Politicizing The NRA/GOP Massacre In Santa Fe

Adrienne Bell and Trump Regime con man

Santa Fe is a small, affluent city-- population just over 12,000-- that sprawls on both sides of state highway 6 in Galveston County, south of Houston. A little context: in 1981, when Vietnamese shrimpers moved into the area, the KKK hosted a fish fry in Santa Fe and ceremonially burned a Vietnamese fishing boat. About 2 decades later Santa Fe was in the news again when the Supreme Court ruled their school district's sneaky way of allowing prayer in the school district was unconstitutional. And last week, about 2 decades later, Santa Fe was in the news again-- 9 dead students and one dead teacher... another NRA/GOP special event.

Santa Fe is part of Texas' 14th congressional district, represented by far right Republican Randy Weber, whose lifetime score from the NRA is "A." And, yes, he has accepted NRA bloody money for his votes in their favor. The PVI of TX-14 is R+12 and Obama lost the district both times he ran. In 2016 Trump beat Hillary there, 58.2% to 38.4%. Weber was reelected with an even higher percentage-- 61.9% against an unfunded Democrat, Michael Cole. This cycle his Democratic opponent is Adrienne Bell, a Berniecrat who beat Levy Barnes in the primary with enough votes (79.8% to 20.2%) to avoid Tuesday's run-off. She's a school teacher who has been endorsed by Our Revolution Texas and the Justice Democrats. If you want to contribute to her campaign you can do so by clicking on the ActBlue Turning Texas Blue thermometer on the right. Her grassroots campaign can certainly use the help and support.

As of the March 31 FEC reporting deadline, Weber had raised $471,983 for his campaign compared to Adrienne's $76,960. After the massacre she issued this statement:

My heart goes out to the families impacted by the horrendous act that happened today at Santa Fe High School. As an educator, who has taught in a classroom, we view our students as our own. We are there not only to educate, but also to protect and serve. It breaks my heart to think of the fear our teachers, students, and parents are experiencing. This national tragedy, which has plagued schools across America, made it to our doorsteps in Santa Fe, Texas.

It’s past time for Congress to act. Federal representatives must explore EVERY avenue to make sure our children can learn, and our teachers can teach, in a safe environment. This is not a red/blue issue, it is an American issue.

Parents should be able to send their children to school without fear. Children should be able to attend school without fear. It is time to come together as a community of Americans, in support of our children and their right to learn in a safe environment.

On her campaign website she had made it clear that she believes in and supports the second amendment and supports sane, common sense gun legislation: "This national conversation of arming teachers to prevent gun violence in our schools," she wrote, "is disturbing. Texas teachers are trained to meet pedagogy and professional standards, that make learning relevant for today’s learners. Our responsibility does not, and should not, be that of an armed guard. Teachers have always been on the frontline, and now we are on the front-line of violence. Instead, the conversation should be focused on AR-15s being used in the recent mass murders of students, and school personnel, at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Since 2012, the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle, has been the weapon of choice, in the deadliest mass murders in our country. At Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, the gunman fired 154 rounds in less than five minutes, murdering 20 innocent children, aged 6-7, and six staff members. A recent Quinnipiac poll, released February 20, 2018, found that 67% of Americans, which included 53% gun owners, are in support of a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons. This is the conversation we need to have-- banning assault weapons, and protecting Americans from mass murders. I stand with the majority of Americans, and call for a ban on assault weapons. I support: Assault weapon ban-- including the sale, transfer, manufacturing and importation of customizable semi-automatic rifles Universal background check, Mandatory waiting period for all gun purchases, Ban of high capacity ammunition magazines, Extreme Risk Protection Order."

Right after the massacre, Kellyanne Conway rushed to Fox News Radio to politicize the latest NRA/GOP murder spree by falsely blaming Democrats, claiming-- and without a shred of evidence-- that Democrats are "going right into this gun grab mode." The Con:

There is certain reflexive and thoughtless and pretty predictable and pathetic reaction coming from lots of folks. And frankly, it usually comes from folks who, unlike Donald J. Trump, have been in office for decades and decades and decades and so that certainly applies to the two people you just mentioned. It also is always insensitive that they will… [go] right past the fact that people are suffering, their lives have changed in blink of a second, and they never get all the facts. They just know, right away, they know because it fits the political narrative.

Let's help get rid of NRA handmaiden and Trump rubber stamp Randy Weber and replace him with Adrienne Bell, who does not and will not, take any contributions from the NRA or, for that matter, from any corporate or right-wing PACs. Again, please consider clicking on the thermometer above and contributing what you can to Adrienne's campaign.