Another day in America, another mass shooting.
After a recent mass shooting when Democrats in the Senate said we need legislation to stop this insanity, and not JUST thoughts and prayers, Senator Ted Cruz, the most disingenuous sonofabitch who has ever hatched from an egg, was livid. How dare Democrats play “theatrics” by attacking thoughts and prayers and instead, suggesting solutions. Even saying we need more than thoughts and prayers is an assault on our Christian values.
If you had listened to Ted Cruz, you would have thought Democrats had left a flaming bag of turds on the steps of the Thoughts and Prayers Institute for Gun Violence and Other Things To Be Sad About.
Ted Cruz talked about how he believes in the power of prayer. But here’s the thing about believing in the power of prayer like Ted does: It’s not working.
Ted talked about the power of prayer several mass shootings ago. Thursday night, another mass shooting took eight lives. This one was in Indianapolis at a FedEx facility. This was at least the 45th mass shooting since March 16, 2021.
In case you’re a Republican, let me lay that out for you. It was the 45th mass shooting in the span of a month. CNN defines a mass shooting as when four or more people, excluding the gunman, are wounded or killed. If you are going to order cards for thoughts and prayers, you better place a bulk order.
After the mass shooting in Georgia, or maybe it was Colorado (it’s getting harder to keep track), two right-wing fucknut fundamentalist cartoonists did cartoons of a crying Uncle Sam on the exact same day. They didn’t address the problem except to say it was sad. One of those morons lives in Indianapolis. Since he had just drawn a crying Uncle Sam, he had to come up with something different for an empty useless gesture. For this one, he had someone hugging a FedEx delivery driver.
The most revolting thing to me about this is that cartoonist works for himself. Nobody demanded he draw something that was a totally useless cliché. No editor held him back and forced him to take a coward’s way out. His response to something in his community was just as empty as his response to when it happens somewhere else. He didn’t even both trying to make it unique or particular to his home. He let his community down just as he’s been letting his country down. And nobody made him do it. He chose to suck all on his own. Just like Ted Cruz.
I don’t expect my cartoon above, or any of the others I’ve drawn on the subject, to end gun violence. But I am adding my voice to many others to find a solution other than just praying for it. I don’t keep repeating the same empty gesture again and again. For right-wing cartoonists, they express it’s sad people die from weapons they believe everyone should be able to own. Tomorrow, they’ll draw some phony outrage about a Hunter Biden sex tape or some shit that doesn’t affect anyone except their white privilege. Maybe they’ll draw a cartoon telling black people cops will stop shooting them if they just follow basic instructions. But when faced with a real challenge, they will fail. Like me, they’re just cartoonists.
Ted Cruz is a politician. Ted was elected to stop shit like this. He’s paid to confront gun violence. He’s one of 50 members of the United States Senate that doesn’t want to do anything about gun violence. Seriously. They don’t want to do anything. They are owned and controlled by the National Rifle Association. And when pressed to do something, they react as if you attacked their lord and savior. It’s a great deflection when you’re full of shit.
Ted Cruz giving thoughts and prayers when a mass shooting happens is him fleeing the situation just like when he fled to Cancun when his state was hit with a freeze. Ted Cruz says drafting legislation to combat gun violence is “theater.” This guy calling it “theater” is the same fucko who once made a campaign commercial of him cooking bacon by wrapping it around the barrel of an AR-15, then heating the barrel by shooting the gun a thousand times…then he ate that flaccid bacon as if that was owning the libs. That doesn’t own the libs. What it does is make libs lose their appetites after seeing Ted Cruz put stuff in his mouth. It works like reverse porn. Also, it’s shit like this that makes people think he’s the Zodiac Killer.
I believe in thoughts and prayers. I’m agnostic, but I think praying for someone is positive. It can be like meditation. Also, thinking is good. Give problems some thought. But, that’s what you do while you’re also tackling the problem.
When I have a problem with my Surface Pro, like the stylus decides to stop working while I’m on a CNN deadline, I tackle the problem. I’m googling up solutions and trying them out. All during that time, I’m praying it’s going to work. Granted, my prayers are probably different from yours and go something like, “You better work, you no good useless piece of crap sonofabitch mother forkerforkerforkforkforker….etc.” But, praying, or cursing at the problem, isn’t the only thing I’m doing.
Have you ever told someone you’re “still thinking about it” when you’re actually not? Like being asked if you’re coming home for Thanksgiving where all your troglodyte Trump-supporting cousins will be there talking about the stolen election and Jewish space lasers, and you say, “I’m still thinking about it”? But you’re not thinking about it. There’s no way you’re going to that shit festival of morons. You’ve already made up your mind that instead of going home to eat turkey and casserole with lunatics, you’re going to get a WaWa gobbler sandwich and a six-pack of Red Stripe, then sit home and watch Dallas lose to whoever they’re playing this year. That’s what I’m gonna do.
That’s thoughts and prayers for politicians.
Is it too much to ask politicians, even the most creepy disingenuous ones like Ted Cruz, to multitask and pray while also actually doing something? I mean, doing something other than accepting a campaign contribution?
When you pray for something to get better, are you literally asking God to fix it? Are you putting it entirely on God to do what you were elected to do? And as I’ve mentioned before, when you offer thoughts and prayers, you don’t even have to do it. Nobody knows if you’re actually giving something a thought or a prayer. It’s really the most useless thing you can do for a problem. Next time you get a flat tire, just pray for it. Don’t change the tire yourself or get your hands dirty. Let God fix it. Let me know how that works out.
FedEx used to have a slogan that said, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” FedEx doesn’t pray packages get to their destinations. They actually physically deliver them. Washington Republican mofos need to do more than pray to end gun violence. Obviously, their thoughts and prayers are NOT working. Nobody is paying me the kind of money Ted Cruz is being given by taxpayers, but I know that if you don’t do anything about a problem, it’s just going to get worse.
We need gun control, not last night or overnight. We need to ban assault weapons absolutely, positively right fucking now.
Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 9103, Fredericksburg, VA 22403. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.
Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: I have FIVE copies of my book in stock, which I’m selling for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.
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Watch me draw:
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As for praying for a result: Sometimes the answer is, ‘No’. It’s not the answer you/s/he/they wanted, but it’s an answer nevertheless. This is what I comment to all the eejits on YouTube who are praying for drumpf to be ‘put into his rightful place’ . . . which to them is the WH, to me is prison. I’m now banned from YT for complaining to much, whilst the Qanonuts, evangelists, Giuliani, Lindell, Powell are still being given free reign to blather their shit all over YT. Go figure.
But at least now I don’t have to pray for the strength to resist the temptation of spending hours on YT every day. That prayer was answered, albeit not in a way I would’ve wanted. It’s like three wishes from a genie; be specific, or else you’ll regret getting what you asked for.
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
‘Thoughts and prayers’ … I call BS!! … there’s more. Please, read this post!!
“In case you’re a Republican, let me lay that out for you. It was the 45th mass shooting in the span of a month. CNN defines a mass shooting as when four or more people, excluding the gunman, are wounded or killed. If you are going to order cards for thoughts and prayers, you better place a bulk order.”
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Thoughts and prayers do nothing for anyone–except the person sending the thoughts and prayers, because they really believe they are helping. Farbeit for me to tell them it isn’t working, they should be able to see that for themselves. But they can’t, because as soon as they have sent their thoughts and prayers, they feel good about themselves, knowing their God will take care of things for them. On to the next sad event. Repeat process.
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Logically speaking, it was THEIR GOD who made this problem in the first place – the volcano, the shooting, the earthquake. What is it that they don’t see or acknowledge this? I just do not understand religion of any kind . . . it’s all cults to me. Some just last longer than others.
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Oh but … but … but doncha’ know??? “All things work together for good.” Or so says the “good book.”
I say … prove it!
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Reblogged this on Scotties Toy Box.
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Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. 1 Chronicles 21:26 And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Elijah didn’t fool around with no thoughts and prayers. “If I am who I say I am, then… ” and it’s done.
When I have to think about thoughts and prayers for some reason I always think of Black Christians, and especially Black women and their church hats. When it comes to being devout and steadfast in the faith, nobody measures up to Black women. It is the same with patriotism. Nobody can be a step above Black women when something has to be done.
If thoughts and prayers had any effect, Black women would have already prayed all the weapons off the streets. It is after they send their husbands and children out the door that the thoughts and prayers, sanctified by her tears, begin in earnest. It is not for photo ops or sound bites. It is to get her family home safe.
Thoughts and prayers do not work. But I’m not going to try to white mansplain that to a Black Christian woman with or without her church hat. She would probably whup all the white off my ass. Maybe worse.
Ted Cancun Cruze offering up his douchebag thoughts and prayers is an offense to humanity.
If there were a god, he/she/it would be offended.
Come on, Elijah. Call down some fire on the bigots in Washington.
Elijah is still alive, you know. Yes. The bible says God took him up alive. /s
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I forgot all about that stupid campaign stunt til now. Oh man.
I generally don’t like guns, I’m not comfortable with them, though I do understand the need to have ’em for defense at home or in your vehicle (as long as people train with the damned things, not just put holes in paper for a license and stick the gun in a drawer for 5 years).
That said, I hate what Cruz and others have been doing. One, that bacon stunt was stupid because you wasted a bunch of rounds just for a prop. Wow–you could have trained instead, and I know a bunch of people who would’ve liked all those rounds of free ammo to go to the range and train. Gah!
Two–it was a stunt. A stunt by people who don’t know shit about the very firearms they’re posing with in their photo ops. A stunt that’s transparent as hell. That bacon thing is the epitome of irresponsible gun ownership, and I can’t remember anybody calling his ass out on it.
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Absolutely, under no circumstances, allow “them” to take your guns and arms away, ever. You have the constitutional right (and this came from many discussions, observations, experiences, and history) to self protection, but also to use arms for sport, practice, or just to have. And this should be fully understood by the public, for a public that is not propagandized, learns the lies and radical efforts being made to create fear and take your freedoms, and knows their real history and current rights, is a strong public, a strong nation, and one the radicals, propagandists, and Marxists cannot take over. Learn to think for yourselves. Patiently but strongly holding to your rights.
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Ah yes, the ‘pick-and-choose’ method . . . when in actuality, the Second Amendment states:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
I hardly think the citizens running around shooting whomever they wish is very ‘well regulated’, do you? Besides, your so-called right to have a gun does NOT trump [sorry, but that’s the only word for this] MY RIGHT NOT TO BE AFRAID OF BEING SHOT.
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If you know your history, then answer this: how many tyrants have been overthrown in the US, against how many school children killed in gun violence since the turn of this century?
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I had no intentions of changing the writer’s mind. This is simply for readers. To those who think for themselves, we’re simply providing common sense. Can’t help those who don’t want to understand. Johnny Appleseed.
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What common sense do you provide? As I asked before, how many tyrants have been defeated, against the number of school children killed in gun violence?
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One last thing, and we did the research, so we hope readers truly looking to understand, honestly wanting freedom, will do the research themselves. However, having said that, if you’re already bent towards believing something, you’ll only look for what you (You, refers to any reader.) want, and there’s plenty of propaganda and rhetoric online. When I looked, I was open, for I hadn’t yet formed an opinion other than supporting my constitutional rights, for when one is faced with a criminal, needing to protect themselves, their families, and their friends/neighbors, at that moment, they wished they had prepared to protect their life and constitutional rights. As for any numbers, we discovered that law-abiding citizens don’t commit terrible crimes, and the answer is not to take our constitutional rights away, because that leads to tyranny. And we researched other countries, communist nations, discovering the disarming of the public. **We leave that to the readers to truly research. Take what I say. Take what others say. Observe. Ponder. Look around. Research. Then come to your own conclusions.
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No one is a criminal until they commit a crime, but the prevalence of guns in US society has not so far led to a safer society. If you have done your research, you would be aware of this.
I have looked into this. The US homicide rate with guns alone is greater than the combined total rates of several other countries. US society is far more dangerous than Japan’s. There is no evidence that guns prevent rape, burglary or robbery, but there is evidence that it makes it more likely someone will die in one of those crimes. The argument that without guns there is tyranny doesn’t hold water in many, many countries.
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This is sounding more and more like “He took my pencil” and “She’s on my side of the chair,” kind of talking, so we’ll leave it here. When it becomes that, there’s no point for further share for the writer doesn’t really want to consider. And that’s okay, for I guess, that was the purpose of the blog to begin. Enjoy.
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Um, I’ve responded directly to you and you have glibly ignored my responses and answers in favour of… I’m not even sure what it’s favour of. This isn’t a tit-for-tat discussion; there are facts, there is history, and neither facts nor history show guns making a society safer. Are you going to address me directly or continue to talk past me?
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