Republicans' Right to Carry

Republicans across the country in different states are pushing for more "right to carry" laws so virtually any of us can have a gun, a weapon on us anywhere, everywhere, at any given place or time in our cities and on our streets. This is what that gets us.

We Need to Bring Back the Assault Weapons Ban

The GOP, the Vote, Guns and You, America

Guess which it wants to have less of, if not even do away with?

On Guns and Common Sense Gun Legislation

"Make no mistake about it: Universal background checks will save lives...

Make no mistake about it: Outlawing high capacity magazines will save lives. Make no mistake about it: Getting the military-style weapons off our street and private ownership will save lives." --Senator Ben Cardin, Maryland (D)

Republican Party Priorities

There's only one political party in the nation that is so patently, provenly bad and unpopular that they have to--and do--actively disenfranchise fellow American citizens.

End vote and voter suppression.

Require background checks for all weapons purchases, coast to coast, for mental stability and criminal history.

Put back into effect the Assault Weapons Ban.Require a waiting period for weapons purchases. Simple, important things we need to do as a nation. Oh, and vote out Republicans. For sure.

Quote of the Day -- On America, Americans and Assault Weapons

"After Bill Clinton banned assault weapons in 1994, mass shooting deaths dropped by 43%.

After the Republican Congress let the ban expire in 2004, they shot up by 239%. This isn't rocket science: we need to ban assault weapons again." --Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania Democratic Party candidate for the US Senate.

On Guns -- and Shootings and Killings -- In America

There aren't two sides to this issue of guns in America.

There's sensible people who know we need solutions and then there are the weapons supporters, putting guns and gun ownership over human life. That's it. That's all there is.

Quote of the Day -- On Guns In America

"Today it's a tragedy in Boulder, Colorado. This past weekend it was a house party in Philadelphia. And last week it was an armed attack on Asian American women in the Atlanta area.

It doesn't have to be this way. It’s beyond time for our leaders to take action." --Gabrielle Giffords @GabbyGiffords

Republican Party Policies

38,000 gun deaths a year in US: who needs gun control?

2 cases of voter fraud in 2020: let’s pass 253 new voter suppression laws --Ari Berman @AriBerman

Guns In America

On that Atlanta, Georgia slaughter of more innocent American citizens earlier today: Tom Winter @Tom_Winter "NEW: Two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter tell NBC News that the gun -- a 9mm handgun -- used by Robert Aaron Long in yesterday’s shooting spree in Georgia was purchased legally and it was purchased yesterday prior to the shooting." Reported w/ Mike Kosnar

igorvolsky @igorvolsky "Waiting period laws that delay the purchase of firearms by a few days reduce gun homicides by roughly 17%. 10 states + DC do have waiting periods for at least some types of firearm purchases. Georgia is not one of them." Again and as ever, thanks, NRA. Thanks, Republicans.

Quote of the Day -- Insane Guns Edition

"The big increase in the murder rate in 2020 has carried over to 2021. Early data shows murder 18% in first 3 months of 2021.

Meanwhile, last week, 203 members of Congress voted to make it 'easier' for prohibited purchasers to purchase guns & traffic firearms." --igorvolsky @igorvolsky Doesn't portend well for the nation. Certainly doesn't bode well for the Kansas City metropolitan area.

USA: It Sucks to be You?

 I saw this article today.

Study ranks Canada #1 in the world for quality of life

Check that out.

Canada was recently ranked the second most beautiful country in the world, and now it is being hailed for its quality of life.

In fact, Canada took the top spot for the category in the latest 2019 Best Countries Rankings by U.S. News and World Report. What's more, this is the country's fourth year in a row in the ranking's top spot.

America?  Shall we compare?

• Guess what neighbor to the North has universal health care?
• Guess what neighbor to the North didn't tie health care to profit?
• And who's people don't go bankrupt from health care costs?
• And who's number 1 cause of bankruptcy for citizens isn't health care costs?
• And also has far less guns and weapons?
• And far less shootings and killings?
• And doesn't pay out an obscene amount every year for "defense"?
• And doesn't have an idiotic, self-serving, greedy, uninformed leader of their nation?

So...   Ladies and gentlemen?

Can we learn anything?

Maybe?

Could we?

Please?

Excellent Article Out Now Far Too Many Americans Won't Get

 There is an excellent article out from last July at The Atlantic that, as I said above, far too many Americans won't even understand, let alone accept.

Do Americans Understand How Badly They’re Doing?

In France, where I live, the virus is under control. I can hardly believe the news coming out of the United States.

This is a great question and I'm certain the answer is no, Americans no way know how badly they're, we're doing. It mostly covers here how awful our situation is regarding this President, our/his "leadership" and this pandemic but there's so much more we are doing and do so very badly, so poorly. Here are some of the worst.

• This President and election alone have put us in "banana republic" territory with his trying to deny our vote, our votes and election
• There there is our only-nation-with-it, for-profit health care system and our bankruptcies from it all and then our really obscene and grossly immoral wealth inequality
• Because of our health care system, Americans go bankrupt from those costs and expenses. So much so that it's the number one reason and source of bankruptcies in the nation
• And don't get me started on our insane number of guns and weapons and shootings and killings for no reason whatever
• Additionally, there's this idiot, self-possessed, self-absorbed, greedy, ignorant, reckless, literally dangerous President we've had ostensibly leading us these last 4 years
• Then we far outspend what we should on what we call "defense", bankrupting us in other ways so we can't and don't take care of our infrastructure. More insanity.
• We have horrible wealth inequality
• We nearly literally shovel yet more money, and great quantities, at that, to the already-wealthy and corporations

No. No way Americans have any idea we have it bad, badly and so wrong. So stupidly wrong. So unnecessarily wrong.

Links:

U.S. becomes first nation to cross 10M COVID-19 cases as third wave of infections surge

Things I'll never get used to in the USA

KCMO Police and City Hall Need to Maybe See What Chicago is Doing About Gun Violence

Chicago hit the news this week, this new year and in good ways for them. Surprisingly, at least to me, it's pretty big news.

Homicides, shootings decline for 3rd consecutive year in Chicago, Police Department says

Homicides fell below 500 last year in Chicago for the first since 2015, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit decreases, official Police Department statistics show.

Anyone can and no doubt will say what they will about the Windy City but if it, the city and the police, are getting good results, this kind of results, cutting homicides and shootings, with their population and size, it seems we here in Kansas City could likely learn things from them. Someone--the police chief, our new Mayor, someone, ought to maybe get up there, ask some questions and see what they're doing to get good results.

Here's hoping.

Mayor Lucas?  Police Chief Smith?

Reason to Celebrate, Kansas City!

Kansas City, nearly unbelievably to me, anyway, given the coverage of our shootings and killings, didn't make an ugly list recently.

Murder map: Deadliest U.S. cities

Herewith, some highlights--

• Wichita, Kansas, 58. Stunningly tied here with MIAMI, FLORIDA.
• Topeka, tied at the 50 spot with Columbus, OH.
• Dallas 49. Houston, 47.
• Tulsa at 30, tied with Fort Wayne, IN.
• Oakland, CA at 27.
• Atlanta, GA 23.
• Peoria, IL 18.
• Little Rock, AR, 17.
• Chicago, 16.
• Washington, DC at 10.
• Memphis, 6.
• New Orleans at 4.
• Detroit at 3. Not the worst.

St. Louis, Missouri at the number one worst spot of deadliest cities in the nation.

Even little old Springfield is there at number 61.

But no Kansas City.

Yahoo.

One for a win.

I'll take it. We'll take it, for sure.

Important Quote of the Day

Click on picture for larger picture, easier reading.

Quote of the Day -- Police Officer Edition

"I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue. Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do. My feelings won’t be hurt if you de-friend me and I hope yours won’t be if you decide to post about your views and I de-friend you." 

"...people at the state level and the federal level in too many places in our country are not doing anything other than offering prayers. I'm grateful that I'm working a city with the mayor who is transformative, Sylvester Turner, and what we're starting to see is that local governments are starting to make a difference, and I think that the American people, gun owners, the vast majority of which are pragmatic and actually support gun sense and gun reform in terms of keeping guns in the right hands. We need to start using the ballot box and ballot initiatives to take the matters out of the hands of people that are doing nothing that are elected into the hands of the people to see that the will of the people in this country is actually carried out."

-- Art Acevedo, Chief of Police, Houston Texas

Link:

Transcript: Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo On "Face The Nation," May 20, 2018

Living In the US vs Elsewhere

A friend's post yesterday said what I've been thinking for some time:

A comment from a friend who moved to Europe a few years ago: 

"it is absolutely incredible. We've been here (several) years now...the life style for my family is spectacular. The kids are happy, my wife is happy, we're experiencing people/culture/travel that we'd never see in the US. My kids are growing up in an environment with such cultural/international awareness that we never experienced as kids.

The longer you live outside the US, the more obvious the divide becomes. Education, healthcare, and environment are top priorities in Europe. Nudity is allowed and you see it on billboards, magazines, etc., but no one cares because it is natural. Violence, on the other hand, isn’t dramatized or publicized and broadcast throughout the media. When people commit crimes, they don’t even publish their full names in the paper (it shows as 'Matt H. was found guilty'). Europe allows nudity and minimizes the broadcasting of violence, while the US takes an opposite stance"

Additionally, they have far fewer guns so far fewer shootings and killings.

And universal health care.

And then there's all that architecture. We tear our "old" buildings down after 50 years.

All that, just for starters.

Check Out How Callous and Cynical and Ugly Kris Kobach Has Gotten

A friend emailed me this. I could nearly not believe how low, how, again, callous and cynical and ugly and heartless it is. Kris Kobach, out of Kansas, sent around this email this week for his event.

On April 20, the anniversary of the slaughter of innocents at Columbine, Kris Kobach has decided to have a rally to support "gun rights."  What he's proposing:

Secretary Kobach has offered to host a pro-gun rally for the Kansas State Rifle Association in his official capacity as Kansas Secretary of State.

Help us get supporters to Topeka on April 20th to defend the 2nd Amendment and promote our shared pro-gun values!

For anyone who doesn't know or remember:

Twelve students and one teacher were killed at Columbine that day. Gunned down. Slaughtered. The Columbine shootings rank as one of the worst mass shootings in US history as well as one of the deadliest episodes of school violence.

At approximately 11:19 a.m., two students, Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris, 18, carrying guns and bombs, open fire inside Columbine High School, killing 13 and wounding 23 others.

And it's on the anniversary of this day Kris Kobach wants to push for yet more "gun rights."

If that isn't cold, heartless, callous and even sick, I don't know what is.

Links:

Columbine High School Shootings Fast Facts - CNN - CNN.com

Columbine High School massacre - Wikipedia

Entertainment Overnight -- Hey, What's That Sound?

March For Our Lives, Washington, DC, Kansas City, all over the nation.


Hey, what's that sound? from Paul Howard on Vimeo.

#enoughisenough