Once Upon a Time Dating

As I’ve said before, I rarely get political on my blog. However, I just read Donald Trump’s statement that mass shootings will happen no matter what, and cannot be stopped by more gun control, because: “You have people who are mentally ill, and they’re going to slip through the cracks”. As someone who has dealt with mental illness, and someone who loathes Donald Trump, I am about to vent:

The mentally ill are the last group of people in America that it is still politically correct to stereotype and scapegoat. If Donald Trump had said: “You have black people, and they’re going to slip through the cracks”, or: “You have Jews, and they’re going to slip through the cracks”, he would get reamed by the press. You know what most mentally ill people are busy doing? Trying to feel better. You know what most evil sociopaths are busy doing? Trying to buy guns. Not to mention, every country in the world has mentally ill citizens, and our country has the highest caliber of mental healthcare in the world. And yet, from 2000-2014 there were 23 mass shootings in 13 European nations plus Russia. During that same period, the United States saw 133 shootings.

Here’s another statistic: nearly all of our mass shootings are committed by men. In the last thirty years only one of at least 70 mass shootings in our country has been committed by a woman. So maybe the demographic really slipping through the cracks are angry, aggressive, evil men. Kind of like you, Donald Trump.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 90% of U.S voters are calling for stronger gun laws. If Republicans are pro-life, shouldn’t calling for stronger gun control that would save lives fit their agenda? If Republicans in government are delegates, not trustees, elected to act in our interest, shouldn’t calling for stronger gun control be in their job description?

Phew, that felt good. Time to watch Homeland and see how a bipolar woman in the CIA can get the job done.

I know I usually keep my posts limited to TV shows and movies, but if a topic pisses me off enough I have to comment.

The second I saw the New York Times report about the confirmed Ebola patient in New York, I knew that the public outrage about the virus would grow exponentially. Mostly because, and I can say this because I am from New Jersey, New Yorkers love to whine and complain. The fact of the matter is that Ebola affects health care workers and the relatives of people with Ebola. The virus is not airborne, and high levels of Ebola are not found in saliva or sweat, but rather in blood, feces, and vomit. So unless someone with Ebola bleeds or vomits on the subway, you are in the clear. Boycotting public transportation only negatively affects the economy and makes you look like a fool. The incense about Ebola shouldn’t consist of people screaming, “We are all going to get Ebola! It’s an epidemic! Ban the flights!” We should be more concerned with how the health care workers interacting with Ebola patients can receive more proper training to protect them and their families.

Most people have no control over Ebola, cannot do anything about Ebola, and will not be affected by Ebola. Yet, this is the issue receiving the most media attention. The midterm elections affect the entire country, everyone can actually participate and make a difference, but you barely hear anything about them. Our Congress has an 8% approval rating, and yet voter turnout falls by roughly 15% compared with presidential elections. The G.O.P already controls the House of Representatives, and Republican control of the Senate would make it virtually impossible for President Obama to push any important issues through Congress. Do not simply vote for a Republican candidate because you define yourself as “Republican” and feel obligated to. Most Republicans wind up voting against their own self-interest; research who it is you are voting for. When the Republicans in Congress refuse to cooperate with the President, we all suffer because nothing gets accomplished. I don’t know about you, but the thought of a government shutdown scares me more than Ebola.

A midterm election might not be as exciting as a frantic medical outbreak, but it still deserves your attention. Take the ten seconds you would have spent writing an angry tweet about Ebola, and register to vote. Find out when and where to vote and figure out who’s on your state’s ballot. For my fellow college students, go online and register for absentee voting if you haven’t already.