We now hear about a mass shooting almost once a week yet strong gun control just doesn't get done by Congress even though a huge majority of America supports it. Instead we get nothing but "thoughts and prayers."
Seriously?
However there's been 18 deaths in the U.S. due to vaping with 1,000 cases of related lung illness and almost immediately there was a call to prohibit flavored e-cigarettes with massive attention in the news and by politicians which is good, but...
Earlier this week Art was reading the paper and showed me the front page stating a person in Hawaii was killed by a gun every 8 days.
Every 8 days? This is crazy!
It shocked me further when he said we were the lowest in the nation!
Seriously?
Someone is killed by guns every 8 days and we should be glad it's not worse like the rest of the country?
The article went on to say "Nationally there were 342,000 gun deaths between 2008 and 2017 while Hawaii had 471 gun deaths, or 1 every 8 days."
In Texas, they have a gun death every nine hours. Florida has one every 10 hours.
This means that across America, a person is killed with a gun every 15 minutes. Doesn't that bother Republicans?
Alaska, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi have the highest rates of gun deaths.
The article goes on to state that Hawaii's low numbers of gun deaths are because of some of the strictest gun laws in America and because we're so isolated, guns can't be trafficked in easily.
Illinois and New York have strict laws but they're right next to states with weak laws so guns are brought in easily.
We've had all kinds of protests, marches, appeals but nothing gets done or laws proposed are so watered down to be ineffective. Instead we get admonished by some politicians saying that what we need are better mental health support.
Give me a break!
The NRA has such a strong stranglehold on Congress that politicians are afraid to legislate those needed laws.
I got this from Business Insider about the NRA control of Republican leaders:
What will it take?
What will it take?
POSTSCRIPT:
I just got a comment from someone or some organization calling themselves The Giver of the Law. I looked that up and found that The Giver of the Law is supposed to be Jesus Christ. Whatever the case...
Can you imagine Jesus giving out a law saying everybody should own guns?
This person states that: "The right to bear arms is the MOST important part of the entire constitution, to deny people that vital freedom would make a total nonsense of all the greatness and unparalleled magnificence that Americans have achieved in the last 243 years ! ! !"
This 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.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated:
Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. From Blackstone through the 19th-century cases, commentators and courts routinely explained that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. For example, the majority of the 19th-century courts to consider the question held that prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons were lawful under the Second Amendment or state analogues. Although we do not undertake an exhaustive historical analysis today of the full scope of the Second Amendment, nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.
The Constitution was written at a time when we were a new country and needed to protect ourselves from outside aggression. That is no longer the case.
Because of the frightening prevalence of guns in our country, we are a danger onto ourselves.
What did Pogo say? “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Seriously?
However there's been 18 deaths in the U.S. due to vaping with 1,000 cases of related lung illness and almost immediately there was a call to prohibit flavored e-cigarettes with massive attention in the news and by politicians which is good, but...
Every 8 days? This is crazy!
It shocked me further when he said we were the lowest in the nation!
Seriously?
Someone is killed by guns every 8 days and we should be glad it's not worse like the rest of the country?
The article went on to say "Nationally there were 342,000 gun deaths between 2008 and 2017 while Hawaii had 471 gun deaths, or 1 every 8 days."
In Texas, they have a gun death every nine hours. Florida has one every 10 hours.
This means that across America, a person is killed with a gun every 15 minutes. Doesn't that bother Republicans?
Alaska, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi have the highest rates of gun deaths.
The article goes on to state that Hawaii's low numbers of gun deaths are because of some of the strictest gun laws in America and because we're so isolated, guns can't be trafficked in easily.
Illinois and New York have strict laws but they're right next to states with weak laws so guns are brought in easily.
We've had all kinds of protests, marches, appeals but nothing gets done or laws proposed are so watered down to be ineffective. Instead we get admonished by some politicians saying that what we need are better mental health support.
Give me a break!
The NRA has such a strong stranglehold on Congress that politicians are afraid to legislate those needed laws.
I got this from Business Insider about the NRA control of Republican leaders:
"While the group contributes to members of both parties, the lion's share goes to the GOP. Of the top 85 members of Congress with the most career NRA contributions, 82 are Republicans, according to a database from the Center for Responsive Politics."School shootings have not made Congress move or the president lead the way. Church shootings haven't done anything. What will it take?
What will it take?
What will it take?
POSTSCRIPT:
I just got a comment from someone or some organization calling themselves The Giver of the Law. I looked that up and found that The Giver of the Law is supposed to be Jesus Christ. Whatever the case...
Can you imagine Jesus giving out a law saying everybody should own guns?
This person states that: "The right to bear arms is the MOST important part of the entire constitution, to deny people that vital freedom would make a total nonsense of all the greatness and unparalleled magnificence that Americans have achieved in the last 243 years ! ! !"
This 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.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated:
Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. From Blackstone through the 19th-century cases, commentators and courts routinely explained that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. For example, the majority of the 19th-century courts to consider the question held that prohibitions on carrying concealed weapons were lawful under the Second Amendment or state analogues. Although we do not undertake an exhaustive historical analysis today of the full scope of the Second Amendment, nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.
The Constitution was written at a time when we were a new country and needed to protect ourselves from outside aggression. That is no longer the case.
Because of the frightening prevalence of guns in our country, we are a danger onto ourselves.
What did Pogo say? “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
I agree with you completely, Kay. And I too wonder what it will take for us to finally come to our senses over gun control. :-(
ReplyDeleteit's an awful marriage of gun manufacturers, and people who play with guns for fun. Then, there is the myth that having a gun will protect you from someone else with a gun. Add in the deeply rooted racism, and bias against others. It is truly frightening.
ReplyDeleteI agree it's terrible and getting worse each day...
ReplyDeleteThe right to bear arms is the MOST important part of the entire constitution, to deny people that vital freedom would make a total nonsense of all the greatness and unparalleled magnificence that Americans have achieved in the last 243 years ! ! !.
ReplyDeleteThe reaction to vaping should be our reaction to the gun crisis. Interesting comparison. Too bad we can't see that guns kill way more than a vape stick. If they would only get rid of the military type guns it would be a start. The NRA is so powerful I doubt we will ever see progress.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the world is dumbfounded by this.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, what will it take?
Kay, good for you for speaking out--more of us need to, those statistics are sad & frightening. Why can't we be like Australia or New Zealand? They saw gun problems emerging and quickly nipped them in the bud. I guess they didn't have the almighty NRA stoking the fires. Sad, scary, depressing.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely, it's nonsense to not take effective steps to control this. And the New York Times finally had an article about the people who were shot and survived, detailing the horrible physical damage done, the long recovery time, jobs lost, lives ruined and more than a few people who die 1 or 2 years later from their wounds.
ReplyDeleteWell said. The solution seems to be very simple . As you point out the powers that be seem to be unable to take steps to a solution. of gun violence.
ReplyDeleteA terrible problem.
ReplyDeleteIt's close to useless to even discuss this. But we must continue.
ReplyDeleteExcellent overview and research. Yes, we need control. Not sure how to overrun the NRA and put some sense into the politicians' heads. You and Pogo have it right. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI'm a little suspicious of that comment by The Giver of the Law. I'm wondering if it's some kind of spam automatically put out as soon as it detects anything about gun control. You just never know these days.
DeleteHere in Seattle shooting have become so common in news reports that we just mutter " There goes another one" and move on. The victim's families don't have that luxury, however. Yes, er certainly need more and better gun control, but I have become fatalistic about it. there are so many millions of military style weapons in circulation now that how will we ever control or ban them.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kay, for speaking out. The second amendment is so misconstrued and it just disgusts me that some would consider total gum freedom a SACRED right.
Kay, just to lighten the mood of sombre-ness and solemnity with something much lighter and frivolous and pleasant. I really like that little cartoon picture that you post of yourself, its got a lot of genuine magic and charm about it.
ReplyDeleteHello Steve, it's very nice to meet you. My Monday post will be much happier. I promise.
DeleteHawaii does far better than most of the nation too, it really is sad.
ReplyDeleteNever had a personal chat with him but from what I have read about Jesus Christ, I doubt very much he advocated for universal arming of the citizenry. Doesn't seem at all consistent with his message.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it! It is a major failing of our nation that we can't control the sale and use of guns.
ReplyDeleteLengthy rhetoric denouncing " evil " guns , as opposed to addressing the unstable fools who use them in disturbing fashion . Why can't you , or any liberal thinker for that matter , offer us a useful suggestion on how to address the problem . All I hear is hand-wringing and woe-is-us weeping over a distressing issue that is getting worse , but no actual proposals .
ReplyDeleteNo thinking person can really believe that outlawing guns or the NRA would actually solve the problem - those with mental issues or criminal intent will pay no attention to new gun laws , any more than they follow the existing laws .
Perhaps better mental health initiatives , and stiffer penalties for those criminals who break existing laws might help , but I'm convinced that wringing your hands won't have the slightest impact .
Many proposals have been suggested, but is shot down including stiffer penalties. And how do you catch these "unstable fools?" Many of them haven't even been diagnosed as mentally ill. It's anger, racism and the availability of guns. Please identify yourself with a name please.
Delete