By Sherman R. Frederick
Battle Born Media
Gun sales from coast to coast and throughout the fruited plain have soared in the runup to the presidential election. And where are sales really up? In the seven presidential “toss up” states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Gun sales growth in those states are up — wait for it — 77.9 percent.
Ammo sales surged 139 percent in the first six months of 2020.
Couple that factoid with the idea that mail-in votes won’t be fully counted for up to two weeks AFTER the election and, well, what could go wrong?
I’m not worried the election won’t all be settled eventually. We will get to a winner. But all summer the Democratic Party has urged its voters to vote by mail and Republicans have emphasized going in person. That sets up the possibility that on election night we will have Trump the winner with bags of mail-in votes still out there.
That sets up the Seattle Scenario.
Bad leadership — and I don’t think there’s any other way to see it — set up a summer of violent unrest in that city’s downtown. It wasn’t the Summer of Love, as the mayor there said it was. It was weeks of sanctioned looting and destruction.
Now, let me be plain: That kind of display is not likely to happen in Marin. But I can see it taking place in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. If people take to the streets in protest because they are angry at the initial presidential results, it only takes a tiny spark before all hell breaks loose.
City leaders and police departments should right now be talking about this and making plans. We don’t want another Seattle here. Do we?
MOM SHAMING? REALLY?
Like it or not, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Now Democratic leaders, such as our own Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has chosen to criticize her for being “too Catholic.” Others criticize her for having “too many” children.
Look, you can oppose her because of the process. You can oppose her because she might overturn Roe v Wade. Legit arguments.
But faith shaming? Mom shaming? That’s a bad look.
ONE MORE THING
I ran across these pictures last week in my SIP-induced Internet travels. I have questions and comments.
It’s illegal to play Yahtzee with squirrels?
Subscribe to this newspaper or we take the puppy’s slippers.
Girls in tank tops.
Not sure this says what it’s supposed to say.
And with that, I’ll quickly let myself out. Stay safe. Mask up.
Sherman R. Frederick is the founder of Battle Born Media, publisher of intensely local community newspapers in Nevada and California, including the Novato Advance, the San Rafael News Pointer, the Mill Valley Herald, the Ross Valley Reporter, the Twin Cities Times, the Sausalito Marin Scope and the Pacifica Tribune. He may be reached at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
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