I sat down with my morning coffee and sketch book and this is what came out of me…

I have 2 young kiddos… this is scary shit

Sad that *some* people will only find ONE thing wrong with my drawing: the fact that the child is wearing a mask in school#GunReformNow pic.twitter.com/lsCwxlRoAs

— Jon Lion Fine Art (@jonlionfineart2) May 29, 2022

*Editor’s Note: Elephant Journal articles represent the personal views of the authors, and can not possibly reflect Elephant Journal as a whole. Disagree with an Op-Ed or opinion? We’re happy to share your experience here.

*Warning: much-deserved strong language ahead!
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The good news is I’ve lost a few pounds the last couple of weeks.

My diet of Tequila and Werther’s caramel popcorn has its perks.

But when I finally picked myself up off the floor after the racist massacre in Buffalo, I was flattened again with the news that 19 babies and two teachers were slaughtered in a school massacre in Texas. Then the heartbroken husband of Mrs. Irma Garcia, a teacher killed in the shooting, had a heart attack while planning his soul mate’s funeral. To then discover that police officers waited in fear, afraid to even come up with a plan to take down an active shooter for almost an hour enraged me to my core.

Remember the bullshit about “bad guys with guns” and “good guys with guns”? Well, let’s put that lie to rest. The “good guys” in Uvalde cowered and threatened to arrest parents who tried to save their children.

Where the fuck are the common sense gun laws we desperately need? Why are we letting selfish, ignorant people stop gun reform bills across the nation while expanding the rights of gun owners to slaughter us?

Why?

The truth is, one nation under guns.

— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) May 24, 2022

This is why we cannot have change.

A small, hateful, cowardly minority feel their rights outweigh common sense, decency, and basic humanity. When you love a gun more than your children and grandchildren, you are not pro-life. You are a disgrace to all that is humane and holy and good.

Because many of the same liars who claim to be pro-life are absolutely fine with letting children, Blacks, minorities, parents, and grandparents be slaughtered at will by those who feel their right to own a gun is more important than my—than your—fucking right to live.

We have got to do better.

Pro-life means supporting actual humans, not bemoaning the fate of a fetus that is not your concern. Because there are children here, today—right now—being killed. Every fucking day.

Pro-life means you care about the quality of a life—not just whether there is breath, but whether there is hope and love and safety and a reason to be alive. But no, if you’re born in a pro-life state, it seems they just want your babies for cannon fodder, aka to be target practice for those with guns who want and are able to kill them after they take their first breath.

America is not “exceptional” unless you count exceptionally selfish. We are definitely that. And in my opinion, selfishness seems to be a core Republican value. After all, only the most selfish would scream about having to wear a mask to protect each other, but then turn around and pass laws allowing an 18-year-old to purchase assault-style weapons to kill children. Only the most selfish would scream “my body, my choice” regarding wearing a mask during a pandemic, but not understand or care that regulating my uterus is an assault on my fucking body.

Then there’s the age-old lie about “absent fathers,” which will be addressed by forced births how? Absent fathers, especially in the Black community, have more do with the failed “War on Drugs” that has always been a war on poor Black and Brown folks. After all, the Sackler family, the legal drug pushers of OxyContin, have been allowed to keep billions—yes, billions—of dollars representing millions of lives lost. Yet, they are not in jail and have barely paid a price for the misery they cause. Trust me, no level of street dealers made or are making this kind of money.

Then there’s the bemoaning of how church attendance has declined. As if we the people cannot see the hypocrisy of colonizers forcing their fake morality on everyone and championing a twice-divorced, racist philanderer as the second coming of Christ. As if that could ever be true. Who wants to be preached at by the very hypocrites who seem intent on making life worse, not better?

Barack Obama got a lot of heat for correctly stating that conservatives “cling to guns or religion.” I have no idea what religion they’re clinging to, since it seems they’ve certainly never picked up a bible.

And telling the truth is now in danger of being outlawed. After all, Republicans are banning books by the dozen. But banning assault rifles? Not gonna happen.

This is what must happen though. We must vote to get rid of every elected Republican. There’s so much that my rage wants to say about what makes a “good Republican,” but this is supposed to be an “enlightened” site and my momma taught me better. I would much rather be sharing quotes from my book about living the mermaid life, but the hateful folks in this country are making uplifting, inspiring, and enlightening a pipe dream. Most days, it doesn’t feel like the light will be shining on us anytime soon.

That said, there is actually a way out of this darkness. How? We need to ban—that’s right, ban—all assault weapons for civilians. You want to use an assault weapon, be a real hero and join the armed services. Go shoot someone who can shoot back.

Then, we need to fight the battle for actual human lives and push forward on reforming gun laws, nationally.

And finally, shine the light and vote blue—no matter who!

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