DemocraticPatriot
DemocraticPatriot's JournalYOU'LL TAKE MY GUNS WHEN YOU PRY THEM FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGERS!!!
One might presume that was the position of the Clanton gang, when they violated the gun control ordinances of the town of Tombstone, Arizona... (no carrying guns within town limits).
After not only violating town ordinances by carrying guns within town limits, but when at least one member of their gang (Ike Clanton) spent the previous night and part of the next day threatening the lives of law enforcement officers, (sound familiar??)
THEY LOST.
(Not sure who pried the guns from their cold dead fingers afterwards, and neither were they.)
On another site, someone mentioned their intention to watch the movie 'Tombstone', which brought all these thoughts to my mind... besides the fact that I once made that 'famous walk' myself, in the same location.
“Tombstone” is very entertaining— but Kevin Costner’s “Wyatt Earp” would seem to have been much more historically accurate— and Dennis Quaid’s performance as Doc Holliday is priceless… He went to a great deal of trouble to lose so much weight to appear tubercular… Don’t get me wrong, I love Val Kilmer’s performance too, “I’m your huckleberry”, but ‘Tombstone’ seemed written more to please audiences than to portray the story accurately…
(I am a great fan of history, and a student of the famous Tombstone gunfight, and have actually BEEN there to the site of the shootout— which really took place on the street BEHIND the OK corral, next to Fly’s photography studio and boardinghouse…. It only became known as the ‘Gunfight at the Ok Corral’ because the 1950s rendition of it starring Burt Lancaster was so titled. That movie title was catchier than “Gunfight behind the OK corral next to Fly’s photography studio and boardinghouse”...)
This gunfight between the Earps and Clanton gang was actually not typical, as a standup fight in the street with the ‘High Noon’ walk hardly ever happened in real life, but the story of this fight became the dramatic standard for later western movies. In fact, most “gunfights” in the old west were ambushes where one party was bushwhacked without prior notice. One of the other most famous policeman of the west, ‘Wild Bill Hickok’, was shot in the back during a poker game— where his friends, as a sort of joke, denied him his preferred seating arrangement— with his back against a wall.
What I find particularly ironic about the Tombstone story, is that the Earps, like most law enforcement of the time, were advocates of gun control— indeed, the gunfight came about because the Clantons were armed, in defiance of town ordinances…. and the Earps made “the long walk” for the purpose of disarming them.
They enforced gun control, and they were Republicans.
Most Republicans today probably think of them as heroes, because they used guns to subdue “criminals”—
but they do their best to ignore the crime in question-- that the "criminals" were violating local gun control laws....
Further, by my research of the question, they seemed to have been somewhat "surprised" by the fact that the local law enforcement came forward to enforce that particular law against them... and Virgil Earp asked them to throw down their guns. They thought they could run their mouths off, without any consequences...
By my reading of the surviving historical testimonies, one of the Clanton party drew first---
and the Earps, although charged with 'murder' in the shooting, the charges were dismissed by a judge who subsequently was subject to death threats from partisans of the losers....
The biggest takeaway for me here, is that
"once upon a time, Republicans fought for 'gun control' "
of course, back in those days, I believe I would have been a Republican myself--
supporting the anti-slavery party...
The big change might have come in the 1890s, when the the Democrats became the party of 'free silver', and money for the masses--
but I would have had a problem with the remaining racist sentiments, which survived through the 1960s, especially in the south...
but I am a Northern Democrat, of course. Northern Democrats and Republicans did pass the civil rights laws of the 1960s...
I avoided any Thanksgiving invitations from family members....
(even though I do not know if I would have received any.... I have no desire to congregate with anyone within enclosed spaces.... especially including anyone who became 'anti-vaxxers' in the past 2 years... and the whole covid crisis has contributed to my natural anti-social inclinations--- my disinclination to congregate with large numbers of people within enclosed spaces, now includes doing so with blood members of my family)....
Besides that, I have never been fond of turkey (but coated baked chicken is one of my very favorite dishes, and I availed myself of that, along with asparagus, cheesed broccoli, mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives-- and one other thing I cannot now remember, HAHHAHAHAHA)
I feel bad about partially self-isolating myself, but it is what it is....
On the other hand, I have never contracted COVID, so far as I know...
Happy Holidays, fellow DUers!
I have decided that I will make a "Dead Pool" list for 2023...
Not so much a bet on who will die--- as a list of whom the world would be better off without......
Most of you can probably guess the top 2 or 3 names.... LOL but I believe it requiures 10 such
"News of the World"---my favorite movie
of 'somewhat recent times'......
Tom Hanks telling the confederates, "oh, by the way, we lost the war"...
lol
and caring for the native-American girl..... it is classic.
Now playing on Cinemax, but nearing the end...
https://ustv247.tv/cinemax/
SHE VOTED!!!! And Will Vote Again !!
Notably, the lyrics seem to mourn the loss of one who failed his woman...
"Of all the love I have won or have lost
There is one love I should never have crossed
She was a girl in a million, my friend
I should have known she would win in the end"---
Because---- SHE VOTED !!!!!
The Longest and Most Contentious Speaker Election in House History... 1856, or NOW ??
Could history repeat itself here ?
"At the conclusion of the longest and most contentious Speaker election in House history, the House elected Representative Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts as its presiding officer for the 34th Congress (1855–1857). Sectional conflict over slavery and a rising anti-immigrant mood in the nation contributed to a poisoned and deteriorating political climate. As a sign of the factionalism then existing in the House, more than 21 individuals initially vied for the Speaker’s post when the Members first gathered in December, 1855. After two months and 133 ballots, the House finally chose Representative Banks by a vote of 103 to 100 over Representative William Aiken of South Carolina. Banks, a member of both the nativist American (or “Know-Nothing”) Party and the Free Soil Party, served a term as Speaker before Democrats won control of the chamber in the 35th Congress (1857–1859). Banks retired from the House to serve as governor of Massachusetts."
https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1851-1900/The-longest-and-most-contentious-Speaker-election-in-its-history/
also https://www.politico.com/story/2009/02/house-ends-longest-ever-speaker-fight-feb-2-1856-018286
That speaker election was complicated by the conflict over slavery. The Republican party was brand new, and had no majority. The Whig party was dying off, with most of the Northern Whigs folded into the Republican party. The Democratic party at the time was split into northern and southern pro-slavery wings. No faction had a majority.
Because of my personal interest and study of the civil war and the period leading up to it, the situation today, with its very slim GOP margin in the House, made me recall this situation from history, where the House failed to elect a speaker and organize for several months.
“There are, by my count, at least eight to ten Republicans who are adamant that they will not support Kevin McCarthy for Speaker," @JonKarl says of possible GOP House majority. "This is going to be a long, brutal process when they...make that vote." https://t.co/8eqtjqhWmT pic.twitter.com/nc1i7a3QuB— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) November 13, 2022
If that is accurate, and those 8 to 10 Republicans exist who will refuse to support McCarthy for speaker, and they hold the line-- McCarthy cannot be elected speaker without buying them off somehow.... he will not have 218 votes.
OR, Democrats could hold the balance of power in the election of the next speaker. (Votes for speaker do not happen in a party vaccuum-- the Democrats also get to vote.)
If McCarthy really wants to be speaker, he may have to make some kind of deal with enough Democrats to get him to 218!
(I am not advocating either for or against that... just laying out the possibilities here.... but I don't have much faith that McCarthy would keep his promises. I hope that the GOP Freedom Caucus is successful in changing the rules, so that any "motion to vacate the speakership" will again be legal. That would certainly complicate matters.)
Also, it has been noted elsewhere... that it might be possible to elect Liz Cheney as Speaker of the House, if Democrats could find a handful of Republicans to vote for her, along with them. (The speaker does not have to be an elected member of the House-- and just think of how that would make the heads of the Trumptards EXPLODE-- not to mention that of TBL *The Big Loser* himself!)
If the contest drags on without a result for a while, I would suggest that those Republican votes for Liz Cheney might be found within the New York GOP delegation, especially those who won in majority-Biden districts...
The consequences of failing to elect a speaker of the House, include inability to organize it, inability to assign members to committees-- basically everything becomes a complete standstill, so far as I know...
To me, the possibilities of this situation are DELICIOUS!
An airplane banner was trolling Trump today, according to MSNBC--
with a banner to the effect that
'Trump is a Loser! DeSantis 2024!'
LOL
Now, my instincts say that this came from OUR side--
we've already been reported as trolling DeSantis with airplane banners...
gotta love it!
Democrats Poised to control Michigan Legislature for first time in nearly 40 years!
Source: Detroit News
Lansing — Michigan Democrats say they've won full control of state government by taking majorities in the Legislature for the first time in 40 years, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's reelection victory.
While votes were still being tallied Wednesday morning and not all of the key races had been called by the Associated Press, House Democrats said they would hold 56 of the 110 seats in the chamber, a slim, one-vote majority. The Democrats last won control of the House in the 2008 election for the 2009-2010 session.
House Republicans have conceded their 12-year-long hold on the majority, said Gideon D'Assandro, spokesman for the House Republican caucus.
Senate Democrats, who haven't been in power since 1984, announced they had achieved a majority at about 4 a.m. As of 8 a.m., Democrats were leading or had won in 19 of the 38 districts, according to the Associated Press. If their caucus held at 19 seats, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist would serve as a tie-breaking vote.
Read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2022/11/09/michigan-democrats-poised-to-win-control-of-legislature-for-1st-time-in-decades/69632790007/
==========================================
THIS is what a non-GOP-gerrymandered legislature looks like!
We voted to hand reapportionment to an citizen's commission in 2018...
Michigan Democrats have often won the legislative statewide vote totals-- but Republicans had firmly gerrymandered themselves into minority control. Well, not any more!
Also, my "endangered" congresswoman, Elissa Slotkin has been projected to have won re-election by a narrow margin. This is one of the 20 or 30 seats that have been judged to be "pivotal" to US House control.
Democrats poised to win control of Michigan Legislature for 1st time in decades
Source: Detroit News
Lansing — Michigan Democrats say they've won full control of state government by taking majorities in the Legislature for the first time in 40 years, along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's reelection victory.
While votes were still being tallied Wednesday morning and not all of the key races had been called by the Associated Press, House Democrats said they would hold 56 of the 110 seats in the chamber, a slim, one-vote majority. The Democrats last won control of the House in the 2008 election for the 2009-2010 session.
House Republicans have conceded their 12-year-long hold on the majority, said Gideon D'Assandro, spokesman for the House Republican caucus.
Senate Democrats, who haven't been in power since 1984, announced they had achieved a majority at about 4 a.m. As of 8 a.m., Democrats were leading or had won in 19 of the 38 districts, according to the Associated Press. If their caucus held at 19 seats, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist would serve as a tie-breaking vote.
Read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2022/11/09/michigan-democrats-poised-to-win-control-of-legislature-for-1st-time-in-decades/69632790007/
THIS is what a non-GOP-gerrymandered legislature looks like!
We voted to hand reapportionment to an citizen's commission in 2018...
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Gender: MaleMember since: Thu Jan 7, 2021, 04:31 AM
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