The Virginia Center for Public Safety reports the NRA wants
to scrap a Virginia database that is state-of-the-art and second to none in the
nation. The National Rifle Assn. is calling on its members to help repeal the
1989 law, the Virginia Firearms Transaction Program (VFTP). The VFTP
works along with the FBI’s National Instant Background Checks System
(NICS) to check the background of those purchasing firearms in the Commonwealth
of Virginia. This helps catch those people not eligible to purchase firearms
like felons and the mentally ill. And the point is it works much better
than NICS. So why would anyone want to get rid of it? Only a bunch of morons
that value their stupid gun rights over the lives of innocent people.
ThinkProgress details how the Bush administration proposedlegislation requiring states to share mental health history. It was passed by
Congress but not until after the NRA watered it down significantly. The final
bill set up restoration programs for the mentally ill, in effect to put guns
back into their hands. And the definition for "mental defect" was
narrowed to make it easier for this person to get his or her gun back. It's the
typical NRA gun-running philosophy to keep putting more weapons on the street.
Which means gun manufacturers sell more and give more money to the NRA.
Pathetic and disgusting but seemingly approved by a lot of the American public,
also pathetic and disgusting.Monday, June 9, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
DEMOCRACY ALLIANCE PAVING WAY FOR GUN CONTROL-NRA CRINGES
Wacky Wayne LaPierre in his glory |
SMART MONEY GOING TO GUN CONTROL SINCE NEWTOWN
Michael Bloomberg |
Saturday, June 7, 2014
FAULT FOR GUN VIOLENCE PLACED EVERYWHERE BUT WHERE IT BELONGS...THE NRA
It's the media, it's the criminal world, it's video games, it's the U.S. government. The National Rifle Assn.'s list goes on and on but fails to identify the real reason we have so much gun violence in this country: The NRA. It's opposition to reasonable gun control, things like background checks. Wacky Wayne LaPierre, NRA head, has one solution to the problem: more guns. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there are about 300 million guns in the United States. Access to firearms is about as easy as getting an ice cream cone, maybe easier. So we need more?
Missouri repealed a law requiring background checks leading to a 16 percent increase in the state murder rate, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research in Think Progress. Another study from this site reports that states, "...with more expansive background check laws experience 48 percent less gun trafficking, 38 percent fewer deaths of women shot by intimate partners, and 17 percent fewer firearms involved in aggravated assaults. How many facts like this are necessary to convince Congress and...wacky Wayne?
Missouri repealed a law requiring background checks leading to a 16 percent increase in the state murder rate, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research in Think Progress. Another study from this site reports that states, "...with more expansive background check laws experience 48 percent less gun trafficking, 38 percent fewer deaths of women shot by intimate partners, and 17 percent fewer firearms involved in aggravated assaults. How many facts like this are necessary to convince Congress and...wacky Wayne?
HERE'S A NEW ONE-NRA DOESN'T WANT TO CALL SHOOTINGS "SHOOTINGS"
So what the hell do you call them, a reunion for gun nuts? This gaggle of reality restricted gun lovers over life complains the media "race[s] to label anything with a gun as a shooting." Although not directly related to the Isla Vista California shootings--oh sorry, I meant to say a completely innocuous use of firearms to kill innocent people in order to protect the rights of the radical double digit gun culture--the video was released right after that killing spree. Maybe the NRA is just pissed since in Santa Barbara three people were stabbed, only three killed with a gun; how could this killer be so inconsiderate to use a knife. Strange reasoning but then we're talking about the National Rifle Assn. The above article points out, "Firearms are used in 69.3 percent of murders. Of 37 public mass killings between 2006 and 2013, 33 involved firearms..." All gun control advocates eagerly await the latest epiphany from wacky Wayne LaPierre, NRA head.
Friday, June 6, 2014
SOUTH RISES AGAIN...WITH MORE RACISM
Not just the old South anymore |
But not like the supervisor at the Memphis cotton company who told a black employee, you can't drink from the "white" water fountain and if you do we'll hang you. He was fired but the damage was already done. You just wonder how much more of this is going on in the South, or the North, or the Midwest, or the Southwest, or the West or the Northwest.
NRA CRACKS BUT DOESN'T BREAK
Some unknown but probably guilt-ridden staffer in the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Assn. , the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), chastised the morons in Texas for flagrantly brandishing their weapons in public. Does wacky Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's head, have a revolt going on? Probably not since any loosening of the rules would bring every gun manufacturer in the country, their bread and butter, down on the organization. Be damned with the membership, these pathetic individuals out there swaggering around with assault weapons to prove their manhood while looking completely asinine. But the NRA's top mouthpiece, Chris W. Cox, better known as Mr. Propaganda, set the record straight. He had a discussion with the staffer, who is probably now in the unemployment line, telling him we do not, "criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners,” even if they are complete idiots.
SEATTLE YESTERDAY-ATLANTA TODAY-GUN VIOLENCE GOES ON-ANYBODY CARE?
Masterminds of columbine |
Thursday, June 5, 2014
TEA PARTY STUPIDITY
Your Tea Party in action |
There are suspicions about Bowe Bergdahl’s capture by the Taliban,
something the army will have to deal with. And it is a fact that there are
questions about whether or not Obama's prisoner trade should have been made
which the President will have to deal with. Both are items that are newsworthy
and deserve attention by the media. Whether or not Obama smiles when Bergdahl's
father supposedly praises Allah is not news. It is pure idiocy. Only the
bottom-feeding Tea Party site, perhaps the repeatedly erroneous Fox News, would
be guilty of even mentioning this sort of thing so egregious it isn't even up
to sensationalism. But the Tea Party did
and is further confirmation of what a gang of morons this organization is.
IT'S TIME TO AMEND THE 2ND AMENDMENT
The title above guarantees that I get the attention of gun owners and their renegade bunch of gun nuts. My congressman, Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican, says that new gun laws that would interfere with the rights of these gun huggers would be unconstitutional. Like background checks that could have prevented most of the recent mass shooting. Yes, I know, it would also have to include a mental health database, something that Gosar and his GOP buddies are holding up. So, if changing the 2nd Amendment won't work, let's amend it to an interpretation that the Founding Fathers really meant. You know what it says, "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."
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has written a book, Six Amendments: How and Why we Should Change the Constitution. He was, by the way, was against the District of Columbia v. Heller outcome. He says for one thing that Heller didn't preclude the barring of assault weapons. That's a start but his revision of the 2nd is even better: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed." Amen. That will get many of the guns off the street.
A one-sided Court |
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
WHY ISN'T CDC ALLOWED TO DO GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH?
Ask wacky Wayne LaPierre who heads up the National Rifle Assn. He or his minions tell us it isn't needed. But the real reason is that the horrifying statistics that would result would shatter all the bullshit coming from the NRA that protects guns under their trumped up figures. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), who gets an A+ rating from the NRA, is willing to reconsider gun control and has talked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the gun violence research. They are ready now as they were in the 1990s until the NRA forced cuts in funding. But more than a year ago Kingston opposed this same funding when competing in a primary. Just shows you what these people will do to get reelected. Congress did approve some funding for the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), which keeps tabs on things like youth violence, child maltreatment, domestic violence, and sexual violence.
But what we need are hard figures on how many people are getting shot each day and how many of them die.
But what we need are hard figures on how many people are getting shot each day and how many of them die.
WRITING CONGRESS A WASTE OF TIME
On the recommendation of Josh Horwitz, Exec. Dir. of the Coalition to Stop Gun
Violence I wrote to my congressman, Paul Gosar, a Republican, to let him know I favor reasonable gun control. He let me know that the 2nd Amendment was something he revered and compared it with the right to trial by jury. It's the same old sanctimonious bullshit that's been coming out of most Republicans for years. Gosar is firmly supported by the Tea Party, which should tell you something about the man right there. But my reasoning for not wasting your time writing these eight balls is that they never answer you. I stated simply to Gosar that I couldn't see how anyone could oppose background checks to purchase a gun. I also asked him to fight for a federal database of the mentally ill to support those background checks. He didn't mention either in his five paragraph reply, only canned crap that had probably been dictated by wacky Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Assn. (NRA).
So, Arizonans, don't vote for Paul Gosar in November. Vote for Democrat Mickel Weisser.
So, Arizonans, don't vote for Paul Gosar in November. Vote for Democrat Mickel Weisser.
GUN CONTROL SUPPORTING THE RIGHT CANDIDATES
Gabby Giffords v. wacky Wayne laPierre |
BULLYING SHOULD BE A CRIME AND PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE
Most of us are in no position to judge the reason some kids and adults are bullies. It is said that bullies have an inferiority complex, thus, this is their way to feel superior. I was bullied once by a kid in grammar school who was half my size. I won but learned later that he was from a broken family and had to fight for everything he got. But I do not remember anyone in those days--or even when my kids were in school--resorting to suicide as a result of being bullied. If my kids had done it, they would have been grounded for life. Mark O'Mara, the former attorney for George Zimmerman and a family practice and criminal defense attorney, has tried to get a law passed to outlaw bullying in Florida with no success. He is trying again.
My take is that schools, where a lot of bullying takes place, should be more vigilant in monitoring episodes. When discovered, the parents should be notified at once and told to take measures to prevent it in the future. If the same child is a repeat offender, he or she should be suspended from school and the parents then held accountable. Yes, that would take a law against bullying.
My take is that schools, where a lot of bullying takes place, should be more vigilant in monitoring episodes. When discovered, the parents should be notified at once and told to take measures to prevent it in the future. If the same child is a repeat offender, he or she should be suspended from school and the parents then held accountable. Yes, that would take a law against bullying.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
DOES LIMITING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS REALLY INFRINGE ON THE 1ST AMENDMENT?
I say no and here's why. Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible
citizens participate equally—either directly or indirectly through elected
representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. The key word here is citizens participate "equally." How can anyone compete against secret big money the likes of which is fostered by the infamous Koch brothers. Yes, I have one vote as does any American citizen but what good is that vote if Congress is already bought by the Bobbsey Twins? And it's not just conservatives who pull this trick; Democrats are also guilty. So did the Supreme Court screw up? I think so in their zeal to protect 1st Amendment rights. As with the numerous quirks from the interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, did the Founding Fathers envision giving the right to billionaires to rig elections?
THANK GOD I'M NO LONGER A DEMOCRAT
As many as ten gutless Democrats in the Senate are believed to have decided to vote against President Obama's nomination for surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy. Because he tweeted, "Tired of politicians playing politics w/ guns, putting lives at risk b/c they're scared of NRA. Guns are a health care issue." Guess who went ballistic. And, oh yes, here's a doctor that supported the Affordable care act, probably also a negative by some of these same Democrats. But it's Wacky Wayne LaPierre's National Rifle Assn. herd of misguided fanatics that put the icing on the cake. Of course the un-news network Fox picked it up and did their part to skew facts. And as I said in an earlier post on Democratic Socialism, the only focus of these Senate Democrats is to get reelected, even if they feel Murthy should be confirmed. Pathetic.
AMRERICAN DEMOCRACY v. DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
According to Wikipedia, a Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly or indirectly through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. But we all knew that since we have lived in what is supposed to be a democratic society for all our lives. Democratic Socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. Sounds like both sides agree, sorta, but the differences arise in the implementation of the political philosophy. If there is anyone in the U.S. that believes the people are in control of our government, then they simply have their head in the sand. The elected representatives of the United States Congress have one common goal in what they do...get reelected. Canada is a social democracy and so is Great Britain, as well as many other European countries. Many have modified the philosophy to fit their needs but it works.
NRA DISCOVERS ANOTHER WAY TO JUSTIFY GUN VIOLENCE - A PARODY
PARODY: Wacky Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Assn., has found the solution that will solve most of his problems when it comes to someone being shot by one of the guns he is sworn to protect. We all know it is his life's work to insure that every gun manufacturer in the U.S. sells at least one handgun to every person in the country, and that does include newborns. So with millions of guns on the street it was incumbent on LaPierre to get help for the millions of people who would be shot. He admits the numbers will be in the thousands, eventually the millions of those wounded, but unfortunately there is nothing the bloody crusader can do about the victims who die. These people are no longer a priority because they can't purchase guns.
The process is simple. Each time someone is shot but not killed they pull out their Wounds R Us kit which includes a secret "Save a Life for Gun Rights" pen that fires a spongy projectile into the wound coated with something to stop the bleeding immediately while it expands in the bloody hole. The NRA sells the product online and it is available in all gun stores, where, unfortunately, you must ask for the product since it is kept under the counter. Wacky Wayne is elated by his new discovery, and as he has explained to his many gun company benefactors, at last we have the perfect answer to all these unreasonable gun control advocates.
Now there is a new product designed to close gunshot wounds which looks like an invention that will save many lives in the future. You can read about the real XStat here.
The wacky one, Wayne LaPierre |
Now there is a new product designed to close gunshot wounds which looks like an invention that will save many lives in the future. You can read about the real XStat here.
Monday, June 2, 2014
BRITS ARE GOOD WITH STRICT GUN CONTROL
AR-15 ASSULT RIFLE |
MORE GUNS = MORE GUN DEATHS
Guns aren't safe, so says a recent Simpsons' cartoon. And this correlation carries through to more injuries. There is no humor in the fact that with the United States sporting the obscene statistic of 88.8 guns per 100 people, compared with Japan at 0.6, Australia 15 and Canada 30.8. If that wasn't bad enough, the U.S. has 3.21 gun homicides per 100,000 people. Japan is 0.01, Australia 0.14 and Canada 0.51. Unless the very meaning of math has changed, and by sheer deduction, more guns, more death, duh, the U.S. is in need of some reasonable gun control. No sense asking anymore why Congress doesn't get this. We know it's wacky Wayne LaPierre and his NRA renegades who control them. It's time to rid Congress of the gun nuts. 2014!
Sunday, June 1, 2014
5 MYTHS ABOUT GUNS EXPLAINED
A scientist for Public Health Watch, a part of the Open Society Institute, has come up with a recent report that addresses five important questions on the safety of guns. First, “More Guns, Less Crime” isn't true and, in fact, increases gun violence. Second, "Guns don’t kill people, people kill people" still requires the gun for the person to do it. Third, "Criminals don’t follow laws" is meaningless with several studies proving gun control laws lower gun deaths. Four, "Armed populations prevent tyranny" is ridiculous since in no developed countries except Costa Rica is a militia used for self defense. Five, "A gun in the home makes you safer" is hands down false when in fact it increases the risk of accidents, suicides, assaults and homicides. This report is a must-read!
THE VA SCANDAL
I live in Phoenix and when the news broke from a Dr. Sam Foote that there were shenanigans within the VA Hospital here we all thought it was just a carry-over from the state bureaucracy run by a bunch of incompetent conservatives that have trouble finding their way home in the evening. It wasn't, and now we know the extent of this systemic problem. It goes all the way up to the White House and many believe that the administration and Shinseki had early warnings that were either ignored or not acknowledged. Montel Williams, a veteran himself, put it into perspective.
GUN CONTROL PREFERRED
There are eight companies who have banned guns from their premises: California Pizza Kitchens, Peets Coffee & Tea, Whole Foods, IKEA, AMC Theatres, Buffalo Wild Wings, Toys R Us and Disney World.
There are four that have made guns unwelcome in their establishments: Starbucks, Chipotle, Chile's and Sonic Drive in.
Now where are we going to eat, have coffee and entertain ourselves?
There are four that have made guns unwelcome in their establishments: Starbucks, Chipotle, Chile's and Sonic Drive in.
Now where are we going to eat, have coffee and entertain ourselves?
LAUGH FOR THE DAY
When Donald Trump calls someone else a clown, in this case, President Obama, you have to wonder what planet this fuzzy headed moron is living on. He did it on the Tea Party site, but, then, he is certainly in good company.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
BBC SAYS U.S. WON'T CHANGE GUN LAWS AFTER RECENT VIOLENCE
If Newtown didn't do it--20 children killed by guns--then Isla Vista sure won't, says Tim Krieder on BBC news. What could be more pathetic than the fact these two incidents plus Tucson, Aurora, Columbine and Virginia Tech along with other individual gun violence on a daily basis is thrown in our face by the Brits. Those folks across the pool, by the way, have had sane gun laws for years and thousands less per capita deaths. But, then, they don't have wacky Wayne LaPierre to deal with.
TEA PARTY SAYS "MARTIAL LAW IS IMMINENT!"
They warn, "Obama is...Freedom Stripping America," a ruse TPers have been using for some time now. To milk the pathetic group of supposed patriots of their money. To give them the finances to spew the crap they do on a daily basis. They told these fruitcakes they could get Obama impeached. They didn't. They told their brainless followers they would take control of the government. They didn't. And the Tea Party is failing miserably for 2014. When will we be able to write this gang of morons off?
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The latest in gun control
What we need is big time gun control |
There’s a hitch in the passage of gun control laws in the
Senate with Republicans objecting to the Democrats who want some record keeping
when it comes to passing a law to require background checks. The Guardian reports that
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wants private sales made at gun shows and through the
internet, not only to be put through the FBI-maintained National Instant
Criminal Background Check System (NICS), but they also want such sales to be
recorded.” The GOP (and the NRA) says
no.
The National Rifle Assn. (NRA) led by head gun fanatic Wayne
LaPierre, has always been against any kind of registry of names on who owns
guns fearing that once that is in place, the government will come into gun
owning homes and take away their weapons.
"There absolutely will not be record-keeping on legitimate,
law-abiding gun owners," Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican, said. This kind of thinking should illustrate to
the American public just what a group of gun worshipping maniacs LaPierre and
his NRA minions are.
And Chris Matthews,
progressive anchor for MSNBC’s Hardball,
said: “Support Gun Control or an American President Could Be Murdered,” in a
closing commentary in a show last week.
It is worth repeating, below:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let me finish
tonight with this: I was in a big city hospital recently and the issue of gun
control, gun safety came up. The doctor said if I wanted to know the impact of
guns, he could show me, take me down and show me. Look, gunshot wounds can be
truly horrible. The reality justifies the discussion, today, about the need to
try and do something about the proliferation of assault rifles, huge ammo
magazines and the loopholes in the requirement that there be background checks.
People have told us of the horrible sight of those young kids up in Newtown,
Connecticut. I personally don't want to be part of a movement to keep those
semi-automatics flying into the hands of all sorts of people as they are today,
the hoarders, the survivalists, the paranoid, the criminal and downright
politically nutty.
Why? Because the next mass shooter
could well emerge out of this pack. Check the shooters of John F. Kennedy and
Jerry Ford, who got shot at twice. Look at the men that shot Bobby Kennedy and
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and George Wallace. They all had political
motives and they all had guns. Got them easy and put them easily to use. And if
you're not against this movement, you're with it. Write your congressman and
say what you think and what you feel. Do it tonight before you go to bed. The
address of Congress, for all the congressmen is Congress, U.S. Congress,
Washington, D.C., 20515. That's Washington, D.C. 20515. It will get there. And
that's Hardball for now. Thanks for being with us.
Well done!
Did you know that the United States, specifically Waikiki, Hawaii,
is a haven for tourists who just want to shoot guns, all kinds of guns, because
the gun laws in this country allow you to do pretty much anything you want with
a firearm? There are four shooting
ranges along Waikiki’s Kalakaua Avenue where they learn how to shoot assault
weapons. A large majority of these
tourists are Japanese, who are frequent visitors to Hawaii anyway, here because
they can get their hands on guns they are not allowed to own in Japan. There, only shotguns are legal.
USA Today says that, “…fewer
than 1% of Japan's population owns a gun and the death rate from gun-related
violence is extremely low.” There were
only 19 gun-related homicides in Japan in 2010 and in comparing that with gun
violence in the U.S., “47% of Americans own a gun, according to a 2011 Gallup
poll, and 8,583 Americans were killed in gun-related homicides, according to
the FBI's 2011 crime report.” It is
pretty pathetic to think that tourists coming to America do it because of loose
gun laws, which causes the gun carnage in the U.S.
But on a final note, at one of this country’s
largest firearms manufacturers, Beretta USA, one of its lunatic executives,
Jeffrey Reh, the company’s general counsel, is quoted in The Washington Free Beacon as saying, “Maryland
Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Firearm Safety Act of 2013 is ‘tantamount to
a legislative effort to ban certain books.’”
Just when you think you’ve heard it all.
Wacky Wayne would be proud of this sycophant of the gun rights
fruitcakes who probably, himself, has never read a book outside the law. Amen
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Gene said…Bob said…White House wins this one
Gene Sperling |
Gene Sperling is President Obama’s economic adviser and Bob
Woodward is an award winning journalist who works for the Washington Post and
along with Carl Bernstein exposed the Watergate conspiracy. There are sufficient credentials on either
side of this supposed “disagreement,” and frankly, from what I have read, the
whole thing was blown completely out of proportion. I believe even Woodward made this comment,
which was echoed by White House spokesman, Jay Carney.
In an exclusive, Politico
obtained and released the following emails between Sperling and Woodward:
From Gene Sperling to Bob Woodward
on Feb. 22, 2013
Bob:
I apologize for raising my voice in
our conversation today. My bad. I do understand your problems with a couple of
our statements in the fall — but feel on the other hand that you focus on a few
specific trees that gives a very wrong perception of the forest. But perhaps we
will just not see eye to eye here.
But I do truly believe you should
rethink your comment about saying that Potus asking for revenues is moving the
goal post. I know you may not believe this, but as a friend, I think you will
regret staking out that claim. The idea that the sequester was to force both
sides to go back to try at a big or grand bargain with a mix of entitlements
and revenues (even if there were serious disagreements on composition) was part
of the DNA of the thing from the start. It was an accepted part of the
understanding — from the start. Really. It was assumed by the Rs on the
Supercommittee that came right after: it was assumed in the November-December
2012 negotiations. There may have been big disagreements over rates and ratios
— but that it was supposed to be replaced by entitlements and revenues of some
form is not controversial. (Indeed, the discretionary savings amount from the
Boehner-Obama negotiations were locked in in BCA: the sequester was just designed
to force all back to table on entitlements and revenues.)
I agree there are more than one
side to our first disagreement, but again think this latter issue is different.
Not out to argue and argue on this latter point. Just my sincere advice. Your
call obviously.
My apologies again for raising my
voice on the call with you. Feel bad about that and truly apologize.
Gene
From Woodward to Sperling on Feb.
23, 2013
Gene: You do not ever have to
apologize to me. You get wound up because you are making your points and you
believe them. This is all part of a serious discussion. I for one welcome a
little heat; there should more given the importance. I also welcome your personal
advice. I am listening. I know you lived all this. My partial advantage is that
I talked extensively with all involved. I am traveling and will try to reach
you after 3 pm today. Best, Bob
From there on it’s ‘he said,’ ‘he said’ with Woodward commenting at one point, "I never characterized it as a 'threat.' I think that was Politico's word." But Woodward at least implied that the “I think you will regret staking out that claim,” was a veiled threat and of course at that point it went viral. It wouldn’t mean diddly squat had it been said by some lesser known journalist than Bob Woodward, especially with his connections to Washington and insight into Beltway politics. It must have been a slow news day.
But the New Yorker had a different slant. John Cassidy said, “The real rap on Woodward isn’t that he makes things up. It’s that he takes what powerful people tell him at face value; that his accounts are shaped by who coöperates with him and who doesn’t; and that they lack context, critical awareness, and, ultimately, historic meaning.” Further, Joan Didion wrote:
“’…that “measurable cerebral activity is virtually absent’” from
Woodward’s post-Watergate books, which are notable mainly for “a scrupulous
passivity, an agreement to cover the story not as it is occurring but as it is
presented, which is to say as it is manufactured.”
Cassidy states that in one of Woodward’s books about the
Bush admin. he says that, “…President Obama bungled negotiations with
congressional Republicans, and portrays him as overconfident, underprepared,
and confrontational.” Yet Ryan Lizza in
a piece about Eric Cantor said, “…the House Republican virtually admits it was
he who torpedoed the debt-ceiling negotiations.” Cassidy confirms that Obama “was clear all
along that, when it came to replacing the sequester, it would demand a balanced
package of spending cuts and revenue increases.”
Cassidy added that Sperling’s history is a matter of record with “little to apologize for.” But Woodward’s background is basically untarnished in a business that requires near-perfection in what you are doing. Let’s just call it a draw and move on.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
United Kingdom has right to criticize U.S. gun control laws
As far as I can see, gun control is going almost nowhere, at
least with the momentum that has been created by the increased gun violence
nationwide. Perhaps we have concentrated
too much on mass killings like Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Although this kind of carnage is horrific, it
still represents but a small amount of the gun deaths that take place
daily. Apparently statistics like ‘there
are some 300 million guns in American households’ or ‘88.8 per 100 households’
does not impress the public. Hard to
believe but true.
Or the fact that in a comparison of the rate of private gun
ownership in 179 countries, the United States ranked No. 1, and with 10.3 gun
deaths per 100,000 population they are much higher than the United Kingdom, Australia,
Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the list
goes on and on. Could the fact that most
of these countries have measurably stronger gun control laws than the United
States have something to do with the results?
‘Absolutely not’ would be the answer from wacky Wayne LaPierre, head of
the NRA.
These are figures taken from GunPolicy.org,
a non-profit organization reporting on international firearm injury prevention
and policy. If you have any doubts about
my numbers I suggest you go to this site and do your own research. If you come away without the opinion that
America’s gun culture is completely out of control, then you are either a gun
worshipper, completely apathetic over the issue, or you have a terrible problem
with math. The truth is in the
statistics and in every case there is a monumental case for more gun control
laws in the U.S.
Harry J. Enten writing in the UK Guardian says, “Americans want gun control, but not badly enough.” His point one, “Most Americans don't see gun
control as the most significant way to prevent mass shootings.” Once again, mass gun violence, but it is
obvious that Enten has zeroed in on where the American focus is. He quotes, “only 25% of Americans believe
that stricter gun control laws and enforcement would be the key to preventing
massacres.“ Further, CBS News found, only
21% feel stricter gun control would prevent gun violence by much.
In point two, he laments that the subject of guns just isn’t
a high priority for most Americans. A
tragedy when you consider the daily reporting of people shot and killed with
guns, others injured, some seriously. In
the latest CBS News poll, only 4% listed guns at the top of their list. 50% chose the economy, jobs or the budget
deficit. It will be interesting in the
future to learn what the impact of continued and escalating gun violence will
have on the country’s economy and its overall well-being. If as bad as it looks, then it will be too
late.
Point three, most in the U.S. doesn’t feel gun control
legislation is a priority in 2013, only 46% according to Pew Research. With all the shootings and mayhem nationwide
connected to guns on the street, the American public says, mañana. Go figure.
And in point four, the public’s obsession with gun violence will
eventually dwindle, meaning, if we don’t do this in 2013, we’ll never do
it. And as my headline indicated, the UK
can criticize the United States because they have done what we cannot seem to
accomplish due to the gun lobby. Gun
laws in the UK:
They have a gun registry
Firearms are restricted
Right to gun ownership not
guaranteed by law
Assault weapons are banned
Handguns are banned
Background checks required
Number of guns and amount of
ammunition owned is restricted
As a result of the above regulations, below are comparisons
between the United States and the United Kingdom in gun violence:
US UK
All gun deaths per 100,000 population 10.3 0.25
Gun homicides per 100,000 pop. 3.6 0.04
Handgun homicides per 100,000 pop. 2.0 0.01
Gun suicides per 100,000 pop. 6.3 0.18
I rest my case.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Concealed carry firearms not protected by 2nd Amendment…says Denver federal appeals court
What is more important right now? Whether we ban assault weapons and high
capacity magazines, make universal background checks the law, eliminate straw
purchases, concentrate on improving investigations into and sharing of mental
health data, create a registry of firearms or other gun control legislation being
proposed, there is an even more pressing problem to be reckoned with. It is what do we do with about 8 million
cowboys and cowgirls walking around American streets with either a concealed
weapon or one in a holster at their side?
I did a post in 2011 that
questioned whether or not these people should be allowed to openly take their
weapons all around town, even the whole country, if the National Rifle Assn.
(NRA) has its way. In Arizona, with the
country’s loosest gun laws, they can even take a gun into a bar, and the state
might soon be arming teachers in schools.
Right now I am fine with having a firearm at home for protection but
that is where it should stay. Many of
these carriers have no real weapons training and I don’t want them protecting
me anyway. Leave the gun at home.
When I wrote the earlier post, the U.S. House had OKed a
bill to allow concealed guns to cross state lines. That means someone from Arizona, where all
you basically need to buy a gun is a warm body, this person could carry his or
her weapon into states like California, New York and Illinois where they have
much tougher gun laws. Thankfully this
legislative idiocy has been tabled for the time being but always in the back of
the minds of the gun nuts. But there is
other news for changing the concealed carry laws in the future that might
involve the Supreme Court.
Although one year old, The Young Turks attack concealed carry laws:
Forbes did a recent piece
with concern over the fact that new verdicts from Federal Appeals courts could
be harmful to the gun industry. “In
Denver, the court decided that concealed-carry firearms aren’t protected by the
Second Amendment,” the magazine reported.
In opposition, “…in Chicago, the court reached a different decision. It
declined to reconsider a ruling that found that state’s ban on concealed carry
unconstitutional.” And in a New York federal
appeals court, the fact that concealed carry applicants must prove “proper
cause” to carry was upheld.
Two out of three sounds like momentum for gun control advocates
and although this issue isn’t on the White House’s agenda, there are many who
feel reevaluating this right, along with state laws re. self-defense use of
guns when challenged is ripe for the picking.
The question that is never asked in polls on gun violence is: “Do you
favor banning concealed weapons for anyone but law enforcement and authorized
users?” As an example, in a reaction to
teachers carrying guns, the New Yorker found the idea “confounding.”
Concealed carry weapons including small, compact pistols and
revolvers produce big money for gun manufacturers. And women have become a prime market for
these firearms in one of the industry’s fastest growing segments. Some even come with pink grips. So companies like Sturm, Ruger and Smith
& Wesson aren’t likely to give in to curtailment of the concealed carry
laws without a fight, no doubt led by wacky Wayne LaPierre and his NRA gun
worshippers. Of course those cowboys and
cowgirls will certainly have their say in the matter.
Forbes predicts these contradictory appeal decisions (above)
would make it more likely that the Supreme Court would have to settle the
matter. Two earlier SCOTUS cases come to
mind immediately. In 2008 the “District
of Columbia v. Heller, upheld many 19th century prohibitions on concealed
weapons, but also acknowledged that the Second Amendment protects a right to
own guns.” Then in 2010, “McDonald v.
Chicago, established that state and local laws should also recognize the right
to own firearms.” But the Supremes also
put a fly in the ointment.
McDonald v. Chicago stated that there is a right
for gun owners to have a weapon in their home for protection, which leaves open
the premise that the high Court just might place restraints on the concealed
carry law. It is possible that
eventually concealed carry permits may be available in all states. To give you an idea of the popularity, the 8
million concealed carriers are almost twice the NRA membership which is 4.5
million. It would be interesting to know
what percent of these faux vigilantes are trained. Regardless, I want them all off the streets.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Congress…and the President now…are losing the American public’s trust
With two-thirds of the public disapproving of the way
Congress is handling the federal spending issue and only 26% on their side, you
might think the blame lies squarely on the backs of the congressional leaders
whose overall ratings are even worse.
Not so. 52% disapprove of the way
President Obama has managed the issue but with 43% that do approve. The latter is a lot better than Congress but
David Gergen says right now this country is “leaderless.” That is frightening when you consider the
major issues facing the United States today.
Other than the lately infamous term, “Sequester,” also on
the table is gun control legislation, immigration reform and taking the
leadership on improving the environment.
This country cannot remain as a world leader without tackling and
solving all four of these problems. The
typical Washington charade recently that is supposed to be governing is
considered farcical by many throughout the free world. In another poll,
“…Americans are divided over whether Obama is emphasizing unifying the country
or taking a partisan approach.” That’s
not good.
CNN Polling Director Keating Holland commented, "It
looks like this could turn into a "lose-lose" scenario for both
sides, although the Republicans appear to have more to lose than Obama." But the President’s advantage has been
diminishing over the last two months, according to CNN’s Political Editor, Paul
Steinhauser. DavidGergen on CNN was much blunter: “In times past, a president has usually
risen to the demands of leadership when a Congress has stubbornly resisted
tough choices…” Gergen added:
“That's what Lyndon Johnson did in persuading key Republicans to help
pass the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965. And that's what Bill Clinton did
in working with a Republican House led by Newt Gingrich. People forget how
hostile House Republicans were to Clinton -- hell, they impeached him -- but he
nonetheless worked with them to pass four straight balanced budgets and an
overhaul of welfare.”
Excellent definition of sequester by The Young Turks:
It seems to me that it all boils down to the art of negotiation,
which I emphasized in a recent post. Sam Rayburn was a master, as was Lyndon
Johnson, both from Texas. Bill Clinton
had this knack and even Barack Obama has exhibited moments of proclivity in
bringing the two sides together as he did in passing the Affordable Care Act or
Obamacare. Negotiation is defined simply
as a “mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or
agreement.” It means that both sides must give a little
and take a little. Is that so hard?
Well, apparently it is, because David Gergen says that both
Congress and the White House are neglecting their responsibilities of bringing
this country together. And if there is
no real leadership on either side, the USS America is basically sailing without
a rudder. Gergen continues, “One of the
foremost duties of Congress is to pass a budget: It has failed for four
straight years. Republicans, especially in the House, have continually refused
to meet the White House halfway.” My
question is whether House Speaker John Boehner is still in control.
Americans have now become apathetic about the sequester with
only 18% of the U.S. who say they understand “very well” what happens when it
goes into effect. I am frankly not sure
whether or not enough of those in Congress and the White House honestly know
the outcome following today’s deadline.
The fact of the matter is that some feel the President should have more
power on deciding where the cuts should be made and Barbara Mikulski, D-MD, and
Jim Inhofe, R-OK, are working on a bill right now to address that issue.
Whatever happens today, this Congress, and partially Barack Obama, will have to shoulder the blame for the fact that the greatest nation in the free world could not bring together its two main political factions in an agreement to keep its democratic government functioning normally. Just the idea of the bickering that has been going on for the last 12 years is enough to turn your stomach. But the idea of putting ideology before your country is unforgivable. Enough is enough.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
It’s time to dump the Tea Party back in the harbor
Even as a committed progressive, I get an average of two or three emails from the Tea Party on a daily basis with some of the most bizarre headlines I have ever read. Like, America in danger: Stand and Fight, Prevent the Next Holocaust Right Here in America.” The organization is floundering fast and the last gasps are both dramatic and desperate. With supporters like Sarah Palin, Rand Paul and Michelle Bachmann, this leaves no doubt over the mentality of this group. Wikipedia says:
Obama Communist Coup Underway: America in Danger
The Tea Party took a beating in the Senate in 2012 when many of their supported candidates lost. The House did much better but the writing was on the wall when some key members were defeated and Michelle Bachmann won only with a slim margin. Big questions loom in 2014 for both the Tea Party and the NRA in relation to just how much impact they will have on the elections. The apathy of the American public has been making a dramatic change over the past year or so and with involved voters you get a much more educated class at the polls.
The Tea Party “is an American political movement that advocates strict
adherence to the United States Constitution, reducing U.S. government spending
and taxes, and reduction of the U.S. national debt and federal budget deficit.”
The “Party” took off in 2009 supporting several conservative
candidates and labeled itself from the beginning as a crowd of conservative
fanatics, many of which sported double-digit IQs. Back in 2011 even Glenn Beck accused the
membership of being racist, which was confirmed in several of their
rallies. They have been and still are in
the radical camp with the National Rifle Assn. (NRA) on gun rights, with signs
like, “Dictators want you disarmed” in a recent demonstration in Monterey,
California, for gun rights.
Their opposition to immigration reform is legend. From Day one the Tea Party movement has supported hardline policies toward illegal
immigrants and for border control. As
far as the group is concerned, we could deport all 11 million+ undocumented. On Tuesday, Judson Phillips of the Tea Party
Nation said in the Washington Times that Republicans
are committing “political suicide” and “paying Democrats for the privilege of
killing themselves, re. immigration reform.”
It is this kind of right-wing conservative rhetoric that is bringing the
U.S. to its knees.
But time and public opinion have not been on the side of the
TPers with a recent conservative Rasmussen poll released in the Huff Post finding that only 30% of the country has a
favorable view of the Tea Party. A compelling
50% view the party unfavorably.
Rasmussen also reports that only 8% of Americans claim to be Tea Party
affiliated. This is clout? This paltry bunch of bigots can have the sway
on Congress it does to push the GOP ideological agenda and get what they
want? It reminds me of the NRA’s hold on
Congress, also highly overrated.
Here’s an example of more headlines from the Tea Party
rubbish I receive by email:
Obama Communist Coup Underway: America in Danger
(Pic of Obama with Swastika on his arm)
Supporting a group to give away shotguns in high crime area
Sheriff warns of 2nd American Revolution if gun laws are enforced
Don’t let Obama get away with murder and treason
We’re rude, crude, impolite, and we wouldn’t have it any other way
Civil War 2: Why the banking elite want riots in America
Shock claim: Obama picks Muslim for CIA chief
Resistance to new gun laws builds in USA
Foreign agent Piers Morgan talks about repealing 2nd Amendment
Sheriff warns of 2nd American Revolution if gun laws are enforced
Don’t let Obama get away with murder and treason
We’re rude, crude, impolite, and we wouldn’t have it any other way
Civil War 2: Why the banking elite want riots in America
Shock claim: Obama picks Muslim for CIA chief
Resistance to new gun laws builds in USA
Foreign agent Piers Morgan talks about repealing 2nd Amendment
But let me leave you with the most hilarious statement made
yet in 2013. This is Michelle Bachmann,
the U.S. Representative from Minnesota who barely held on to her seat in 2012: “I
was very proud of the fact that I didn’t get anything wrong that I said during
the course of the debates," she said, according to Salon. "I didn’t
get anything wrong, and that’s a huge arena." She, of course refers to the 2012 GOP
presidential debates. According to the Huff Post:
“…there is a long list of statements Bachmann made during debates
showing she actually got a number of things ‘wrong.’”
Who is it these people appeal to??? Thank God their numbers are diminishing fast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
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...
-
This week marks a change of format in Nasty Jack posts featuring parody to illustrate just how hilarious and absurd the political scene ca...
-
Two cities, Des Moines and Iowa City defy Iowa's idiot Gov. Kim Reynolds and keep their COVID-10 precautionary measures in place. Idio...
-
The Biden administration gave Mississippi $18.4 million in mid-2021 to hire public health workers after the state legslature had made huge...