Song Lyrics for the Day…

I ain’t as good as I once was
That’s just the cold hard truth
I still throw a few back, talk a little smack
When I’m feelin’ bullet proof
So don’t double-dog dare me now
‘Cause I’d have to call your bluff
I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once
As I ever was.
-Toby Keith (As Good As I Once Was)

Today’s independent commentary deals with these people/issues:

• Bump Stocks
• Biden & COVID-⁠19
• The Western Word Poll
• One More Thing

BUMP STOCKS:

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and seventeen other state attorneys general signed onto Knudsen’s amicus brief in the Gun Owners of America v. Merrick Garland case, against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that criminalized bump stock accessories.

As reported by MTN News, bump stock devices gained national attention when one was used in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that left 59 dead and hundreds more injured.

MTN News also reported that bump stocks harness the recoil energy of a semi-automatic firearm to produce fire rates close to that of fully automatic weapons. When attached to an AR or AK family firearm, depending on the model, the devices have been shown to achieve up to 400 and 800 rounds per minute.

I think bump stocks should be banned. They turn legal weapons into machine guns. It’s common sense.

I’m not sure why Knudsen feels the need to fight this rule. In his press release, Knudsen said, “Montanans’ right to keep and bear arms is under attack from the Biden administration. Their continued attempts to implement the bump stock ban is no exception.”

The rule was put in place by the Trump administration.

You can read the press release from Knudsen HERE. You can read the MTN report HERE. Read the ATF bulletin about bump stocks HERE.

BIDEN ON FIGHTING COVID-⁠19:

It didn’t get a lot of attention, but President Joe Biden spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday.

At the end of the speech, he took questions and his remarks saying he thought New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign after a New York Attorney General investigation and the report found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a “hostile” work environment for women. (CNN)

Sex always gets the headlines.

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic Biden called out some states for their anti-mask stances:

But others have declined to step up. I find it disappointing. And worst of all, some state officials are passing laws or signing orders that forbid people from doing the right thing.
As of now, seven states not only ban mask mandates, but also ban them in their school districts, even for young children who cannot get vaccinated. Some states have even banned businesses and universities from requiring workers and students to be masked or vaccinated.

Biden also singled out governors:

Look, we need leadership from everyone. And if some governors aren’t willing to do the right thing to beat this pandemic, then they should allow businesses and universities who want to do the right thing to be able to do it.
I say to these governors, “Please, help.” But if you aren’t going to help, at least get out of the way of the people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives.

He closed his speech with:

Right now, too many people are dying or watching a loved one dying and saying, “If I just got vaccinated.
If I just…”
Folks, this isn’t about politics. The virus doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. This is about life and death. Life and death.

Read the official White House transcript from the speech HERE.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

This week’s poll asks, “Who is the kookiest statewide elected official in Montana?”

Click HERE to participate.

The results will be posted Thursday.

ONE MORE THING:

I have seen the following posted by some right-wingers on Facebook and thought it was funny…

“I’m proud to be an American.” I bet no one passes this on because they are scared to be called a racist.

This is along the same lines of people saying Facebook takes down photos of American flags or bans posts about God and the Bible.

It is all a bunch of lies from the haters on the right.

There are a group of about eight folks I check in on every so often to see what is happening. I call them the “Hateful Eight.” From their posts over the years, I have found they hate blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, gays, Democrats, strong women, people under 25, people who are educated, and so on.

By the way, I am proud to be an American!

## GET VACCINATED TODAY ##