Showing posts with label Gun violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gun violence. Show all posts

Monday, February 13, 2023

News Catch Up Time

 

'This defines the Roberts Court': Chief justice's wife earns millions placing lawyers at firms that argue cases
...Since SCOTUS has gone conservative, it has also gone corrupt. First, there was Justice Clarence Thomas' wife, Ginni, now Chief Justice John Roberts' spouse can...
make millions of dollars recruiting attorneys who are placed into top law firms that argue cases before it?
Dozens of dogs left freezing to death in cold...A northwest side of San Antonio is only one U.S. city where over a dozen dogs were left out in the cold. Texas weather has been brutal and animals can freeze to death in a short while. PLEASE bring your pets in from the cold and report any strays. It could mean their life!

Ex-colleague of chief justice's wife makes ethics claim...More confirmation on SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts' wife, Jane, for unethical behavior.

A comprehensive list of Florida’s freedoms...NOT! This article illustrates just

how far the Fla. Gov. Ron (the despot) DeSantis' wrecking ball has gone, as an example...
Books. Specifically books that make students feel uncomfortable in any way, so that their parents need never endure a more complicated discussion than “tendies or nuggies?”
A homeless mother left a note with her dog for whoever found her. An animal shelter reunited them...Finally, a good news story for both the homeless and a    bandoned animals, in this case with no choice. Heartwarming!

Nearly Two-Thirds Say They’re Worse Off Than Two Years Ago...And it's not all Republicans. Some Democrats agree. With wages and the economy up and the unemployed down, am I missing something?

Judge suggests abortion might be protected by 13th Amendment despite Supreme Court ruling...SCOTUS Judge Samuel Alito is guilty of ramroding the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the country has been sorry ever since. And I think pro-abortion will find a way.

Missouri dog euthanized after grooming; family calls for accountability...A mistake like this is unconscionable. In fact, any euthanization of animals should be illegal. We MUST work together; the public, animal shelters and local governments, to curb the uncontrolled populations of pets. Then, the feds can pass a law to make Euthanization against the law.

100 gun deaths a day, about half suicides, most of them men
...Gun sales go up and the natural result is more gun violence. Fortunately the NRA is in its drmise so we no longer have these sayings like, 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people.' #1, ban assault weapons; #2, beef up background checks; #3, eliminate concealed and open carry unless necessary; #4, pass tougher gun control laws. And do it before gun violence kills more innocent people.

How 'the most lawless jurist in the country' could ban medical abortions 'in all 50 states': journalists..."In less than three years, Kacsmaryk (the lawless jurist) has seized control over border policy, repeatedly defied the Supreme Court’s decision protecting LGBTQ employees, and restricted minors’ access to birth control." The journalists point out three massive flaws in the case...
First, none of the plaintiffs "have a remotely plausible claim to standing," or "ability to sue in federal court."
Second, the "substantive arguments are ridiculous."
Third, a federal judge has never banned a drug "by wholly revoking FDA approval."

There's one more...you thought demonstrations were bad before, just watch if this moron takes away the abortion pill. 

MORE LATER...




Sunday, April 3, 2022

ASSAULT WEAPONS = 6 dead...10+ wounded

 

Six people are now dead from gun violence and more than ten are wounded. Early this morning in Sacramento, California, in downtown, no less, and they haven't caught the shooter yet, as of moments ago. This is the city's second mass shooting in a month and yet another cry for help from gun control advocates to ban assault weapons. Who the hell needs this kind of weapon for anything other than to kill as many people as possible?

The U.S. gun culture has reached its limits when it come to the limits of firearms on the street. There are 393 million guns on U.S. Streets with a population of 326 million people. And do guns make us safer? According to David Hemenway, professor of health policy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, "there is no good evidence that using a gun in self-defense reduces the likelihood of injury." So why are there so many guns in America?

Because there are so many gun nuts, many of which are not satisfied with just one

gun, but require several. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of gun owners say they own more than one gun, including 29% who own five or more guns. But, admittedly, the major problem recently seems to be mass killings, which usually involve assault weapons. Getting rid of these vast agents of human destruction would, at least be a start.

You can see a collection of my posts on gun violence over the years...here.

SUPPORT UKRAINE


Friday, March 11, 2022

Measuring Gun Violence a New Way...Same Innocent Deaths

 

A report by the scientific group, Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open, reveals that "Firearms have cost 12.6 million years of life in just a decade," as reported by Erin Blakemore of the Washington Post. As a new and unique way of addressing this issue, it reflects on the problem of too many guns on the street; 390 million in a country of 329 million people. Since the number of weapons coincides with laws governing their use, here are the states with the least strict gun laws...
New Hampshire, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Texas, Montana, West Virginia, Alabama, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alaska, Kansas, South Dakota, Arizona, Kentucky, Missouri, Idaho, Wyoming, and Mississippi.

There is also another site from the state of Arizona, where, by the way, it only takes a warm body to buy a gun, which documents the most "gun friendly state" for gun owners. AZDefenders lists Alaska (122.9) as number one and New York (10.7) as least friendly. 

If you are at all interested in gun violence, compare the above site with those states with the most gun violence based on gun deaths per capita...

  • Alaska - 24.4
  • Mississippi - 24.2
  • Wyoming - 22.3
  • New Mexico 22.3
  • Alabama - 22.2
  • Louisiana - 22.1
  • Missouri - 20.6
  • South Carolina - 19.9
  • Arkansas - 19.3
  • Montana - 19.3
It's also a regional thing...
"The researchers found stark regional differences in the trends, and point out that the South — the region with the highest number of registered firearms — has a higher level of gun-related suicide and homicide than the rest of the nation."

The gun nuts will tell you that the more armed Americans are, the less gun deaths there will be. Over the years this has been proved wrong and the Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open group reports...

“the data reveal that the resulting access to firearms has equated to magnitudes of death due to firearm suicides in the same individuals demanding access to firearms.”

EXCELLENT:  Gun violence: An American epidemic?...


My blog has posted regularly over the years on gun violence with posts you can see here. Here are some excerpts...
'I am 89 and not once has there been the case where I have needed to carry a gun. Agreed, there are limited cases where this might be required; single females living alone as an example.'
'And there is one organization that is always in the forefront to prop up 
gun violence, at least until recently, the National Rifle Assn. and its head gun nut Wayne LaPierre. pushing constantly for more guns on the streets to please its gun manufacturing supporters. Well, someone has pulled the shade down and the NRA is going down the drain...where it should be. A recent report shows their legal troubles alone have cost the group $100 million. And it's getting worse.'
'Albert Bender is a journalist and Cherokee activist taking the position that you can blame guns for most problems that face Americans today. From slavery to Native Americans, it is a gun culture in the U.S. fostered by white Americans that has created the dilemma that we are in. Bender, as many others are beginning to do, is bringing the crisis with gun violence closer and closer to the health care system, particularly mental health. Mr. Bender takes aim at what he calls a “monolithic” weapons industry that is “opting for profit over humanity.”'

There's much more in this collection of the destruction done by guns in this country over the years with the conclusion that more guns cause more deaths and until the American gun culture understands this more innocent people will die. 

SUPPORT UKRAINE 


 

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Study: Gun Nuts have AK-47 Penis envy

 

I cannot fathom an idiot laced family that would use religion and its scriptures to support the lunacy of a gang of gun nuts who represent the primary reason for the 42,781 gun violence deaths in 2021. What the hell is "Muscular Christianity" and where in the Bible does it say to, favor ‘stand your ground’ over ‘turn the other cheek?’ In Peter Manseau's perspective in the Washington Post, he offers this headline...
"Why so many guns on Christmas cards? Because Jesus was ‘manly and virile.’"

It would seem that we have a very large population of impotent males in this country since they require some 390 million guns to show their virility. The American Journal of Men's Health says...

Although there has been no direct empirical evidence linking sexual dysfunction (SD) with gun ownership, speculation has been widespread and persistent for decades.

What this Christmas card says about congressional dysfunction...


There's more science from the Journal...

"Our primary hypothesis, derived from the psychosexual theory of gun ownership, asserts that men experiencing SD are more likely to personally own guns than other men. To test this hypothesis, we used recently collected data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (CHAPS), a national probability sample of 780 men, and binary logistic regression to model gun ownership as a function of SD. Our key finding is that men experiencing SD are no more likely to own guns than men without SD."

The Journal says findings are important for sexual dysfunction because, "they contribute to our understanding of factors associated with gun ownership by challenging the belief that phallic symbolism and masculinity somehow drive men with SD to purchase guns." I live in Arizona, where all that is necessary to own a gun, and carry it anywhere you want, is a warm body. But no matter what open gun law state you live in, you can now marvel over inadequate gun guts carrying.

Here's more research from the Journal...

"The psychosexual theory of gun ownership has three primary propositions. The first proposition is that guns are phallic symbols. In his Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis, [Freud] argued that “the penis is symbolized primarily by objects which resemble it in form, being long and upstanding, such as sticks, umbrellas, poles, trees, and the like; also by objects which, like the thing symbolized, have the property of penetrating, and consequently of injuring, the body,—that is to say, pointed weapons of all sorts: knives, daggers, lances, sabres; fire-arms are similarly used: guns, pistols and revolvers, these last being a very appropriate symbol on account of their shape.”
"The second proposition is that guns are symbols of masculinity. In U.S. culture, guns are associated with masculinity because they are primarily used by men.
"The final proposition is that some men acquire guns as a means of compensation when they perceive losses in virility and masculinity."

This study from The American Journal of Men's Health should be of top interest to gun control advocates explaining in so many ways why gun nuts do what they do. As far as spreading cheer with your AK-47, the recipients of these cards, assuming you are not a gun rights advocate, will be able to snicker at friends and relatives who may have a bedroom problem. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Monday, November 29, 2021

What is Wrong with a Federal Firearms Registry? Got Something to Hide?

 

Are gun owners afraid to admit or reveal they own firearms? Maybe it's because they have an arsenal at home and don't want the government to know. The idea the Feds will take your guns way should only concern those who are doing something illegal or unethical in their gun ownership. In a country where there are more guns than people, there are 393 million civilian-owned firearms in a population of 333,728,343. To say the above is absurd is the understatement of the year.

So far in 2021, there have been 40,704 gun violence deaths broken down by 18,792 homicides, 21,912 suicides. There have been 646 mass shooting, in most cases involving an assault weapon, and tragically 1,374 children have died from gun violence and hundreds injured. If you can argue that there should be more guns on the street after seeing those numbers, and deny the fact we need more gun control, then you are a thoughtless, heartless gun nut.

A gun registry could help improve those numbers simply by the fact that a gun used in the killing or wounding of an individual can be quickly traced back to its owner. If you are a law-abiding firearms owner, you have nothing to worry about. However, here is the opposition to the registry,,,

"Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas led 51 of his colleagues in a letter to acting ATF Director Marvin Richardson on Monday, expressing their concern over a proposed rule by the agency that Republicans fear could eventually lead to a backdoor gun registry around Congress’ prohibition."

What the hell is a "backdoor gun registry?" The term implies the fact that it would be wrong to legislate something that could save lives, particularly those of innocent children. Involved is a "20-year burn date that the federal firearms licensees must abide by, requiring them to preserve firearm purchase records older than two decades." Records eventually end up in the hands of the ATF. And what's wrong with the leading gun agency knowing who owns guns?

Gun Violence Today Explained...


This is all ludicrous, but there is even more. This same group of Republicans says...

"The Biden administration is yet again ignoring the real threats against America and instead using political leverage to encroach on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens."

And finally, these gun nuts in Congress make the case for gun control advocacy. They say the new rules...

"will enable the Biden administration to collect more information on law-abiding gun owners, all with the purpose of eventually having a registry of every gun owner in the United States."

Of course it will. And what is wrong with that? 

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

The Agony of Stupidity...GUN VIOLENCE

 

The agony of this issue is the fact that something could be done about gun violence, but the first question is, do we need more guns on the street than there are American residents? NO! But there are 393 million guns, only 326 million people. The first move should be to get as many of these guns off streets as possible, and, again, yes, there are some people out there that don't need a gun. And there are some who don't need an arsenal; in 2020 the average gun owner had 8 guns.

 As of November 16, 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 39,275 deaths due to gun violence; 18,155 homicides, murder, etc. and 21,120 suicides. Add to that 35,963 injuries due to guns and you have a situation that is completely out of control. Yet, gun nuts, which include not only some gun owners, but also politicians, who have conceded to the gun lobby for years, taking their money in return for legislation protecting these same gun nuts.

Listen to Arizona absurb gun law, typical throughout U.S...


As an example, in Arizona, the state where I live, all that is necessary to own a gun is a warm body. They can take their firearms pretty much anywhere they want to, and now Congress is considering legislation so owners can carry their guns across state lines all around the country. I am 89 and not once has there been the case where I have needed to carry a gun. Agreed, there are limited cases where this might be required; single females living alone as an example.

A well-known firearms researcher says "America is on a collision course with disaster. We need to listen." Garen Wintemute, 69, is director of the California Firearms Violence Research Center at UC Davis, researching gun violence for around 40 years. Here's why...

"He’s also an emergency room physician whose obsession with firearms violence grew from his constant treatment of gunshot wounds."

 Wintrmute questions...

“How could we have prevented this from happening? I’ve tried to 

understand some of the social determinants in a gun purchase.”

Wintemute contacted politicians...

“The risk of major political violence is higher now than at any other time in my lifetime,” said Bob Shrum, a former Democratic consultant who is director of the Center for the Political Future at USC.

Schnur cited the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 insurrection, where 5 people died from gun violence, adding...

“As long as we convince each other that people who disagree with us are evil, the likelihood for violence will keep growing. The answer isn’t more gun control or more gun ownership…. The core issue is tolerance.”

And if all this isn't enough, we now have ghost guns, and I don't mean the creepy crawly kind. This new quirk for gun nuts is a make-at-home kit for a real gun that is available through gun dealers and online. There is some work necessary to complete the firearm and, when complete, the piece is not subject to regular gun regulations, thus, no serial number. Just another way for an anonymous homicide with, essentially, a throwaway killing machine. What's next?

Back to my initial statement, 'something could be done about gun violence,' there is a need for some new gun control laws, and revision of some already on the books. A priority is to revise the open/concealed law to include only those absolutely in need. Another, create a national registry, eliminate the gun show loophole, cancel straw purchases and get rid of the NRA, the main source of gun violence with its philosophy of 'more guns on the street.' Unfortunately, there's more.

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Covid-19 and climate change both destroying the U.S

 

The coronavirus snuck up on us and established its unchallenging position that required the immediate actions of the healthcare community. There has been considerable success, even though Republicans, especially, governors like Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott who oppose any precaution recommended by the CDC. These heads of states are responsible for horrific numbers of death and suffering in their states, yet they refuse to back down.

Climate change has also been creeping along at a slow yet enduring pace that has produced calamities of excessive rainfall and heat hardships like we are experiencing this summer. And then there are the dry areas that have spawned wildfires like those recently in California, particularly the one in Lake Tahoe currently threatening thousands of people and homes and the resort areas hotels. Republicans swear that climate change is a myth, refusing to address the problem.

Just recently there was the New York times headline: "Governors DeSantis and Abbott, ‘Undermining Public Health’" Now this is a mandate that should unravel the residents of Texas and Florida, but so far, very little from the ranks. School districts are defying DeSantis regularly on his ban of mask mandates, and Abbott has taken a few hits on his regulations from the courts. But new Covid-19 cases and deaths just keep piling up. Texas, as an example, had 257 deaths today.

This country has other problems like gun violence and immigration reform, both with figures like immigrant encounters are at a 21 year high, and 29,759 deaths using guns since the first of the year. There are more and with all the dilemma facing us, one might think we are approaching apocalypse. Study after study proves that masks prevent the spread of the virus, and environmental groups have shown the value of clean energy to stave of atmospheric nightmares. Go figure.

And then the NYT opinion page asks, "What if the Coronavirus Crisis Is Just a Trial Run?" After all, this country is wallowing in a good life that has recently lost sight of the future and what could happen to our children if we don't put the brakes on excesses of all kinds. But the children themselves are being taught they can have whatever they want with no consequences for their destiny. There is a certain amount of innocence here but there is also willful participation. 

In summation, if we are in as bad a shape as the media reports in fighting future viruses as well as stopping changing weather patterns that kill, as an example the recent Ida hurricane that hit Louisiana, are we, in fact, heading for an apocalypse?



Tuesday, July 6, 2021

The Case for the Second Amendment

 

This is the 2nd Amendment as given to us by the Founding Fathers...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

 

Now, let's look at that. Is the "well regulated militia" a state national guard or is "State" meant to represent the U.S. and "militia" the military? This makes a big difference in the interpretation of this amendment. And, the national guard or military "being necessary to the security" of either sounds like we are talking about a group rather than an individual. Of course, all of the discussions and negotiations of the 2nd Amendment were taking place before its passing, December 15,1791.

But then we have, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms," which could be plural, referring to a group of people. What I am getting at here is that the 2nd, as it is written, is far from clear if it represents groups or whether it could include individual gun ownership. Finally, "shall not be infringed" is relatively simple and means the amendment cannot be violated. But it is still to be established whether this 200+ year old measure asserts singleness or government control.

It must be acknowledged that a law that is 200 years old, plus written at a time when there was no established law enforcement--resulting in potential instances of self protection--could need a more modern interpretation. Additionally, the United States over the last few years has shifted to a gun culture designed and implemented by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre that produces maximum profits for gun manufacturers and lines LaPierre's pockets with millions of dollars?

You should understand that all of the above incidents occur in an environment here in


this country that is rocked daily by gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been almost 22,000 gun violence deaths in 2021, including 315 mass shootings. There are 390 million guns on America's streets with the current U.S. population 329 million. America comes in second in firearm-related gun deaths around the world with 37,200 annually; Brazil is number 1. 

But is there a case for the 2nd Amendment? I will leave you with the above facts and figures plus a number of sites, below, relating to guns starting with the mass killings in Colorado and Georgia, in March of this year, and ideas on how to stop all this mayhem...


Opinion | 6 Bold Ideas for Gun Reform That Could Actually Happen

 



Explainer: More guns than people: Why tighter U.S. firearms laws are unlikely







After repeated ATF warnings, gun dealers can count on the agency to back off; sometimes firearms flow to criminals





213 Mass Shootings Later, What Has Biden Done on Guns?




At least 22 people shot, 2 fatally, after assailants get out of an SUV and fire assault rifles at a club, police say




San Jose mayor proposes gun owners carry insurance, pay annual fee in wake of rail yard shooting




Gun deaths surge in Iowa ahead of loosened handgun restrictions



Yes, the 2nd Amendment had its place in its day, the days of 1791, but this is 2021, and that need is no longer viable. Gun violence has consumed America due to a gun culture fostered by the National Rifle Assn. and supported by a large array of gun nuts. The time has come for change.

Sunday, February 28, 2021

America in Conflict

 


Starting a series of random posts illustrating the struggle the United States is going through today, emphasizing the moral drought of our political system.

A president impeached twice with absolutely no remorse for what he did to the United States during four catastrophic years in the White House. Read more...

As one columnist put it, "The United States is visibly in an early stage of disintegration," like Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis," only the giant insect is the country we live in.

Evangelicals courted Donald Trump throughout his four years in office despite his despicable behavior, particularly his abuse of women. Read more...



Republican lawmakers proposing laws to prevent liberals from voting, targeting blacks and Hispanics. Read more...

And this is one of those 'can you really believe this?' pieces. The Washington Times suggests replacing Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski with Sarah Palin. Read more...

Here's a whopper, "Conspiracy nuts think Bill Gates helped Biden generate 'synthetic snow' to make Texas look bad." Don't know for sure but do believe we can assume this group supports Donald Trump.


With 390 million guns on U.S. streets in a country of 329 million people, one would expect gun violence. And we got it with a 50% increase in mass shootings in 2020, plus in the first seven weeks of 2021, there have been 63 mass shootings. Read more... 

President Biden appointed more Postal Service Board members, but nothing is done about the arrogant and incompetent Postmaster Louis DeJoy. Why is Biden dragging his feet on this? Read more...

Stephen Miller is the sneaky behind the scenes Donald Trump work master for white supremacy in what the Washington Post's Greg Sargent calls a "shadow war" against Joe Biden. This administration shouldn't let Miller out of its sights. 
Read more... 


SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas, obviously an ardent Donald Trump follower, seems to be overstepping his bounds by becoming a supporter of the "fixed 2020 election," movement. Read more...

Joe Biden mirrors Donald Trump if he lets Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman get away with the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. We keep warning China's Xi Jinping about human rights in his country. But, then, he doesn't have any oil. Read more...

As you may know the CPAC convention got under way last Thursday, and one of its speakers, Ted Cruz, mocked the wearing of masks when the COVID-19 pandemic has now claimed 524,480 deaths. Maybe he should just go back to Cancun and stay. Read more...


Speaking of CPAC, have you heard of the life size gold metal statue of Donald Trump served up to the emperor during the convention? By the way, it was made in Mexico, probably by the kind of people he described as drug dealers, criminals, rapists. Read more...

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the U.S. Representative who was stripped of all of her key House posts due to radical views, is attending CPSC with the rest of the Republican lowlife to praise the recently dethroned dictator. Not sure if she brought her baseless QAnon conspiracy theories with her. Read more...

You can thank Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for being one of the first-rate idiots in the attempt to overturn Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election. He the epitome of untruth with his ongoing claims of rampant voter fraud rampant voter fraud with absolutely no evidence. Read more...





Matt Gaetz, the moron congressman from Florida, pushes Donald Trump for 2024, by comparing Trump's book, "The Art of the Deal," with Gaetz's new version, 'The Art of the Comeback.' Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said it best, "That guy [Gaetz] is
not an adult". Read more...



Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Excepting hunters, ALL guns should be kept at home

 








There have been numerous attacks on the 2nd Amendment, and I won't quote it now because it has been done hundreds of times and most people know its details. The problem is that the two factions in the gun violence dilemma, the gun control advocates and the gun rights advocates cannot agree on the interpretation. The 2nd is ancient, written by men who believed at the time there was a challenge by the U.S. government to take away their rights.

That was 1791, over two hundred years ago, and things have changed dramatically, but the gun rights gang doesn't believe that justifies the control of their guns, all 390 million of them. Incidentally, the current U.S. population is 329 million. Looks like the NRA came up at least 1 million short. In all sincerity, does any fair-minded person think our country needs that many guns? But wait, Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head gun nut believes we need even more.

America comes in second in firearm-related gun deaths around the world with 37,200 annually; Brazil is number 1. However, as you can see in this illustration, the U.S. ranks higher than a lot of violent nations. With this said, there's a controversy going on in Utah re. just where these 390 million gun owners can take their weapons. Steven. F. Alder of The Salt Lake Tribune feels the two sides must come together, offering this as guidance...
"Let’s adopt a rule from that old Johnny Cash song: 'Just leave your guns at home boys, don’t take your guns to town.'”

Good advice but apparently the Utah Legislature and Gov. Cox don't agree because they support "the right to carry a concealed gun without a permit." There is some ridiculous reasoning for their thinking that could only come from a Republican.  But Alder wants the guns to stay at home, no matter the governor's logic. Here's Alder's thinking...

"We need legislation making it a crime to bring a gun to any public meeting of any branch of government and especially to any protest. It should not just be illegal to have a gun in court, but also at legislative and executive branch meetings. Most importantly, it should be illegal to take a weapon, concealed or open, to any protest or demonstration. Those bringing a weapon to such events should be arrested — not protected!"

The author is making his point in relationship to the state of Utah and its government agencies, but the concept is appropriate not only for state properties, but also for the private sector. State gun laws for gun owners have become so lax that anything goes, and I do mean anything. As an example, in Arizona all that is required to buy a gun is to produce a warm body. And what is even more farcical is that you can take guns into bars, reinforcing Alder's piece.


Okay, I give up, here is the 2nd Amendment...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Where does it say, or even infer, that an individual can bear arms in a bar? And where does it say even an individual can bear arms; I believe the terms used are both "Militia" and "people" when it refers to having a weapon. And then there is the phrase "being necessary to the security of a free State," a statement that would indicate necessary protection from tyranny; well, folks, we are talking 1791 when this Amendment was passed. 

This is 2021 and the only recent tyranny we have experienced is Donald Trump and I am not sure he even owns a gun. The gun rights issue is pure malarkey. Pew Research Center says that 60% of the American public favors stronger gun laws. On the other hand, the NRA, led by head gun nut Wayne Lapierre, would have you believe that more guns on the street is the answer. Gun violence is its own pandemic but, in this case, we know the source. Read more...

.



Tuesday, January 14, 2020

2nd Amendment sanctuaries should be certified concentration camps


Gun nuts rampant on 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries across U.S.

Bob Klima stands near the entrance to a recent Nelson County Board of Supervisors meeting that addressed a resolution to make the Virginia county a Second Amendment “sanctuary,” which was approved. (Emily Elconin/Lynchburg News & Advance/AP)

The gun rights gang has swarmed the country setting up their 2nd Amendment Sanctuaries to deft gun control advocates to tread on their "sacred" ground. These people are crazy as a loon to begin with but now their misinterpretation of 2nd Amendment rights looks like they could never win in a court of law. There was District of Columbia v. Heller where SCOTUS (conservative) Justice Antonin Scalia said...
it is “not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”
Gun nuts just don't seem to get it, gun control legislation will happen, and I believe we will see something significant right after a new administration and Congress in 2021. These people have been influenced by NRA head Wayne LaPierre to resist any kind of control over their firearms, no matter how helpful it might be to help curb gun violence. Something like universal background checks and banning assault weapons. This could be the year of realization by the American public. One can only hope.   READ MORE...

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Trump to launch Big Brother to stop mass shootings


September 1, 2019" PROGRESSIVE STREET NEWS BYTES...Where Liberals Walk

Donald Trump seeks Orwell's 1984 to solve gun violence  

Trump - Orwell
Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell wouldn't think of initiating the correct approaches to stopping mass shootings, things like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, halting straw purchases, and, of course, banning assault weapons. No, the Oval Office lunatic and Moscow Mitch would go with grossly invading the privacy of innocent Americans with Orwellian fictionalized technology. They prefer "new 'solutions' that won’t do anything about guns"...
"These proposals frequently focus on mental health, but a new plan before the White House to monitor “neurobehavioral” predictors of violence isn’t just misguided, it’s terrifyingly dystopian."
Should we all re-read George Orwell's 1984 to understand Donald Trump?...


They are creating a new agency called HARPA, a healthcare counterpart to the Pentagon’s research and development arm DARPA. And here is how HARPA would stick their noses into the lives of us proles...
The proles in 1984 are Orwell's satirical take on the proletariat, the industrial working class in whose interest the Party is ostensibly operating. George Orwell's novel was intended to be a very dark satire on what a totalitarian government would be like if it were ever inflicted upon Britain.
HARPA "would reportedly collect volunteer data from a suite of smart devices, including Apple Watches, Fitbits, Amazon Echos, and Google Homes in order to identify “neurobehavioral signs” of “someone headed toward a violent explosive act.” The project would then use artificial intelligence to create a “sensor suite” to flag mental changes that make violence more likely." And there you have it, George Orwell's Big Brother in 2019.

This maniacal idea has been in the works since 2017, but the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio gave it momentum. Trump's demented mind calls it, “SAFE HOME,” an acronym for “Stopping Aberrant Fatal Events by Helping Overcome Mental Extremes.” And why does Donald dufus keep returning to mental health as an answer to gun violence? Because Donald Trump, himself is mentally ill and he wants everyone else to be the same.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Hello Congress-Gun control-Remember?


August 28, 2019: PROGRESSIVE STREET NEWS BYTES...Where Liberals Walk

Republicans shirk gun control, thus, killing innocent people 

NRA/Gun worshippers
A vacuum is defined as a space in which there is no matter, and that is where the gun control movement stands today...in a vacuum. And we can thank Republicans for leading the battle against responsible gun laws. Innocent lives don't matter to these gun nuts, their weapons are sacrosanct over the killing of innocent Americans. Max Boot of The Washington Post asks, "What the hell is wrong with us?" He expounds...
"Less than a month after a white supremacist allegedly killed 51 people in Christchurch on March 15, New Zealand’s Parliament voted, 119 to 1, to make the possession of assault weapons illegal. Gun owners have until the end of September to turn in their weapons as part of a buyback program or face five years in prison. More than 10,000 firearms have already been turned in."
Let's do some math. New Zealand's population is 4,885,300, the U.S. 329 million, 66 times larger. If 10,000 guns were turned in in New Zealand, might we expect to get 660,000 guns off the streets of the U.S. And that's only a drop in the bucket of the 393 million guns spread out over this country. Not even sure if it would help and am very skeptical over America's gun huggers turning over their cherished weaponry. Max Boot continues...
"By contrast, at least 59 people have been killed in mass shootings this year (and more than 9,000 in other shootings, not counting suicides) and yet we are no closer to banning assault-style weapons. These were the weapons of choice of mass murderers in Newtown, Conn.; Aurora, Colo.; San Bernardino, Calif.; Sutherland Springs, Tex.; Las Vegas; Parkland, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Poway, Calif.; El Paso; and Dayton, Ohio."
Trump pulls the trigger in gun violence...


Although 70% of voters and 54 percent of Republicans support banning these weapons of war, T-rump claims there is no “political appetite” for such action. He wouldn't because the NRA's head gun nut wouldn't let him. But not all Republicans are for gun rights. "Suburban women in some swing House districts overwhelmingly want tighter gun laws," says Ella Nilsen of Vox. And the cry for background checks comes from 90% of U.S. citizens.

"Fox News host Steve Hilton is blasting National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre, calling him "an odious little grifter" who needs to be shown the door," reports The Hill. Three board members and three top attorneys have recently resigned from the National Rifle Assn. (NRA). Not too long ago, Dick's Sporting Goods removed guns from all their stores and reports now their sales are climbing. Guns do kill and as we slowly get rid of them, the U.S, will be a better place to live in.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Republicans have already abandoned gun control


August 21, 2019: PROGRESSIVE STREET NEWS BYTES...Where Liberals Walk

What will it take to get reasonable gun control? How many more deaths? 

What is this sick fascination?
The proof is in the congressional attitude and that currently seems to correlate with Donald Trump after his telephone conversation with the NRA's head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. We already have enough gun laws including those that are for background checks. Here's the scenario...
"Senate Homeland SecurityChairman Ron Johnson (R-Wi) is casting major doubt on the prospects of significant gun regulations passing this fall, the latest sign that the effort to pass new firearm laws is starting to falter."
No one thought this kind of mindset was possible after Sandy Hook, or Aurora, Colorado, or most recently the California Garlic Festival, El Paso or the Dayton gun massacres. It is only possible because a cowardly Congress supported by a cowardly American public refuse to do anything. That refusal is, of course, prompted by the fact that Washington is afraid of the NRA and the public either doesn't have the brains or just doesn't care about gun violence.

There's more...
"The Wisconsin Republican said that a background checks measure based on the bill written by Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and a national "red flag" bill are both unlikely to pass. He was open to GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill that would establish a red flag grant program, but said the Senate would need to 'attach to those grants very strict guidelines in terms of due process.'”
And that makes it absolutely clear that the GOP is more concerned with the NRA and gun manufacturers than they are with the innocent children and adults who die from gun violence.  

NRA problems reported by Rachel Maddow...


The New York Times says, "Following his talks with the NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and gun-rights activists, President Donald Trump struck a different tone on gun regulations in the weeks after two mass shootings. And this was caused by...
"The NRA reportedly launched a campaign to contact lawmakers in the wake of the shootings on August 3 and 4 in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Both gunmen wielded assault-style rifles in the separate shootings, which killed 31 people."
Hey, these perpetrators of gun violence are supposed to be headed down the drain so who cares what the hell they say. Chuck Schumer said...
"We've seen this movie before: President Donald J. Trump, feeling public pressure in the immediate aftermath of a horrible shooting, talks about doing something meaningful to address gun violence, but inevitably, he backtracks in response to pressure from the NRA and the hard-right."
Donald Trump lies about action on background checks...


In other words, in order to get rid of gun violence we need to get rid of Donald Trump and Congress, something many Americans would agree with. Here's a headline: ‘I’m worried’: Allies fear NRA has lost its power in Washington." Anita Kumar and Gabby Orr of Politico report...
"The disarray at the NRA is alarming allies who say President Donald Trump and Congress appear to have a brief opening to pass legislation while the group is so politically feeble it isn’t able to aggressively lobby lawmakers against proposals or hold them accountable for their votes, according to a half-dozen Republicans familiar with the situation."
And finally an insider reports...
“There’s no coordinated effort. The staff feels like there is no plan. There’s not a lot of direction or a plan for how to proceed.”
If the wheels are coming off at the NRA, it can't happen soon enough.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Guns don't kill, people do outdated and boring

August 14, 2019: Commentary on gun violence

393 million guns for 326 million people - Why guns kill  


Is this what gun rights people mean?
Makes as much sense, duh!
The time has come to look at America's gun culture and realize that we are a country of gun violence simply because of our gun laws which stem primarily from the Republican Party with the regular incitement of Wayne LaPierre and his National Rifle Assn. (NRA). We are a nation of gun nuts, defined as follows...
You are a gun nut if... 
You think assault weapons should be legal...
You object to universal background checks...
If you favor weapons straw purchases...
You oppose red flag gun laws
You think you should be able to carry your gun anywhere...
You are afraid of a national gun registry
There's more, but this is the essence of the gun rights movement that has been instilled in the minds of gun owners since Wayne LaPierre took over the NRA. The years outdated 2nd Amendment is sacrosanct, and no one must question its meaning or validity, according to these gun nuts. But 70% to 80% of NRA members want universal background checks, plus other changes, meaning the gun nuts are in the minority. They're just the ones with the loudest mouths.

NRA in turmoil...


Elie Mystal from The Nation says, "It’s Time to Repeal—and Replace—the Second Amendment," an article that no doubt makes LaPierre shudder to think anyone would attack his fabricated piece of outdated ideology. She says...
"The meaning of the amendment has been so badly mangled that our only choice is to start over with something that allows for real gun control."
Yes, and the mangled interpretations of the 2nd Amendment clearly come from the propaganda spewing of the National Rifle Assn. and its minions promoting gun violence. But lately NRA board members are dropping like flies with Julie Golob, a professional sport shooter and a strong public advocate for gun rights resigning before her tenure was up. The fourth member in the past two weeks to desert the sinking ship.

Three other board members, Esther Schneider of Texas, Sean Maloney of Ohio and Timothy Knight of Tennessee left when...
"they were stripped of their committee assignments after they asked questions about allegations of lavish spending by NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and other financial excesses."
Former SCOTUS Justice Stevens wanted to repeal 2nd Amendment...



Newsweek reports that the NRA's tax-exempt status is in danger as donors revolt with the most recent development the New York State Department of Financial Services investigation of "the NRA's now-defunct Carry Guard insurance product, which purported to insure gun owners when they kill another individual." The inquiry reportedly involves...
"kickbacks that the NRA is alleged to have received for facilitating the purchase of insurance policies. The NRA is not licensed to provide or market insurance policies and their involvement in the development of insurance services could run afoul of state law."
The NRA is in a shambles and most of it can likely be traced back to head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. In a former post, I blogged former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens made a push recently to repeal the 2nd Amendment, following the Parkland, Florida shooting massacre. Another recent post, Big time NRA donor, David Dell’Aquila, wants Wayne LaPierre dumped, calling him radioactive. Just now realizing Wayne LaPierre has been threatening for years.

Pathetic!

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...