We are two weeks into the new year. The deaths from the pandemic are approaching 400,000. There was an insurrection at the nation’s capitol and threats of more violence have caused increased security at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C. Last year tied 2016 for being the hottest year on record adding yet another data point to the evidence that global warming is here. And to make matters worse, for the first time in five years, US gas mileage was down and emissions were up. There are millions of people out of work and the health care system in this country is a mess. And the most urgent thing on the plate of Montana’s Republican led legislature – passing a bill to allow the carrying of concealed weapons almost everywhere, including on college campuses.
The bill which has already passed the Montana House would allow concealed weapons to be carried WITHOUT A PERMIT almost everywhere including in the Montana Capitol, state and local government buildings and on public university campuses. The only restrictions would be for correctional and detention facilities, beyond security checkpoints at commercial airports, in federal buildings, on military bases or on private property if the owners prohibit firearms. This bill will no doubt pass the Montana Senate and will most certainly be signed by new Republican Governor Gianforte. Welcome to the wild west!
This is beyond insane. Montana already has one of the highest drunk driving rates in the country. Montana has one of the highest gun-related death rates in the country. This has disaster written all over it. The data in numerous studies show that those states with the weakest gun laws have the highest rates of gun-related deaths1. The data simply do not support this ridiculous bill, but since we now appear to be in a Republican-led anti-science, anti-data period in Montana we shouldn’t expect anything less.
Speaking of anti-science and anti-data, the Montana legislature is also looking at a bill to restrict the power of public health officials – all of this amidst a pandemic that is ravaging the country. And Governor Gianforte has stated that he will repeal the current mask mandate as soon as the legislature enacts legislation to protect businesses from liability for workers and customers who contract COVID while at their businesses. Think about that – the concern of the governor seems to be more focused on taking measures to protect businesses rather than focusing on efforts to save individual lives. Repealing the mask mandate is contrary to virtually every credible medical and scientific organization engaged in fighting the pandemic but since making policy decisions based upon science and data seems to have gone out the window in Montana, this is likely only the beginning of these types of decisions.
If you ever toyed with moving to Montana, you might want to rethink that decision. I know I am. Pretty soon it appears that Montana is going to look more like ‘Westworld’ than ‘The Last Best Place.’
It seems that half of the people’s brains in our country are made our of antimatter. We all know what happens when antimatter comes in contact with matter. A collision between any particle and its anti-particle partner leads to their mutual annihilation