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?

Question of the Day

How could anyone, anyone, anywhere think it's somehow bizarrely okay if a rogue police officer ends up killing another American citizen who is only SUSPECTED of having passed a counterfeit $20 bill?

How and where does that make ANY sense? #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd

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 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

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?

"American Exceptionalism" -- Exposed

Herewith, things we Americans do that no other Western, industrialized nation does.

First, we don't control weapons

Why the US has the most mass shootings

U.S. has the most public mass shooters 

in the world, study shows

Gun Control: 

How Australia Stopped Mass Shootings

Second, we tie health care to profits.

Report: US Spends More Per Person On Health Care

And these are the results:

U.S. Healthcare: Most Expensive 

and Worst Performing 

U.S. Health Care Ranked Worst 

in the Developed World

And it's killing our mothers and children.

U.S. Has The Worst Rate of Maternal Deaths 

In The Developed World

Infant Mortality Rates Fall 15 Percent in U.S.

US child mortality ranks worst 

among 20 wealthy countries, study finds

Third, we don't take care of our people, instead, we spend outrageously, even obscenely on what we call "defense."

US military spending dwarfs rest of world

The US spends more on defence than 

all of these countries combined

US spends more on military than next 

8 nations combined

And we do it exponentially greater than any other nation, to the point of actually making us weaker.

US Military Spending Actually Weakens 

Nation's Defenses

Fourth and finally here, we, lots of us, think of ourselves, proudly, as the "wealthiest nation in the world" presently, if not ever, on the face of the planet, through time, when statistics show some pretty incredible insights to it.

Why is poverty higher in the U.S. 

than in other countries?

Why USA has more poverty 

than any other developed country?

The U.S. Can No Longer Hide 

From Its Deep Poverty

So here's to you, America. This is how you really are and this is what you do.

Aren't you exceptional?

Isn't just enough to make you proud?

The Truth About Guns -- But Only In America

Sing it, Mrs. Betty Bowers!


Praise Jesus!

You are America's Best Christian!

Links:

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian - YouTube

Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian - 

Home | Facebook

Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) · Twitter

How the Rest of the World Sees Our Nation and Our Guns

"Sunday with Lubach, which is sort of like the Dutch version of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, looked at guns — specifically, the US’s love of firearms."

From the article:

This European comedy sketch explains how the world sees America's

 gun problem

Wear Orange Tomorrow

Headlines from Texas today

Kid takes gun to school; 3 youths hurt

TEXAS: Double-Homicide By Man Angry Over Daughter's Lesbian Relationship

Just makes ya' wanna' move South right away, doesn't it?

That "pool" on when the 100th homicide in KC would be?

Fugghedaboudit.

Apparently, anyway.

It can't be confirmed yet but a guy in town on business from Tulsa was on the Plaza last night, got in a fight, apparently, and has died.  The police and coroner are still trying to decide if it was his health or some aspect of the fight that killed him.

So we may already have our 100th homicide for the year here in town.  Stay tuned.

If it wasn't last night, unfortunately, the odds are far too strong that we'll likely get this next ugly statistic down by Sunday evening, at latest, sadly.

Link:  http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-plaza-restaurant-fight-death-120910,0,1877740.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wdaf-news+(FOX4KC+Local+News)

100 homicides in KC this year?

According to Tony at TKC and Crime Scene KC, we're up to 99 homicides right now in Kansas City.

That stinks, of course.

And if we were really cynical, we'd start two pots.

The first one would be to figure out when/if we hit 100, the one closest to the time and day wins the pot.

The second pot would be to see when Mayor Funkhouser gets off his butt and attempts--or pretends to attempt--to do anything about the homicide rate in this city.

Only the second one would pass in the "good taste" department.

Links:  http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2010/12/kc-shooting-victim-dies-from-injuries.html

KCMO Homicide No. 50

From Plog just now: A man driving a red SUV was shot and killed while driving along East 40th Street and Vineyard Road at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. The homicide is Kansas City, Missouri's fiftieth of 2010. The victim is described as a black male in his early twenties. KCMO-TV5 News, KMBC News and The Kansas City Star all reported that Mayor Mark Funkhouser still could not possibly care less. Link to original post: http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2010/06/man_shot_to_death_while_driving_at_east_40th_street_and_vineyard_road_kcmo_homicide_50.php

When will we ever learn?

Another promising young life was taken this week.

Another tragedy.

It's been a busy week for me so I hadn't seen the paper and didn't know of it.

One Juan Garcia--a promising, hard-working young student--was gunned down at his home, I understand.

And for no good reason, of course.

So tragic.

Kevin Hopkins, Jr., some months ago--and many more--too many--before and now this.

No point.

No need.

A life gone.

A beautiful young person.

And still no call for cohesion and work for solutions from the Mayor, his office, the City Council, the local churches or church or community leaders.

That makes no sense to me at all.

Calls to repair sidewalks around schools but no call to try to work against senseless shootings and murders in the city.

Link to original story:
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/01/1986181/family-friends-mourn-teen-slain.html
http://www.kctv5.com/news/23778070/detail.html

Hey, it could always be a lot worse

At least we're not Detroit:

Aiyana Jones, 7-Year-Old Shot And Killed By Detroit Police, Was Sleeping According To Family

Or Chicago:

Homicide rate jumps in Chicago

Think happy thoughts.

Will the "Concerned Clergy Coalition" be marching for Nelson E. Hopkins, Jr?

It was announced earlier today:

"Kansas City police say the victim of Tuesday night's fatal shooting is 17-year-old Nelson E. Hopkins Jr. of Kansas City, Missouri."

"KCPD detectives believe Hopkins had left the Plaza Library and caught a bus to 54th and Troost prior to the shooting. Hopkins was shot while walking home on 54th Street."

So, I ask again--will the "Concerned Clergy Coalition" be concerned about this 105th homicide, here in Kansas City?

Or is the only thing they're concerned about is Wayne Cauthen losing his high-paid job as City Manager downtown at City Hall?

Links: http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2009/12/killa_city_kcmo_homicide_no_105_nelson_e_hopkins_jr.php

http://www.kansascity.com/679/story/1606774.html

Looks like the party's over

For starters, it looks as though a young man working for a cell phone store may have been the next, latest homicide victim in Kansas City.

It seems that, about 1:43 pm, someone shot the guy in his Sprint Store.

I hoped we could make it through the weekend without a homicide, even though it's the heat of summer.

Frankly, i didn't think we could but I certainly hoped that might be the case.

Link to story:
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/story/1385683.html

Our luck is holding

After checking The Kansas City Star's website and Tony's KC Blog, I've come to the hopeful, optimistic conclusion that, so far this weekend, Kansas City hasn't had even a shooting, let alone a homicide.

AS I said, our luck seems to be holding.

Here's hoping for a homicide-free weekend.

We can always hope.

Have a good weekend, y'all.