This will be a short post (unless I get longwinded). I didn’t intend to write today after I wrote a Memorial Day piece earlier this week, but I mentioned in that article that I was reading “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young,” the inspiration for the movie “We Were Soldiers.” I haven’t quite finished the book, but there were a few stories there that seemed appropriate to pass along on Memorial Day.

In several cases, the stories of American survivors of the North Vietnamese ambush of the second battalion of the Seventh Cavalry in Vietnam’s Ia Drang in 1965 seem too farfetched to be real. For example, Specialist Jack Smith was wounded and then played dead as the NVA advanced. A North Vietnamese machine gunner used what he thought was Smith’s dead body as a sandbag for cover. Smith was left with the unenvious choice of getting up and being shot by the NVA or staying still while his own comrades shot at the NVA soldier hiding behind him. Ultimately, the NVA soldier was killed but Smith survived.

Another American survivor, Sergeant James Mullartey, also played dead after being wounded. As the NVA walked the battlefield, executing American survivors, one of the Vietnamese stuck a pistol into Mullartey’s mouth and fired. The bullet exited Mullartey’s throat and knocked him unconscious but failed to kill him. When he awoke, he crawled through the jungle to American lines.

Another survivor, who was not identified in the book, had a similar story. This soldier was wounded in the legs and had been burned by napalm that was dropped on the NVA and Americans alike due to the lack of identifiable lines. The North Vietnamese intended to execute this soldier and fired a pistol point-blank into his eye. The bullet blinded him, but he survived to be evacuated.

You won’t find stories like these in war movies because no one would believe them. They really happened in November 1965, however.

Sadly, many other Americans were not so lucky. Many who initially survived the attack were executed by the NVA on the battlefield. Some American bodies were found with hands tied behind their backs and bullet wounds to the back of the head.

One of the other things that struck me was that at least two of the dead from the Ia Drang battle seem to have been recent immigrants. One of the new widows was a young, “very pregnant” Hispanic woman who was the wife of a trooper of the first battalion. The woman and her husband are not mentioned by name, but the implication is that they were recent immigrants because the soldier’s wife could not speak or read English.

Another immigrant who is mentioned by name is Sergeant Lloyd Joel Monsewicz, who brought his family to the US from France about five years before he shipped out to Vietnam. Monsewicz’s wife was still learning English when he died in Ia Drang.

Immigrant soldiers are a relatively unknown part of American history, but no small number of American soldiers who have fought and sometimes died for the United States were not Americans at all. For example, Revolutionary War heroes such as the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben immigrated to aid the colonial army and Irish immigrants were commonly recruited into the Union army during the Civil War. Mexican immigrants were part of US military ranks in both WWII and the War on Terror. The AP reports that about 38,000 noncitizen soldiers were in the US military at the time of the US invasion of Iraq. One of these, Marine Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, 22, was an illegal immigrant from Guatemala and one of the first to die in the Iraq War.

You don’t have to be a citizen to love America and to die fighting for the American dream. In my opinion, immigrants who serve honorably in the US military have earned citizenship. Those who die for America deserve to have citizenship extended posthumously, as it was to Lance Cpl. Gutierrez.

Follow David Thornton on Twitter (@captainkudzu) and Facebook

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

May 31, 2021 at 03:25PM - David Thornton
Remember America’s Fallen Heroes On Memorial Day | David Thornton
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Native-born Americans are the most fortunate people on earth. If you have the great fortune to have been born to two American parents, anywhere in the world, or to have been born on U.S. soil, you get the benefit of citizenship in the most wealthy, militarily powerful, resource-rich, culturally dominant, technologically advanced, lavishly appointed, and politically diverse nation in recorded history.

Yay, you and me.

Native-born (and those sons and daughters of American parents born elsewhere) Americans are awarded citizenship simply by birth status. There is no ethnic, genealogical, physical, religious, or political test to earn citizenship for the fortunate ones. Today’s immigrants, however, must work for their citizenship.

The old days

Back in the days when my grandparents immigrated to America “from the old country,” all you had to do was show up to our shores, fill out some paperwork, and pay a small tax. Between 1891 and 1924, America’s population grew by more than 25 million due to mass immigration from Europe. Prior, racist immigration acts and policies banned immigration from China and Japan. 

In 1924, Congress passed Johnson Reed Act, which set formal quotas of 2% of the number of U.S. residents from each country as of the 1980 census, therefore severely limited the number of southern and eastern Europeans allowed in, and sought to “preserve the ideal of U.S. homogeneity.” The Act also established a citizenship test called a “naturalization exam.”

The questions on that test were given orally, in a courtroom, and varied from place to place, so it’s hard to gain a firm understanding of what was asked. Immigrants in those days sought to do whatever they could to become “more American,” if not for their own opportunity, then to provide their children with a better opportunity to rise in the land of the free.

My own family history is a bit obscure. My paternal grandfather, according to various accounts, “arrived” in America as a merchant sailor on a British ship. Not enjoying life at sea in the British merchant marine, he “left the crew” (jumped ship; deserted) sometime during the San Francisco fire, and found his way to Chicago. His surname, apparently, was Kurzner, not Berman. How he decided on Berman is a choice lost to time and shrouded in mystery. One nugget a relative dug up is that some of the Kerzners who left the shtetl went to South Africa; a branch of my family includes Sol Kerzner, the billionaire owner of the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. But at least I’m American, though genealogy can be a dangerous business.

(I don’t delve into genealogy, and never asked a lot of questions. My paternal grandfather was married, his wife died, he moved east to Massachusetts, where he remarried my paternal grandmother, who he brought over from the old country. My wife once asked my dad how his dad, Saul, knew my Bubbie—her name was Fannie—to bring her over. My dad answered, “of course you know your cousin.” This is why I don’t ask questions.)

I heard a story that one day, years later, FBI agents came to the door of my grandfather’s tailor shop in Revere, Mass. They asked him a few questions about his origins, he answered, they thanked him for his time and left. It was a simpler time back then.

Modern citizenship

Becoming a naturalized citizen these days can cost several thousand dollars in legal fees, application fees and other services. There’s a $725 fee paid when filing the Form N-400, but immigrants can’t file that form until they meet the other requirements. These include being a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least 5 continuous years (of which 30 months must be physically present in the U.S.), living within the same state for at least 3 months before filing, having “good moral character,” and being able to pass an English test as well as the U.S. history and government test.

Of course, you can skip many of the requirements if you just marry an American, or join the U.S. military.

If you were fortunate enough to be born here, many of the (don’t click on the link unless you want to cheat) questions on the U.S. history and government test given to immigrants seeking naturalized status are things you just know, or learned early in elementary school. For example:

63. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

52. What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?

the United States

the flag

Immigrants are asked 10 questions in English. A passing grade for the 100 question pool is 6/10 or 60%. Most native-born Americans who grew up here can easily pass. But some of the questions are not as easy.

Can you answer these without looking up the answers? If this was your test:

7. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

21. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?

31. If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?

41. Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?

48. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.

50. Name one right only for United States citizens.

68. What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?

79. Who was President during World War I?

81. Who did the United States fight in World War II? (hint: name all the countries)

88. Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States. (name both of them!)

Now go look at the answers.

I hope you got 100%.

I wish every natural born American citizen had to take this test to affirm the rights of citizenship. I wish it wasn’t just 10 question but all 100 of them, and I wish the passing score was at least 80%. I’m not saying that citizenship should be denied anyone who fails, but I do think that many things people consider “rights” (as in entitlements, grants, and tax credits) should simply not be freely available to anyone who fails.

The people who ran our government for centuries did their best to define “American,” and many did a very poor job of it. Tests of sex, skin color, national origin, and religion are repulsive. But having citizens taught that “American” literally means nothing without a hyphenated identity attached to it is equally repulsive.

Being American means having a connection with the best parts of our history, and the most noble parts of our freedoms. Immigrants are required to learn about these principles. It’s only fair that those of us who were born into the privilege of citizenship should have the same connection, don’t you think?

Follow Steve on Twitter @stevengberman.

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

May 31, 2021 at 02:21PM - Steve Berman
Are You Smarter Than an Immigrant? | Steve Berman
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

I’ve long thought that the greeting, “Happy Memorial Day,” is rather inappropriate for the nature of the holiday. While Memorial Day is a three-day weekend for many of us, the true purpose of the day is one of somber remembrance and appreciation for those Americans who paid the ultimate price.

As most of you probably know, Memorial Day has its roots in the Civil War, a conflict that cost more American lives than any other, including World War II. Over time, the remembrances became a national holiday in which we pause to remember our war dead.

Like many people, guys especially, my perception of military service has changed as I’ve grown older. Like every other young boy, I played “army” with my friends and even thought seriously about enlisting. I was in the running for an ROTC college scholarship when I was disqualified by a medical issue. Nevertheless, I’ve had a lifelong interest in the military that pairs nicely with my interest in history.

Even if I didn’t serve, I have many family and friends who did their time. A cousin is currently a Ranger captain stationed in Alaska after spending time in Iraq. A different cousin served in both Iraq wars, first as a military intelligence officer in Desert Storm and then as a chaplain stationed in Mosul. My dad was stationed at an army base in Germany in the 1950s and his brother served on a destroyer in post-war Japan. Growing up we had a family friend who limped from a wound suffered in Normandy, and I even had a great-grandfather who was captured by Union soldiers in the Civil War.

A lot of us know what it is like to have friends and family who serve, but it is a far smaller number who have gone through the pain of losing one of these uniformed loved ones. The people who go experience these losses more than anyone else are their brothers in arms. If I were to guess, I’d say that almost everyone who has spent any time in uniform has at least one friend that they will be thinking of this weekend. Some have more fallen friends to remember than others. Some also have friends who were lost to PTSD and suicide after returning home.

I think it’s also safe to say that those of us who have never experienced combat cannot comprehend what many of our veterans have gone through. Books and movies really can’t convey what it is like to be in the middle of a firefight with bullets flying and death all around, although my guess is that movies like “Saving Private Ryan” and “We Were Soldiers” do a better job than most.

After watching “We Were Soldiers” a few months ago, I decided to read the book and the movie really does not do the story of the 7th Cavalry’s struggle in the Ia Drang Valley justice. Hal Moore’s detailed account is difficult to read from an emotional perspective because it so vividly portrays the horror of the battle.

And the movie only covers half the story. After the Battle of LZ Xray was over, a column of American soldiers was ordered to march through the jungle to a different landing zone. Along the way, they were caught by surprise and ambushed by the North Vietnamese. In a few hours, almost 400 Americans were killed or wounded, including many wounded who were executed by NVA soldiers. An article on the Army website about the Battle of LZ Albany describes a soldier reading casualty lists and checking of the names of 65 of his friends who were among the dead.

Another great series of histories is Rick Atkinson’s “Liberation” trilogy, which describes the African, Italian, and Northern European campaigns of the US Army in WWII. Atkinson has a talent for blending historical facts with human narrative to create a very readable, compelling, and complete story. Think Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary in book form.

Soldiers have also lost their lives in small, forgotten conflicts. A few years ago, my hometown placed a memorial on the courthouse square that honored the county’s war dead. We were baffled by Pvt. DeWitt Rucker who was listed as killed in the “MPE.” It took quite a bit of research to determine that the “MPE” was the “Mexico Punitive Expedition” against Pancho Villa in 1916. The full story of DeWitt Rucker, a Buffalo Soldier with the 10th Cavalry, is available on my blog.

I think that it would be great to take a few moments out from our festivities this weekend to read such factual accounts or watch a documentary that details the sacrifices that America’s soldiers have made for us. In big wars or small, popular or unpopular, America’s soldiers have gone where they were told and served admirably.

Military service entails risks even in peacetime. Training accidents often cost lives and sometimes soldiers become targets. In 1986, a bomb at a West Berlin disco killed two off-duty American soldiers, and the year before, Robert Stethem, a Navy diver was murdered by the hijackers of TWA 847. In the past few years, military members have even been targeted in a series of terror attacks on military bases and recruiting offices here at home.

On a personal level, this Memorial Day feels a little different for me because my son, a rising high school senior, is thinking seriously about joining the military. As parents have no doubt discovered throughout history, the possibility of joining the military yourself and having your kids do it feel very different. I can only imagine how it felt for the parents and spouses of soldiers as they departed for the battlefields of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Or what it felt like to receive a telegram or a visit from the army representatives.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, but take at least a few moments to reflect and appreciate the sacrifice of America’s fallen warriors. Whether you agree with our foreign policy or not is immaterial. These Americans laid down their lives for their country and that sacrifice is worthy of honor and respect.

And if you know a veteran or military member, give them a hug or handshake or a hearty “hello.” Sometimes it can be awkward to say, “Thank you for your service,” but I think most appreciate the thought. (A high school friend who served in Afghanistan says he responds with, “You’re welcome for my service.”)

And finally, if you’re a veteran who is feeling depressed and lonely this weekend, know that you are not alone and that people love you and care about you. Call the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 if you need someone to talk to.

Follow David Thornton on Twitter (@captainkudzu) and Facebook

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

May 30, 2021 at 08:58AM - David Thornton
Remembering America’s Fallen | David Thornton
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

A week from today, the May jobs report will be out, but there are indications that the news will be rosier this month than it was for April. Last month, economists had predicted a million new jobs and only got a quarter of that. However, yesterday there was encouraging news as initial unemployment claims fell to a new low since the beginning of the pandemic. For many employers, finding workers is already a big problem. That seems particularly true in the restaurant industry.

If you’re like me, you’ve seen a lot of help wanted signs in restaurants lately. The restaurant where I ate last night had a sign warning that service was slow because they were short-staffed and one of our favorite pizza places is now closed on Sundays until further notice because they don’t have enough workers. It seems as though every restaurant that I go into is hiring. Or trying to.

In a recent article, the Washington Post pointed out that the restaurant industry posted a record number of job openings in March per St. Louis Fed numbers. Despite the hiring boom, the industry still has about 1.7 million fewer jobs filled than before the pandemic.

Many of the people who worked in restaurants before the pandemic are not returning to their old jobs for a variety of reasons. For some, there are still concerns about safety. For others, the problems are the long hours and low pay that are typical of the industry. Many states have lower minimum wages for tipped employees, which can sometimes mean that there is little to show at the end of a long, slow shift. Others are tired of working in an unstable industry that often takes a quick hit when the economy slows down. It shouldn’t be surprising that many restaurant workers are moving to other jobs while there is an opportunity.

“The staffing issue has actually a lot more to do with the conditions that the industry was in before covid and people not wanting to go back to that, knowing what they would be facing with a pandemic on top of it,” Crystal Maher, 36, a restaurant worker in Austin, told the Post. “People are forgetting that restaurant workers have actually experienced decades of abuse and trauma. The pandemic is just the final straw.”

An additional factor may be the federally enhanced unemployment benefits. Nearly half the states will be dropping the supplemental benefits before they expire in September due to a strong labor market. Analytics from the job-posting site, Indeed, reported that job search clicks in states that were ending the enhanced benefits showed a temporary spike after the end of the benefit was announced.

But job searches don’t mean that people will be returning to restaurant jobs. Eateries may have to sweeten the pot to get the workers they need. Some restaurants are doing just that. The rising demand for workers has led some companies to increase wages and offer signing bonuses for new employees, says Eater.com. It may be that market conditions will lead to a $15 wage for restaurant workers where legislation did not.

The flip side is that, if you’re a diner sitting at the table rather than a restaurant worker standing behind the counter, the increased cost of labor may soon translate into higher prices for dining out. There is also a question of whether the wage increases could contribute to inflationary pressures.

I wrote last week that some things may not return to the pre-pandemic normal very soon. Or possibly ever. It looks as though we can add the restaurant industry to that list.

Follow David Thornton on Twitter (@captainkudzu) and Facebook

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

May 28, 2021 at 03:12PM - David Thornton
Restaurants Are Hiring But Where Are The Workers? | David Thornton
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

The founder of ‘Black Lives Matter’ abruptly resigned this week as questions mount surrounding $90 million raised by the organization and handful of luxury real estate purchases in California.

The Black Lives Matter co-founder is resigning amid controversy after she made headlines for buying 4 luxury houses. https://t.co/drLF8RTw2S

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) May 28, 2021

“I’ve created the infrastructure and the support, and the necessary bones and foundation, so that I can leave,” Patrisse Cullors said. “It feels like the time is right.”

“Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I don’t operate off of what the right thinks about me,” Cullors said.

May 28, 2021 at 11:11AM - The First
BLM’s Marxist Multi-Millionaire Victim Founder Resigns Over Financial Scrutiny
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

MSNBC was called-out by critics on social media Friday morning after devoting an entire 3-minute clip to Joe Biden and his long history of eating Ice Cream.

“I like to think of it as Joe Biden’s default mode. No matter what’s going on, no matter what crisis is sitting on his plate, just get that man a cone!” said the reporter from MSNBC.

“I know the President really wanted to focus on that chocolate chip cone!” he added.

#TodayInJournalism

Here's a 3-minute MSNBC segment on Joe Biden eating ice cream pic.twitter.com/4bk5PK8CBo

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) May 28, 2021

Watch the bizarre segment above.  

May 28, 2021 at 09:46AM - The First
JOURNALISM! MSNBC Dragged After Devoting Full 3-Minute Clip to Joe Biden Eating Ice Cream
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Former President Donald Trump released a scathing statement Friday; trashing Paul Ryan as a “curse to the Republican Party.”

“Ryan should instead be telling them how to stop the cheating of elections and that we would have won if Republican leadership fought the way the Democrats did,” posted Trump.

Trump releases statement firing back at Paul Ryan after he criticized Trump in a speech.

"Paul Ryan has been a curse to the Republican Party." pic.twitter.com/DR13VyWP6h

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) May 28, 2021

“As a Republican, having Paul Ryan on your side almost guarantees a loss, for both you, the Party, and America itself!” he added.

Read the full statement above.

May 28, 2021 at 09:15AM - The First
TRUMP RIPS RYAN: Donald Releases Scathing Statement Trashing ‘Curse to the Republican Party’
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Bill O’Reilly ripped the Biden Administration’s response to the ongoing immigration crisis on the ‘No Spin News’ Thursday night; saying top officials at Homeland Security are outright “lying” to the public about the border.

“It’s all starting to go south fast. The head of Homeland Security told Congress the border is closed. That’s a lie. That’s a deception. He knows the border isn’t closed because Border Patrol told him,” said O’Reilly.

“Will anything happen? No. The people who want open borders, will anything happen to them? No. That’s why this continues,” he added.

.@AliMayorkas told Congress this week that "the border is closed" but that is FAR from the truth, says @BillOReilly.

He provides an in-depth update on the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"That's a lie, that's a deception." pic.twitter.com/0HFmMG3ifo

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) May 28, 2021

Watch O’Reilly above.

May 28, 2021 at 08:51AM - The First
O’REILLY on BIDEN: ‘It’s All Starting to Go South, FAST’
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell ripped his Democratic colleagues over their proposed commission to probe the January 6^th riots at the Capitol; saying such a panel will fail to uncover any “new facts” but push a partisan agenda.

“I do not believe the additional extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote healing,” said McConnell.

.@LeaderMcConnell on opposition to Jan. 6 commission: " I do not believe the additional extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote healing." https://t.co/df0wyaS7qV pic.twitter.com/suuwPj9U0v

— The Hill (@thehill) May 27, 2021

Watch McConnell above.

May 27, 2021 at 03:27PM - The First
MITCH MOVES: McConnell Issues Major Warning to Democrats Over Jan 6 Commission
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV

When Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) stepped down from the speakership and retired from Congress in 2019, I predicted that he would be back. I was a fan of Ryan’s technocratic, principled conservatism long before Mitt Romney picked him as his presidential running mate in 2012 and viewed him as the future of the Republican Party. That year, the country chose a different path, and four years later the Republican Party went in a different direction as well. Today, Paul Ryan steps back into the limelight as the kickoff speaker at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s “Time for Choosing” speaker series.

The text of Ryan’s speech has not been made public, but excerpts were leaked to Punchbowl News and reported in the Hill. The former speaker of the House of will reportedly call for Republicans to unite against the policies of Joe Biden while simultaneously warning against aligning behind a single personality or populism.

“Once again, we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads,” Ryan will tell his audience. “And here’s one reality we have to face. If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we’re not going anywhere.” 

“We win majorities by directing our loyalty and respect to voters, and by staying faithful to the conservative principles that unite us,” the prepared remarks continue. “This was true even when the person leading our movement was as impressive, polished, and agreeable as they come.”

I don’t think he is referring to Donald Trump here.

“The country wanted a nice guy who would move to the center and depolarize our politics,” Ryan’s speech says of President Biden. “Instead, we got a nice guy pursuing an agenda more leftist than any president in my lifetime. These policies might have the full approval of his progressive supporters, but they break faith with the middle-of-the-road folks who made the difference for him on Election Day.”

Ryan strikes an optimistic tone, however, saying, “For conservatives, this painful existence as the opposition can actually be an opportunity. Out of these years can come a healthy, growing, and united conservative movement, a movement that speaks again to the heart of a great nation.”

Indeed, the humiliating and demoralizing Nixon, Ford, and Carter years brought the conservative revival in the 1980s with Ronald Reagan and George Bush. The country was not ready for Reagan, who lost the Republican primary in 1976, until it experienced Jimmy Carter. If the party plays its cards right during the Biden presidency, we could experience a similar conservative revival.

The problem is that the party seems to be moving away, not only from Ryan’s style of detailed planning, but from basic conservative principles as well. Where Ryan was known for putting together realistic roadmaps for limiting government, balancing the budget, and saving Social Security, today’s Republicans seem more interested in emotional appeals about Dr. Seuss and cancel culture as well as myths about stolen elections.

Ryan will warn against these cultural battles, saying that such debates “draw attention away from the far more important case we must make to the American people.”

“Culture matters, yes, but our party must be defined by more than a tussle over the latest grievance or perceived slight,” Ryan’s remarks say. “We must not let them take priority over solutions ­— grounded in principle — to improve people’s lives.”

This brings us back to the Republican Party of today. It has jettisoned its core beliefs to follow Donald Trump and veers wildly from what I like to call one Outrage du Jour to the next. The party focuses on whatever happens to be in the headlines at the moment. And not just any headlines but the headlines of Fox News and OANN, which are often devoid of reality.

Paul Ryan is probably one of the smartest and most principled conservatives left in the Republican Party, but he’s predictably considered a RINO. He has his work cut out for him in steering the party away from the “populist appeal of one personality” and “second-rate imitations.”

The current signs are the Republican Party is not ready to listen to people like Ryan. Instead, the party seems to be preparing to renominate the man who lost the House, the Senate, and the White House in four short years or one of his (wannabe) clones.

The Republican Party may be beyond salvaging or it may simply take another round or two of electoral losses to convince the party that Trumpism is a dead end. If the GOP does not follow Ryan’s advice, I think that more devastating defeats are where the party is headed.

---

Yesterday there was yet another mass spree killing. This one was in San Jose, California where a transit worker killed nine people before turning his gun on himself.

Details are still sketchy, but there are a few important points to make. First, California has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, but the state also has the highest number of mass shootings of any state based on statistics from 1982 to 2021. The most recent mass shooting in California before yesterday’s spree was in March when four people were killed in Los Angeles. Strict gun control laws seem to have little effect on shooting sprees.

Second, even though the shooting will no doubt spark calls for another assault weapons ban, the guns used in yesterday’s murders were semi-automatic pistols. For those unfamiliar with firearms terminology, this means that only one bullet fires each time the trigger is pulled. The San Jose Chronicle reports that the Santa Clara County sheriff said that the guns “appear to be the type that would be legal in California.”

Finally, California does have red flag laws, but there may not have been recent indications of problems that would have triggered the red flag process. The shooter’s ex-wife said that he talked about killing people at work, but the kicker is that these conversations took place more than 13 years ago.

I’ll add that these mass murders are not a uniquely American problem. Several studies show that the US ranks pretty far down the list of mass murders when differences in population are considered.

There seems to be no easy solution to the problem of mass shootings. Even if guns could be banned, there would still be enough guns and ammunition in the US to last for decades. It simply isn’t realistic to assume that all guns would disappear, even if such a law was constitutional. I do support well-crafted red flag laws, but the San Jose murders show that even these laws cannot prevent every spree killing.

As uncomfortable as it is to say, spree murders are not going away anytime soon. The best we can do is to protect ourselves. This may involve getting a carry permit and training for your own defensive weapon, but it should definitely include maintaining good situational awareness and having an escape plan.

Follow David Thornton on Twitter (@captainkudzu) and Facebook

The First TV contributor network is a place for vibrant thought and ideas. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of The First or The First TV. We want to foster dialogue, create conversation, and debate ideas. See something you like or don’t like? Reach out to the author or to us at [email protected]. 

May 27, 2021 at 02:59PM - David Thornton
The Return of Paul Ryan | David Thornton
Read the full story by clicking this headline, at The First TV