Economists often point to American culture as one of our brightest spots when it comes to calculating America’s balance of trade.
I am proud to be part of an entertainment industry that provides the world with great music, movies, television shows, and, to a lesser extent, nonscripted reality shows starring assholes. All that shows up in the balance sheets.
Yes, in total, we always have a large negative balance of trade — we import a lot of electrical machinery, computers, vehicles, minerals, and clothes. But the world loves our culture! Including our comedy! That’s why not a week goes by when I don’t receive a check for 3 cents on an old SNL that ran in Kyrgyzstan or Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, this week, it seems that a 7th grader in Belgrade killed eight schoolmates and a security guard. No one can say whether the shooter modeled his spree after Columbine, or Sandy Hook, or Virginia Tech, or Parkland, or Uvalde. But here’s a telling fact I found from CNN by just a quick search. Between 2009 and 2018, America had 288 school shootings. Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and the UK had five.
As a Senator, I co-sponsored a ban on assault weapons. And on high-capacity ammunition clips. A bill for mandatory background checks at gun shows. And on and on. Midwest Values PAC only supports candidates who want to do everything we can to end the scourge of gun violence in our schools and elsewhere.
Unfortunately, that means pretty much only Democrats. We have to elect a Democratic President, House, and Senate.
Let’s make our country safer for kids. For everybody.
Al
P.S. As you know, I always add a P.S. Here’s a cheap shot meant to tug at your heartstrings. I have four grandchildren – Joe, 9, and his sister Avery, 6. And Jacob, 7, and his sister, Claire, 4. Donate for them.
