A Tale of Two Americas

I think most of us can safely say that we were raised to do the right thing. I mean, isn't that what parents teach their kids? i know that's one of the lessons I got from my Mom and Dad: do the right thing. Play nice. Be fair. Sure, there are times we forget to do it, when we're rushing though our day, or we've had a tough time at work, but it's always there in the back of our minds, ready to come forward when we need reminding.
That's what happened in Boston this week, as the runners closed in on the finish line and the unthinkable happened. As the bombs exploded people began running, but not all of them were running away.Quite a few were running toward the explosions, helping people up, and pulling away fences so First responders could more easily reach the victims. They were doing what was right.
I saw pictures of men carrying victims down the street; women helping children who were crying. All over the web you could see one hand reaching out to help, and another hand reaching up to be helped. Playing nice, and doing the right thing.
In the midst of that terror, and in the hours that followed, I tried to focus more on those who helped rather than those who caused this because that's what i think America is: we help those who've been hurt, or beaten, or attacked. We get there first and lend a hand.
So I was sort of bursting with that patriotic pride on Monday afternoon, into the night and all day Tuesday when I read the stories of heroism and bravery and compassion and doing the right thing.
Unfortunately, though, that bubble burst Wednesday when I learned that the Senate--our elected officials, remember--had voted against expanding background checks before guns are sold. Yes, they decided that it isn't necessary to check who is buying guns, and how many and where, because, you know, we don't have a gun problem in this country.
Forty-six members of the US Senate decided that the Gun Lobby, the NRA, matter more to them than the lives of Americans, young and old. Forty-six Senators don't think that we just need to be more careful to whom we sell guns. Forty-six Senators slipped back inside the pocket of the NRA.
Think what might have happened had those forty-six senators been there on Monday. How fast they might have run to get in their cars and go home? How swiftly they might have jumped over the bodies of the victims and run to save themselves first. Think about that the next time you stand in a voting booth and one of these forty-six names is up for re-election:

• Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) -- @SenAlexander Email: HERE
• Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) -- @KellyAyotte Email: HERE
• Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) -- @SenJohnBarrasso Email: HERE
• Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) -- @MaxBaucus Email: HERE
• Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) -- @SenatorBegich Email: HERE
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) -- @RoyBlunt Email: HERE
• Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) -- @JohnBoozeman Email: HERE
• Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) -- @SenatorBurr Email: HERE
• Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) -- @SaxbyChambliss Email: HERE
• Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) -- @SenDanCoats Email: HERE
• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) -- @TomCoburn Email: HERE
• Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) -- @SenThadCochran Email: HERE
• Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) -- @SenBobCorker Email: HERE
• Sen. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) -- @JohnCornyn Email: HERE
• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) -- @MikeCrapo Email: HERE
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) -- @SenTedCruz Email: HERE
• Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) -- @SenatorEnzi Email: HERE
• Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) -- @SenatorFischer Email: HERE
• Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) -- @JeffFlake Email: HERE
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) -- @GrahamBlog Email: HERE
• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) -- @ChuckGrassley Email: HERE
• Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) -- @SenOrrinHatch Email: HERE
• Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) -- @SenatorHeitkamp Email: HERE
• Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) -- @SenDeanHeller Email: HERE
• Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) -- @SenJohnHoeven Email: HERE
• Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) -- @jiminhofe Email: HERE
• Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) -- @SenatorIsakson Email: HERE
• Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) -- @Mike_Johanns Email: HERE
• Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) -- @SenRonJohnson Email: HERE
• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) -- @SenMikeLee Email: HERE
• Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- @McConnellPress Email: HERE
• Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) -- @JerryMoran Email: HERE
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) -- @lisamurkowski Email: HERE
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) -- @SenRandPaul Email: HERE
• Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) -- @robportman Email: HERE
• Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) -- @SenMarkPryor Email: HERE
• Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) -- @SenatorRisch Email: HERE
• Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) -- @SenPatRoberts Email: HERE
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) -- @marcorubio Email: HERE
• Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) -- @SenatorTimScott Email: HERE
• Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) -- @SenatorSessions Email: HERE
• Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) -- @SenShelbyPress Email: HERE
• Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) -- @SenJohnThune Email: HERE
• Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) -- @DavidVitter Email: HERE
• Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) -- @SenatorWicker Email: HERE