(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . What Would Ronnie Do? Probably Not Replace an American Flag Lapel Pin With an AR-15. [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-02 Everything about Republicans from 2000-2016 centered around Reaganstolgia. Lower taxes, strong military, less government, all of the tripe that was regurgitated throughout the 1980’s was recycled for consumption by a dutiful press. Over time this began to become a drag on the Republican party. In fact, after Trump, the eras no longer had any connection to each other. But in respecting the wishes not to bury the lede, here we go: x The MAGA Republicans in Congress have replaced their American flag lapel pins with AR-15 pins. pic.twitter.com/CMm0TVufYF — Ben Meiselas (@meiselasb) February 2, 2023 Now I of course remember when Republicans did all they could to make the American flag an issue, whether the discussion be over burning it, wearing it, folding it or flying it. If there was a mouth-breathing wife-beating, beer-abusing reprobate they needed to get the vote out with, this was their go to move. Talk. About. The. Flag. But the comparisons and question, “What would Ronnie do?” does not really have to do with the flag. It has to do with this: To be sure, President Reagan did sign gun lobby-backed legislation that weakenedfederal gun laws, and was honored several times by the NRA. But a closer look atReagan’s gun legacy offers a more mixed record than the gun lobby would haveAmericans believe. Consider:• Ronald Reagan lobbied members of the House of Representatives to support the 1994 federal Assault Weapons Ban. The ban passed by only two votes; at leasttwo House members publicly credited Reagan’s direct appeals for their “aye”votes.• In the early 1990s, President Reagan lobbied Congress to pass the Brady Law, amajor gun safety initiative vigorously opposed by the gun lobby.• During Reagan’s tenure as President, bans on cop-killer bullets, undetectablehandguns, and the manufacture and sale of machine guns became law. Yes. Former President Reagan lobbied Republicans in 1994, yes, that 1994, the Contract With America Year, to support the Assault Weapons Ban. Fast forward almost 29 years and we have members of MAGA congress removing the flag, THE FLAG, THE FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is to support their true masters, the NRA. You know, a lot of people like to say, “Kennedy was a conservative, he might have been a Republican today.” This is provably false. But you know what might be true were he alive? Ol’ St. Ronnie looking at the wreckage of a once proud, if misguided party, that he helped to build, and pulling the lever for Joe Biden. Or doing a 360 and going back home to his old party, the Democrats, like when he cut radio ads for FDR. Reagan was a reactionary, yes, of that late 20th century era, an ideologue, but he was not a psychotic. He was not an idiot. He was an American that witnessed his own Press Secretary be permanently disabled by a would-be assassins bullet and decided that, yes, something needed to be done. This display is disgusting. It is incomprehensible. It is also quintessentially the modern Republican Party. No longer a vessel steered by the likes of Abe, or Ike, Teddy, or Reagan. Just a ship of fools. -ROC I have been sick and have missed you all. If you want to throw me some support, The Claw News is always looking to grow! Click here and sign up today! Love, -ROC [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/2/2150691/-Would-Would-Ronnie-Do-Probably-Not-Replace-an-American-Flag-Lapel-Pin-With-an-AR-15 Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/