One More Time On the Guns

How long, America?

20 children--children, for God's sake--were slaughtered in a school, as we all know.

We did nothing.

59 people gunned down from a high rise hotel in Las Vegas.

Nothing.

Now, 30 people gunned down in two separate incidents, 13 hours apart.

Sure, we're outraged.

Saddened. Disgusted. Repelled. Revulsed. Sickened even.

Will we do anything about it?

And to the gun-lovers and NRA supporters and Right Wingers and Republicans, heck, even Libertarians who say the government should stay out of it and again, do nothing? I give you data, the following from Harvard University studies.

1. Where there are more guns there is more homicide (literature review)

Our review of the academic literature found that a broad array of evidence indicates that gun availability is a risk factor for homicide, both in the United States and across high-income countries. Case-control studies, ecological time-series and cross-sectional studies indicate that in homes, cities, states and regions in the U.S., where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide.

Hepburn, Lisa; Hemenway, David. Firearm availability and homicide: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior: A Review Journal. 2004; 9:417-40.

2. Across high-income nations, more guns = more homicide

We analyzed the relationship between homicide and gun availability using data from 26 developed countries from the early 1990s. We found that across developed countries, where guns are more available, there are more homicides. These results often hold even when the United States is excluded.

Hemenway, David; Miller, Matthew. Firearm availability and homicide rates across 26 high income countries. Journal of Trauma. 2000; 49:985-88.

3. Across states, more guns = more homicide

Using a validated proxy for firearm ownership, we analyzed the relationship between firearm availability and homicide across 50 states over a ten-year period (1988-1997).

After controlling for poverty and urbanization, for every age group, people in states with many guns have elevated rates of homicide, particularly firearm homicide.

Miller, Matthew; Azrael, Deborah; Hemenway, David. Household firearm ownership levels and homicide rates across U.S. regions and states, 1988-1997. American Journal of Public Health. 2002; 92:1988-1993.

4. Across states, more guns = more homicide (2)

Using survey data on rates of household gun ownership, we examined the association between gun availability and homicide across states, 2001-2003. We found that states with higher levels of household gun ownership had higher rates of firearm homicide and overall homicide. This relationship held for both genders and all age groups, after accounting for rates of aggravated assault, robbery, unemployment, urbanization, alcohol consumption, and resource deprivation (e.g., poverty). There was no association between gun prevalence and non-firearm homicide.

Miller, Matthew; Azrael, Deborah; Hemenway, David. State-level homicide victimization rates in the U.S. in relation to survey measures of household firearm ownership, 2001-2003. Social Science and Medicine. 2007; 64:656-64.

5. A summary of the evidence on guns and violent death

This book chapter summarizes the scientific literature on the relationship between gun prevalence (levels of household gun ownership) and suicide, homicide and unintentional firearm death and concludes that where there are higher levels of gun ownership, there are more gun suicides and more total suicides, more gun homicides and more total homicides, and more accidental gun deaths.

This is the first chapter in the book and provides and up-to-date and readable summary of the literature on the relationship between guns and death. It also adds to the literature by using the National Violent Death Reporting System data to show where (home or away) the shootings occurred. Suicides for all age groups and homicides for children and aging adults most often occurred in their own home.

Miller M, Azrael D, Hemenway D. Firearms and violence death in the United States. In: Webster DW, Vernick JS, eds. Reducing Gun Violence in America. Baltimore MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013.

6. More guns = more homicides of police
This article examines homicide rates of Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) from 1996 to 2010. Differences in rates of homicides of LEOs across states are best explained not by differences in crime, but by differences in household gun ownership. In high gun states, LEOs are 3 times more likely to be murdered than LEOs working in low-gun states.

This article was cited by President Obama in a speech to a police association. This article will hopefully bring police further into the camp of those pushing for sensible gun laws.

Swedler DI, Simmons MM, Dominici F, Hemenway D. Firearm prevalence and homicides of law enforcement officers in the United States. American Journal of Public Health. 2015; 105:2042-48.

And again to the weapons supporters, I say we're only asking--now demanding--3 things:

1. Required background checks, coast to coast, for mental stability
2. Required background checks, again, coast to coast, for criminal history
3. Ban on all purchases of assault style weapons. They have zero place on our streets and/or in our society.

No one who otherwise wants or feels they need weapons will be effected so please don't pull that desperate, pathetic, pitiful "They're going to take all our guns" on us. It's nonsense. Patent nonsense.

For hope today, I point out this article from Uber Right Wing, very Conservative Rupert Murdoch and his Right Wing rag, The New York Post.

Murdoch’s New York Post urges Trump to ban assault weapons

We can do this.

We must.

And it has to come from us, from the people.

Links: 

The Second Amendment has failed America

There have been more mass shootings than days in 2019

List of mass shootings in the United States

There’s No Second Amendment Right to Large-Capacity Magazines

(President) Trump Says He Wants Background Checks

Quote of the Day -- Prescience

"The fact is that there is a serious danger of this country becoming a pluto-democracy; that is, a sham republic with the real government in the hands of a small clique of enormously wealthy men, who speak through their money, and whose influence, even today, radiates to every corner of the United States."

--William McAdoo, amazingly, in 1912

Links:

William Gibbs McAdoo - Wikipedia

William Gibbs McAdoo | Great Thoughts Treasury

Casino mogul Adelson gives $30 million 

to help House Republicans

The NRA and the Republican Party vs the People of the United States

The Time Has Long Since Come: Contact Your Congressional Representatives

Now we add Las Vegas, too, to the long, long list of cities and towns across the nation that's experienced more needless, avoidable gun and weapons violence and tragedy.

Please, contact your representatives in Congress. All three of them, your 2 Senators and one member of the House of Representatives. Tell them we need the following, at least.

--Background checks, required, for weapons purchases for criminal history, nationwide

--Background checks, again, required for weapons purchases for mental stability

--An assault weapons ban. Again. We did it once, we could do it again. There is no reason assault weapons are available and on our streets in this nation

These, above, are what we should have and do, at minimum and soon as possible. Some additional things we should do are:

--Passing an assault rifle ban 

--A high capacity magazine ban 

--Taxing ammunition 

--Banning convicted domestic violence perpetrators from owning or purchasing firearms for 5 years

--Not allowing people on the "NO FLY" list to purchase guns 

--Instituting a gun buy-back program that would pay people to give up their current assault rifles. 

And I get it. We won't. But we should.

At any rate, please, please do, again, contact your representatives in Congress. Tell them the time has come. Americans need to stop dying, and on our streets. These deaths and tragedies are avoidable. Completely avoidable.

Call Your Rep — 

Congressional Representative 

Contact Information

Please call.  Today.

And thank you, in advance.

Remember Newtown?

Think about it.

If 20 children, 20 beautiful children and 6 adults, being gunned down in a few minutes years ago in Newtown, Connecticut wasn't enough to get America to wake up, pay attention and make changes to gun legislation so these mass shootings don't repeatedly happen, why would adults being gunned down, anywhere else, let alone Las Vegas, make any difference?

Let's speak up. 

Finally.

At long last.

Let's get something done.

Let's change things, America.

Let's be better than this. Finally.

We Need to Reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban

Australia did it.

We could, too.

And we need it.

Las Vegas proved it.

You've Outdone Yourself, America

Las Vegas attack is deadliest shooting 

in modern US history

The time has come, America.

The time has come to talk about and work for, work toward solutions.

Right Wing, Republican, Conservative Saint Ronnie, On Assault Rifles

Bill Moyers On Guns

And he's correct, of course.

NOW, America

Las Vegas shooting: At least 50 dead, 

more than 400 sent to hospitals

'Beyond horrific': Shooting on Las Vegas 

Strip kills at least 50, wounds 400

When is the time to talk about what we can do, as a nation, about weapons in this country?

Now.

Now is a great time.

Now is the perfect time, America.

And it's long, long overdue.

The Heat Isn't Just the Southwest US

I think the news that it's hitting 120 degrees in Phoenix today and being so hot all over the Southwest US is getting around. That seems clear.

What isn't also clear is the heat on another continent.

Heatwave scorches Europe, 

from London to Siberia

Europe sizzled in a continent-wide heatwave on Wednesday, with London seeing Britain's hottest June day since 1976 as Portugal battled to stamp out deadly forest fires.

More than 1,000 firefighters were still fighting to control the flames that broke out in central Portugal at the weekend, killing 64 people.

Cooler weather was aiding their efforts, but thermometers were still hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit)—a level matched across oven-like swathes of Europe, including Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and even alpine Switzerland.

Two forest fires have also broken out since Sunday on Croatia's southern Adriatic coast, prompting the authorities to evacuate 800 tourists, though the blazes have now been brought under control.In Italy, forecasters say the current heatwave could turn out to be the most intense in 15 years, with temperatures around eight degrees above the seasonal average—39 C in Milan and up to 30 in the Alps at an altitude of 1,000 metres (3,300 feet).

Britain saw its first five-day stretch of temperatures over 30 degrees in June since 1995—and the thermometer hit 33.9 C in west London, a UK record for the month since 1976.

In Guildford, southwest of the capital, a road surface melted on Tuesday, with motorists likening it to a bar of chocolate left out in the hot sun.

In Russia, Siberia was also suffering a heatwave, with temperatures of up to 37 Celsius in the city of Krasnoyarsk, Channel One television reported.

It's gotten so clear there's global warming, apparently, even the extreme Right Wing website, Breitbart,  posted the same story.

Heatwave scorches Europe, 

from London to Siberia

So, yeah, it looks like 2017 is shaping up to be, again, the new hottest year in recorded history.

Maybe we need those Paris Climate Accords after all.

Further Proof The Donald Will Lose

After last night's final presidential debate between Hillary "I Got This" Clinton and Donald "I'm Losing It" Trump, it's clear Mr. Trump's declaration that he may or may not accept the results of the election hurt him and badly.  Check out just some of the headlines this morning.

First, on what Mr. Trump actually said:

Trump on Whether He’ll Accept Election Results: 'I'll Keep You in Suspense'

Herewith, some takeaways, responses to Mr. Trump.

CNN's Cuomo Drills Conway On Trump Rejecting Election Results: He's Disavowing the Process!

David Gregory on Refusal to Accept Election Results: 'This Is a Death Blow for Donald Trump'

This, from the very Right Wing pollster Hugh Hewitt. Even he admits Mr. Trump took a hit.

Hugh Hewitt: Trump 'Knocked Himself Out' With Rigged Election Claims

Another Right Wing voice:

Krauthammer on Trump's Refusal to Accept Election Results: 'This is Political Suicide'

Here's one from a Republican strategist:

Steve Schmidt on Rigged Election Claims:  ‘A Moment of Clear and Present Danger’

Two takes from Jake Tapper.

Tapper: Trump Maybe Not Accepting Election Results Was 'Disastrous Answer'

Jake Tapper Points Out That 'Rigged Election' Talk Could 'Hurt Republican Turnout'

Four takes from mainstream media:

Brian Williams on Rigged Election Claims: 'A Disqualifying Moment For Americans' Who 'Respect a Peaceful Transition'

Brit Hume: Trump 'Stepped On' His Best Debate Performance by Hedging on Election Results

Tom Brokaw: 'A Lot of Republicans' Will Have 'Hands Over Their Heads' After Trump's Debate

Chris Matthews: 'There's No Justification' For Trump to Question Election Results

The Associated Press had this rather more maybe official and rather dour evaluation of Mr. Trump's comment.

AP Lede on Trump at Debate: 'Threatening to Upend a Basic Pillar of American Democracy…'

For what it's worth, two opinions and descriptions of last night's comments from Mr. Trump from Rachel Maddow.

Rachel Maddow Calls Giuliani and Conway's Rigged Election Defense: 'Insane'

Maddow: 'It's Inarguable' the Moment of Debate Was Trump Not Committing To Election Results

Mr. Van Jones take on it all will likely surprise no one.

Van Jones Rips Trump's 'Appalling Lack of Patriotism'

Of course, one can always take the course of denial.

Kellyanne Conway Says Trump Will Accept Results of Election — Because Trump Will Win the Election

Bill Kristol Works Himself Into Screaming Fit, Insisting Trump Is a 'Fluke' and Not Representative of GOP

The New York Times conclusion, turning Mr. Trump's own words on him:

Who Won the Debate? Hillary Clinton, the 'Nasty Woman'

Finally, then, today, one last result from last night's debacle for Mr. Trump.

Fox News Drops in 2016 Brand Index Ranking Among Republicans

Ladies and gentlemen, what you are witnessing, what we are all witnessing is the freefall of one Mr. Donald J. Trump, electorally and popularly, and what was formerly known as the Republican Party in America, let there be no doubt.

My only concern is the power vacuum it will create. We have to hope for who and what will replace it.

I will say this, this has been the most fascinating, bizarre, unpredictable and even dangerous election, all, and solely due to Mr. Trump, his candidacy and his pronouncements and reactions in it. The only explanation that seems to make sense about it all is that he put himself up to do this, to run and run in the campaign as far and long as possible, in order to destroy the Republican ticket, if not the entire political party. I'd heard that rumor. It's out there. But by doing this, he's hurt himself, his corporate brand and, yes, the political party.

It's the only thing that makes sense. What little sense it does make.

Links:   Hillary's Best Takedown of Trump During Debate

Donald Trump's Clueless Debate Answers Spawn #TrumpBookReport Tweets

The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign

'The Trump Effect': Hatred, Fear And Bullying On The Rise In Schools

Journalists Are Calling Out Trump's Lies At The Final Presidential Debate

KC Makes the List of the Best

Check that out---Kansas City makes the list of the top 15 cities in the nation:

Top 15 Best Places to Live

Not just in the top 15 but THE NUMBER ONE SPOT

Kansas City is number one on the LookyLocal list of the top 15 best places to live. It is known to some folks as the hone of swing and bebop, for most others it's known as the "City of Fountains." For many reasons, the music enthusiasts have been drawn to the unique jazz clubs and old tales of famous musicians like the one and only Charlie Parker. Kansas City has more fountains than Rome and there are always plenty of opportunities for scenic for scenic strolling from one fountain to another.

In Kansas City, most people choose to take a break to discover the many interesting neighborhoods as well as browse through some of the city's (sic) eclectic shops. A BIG plus about Kansas City is that families are particularly attracted to the city due to its popular child-friendly venues and events. Kansas City was once a trading post for pioneers that were heading to the Western United States. Today Kansas City offers many activities and attractions for visitors of all ages and all possible interests. 

Okay.

This is great, of course. Sure. Naturally.And we appreciate it. Certainly.

But Kansas City? Number one?

Ahead of Austin?

And San Diego?

Really?

Side note:  St. Louis took the number 9 spot.

Worse,  for St. Louis. Far worse, in fact. They made the number 2 in this list:

St. Louis - In Photos: The 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities

The American Slaughter

Here we go again, America. It happened again, just yesterday:

Las Vegas Shooting Kills 2 Metro Police Officers Total 5 Dead

So 20 children--innocent, grade school children--were slaughtered, assassinated, in mere moments all that long ago and what did we do? What did America do?

Not a damn thing.

Changed nothing. Zip. Zilch.

In the meantime, between then and now, more shootings, more killings, more assassinations of innocents. College campuses, more children, all kinds. Heck, even a member of the House of Representatives.

And while so many think this is either okay apparently or just not that bad or wrong or repugnant, let's never lose sight of this:

No other civilized, industrialized, educated, First World nation in the world lives or has incidents like this, let alone repeated ones, the way we in our country, here in the US does.

It is shameful.  It is irresponsible. It is, in fact, repugnant.

And that we have done nothing, to date, and that we continue to do nothing whatever about this is an obscenity and additional tragedy.

Face it, gun freaks, we're never taking your guns.

We know that. You should know that but the fear helps you whip up more frenzy and gun purchases, doesn't it?

But losing more and more of your fellow Americans--innocents, in this case, police officers--concerns you not a whit?

Work with us, for Christ's sake, for anything and everything that's good, work with us. For the good of America and for the safety of most Americans, let's reign in the weapons just a bit. There's only three things we really need to do. They are:

1) Do a background check on ALL for-profit purchases, including gun shows, for criminal history;

2) Do the same for mental stability and finally,

3) Put a top limit, per clip of 10 shots to any and all weapons, nationwide, starting now. You'd still have your weapons and we'd have a smidgen of restraint.

It's not complicated. It's very possible. They'd be effective, they'd be helpful and they'd be productive.

They'd be for the good of the nation and for the people.


Lots of data here:  Homicide | Harvard Injury Control Research Center

Ixnay on the Andalscay

If you read here at all--either of you--you'd know I support our current president. Deal. It seems, right now, that if even one more big government scandal in the coming months, the Republicans can likely exploit the daylights out of it and say President Obama has a government out of control.

First there was the GSA debacle recently, with nearly a million dollars going for a "conference" in Las Vegas. Now, there's the big Secret Service mess of agents connecting with prostitutes and some being extremely drunk, too, in Cartagena, Colombia, prior to his arriving for a meeting with other national leaders.

All I can say is, there better not be one more big scandal the rest of this year. Everyone better be minding their p's and q's. It's not good for the nation, of course, and it's not acceptable, period, but it's really tough during an election year, for an office-holder running for re-election.

Links: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/us/politics/gsa-las-vegas-trip-is-the-talk-of-washington.html; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/us/2-more-secret-service-employees-resigning.html; http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=eab57d0b-f615-c83b-3887-f67f64ec4f41

Our next TVs

I can hardly wait. Not only the thinnest and lightest but we'll be able to hook our "whatever-G" phone/computer into it to watch, well, whatever. Zounds.

Explain it to me GOP (leaders)

Click on picture to read.

And yes, by all means, explain it to us how that's supposed to work. Link: http://explainittomegop.wordpress.com/

"America's Saddest Cities"?--St. Lou--not you

Men's Health Magazine just came out with a list of "America's Saddest Cities" and, yes, St. Louis is on there but you, Kansas City, you are not. I think the Sprint and the Kauffman Centers may have helped keep us off there. Either that or we're just not on their radar. Note: Detroit and Memphis are on there, too. In my next post, you won't believe who's number 4 on "Happiest American Cities." Anyway, enjoy, Kansas City--it's only been good press coverage lately. For now, anyway. Link to original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/americas-saddest-cities_n_1120753.html?ncid=webmail18#s507155&title=St_Louis_MO

KC: Do you have any idea how lucky we are?

Think about it--Texas is suffering from who knows how many consecutive days of more than 100 degree days and no rain--none--so they have a horrible drought. Oklahoma? Very similar. To the North of us, the Dakotas and Montana and a few states up there flooded whole towns earlier this year that they're still working out of. We all know about Joplin, Missouri's awful tornado, destruction and rebuilding. California's economy and budget are both in the toilet. Same for Florida and Las Vegas, at least, along with Phoenix. I could go on here but you get the idea. We, on the other hand, though putting up with an admittedly tough economy, haven't experienced the truly desperate and difficult extreme drops other parts of the country have and though some parts of the area may be a bit dry, we really aren't suffering from a prolonged drought. Additionally, the temperatures--especially for August--have been far milder and even, dare I say it? pleasant, as it was this morning, after that rain and wind blew through. Could it be better? Sure, it always can be. But if we aren't counting our--these--blessings, we are an ungrateful lot, for sure. Now, here's hoping it holds. Have a great weekend, y'all.

Big ecnomic news today that can't be overlooked

What with all the other major world catastrophes going on right now, most especially the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power plant meltdown, it would be easy enough to overlook a rather small but hugely important article I saw today online:

Home prices falling in most major US cities

Home prices falling in 19 major US cities, with 4 now at lowest level in 11 years 

Janna Herron and Derek Kravitz, AP Real Estate Writers

NEW YORK (AP) -- Home prices are falling in most major U.S. cities, and the average prices in four of them are at their lowest point in 11 years. Analysts expect further prices declines in most cities in the coming months.

Home values in Atlanta, Las Vegas, Detroit and Cleveland are now below January 2000 levels. A majority of the metro areas tracked by the index now have home prices at levels dating back to 2003, just as the housing boom began.

"The housing market recession is not yet over, and none of the statistics are indicating any form of sustained recovery," said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's.

As either an economist or just a regular old citizen of this United States, that is big.  

Not finished there, there is also this out today: 

Inflation worries push consumer confidence lower

Soaring gas prices and soured outlook on income push consumer confidence down in March 

My point?

It is not to say "the sky is falling", I can tell you that.

My point is that, as Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman is pointing out more and again, lately, is that now is decidedly not the time to try to cut $61 billion out of the government's spending.  

I'm not all about big spending and we do need to address it and our debt and deficit spending, but to repeat Mr. Krugman, now is decidedly not the time.

I'm concerned that either the Right-wing and Republicans and Conservatives aren't listening and/or don't care because a) they have to cater to the "Tea Party" and extremists in their party so they can be re-elected OR they simply want/need this president and his policies to fail so, again, they can be re-elected.

My biggest concern is that all of those are true.

Links:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Home-prices-falling-in-most-apf-2179818115.html?x=0; http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Inflation-worries-push-apf-1954887602.html?x=0; http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/contraction-is-contractionary/;  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/opinion/25krugman.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss; http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/;