Democrats After Mass Shootings: Hey, Time To Make A Few Bucks Off The Dead
[guest post by Dana]
Oh, sure, why not. Every cause needs Big Bucks to propel it forward. Every candidate needs money coming in to their campaign. Jump while the gettin’s good!
Just yesterday, I said:
…on top of these reactions, there is an even grosser reaction by the politicians and the media: how to most effectively capitalize on the tragedies. The intentional killings are almost immediately seen as an opportunity to push policies and agendas…It’s disgusting.
I should have specifically mentioned fundraising. Because some politicians aren’t above making a few bucks off the innocent dead if it can help further their cause. The end justifies the means, right? After all, people, there are elections to win… What? You think that’s crass? Oh, wake up, twit. This is American politics. Specifically, Democratic politics :
The Democratic National Committee is fundraising off of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that together left at least 31 people dead.
The DNC sent out a pair of fundraising emails from former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was wounded in a 2011 shooting. Giffords’ emails directly invoked last weekend’s mass murders in asking for donations.
“I am asking you to have the courage to act today. For every man, woman, and child whose life has been cut short by the epidemic of gun violence in our country,” Giffords wrote in an email sent out Monday afternoon.
“Split a $10 donation between my organization dedicated to ending gun violence, Giffords PAC, and the Democratic National Committee today. Together, we have the power to prevent gun violence and save lives,” she urged recipients.
Jumping in on the “let’s walk on the dead bodies and make a buck” exploitation were Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. They not only want to be your next president, but they also really want to get some cash coming in.
Yesterday, we woke up to the second mass shooting in just as many days. I’m heartbroken for El Paso and Dayton, and to all the families who have just endured unimaginable loss.
We need commonsense gun reform — now, before the next mass shooting, to stop the daily gun violence on our streets, and to make sure that our families and loved ones are safe.
But Mitch McConnell and Republicans in the Senate are blocking legislation that could help address this epidemic.
During the last election, we flipped the House. And in February, the Democratic-led House passed bipartisan legislation that would make a meaningful impact on this crisis.
But five months after passing the House, and more than six and a half years after Sandy Hook, that bill is still sitting on Mitch McConnell’s desk. It’s inexcusable.
It’s clear Republicans don’t have the courage to do something about this crisis. We can’t wait for them to act — because they won’t. If we’re going to address the gun violence epidemic in our country, we need to take back the Senate in 2020.
I’ll fight my heart out to make sure Democrats win up and down the ballot in 2020 — but if we’re going to beat Republicans and the gun lobby, it’s going to take a grassroots movement.
Will you chip in today to help Democrats flip the Senate? Your donation will be split among funds that will go to the eventual Democratic Senate nominees in 23 races and Senators Doug Jones and Tina Smith.
Brent Scher, who received the Harris fundraising letter, explains that even though the donations are going to political gun control groups through Harris’s ActBlue page, it is still fundraising via her campaign, so it has organization benefits.
So,to recap: 31 people have been killed by deranged madmen but it’s a-okay for Democrats to make some money off of the tragedy to promote their political candidates and causes. You goddamn amoral ghouls. But remember, don’t you dare offer any heartfelt condolences or compassionate prayers for the families impacted by these tragedies because that would just be some really unseemly bullshit, am I right??
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana