I’ve been wine blogging since December 2005; but, never before have I been known to Sit, Sip, and Stew; and, I know I’m not alone. I decided to take that energy and not write one more thing about wine right now. Instead, I just wrote my heart out to all political people representing my interests, from President Joe Biden on down the line to my local supervisors.

My interest is to have automatic weapons dismantled, recycled into what can be useful in other peaceful areas in life, and also into other innocuous metal parts. Somebody get creative with what can happen to this metal, please. Something to benefit the peace machine, would be really great, since we’re so out of balance with the military budget. This chart below is just proposed, you understand. Imagine what the GOP did with it. Why we need this much defense is beyond my comprehension. How about a good chunk of it going into education? We’re now at our country’s reading level being the 6th grade. A few years ago, it used to be eighth grade level. Does anyone really know what’s happening?

President’s Proposal Discretionary Budget For 2022

Okay, $1.5 Trillion. Do you think we could get some money for peaceful spending, like human resources and education?

To that end, I’ve noticed some wine bloggers are taking occasional twists; because they are, after all, the journals of wine writing professionals.

With the latest shootings in June and July, I’m now doing what my elders did before me. Thoughts and prayers are just a saying. They’re not actionable to stopping massacres. In fact, some churches are being attacked… perhaps to have people wake up and stop leaving society hopeless.

Taking my Frustration to the Streets of D.C.

I wrote heartfelt letters to every key government official representing me. One learns a lot in return, as I just did. Granted it would put Fox viewers to sleep; CNN and other broadcast companies would read it like it was the Magna Carta or Declaration of Independence, and also put listeners to sleep. It’s just not salacious enough to make prime-time news. However, what’s going on in Washington is pretty amazing, perhaps frustrated by certain old white men in power, and not giving up lobby money. But, damn it, that’s not why they were put in a government’s actionable role.

However, it’s a lot more informative and less blaming others, when listed out. It’s hard core facts about what our government officials are doing and succeeding in their public lives. This way, we know precisely who actually is representing our interests.

My letter to all of the people representing me

So, I wrote a letter to all of the people representing me… (It is below the response I got Representative Jared Huffman.) From the President on down the line. And, much to my surprise, I got an answer. (Some are still doing that?) Not just any placating answers; mind you. They are real, actionable answers. With this kind of talent in California, I would hope that Representative Jared Huffman has a long and successful future ahead of him, which continues to be committed to service in the name of his constituents. Let’s just say, I’m happy to be living in California’s wine country, instead of some other unnamed states. Here’s what’s happening from my District 2, as regards gun control.

Dear Jo,

Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts about gun violence prevention. I appreciate hearing from you on this matter.

Congress must enact comprehensive and commonsense legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in this country. Too many people have lost their lives in this country to senseless, heartbreaking acts of gun violence. Since 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for children and teenagers. I am committed to doing everything in my power to address the gun violence epidemic. Thoughts and prayers are not enough – Congress must act.

As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I have supported commonsense gun reforms in each session of Congress since I took office. I voted to pass S. 2938, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which incentivizes states to implement extreme risk protection order laws, strengthens background checks for buyers under 21, and provides funding for community-based violence prevention. President Joe Biden signed this historic legislation into law in June 2022, the first major gun reforms to be enacted in thirty years. I have also cosponsored and voted to pass H.R. 7910, the Protecting Our Kids Act. This critical legislation would raise the minimum age to purchase semiautomatic rifles, establish safe storage standards for firearms on residential premises, authorize a buyback program and ban the sale of large capacity magazines, and ensure that ghost guns are regulated the same way as other firearms. Additionally, I voted to pass H.R. 2377, the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which would follow the model set out by California and other states to create a federal red flag law. This bill would allow law enforcement and family members to obtain an extreme risk protection order for someone who is considered a danger to themselves or others, preventing someone in crisis from being able to access guns.

I have also been an original cosponsor of legislation to ban the purchase of military-style assault weapons in each session of Congress since I took office. This Congress, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021. This bill would ban the sale, importation, manufacture, and transfer of assault weapons, bringing federal law in line with California’s commonsense approach to preventing gun violence. I am also an original cosponsor of H.R. 4225, the 3D Printed Gun Safety Act, important legislation that would prohibit the online distribution of blueprints and instructions that allow for the three-dimensional printing of firearms.

I have also long supported expanding background checks for firearm purchases. In March 2021, I voted to pass H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would expand background checks to cover all gun sales. On the same day, I voted to pass H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which would close the “Charleston loophole,” which allowed a gunman to kill nine people at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It is crucial we also close the “ghost guns” loophole, which allows purchasers to evade federal background checks by buying unassembled, untraceable firearm kits online. That is why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 1454, the Ghost Guns Are Guns Act, as well as H.R. 3088, the Untraceable Firearms Act. As your representative, I will continue working in Congress to strengthen our gun violence prevention laws and keep our communities safe.

Thank you again for sharing your views on this issue. The people of California’s 2nd District are the most important voices I listen to while serving in Congress. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if I can be of assistance to you in the future.

Sincerely,

Jared Huffman
Member of Congress

My letter – Permission to copy paste, edit, etc.

June 11, 2022

President Joe Biden
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20515

Dear President Joe Biden:

By now, it’s very apparent that while “thoughts and prayers” make people personally feel better, it’s evident that this practice does absolutely nothing, to stop the problems of mass murders.

I’m personally fed up and so are most Americans. Our promise future generations is slowly disappearing; bright, innocent minds lost forever. And, those, who have yet to personally experience this American phenomenal tragedy, are nearly frightened to death, waiting on pins and needles for murder to happen at their schools, when parents drop off their children.

Ask yourself, would you want a teaching career in public schools right now? Then ask yourself, if you’ve been taking lobby money from the NRA, “is it an honorable practice?” Finally ask yourself, “why am I still doing it?” Meanwhile, I’m asking myself “Why do I want you in office, when no action is being taken?” Enough damage is done… enough.

From this point forward, when your seat becomes available, I will shift my vote to whomever is voting against you in our party, unless you can prove to me and my fellow Americans, you have taken some steps against assault weapons. And I mean, like, ASAP.

I am not against hunting; many still try to feed their families this way. I’m against private citizens, however, with assault weapons and the sales of assault weapons. They have only one purpose – war. They’re a military intelligence invention (I question that “intelligence,” though). They weren’t created for private citizens to be brandishing and killing others, in the US.

Please act immediately. Enough with the thoughts and prayers. They’re very passive and NOT solving the problem. Only YOU can help solve the problem, that’s why I voted for you.

Please and thank you…

Sincerely yours

Jo A. Diaz

PS: There have been 554 school shootings since the year 2000. Link to all of the school shootings, on Wikipedia. It is criminal that this list even has to exist in the first place; and it’s time to put a stop to it: https://en.wikipedia.org/…/List_of_school_shootings_in…