Today is Friday, July 1, 2022. This is the July 4th weekend and with everything that has just happened with the Supreme Court within just the last week, I seriously wonder if there is anything to rejoice over. We will be celebrating the 246th year of our founding as a free nation on Monday and the recent attacks on women’s individual reproductive liberties by an archconservative Supreme Court may leave very little to feel grateful for. Independence Day 2022 might seem far from it. All of those Americans participating in the usual activities, including barbecues and other family gatherings, over this first summer weekend should be more reflective of where this country is headed since we are still in danger of having elections overturned by the radical far-right arm of the Republican Party that is still in the thralls of Trumpism. Trump may be gone, but, sadly, Trumpism is still with us – and it appears it’s not going away fast enough. That’s why this form of anti-Americanism poses a continued threat to our democracy and we as informed citizens must be aware of this ongoing danger. This scary reality is reinforced in an editorial by Paul Krugman for The New York Times in his piece entitled “Crazies, Cowards and the Trump Coup.”

Krugman bluntly writes that “no person can deny that what happened after the 2020 election was an attempted coup, a betrayal of everything America stands for.” He objects to people comparing the events of January 6, 2021, to Watergate. He whimsically writes, “That’s like comparing assault and battery to a traffic violation. Trump’s actions were by far the worst thing any American president has ever done.”

Another point Krugman makes is his musings over those in the Dumpf administration who must have known what was going on and that many of them “surely have firsthand knowledge of at least some aspects of the coup attempt.” He bemoans how few did come forward with what they knew. Even those repugnicans in Congress abdicated their duty by not coming forward to tell the truth. Krugman feels that the noncrazy wing of the GOP has done everything in its power to prevent any reckoning over the attempted coup, with only a few exceptions. Prominent among these “noncrazies” is House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy who has actually come out punching against the January 6 committee.

One other premise Krugman reflects on is the nature of bravery with regard to the events of that fateful day. He criticizes the lack of moral courage in Dumpf’s associates and Republican members of Congress associated with coming forth with what they knew about the siege at the Capitol.

Krugman then compares both parties, saying that Democrats are loosely bound together, while the Republican Party is “far more of a monolithic entity.” With the latter party, “politicians compete over who adhere most faithfully to the party’s line.” In the past, “that line used to be defined by economic ideology, but these days it’s more about positioning in the culture wars – and personal loyalty to Trump.” It now takes great moral courage on the part of repugnicans to defy the party’s decrees, and those who do are promptly excommunicated like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Krugman concludes by saying, “If Democrats are a coalition of interest groups, Republicans are now a coalition of crazies and cowards. And it’s hard to say which Republicans present the greater danger.”

In the wake of last week’s horrific Supreme Court ruling on New York’s concealed handgun rule, the New York legislature returned to the state Capitol yesterday to prepare to take steps toward barring guns in a multitude of “sensitive locations” and banning people from carrying firearms into businesses unless owners explicitly say they are allowed. An article in today’s Daily News reports on the legislative hustle that was created by a callous Supreme Court to the gun violence that is overtaking our streets in many instances. The article is by Denis Slattery and it’s entitled “Tightening N.Y. gun laws: Pols vote on bans in subway, buses, schools.”

Therefore, Governor Kathy Hochul called the Legislature back to Albany flor an “extraordinary session” in response to last week’s stunning court ruling striking down a 100-year-old law limiting who can carry a concealed gun in public.

The governor indicated that agreement was reached on the “top lines” of the legislation, including barring guns from being brought into government buildings, schools, subways and buses, medical facilities, and “places where kids gather” such as zoos and museums. I wonder if concert venues and movie theaters were included in that list? Could you imagine some crazy taking his or her gun into a Bob Dylan concert and shooting it off for whatever insane reason? Could you imagine someone taking a gun to the neighborhood multiplex and discharging his or her firearm because someone was talking throughout the film? This could be our new reality, thanks to the cockamamie Supreme Court.

Under the new revised tweaks to the legislation, Hochul pointed out that “weapons would not be welcome in private businesses unless owners explicitly state that they allow concealed firearms on their property, most likely by posting a sign that gun-toting patrons are welcome.” Just imagine this scenario: a business owner does post a sign saying that “gun-toting” customers are welcome to his or her establishment and you see it before entering. Hell, if I saw this sign posted anywhere, it’s very unlikely that I would patronize this store at all. I doubt that many of you would also if this were the case. Many decent-minded folks would most assuredly be nervous about patronizing such a store if they knew that other customers could be carrying a concealed weapon. This timidity on the part of gunless customers to go into such establishments could result in negatively affecting the bottom line and that would not be so good.

Other measures that lawmakers are considering would set new requirements for obtaining a handgun permit, including strengthening background checks and mandating 15 hours of in-person firing range training. Lawmakers were also looking to tighten rules related to gun storage in homes and vehicles and requiring background checks for all ammunition purchases for guns that need a permit. The new ruling by the backward Supreme Court makes it so that current gun owners can more easily obtain a concealed carry license. Let’s hope this pigheaded decision doesn’t result in more gun violence then. Only time will tell.

It’s time to almost call it a night.

I will say have a safe and enjoyable weekend, but don’t hold off on the reflection.

Stay safe and be well.