd bet they're asleep all over America.” Rick Blaine eventually realizes that his “destiny” in the battle of good and evil is shaped by his sacrifices, even losing the love of his life, for a cause bigger than the problems of three people in this crazy world he lives in. Are we asleep? Are we not noticing that we as a nation are slipping backward and not progressing forward? President Obama believed that our best days lie ahead. However, events of this year seem to be pushing us away from the beacon of freedom and hope and into a nation of fear and divisiveness. Rick realizes his selfishness and finds strength when he tells Ilsa:
: “I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”
As the film closes, Rick’s foil Victor Laszlo nods to Rick as he boards to plane to tell America to wake up to the atrocities occurring in Hitler’s Germany: “Welcome back to the fight. I know this time our side will win.”

Chris Saunders: the hero next door: a remembrance

For thirty two years, I taught about fictional heroes, but for the last three years a real hero lived next door. My neighbor Chris Saunders passed away on September 21, 2017, and yesterday hundreds of folks came to honor him and his family. It was gut wrenching. It was inspiring. It was courageous. It was nostalgic. But above all, it communicated one simple truth. Chris was a hero.
To the thousands of students I taught, you may remember Chris as a channel 8 news reporter for twenty years. Perhaps these pictures will sharpen that recollection of him.  I am writing this for you and for all those folks out there in the ‘cloud’ who may not know that a person like Chris Saunders can bring out the hero in YOU.
I will not make an attempt to equal the eloquence of those who spoke of him. No one could bear witness to Chris’s heroics more than his daughters; Juliet and Hillary. Theirs was a bedtime story told of a father who transcended what is usually expected of fatherhood. One knows deep in our souls that a child’s most important teachers are parents, and the greatest of those parents make it their sacred duty to have their children evolve to a higher level of consciousness and spirituality than they have. That was a tall order for these young women, but Juliet’s and Hillary’s words spoke volumes of what Chris taught them. Chris was never alone in this endeavor. Courage takes on many forms, but his wife of forty years, Marsha, embodied exactly that courage as she faced the cancer that took her soulmate’s life. The Celebration of His Life was her tribute to a man who promised to always and forever walk with her, hand in hand.
He loved the truth and he told the truth in every endeavor. Those of us who knew him, even briefly, heard the stories of his reporting with the Innocence Project, and the people he helped get out of the prison. Prejudice and ignorance were often the causes; however, he spoke truth to power. More importantly, he lived his truth. When Chris Saunders said he would do something, he did it to the best of his abilities.
Chris loved music. He could play any guitar and in the words of Bruce Springsteen “make it talk.”
He always made us laugh…even when his pain was unendurable.
Today, I ask each of us to follow his lead: listen, be kind, sing your song, stand up for what is right because it is right, read to your children, and love family unconditionally. Nothing would make Chris happier. And that, my friends, is what heroes do. Even when the chips are down, they never stop believing in YOU.
So yesterday “there were teardrops on the city”—today, we try to make a difference.
Imagine that.

The Moshers: Jack and Karen: The Autumn of Their Lives.

I write this message to the thousands of people that Jack and Karen Mosher touched in the 80 years that they moved from season to season. I am embarrassed because I planned on writing it in the summer, but no excuse will suffice.
We lost them both in a blink of an eye. First, Karen’s unexpected death in her sleep, then Jack’s in similar fashion weeks later. The memorial was held after Karen’s death in Palm Desert. I do not know if there will be another for Jack. Knowing Jack, he wouldn’t want a big fuss over him, but he always took great joy in celebrating Karen and the gifts she brought to his life and his children’s lives.

I met Jack in the teacher’s workroom at Mt. Carmel High. He looked like Earnest Hemingway and he sounded like him. The more I had coffee or played golf with Jack, the more I realized what a full life he lived. He wasn’t much of a phone talker, but he’s the only person I ever knew who answered my calls with a chipper, “Well, hello there, Bobby.” I always called him “Chief.” Just walking the golf course with the Chief was a lesson in loyalty, honesty, goodwill, and love.
Karen was his angel. She was the piano teacher to so many children who tried their best for her. My wife Pam and I watched both our children play and sing, Anna did most of the singing and Nicholas did most of the playing. Karen’s patience and generosity was a testament to that word again: loveThey fell for each other when they themselves were mere teenagers and their affect never wavered through the tumultuous decades that followed: Vietnam, civil rights, the sexual revolution and the technological advances to come. What always amazed me was that they were always on the right side of history, and as the times changed, they grew and adapted—embracing new ideas, new skills. Many of you reading this had “Mr. Mosher” as your teacher or your European tour guide or your coach on an Academic team, etc. For me, he was always one of my mentors, but despite never taking a class from him, I learned so much. He knew I didn’t know Picasso from Pacino; Carl Jung from Neil  Young; from Walt Whitman from a Whitman’s Sampler—but Jack, who knew so much, did not parade his worldliness. He would wink at me when he knew that I had finally gotten it.
After Karen’s death, I called. I got a very subdued, “Hello,… Bobby.” Then he said, “You know, I was always the one who was supposed to go first.” I was not sure what to say, even though that is what most everyone thought, but I never expected death to catch up with them so soon.  I said I hoped to see more of him since his family was nearby in Carlsbad. However, he solemnly replied, “I don’t think so.” It was foreshadowing, and he knew it. Those words were his last to me.
He and the love of his life Karen now rest in a better place…together. And piano plays an Irish jig.
God Bless them both.
 Bob Pacilio and all of us who had the great pleasure to be a part of the Mosher’s Café.

The Mavericks of the Senate

Between one and two am, John McCain stepped up to the front of the US Senate and made it clear: America is not run by one party, one race, one religion or one man.

He stood his ground before when he suffered at the hands of the North Vietnamese in the Hanoi Hilton and only gave his name, rank and serial number. He refused to leave his prison cell until the other POW’s were returned.


He stood his ground when he ran for president in 2008 when people were attacking candidate Obama for being a Muslim and a man that needed to be feared. He grabbed the microphone from an ill-informed voter and said the Mr. Obama was not either of those things; he was a fine American and a family man and that he would not allow that kind of hate speech to surround his presidency.

He stood his ground right after brain surgery when he berated the senate that this farce of a health bill cannot and should not pass because it is not the American way. He was speaking about how democracy works.
I do not know if he told other senators that he would ‘take the bullet, the heat, the anger or whatever else they were going to throw his way. He ridiculed the radio and television right wing. He did not give a damn about what President Trump wanted him to do, after all, it was candidate Trump who denied the heroism of American POW’s when he blustered: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Thus, dismissing McCain’s loyalty to America and to the military servicemen and women he served under. A military service Trump avoided through deferment four separate times--once because of bone spurs to his heel.

So it took two women from the geographic opposite parts of the nation Murkowski of Alaska and Collins of Maine and one American hero to say—ENOUGH. 
I am not diminishing the courage and compassion of the women senators who were castigated, slandered, and threatened by Trump’s administration. Women have often carried our nation’s heavy burdens. So, now, finally, no one party is proclaiming that health is a right.
So let us get on with the business of fixing the admitted weaknesses of the ACA. Let us go forward together, not in secret. Let us stand and speak to each other and open our minds to the possibilities.  
No one party saved the world from Hitler’s Third Reich.
No one party pulled us from the Great Depression …or the Recession.
No one party struck down school segregation.
No one party got us to the moon.
No one party is to blame for our failures. And they are many.

But to form a “More perfect union” we need to be a union, in union, for freedom and justice for all.

Al Franken: Giant of the Senate: An elixir for what ails America!

Honest. Hard working. Hilarious. Humble. Harvard-whip smart. (and Hey, I can't think of any otherH words to describe this memoir from Al's time at SNL to his present day service in the senate.

Let's start with 'honest.' Al bends over backward to tell the reader (me and his loyal constituents in Minnesota) why things happen in DC, and what he has and has not accomplished. He answers the question: why does congress fail to serve the American people effectively?



He is 'hard-working' because...well, ‘who would think’ a comedian could be a senator? (Of course, our president, as he points out, is another example of ‘who would think’ a seven time bankrupt businessman, womanizer, narcissist, name-calling liar could make the 'bully' pulpit his own golden throne? The difference is Al reads stuff--everything he can get his hands on--and Al knows what the heck he is talking about.) Simply because he was comedian and is now a senator is what drives Mr. Franken to prove himself to his colleagues and constituents.
Hilarious--why? Well, as a senator he had to learn that jokes don't always play well, but as an author...all bets are off. (Just read the chapter on Ted Cruz. I will not spoil or steal any of his jokes.)


His humility is evident in one simple sentence: his devoted wife of 30+ years made ‘the speech’ (and the admission) that, he admits, got him elected. He knows he won election by 314 votes--and Frannie helped tip the scales. (That’s right …314…and it took 8 months to sort it out. I know, inherently comical.)
As for Harvard, he is very self-depreciating, but clearly, he is one of the smartest senators in the room; maybe not the most versed in parliamentary proceedings or protocol, but reading his book helps explain fact from fantasy (or plain ol' BS) on issues like health care, global warming, etc.
One more thing—he respects and admires his ‘esteemed colleagues on the other side of the aisle—and works with them. He cannot understand why there is not more of that. (Of course, he skewers them when they deserve it, also known as the Merrick Garland Obstruction decree.)


For me the overriding theme is this: Politicians must do what is best for all the American people. Politicians must not serve for the purpose of continuing to win back their seat--but rather to win back the trust in the people. His votes must be for the greater good and advancement of humanity (see global warming chapter). He derides the fear mongering and the zero-sum game that is being played by too many politicians (translation:  to win means I get more and you get less--and if you get nothing, well, too bad.) In the words of Bruce Springsteen, a non-Minnesotan like me: Nobody wins unless everybody wins.* (*At least everyone should be given an equal and fair opportunity to succeed.) 
 p.s. Al's pictures are also really funny and the last chapter is heartfelt and poignant.p.p.s. Dang it, I should have put ‘Heartfelt’ in the introduction.

p.p.p.s People who think the title of the book “Giant of the Senate” is egocentric need to look up the term ‘humorous irony.’------------>>

Everything I needed to know I learned from 'To Kill a Mockingbird"

If you don't mind, here are some of the lessons I learned while teaching this novel for 32 years. 

1. "If you can learn a simple trick, you'll get along a lot better with all kind of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.step into their shoes and walk around for a while."

2. "It's not okay to hate anyone."

3. "Our courts are the Great Levelers."

4. "There is evil in the world, Son. I'd like to keep it from you, but that's not possible."

5.“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience. Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself."

6. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.”

7. "People in their right minds never take pride in their talents."

8. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

9. “This time we aren’t fighting the Yankees, we’re fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they’re still our friends and this is still our home.”

10."Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them." 

Just a simple message about the division in politics and the affect on citizens.

Gang: Regarding the ''Who started it first?' Debate on the aggressive, attack language, It is a counter productive argument that only leads to a Hatfield- McCoy conclusion.Of course, the Trump Train is the engine pulling all the cars, but that train left the station back in the 1960's ( at least) and attacks just go unabated. Perhaps, rather than that metaphor that Mark Twain used in Huck Finn (with different family names), it would serve the nation to remember that 'a plague on both houses' can only be truly ended with real change.The most obvious to me is the weapons used in violent attacks.. Both sides need to agree on one simple thing : we have a right to have a gun or rifle, but all assault weapons of of the nature used in the recent assassination attempts in DC on Republicans must be banned. Confiscated with restitution if necessary.. Both sides give in. Gun checks and gun show sales need closer scrutiny.First, come together in deeds, not just words and then recognize the that debate on issues is not a call to arms. We need a "Farewell to Arms"With apologies to Twain, Hemingway and Shakespeare.
Bob Pacilio
Addendum: (After two of my former students commented on FB explaining the confusion about what is an 'assault weapon', here is my reaction:

I've thought more on the subject and your replies. Yes, the crazy folks will look to do as much damage as possible. Note: in Britain with restrictions on guns, the assailants use their cars. Imagine if the had access to some assault weapons? As for The Constitution., the 'right to bear arms' is not my issue- it is about the right for citizens to carry military grade assault weapons. Surely, the number of rounds fired in so quick a time is part the 'prevention' needed since sometimes it gives defense a chance to stop an assassin; no real prevention can stop the 'suspects' because the number exceeds 300,000 in major cities alone. As for comparisons to prohibition, bootlegging liquor is a different skill set to these precise weapons. Yes, it can still happen. The question is this : taking no action means no effort is made because it may not be substantial. My position in terms of a divided Congress and nation is an effort will at least tell Americans that the government has drawn a line at a particular weapon of choice. 
 I also am quite proud to say both of my former students knowledgeable opinions regarding the definitions of 'assault weapons' speak volumes about their understanding of this debate. However, just today, it was on reported that 70 % of guns confiscated by Mexican police are made in the USA. it is a sad truth that this, of all products is what nations want from us the most. Ironically, these same weapons land into the hands of cartels and the used against us.

The killer at the baseball field had one type of 'assault weapon. So did the kid at Sandy Hook and the killer in Arizona with Gabby Giffords...I agree with both of my former students that it is a tough call, but doing nothing is just that, doing nothing. Virginia has no gun restrictions whatsoever , not even registration.

My knowledge of firearms is very limited. The bigger point is whatever the issue or the type of forearm, etc. it is the act of compromise not just the talk of 'getting along better'. So since this recent event highlights the gun debate,but still the sides will not compromise. I believe  some substantive compromise can be a start. Look to the global warming crisis. Neither side makes a move to do something significant. The 'coming together in Congress' talk is cheap; it is what compromises that actually occur where both sides give a little.I chose gun legislation as an example since it was on the hearts and minds of so many in Congress...but alas, little will be done.
Sorry for my longest blog...ever.  Bob



Like · Reply · 22 hrs