Justice Clarence Thomas has found that an AR style rifle that is equipped with a bump stock, allowing it to spray 1000 rounds of rifle bullets in 11 minutes, is not a machine gun.

He used one word to differentiate what was used to kill 58 people in Las Vegas in October 2017 from, say, an M60 machine gun.

Function.

A “function” of a trigger is not the same as a “pull” of a trigger. When you pull the trigger of an M60 machine gun with a trigger finger, it fires a spray of bullets until you take your finger off the trigger. If you pull a trigger of an AR style rifle equipped with a bump stock, it fires a spray of bullets, but it is the bump stock that maintains the spraying.

Defining a weapon’s functionality based on its trigger, and not based on how many bullets the weapon fires per minute – or per second – is no sane way to define a weapon’s functionality.

But it is the way that 6 Supreme Court Justices define it.

So since the Vegas mass murderer pulled the trigger of his AR only once, that means he’s not – technically – a mass murderer, right?

Democrats who live in congressional districts represented by those of the GOP ilk may now discover whether their Congressman voted for the Clyde Amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act which would require that The Confederate Memorial be reinstated at the Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial, erected in 1914, was finally dismantled last December. Rep Andrew Clyde (R GA-9), obviously put off by the whole Confederates as Traitors paradigm, proposed the amendment, which failed to pass, but got 192 Aye votes from the GOP.

Newsweek provides the list of Aye votes.

(And yes, Ken Calvert (R CA-41), the guy who represents me, is on the list). Guess that means another donation to the Will Rollins For Congress Campaign.

I went with my parents, sister, and brother in law to watch Rachel Maddow speak last night. It was essentially a speaking tour for her book Prequel. The book essentially chronicles different anti-semitic and fascist waves in the United States and the ordinary people that stood up to fight them. As you might imagine, most of these stories are stories we never taught in history class and it is shameful for two history teachers (my father was also one) to sit and be dumbfounded with stories we had never heard before.

She called us a blue dot in a sea of red. We know all too well what the stakes are what life could look like if we fail. Obviously, many of the questions turned to the worry over what is happening and what might happen if we don’t succeed. Her advice was to stay in lieu of fleeing for a safe haven.

Two separate conversations I had prior to the evening made this point a lot more clear. The first one is that I obviously make myself known by doing this. I comfort myself in that I am but small potatoes in the vast internet. However, they could track me and know where I stand.

On the heels of that conversation, my brother in law told us that someone he knew had a conversation with him and knows he is more liberal. The guy flat out told him when the civil war comes he won’t hesitate to put him down since he now knows my brother in law is on the other side.

What we know is that the rhetoric is all designed to dehumanize us. If you can successfully make us less than human then you can successfully shut down the part of the conscience that doesn’t allow people to harm others. Maddow made the point that the best thing we could do and is reach out and make connections now. Go beyond what we normally would do. If we normally text then make a point to call. If we normally call then make a point to see them in person. If we see them in person then see them in person more often.

I think she was exclusively talking about loved ones and friends that are likeminded individuals. She didn’t say that specifically, but that is how I interpreted her plea. I think the idea is there would be someone looking for you (and us for them) if that time ever comes. I certainly can’t argue the point, but another thought entered my mind as she discussed this.

If the goal of the right is to dehumanize us then our goal should be to rehumanize everyone. Yes, I just made up a new word, but these times demand some invention. They say in hostage situations that it is harder for the aggressor to eliminate the hostages if they see them as people. If they know their name and see that they have feelings.

The overall takeaway is that average and ordinary people throughout history have thwarted the onslaught of fascism. Fascism always has an allure to some people. The allure of an all-powerful leader that can push back against the complex forces that “keep us down” can be alluring. Of course, that’s true until we become one of those that stand in the dear leader’s way. I don’t have all of the answers as to how to defeat fascism. However, the idea of doing it together seems much more palatable than doing it separately.

The Felonious Grifter went to Washington, D.C. today to strategize with his captive audience (also known as The Republican Party). It went pretty much as you might suspect, according to NOTUS (News Of The United States).

Aside from one source who is quoted: “Like talking to your drunk uncle at the family reunion,” my one favorite takeaway was his own comment to Steve Scalise who, in 2017, was shot and critically wounded by a guy who left the to go window with one taco short of a combo.

“I saw him [Scalise] in the hospital. I can tell your wife really loves you, Steve, because some wives wouldn’t care.”

There is no doubt in my mind at all that TFG was speaking from personal experience.

Do you remember the movie “The Magnificent Seven”? I sure do, racist tropes and all. Some may know that the film’s screenplay was based on a 1954 Japanese flick called “Seven Samurai” which depicted a bandit-ravaged Japanese village that hire a non-aligned samurai (a ronin) to defend them. He in turn enlists 6 others. They win in the end, but at a cost.

Besides the number 7, that movie has nothing to do with today’s screed.

With today’s conviction of President Biden’s son we are reminded that the progeny of politicos are as imperfect as their parents – or any other human for that matter.

Take, for example, Michael Patton Guest, son of Congressman Michael Guest (R MS-03). Guest the younger was arrested for assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and underage drinking in Nashville this past February.

Then we have Tyler Jay Boebert, 18, son of Congressman Lauren “Beetlejuice” Boebert (R CO-3). Tyler was arrested, also last February, for multiple car break-ins and property thefts. He was released without bail. Another product of a broken home.

The only son of Catherine Templeton, currently running in a primary election against Congressman Nancy Mace (R SC-01), was arrested last April by Mount Pleasant, SC police and faces a felony charge of assault and battery. Brooks Hampton Templeton, 18, was booked into the Charleston County jail. He spent about 4½ hours in custody before being released on bail for $30,000.

The son of Congressman Steve Womack (R – AR-03), James Womack, 35, was booked into the Washington County, Arkansas jail this past January. Charges include fleeing, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled substance and multiple moving violations. For the criminal mischief charge, bail was set at $10,000.

The son of Sarah Palin, former Republican Governor of Alaska and former Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States, Track Palin, 29, was arrested in 2018 in Wasilla, Alaska for domestic violence and resisting arrest.

The daughter of House Democratic Whip, Congressman Katherine Clark (D MA-05), Riley Dowell, 23, was arrested for defacing the bandstand at Boston Common with “NO COP CITY” and “ACAB” (shorthand for “All Cops Are Bastards”) during a protest in January of 2023.

The daughter of Congressman Ilhan Omar (D MN-05), Isra Hirsi, 21, who attends Barnard College in Manhattan, was arrested this past April for trespass on the campus of New York University. Isra was on the campus “standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.”

These seven lawless sons and daughters were all caught in the act just as President Biden’s son, Hunter, was. They, like any other citizen will be processed in our system of justice for their mistakes without fear or favor, just as The President’s son was.

Civil disobedience and civil disorder are all treated the same in this country.

They do carry different messages, though.

Hunter Biden’s conviction today reminds us again, but not for the first time as seen by the seven cases above, no one is above the law.