The Daily Dose/April 4, 2023
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around our human experience.
#USA! #USA!: Last week in this space, after the Nashville shootings, we called for a renewal of the assault weapons ban that was in place from 1994-2004. The column only touched on the other cause of America’s mass shootings, our violent country. We are going to expound on that today.
Dry, Technical Matter: We have violent citizens because we have a violent government. America has been at war every day for the past 35 years and most of the time since Pearl Harbor. We were born in war, came of age in war, and took the world stage in war so the fact America is as violent inside her borders as she is outside can hardly be considered a bulletin. Prisons are not populated by convicts who grew up in quiet, happy homes and America is not populated by quiet, happy people right now.
Running The Numbers: America has had 135 mass shootings this year [source]. A mass shooting is defined here as one where at least four people are either wounded or shot. Of these 135 incidents, 15 of those involved four or more deaths. Since the Nashville shooting on March 27, there have been four more shootings resulting in four deaths and 18 injuries.
The Bottom Line I: Friends, our country is dying from the inside out. A country that averages 1.4 mass shootings a day is far closer to the oblivion that awaits it than the respect and prosperity it once enjoyed. You can’t really argue with that.
The Bottom Line II: This problem has a solution: we must start demanding a better country on Election Day. We must demand a country that prohibits weapons designed to slaughter large numbers of people and we must demand a government at peace with the rest of the world. If we don’t, there will come a time – probably before this half-century is out – when we will no longer be able to govern ourselves. When that happens, someone will come in and do it for us.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow has the latest fashion news. Today’s Diary.
The big news at the hotel was that ol’ Sparrow – for reasons which will probably always remain a certified Mystery of the Front Desk – rolled the cuffs up on his uniform shirt tonite…I am not making that up.
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1949 – NATO is formed with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty by twelve nations in Washington, D.C. In addition to the US, the treaty was signed by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The treaty took effect in August 1949 and today NATO has 30 members, the most recent is North Macedonia, which joined in 2020.
In 1989 – Tommy John of the New York Yankees tied the major league for most seasons played in a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was the 26th major league season for John tying the record established by Deacon McGuire from 1884-1912. John’s first game was on September 6, 1963, pitching an inning for the Cleveland Indians against the Washington Senators. The record was later broken by Nolan Ryan, who played in 27 seasons from 1966-1993.
In 1987 – The Beastie Boys are at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for the fifth of seven consecutive weeks with License to Ill. It was the first chart album for the group. their first of four #1s, and was the first rap album to hit #1 on the Billboard 200. The album also went to #7 in Great Britain and was Billboard’s 3rd-biggest album of the year. It produced four hits on Billboard’s soul chart and two on the Hot 100.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
So nigh is grandeur to our dust/So near is God to man/When duty whispers low, Thou must/The youth replies, I can
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Voluntaries
Answer To The Last Trivia Question
Knowledge is power.
The NCAA major division record for most consecutive baseball wins is 34, done twice, by Florida Atlantic in 1999 and Texas in 1977.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was Tommy John’s career batting average? – Answer next time!
