Shootings in U.S. are up -- and experts fear it will get worse

The NRA was once the good guy.

13 injured in mass shooting on Austin's Sixth Street

It's a woman's rights issue.

It's not just a mass shooting issue, a gun control issue or a gun rights issue, it's also a woman's rights issue.

60% if mass shooters have a history of domestic abuse.

About 5 million women are victims of domestic abuse every year.

A woman is 500% more likely to die if an abuser has access to a gun.

On average 57 women die each month by a gun in a domestic partner's hands.

Not all states report domestic violence convictions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Guns make EVERYTHING better! Shall we discuss road rage next?

It's a woman's rights issue.

It's not just a mass shooting issue, a gun control issue or a gun rights issue, it's also a woman's rights issue.

60% if mass shooters have a history of domestic abuse.

About 5 million women are victims of domestic abuse every year.

A woman is 500% more likely to die if an abuser has access to a gun.

On average 57 women die each month by a gun in a domestic partner's hands.

Not all states report domestic violence convictions to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Guns make EVERYTHING better! Shall we discuss road rage next?

If we all made a noise, could we drown out the sound of gunfire?

There were two mass shootings in Florida, one in Virginia Beach and 32 dead in Chicago over the Memorial day weekend. Ft Worth, Arlington and Houston, Texas missed the count to qualify as a MASS shooting by one each to. All in three days and that doesn't count the mundane everyday misery of gun violence all across the country from small town to major metropolis. Mundane everyday misery and gun violence should never appear in one sentence yet it does every damn day.

Ask any gunner how this can be and they deflect to mental health, poverty, over crowding, video games, drugs, gangs and unicorns. Everything but GUNS.

Is that true? I personally don't think so. It's guns.

In the United States of America there are (+/-) 15,000 McDonald's, 6,000 Starbucks and 36,000 pizza chain restaurants.

There are also, in the United States of America, 80,000 licensed gun dealers according to the BATF&E (ATF).

That's LICENSED dealers, not the folks selling guns out of their car trunks or over the internet which is an additional 40% over and above the 'official' gun sellers.

It really is the GUNS.

Who is supposed to oversee the operation of all these gun sellers? The ATF which hasn't had a budget increase or staffing increase in a decade or a confirmed director in six years.

Even at that there were 2000 dealers cited by ATF agents over two years, many multiple times. Almost none of them lost their Federal Firearms License. Seems the watchdog is owned by the fox and us chickens are on our own.

No one thing will stem the bloodshed but fixing the enforcement system which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the gun industry would be a good start.

President Biden has a nominee to head the ATF, David Chapman, who is pending approval by the Senate. Gunners hate him.

Perhaps if we all made a noise we could drown out the sound of gunfire.

'No Way To Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

That was the Onion headline. Turns out that's true. Unless of course any of this mattered:

It's a constant now and it doesn't have to be.

Yesterday 9 people killed in San Jose. In Dallas/Fort Worth and environs three police officers killed in a standoff, a man was shot by police while holding a woman at gunpoint, three people were killed in a domestic argument and I'm only mentioning the headlines not the mundane everyday violence. Mundane everyday violence? Yeah, it's a thing now.

What the fuck is wrong with us? Texas just passed an open carry law that allows anyone 21 years and over to openly carry a loaded handgun with no permit, no training and no background check joining 19 other states. I repeat, What the fuck is wrong with us?

It doesn't have to be this way. Even without confiscating most of the guns in civilian hands (my preferred approach) IT CAN BE FIXED.

Expand background checks to include ALL gun transfers. Open background checks to include violent misdemeanors as well as felonies. Extend those checks to local law enforcement to include social media content, interviews with family and employers/fellow employees. Require this background check to receive a 'permit to purchase' with a three month expiration date. Include in that permit to purchase a requirement for mandatory safety training and proof of liability insurance before purchase.

None of this is unconstitutional. The gunner argument against this is that it inconveniences 'Law Abiding Citizens'.

Well, I've got some news for ya, Gunner. It's damned inconvenient to stop your everyday life and plan a damn funeral.

Can somebody please explain this to me? Anybody?

The Israeli Palestinian conflict has raged for 9 days.

They are at war with each other using rockets, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction. Deaths have reached more than 200.

Meanwhile in America about 750 people have been killed with guns.

President Biden is calling for a cease fire in the Middle east region. Can we have a cease fire here in America?

I just don't understand how two Peoples at open war with each other using weapons of mass destruction can only manage to kill 200 while we here in America can kill three times that with easily available civilian guns while we are at peace.

Can somebody please explain this to me? ANYBODY??

(because somebody will ask for a link to support my numbers, JUST GOOGLE IT FOR GOD'S SAKE)

How background checks for guns should work.

I'd like to see some serious reform of the background check system. As it is a search of the FBI data base for felony crimes and a search for involuntary mental care is about all there is.

This is how I'd like to see the background checks be made more effective:

Include a 'permit to purchase' issued by the nearest local law enforcement department. These people are nearest to the purchaser and if there are concerns they will be the ones who know about them. Is this person a scofflaw, causes disturbances not rising to the level of felony, a repeat minor offender or someone who is often in the attention of law enforcement for disturbance of the peace? Shouldn't that be grounds for increased scrutiny and at least a temporary prohibition? Include interviews with relatives and others close to the person to see if there are concerns about maturity and stability in that 'permit to purchase' process.

Include a search of public social media. How many times have we heard of a 'Manifesto' or outright threats found on social media AFTER a tragedy? Shouldn't a threat to 'put a bullet' in the head of Nancy Pelosi be grounds to refuse sales and temporarily remove firearms from someone?

Expand mental health prohibitions to anyone treated for a condition that would indicate a possibility of harm to themselves or others even if not rising to the level of an involuntary committal for care.

Beyond that those who know me know I favor the prohibition of all semi automatic firearms that have interchangeable magazines of any size. I see that as the only way to reduce the volume of deaths and injuries--make it harder to shoot fast and reload fast. If we can't prevent people from killing other people shouldn't at least make it inconvenient to kill a lot of them?