tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72324005336446276772024-03-05T07:20:58.634-05:00Mondays With MikeMike Beard serves as president of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and has been an activist for progressive gun laws since the 1960s. Mondays with Mike is a place to find his thoughts on where we've been, where we are, and where we're headed in the gun violence prevention movement in America.stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-42347721879235810602013-07-16T15:26:00.002-04:002013-07-16T15:27:01.971-04:00We've Moved!<p class="MsoNormal"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mondays with Mike</b> has moved!<br><br>
We’ve recently relaunched our website (<a href="http://www.csgv.org">www.csgv.org</a>) and <b>Mondays with Mike</b> will now be integrated into our main site.<br><br>
Please add <a href="http://csgv.org/blog/">http://csgv.org/blog/</a> to your Favorites and/or RSS Feeds to view the blog's postings.<br><br>
Best regards,<br><br>
The Staff of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence</p>
</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-44762889396763167412010-12-21T16:04:00.004-05:002012-03-15T13:11:50.114-04:00You've Got to Be Taught<p class="MsoNormal">As one media outlet after another conducts end-of-the-year reviews of the events of 2010—and images of <a href="http://csgv3.blogspot.com/2010/03/open-carry-nightmare.html">extremists carrying loaded firearms to presidential speeches</a> and <a href="http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_webtoddler.250a79c9.html">children being terrorized by gunfire</a> flash across my television screen—I am struck anew by the prescient words of Oscar Hammerstein in the 1945 musical "South Pacific":<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx2urUOemnvIJOdVOdXGiepm-8Gc5_XpGs8gQ4GwvA4jTz04ZgggE4oKknlIWs9G4RGtlzibYFSUVyq1Nm8uidp1IrkLg3oDti7AsvA6ZAEqZSJ0SgV1Jety0botyS8a1Xv1tqSGVM_4/s1600/You%2527ve+Got+to+Be+Taught.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKx2urUOemnvIJOdVOdXGiepm-8Gc5_XpGs8gQ4GwvA4jTz04ZgggE4oKknlIWs9G4RGtlzibYFSUVyq1Nm8uidp1IrkLg3oDti7AsvA6ZAEqZSJ0SgV1Jety0botyS8a1Xv1tqSGVM_4/s320/You%2527ve+Got+to+Be+Taught.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553246442356744514" /></a><i>You've got to be taught<br />To hate and fear<br />You've got to be taught<br />From year to year<br />It's got to be drummed<br />In your dear little ear<br />You've got to be carefully taught<br /><br />You've got to be taught<br />To be afraid<br />Of people whose eyes<br />Are oddly made<br />And people whose skin<br />Is a different shade<br />You've got to be carefully taught<br /><br />You've got to be taught<br />Before it's too late<br />Before you are 6 or 7 or 8<br />To hate all the people<br />Your relatives hate<br />You've got to be carefully taught</i><br /><br />Exciting <a href="http://www.newpolitics.net/node/360?full_report=1">research data on the Millennial Generation</a>, however, gives me tremendous hope for the future. Perhaps we can all vow to be a little more tolerant, a little more open, and a little more peaceful in the New Year. Happy Holidays to all!</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-26950787091823157942010-12-13T13:50:00.002-05:002012-03-15T13:11:35.466-04:00The Shot Ignored Around the World<p class="MsoNormal">On November 29, at the close of a seemingly normal school day at Marinette High School in Wisconsin, 15 year-old <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/11/30/2010-11-30_marinette_high_school_student_who_held_classroom_hostage_dies_from_injuries_ques.html">Sam Hengel walked up to the front of his class, pulled out a semiautomatic handgun, and shot a hole in the room’s film projector</a>. Hengel then held his teacher and 23 students hostage for approximately five hours before shooting himself when police entered the classroom. He succumbed to his self-inflicted injury the following morning. Authorities reported that the <a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101201/GPG0101/101201132/Sam-Hengel-used-two-handguns-belonging-to-relative-in-Marinette-school-hostage-standoff">9mm Luger High Point and .22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic handguns</a> that Hengel brought to class with him that day were taken from a relative. Hengel’s duffel bag also held more than 200 rounds of ammunition. Grieving family and friends were baffled by the actions of the “<a href="http://www.twincities.com/wisconsin/ci_16765358?nclick_check=1">model kid</a>” they knew and loved.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aBGpTCK2OEgEHF5WYI5jIMQVVUn54WPgXrYPDYhRh84ixv5TfFPprWJjArmpGbh2MYFIGRskQEqHM6hGoJ_0ON-NPpPophe77jGZFsIIA-fPLmLdUKLus2NEL3ZEVFqawmrfLKYyMyY/s1600/Sam+Hengel.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8aBGpTCK2OEgEHF5WYI5jIMQVVUn54WPgXrYPDYhRh84ixv5TfFPprWJjArmpGbh2MYFIGRskQEqHM6hGoJ_0ON-NPpPophe77jGZFsIIA-fPLmLdUKLus2NEL3ZEVFqawmrfLKYyMyY/s320/Sam+Hengel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550242312167793282" /></a>Had this tragedy occurred in any other civilized country, it would have been breaking national news, with citizens glued to their television sets. Here in America, Sam Hengel’s death hardly made a blip on the media radar. The same disinterest was displayed recently when <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/09/28/texas.university.shooting/index.html?hpt=C1">19-year old Colton Tooley brought a semiautomatic AK-47 assault rifle onto the Texas University campus and ran amok before eventually committing suicide</a>. <a href="http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/protect-children-not-guns-2010-report.pdf">In a country that loses more than 3,000 children and teens to gun violence ever year</a>, these stories are, sadly, business as usual. Somehow, we’ve become tolerant of the fact that our nation makes deadly weapons readily accessible to young people.<br /><br />To make matters worse, policy makers and jurists across the country are now considering measures that would put our teenagers at additional risk. First, <a href="http://www.gunfreekids.org/campaigns">the National Rifle Association (NRA) is pushing legislation in at least 10 states (Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) that would force colleges and universities to allow guns on their campuses</a>. Currently, only a limited number of schools in Utah, Colorado, Michigan and Virginia allow students and faculty to bring concealed handguns into classrooms, dormitories, libraries, etc. Both <a href="http://csgv2.blogspot.com/2009/02/we-believe-in-absolutely-gun-free-zero.html">the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) strongly oppose the gun lobby’s campaign</a>. IACLEA has said that it is “<a href="http://www.iaclea.org/visitors/PDFs/ConcealedWeaponsStatement_Aug2008.pdf">concerned that concealed carry laws have the potential to dramatically increase violence on college and university campuses that our Members are empowered to protect</a>.”<br /><br />Additionally, the NRA has filed two lawsuits in federal court in Texas that seek to overturn longstanding laws that prohibit 18-20 year olds from purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers and carrying these weapons in public. During the past three years, the NRA’s plaintiff in these cases, 18-year-old James A. D'Cruz, has posted a series of violent comments on his Facebook Wall, including, "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/nras-poster-boy-sounds-li_b_793000.html">I will stare into your eyes as I pull the trigger and laugh as you hit the ground with your last, pathetic breath</a>,” and “<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/nras-poster-boy-sounds-li_b_793000.html">An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, that’s why I take their heads</a>.” Such comments differ little, if at all, from comments we have seen in recent years from school shooters. The NRA apparently has no regard for this young man’s well-being, or for the well-being of any young people in his age range. Currently, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/opinion/26fri1.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Americans ages 18-20 account for approximately 5 percent of the population but nearly 20 percent of homicide and manslaughter arrests</a>. Allowing this demographic to buy handguns from licensed firearm dealers will clearly benefit gun industry profits, but not human life.<br /><br />There <i style="">are</i> real solutions available to prevent the deaths of teens like Sam Hengel and Colton Tooley. <a href="http://www.lcav.org/content/child_access_prevention.pdf">27 states currently have Child Access Prevention laws in place</a> that impose criminal liability on adults who negligently leave firearms accessible to children. A 2000 study by the U.S. Secret Service found that school shooters got their guns from relatives more than 65% of the time. Studies have shown that Child Access Prevention laws are effective in stopping children from gaining easy access to firearms. "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/29/AR2006052900755.html">Adolescents act impulsively, whether or not they have psychiatric problems</a>," said the associate director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Matthew Miller. "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/29/AR2006052900755.html">It's up to parents—not children—to provide a safe environment</a>."<br /><br />We will have to overcome <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JXanVQIa5gYJ:www.vpc.org/studies/eddieap1.htm+NRA+child+access+prevention+laws&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a">NRA opposition</a> to such sensible policies to protect young people, but what else is new? First, however, we must acknowledge and overcome our current state of apathy about youth violence. We can’t save thousands of lives until we feel a sense of loss for an individual life like that of Sam Hengel.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-33612412227792925512010-08-23T10:01:00.004-04:002012-03-15T13:11:07.274-04:00A Day to Remember<p class="MsoNormal">By now, many of you have undoubtedly heard about the <a href="http://www.glennbeck.com/828/">“Restoring Honor” Rally</a> that will be conducted by Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and the National Rifle Association on August 28 at the Lincoln Memorial. The date and location are significant. It was on August 28, 1963, that Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the memorial during the March on Washington. Beck claims the planning of the event was “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081605042.html?hpid=topnews">divine providence</a>” and says, “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081605042.html?hpid=topnews">Blacks don’t own Martin Luther King ... Far too many have either gotten just lazy or they have purposely distorted Martin Luther King’s ideas</a>.” Those familiar with Beck’s daily rants, however, would be hard-pressed to find any common ground between his beliefs/tactics and King’s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMUZz0uYkgglmzUslYC0A5yNkSfoEWyA_f5NKmyh0aTNrseIY0pxL5s8GBvfpqg8tx_BfFtq22JDKitJWxFAUAQaPtHRJjJqg-Ld9cc1pek3XdgGyPfO1FNCytNMMGipd6J1DbC7a07M/s1600/March+on+Washington.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMUZz0uYkgglmzUslYC0A5yNkSfoEWyA_f5NKmyh0aTNrseIY0pxL5s8GBvfpqg8tx_BfFtq22JDKitJWxFAUAQaPtHRJjJqg-Ld9cc1pek3XdgGyPfO1FNCytNMMGipd6J1DbC7a07M/s320/March+on+Washington.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508607666400157522" /></a>I remember that unforgettable Wednesday in 1963 and how I dressed that morning in my only suit. Participants had been asked to dress as if they were going to church. I made my way down to the Washington Monument. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was to begin at the monument at 11:00 AM and travel the short distance to the Lincoln Memorial. The monument grounds were filled with thousands of cheerful people from all parts of the country and all walks of life. The atmosphere was like a joyous church picnic. The crowd waited patiently for the March leaders to emerge from a meeting with Members of Congress.<br /><br />I found a place under some large trees on the north side of the Reflecting Pool and was brought to tears when the program was opened by Marion Anderson singing “The Star Spangled Banner.” It was a poignant reminder of the time—she had been forced to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial because the Daughters of the American Revolution would not let an African American perform in their auditorium. The program featured speeches from the “Big Six”—leaders of the six major civil rights organizations—interspersed with performances by leading musicians and Hollywood actors.<br /><br />The most memorable and inspiring speech came near the end when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. electrified the nation with his prophetic “<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1732754907698549493">I Have a Dream</a>” speech, which became the hallmark of the entire event. King explained that the March had come to Washington “to dramatize a shameful condition. In a sense, we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ … So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”<br /><br />To honor King’s vision for America, social activists and civil rights leaders will hold their own event on August 28. <b style="">The National Action Network, the National Urban League, the Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights are just a few of the sponsors of the <a href="http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/media-info/press-releases/376-47th-anniversary-of-the-historic-march-on-washington.html">“Reclaim the Dream” Rally and March</a>. The rally will take place at Dunbar High School (1301 New Jersey Avenue NW—Mount Vernon Square/7th Street/Convention Center Metro Stop on Green/Yellow Line) in the District of Columbia from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 28. At 1:00 PM, participants will march from Dunbar High School to <a href="http://www.mlkmemorial.org/site/c.hkIUL9MVJxE/b.1190619/k.932C/Site_Location.htm">the site of the King Memorial on the National Mall</a>.</b><br /><br />Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network insists that the “Reclaim the Dream” event “<a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2010%2F08%2F16%2FAR2010081605042.html%3Fhpid%3Dtopnews&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHQs3YqZqerwBlxdBUFL0OfFo6i5A">is not a countermarch to Beck</a>.” National Urban League president Marc Morial also emphasized this point, saying, “<a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2010%2F08%2F16%2FAR2010081605042.html%3Fhpid%3Dtopnews&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHQs3YqZqerwBlxdBUFL0OfFo6i5A">It is very important to convey a positive message that America belongs to everyone. Our rally is not an ‘us against them.’ We want no confrontation with Glenn Beck</a>.” This is very much in keeping with Dr. King’s nonviolent teachings. When his home in Montgomery was bombed, King told supporters, “<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=GvuO5Yr1W_sC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=%E2%80%9CDon%E2%80%99t+get+your+weapons.++He+who+lives+by+the+sword+will+perish+by+the+sword.++Remember+that+is+what+God+said.++We+are+not+advocating+violence.++We+want+to+love+our+enemies.+">I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them. Love them and let them know you love them</a>.” We can only hope that Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Ted Nugent will reflect on these words on August 28.<br /><br />At the same time, however, Morial made it clear that those attempting to reclaim King’s dream do “<a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081605042.html?hpid=topnews>want a confrontation with the ideas [Beck] espouses. His ideas seem to be ideas of intolerance</a>.” Such an exchange can only be healthy for our country. We should keep in mind that Glenn Beck is the same man who told listeners on his March 2 radio show, “<a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/marchweb-only/20-51.0.html">I beg you, look for the words ‘social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church website. If you find it, run as fast as you can. ‘Social justice’ and ‘economic justice,’ they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!</a>”<br /><br />On August 28, 1963, I was proud to be one of the 250,000 Americans that marched on Washington for the precise purpose of seeking social justice and economic justice. On that day, the nation was exposed to the vision of a brighter, more prosperous, more inclusive future for <i style="">all </i>Americans. We now have the opportunity to reclaim that dream for a new generation, in a time when it couldn’t be more relevant. If you still embrace the goals of social and economic justice, please come out and join me and thousands of others on August 28 as we <a href="http://www.nationalactionnetwork.net/media-info/press-releases/376-47th-anniversary-of-the-historic-march-on-washington.html">rally and march</a> to celebrate one of America’s greatest leaders and proponents of full democracy.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-61687717588762665922010-01-19T10:02:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:10:35.723-04:00Remembering Dr. King<p class="MsoNormal">As I paused yesterday to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I recalled his own words spelling out how he would like to be remembered. In a 1968 sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dr. King said:<br /><br /></p><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2zknqTaVeAkZCK-TQ_-5k1HlbCP7vLVWIbmcnIR8SlUG-UcpG_Y8Rv32h8oG5LTguK2-4BsaMMtn0KZ0l2WPk3E7on1mImHE5jt9tX3OP7xMMGPej6dcTMeU9oFtQc09H2dhSXFJ0o/s1600-h/MLK.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk2zknqTaVeAkZCK-TQ_-5k1HlbCP7vLVWIbmcnIR8SlUG-UcpG_Y8Rv32h8oG5LTguK2-4BsaMMtn0KZ0l2WPk3E7on1mImHE5jt9tX3OP7xMMGPej6dcTMeU9oFtQc09H2dhSXFJ0o/s200/MLK.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428468099666934178" /></a>Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator — that something we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. Every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.<br /><br />If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that's not important. Tell him not to mention where I went to school.<br /><br />I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity...</blockquote><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Dr. King, I can assure you, I said all those things yesterday. And I’m sure I was joined by millions of others across the globe.<p></p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-76732425123731793562009-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:10:09.439-04:00Seek the Path of Love<p class="MsoNormal">As we prepare to say hello to a second decade of this new century, I am mindful of the wisdom of the ancient prayer we have come to know as "The Lord's Prayer." The prayer has been adapted by many cultures over the centuries. I am particularly taken by one rendition that comes out of Central America. I offer it as my wish to you for a Happy New Year.</p><blockquote>Our Lord, whose Spirit is with us here on earth,<br />Even the hungry sing praise to your Holy Name.<br />They look to your "Kin-dom,"<br />a land rich with milk and honey.<br />Enable us to do your will,<br />to stand while others sit,<br />to speak when others remain silent.<br />We thank you for bread,<br />for the song of the bird,<br />for the miracle of the corn.<br />Forgive our silence in the face of injustices,<br />for burying our dreams,<br />for keeping our bread and wine to ourselves.<br />Help us to resist the temptations,<br />to turn our heads from hunger and injustice in resignation,<br />to close the doors of our hearts,<br />to take up the same arms as the oppressor.<br />Deliver us from all evil,<br />Enable us faithfully together,<br />to seek the path of love though it be only lightly trodden,<br />to persist despite hardships.<br />For it leads to your everlasting "Kin-dom."<br />Amen.</blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">It is my hope for all of us that we may be enabled to stand while others sit, to speak when others remain silent, and to persist despite hardships.<br /><br />Happy New Year!<p></p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-55099078891071237072009-12-14T10:55:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:09:58.443-04:00Stress in the Workplace<p class="MsoNormal">In Joshua Ferris’ national bestseller, <i style=""><a href="http://www.thenwecametotheend.com/">Then We Came to the End</a></i>, he details the foibles and tedium of modern office life through the story of a group of Chicago advertising employees attempting to find meaning and continued employment during the dot-com bust. The novel was a National Book Award finalist and deemed “One of the Ten Best Books of the Year” last year by at least seven top book reviews. It’s one of the funniest novels I have read in a long time.<br /><br />In the midst of the humor, one episode in the book struck a chord with me. After one employee, Tom Mota, is fired, his fellow workers begin to wonder if Tom might return to the office seeking retribution. As Ferris describes it:<br /></p><blockquote>Tom subscribed to <i style="">Guns and Ammo</i>. He had a sizeable collection of firearms in his possession. Most of those guns, however, were collector’s items and probably couldn’t even fire anymore. Well, some of us thought, what’s stopping Tom from going out and buying new guns? How easy it is to visit a gun show and later find yourself in possession of the assault weapons ideal for a situation like the one we were envisioning...[or] after some less-than-truthful data entry, using a shady Internet dealer, he might be taking possession of those unsportsmanlike items from a UPS man even as our debate raged.</blockquote><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPcEHTSS_XvKLRjbxQrq00QneEm1zW1Eytxln4pzPmKURmkIxw9Rkvqc1oP7e74tun4Avu1o32faaLexrdcFo20c8_1QdWPAXOgnIUlLAbIFyLPlNeWeKorqniKe0pefExlaDWSXJMWg/s1600-h/Then+We+Came+to+the+End.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPcEHTSS_XvKLRjbxQrq00QneEm1zW1Eytxln4pzPmKURmkIxw9Rkvqc1oP7e74tun4Avu1o32faaLexrdcFo20c8_1QdWPAXOgnIUlLAbIFyLPlNeWeKorqniKe0pefExlaDWSXJMWg/s200/Then+We+Came+to+the+End.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415122311660417506" /></a>Ferris succinctly captures the real possibility of workplace violence and the touch of anxiety many workers feel. <a href="http://www.asisonline.org/foundation/guns.pdf">An average of 500 homicides occur in U.S. workplaces every year</a> and <a href="http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/5/830">a 2005 study in the <i style="">American Journal of Public Health</i> found that workplaces where guns are permitted are five to seven times more likely to be the site of a workplace homicide compared to workplaces where guns are prohibited</a>. This problem has been exacerbated by the fact that, since 2005, <a href="http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/publicplaces/gitw/gitwstate">the National Rifle Association has pressured at least 12 states to enact laws that restrict employers’ ability to exclude firearms from their premises</a>.<br /><br />Hopefully, our legislators will acquire the backbone necessary to stand up to the gun lobby at some point in the near future so future readers will see novels like <i style="">Then We Came to the End </i>as nothing more than fiction.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-80772654075487804742009-12-07T14:18:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:09:47.833-04:00A Profile in Courage<p class="MsoNormal">Over my many years in the gun control movement, I have been privileged to work with, for, and against many interesting people. One of the most interesting is a man named Bob Ricker who, sadly, was taken from us on Friday after a bout with cancer.<br /><br />As a promising young lawyer, Ricker was hired in 1981 to be the Assistant General Counsel for the National Rifle Association (NRA). Ricker represented the NRA in many important federal and state legislative battles and gained a deep understanding of the political and legal process. Eventually, he became the executive director of the American Shooting Sports Council (ASSC), the gun industry’s leading trade organization at the time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XlKkgxcxH_DjbP1Inluv7FFa6lBo8icus0NBJ8R_5Bjs0c3BqfTib8PzWbu6cWo2plvv5ART1xoYRIyMR1Iyvx9sLsQ5PZ5dxPw8QTyBUmvqegSwag-xEOUyI6PWYL5T6xZh65x2ww/s1600-h/Bob+Ricker.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-XlKkgxcxH_DjbP1Inluv7FFa6lBo8icus0NBJ8R_5Bjs0c3BqfTib8PzWbu6cWo2plvv5ART1xoYRIyMR1Iyvx9sLsQ5PZ5dxPw8QTyBUmvqegSwag-xEOUyI6PWYL5T6xZh65x2ww/s320/Bob+Ricker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412577913798704146" /></a>In this position, Ricker participated in a series of gun industry meetings between 1992 and 1997, during which manufacturers questioned whether they should take voluntary action to better control the distribution of guns. As Ricker later stated, gun makers had long known that “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/national/04GUNS.html"><span style="">the diversion of firearms from legal channels of commerce to the black market</span></a>” takes place “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/national/04GUNS.html"><span style="">principally at the distributor/dealer level</span></a>.” This is because corrupt dealers make it easy for criminals and juveniles to buy guns by allowing practices like “straw purchases,” in which an individual with a clean criminal record buys a gun(s) on behalf of someone who is prohibited under federal law from doing so (i.e., a convicted felon, domestic abuser, “mental defective,” drug addict, etc.).<br /><br />During these industry meetings, Ricker heeded Ralph Waldo Emerson’s advice that, “A little integrity is better than any career.” At a time in life when men are supposed to be incapable of real change, he had the moral resolve to transform his thinking regarding the gun industry’s business practices. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/09/60minutes/main553147.shtml">Ricker proposed strict standards and guidelines to his industry colleagues</a>. Under his plan, firearm manufacturers would have been able to sell guns only to distributors and retailers who could demonstrate that they had a firm understanding of applicable laws, safety rules, and warning signs for illegal firearm trafficking. Dealers would have also been prohibited from selling multiple guns at one time to a single individual. His plan was rejected. As Ricker described it, “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/national/04GUNS.html">the prevailing view was that if the industry took action voluntarily, it would be an admission of responsibility for the problem</a>.” Ultimately, the industry’s lawyers decided that even holding the meetings was “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/national/04GUNS.html">dangerous</a>” and they were stopped altogether.<br /><br />Ricker was not done, though. Following the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, he traveled to the White House on behalf of ASSC to meet with President Bill Clinton and see if something could be done to prevent future school shootings (<a href="http://csgv2.blogspot.com/2009/11/point-of-no-return.html">the teenage killers had acquired their guns through unregulated private firearm sales</a>). For an NRA run by “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/04/national/04GUNS.html">right-wing wackos</a>,” this was the last straw. Ricker was forced to resign and the ASSC was disbanded in favor of the more conservative National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpWFMO-HxY7qowfb6FU3drfkUnQxtO19cP_9KY_6cDnwlseGwJiWEgRsbk_xqphLrfYiji691hALbUuUbjSAK_MZP10G_MCXmDeUsgTQyp0Wgm-hMWpdlNnoaSBu0LpzoGUA2KDqt7QQ/s1600-h/DSCF0113.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpWFMO-HxY7qowfb6FU3drfkUnQxtO19cP_9KY_6cDnwlseGwJiWEgRsbk_xqphLrfYiji691hALbUuUbjSAK_MZP10G_MCXmDeUsgTQyp0Wgm-hMWpdlNnoaSBu0LpzoGUA2KDqt7QQ/s320/DSCF0113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416670887160197090" /></a>In 2003, Ricker would go public with his concerns about the gun industry when he provided testimony in an affidavit for a lawsuit by 12 California cities and counties against the gun industry. A few months later, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/09/60minutes/main553147.shtml">he appeared on “60 Minutes”</a> to tell his full story. When he was asked why he would risk his reputation and the wrath of gun rights activists by coming forward, Ricker stated, “<a href=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/09/60minutes/main553147.shtml>I don't want to have to come home some night from the office and have my wife tell me that, ‘Your son was shot in a drive-by shooting,’ or, ‘The neighbor's kids were killed.’ And these people who sit up there in their corporate offices, they know about the problem. They've known about it for a long time. And the time is up</a>.”<br /><br />In his final years, Ricker backed up those words. He worked with the <a href="http://www.vacps.org/">Virginia Center for Public Safety</a> as they campaigned to close the <a href="http://www.csgv.org/site/c.pmL5JnO7KzE/b.3509285/k.B594/Gun_Show_Loophole.htm">Gun Show Loophole</a> in that state. He was also a co-founder of the <a href="http://www.huntersandshooters.com/">American Hunters and Shooters Association</a>, a more moderate gun rights group that has been willing to acknowledge the legitimate public safety concerns aroused by gun violence in this country.<br /><br />In the end, Ricker left quite a legacy of good works. But what I admire most about him is his courage to reexamine his beliefs and priorities. He risked—and lost—a lot of friendships in the pro-gun movement because of his determination to be a responsible citizen in our society. He was pilloried, mocked, and made an object of scorn for making this stand—but he never wavered. Even in his last months, Ricker was focused on making good public policy for the benefit of all.<br /><br />Perhaps the best epitaph for Bob comes from Psalms 112 from the King James Bible:<br /><br /><em>1. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,<br />Who delights greatly in His commandments.<br /><br />2. His descendants will be mighty on earth,<br />The generation of the upright will be blessed.<br /><br />3. Wealth and riches will be in his house,<br />And his righteousness endures forever.<br /><br />4. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness,<br />He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.<br /><br />5. A good man deals graciously and lends,<br />He will guide his affairs with discretion.<br /><br />6. Surely he will never be shaken,<br />The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.<br /><br />7. He will not be afraid of evil tidings,<br />His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.<br /><br />8. His heart is established,<br />He will not be afraid,<br />Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.<br /><br />9. He has dispersed abroad,<br />He has given to the poor,<br />His righteousness endures forever,<br />His horn will be exalted with honor.<br /><br />10. The wicked will see it and be grieved,<br />He will gnash his teeth and melt away,<br />The desire of the wicked shall perish.</em></p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-3282999520613286652009-11-23T13:20:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:09:37.233-04:00Giving Thanks<p class="MsoNormal">As we prepare this week to share a Thanksgiving meal with family and/or friends, I offer this Litany by Eugene Pickett, former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, to remind us of some of the things for which we can be grateful:<br /><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwMarLrI-Q7bPQvFfG1CbeUarHEtTAzjA5hcV1RK03n-WD8paHAqn-KlAptVL7e8sVXx8tjfjYbiISiZZUa8KPM6Qz4XD1JzeoV6Ti0xQNMqtIMeJh7L29clsv88KWBzgJqcefH9Ipcw/s1600/Eugene+Pickett.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwMarLrI-Q7bPQvFfG1CbeUarHEtTAzjA5hcV1RK03n-WD8paHAqn-KlAptVL7e8sVXx8tjfjYbiISiZZUa8KPM6Qz4XD1JzeoV6Ti0xQNMqtIMeJh7L29clsv88KWBzgJqcefH9Ipcw/s320/Eugene+Pickett.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407367868860654786" /></a><strong>We Give Thanks This Day</strong><br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For the expanding grandeur of Creation, worlds known and unknown, galaxies beyond galaxies, filling us with awe and challenging our imaginations:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For this fragile planet earth, its time and tides, its sunsets and seasons:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For the joy of human life, its wonders and surprises, its hopes and achievements:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For our human community, our common past and future hope, our oneness transcending all separation, our capacity to work for peace and justice in the midst of hostility and oppression:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For high hopes and noble causes, for faith without fanaticism, for understanding of views not shared:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For all who have labored and suffered for a fairer world; who have lived so that others might live in dignity and freedom:<br /><br />We give thanks this day.<br /><br />For human liberty and sacred ties; for opportunities to change and to grow, to affirm and to choose:<br /><br />We give thanks this day. We pray that we may live not by our fears but by our hopes, not by our words but by our deeds.</blockquote><br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving to all!</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-3857107265444272732009-11-16T10:29:00.000-05:002012-03-15T13:09:26.099-04:00A Familiar Tragedy<p class="MsoNormal">I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to overlook the obvious until somehow the facts connect to our own experiences. Eleven days ago, as I was recovering in the hospital from back surgery, I heard the news of the Fort Hood massacre. Naturally, most of the news coverage focused on the number of dead and only briefly mentioned that 31 people were wounded.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzxHvgUenjmvFc392_o_7VIQyZ03YyNJdfB7VVr82SGT-d30Wf8bKE3RvApBFOFWu8En9IVQxHTo_XyDfpJhkL2K1T_ROp4r76yYDN1orUBXPZUYg-gPHFV63j2JsNpka0eAw_xNOKew/s1600/Fort+Hood+2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzxHvgUenjmvFc392_o_7VIQyZ03YyNJdfB7VVr82SGT-d30Wf8bKE3RvApBFOFWu8En9IVQxHTo_XyDfpJhkL2K1T_ROp4r76yYDN1orUBXPZUYg-gPHFV63j2JsNpka0eAw_xNOKew/s320/Fort+Hood+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404726099932235106" /></a>As I was attempting to cope with the pain of a highly-controlled, planned-in-advance surgery, I found myself thinking of the pain and agony of those 31 human beings who were dealing with the trauma of unexpected gunshot wounds. I was forced to reflect how often we concentrate on the death totals of gun violence in America and overlook the fact that every day in our country 215 people are shot with guns and <i style="">survive</i>. What about them? They deserve more from our society, both in terms of resources and support.<br /><br />I was also struck by the irony that Fort Hood is located in Killeen, Texas. Killeen is where one of the deadliest rampage shootings in American history took place in 1991, when an unemployed ex-Navy enlistee crashed his pickup truck into a popular cafeteria, pulled out two handguns, and killed 23 people before taking his own life. That tragedy held the "record" for America's worst shooting massacre until 2007, when a Virginia Tech student shot and killed 32 students and faculty. In another tragic twist, it turns out the Fort Hood shooter was a graduate of Virginia Tech in 1997.<br /><br />The state of Texas reacted to the 1991 shootings in Killeen by enacting a law freeing up gun owners to carry concealed handguns in public. At the behest of the National Rifle Association, many other states followed suit. Perhaps predictably, the reaction from the gun lobby was similar after the Fort Hood shootings. Describing military bases as “gun-free zones,” commentators like John Lott have blamed the tragedy on their strict rules concerning concealed, private handguns. “<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/11/10/john-lott-ft-hood-end-gun-free-zone/">The law-abiding, not the criminals, are the ones who obey the ban on guns</a>,” says Lott.<br /><br />Of course, there is an irony here as well. <a href="http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/archive/2009/11/10/critics-point-to-terror-gap-in-gun-control-laws.aspx">Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood Shooter, held a concealed handgun permit in the state of Virginia</a>. <a href="http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/reciprocity.htm">Furthermore, Virginia permits are recognized as valid in the state of Texas</a>. Hasan, by Lott’s definition, was one of the “law-abiding citizens” who would have made his fellow service members safer by carrying a concealed handgun on military installations.<br /><br />That type of “logic” is exactly what our service members don’t need, and hopefully it will be rejected by the U.S. Congress as it considers how to respond to the tragedy. For now, however, we should all turn our thoughts to the families who have lost loved ones, and to the 31 brave Americans who have long recovery processes ahead of them.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-1170716825494977562009-10-19T15:12:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:09:11.237-04:00Meet the Boogeyman<p class="MsoNormal">Recently, I got hold of a fundraising letter that Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) sent out on behalf of a new group calling itself the <a href="http://nationalgunrights.org/">National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR)</a>. To give you a perspective on their ideology, NAGR Executive Director Dudley Brown calls the Brady Law (which requires federally licensed firearm dealers to conduct background checks on gun purchasers) “dangerous” and “extreme” in a video on their homepage.<br /><br />But I digress... Here’s an excerpt from the letter:<br /></p><blockquote><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />Dear Concerned American,<br /><br />The great pay-back has begun, and it's going to be ugly. The gun grabbers in Congress are paying back the anti-gun extremists who put them and Barack Obama in office.<br /><br />Hi, this is Congressman Paul Broun from Georgia. I wish I had better news, but you and I are facing an assault on our gun rights like we've never seen before. You see, H.R. 45 is Barack Obama's gun control package, and it includes the most vile anti-gun measures he's supported over the years. It's only the first step...but it's a HUGE step. H.R. 45 establishes a NATIONAL gun registry database of every gun and its owner—for the whole county! Your private information and every gun you own would be in the system. But that's only if you succeed in buying a gun in the first place! And since H.R. 45 dramatically increases requirements for firearms purchases far beyond those ever proposed, you just might find yourself incapable of buying a firearm once this bill takes effect.<br /><br />And it gets worse too. The National Association for Gun Rights has a survey ready for you to complete, but I want you to understand just how dangerous this bill is before I give you the link. Please bear with me for a moment. You see, H.R. 45 would establish a national gun registry database which would:<br /><br />* Increase requirements for firearms purchases, far beyond those ever proposed.<span style=""></span><br /><br />* Create a national firearms registry overseen by the Federal Government.<br /><br />* Invoke Draconian penalties for bookkeeping errors related to the Federal Firearms Database.<p></p><blockquote> </blockquote><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I'm sure I don't have to tell you that gun registration has historically laid the groundwork for total firearm confiscation. Citizen disarmament is the watchword of tyrants everywhere. In fact, the most brutal dictators of the last century were famous for their gun registration and confiscation schemes. But H.R. 45, Obama's National Gun Registry and Citizen Disarmament Act, is more than just a forced registration of all firearms in America. The bill also makes it increasingly difficult to buy a gun in the first place.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><br />It is certainly appropriate for this letter to hit mailboxes as Halloween approaches. Because here-in are three of the gun lobby’s biggest Boogeymen—Barack Obama, gun control and gun bans—all in one neat, scary package!<br /><br />Never mind that the letter describes <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-45">H.R. 45</a> as “Barack Obama’s gun control package,” even though it was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 6, 2009, two weeks before the president was even inaugurated...<br /><br />Never mind that H.R. 45 has no co-sponsors and has received no hearing in a House committee—meaning you’re more likely to see a pig fly than this bill passing Congress...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ4kexEHPqKWzn0jgorEmVp3jMTnKa2SGGh_4YarW0rwgI0pLLtihe9zm6YvXIRT6vDqDRf4jXzqAIOvqHxmRxgZLVlRTMZNwzes14DQS3lnfe2AWAb5tLvH4da_4XwUv0Am7yUzs1f4/s1600-h/Blair+Holt.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQ4kexEHPqKWzn0jgorEmVp3jMTnKa2SGGh_4YarW0rwgI0pLLtihe9zm6YvXIRT6vDqDRf4jXzqAIOvqHxmRxgZLVlRTMZNwzes14DQS3lnfe2AWAb5tLvH4da_4XwUv0Am7yUzs1f4/s200/Blair+Holt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394397007549936418" /></a>Never mind that H.R. 45, “Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009,” is named after <a href=http://www.chicagoredcross.org/general.asp?SN=483&OP=484&SUOP=1417&SUOP2=2445&IDCapitulo=VF223FBDFD>a young man who died heroically while shielding a young lady from gunfire on a Chicago bus</a>; and fully supported by his surviving parents…...<br /><br />Never mind that <a href="http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/07/pdf/070410.guns.norc.pdf">overwhelming majorities of Americans support licensing gun owners and registering firearms (79% and 77%, respectively)</a>...<br /><br />Never mind that virtually every other modern democracy licenses gun owners and registers firearms, and none of those reforms have led to “brutal dictators” or outright gun bans (although they <i style="">have</i> led to astronomically lower gun death rates than we have here in the U.S.)...<br /><br />Never mind that a tougher screening process for gun purchasers <i style="">might </i>be a good idea in a country that routinely arms individuals who are clearly a threat to themselves and others…<br /><br />I think you get the idea... While it is entertaining to see the lengths to which some groups will go to scare donors into sending cash, it is also an important reminder to all of us to check the facts whenever we receive alarming claims in fundraising appeals. It turns out that line between fantasy and reality isn’t so fine after all...</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-89344822098474568342009-10-12T10:10:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:08:58.618-04:00Wear Them Out<p class="MsoNormal">I often find that true wisdom comes from simple stories, and one of the great story tellers was the one called Jesus of Nazareth. <br /><br />According to the writer known as Luke, Jesus was traveling through the borderlands of Samaria and Galilee on a journey to Jerusalem. He stopped in a village and told his listeners a story about a widow and an unjust judge.<br /><br />He said that in a certain town there was once a judge who cared nothing for God or man. There was a widow in that same town who constantly came before the judge demanding justice against her opponent. <br /><br />For a long time the judge refused to grant the widow justice. But in the end he said to himself, “True, I don't fear God or care about men, but this widow is so great a nuisance that I will see her righted before she wears me out with her persistence.”<br /><br />In this simple story there is a great political lesson that is often easy to overlook. The persistent widow is a reminder to those who seek justice that we should never lose heart. We must continue to press on, and will be rewarded if we do so.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-19243586776474117652009-10-05T13:42:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:08:12.123-04:00We Like Our Lives<p class="MsoNormal">In March of this year, the “D.C. House Voting Rights Act” was put on indefinite hold in the House of Representatives when Democratic leaders couldn’t figure out how to move the bill without a harmful gun amendment attached. The bill would have granted D.C. residents voting representation in Congress for the first time ever (the United States is the only democracy on earth that denies residents of its capital such representation).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZmCAOA_JsLDaQbBKypw0cHoAVD8USYpKsnXWms-_6X2wcFRqgOBXAKKDrnb7M85QHqdaVdtypSRzR_iJsjVoqNlstDH30W1HBzPbY8yl4W-c2j64BS2a_gLB3J5TG439OvbUWn6mh24/s1600-h/Nervous+Ensign.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZmCAOA_JsLDaQbBKypw0cHoAVD8USYpKsnXWms-_6X2wcFRqgOBXAKKDrnb7M85QHqdaVdtypSRzR_iJsjVoqNlstDH30W1HBzPbY8yl4W-c2j64BS2a_gLB3J5TG439OvbUWn6mh24/s320/Nervous+Ensign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389173420959257586" /></a>The gun amendment in question was drafted by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and sponsored by Senator John Ensign (R-NV). It would repeal the District of Columbia’s new gun laws across the board and prohibit the D.C. Council from enacting <i style="">any</i> law in the future that would “unduly burden the ability of persons” to obtain and possess firearms (changes that were <u>not</u> called for in the 2008 <i>District of Columbia v. Heller</i> ruling by the Supreme Court).<br /><br />Earlier this year, Senator Ensign defended his amendment with noble-sounding references to “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202998.html">the Framers</a>,” “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202998.html">the Constitution</a>” and “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202998.html">Second Amendment rights</a>.”<br /><br />However, much has happened since then. In June, <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/16/ensign-acknowledge-extramarital-affair/">Senator Ensign admitted to an extramarital affair with a campaign staffer who was married to an employee in his D.C. office</a>. The scandal <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23841.html">led Ensign to resign his position as the Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee</a>. <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/03/after-new-disclosures-word-ensign-investigations-e/">The FBI has now opened an investigation into the matter that implicates another NRA Favorite Son, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)</a>.<br /><br />Ensign has apparently become so radioactive that one Senate aide commented, “<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/27897.html">[he] doesn’t have a lot of friends up here right now</a>.” That’s unfortunate, because in the wake of his gun amendment, Capitol Hill was the only place in the District of Columbia the Senator had friends to begin with.<br /><br />Under the weight of this pressure, Ensign made some incredibly candid and revealing remarks last Tuesday during a Senate Finance Committee debate on health care legislation. Commenting on the fact that the U.S. has a poor record on preventable deaths compared to other industrialized nations, the Senator suggested those statistics were unfair because they include deaths from auto accidents and gun violence. “<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/29/ensign-guns-autos/">When you take into account cultural factors—the fact that we drive cars a lot more than any other country; we are much more mobile</a>,” Ensign said. “<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/29/ensign-guns-autos/">If you take out accidental deaths due to car accidents, and you take out gun deaths—because we like our guns in the United States and there are a lot more guns deaths in the United States—you take out those two things, you adjust those, and we are actually better in terms of survival rates</a>.” You can view a video of Senator Ensign’s remarks <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvyHyv08bfE&feature=PlayList&p=DA6D0F2B32C3179A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8">here</a>.<br /><br />There you have it, victims and survivors of gun violence in D.C.—you simply don’t count. And if you District residents don’t want to abolish your firearm laws and make it easier for lunatics to get guns, well tough luck, that’s just one “cultural factor” you’re going to have to get used to.<br /><br />Hmmmm... Thanks, but no thanks. As a D.C. resident myself, I can assure both Senator Ensign and the NRA that you might like your guns, but we like our lives and loved ones even more.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-55228893455038112742009-09-28T08:29:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:07:57.808-04:00Does it Apply?<p class="MsoNormal">Last year, the Supreme Court overturned a handgun ban here in the federal enclave of Washington and ruled that the Second Amendment protects individual gun ownership (the justices did leave room for firearms regulation, saying government could prohibit guns in "sensitive places" and forbid ownership by certain dangerous people, such as felons). But the court did not say whether the Second Amendment also applies to the states.<br /><br />Last Thursday, an 11-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals grappled with this specific question. The case, <em>Nordyke v. King</em>, involves a dispute over a firearms ban at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in California. Some members of the divided panel argued that the Second Amendment "right to keep and bear arms" is binding on states. Others argued that the Supreme Court has never overturned its earlier rulings that said the Second Amendment applies only to the federal government. One judge suggested the court uphold the ordinance as a valid public safety measure while side-stepping the constitutional argument.<br /><br />Sayre Weaver, attorney for Alameda County, presented the argument that the earlier Supreme Court decisions that set precedents on the scope of the Second Amendment remain binding and can be overturned only by the high court. The 9th Circuit issued an order after the argument that they are holding the <em>Nordyke</em> case pending disposition by the Supreme Court of another case, <em>National Rifle Association v. Chicago</em>, where the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Second Amendment is not incorporated at the state level.<br /><br />The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to accept the Chicago case for consideration will be a key one and have a significant effect on gun-related litigation across the country.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-53867377252728861352009-09-14T11:46:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:07:45.950-04:00A Little Less Comedy Tonight<p class="MsoNormal">One of the greatest things about working for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has been the myriad of fascinating people that you meet and come to admire.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeBSWuvYiQU44nzq7A8M9CLLmridzJDfq3hv7Lm0nRkNHWiYn6rRfwoRNUelfz0Z011-UIuEluCLaRPKvOI5nkic5SPzCs93E4hjsAme45X34lEEd4RnxrAxDdQGn8WcFrWxBY5PiHrk/s1600-h/Gelbart.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeBSWuvYiQU44nzq7A8M9CLLmridzJDfq3hv7Lm0nRkNHWiYn6rRfwoRNUelfz0Z011-UIuEluCLaRPKvOI5nkic5SPzCs93E4hjsAme45X34lEEd4RnxrAxDdQGn8WcFrWxBY5PiHrk/s320/Gelbart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381350896746617842" /></a>One such person is Larry Gelbart, the award-winning writer whose sly wit helped create such hits as Broadway's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," the films "Tootsie" and "Oh, God!" and the hit television series "M-A-S-H". Mr. Gelbart died this past week at the age of 81.<br /><br />During his long career as a comedy writer, Gelbart wrote for Bob Hope, Jack Paar, Red Buttons, Jack Carson, Eddie Cantor, Joan Davis and many others. In the 1950's he joined a legendary writing team that included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Carl Reiner writing for Sid Caesar's "Caesar's Hour." <br /><br />Reiner, longtime friend and colleague, as quoted by AP writer Christy Lemire, called Gelbart "the Jonathan Swift of our day...It's a great, great, great, great, great, great loss. You can't put enough `greats' in front of it." Reiner directed "Oh, God!" from Gelbart's Oscar-nominated script. "The mores of our time were never more dissected and discussed. He had the ability to make an elaborate joke given nothing but one line."<br /><br />Mr. Gelbart was a warm and generous human being. He will be greatly missed. There will be a little less comedy tonight.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-35606913428863191602009-09-07T13:48:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:07:28.596-04:00Old and Wise<p class="MsoNormal">As I reflected on the harsh political rhetoric of this past summer, I was reminded of the words of the ancient writer of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_James">Epistle of James</a>:<br /><br />"You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for your anger does not produce righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.<br /><br />"But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they look like. But those who look to the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.<br /><br />"If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled is this: to care for the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." <br /><br />[James 1:19-27, Inclusive Language translation]</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-61758044347465199302009-08-31T19:24:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:07:17.230-04:00In Search of That Better America<p class="MsoNormal">Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who passed away last Tuesday, was a stalwart force in national efforts to stop gun violence. Our country is better today for the work that the senator did to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children. Senator Kennedy supported every major gun safety initiative since the Gun Control Act of 1968; including the Brady background check law, the ban on assault weapons, and ongoing efforts to close the gun show loophole. His wise counsel, gentle good humor, and steely resolve on these issues will remain in the hearts and minds of all those who work to reduce gun violence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDb_wmANGEif3GbpHohhV0MibejMDw2P3cflUNv3SYC7n6M24mUUeLucQsWVQ3LAI9YCetW7XlcxZvzoYXIbpvcCr6YartQI77rTX_L2dPI8l0ZLVX5BjMWwusaeHlke0BZo-fDbrwWg/s1600-h/Teddy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDb_wmANGEif3GbpHohhV0MibejMDw2P3cflUNv3SYC7n6M24mUUeLucQsWVQ3LAI9YCetW7XlcxZvzoYXIbpvcCr6YartQI77rTX_L2dPI8l0ZLVX5BjMWwusaeHlke0BZo-fDbrwWg/s320/Teddy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376273987129007970" /></a>In addition, he had a tremendous impact on nearly every aspect of modern American political life. Some of his many legislative accomplishments were summed up in remarks at his "Celebration of Life" by Senator John Kerry, his colleague from Massachusetts:<br /><br />“Ted Kennedy changed the course of history as only few others ever have. Without him, there might still be a military draft. The war in Vietnam might have lasted longer. There might have been delays in passing the Voting Rights Act or Medicare and Medicaid. Soviet Jewish Refuseniks might have been ignored—and who would have been there to help them as Ted did? Without him we might not have stood up against the apartheid government in South Africa. The barriers to fair immigration might be higher... <br /><br />“Without Ted, 18-year-olds might not be able to vote. There might not be a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Meals on Wheels, student loans, increases in the minimum wage, equal funding for women’s college sports, health insurance portability, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the first billions for AIDS research, workplace safety, Americorps, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program...<br /><br />“He stood against judges who would turn back the clock on constitutional rights. He stood against the war in Iraq. For nearly four decades, and all through his final days, he labored with all his might to make health care a right for all Americans."<br /><br />Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick added, "Ted Kennedy more often than not sailed <i>into</i> the political wind, in search of that better America. He did it with a grace and skill so typical of him and his family." <br /><br />The Lion of the Senate understood that sometimes the toughest fights were the ones most worth fighting. In the future we can honor the memory of Ted Kennedy and the millions of victims of gun violence by sailing <i>into</i> the political wind and making Teddy's work our own.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-54594250175355437042009-08-24T13:43:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:07:01.777-04:00What Do We Want Our Country to Look Like?<p class="MsoNormal">This summer’s Congressional recess has been marred by many incidents that raise grave questions about the current political climate in America and what that portends for the future of the Republic. One of the more jarring elements has been the presence of guns at town hall meetings on health care reform. Last week, we even saw a man openly carry an assault weapon outside a public appearance of the President of the United States.<br /><br />In an excellent <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081902961.html?sub=AR">article</a> about this issue, columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. has asked some appropriate questions about this development. His first query: "What would conservatives have said if a group of loud scruffy leftists had brought guns to the public events of Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush?"<br /><br />Dionne goes on to argue that the real question that must be addressed is what message the gun-toters are trying to send. As he sees it, “This is not about the politics of populism. It's about the politics of the jackboot. It's not about an opposition that has every right to free expression. It's about an angry minority engaging in intimidation backed by the threat of violence.”<br /><br />This dovetails nicely with an excellent <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/resistance-efforts_b_262875.html">blog</a> recently published by our executive director, Josh Horwitz, at the Huffington Post. In that piece, entitled, “‘Resistance Efforts,’ Guns and the Constitution,” Josh states, “If we let "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqAWQ-TMF3I">the guys with the guns make the rules</a>" then the very fabric of our democracy is up for grabs.”<br /><br />I couldn’t agree more. All Americans need to take a close look at what is happening at these health care reform events and wonder what they want this country to look like for their children...</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-2783195989158806972009-08-17T10:52:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:06:46.808-04:00This Sounds Familiar...<p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Martin Luther King was a communist. The Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, had secret files to prove it. The entire "civil rights" movement was a Soviet Union-backed plot to lead induce race-mixing and thus weaken the fighting will of Americans. President John F. Kennedy was secretly set on disarming the United States. People who supported equal rights for non-whites were unstable, driven insane by mind-altering drugs and the devil's rock and roll music.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4W4fAjKEHiyT1kicXJ8VwjU3U4mIDisHMCnxxWBB_3mlgDqGm_PxLHXHdDrlJRebAlt1XPQSkj0jQAZ0XU-13A17YMe6BiJ5zfpjKrKU7p3ZoSiGqtXBaGwF7Asw49IAfuCKn6FAxbI/s1600-h/King+Communist+Billboard.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4W4fAjKEHiyT1kicXJ8VwjU3U4mIDisHMCnxxWBB_3mlgDqGm_PxLHXHdDrlJRebAlt1XPQSkj0jQAZ0XU-13A17YMe6BiJ5zfpjKrKU7p3ZoSiGqtXBaGwF7Asw49IAfuCKn6FAxbI/s400/King+Communist+Billboard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370947377977084098" /></a>Listening to some of the charges being flung around in the current debate over health care reform, I can’t help but think that I’ve heard it all before. The charges above, of course, were some of those that we heard in America during the 1960s. People frightened by the changes taking place in our society were looking for a boogeyman and found it in the "Communist menace." Rightist politicians, organized hate groups, and some in the news media were quick to jump on the fear bandwagon. Civil rights supporters were shouted down in public meetings. Many universities were closed to certain speakers. Civil rights workers were openly harassed. Some were killed. Others were badly beaten or run out of town.<br /><br />Despite these obstacles, dedicated civil rights activists—many of whom were students, both black and white—fanned out across the country to seek a change in the laws of the nation. Brave religious leaders stood up to speak truth to power. Advocates of reform organized and took action and eventually achieved great social change in America.<br /><br />Now, once again, we seem to be on the threshold of major social change, and once again the threats, outlandish charges, and out-right thuggery are part of our public life this summer of discontent. Now there are new charges... President Obama isn't an American. He is part of a Muslim plot to destroy the country. The Democrats’ health care plan would create “death panels” to euthanize senior citizens, thereby reducing health care costs. <br /><br />Again, the motivating factor is fear of change. I cannot help but believe that much of that fear is—just as in the 1960s—stoked by racial anxiety. It has finally sunk in that the election of Barack Obama is a reality and there is no going back to the “good old days.”<br /><br />Another similarity is the stockpile of firearms in private hands. Only now the weapons are far more sophisticated and dangerous. I could not help but be alarmed by the New Hampshire man who recently showed up to a public forum held by the President of the United States with a 9mm handgun prominently strapped to his leg and a sign about letting the blood of “tyrants.” I am glad <a href="http://www.csgv.org/site/c.pmL5JnO7KzE/b.5015479/k.8775/Guns_Democracy__Insurrectionist_Idea.htm">my colleague Josh Horwitz is keeping a close eye on such insurrectionist activity</a>.<br /><br />But there are two key differences between this upheaval and that of the 1960s. First, in the 1960s we did not have a 24/7 news coverage machine and the Internet to present unedited opinions instantly. Second, it seems that the majority of Americans are not buying into the scare tactics and will not stand (or fall) for such paranoia.<br /><br />Ultimately, it is up to people of conscience to prevail against hate and intimidation and achieve the change we so desperately need. We can all have great confidence in our ability to reach this goal—those brave souls of the 1960s, who refused to bend against any opposition, proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-35560771655366732072009-07-27T12:01:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:06:33.476-04:00Mightier Than the Sword<p class="MsoNormal">The recent defeat in the U.S. Senate of the "Thune Amendment" was a rare victory for proponents of sensible gun legislation. If this amendment were signed into law, concealed handgun (CCW) permit holders from states with lax standards would be allowed to carry guns through and into other states with tough and more restrictive CCW laws. <br /><br />Although we can celebrate the fact that the amendment fell two votes short of the 60 required for passage, we must be mindful that 58 Senators voted for this dangerous and unprecedented legislation. This underscores the disproportionate support that the gun lobby has in the Congress of the United States at this time.<br /><br />Conventional political wisdom has it that Democrats are convinced that gun control is a losing issue. The converse of that argument is that the supporters of stronger gun regulation will not hold their elected officials responsible for ignoring or voting the wrong way on the issue. Some years ago, there were polls conducted which showed that for gun control advocates, the issue ranked #5 on a list of issues about which they cared the most. For gun rights advocates, however, the issue ranked in their top two. This “commitment factor” helps explain why many elected officials feel they can ignore the wishes of gun control advocates, who vastly outnumber pro-gun advocates.<br /><br />Some Members of Congress have been recently asking, "What has happened to the voice of supporters of sensible gun legislation?” Editorials in newspapers across the country have wondered, "Where is the outrage at the recent spate of gun violence in this country?" In defeating the Thune Amendment, we stood together and began to answer those questions, but more needs to be done. <br /><br />The Congress will soon be taking their August month-long recess. They will be heading home to take the temperature of the voting public in their respective districts and states. There are two things you can take for granted: 1) The economy and health care will be the top items on everyone's agenda, and; 2) The pro-gun lobby will be well organized to see that <b style="">their</b> voice is heard.<br /><br />Will <b>you</b> be equally committed to sharing your concerns about—and support for—sensible gun legislation? If you do not speak up this August, the voice of the NRA and its ilk will be the only voices heard and the prospects for saving lives in the future will be diminished. Remember, 58 Senators voted for the Thune Amendment because they think you aren't paying attention, or just don't care. Let's tell them otherwise.<br /><br />As a sage once put it, you should always carry a pen because you never know when you will meet someone with a sword.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-13436435555692704012009-07-20T10:22:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:06:16.683-04:00A Modest Proposal<p class="MsoNormal">Dear gun rights activists,<br /><br />As you know the National Rifle Association and other gun lobby groups have been very successful in expanding the easy availability of firearms and curtailing restrictions on who can carry guns and where they can carry them. You are also aware that gun sellers are reporting great increases in the volume of their sales. <br /><br />You may have seen the <a href="http://cbs2chicago.com/local/blood.shortage.stroger.2.1057069.html">news reports</a> recently that many hospitals, emergency rooms and trauma centers across the country are running low on—or are out of—critical blood supplies needed to treat the victims of gunshot wounds. A large number of these victims are teens and younger.<br /><br />Might it not be a good PR gimmick for you and your fellow activists to organize blood donor drives to restore some of the much-needed blood bank base in our nation’s emergency and trauma units? After all, we all know that "freedom isn't free." Freedom requires responsibility and sacrifice.<br /><br />By donating blood to ensure there is enough in supply, the life you save may be your own. <br /><br />Donating blood is easy, painless, and only takes about an hour of your time. Read more about donating in the <a href="http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/">"Donating Blood" section</a> of the Red Cross website and call your local blood center today to schedule an appointment to donate.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-73522562764048449202009-07-13T10:07:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:06:03.761-04:00Nominating Dictators<p class="MsoNormal">So what else is new?<br /><br />Given the recent activities of many its Members, a May poll revealed that <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/118318/Approval-Congress-Remains-Steady.aspx">the Congress of the United States is held in low esteem by much of the public</a>.<br /><br />In Walt Whitman's political tract, "The Eighteenth Presidency," an attack on the dreadful state of American governance in 1856, he trained his sights on the "nominating dictators" of American political life. “Who are they?” he asked. The answer:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lMiwQdHMiUYamSHDk_WAog2jZ3WOD_bVZAUdf9lts9d1ZYKQcqo3YBrI7bxZ4LISEybhSE9jNbaTRYsyUcmd9P5G57eRsakDWBvbh0eihMiaIvRJi-1kpfUzDZUh5XxVqanf_-tJYXg/s1600-h/Concealed+Gun.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lMiwQdHMiUYamSHDk_WAog2jZ3WOD_bVZAUdf9lts9d1ZYKQcqo3YBrI7bxZ4LISEybhSE9jNbaTRYsyUcmd9P5G57eRsakDWBvbh0eihMiaIvRJi-1kpfUzDZUh5XxVqanf_-tJYXg/s320/Concealed+Gun.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357950587032782338" /></a>"Office-holders, office-seekers, robbers, pimps, exclusives, malignants, conspirators, murderers, fancy-men, post-masters, custom-house clerks, contractors, kept-editors, spaniels well-trained to carry and fetch, jobbers, infidels, disunionists, terrorists, mail-riflers, slave-catchers, pushers of slavery, creatures of the President, creatures of would-be Presidents, spies, blowers, electioneerers, body-snatchers, bawlers, bribers, compromisers, runaways, lobbyers, sponges, ruined sports, expelled gamblers, policy backers, monte-dealers, duelists, <b style="">carriers of concealed weapons</b>, blind men, deaf men, pimpled men, scarred inside with the vile disorder, gaudy outside with gold chains made from the people's money and harlot's money twisted together; crawling, serpentine men, the lousy combings and born freedom sellers of the earth." <br /><br />Americans have been having fun looking at their political leaders ever since. Long may we look with a critical eye at the shenanigans of the kept editors [Did someone say "fair and balanced"?] and <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-845">lobbyists for carriers of concealed weapons</a>.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-22030114089014359482009-07-06T13:51:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:05:46.723-04:00Some Things Never Change<p class="MsoNormal">Some years ago the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence used to issue an annual award to highlight the many ridiculous ways guns are misused in this country. We never wanted for candidates for this dubious honor.<br /><br />In today's internet world, we have been taken over and expanded by the <a href="http://www.darwinawards.com/">Darwin Awards</a>. The stated mission of the Darwin Awards is "to salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally remove themselves from it."<br /><br />In case you missed them, here are some of the nominees making the rounds these days. These are supposedly true stories culled from daily newspapers:<br /></p><ul><li>An unidentified man, using a shotgun like a club to break a former girlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himself to death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut. (<i style="">San Jose Mercury News</i>)<br /><br /></li><li>Ken Charles Barger, 47, accidentally shot himself to death in December in Newton, North Carolina. Awakening to the sound of a ringing telephone beside his bed, he reached for the phone but grabbed instead a Smith & Wesson 38 Special, which discharged when he drew it to his ear. (<i style="">Hickory Daily Record</i>)<br /><br /></li><li>Just as squirrels bury their acorns to protect them from predators for later use, a man from Howard, Wisconsin, put his ammunition and three handguns in a safe place before he and his wife departed on vacation. He wanted to be sure they would be there when the couple returned. But just as squirrels frequently forget where they buried a particular acorn, the man forgot that his hiding place was the oven. When they returned from their trip, his wife turned on the oven to prepare dinner. Shortly afterward the couple had to duck behind the refrigerator as the bullets began to explode like popcorn. The husband used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire the bullets started in the oven. No humans were hurt, but the prognosis for the oven was grim. (<i>Associated Press</i>)</li></ul></p><p class="MsoNormal">I know that gun violence is not a laughing matter, but sometimes I have to shake off the grim reality and marvel at the many ridiculous and deadly ways that guns are misused daily in our nation. And if humor can help people take notice of the importance of handling firearms safely in all situations, all the better.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-18877725897054491152009-06-29T13:55:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:05:25.291-04:00In a Split Second<p class="MsoNormal">I am constantly amazed at the number of people who blithely assume that their possession of a handgun—no matter what their level of training—would enable them to prevent or stop a gun-related crime without doing collateral damage. Such an assumption is often in direct contrast to the experience of well-trained, armed law enforcement officials.<br /><br />On June 10, Bill Crummett, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), witnessed an armed crime unfolding as his car was stopped at a traffic light near the Capitol in Washington, D.C. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062303404.html">As reported by Clarence Williams in the <i style="">Washington Post</i></a>, “Two pedestrians in a crosswalk pulled out semiautomatic handguns and opened fire on a third man, who was wounded and scrambled for cover behind a sports utility vehicle. The assailants then hid their weapons in their waistbands, leaving Crummett to make a split-second decision: Engage and risk a firefight or call for help.”<br /><br />As Williams tells the story, “Crummett decided not to risk the chance of escalating a gun battle at an intersection crowded with commuters and pedestrians. Instead, he called D.C. police, gave them a description of the suspects and began a low-key pursuit until help arrived.” As a result of his actions, the guns used in the crime were recovered and one suspect was arrested later that day. No innocent bystanders were harmed at any time.<br /><br />According to Agent Crummett: “There’s a couple of things that I could do at that moment. It was more dangerous for me to try take enforcement action…the smartest thing to do was to follow them.” Inspector Michael Reese with the D.C. Police agreed: “He could have opted to shoot, but he didn’t. I think he used good sound judgment. He let his expertise come into play.<br /><br />I have heard far too many un-trained, would-be heroes confidently assert that they would pull their trusty piece and save the day in such a situation. Walter Mitty would be proud. In reality, reaching for your trusted piece will most likely result in increased tragedy. Owning a gun is a grave responsibility. Knowing when <i style="">not</i> to use one is imperative.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7232400533644627677.post-60149025239747769642009-06-22T10:56:00.000-04:002012-03-15T13:04:56.800-04:00The Times on the Times<p class="MsoNormal">On the west coast, Steve Lopez of the <i style="">Los Angeles Times</i> looked at a business that’s booming in tough economic times and wondered, "<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez17-2009jun17,0,1071485.column">What’s Triggering Gun Sales?</a>" Lopez visited several gun dealerships in the Los Angeles area to find out. <br /><br />Three main reasons were put forward for gun purchases. First is <a href="http://www.gunbanobama.com/">the much ballyhooed fear promoted by the National Rifle Association (NRA) that President Obama is going to take away all guns</a>. One dealer polished off the gun lobby’s old chestnut: "There are few things that stand between the people and tyranny. Once private gun ownership is eliminated, there's nothing to stop the government from doing what it wants to do."<br /><br />The second reason has to do with fear of where the current Obama hatred might lead. As one dealer said, “If somebody shoots this guy, there's gonna be wars in the streets," adding that the violence would make the Rodney King rioting look like a picnic in the park, and some people are afraid to get stuck without enough bullets.<br /><br />The third reason given was a real doozy: Some people "don't know whether [Obama’s] Muslim or Christian."<br /><br />I loved Lopez’s response to these arguments. “If war broke out between the U.S. government and the Inland Empire, would it be that easy to choose sides? … Then again, if there are people in this country unstable enough to think Obama might lead a jihad, shouldn't I be prepared to protect myself from them?”<br /><br />In another recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?_r=2">editorial</a>, <i style="">New York Times</i> columnist John Herbert wrote, “Americans are not paying enough attention to the frightening connection between the right-wing hate-mongers who continue to slither among us and the gun crazies who believe a well-aimed bullet is the ticket to all their dreams … As if the wackos weren’t dangerous enough to begin with, the fuel to further inflame them is available in the over-the-top rhetoric of the National Rifle Association, which has relentlessly pounded the bogus theme that Barack Obama is planning to take away people’s guns ... While the NRA is not advocating violence, it shouldn’t take more than a glance at the newspapers to understand why this is a message that the country could do without.”<br /><br />Herbert pointed to the obvious irony that “gun control advocates are, frankly, disappointed in the president’s unwillingness to move ahead on even the mildest of gun control measures.” He wisely concluded that the first step to addressing <a href="http://www.assaultondemocracy.org/">the threat of insurrectionist violence in our country</a>, “should be to bring additional gun control back into the policy mix.”<br /><br />It’s great to see some editorial sanity from both ends of the country.</p>stopgunviolencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806648144323303424noreply@blogger.com0