NRA's Wayne LaPierre on the way out

July 20, 2019: BULLETIN News Bytes 

Wayne LaPierre

Former NRA Ad Agy. Ackerman McQueen says Wayne LaPierre lies

Wayne LaPierre, head gun nut at the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), is almost as astute at lying as Donald Trump. Almost, but not quite. He has twisted facts and spewed propaganda over gun rights and for years and is responsible for the current apathy of the American public over gun violence. But he may now be caught up in a deception he can't get out of...

"At issue is multi-million-dollar litigation between the NRA and its ex-ad firm. In court filings of its own, the NRA has alleged that Oliver North, the groups's former president, was ousted in part because he withheld information from the NRA about payments he took from Ackerman McQueen, which had served as the gun rights group’s primary ad contractor until just months ago. The NRA claims North kept the nature of his deal with Ackerman McQueen a secret from LaPierre and the gun group’s leadership."

The Young Turks put the NRA in its place...

In The Daily Beast, "Ackerman McQueen alleges that LaPierre himself helped negotiate the deal between their firm and North. And they hint that they have documentation to prove it." The NRA, of course, denied everything, but, then, we know how much Wayne LaPierre lies.

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: Repeal 2nd Amendment

July 19, 2029: TODAY'S NEWS BYTES  

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens: Repeal 2nd Amendment

Although deceased former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens made it his job to keep a check on American presidents (God, we need him now), he also made a push recently to repeal the 2nd Amendment, Following the Parkland, Florida shooting massacre...

"In 2008, the Supreme Court overturned Chief Justice Burger’s and others’ 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. I was among the four dissenters. That decision — which I remain convinced was wrong and certainly was debatable — has provided the N.R.A. with a propaganda weapon of immense power. Overturning that decision via a constitutional amendment to get rid of the Second Amendment would be simple and would do more to weaken the N.R.A.’s ability to stymie legislative debate and block constructive gun control legislation than any other available option."

Of course, no one listened to him then but with the current demise of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), perhaps the gun cowards in Congress, and there are many, will begin to take note.

Read more...

Others think it is time to repeal 2nd Amendment

"Why not try to amend the Second Amendment? "That's from Washington Post columnist, Henry Olsen,  I like the term "try" and completely understand its use in connection with a U. S. Congress loaded with gun nuts scared to death of Wayne LaPierre's NRA. Olsen apparently feels that the complete takeaway of all guns is a mistake, but also bemoans the possibility of Trump adding another conservative justice to SCOTUS, which would take at least ten years to undo.

The writer proposes the following...

"A revised Second Amendment could spell out the relationship between public safety and private rights in more detail. It could give clear safeguards for people with no history of legal trouble or mental instability to continue to own guns while giving more authority to the government to guarantee that only people unlikely to misuse guns would have them."

I might even be able to live with that as long as the right to carry weapons outside the home is banned, along with all assault rifles. At the same time, we would close the gun show loophole, add mandatory background checks and forbid straw purchases. Now that is definitely a neat package.

Read more...

Gun control saves childrens' lives

Stricter gun laws associated with lower death rates in children. Here's a fact from the new study...

"In states where laws requiring universal background checks for gun purchases had been in effect for at least five years, rates of fatal shootings involving young victims were 35% lower than in states without background checks."

 “Approximately seven U.S. children die from firearm-related injuries every day,” said Dr. Monika Goyal, lead author of the study and a researcher at Children’s National Health System and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. About 62% of the 21,241 deaths analyzed were assault-related, and nearly 69% occurred among 18- to 21-year-olds. About 87% of the deaths were in males.

The study warns, parents should think twice about bring guns into the home, and always inquire whether there are guns in the homes where their children go to play. “Take the risk that you may offend someone, rather than putting your child at risk of fatal or irreversible injury,” said Dr. Judy Schaechter, coauthor of an editorial accompanying the study and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Read more...

NEWS ALERT.Big time NRA donor wants Wayne LaPierre dumped

Thank God someone in the gun rights community has finally usurped the nerve to go after the National Rifle Assn. (NRA's) head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. This maniac is the common denominator for all the gun violence since he took office in 1991. It is his firm belief that everyone in this country should be armed with a gun, take it anywhere he wants to, with every American household claiming its own personal arsenal. This offense is purely to sell more guns to appease the gun manufacturers who generously support him and the NRA.

Here's what David Dell’Aquila, LaPierre's hit man, says...

the NRA’s internal warfare “has become a daily soap opera, and it’s decaying and destroying the NRA from within, and it needs to stop”.

“Even if these allegations regarding Mr LaPierre and his leadership are false, he has become radioactive and must step down.”

Don't you love his description of Lapierre as "radioactive?" 

Unsung heroes beg for gun control laws to protect others

18-year-old Kendrick Castillo

60-year-old Lori Gilbert Kaye was killed trying to protect her Rabbi when a gunman opened fire in a synagogue in California. The Rabbi survived. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 21-year-old Riley Howell lunged at the shooter taking three bullets that killed him. In Colorado, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo attempted to stop a gunman to help others get away. He was killed. These are all recent and still being mourned.

The Washington Post feels that the fact these people...

"feel compelled to throw themselves into the line of fire puts to shame our so-called political leaders, who don’t even have the guts to pass sensible gun reform."

Don't you love it, "so-called political leaders," the cowards of Congress that have perpetually been afraid of the NRA and its head gun nut Wayne LaPierre for years while thousands of innocent people have lost their lives from gun violence. Here's an alarming figure that explains this problem...

"America has 4.4 percent of the world’s population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world"

WP makes a comparison with the New Zealand shooting where lawmakers jumped right in passing laws to prevent another similar gun massacre. Here in the U.S., urged on by the NRA, the public is led to believe that shootings, including mass gun violence, is commonplace and we just have to live with it. Well, that's bullshit! Especially with the demise of the NRA where Americans are demanding more information on gun ownership.

Just this past week a Michigan man went on a killing spree saying he was "on a mission to rid other women he knew of their 'demons.'" Law enforcement said, "I don’t think there’s any doubt that the suspect was on a killing spree." As usual, the question is where did he get the gun? With some 393 million guns on U. S. streets , that may once again be hard, near impossible, to answer. But the NRA's Wayne LaPierre will tell you, the more guns, the better.

And finally, an article from gun right exclaiming, "3 Ways To Make A Glock Gun Even Better," or interpreted, '3 Ways to kill more innocent people faster.' Those are solely my words but reflect an opinion that all the weapons industry is trying to do is make things easier for people to kill other people, especially in mass murders. Prove me wrong???

Please give me your comments on this issue.

The NRA and gun violence are inseparable

The NRA has suppressed facts on gun violence for years, actually since the 1990s when the organization...

"used its influence over NRA member and Arkansas Rep. Jay Dickey to insert an amendment into the federal spending bill that has effectively prevented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding any research on gun violence."

Gun statistics are still hard to come by, with most information coming from private studies done by experts in the field. Because the NRA has bombarded the public with propaganda over the years, and the group repeatedly buys a cowardly Congress with contributions, we now have 393 million guns on the street, resulting in almost 40,000 deaths annually, with over 300 mass shootings in 2018. The NRA's policies are clearly the source of American gun violence.

Before his demise as NRA president, Oliver North warned of financial woes in the organization partly due to $40 million spent on legal fees. There is also the problem of corporate sponsors deserting the group because of their recent notoriety, and banks have said no to working with the NRA. It is clear that part of their financial problem is head gun nut Wayne LaPierre's salary of around $1 million. His side benefits include, according to a leaked letter...

a $39,000 one-day shopping spree for clothes in Beverly Hills, $18,300 for a car and driver while he was in Europe, and $13,800 for a summer intern's rent. The total clothing travel and other expenses were more than $542,000. He also allegedly spent more than $200,000 in air transportation in a one-month period in 2012 and 2013, part of a two-week to the Bahamas over Christmas. 

Showing how low the NRA will stoop in its propaganda, Oliver North replacement, the new president, Carolyn Meadows, said about a leading proponent for gun control in Congress, Rep. Lucia “Lucy” McBath (D-Ga.) that she only won her election because she’s a “minority female.” Great start but this just emphasizes the total sleaziness of this organization.
I have posted on the NRA over the years and actually received death threats for some of my posts. These are obviously the lowlife of the gang of gun nuts, but some members espouse reasonable gun control. Today I join with the gun control advocates who welcome the demise of the NRA. The question is will the congressional gun nuts let their treasure trove go down the tube. The coming months will be interesting.

World asking why so many U.S. mass shootings?

The U.S. has 4.4 percent of the global population but owns 42 percent of the world’s guns. According to a 2015 study by Adam Lankford, professor at the University of Alabama...

Dianne Feinstein-Here's the culprit

"Worldwide, a country’s rate of gun ownership correlated with the odds it would experience a mass shooting. This relationship held even when he excluded the United States, indicating that it could not be explained by some other factor particular to his home country."

In another Lankford study of the same year, "only 4 percent of American gun deaths could be attributed to mental health issues." And re. suicides...

"countries with high suicide rates tended to have low rates of mass shootings — the opposite of what you would expect if mental health problems correlated with mass shootings."

That pretty much puts a damper on the NRA's perpetual and tiring comment that mass shootings are a mental health issue. The Washington Post Editorial Board said "there have been more than 100 mass shootings, more than 4,500 gun deaths (not counting suicides) and more than 8,400 gun injuries. Here's a comparison with down under...

"Australian physician. Nikki Stamp, a heart and lung surgeon in Perth, Australia, said in a Wednesday Post op-ed that in more than 16 years of practice, she has had to deal with only two instances of gunshot wounds. One was a man who had accidentally shot himself and the other an attempted suicide."

And if you look at the Aussie's gun laws you can understand Stamp's comment. This is "because of the gun-control measures the country put in place after a mass shooting in 1996, in which 35 people were killed." Sheer common sense which neither the U.S. Congress nor the American public has. Australia wonders why we haven't tried the same thing here. So do American gun advocates. And speaking of the U.S. Congress...

"Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is introducing legislation to increase the minimum age to buy assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the wake of a shooting in that state."

This is sheer nonsense considering the magnitude of the gun violence issue, especially since it was Feinstein who proposed banning assault weapons entirely just a few years ago. It is dumb moves like this the rest of the world will look at and marvel that the U.S. population hasn't self-destructed using its 393-million guns. Come to think of it, it is a wonder we haven't.

NRA going down in flames

LaPierre-North

First, National Rifle Assn. president Oliver North asked head gun nut Wayne LaPierre to resign re. challenges surrounding the organization's fundraising and nonprofit status...

"The organization's 2016 election spending, including $36 million to help Trump, has prompted regulators in its charter base of New York state to threaten to investigate its nonprofit status."

And then Oliver North resigned from the NRA in the midst of what he described “a clear crisis,” all of this during the organization’s annual conference in Indianapolis. In addition, "Maria Butina, the Russian operative who used her NRA activism to illegally infiltrate American conservative circles, was sentenced to 18 months in prison." And, apparently North confronted LaPierre with threatening information about the long-time gun lobby chief.

No matter what the reasons, gun control advocates are having a field day in their celebrations of the demise of a group that has spawned non-stop gun violence during the tenure of Wayne LaPierre. The NRA has been at odds with law enforcement for years over its nonprofit status, and its contributions to lawmakers and presidents. But the gang of gun huggers has been protected by a cowardly Congress afraid of losing the NRA's donations.

It was reported that Oliver North "created a committee to investigate alleged financial improprieties at the NRA." Then another report said...

"that a civil complaint in Virginia filed earlier this month and amended Wednesday claims that North has been receiving income from advertising firm Maria Butina while it has been under contract with NRATV to produce a documentary series."

And then if was discovered that Ackerman McQueen "was sued by the NRA earlier this month over allegations that it was deliberately concealing details about how it was spending millions of dollars received by the group." LaPierre has also claimed that North is just in it for the money, which is interesting considering the head gun nut has made a fortune as CEO of the NRA.

In the meantime, 39,773 Americans were killed by guns in 2017; the NRA spent $9.7 million in 2018 to defend Republicans’ complete control of Washington; there are between 280,000 and 520,000 bump stocks in circulation. Check The Trace for more on gun violence. I rest my case against the NRA and Wayne LaPierre.

Please give me your COMMENTS on this issue.

Did Democrats abandon gun control?

Where's the action today?

I just received a letter from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by a survey of issues that I think are priority for Democrats. Not one mention of gun control. Of course they asked for a contribution, which they won't get from this family until they address that issue aggressively. Now, I do also believe in the other issues like Medicare/Social Security, healthcare, climate change and the minimum wage, to name a few, but completely ignoring gun control?

You need to watch for my blog post on Monday about the demise of the National Rifle Assn. and its head gun nut Wayne LaPierre, and president, Oliver North. The title is "NRA going down in flames," and reports on how the organization is imploding right in the middle of its annual convention in Indianapolis. It couldn't happen to a better bunch of freaks, and gun control advocates look forward to the day this group of gun violence perpetrators is out of business.

But the above is no thanks to the Democrats' efforts to control gun violence. The NRA's downfall stems primarily from infighting between Wayne LaPierre and Oliver North, plus its huge contributions to Congress and presidents when its non-profit status basically says no. On another note, a Bernie Sanders volunteer called me recently asking for a contribution and, having been a strong supporter in 2016, I told him not until his man got more aggressive on gun control.

There were well over 300 mass shootings in 2018, with that year the worst on record for gun violence in schools. You would think these statistics would give a clue to even the most dullard of Congress. Yet Democrats proudly announced in February that they were no longer afraid of the gun control issue. This is only April and we've yet to hear anything about this controversy being included in the 2020 platform.

I can only hope there are more like me out there that will remain reluctant until gun control is aggressively addressed.

LATE BREAKING: NY Atty. General investigating Nat'l Rifle Assn.

It was announced just hours ago that New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the National Rifle Association. The IRS has been on the edge for years questioning how the organization has made contributions in the millions to Congress and presidents in its non-profit status. One must assume the IRS didn't move because no one, namely a cowardly Congress, didn't act on the matter.

Subpoenas have been issued to members of the NRA, as well as several businesses connected with the gun rights group. It follows the dumping of current president Oliver North by the NRA in the middle of their annual convention in Indianapolis. And that was right after North tried to fire head gun nut, Wayne LaPierre. The wheels are coming off at the nation's largest gun lobby, which will prompt dancing in the streets by gun control advocates.

I'll have a post on Monday, "NRA going down in flames," I hope you will read describing the fiasco going on in this club that is responsible for most of the gun violence in this country. Please give me your comments on what is happening to the NRA and your feelings on this issue.

Your Political Bullshit of the Day

TRICKLE DOWN BULLSHIT

God forbid, there are more NRA gun nuts on the street...This is where terminally ill child was exposed to measles by anti-vaxxers...Terrifying fact: "more than 20% of deaths of people aged 15 to 24 involved guns"...Trump continues to fight releasing tax returns-WHY?...Salon says the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) is an "international menace...Oh by the way, the NRA is expected to draw 80,000 gun nuts to its annual convention in Indianapolis Apr. 26-28 to talk more gun violence on the streets

NRA SAYS: Put guns in the hands of convicted felons

This slimy pile of gun nuts continues its march toward annihilating the American public with its gun violence policies. It's a matter of federal law that someone convicted of  "physically abusing his spouse, ex-spouse, live-in lover, or co-parent" cannot own a gun. But if it's a date, stalking him or her, after they break up, the other is fair game. The NRA is well aware of the latter but still fights for the right of the perpetrator to keep or buy his or her gun.

Well, here are the numbers...

"About half of all female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners — and about half of intimate partner homicides are committed by casual dating partners."

So the NRA was no doubt forced into the legislation that bars abusive husbands from having guns, but they fight the above scenario. It is more clear evidence that Wayne LaPierre, head NRA gun nut, and a certain portion of his membership value their weapons over human life, even someone close to them. Until this sick mentality can be driven out of this country, children and innocent citizens will continue to die by gun violence in schools and on the streets.

NRA has always been problem getting gun control done

Here's a recent article headline from The Hill...

"Gun control advocate: 'Surprised' at how many gun owners agree gun ownership standards should be raised"

I'm not, and when I see a header like this there is no doubt in my mind that, if gun owners want reasonable gun control, it is definitely the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) that is standing in its way and has for many, many years. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head gun nut refuses to listen to any legislation that limits access to guns. Even reasonable background checks, the banning of assault rifles which is the weapon of choice in most all gun massacres.

There are three people in this country today the American public could do without: Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and Wayne LaPierre. All three fly in the face of anything that is good for this country, and seem hell-bent on dragging the United States to the bottom of the barrel. Each has his own agenda, a combination of twisted ideas and philosophies, all of which point back to the pariah in question. What this nation needs is a clean sweep of this trash.

NRA flagrantly opposes womens' rights

Women against the NRA

Just when you think this gang of gun nuts has hit the bottom of the barrel--they taught Aussies "How to Sell a Massacre--they come up with a new profound reason to get rid of the organization. The National Rifle Assn. (NRA) will oppose Democratic legislation that will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expired in February. Here's why...

"The group opposes provisions that could lead to firearm confiscations over misdemeanor domestic violence or stalking convictions."

Once again, the value of their guns over human life!

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants House Republicans to consider an alternative VAWA bill, which would "provide a one-year extension to continue funding services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence while Congress works on a bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA." After the introduction of this bill in Congress in 2019, it had one sponsor, the NRA. By the way, this GOP alternative bill was submitted by a woman, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who touts an A rating from the NRA.

Here's what the NRA says about domestic violence...

“The NRA opposes domestic violence and all violent crime, and spends millions of dollars teaching countless Americans how not to be a victim and how to safely use firearms for self-defense.”

BULLSHIT! The truth is that the NRA promotes domestic violence, as well as gun violence against children and in general by putting as many guns on the street as it can. 

U.S. could be so lucky if Democrats shut down NRA

Who else? Wayne LaPierre

Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Assn.'s head gun nut is whining that the group may be"shut down forever" thanks to Democrats. Nothing could make millions of Americans happier than if this gang of gun violence perpetrators bit the dust, and all of their trash propaganda with them. But I don't really believe they are this close to tanking, rather, LaPierre is simply appealing to his double-digit gun nut minions who apparently believe anything he says and will give up their money.

There is some concern from the fact that...

"New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who last year directed state regulators to 'urge insurance companies, New York State-chartered banks, and other financial services companies licensed in New York to review any relationships they may have with the National Rifle Association.'"

And Cuomo isn't giving up, with more good news from LaPierre...

“Cuomo’s tactics are already working. One by one, more and more banks and insurance companies across the country are knuckling under to Cuomo’s threat — and telling NRA they won’t do business with us — because they don’t want to be targeted and crushed by Cuomo’s strong-arm tactics and the vast power of thousands of New York bureaucrats.”

Gun control advocates should be dancing in the streets, but, with caution. I wouldn't trust Wayne LaPierre under any circumstances, nowhere, not never. But cutting into the NRA's finances is an excellent start as LaPierre commented further...

“The attack on the NRA is unprecedented. This call to action is real. If left unchecked, the actions of Gov. Cuomo would damage the NRA’s ability to access certain financial and insurance services—hurting its financial position and impacting its ability to advocate for members..."

We can only hope. 

NRA teaches Aussies "How to sell a massacre"

NRA head Wayne LaPierre

According to an Al Jazeera investigation, the National Rifle Assn. has specific guidelines on how to steer the blame for mass gun massacres away from the real reason: too many guns on the street. This is how they coached  Australia's One Nation party... 

"First, 'Say nothing.' If media queries persist, go on the 'offence, offence, offence'. Smear gun-control groups. 'Shame them' with statements such as - 'How dare you stand on the graves of those children to put forward your political agenda?'

Aha, a blatant admittance that, in general, gun nuts are responsible for the gun violence we experience daily. Well, not so much daily "down under" but certainly here in the U.S. If the NRA didn't feel this tremendous guilt for killing children across the country, why would they assemble this "playbook" on mass shootings that was revealed during the course of a three-year undercover sting by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit.

Undercover reporter, Rodger Muller, infiltrated the gun lobbies in the US and Australia. With a hidden camera he recorded "a series of meetings between representatives of the NRA and One Nation in Washington, DC in September last year." Proof, he says of how the NRA "deliberates over mass shootings and seeks to manipulate media coverage to push its pro-gun agenda." And then NRA head Wayne LaPierre stands before the American public spouting his bullshit...

"In our thoughts and prayers," and "Guns don't kill, people do."

Pathetic! 

Washington state buying back bump stocks: $150

And here'another method of getting guns off the street,
confiscate them

Washington state was a leader in legalizing pot and now they make a move that could save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. They are buying back bump stocks from gun owners at $150 each. BSs replace the standard stock and grip of a semi-automatic firearm, making them much faster. Donald Trump's similar law takes effect March 26,but will it be enforced? This is another direct hit against Wayne LaPierre and his NRA bunch. Bets on how long this gang of child killers is around?

GUN CONTROL: Political gamble Dems must take

Students like these started it all

A confused and uninformed public has welcomed gun rights political candidates for years, but after the recent wave of shootings, has apparently at least somewhat come to their senses. Let's see now, they muse, which is best, the right of a gun nut to carry his weapons anywhere he or she wishes, or the right of innocent individuals, especially children, to live? Even the lowest double-digit IQ should have chosen the latter, but National Rifle Assn. head Wayne LaPierre has drummed the rights of these ringed-nose followers and the sacredness of the 2nd Amendment into the public for years now.

The new trend becomes obvious with the rash of mass shootings, including the killing of 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida six months ago. Here's an example of one candidate's message, Philip Levine, in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary...

“I’m running for governor because I’m a parent who will not stop at anything until we make our gun laws stronger and our children safe.”

To illustrate the difference in attitudes, the number of political candidate ads for gun control has risen from only 559 in 2014 to 18,416 in 2018, a phenomenal jump that would indicate that these contenders are no longer running scared of the NRA. In the races covered there were 57,500 anti-gun-control spots so far, mostly by Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats are picking the gun rights candidates to oppose, although that branch still leans toward gun control opposition. Two-thirds of the American public now wants stronger gun control, and with a Democratic Congress, who knows.

NRA "mission" a blatant oxymoron

The mission of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA), whether they want to admit it or not, most likely not, is to put as many guns on the street as possible. They can deny this all they want, but over the years it has been clearly established that Wayne LaPierre's NRA works for gun manufacturer's not its 5 million or so membership. These poor slobs eat up LaPierre's rhetoric, passing it around like facts, which most aren't, while gun makers drool over profits. Their stated mission is to protect the 2nd Amendment and the rights of gun nuts. Simply analyzed, it is a glaring oxymoron.

They just filed a claim in New York against Governor Andrew Cuomo that his "blacklisting" is "jeopardizing" their mission. No doubt they did not define their mission as "to put as many guns on the street as possible," which would seem to me to invalidate the charges to begin with. If they chose that flowery crap about the 2nd Amendment, although this may be true, it is not the real meaning about their existence. It is to sell more and more guns and LaPierre and the NRA will never be satisfied until every house in America is armed from a handgun to an AR-15. God help us!

Gun nuts take hit on "Stand Your Ground" law

Stand Your Ground is without a doubt one of the stupidest laws to ever be passed in this country, thanks to Florida's Marion Hammer, top National Rifle Assn. lobbyist. First it was Trayvon Martin killed by George Zimmerman in 2012, who eventually got off scot-free, but since has experienced a number of personal problems as a result. This time Michael Drejka, 47, didn't get away with it with the killing of another black man, Markeis McGlockton in Clearwater, Florida. McGlockton, 28, was shot and killed on July 19, after shoving Drejka to the ground at a convenience store.

Drejka invoked the Stand Your Ground law, the sheriff refused to arrest him on that basis of the law, but Bernie McCabe, the state attorney for Pinellas County, decided to file charges based on the exact same investigation sheriff Bob Gualtieri had collected but did not file charges. Good 'ole boy vs. finally some common sense in Florida. So, another NRA creation for the purpose of protecting the gun nut over the innocent public from gun violence suffers a setback. It is prime time for the public to understand that the only way to stop this daily rampage of bloodshed is to get rid of the NRA.

Don't like country music and I detest the NRA

I grew up in the South, actually Tennessee, where the Grand Ole Opry originated in 1925, and still is. Am old enough to have been to the original Ryman Auditorium, and my wife and I recently attended the Opry at the new place, compliments of a cruise we were taking. Still don't like country music but do appreciate good talent, and there is still tons of it in Nashville. Along with a love for guns and the 2nd Amendment. My gut tells me that, because of the C&W emphasis on nostalgia, its religious aspects along with the appeal to blue collar rednecks, the gun thing becomes a natural.

My wife (she's not a redneck) loves C&W and we listen to it a lot. But recently singer Eric Church was quoted in Rolling Stone magazine after the Las Vegas gun massacre saying...

“I’m a Second Amendment guy. That’s in the Constitution, it’s people’s right, and I don’t believe it’s negotiable. But nobody should have that many guns and that much ammunition and we don’t know about it.”

I disagree completely about the 2nd Amendment, but the rest he says is right on. He added that he blamed the lobbyists like the National Rifle Assn. for placing a "roadblock" with way too much power over elected officials. He should put all this into a country song with the title, "Let me Count the Ways Guns Kill our Children." And offer to sing it for NRA head Wayne LaPierre at the next Nat'l Rifle Assn. convention. Eric Church is being boycotted for what he said because the NRA has become such a big part of this industry lately. Just another reason for my aversion to C&W.