Thread on Parenting/Growing up:

When I was 16yo my buddy got mad at the girl he liked and we decided to roll her house. As fate would have it, she lived a few hundred yards from my house. So we came up with a plan. Late on a Saturday night we drove to the local convenience store a 1/4 mile away to get the toilet paper. So as not to be seen together, we went in separately, one after another. I bought 4 big packs of toilet paper, I assumed he did the same.

In this piece @DavidAFrench attempts to severe his romanticized memory of “gun culture”… some picturesque Remington add perhaps, from others in an attempt to (with Christian authority no less) condemn/demean those types of gun owners he doesn’t like.

https://twitter.com/secupp/status/1533424502482382848

Fortunately, the rights protected area only conditioned by the will of the people (Congress) or Judicial interpretation (SCOTUS). Simply owning firearms [as well as] @511Tactical pants, or safely holding your firearms in a Christmas card picture maybe against David’s tastes but

Gun debate thread:

Democrats are outsmarting Republicans on this the same way they outsmart them on budget. For example, if Republicans want to spend $0 on budget, but are expected to “reach a compromise” then all Dems have to do is set a budget so astronomical that a “compromise gives them everything they really wanted. Similarly in this gun debate, Republicans are reluctant to move at all. Mostly because “give an inch” means they’ll come for another inch next time… and that’s absolutely true. Make no mistake. So, Dems are going to

Thread: I’m not against a public action to help folks with a mound of student loan debt who’ve tried to make good decisions and are working hard. However, such a thing would have to include: (see below) 1) breaking the cycle of overpriced tuition. Universities that take public funding, or private institutions that have tax exemptions, would need new regulations.. perhaps a tuition cap based on DOEd produced mean per semester.

Thread: I have been fielding/connecting individual veterans’ efforts to get friends and their families out of Afghanistan. I’ve spoken with some Americans in Afghanistan. This thread is their messages directly to me over the last week: “I’ve been helping try to get an interpreter out-his wife is 9 months pregnant. We were so so close but they are basically closing evacuation ops tomorrow from what I hear so I don’t think they are going to get out.”

8/25

Thread on Afghanistan: Many of you have heard the term “fighting season” the last few days in regards to the war in Afghanistan. Some of you may know what this means. But beyond the weather, there are other interesting factors involved. I’ll explain in this thread Three factors determine the fighting season for Afghanistan: economy, logistics, recruitment. Interestingly enough, many of these factor also dictate our lack of overall success in the war as well.

Thread: I woke up yesterday morning at 5am in NYC to go on air and talk candidly about this debacle. I spent 15 minutes putting medicine and bandages on the open wound on my right nub. by 5pm I was on air in atlanta reapplying cream and counting the minutes to take off my legs. Ive sat in wheelchair all morning listening to news coverage of Afghanistan. I had a “honey do” list that includes an hour at the gym but both nubs are blistered and it’s still too painful to put my legs back on until this evening, when I go back on air.

I’m going to share some quotes in this thread, without context, from my group text with my close friends who served in the most violent of combat in afghanistan. This is simply to let you know the array of emotions they’re feeling. “JJJ, not being a dick at all but what does that mean? Great, there's a bunch of people that support wounded vets out there. Guess what Bro, there's a bunch of "wounded" vets that never hear shit and don't give a fuck. I'm sorry JJJ, just giving you the raw perspective.”

Thread: I can’t drink anymore. When I do, the ghosts show up. They put their arm on my shoulder, look at me, body parts missing, faces half blown off. They smile with what is left of their smile. They look at me with wisdom I can’t fathom and hold me with love I can’t understand. I just can’t face them. How do I look upon a man with honest eyes, knowing I’m here breathing, laughing, complaining and he’s lying dead beneath my… us. I can’t have that tough conversation with any of them. The one where I tell them I miss them. Where I say I’m sorry and they

Thread: One thing I learned to do early on was to find a place inside my mind to exist comfortably. It was incredibly useful in the corps when we’d get extremely cold or wet. But was invaluable laying in a hospital, everything in bandages and not able to move a limb. Severe Pain, or even the frustration of being bandaged, full of tubes and unable to move can occupy our minds. So we have to take control back. You start at your finger tips, work your way down you limbs, deep into your chest, closing each section of your body behind you like a

Thread: One of the hardest things I live with, in the realm of regret, is that at the same time I got hurt my dad was hitting rock bottom. Addiction, depression. I think what I’ve realized, and struggle with, is that I was certainly selfish that first 5yrs after my injury. What I know to be true is, had I dedicated myself to him I could’ve saved him. But what I also know to be true is -I couldn’t have saved both of us. I had to be dedicated to remaking myself. I had to become a Phoenix of sorts. Find and board and body surf this crazy wave.

Thread: When someone says “I was a Marine so I have credibility with guns/AR-15” be skeptical. I served 8 years, coached on our ranges and carried an M-16 in 2 wars. I have learned more from civilians after my time in service about 2A, guns, and yes the AR platform after service Than I was ever exposed to in the Corps. Having served, or carried an AR platform M16 in combat means you are familiar with the gun, not an expert. It certainly doesn’t mean you know more about its place in the array of guns available to civilians or how our constitutional rights

Thread from a fellow GA14: @mtgreenee apologized on the House floor today. She gave an explanation for her past comments and the evolution of her beliefs/thinking that I can assure you her constituents will believe and find reasonable. She basically said “I’m a regular citizen, not an ivory tower intellectual, wonk, or swamp”. That matters [most] to them, and provides cover for her Facebook videos and comments. She sounded sincere and humbled. However, this is in direct contrast to her demeanor over the last 4 weeks and

Thread: As a hunter and outdoorsman I 1) believe climate change is real and 2) believe we have a responsibility to act on it. I also know the solutions offered by the left are purposely bombastic, and most have very little chance of coming to fruition. By ignoring the issue altogether, conservatives... who include many conservationists... have allowed the left to conflate a real problem: climate change with an ideology: socialism. If we want to win anything, this is a place to focus efforts

Thread on sports and politics: the teams I love: Braves, Bulldogs, Falcons and NASCAR have been there for me literally my entire life. The first time my fam could afford anything: a Braves game in early 90s against the Expos. We lost badly, but it hooked me and I got to watch The greatest era of Braves ball in front of a tube TV console in our 1966 single wide... poor, smiling and proud. I watched @DeionSanders play for both the birds and the Braves while his antics made headlines. I grew up hearing the stories of how @HerschelWalker was a gladiator

Thread: Let’s be honest, this might be the least surprising thing to come this week. We live in a time where the history of things only matters if it’s convenient. For example, the emancipation proclamation monument is being threatened,

foxnews.com/sports/semi-pr… not because of what it stands for, not because of it’s symbolism, and not because of who paid for it (former slaves) but because the untrained, ignorant passer by may mistake various nuanced aspects for an opposite message.

Short thread on Mattis: Here’s all I’ll say about this. General Mattis made his reputation on 2 things: 1) the skill to surprise an enemy and his peers with swift and decisive action 2) the audacity to know it and say it in a nonconformist Soundbyte. Ironically... That’s what he has most in common with Trump. Mattis had the tactical skill to win a battle, region or time frame, but his entire era of leadership in the Middle East conflict couldn’t win the war. That’s his pitfall across the board.

So @SpeakerPelosi posted a huge bill at 11pm (here rules.house.gov/sites/democrat…) let’s dissect what @HouseDemocrats tried to pass as “Coronavirus relief” paid sick leave mandate: all employers have to provide 7 days of regardless of size FOREVER. With added days IF COVID19 relates. Plus carve outs for missed work completely unrelated to the virus (e.g. domestic violence, etc).

Thread: Certain things in life just cost me more money. I jokingly call it the crippled tax. I have to buy a first class seat on flights more than 2hrs bc thr pressures against my nubs becomes unbearable. I have to use valet parking or hourly parking at the airport because the Walk across the parking lot causes me to sweat, when I sweat my nubs rub raw inside my liners... blister then bleed. I have to buy premium seating at concerts because can’t get to any other seats. My shoes and pants wear out quick because the metal and plastic is unforgiving

Thread.

As an EOD (Bonn) technician the United States government trained me extensively on our history of combating explosive threats at home and abroad. In the heat of this debate I’d like to add some perspective on the subject from my perspective. Background:

we banned these types of guns for 10 years (94-04).

During that time we had: Oklahoma City, Olympic park, Eric Rudolph, and 9/11. Every major study (federal, independent and interest groups) showed little to no change in gun violence during that time.

A thread on #MarcusFoundation and @HomeDepot, each store gets an allotted surplus each month for “lost, broken, stolen” inventory. Every dollar of that they don’t use they utilize for community projects. Along with this community investment, @HomeDepotFound has invested (cont) Hundreds of millions of dollars to these project (most of which to make disabled veterans homes accessible). In 2012 I came home (to a house I personally mortgaged) in Georgetown, TX and my staff @BootCampaign was waiting on me in the driveway with @HomeDepotFound leaders