Given the Texas church massacre that was just committed by a man named Kelley … if you use the same rhetoric as the president, then all white Irishmen should be banned from this country.

Of course, banning the Irish is an insane idea. But it’s no more insane than banning anyone else because their skin color, religion or place of origin resembles a criminal’s.

Politicians across the nation are suggesting that we turn to God and prayer to stop the violence. Meanwhile, those same people are turning to the NRA for its money and political support.

I’m not knocking the NRA for supporting its own cause. I blame the gutless elected officials at all levels of government who have more concerns about expanding gun sales than protecting the innocent lives lost by gun violence.

Earlier this year, 45’s administration eliminated the prohibition that kept mentally ill individuals from legally obtaining weapons. North Dakota politicians supported the removal of that ban, while those from Minnesota, who apparently have intact brains and concern for their fellow humans, did not.

Japan and Australia have shown the world that a general weapons ban works! Not here, though. This is America, where gunslingers rule and decent people are afraid to speak up.

What is wrong with our elected officials? How can they not see the need for regulating the type of weapons for sale and the type of person who can purchase them.

You can argue until the end of the world that gun regulation will not work. Yet I will tell you that, if you seriously believe that canard, you should remove your head from your lower extremity and come up for air.

This is not Nazi Germany. Don’t you believe the NRA line that regulation will somehow result in the government coming for your guns. No, it won’t. The NRA — Not Really Assassins — are entirely concerned with profits.

Last Sunday, the president again said, “This is not the time to talk about gun control.” Well, if not now … when? How many mass murders do we need before we finally stop talking and begin to act?

Somehow, many seem to think that murders in a church are more serious than murders in a movie theater, or a concert, or while riding down a bike path. Excuse me, but for the victims it makes no difference at all where and how they are murdered. If God were going to be involved in this, he’d surely have struck down the Texas killer for daring to enter the church. God is leaving it to Man to get his act in order.

It’s a sound idea to require background checks with no exceptions: Keeping weapons from the unstable just makes good sense. We should limit the type of weapons for sale to the public, too; weapons equivalent to those of war should be banned.

Now, I suppose the boo birds will quickly claim, “Who will protect the good guys from the bad guys with guns?” To them I say, how do the good guys tell who the bad guys are at a shooting when everyone is armed? How’d you like to be a lawman and come upon a mass shooting scene, where all are armed — then have to determine the good guys from the bad in a split second? The answer is clear. They couldn’t.

I’m not against responsible gun ownership. However, we do need some serious regulation. After all, we regulate cars and drivers with testing, licenses, insurance requirements and more.

So how do we address gun violence? Make your position clear — and do it with your vote! The one thing more powerful than money is your individual vote. The NRA can purchase political support now. You can change that with your vote. If the politicians know they will lose their jobs unless they support reasonable arms regulation, right now, the NRA loses its clout.

We can talk till the cows come home, but that will change if we start acting.

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In addition to the lack of gun regulation, we have another problem with our current Congress. USA Today has detailed a list of issues within the GOP tax bill that could affect us all. Here are some to think about:

The large adoption tax credit would be eliminated. Alimony payments would no longer be deductible. Teachers could no longer write off the cost of supplies they buy. The cost of tax preparation would no longer be deductible. The costs of moving for a new job would end could not be deducted.

Employee children’s day care would no longer be deductible. Deductions for major medical expenses would be lost. Disaster losses from theft, floods, fires or tornado would be removed, with the exception of disasters given special treatment by prior acts of Congress. Employee achievement awards would no longer be deductible. And there are many more.

By the way, I hope you notice these deductions the bill would take away will hurt the average wage earner but have little or no effect on top earners.

All the GOP’s (Group Of Pansies) talk of tax relief leaves out one little caveat: “for the wealthy.” Those without wealth will continue to suffer. This is just plain dishonest and wrong.

In the good old days, the politicians usually represented the people. As years have gone by throughout my lifetime, that assumption has changed … and for the worse. We can use our votes to bring back accountability.

I care not what your political party may be. None of us can stand by and watch the degrading of our country. We must all get involved in one way or the other. If anyone dares try to tell me their vote doesn’t count, my bodyguard will knock them to their senses.

As white people, we must learn what minorities and people of color have experienced are still experience today. Bigotry and prejudice are now colorblind. All of us have to rise as one people — no color, ethnic or religious discrimination — and get involved in resurrecting the good that can be found in this country. We must rise to get rid of the hatred. It takes more than talk!

So many people still say that they don’t want to get involved because “no one will listen” — not true! If we all get involved, even the dumbest of elected officials will pay attention and start doing what is right instead of what is convenient.

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By the way, a note to the drivers of the red and black pickups with ear-splitting mufflers who drive by my home after dark and stomp on the gas: I now have your vehicle license numbers!

Go ahead -— make my day and see what happens! Amen.