OMG! The Best Punk Ever! The James Madison Academy.

Rachel Maddow broke a story tonight out of my adopted hometown of Las Vegas that has to be the ultimate punk ever. It involves a school called The James Madison Academy. 

James Madison is a founding father, and former President who was a leading second amendment rights advocate. The James Madison Academy in Las Vegas, had a Latin slogan on their crest that swore action before words. 

The academy invited two well known, far right, second amendment gun rights advocates to speak at the graduation ceremony, including one who was a two term NRA President. At the conclusion of the ceremony, each was ceremonially awarded the constitutional freedom award. There were 3024 seats at the graduation.

But something was off. A -Rachel Maddow search showed that there was no record of the award, it had never been given before. And a search of the website history showed it was only one year old. And when the speakers donned their caps and boards, the seats were all empty. Afterwards, the speakers were told that the graduation had actually been cancelled because of a credible gun violence threat.

The entire graduation turned out to be by far and away the most eloquent and effective rat-fuck I have ever seen in my life. The whole thing was set up by the father of a 17 year old son who died at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas high school, along with his family. The 3024 empty chairs represented the 3024 high school seniors who would never collect their diplomas this year, due to gun violence. They taped the event, including the two gun nuts spouting pontifically about second amendment rights, while the cameras panned out over 3000 empty chairs. And they are already splicing them together into gun control spots to air nationwide.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is grassroots activism at its absolute best. They took the time to make up a website for a school, and do it well enough to make it look legitimate. They created a non existent award, and then conned two far right gun rights wing nuts to show up to make a speech, in front of 3000 empty chairs, just to collect them. And then they taped it all, and are turning it into gun control ads that will air all over. I am proud of my adopted city.