Showing posts with label Arizona gun violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona gun violence. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Repeal the 2nd Amendment NOW!



Twenty-two people were injured by gun violence in a shooting at a 24-hour art festival in Trenton, New Jersey, where two men are believed to be the shooters, with one of them killed by police. While there were no deaths, four people are in critical shape, one a teenager. It was an all-nighter that started at 3 PM featuring 1,500 pieces of art. There was an attempted carjacking near the festival but law enforcement hasn't been able to tie it in with the shooting. In other words, at this point there is minimum information available, but we do know it was another senseless shooting.

First, we need to know what the weapons were, how the assailants got them, and why they picked this particular event. Not that it will explain that with guns everywhere in the U.S., the fact of where the guns came from may no longer be relevant. In just 2018, there have been 26,570 incidents of gun violence, which have ended in 6,568 deaths, and with 12,359 more injuries. There have been 1,547 children killed or injured. And there have been 130 mass shootings like the one in Trenton. But the imbeciles that populate the U.S. Congress, because of the NRA, are scared to make a move.

Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Assn. head gun nut, has been spewing his 2nd Amendment crap for years, and apparently it has registered with congressional members, the general public, and most certainly with his gun nut membership. It is time to repeal the 2nd Amendment and start over. Gun permits should be radically limited and right to carry only for law enforcement or those with an absolute need. Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said in March of this year in a NY Times op-ed piece, "Repeal the 2nd Amendment." It, of course, got nowhere.

Stevens says this nonsense of the people arming themselves against a tyrannical government is, "a relic of the 18th century." Basically, that puts the 2nd Amendment and everything that comes from LaPierre and his NRA in the same category. In a reaction to the demonstrations of schoolchildren after the Parkland, Fla. gun massacre, "They reveal the broad public support for legislation to minimize the risk of mass killings of schoolchildren and others in our society." This should include...
"legislation prohibiting civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons, increasing the minimum age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 years old, and establishing more comprehensive background checks on all purchasers of firearms. But the demonstrators should seek more effective and more lasting reform. They should demand a repeal of the Second Amendment."
And Judge Stevens explores history...
"In 1939 the Supreme Court unanimously held that Congress could prohibit the possession of a sawed-off shotgun because that weapon had no reasonable relation to the preservation or efficiency of a 'well regulated militia.'” 
The militia thing is there but at least the Supreme Court had the common sense, and, apparently, the legal foundation to say a sawed-off shotgun wasn't included in the intent of the Founding Fathers to represent protection. In keeping with that Stevens is implying that assault rifles are not a necessary weapon for protection, thus, they should be outlawed. You may not know this but in the "long-settled understanding of the Second Amendment’s limited reach by ruling, in District of Columbia v. Heller, that there was an individual right to bear arms. Stevens was one of four dissenters.

Many of you may also know about Arizona's loose gun laws and an unusually high rate of gun violence. It is in the top 16 in the country. Here are the stats...
  • Firearm deaths per 100,000 people: 15.2 per 100,000
  • Total firearm deaths 2016: 1094 (suicides: 755, homicides: 303)
  • Violent crime rate: 470.1 per 100,000 (12th highest)
  • Permit required to carry handgun: No (Citizens allowed to carry a concealed handgun with or without a permit.)
  • Poverty rate: 16.4% (8th highest)
The reason I bring this up is an op-ed in the local Phoenix paper titled, "Control lacking in the Second Amendment." The writer was more concerned over the way the paper, conservative, had changed his title in the piece published earlier, which does not apply here. What is important is what Leon Gildin said at the end of his recent article. He exclaimed, "Control is what is lacking and the reason therefore is, with all due respect, the Second Amendment, as it was written, is not relevant to the issue of gun ownership or gun control in today's world."

Like former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said, the 2nd Amendment is a relic of the 18th century.

                    


                  

Monday, October 30, 2017

THE LATEST: Non-stop gun violence in Arizona


Typical Arizona billboard
Opened my local paper in Phoenix yesterday with its "Public Safety" column screaming gun violence. A woman was found with a gunshot wound in a West Phoenix front yard who later died. A man was found in Chandler, a Phoenix suburb, with a gunshot wound who later died. In a Phoenix home invasion a man was fatally shot with an illegal weapon. And, Tempe, another suburb, is desperate to solve a recent murder in an apartment building parking lot. Arizona is #11 in the country for gun violence with someone killed by a gun almost every day. Wanna move to Arizona?

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Arizona wants to give guns to criminals, domestic abusers, mentally ill and terrorists


Gabby Giffords with Mark Kelly
You read it right. Arizona's Senate Bill 1122, which has been approved by both the House and Senate, prohibits state or local governments from preventing the sale of personal property. Like gun show sales, or a friend gives or sells his gun to another friend, or just someone he met at the mall. If it sounds ludicrous it is, but just another notch on Arizona gun laws that haven't made any sense for years. The state slogan should be 'Put 'em on the street and they will kill.' Because that is exactly what they will do. Arizona ranks tenth in the nation in gun violence.

On January 8, this year, the state observed the sixth anniversary of the shooting of former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords in a Tucson Safeway. Six people were killed, another 13 wounded, including Giffords. There has been speculation that if gun laws in Arizona were stricter, Jared Lee Loughner, 29, would never have been able to get a gun. The state legislature and the people of Arizona never seem to learn. On Friday, one person killed, seven wounded, some critically, in San Diego.  On Monday, one dead, one wounded in Dallas by gun violence.

Is the American public apathetic toward gun violence or are they just stupid?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

2 more surveys…2 more reasons for more strict gun control

As the President receives recommendations today from Vice President Joe Biden on how to curb gun violence by passing new firearms laws, the NRA promises a fight to the finish predicting an assault weapons ban won’t pass.  These fruitcakes still don’t understand the difference between their right to own guns and the public’s right to stay alive.  In fact, the NRA doesn’t care about the latter and has made that clear over the years blocking all firearms legislation.

All the recent polls point to the fact that Americans want action now in stopping the carnage by guns that has swept the nation.  How these facts escape Wayne LaPierre and his gang of gun nuts is beyond me.  Maybe they aren’t bright enough to understand the emergency of the situation.  Or maybe they just don’t care as indicated earlier.  In a recent CNN/ORC poll, it was found that 52% of the U.S. public wants major restrictions on the ownership of firearms.

In a new survey from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, it found that unintentional injuries were quite often caused by guns, and one of the reasons people in America die young more often than in other countries.  Further, “The prevalence of firearms in the United States looms large as an explanation for higher death rates from violence, suicidal impulses, and accidental shootings.”  The availability of guns is deadly in this country.

Continuing, the survey found the U.S. has the highest rate of firearms ownership among peer countries: 89 civilian-owned firearms for every 100 Americans and the US is home to about 35 to 50 per cent of the world's civilian-owned firearms.”  Possession of unlocked firearms in the home is one behavior blamed for the “excessive lethality of the violence.”  With 6 violent deaths per 100,000 population, the United States is far above 16 other countries in the study.

 Canada, Japan, Australia and much of Western Europe didn’t come anywhere close to the U.S.  The closest country was Finland with just over 2 violent deaths per year.  Most of these countries have very strict gun regulation laws that apparently work in decreasing firearms violence.  Homicide is the second leading cause of death in ages 15-24, and 52% of all suicides involve a firearm.  It would seem this country is determined to decrease the population using guns.

But yet another report has been issued that documents states with the most and least gun control.  California is best and, who else, Arizona is worst.  The Grand Canyon state is also the second deadliest in the U.S. with 15 gun deaths per 100,000 population.  As a resident of this state I can tell you that it takes literally nothing more than a warm body to buy a gun, and carry it anywhere in the state you want to, even in bars.  Pathetic.

Everyone is waiting for Joe Biden’s recommendations to President Obama that he will deliver today.  Many have said that the media will eventually tire of the gun control issue and move on to the economy full time.  I don’t think so and bloggers like myself and organizations like the Brady Campaign, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Mayors against Illegal Guns, States United to Prevent Gun Violence and others will all do their part to keep gun control in the forefront. 

With Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly’s new group, Americans for Responsible Solutions, the momentum has finally grown to proportions that can match and beat the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) at their own game.  Say goodbye to the NRA’s leader, wacky Wayne LaPierre.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Gun deaths versus car crash fatalities…who wins?


NRA philosophy

A lot of articles have been written about this new report by the Violence Policy Center, many simply documenting the number of deaths on each side with the conclusion that in ten states, more people have died from firearms than in motor vehicles.  It is the kind of study that the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) and its members cannot argue with, considering the recent increase in obstacle driving causing auto accidents, like texting, while you are on the road.

There is also a good analysis of the report on the New Trajectory site that goes into detail on the study findings with quotes that point out just how much new gun control regulations are needed.  The report accentuates that while auto deaths are on the decline due to years of education and injury prevention strategy, “firearm deaths continue unabated.”  In my view, entirely the result of NRA pressure on conservative state lawmakers caving to the sheer force.

I thought I would concentrate on just one state in the study to point out just how loose gun laws have led to more gun deaths.  The state is Arizona…where I live.  Yes, we have the loosest gun laws in the country and it is the result of a bunch of gun loving fanatics backed by a state legislature and Governor that bow to this group in order to be re-elected.  It is still the Wild West here and many residents are proud of it.  Others, progressives like me, look at these people with pity.

Arizona had 856 gun deaths in this study of 2009 data compared to 809 motor vehicle deaths.  Here’s another interesting statistic I calculated: although Arizona is 2.1 percent of the U.S. population, it has 2.7 percent of its gun deaths.  Arizona is number 2 in the country behind number 1 Michigan with 1,095 gun deaths to 977 motor vehicle deaths, with Virginia coming in 3rd with 836 gun deaths to 827 motor vehicle deaths.  You can see the other seven states in the report, above.

An interesting video on how gun ownership is diminishing:
Kristen Rand, Violence Policy Center’s legislative director, comments that firearms are the only consumer product not regulated by the federal government for health and safety.  Thanks to the NRA and its head thug Wayne LaPierre.  Americans are experiencing new safety regulations that protect them in their cars and from others on the road.  But not so with guns. 

Rand thought gun deaths exceeding motor vehicle deaths was “stunning,” considering that 90 percent of U.S. households own cars when only one-third own firearms.  More than stunning, it is tragic.


Members of Arizona legislature

Charles Heller of Arizona Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group, has his own figures.  To show you the inaccuracy of the NRA led, gun worshipping gang, Heller says there were 50,000 who died in crashes compared to 32,000 from guns, the latter close.  The VPC reports from their study that there were 31,236 firearms deaths in 2009, 36,361 motor vehicle deaths.  In Arizona there were 12.98 gun deaths per 100,000 residents versus 12.27 motor vehicle deaths. 

Arizona is hell-bent on allowing its gun toters to carry their weapons anywhere anytime.  They can already carry them into bars but were recently denied taking them on college campuses and in public buildings.  The state legislature has threatened to introduce both bills again.  State Sen. Ron Gould is running for the U.S. Congress and is firmly behind both pieces of legislation.  It is obvious that Gould is courting the gun-totin Tea Party that has a firm hold on Arizona politics.

TucsonSentinel.com quotes VPC on tightened gun regulations and education: “Comprehensive regulation of the firearms industry and its products could include: minimum safety standards (i.e., specific design standards and the requirement of safety devices); bans on certain types of firearms such as “junk guns” and military-style assault weapons…”  Now this would sound reasonable to most thinking individuals but not to dimwit gun nuts.

Arizona’s own Charles Heller, who rejected calls for weapons design changes, said: "You want them to be dangerous or they're no damn good. Making them safer adds complexity, and that has unintended consequences.  The only true safety in firearms is the person using it."

And therein lays the problem.  Too many of those “persons” walking around the streets of Arizona and other states throughout the country with a weapon they hardly know how to use.

Donald Trump Says He Will Be Indicted On Tuesday

  THAT'S TODAY... Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought the case to this point, now looking at a possible indictment. Trum...