December 27, 2021

Don't give up, never give up. She didn't.

Gabby Giffords was a professional motorcycle road racer. She owns a classic BMW bike she had planned to ride to the southern tip of South America.

She was elected to Congress as representative from AZ.

Then she was shot in the head from a few feet away. She hasn't given up. If she can stand this strong, why can't the rest of us?

December 27, 2021

Gun deaths continued to rise in 2021

Why is this? Maybe this has something to do with it:

There are more guns than people in the US. Sixty-five times more guns than all the military and all the police forces in the country combined.

There is legal protection for gun sellers, makers and distributors from civil suits. The only industry with such protection.

People have unfettered access to guns without a background check. They're called 80% receivers and are available on the internet to ANYONE. Even a 13 year old can buy and assemble a gun kit.

States 'Must Issue' licenses and concealed carry permits. No human intervention regardless of local and familial concerns.

We guarantee purchase of a gun in 3 days even if the background check hasn't been completed by a system that doesn't even report all agencies to the background data base.

There is over-the-counter retail access to military grade weaponry that can be easily and legally converted to emulate full auto machine guns. Bump stocks are on again/off again legal and auto-sear/forced-reset trigger assemblies haven't been addressed.

100 round magazines are available over the internet with no background check to go with those converted full auto guns some of which were assembled from 80% receivers with no background check.

Thirteen states have 'constitutional carry' with no restrictions on concealed or open carry, many with no background checks or training.

Thirty eight states have 'stand your ground' laws allowing anyone who feels threatened to shoot another person without the responsibility to retreat if possible. Note the word “feels threatened”.

America, we have a problem . . .

December 22, 2021

On the 20th day of Christmas . . .

The Gun Violence Archive
@GunDeaths
Weekly Mass Shooting Update: There have been 23 American mass shootings in the 20 days of December, bringing 2021's total to 676.

January: 33
February: 40
March: 45
April: 50
May: 72
June: 77
July: 86
August: 63
September: 66
October: 72
November: 49
December: 23
1:32 AM · Dec 20, 2021·Twitter Web App

December 22, 2021

America, we have a problem pt 2

December 21, 2021

America, we have a problem . . .

December 21, 2021

Two totally unrelated facts that can't possibly have any relationship.

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M21-3423
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/06/health/us-homicide-rate-increase-nchs-study/index.html

December 20, 2021

For gun violence reduction gun owners are irrelevant.

The reason gun control doesn't pass has nothing to do with gun owners. Sorry to deflate your overblown ego and sense of self importance but you are simply irrelevant.

Only 9% of voters, I assume gun owners, favor lessening gun restrictions.

Gun owners are not even a consideration, they are a minuscule minor irritation.

Sensible gun laws and the reduction of gun deaths, injuries and $280,000,000 a year cost are held hostage by the gun lobby.

Over the careers of current Senators the NRA has contributed $71,405,873 in campaign funds. For instance Mitch McConnell got $1.3m which works out to $1,863 per dead constituent. Mitt Romney got the most at $13,647,676 or $9,993 per dead constituent. Chuck Grassley single handedly blocked the last attempt at universal background checks and he's a piker at only $226,007 or $856 per dead constituent.

In 2020 alone the NRA spent $787,652 in direct contributions and another $29,355,400 in 'indirect' spending through PACs which filters into political contributions. I can't calculate that over the careers of our current Senators but it's kinda big, doncha' think? And that's just the NRA, not the entirety of gundom which includes the gun makers and other gun groups.

So it's not the poor besotted gun owners who are a problem. It's the ones who make $$ off death and misery.

https://elections.bradyunited.org/take-action/nra-donations-116th-congress-senators
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/summary?id=d000000082

December 20, 2021

For gun violence reduction gun owners are irrelevant.

The reason gun control doesn't pass has nothing to do with gun owners. Sorry to deflate your overblown ego and sense of self importance but you are simply irrelevant.

Only 9% of voters, I assume gun owners, favor lessening gun restrictions.

Gun owners are not even a consideration, they are a minuscule minor irritation.

Sensible gun laws and the reduction of gun deaths, injuries and $280,000,000 a year cost are held hostage by the gun lobby.

Over the careers of current Senators the NRA has contributed $71,405,873 in campaign funds. For instance Mitch McConnell got $1.3m which works out to $1,863 per dead constituent. Mitt Romney got the most at $13,647,676 or $9,993 per dead constituent. Chuck Grassley single handedly blocked the last attempt at universal background checks and he's a piker at only $226,007 or $856 per dead constituent.

In 2020 alone the NRA spent $787,652 in direct contributions and another $29,355,400 in 'indirect' spending through PACs which filters into political contributions. I can't calculate that over the careers of our current Senators but it's kinda big, doncha' think? And that's just the NRA, not the entirety of gundom which includes the gun makers and other gun groups.

So it's not the poor besotted gun owners who are a problem. It's the ones who make $$ off death and misery.

https://elections.bradyunited.org/take-action/nra-donations-116th-congress-senators
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/national-rifle-assn/summary?id=d000000082

December 20, 2021

Why the "compromise" falls on deaf ears.

Over the last year I have posted data and research on guns and gun violence. I posted graphs that showed gun violence increasing every time gun supply increased. I posted data on states with restrictive gun laws vs states with permissive gun laws and the correlating gun violence rates. I've posted most recently that the FBI has noted an increase in short 'time to crime' guns sold within a year of being found at crime scenes which showed that gun owners who passed a background check became criminals within a year. I've posted statistics on the number of guns and the number of new guns sold every year. No reasoning human being can look at this data and not conclude that the only way to decrease gun violence is to decrease the availability of guns. Amnesty International and every other violence prevention organization believes that is true based on available evidence.

Still I haven't been able to convince any on the pro gun side that there is a connection between the availability of guns and gun violence.

Now I'm told I must compromise with the Gun Culture to 'make progress on gun control'. Who is the Gun Culture? The NRA, Gun Owners of America, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, major gun manufacturers and most militias. It's publications like Ammo Land, The Truth about Guns and other rabid gun magazines. What do they want and what have they worked for since 1970? More guns for sale with fewer restrictions on sales, possession, use and “self defense”.

To compromise is to give the opposition something they want in exchange for something you want. All I want is to reduce gun violence which necessarily means reducing the availability of guns. What is it the Gun Culture wants? More guns bought more easily and more different kinds of guns including machine guns, short barrel rifles and shotguns, some 'destructive devices' and unregulated unrestricted possession at all times in all places.

Of course they don't say this out loud, they couch it in weasel words by saying they want to 'modernize' or 'clarify' or 'simplify' the Gun Control Act of 1934 and the few other gun restrictions that currently exist. There is never any specificity about the result of these 'simplifications'. When queried the subject changes or the answer is even more nebulous than before. In fact they appear to want to 'clarify' them out of existence. All for the purpose of making the last few types of prohibited guns available through the local gun store or directly over the internet.

So, if the only way to decrease gun violence and the immense cost it puts on society is to decrease the availability of guns, why would any sentient being 'compromise' with the gun culture if it means increasing the availability of guns even if getting some agreement on peripheral issues?

No, I will stay with the status quo as bad as it is and work at real and meaningful changes instead of willingly making things worse by 'compromising' with the Gun Culture. Will it happen soon? I don't know but I do know the arc of the moral universe is long and bends ever toward justice.

December 16, 2021

There was another request (at large) for compromise.

I posted a version of this: https://www.democraticunderground.com/126213984

No response to any of MY concerns only a studious ignorance of any of the issues I raise. And of course a complete disregard and failure to refute the assertion that all gunners really want is access to full auto and all other NFA guns over the counter.

I have heard this 'compromise' before. 'Bout 3-4 years ago. Same premise, same rationalization, same writing style. That guy bought a pizza . . .