I’m tired of hearing stories about nine year old girls at shooting ranges putting a bullet in their instructors head. It happened at a place in Arizona named Bullets and Burgers. I shit you not. I have to say that even a true cynic like myself who hates most American tradition and culture, was still shocked by that name. I wasn’t shocked that it happened in Arizona, no that did notshock me. I can only imagine what those in civilized nations think about that kind of name or concept. Hey, bring your kiddies to Bullets and Burgers where they can grab a cheeseburger, fries with your choice of sides…a pistol, a rifle, or an Uzi. This is real folks, not satire.

It’s real American life. ‘Murica baby! In places where gun violence is rare (ie every other civilized nation) when something like this happens (even though something like THIS never does) the entire country is paralyzed from it. Here in the USA we just shrug and go back to texting about our latest meal or blow job.  I’m tired of it. I’m tired of seeing young lives taken or in the case of the girl, traumatized for life. This little girl killed someone. She will have to live with that forever. Her innocence is gone and who is to blame? So many people.

The NRA is to blame. They tweeted right after the incident about “7 ways children can have fun at the shooting range.” Actually it was “NRA Women” that tweeted it. Now I understand the reason so many men love big guns. It makes up for what they are lacking in the manhood department. Why women? Someone needs to explain this to me. Please. Yes this was an actual tweet right after this girl killed her instructor. The guy who runs the range is also to blame. He was on “All in with Chris Hayes” on MSNBC and as I was watching I was looking for a hint of humanity in this man, trying my hardest to understand why he allows kids to shoot guns at his range.

The humanity wasn’t there. Sure he said something about the guy that was killed being a close friend or like a brother or something but that was about it. The rest of the interview was about how much money he makes from letting kids eat burgers and shoot Uzi’s. It a big business in Nevada and Arizona, part of the gaming industry. As always it’s about money. Money and guns going together like a bullet in the brain. It just seems to fit together well in the USA.

When Hayes, who looked totally shocked and almost paralyzed by what this man was saying, asked him what changes might be made, the guy actually said this, “maybe we will have to do what they do at Disney Land, you know, when you can’t go on a ride if you aren’t ‘this tall’ (he used his hand to show height). Yeah that’s it! That’s the change that might be made. I mean shooting a high powered weapon is just like going on the “gravitron”. Ain’t this America for you and me baby!

Hayes had the look on his face that you have right now as you read this. If you hadn’t seen the interview. If an 18 year old has sex with a 16 year old we go ape shit in the country, we want the 18 year old to do life in prison. But it’s OK for a nine year old to shoot a gun. It’s not OK for a 17 year old to vote but it’s OK for a nine year old to shoot a gun. It’s not OK for a 20 year old to have a beer but it’s OK for a nine year old to shoot a fucking gun!!

This is the story in the news now, but I bet most of you don’t remember or probably haven’t heard of this one from 2011. I mean that was 457 news cycles ago. An eight year old boy killed himself when almost the exact same thing happened as his father was showing him how to shoot. A bullet in his own brain. But we didn’t talk about that story, or we did and just moved on as usual.

Which brings up the people who are the most responsible. The parents. This is child abuse or at least it would be in most other countries. You see, these people (mostly men but not always) want their kids to ‘grow up tough’ and be able to ‘defend themselves’. The father doesn’t want his son to be a ‘pussy.’ The ones with girls always wanted a boy so they have to transfer their psychological bullshit over to their poor kids. This is what it means to grow up in America these days. Some of these same people will deride their kids if they want those piano lessons or voice lessons or ballet lessons.

We have become a sick nation. Cancer ridden. We are obsessed with guns and money and violence and killing. It stinks from the head down. From a government that creates (literally and figuratively) boogeymen that need to be bombed to the cops who see an immediate threat when a black kid is walking down the street to the parents who instill this sick idea into their kids heads that if you don’t shoot a gun you aren’t ‘tough’ or a ‘real American’. The range owner that Hayes’ interviewed said “some of these nine year olds are pretty big.” It sounded as disgusting as those guys who say “Hey, she might have been 12 but she looked 18 buddy!” We detest the latter but we excuse the former.  He also said the little girl “wanted to shoot a gun.” Nah, we know the truth. Her parents made her want to shoot the gun, it was their idea. No nine year old girl wakes up one day and says ‘I’d really love to shoot an Uzi today daddy!’ They caused the death of that instructor and the grief and guilt this little girl will feel for the rest of her life.

The NRA loves this shit. They eat it up. More kids growing up to love guns, to buy guns, to pass that along to their kids and so on and so forth. The politicians do nothing because the gun lobby contributes big money to their campaigns. The few who might want to stand up to Wayne LaPierre, know they will probably lose the next election when the NRA and supporters give millions to a pro gun challenger.

Yes this is the USA.

Bullets and burgers and guns and money and power and deaths.

Who wants to help me with that GoFundMe campaign?

Mike.Caccioppoli@yahoo.com

@CaccioppoliMike

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At the time of the shooting, Draper — an anti-violence activist — was returning from a fundraiser for teen anti-violence group Project Orange Tree. Draper was one of 27 people wounded overnight by gunfire in Chicago. Yep, keep up the great work, NRA; you guys rock!

Leonore Draper had just returned home from A Charitable Confection, a fundraiser for teen anti-violence group Project Orange Tree, when she was shot outside of her home in the 1300 block of West 116th Street, police said. Officers said they heard shots fired in the area around 10:30 p.m. and when they arrived at the scene, they found Draper, 32, in her car with gunshot wounds to the arm and chest.

 

A neighbor said she didn’t realize Draper had been shot until she saw the shattered car window.

 

“I saw her and I kept waiting for her to get out of her car but she didn’t and then I noticed her window was shot out,” said Robin Anderson. “She was 32. That’s it.”

Lenore Draper

 

Draper was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where she later died, officials said.

Watch the video below:

The new organization will combine Mayors Against Illegal Guns — a group formed by Bloomberg and former Boston mayor Tom Menino — and another group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which was founded shortly after the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. Those shootings were the impetus for the latest failed attempt at increased background checks for gun-buyers.

 

“There is no question that more needs to be done to tackle this deadly problem, and that’s why more than 1.5 million Americans, nearly 1000 mayors and moms in all 50 states have already come together to fight for common-sense reform that will respect rights and save lives,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “This new organization will bring more people into the fight against gun violence, which affects every town in America.”

With Chicago having the dubious distinction of being the epicenter of gun violence as highlighted by President Barack Obama in the wake of the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton. To me, it just seems right that Draper would be the face of this renewed push.

Fpr Draper tpo die in vain would be tragic.

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Immediately following the shooting we started to hear about guns on military bases and how it is not allowed to carry a concealed weapon. Of course the NRA and the gun loonies of America (their actual name) began screaming about how this could have been prevented if guns were allowed to be carried by all on the bases, even though most officials are against it. Once again their answer is more guns equals less gun violence. But wait….

Fort Hood shooter, Army Specialist Ivan Lopez

All we have heard about is how good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns. Now, there are MP’s on bases that carry guns, many more than we would ever have at, let’s say, an elementary school. They are better trained than any police officer or security guard at a school would be. Yet, this still happened, as it has before and unfortunately probably will again. You see gun violence is usually unpredictable and quick. The people who are shot don’t usually see it coming, that’s why they get shot. This is why the idea that if there were only others with guns to stop things, is a stupid, illogical “argument.” Will the “good guy” with the gun be at the exact spot where the sudden violence takes place? If so, will that person react properly and with the precision of a “Dirty Harry”? In the movies yes, but you see folks, this is real life. Gun loonies, because they are, well, loonies, don’t live in the real world. They live in the movie fantasy world where the good guys with the white hats are always in the right place at the right time, and kill the bad guys with the black hats.

What happened at Fort Hood was a supposed good guy with a gun, a soldier in the United States military, became a bad guy with a gun without warning. Nobody knew he was going to become a bad guy with a gun, but he did. But what he really was, in reality, was just a guy with a gun. And more U.S. gun violence ensued.

The talk should be about fewer guns period. We should also be talking about mental health. What made this good guy soldier snap and become a killer? We hear that they were “looking into” this soldiers issues with PTSD. They obviously didn’t look into it fast enough or just didn’t care enough. This is because we live in a country that is very quick to hand someone a gun or a badge and very slow to “look into” mental illness. What makes good people go bad?

Our answer is.. who cares? Just hand out more guns to people who we THINK are the good guys. If they end up being the bad guys, well, that’s just tough luck. For the most part we have given up in this country when it comes to curbing gun violence. We cheer when Piers Morgan, a smart, passionate man, who spoke out routinely against gun lunatics, loses his show. Hey, he’s just a foreigner who doesn’t love this country! USA USA USA!

Shooting after shooting, kids, soldiers, mothers, fathers, all dead. I can only imagine what they think of us in civilized nations when they see these horror stories happening day after day. All of those normal, sane people around the world must be thinking to themselves, “look at those animals, killing each other.” They don’t make any distinction between who might be a “good guy with a gun”, or a “bad guy with a gun.”

We are just Americans with guns. Those two words have become eerily and depressingly synonymous.

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– Ras Kass, “Anything Goes”

Rick Perry never ceases to entertain me. But before I yap about him, let me get the scenario going.

Many people can say and do some of the most questionable things for the sake of money and support. Or, you can say that they will say strange things DUE to that said money and support. Some will mention things they should not believe. Others will bring up issues that sound shockingly foolish and off-center. At the end of the day, the power of the dollar will make any fool holler.

And what that fool hollers will have the possibility of arousing shrugs, eye rolls, and subtle anger.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry

The fool that hollered goes by the name of Rick Perry. Representing the great state of Texas as governor, Rick Perry advised states and the federal government not to try to close loopholes that allow guns to be purchased without background checks because gun companies did not appreciate that “attitude” [1]. This was said during a panel discussion that dealt with gun laws. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy noted that his state started their own background checks due to the Sandy Hook shootings. Still, Rick Perry found a way to disagree with the idea of having background checks for all.

This is one of the things he said: “The Second Amendment pretty much is a good amendment. And we support it in the state of Texas. The restrictions you’ve seen states like Connecticut — and when you think about the Northeast, that was the Silicon Valley, if you will, of gun manufacturing and you’re seeing those manufacturers leave the Northeast because the taxation, the regulation. And just the attitude towards manufacturers of weapons.” [2]

All I can say is this: Wow.

Understanding How Rick Perry Operates

Okay, that is a falsehood. I’m going to say way more than that. Let us just be honest for a moment: Rick Perry is a whore for gun manufacturers. In fact, he is vying to be their bottom bitch. Let me break this down for you all:

Rick Perry is the same man that received campaign support from the NRA. He probably got more NRA money than Charlton Heston. [3]

Rick Perry is the same man that applauded a Texas school system that allowed staff members to bring guns to school. [4]

Rick Perry is the same man that would have rather pushed for prayer instead of stronger gun laws. [5]

Realistic Expectation of Rick Perry

So, what could be expected in such a situation? There was no other way for his commentary to go. He did not get into anything worth talking about. Rick Perry mentions a bad attitude toward gun manufacturers. Therefore, Rick Perry made it clear where his loyalties lie.

And this, my good readers, is the problem with political support. Politicians are, in too many instances, whores that can be bought and sold. If you can be easily swayed by those that show the most money, you can easily become someone’s hooker. Plenty of situations over the course of American history will show this (just look it up). In short, political support can be bought.

What makes this an even bigger issue is the fact that politicians will always have the possibility at being bought out. This will never bode well for the common man/woman. If there are issues that go against big corporations or groups with deep pockets, then best believe the money will do the talking and the walking. Many of us want to think that politics is about the people. Yet, politics is easily a game of monetary thrones.

Rick Perry and the True Issue of Political Support

This is just another example of how politics is run. There are only two true ways to combat this: we either pool our financial resources or only vote for politicians that are about the people. The latter will seem to be nearly impossible. The former may not be realistic if we don’t get it together. I understand not wanting to play in this dirty game. In the end, the game won’t change and the game doesn’t wait.

Capitalism will always reign supreme when your politicians are well dressed prostitutes. And Rick Perry, for a prostitute, sure does know how to wear a suit and tie.

[Originally posted at Chocolate Covered Lies]

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The numbers are staggering, depressing and now just simply a fact of life in the Unites States of America. There is no end in sight. None. Smart, caring people in the MSM such as Piers Morgan consistently talk about what we need to do as a country to stop the violence. Morgan, who is British, is often derided by low brow, low life, uneducated Americans who tell him to “go back to England.” The same way their ignorant fathers told people who were against Vietnam to “love it or leave it” in regards to living in this country. These people are scum but Morgan, to his credit actually interviews some of them. At first I wondered why because I would simply punch their teeth down their throat if they said that stuff to me. However as I watch Morgan allow them to spew their pro-NRA bile, I understood that it was important to show these people for who they really are.

The big problem, the huge disappointment is that they are winning. They want guns and violence and deaths of children and that’s exactly what is happening almost daily. Yes they WANT deaths of children. NO doubt about it. It’s not being cynical, it’s being honest. They want this because it creates a huge scare across the country which makes dumb people buy more guns. Sales go up, the NRA and their friends make money and they are all very happy. Capitalism at its best!

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman (L) and Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon speak to reporters after a shooting in Columbia, Maryland January 25, …

It has gotten to the point where most shootings aren’t even covered in the news anymore. The threshold seems to be five deaths. More than that and it gets coverage. Over ten deaths and it can become a major story for about a week and then it goes away. Sick ain’t it?

However we can’t blame the MSM for this one. Gun violence has become such a way of life here that it’s almost like car accidents or burglaries. You simply can’t cover them all. This is what the USA has become, a cesspool of violence in which our children can’t even go to school anymore without fear of being killed. Where parents simply do not know if they will see their kids return home from school. This is what WE are. This is what WE have become.

Of course the NRA talks about the need for even MORE guns. So far the police they have placed in some schools have done no good at all. What a shock eh? They have just ticketed students for things like not wearing a seat belt. There have also been horror stories of these officers leaving their guns in school restrooms by mistake. There have even been accidental shootings.

But this is the stuff I and other sane Americans said was going to happen. It won’t change but will only get worse. Only a matter of time before one or more students get killed by an officer who can’t shoot straight. There will be more and more “normal, average” shootings with teenagers taking guns to school and killing innocents.

I know people like Morgan and others want me to talk about ways to end the violence. How we can defeat the NRA and get the right people elected to Congress. But I’m done with all that. There is no way to stop it, and there is only one way to avoid it. To leave the country.

Yes those parents who want their kids to survive their school years must move to a normal country with sane people who don’t need a substitute for their small penis issues. A country like Great Britain, a great country that after a mass shooting in 1996 actually took action and removed most guns. There hasn’t been one mass shooting since. Or if you don’t want to travel that far you can simply move north of the border to Canada. Another country where gun violence pales in comparison to the USA. And they have cowboys there too!

No there is only one answer. To leave. It’s over here. Things will only get worse. The gun culture is way too ingrained here for anything to change. It has been going on too long, the people are too selfish and ignorant to see things any other way.

Just leave parents, please, just leave. Take your family somewhere else and live a normal happy life.

Go now and don’t ever look back.

[Origibally posted at America The NOT So Beautiful]

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I don’t want to make this out to be a racial issue because every life is important irregardless of race. I mean, that’s how it’s supposed to be, and I hate to think that the fact that Antoinette Tuff is a bit melanin-challenged has any bearing on what I see as the lack of media converge related to her heroism. But hey, a black woman as a hero for saving lives in a predominantly black school named after a black astronaut in Atlanta? In post-racial America? Man, please! Antoinette Tuff deserves more than a key to the city or to at least have her bad credit wiped off at no charge.

Listen to her full 911 call below:

It’s just that for as long as we mourned the loss of lives at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut earlier this year. One would think that perhaps there’d be a ceremony at the White House where she’s given an award; and maybe of course a deal with the IRS that exempts her from federal taxes for the rest of her life. Yes, some small gesture or token of appreciation for saving the potential lives of who knows how many a mentally unstable gunman with 900 rounds of ammo and an AK-47 can impact. You know, some small gesture that goes well beyond a phone call from President Barack Obama as she has since received would be nice. Yes Antoinette Tuff was amazing; and yes, she is a hero and deserves to be treated like one. Like many nameless black women in history, she should be celebrated, and used as an example courage under fire as . Because from all accounts, she has had to endure a lot to be who she is. And like many faceless and nameless people of color in history, she deserves her shine.

There were 19 children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School This week there’s no telling how many lives of children were saved by Antoinette Tuff. As bad as there’s a need for new gun control legislation, let’s hope that this story doesn’t fall by the wayside. Because if there’s anything to be learned from Antoinette Tuff, is that it doesn’t take a “good guy” with guns to stop a “bad guy” with guns, even if some believe that it does. I don’t know whether Antoinette Tuff agrees with that, but we need a monument to be reminded of it.

Check out her interview:

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It’s the Gun Owners of America:

A little known pro-gun lobby that’s well to the right of the National Rifle Association has complicated efforts to reach a solution on gun control legislation, top Democrats have said in recent days.

The Gun Owners of America has been around for decades, operating mostly in obscurity, dwarfed by the lobbying and fundraising prowess of the NRA. The group’s big gripe is that the NRA is too squishy and willing to compromise, and its recent efforts to scuttle gun control legislation appear to be scaring away Republicans amenable to background checks.

The results have frustrated Democrats trying to strike a bipartisan deal.

“The NRA — their lobbying efforts are being pushed even further to the extreme by virtue of the fact that there’s another organization called Gun Owners of America,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told Nevada Public Radio on Friday. “Whenever the NRA tries to be reasonable, the Gun Owners of America becomes more unreasonable, and it pushes the NRA [to the right].”

GOA is proud of its obstinacy against gun control. In a New York Times profile of the group last week, its executive director Larry Pratt took credit for scaring away Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) from discussions with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about a bipartisan compromise on expanding background checks for gun purchases.

“His staff admitted that it kind of irritated the senator,” Pratt told the paper. “We were told, ‘He’s getting tired of this.’ But when we hear complaints like that, we know we are close to success. We are happy he changed his mind.” He said GOA mobilized its proclaimed 300,000 pro-gun members to inundate GOP lawmakers with phone calls.

Schumer’s spokesman Brian Fallon took note of Gun Owners of America’s role in the debate, tweeting a link to the Times profile and saying the group “is making deal on even background checks extremely hard.”

Less clear is the extent to which Gun Owners of America is the true foe of expanded background checks, rather than a scapegoat for Senate Democrats who are facing potentially tough reelection battles in red states and are skittish about supporting any significant new gun restrictions. For now, negotiations over background checks continue, as Democrats are now seeking to win over Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-PA) support for a compromise deal.

Meanwhile, the Gun Owners of America is flexing its muscle in first major gun control effort in nearly two decades. Prominently featured on the front page of GOA’s website is a quote from Ron Paul calling the group “the only no-compromise gun lobby in Washington.” (source)

This from the Gun Owners of America website:

1) First of all, it’s pretty clear by now that the goal of Obama and Schumer is, in the words of the Brady Campaign, to put “points on the board” so they can maintain their momentum for more gun control demands. Mark Glaze of Mayors Against Illegal Guns said on MSNBC that they would be back with new demands “the day after” background checks are signed into law. So, now that we are on the verge of winning, why, in heaven’s name, would Tom Coburn snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory; hand a “win” to Barack Obama so he can credibly say he “broke the back of the gun lobby;” invigorate fundraising for anti-gun groups in 2014; let Red State Democrats, who are up in 2014, off the hook; and create a platform for unending gun control demands that will resume the day his bill is signed into law?

2) As a general matter, if Coburn votes for a 60-vote threshold motion to proceed to the base bill and that motion passes, no Republican will have a right to offer any amendment without Harry Reid’s permission. Reid will put an amendment tree into place and institute an ObamaCare-like procedure. GOP amendments which are regarded by Reid as not particularly dangerous or popular will be allowed to come up — frequently with side-by-side ObamaCare-like Democrat alternatives. Nothing threatening, however, will be allowed. Under the circumstances, I would recommend to Lee, Paul, and Cruz that they object to the unanimous consent agreement which will probably be required to bring up Coburn while the amendment tree is in place.

3) For the record, Adam Lanza stole the guns he used in Newtown. James Holmes and Jared Loughner passed background checks. Given that the background check legislation — the centerpiece of Barack Obama’s efforts to declare “victory over the gun lobby” — would not address, in any way, the incidents which supposedly gave rise to it, exactly what is its purpose, other than to destroy the Republicans’ “ground game” and decimate the most significant remaining pillar of their coalition?

4) Page 3, line 1: “Congress believes the Department of Justice should prosecute violations of background check requirements to the maximum extent of the law.”

[…] You understand that 18 U.S.C. 922(d)(3) and (g)(3) make a person a prohibited person if they are “an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance,” right? And you understand this would subject every gun owner who smokes marijuana (medical or otherwise) to a ten-year prison sentence (under 18 U.S.C. 924(a)(2)), right? And you understand that records of medical marijuana use, drug diversion programs, etc., are in the possession of many state governments and are, technically, required to be turned over to the FBI under the last Schumer-Coburn bill, the NICS Improvement Act of 2007, right? So are you still so enthusiastic about throwing 20,000,000 gun owners in prison for ten years for smoking pot — not to mention the thousands upon thousands of military veterans who have also been thrown into the NICS system without any due process whatsoever?

5) Page 3, line 10: “…citizens of the United States agree that in order to promote safe and responsible gun ownership criminals and the mentally ill should be prohibited from possessing firearms…”

[…] Perhaps as many as 150,000 law-abiding veterans have lost their Second Amendment rights without due process at the finding of no more than a VA psychiatrist under the 2007-8 Schumer-Coburn compromise. I doubt if most — much less all — American citizens feel these veterans should have lost their rights. Watch the video below:

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Today I’m hearing that inspite of broad bipartisan support for making straw purchases a federal crime punishable up to 25 years in prison. The NRA is demanding that the Senate change its drafting language on said legislation. Straw purchases, in my opinion, presents itself as a larger problem that is the proliferation of guns getting on our streets across the country. The gun show loophole is yet another issue, but as anyone in the hood would tell you, cats on the corner aren’t getting their guns from gun shows en mass. For them, it’s easier to pay someone with a clean criminal record than spend their time hunting the nearest gun show. Also, there are in fact gun traffickers who purchase guns in other states who resell them in urban centers. This is a bigger problem as it is exactly how criminals are able to get guns.

This from The Hill:

If a person buys a gun and sells it to another person, who in turn sells it to yet another person, the bill’s language could be used to punish the initial buyer of the gun, the NRA says.

“It potentially holds people liable for the intention of parties far down the chain of possession,” NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam wrote in an email to The Hill.

The NRA also wants to change language allowing the government to confiscate a convicted straw purchaser’s guns and ammunition, according to a draft copy of the group’s proposed changes to the measure.

As much as this latest move angers many, it’s good to see that at least one Republican politician isn’t having it. According to Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), one of five Republican co-sponsors of the House bill: “As long as straw purchasers are willing to buy on behalf of criminals, law enforcement needs effective tools to pursue these individuals by making this activity a federal criminal offense instead of a slap on the wrist.” And he’s absolutely correct, don’t you think?

Yep, and then there was this from Crooks & Liars:

Dudley Brown, who serves as the executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the executive vice president of the National Association for Gun Rights, used some violent rhetoric during a Wednesdayinterview with NPR about how gun owners would deal with Democrats who supported President Barack Obama’s proposal for universal background checks.

“I liken it to the proverbial hunting season,” Brown quipped. “We tell gun owners, ‘There’s a time to hunt deer. And the next election is the time to hunt Democrats.'”

“This is a very Western state with traditional Western values,” he pointed out. “And citizens had to have firearms for self-defense, and right now that’s still the case.”

A 2010 post on Sarah Palin’s Facebook page had placed crosshairs over Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ congressional district only months before the Democratic congresswoman was shot in January of 2011. Palin had said supporters should “reload” and use their votes to “aim for” the Democrat’s defeat.

Yep, looks like POTUS needs to make more speeches like he did last week (watch below). Ironically, the Center for American Progress just released a new report that shows that there’s a link between the top 10 states with the weakest gun laws and gun violence. Interestingly enough, of the top 10 states listed, 6 of them were in fact southern states with 2 being out west (Arizona and New Mexico). The study shows that of the top 10 states, “eight of these states are among the 25 states with the weakest gun laws.” But, don’t tell that to the NRA; they’re not interested.

Thankfully, however, the responsibility for new gun control laws lie in the hands of our elected officials. You know, the governing body we’re supposed to hold accountable? Though polls indicate overwhelming public supposrt, it’s unfortunate that said support hasn’t exactly translated to be the same in Washington. Personally, I think this can all change if we stop accepting the argument that the NRA “is too strong.” Instead, we should be reminding our elected officials that the MRA isn’t strong; it is they who are weak.; and it’s unacceptable and inexcusable.

This from CAP:

Any study into the causes of gun violence is necessarily complicated, however, as there are innumerable factors that contribute to the nature and prevalence of gun-related violence in any community.

Despite this complex web of factors that influence the rate of gun violence, this report finds a clear link between high levels of gun violence and weak state gun laws. Across the key indicators of gun violence that we analyzed, the 10 states with the weakest gun laws collectively have an aggregate level of gun violence that is more than twice as high—104 percent higher, in fact—than the 10 states with the strongest gun laws.

Listen to the speech below:

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Yesterday at the Connecticut state house, a similar hearing was attended by advocates and opponents of gun control was convened. The hearing saw the heckling of the parent of one of the victims while he gave a tearful testimony about the loss of his son, and the need for tougher gun laws. Yes, this is just how insensitive some po0pponents of stiffer laws have become. Ironically, however, was the fact that my left-wing media buddies failed to report on the testimony of Mark Mattioli, whose 6-year-old son James, was also killed in the shooting. Mattoli presented what I believe to be one of the best arguments as it relates to the ongoing debate on gun control.

(CNN) — His voice wavering, Mark Mattioli wiped away tears as he recalled the day his 6-year-old son died when a man wielding an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School and began shooting.

His son, James, was among the 20 children and seven adults killed by Adam Lanza on December 14 in Newtown, Connecticut — an event so horrific that it has since spawned a federal task force and kick-started a national conversation about gun control.

But unlike the handful of other parents who testified Monday at the emotionally charged hearing in Hartford, Connecticut, Mattioli said there are more than enough gun laws on the books. He called instead for a closer look at mental health policies.

“I don’t care if you named it ‘James’ law,’ I don’t want (another law),” he said during the first of a series of meetings set up by a legislative task force assigned to review the state’s gun laws.

“I think there’s much more promise for a solution in identifying, researching and creating solutions along the lines of mental health.”

Connecticut’s medical examiner said he was told that Lanza, 20, had Asperger’s syndrome. Research has not shown a link between that condition and violence.

The hearing drew hundreds to the Connecticut state house and revealed the sharp divide in public opinion over what should happen next in the massacre’s aftermath.

I totally agree with Mattoli’s position; however, I would argue that there is a need to close the gun show background check loophole. Other than that, I don;t think there;s anything that can be done — aside from enforcing existing laws — to prevent yet another tragic mass shooting. I’ve always been of the belief that the shooting in Newtown, Ct. had more to do with mental health than anything else. I say that because at the end of the day, the AR-15 used in the shooting was perfectly legal per the state of Connecticut. And as I’ve mentioned before, Connecticut currently has some of the country’s toughest gun laws.  So, does Mattoli make sense? The reason I ask, is because there are many states who are not reporting mentally ill adjudicated individuals to the DOJ, who are in fact able to purchase any firearm because they will not show up in a background check. That said, isn’t he right?

Watch the video:

The post Father Of 6-Year-Old Sandy Hook Victim: We Don’t Need New Gun Laws appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Now I mentioned in an earlier post how Ann Coulter the remark in an interview with Sean Hannity, that America’s gun violence problem is more of a problem of having a certain “demographic,” than the notion of their being too many guns in the country. As you can imagine, she wasn’t referring to America’s white population as being problematic. Instead, as pretty much all racists do, they blame every problem in the country on minorities, and the evil white liberals who enable them. So with that in mind, you could imagine my astonishment to find out that right-wing pro-gun enthusiasts had launched a “What Would Django Do?” campaign, to counter the advocates for tougher gun laws in the United States.

Yes, the very people who are not-so-friendly to the descendants of slaves who overwhelmingly voted for President Barack Obama, are now using a movie about a Negro slave with a gun to advance their cause for freedom as given by the second amendment — yes, that really happened, folk.

The company behind the nationwide pro-firearms event Gun Appreciation Day has plans for a new follow-up effort meant to target minorities: “What Would Django Do?”

Following Gun Appreciation Day — a Jan. 19 event that called for supporters to rally for the right to bear arms — president of the Republican consulting firm Political Media, Larry Ward, plans to launch “What Would Django Do?,” a campaign targeting minorities in the gun debate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ward has partnered with Jonathan David Farley, principal of the “progressive” Warren Group, for the “What Would Django Do?” effort, which they hope to develop into a nonprofit charity.

“We’ll make sure we aren’t violating copyrights, and if we are, we’ll have to change the name,” Ward told THR. “But Django is perfect for what we’re trying to do, which is to promote gun rights to minorities. We’ll tackle the issue on the Democrats’ own turf.” (source)

As absurd as this sounds, you must admit it’s a lot better than Republicans getting together and hosting a meeting on minority outreach at a former plantation. After all, black folks are into that whole idea of having a gun or two if someone has the idea to bring back slavery. But nonetheless, there’s a bit of irony that borders on hypocrisy coming from this move. Why? Well for one it’s silly, because back in the day, states did all they could to ensure that African slaves were not armed. Secondly, when recent attempts to infringe upon the right to vote by black folk with the introduction of Voter ID laws, none of these nut jobs stood with said minority group to fight. Yeah, in the last election cycle, voting was reduced to a privilege, but today, the second amendment is sacrosanct, untouchable, and should not be regulated — yep, equal protection, right?

Which brings me to our beloved champion of freedom, justice, and equality, Rev. Al Sharpton. Did you happen to catch Al and Marc Morial of the National Urban League’s press conference on gun control? Don’t worry, if you haven’t, you can check it out down below. But at any rate, it seems that certain black folk have stepped up to the plate to counter the gun-toting crazies on the right-wing. And of course, the White House’s favorite lap dog mouthpiece when communicating to the black community was front and center, much to the delight of his handlers at 1600 Pennsylvania Av.

This from The Daily Caller:

Following a public policy meeting of African-American leaders, National Urban League president Marc Morial and National Action Network president Al Sharpton called for a new national assault weapons ban, saying the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution should be regulated.

“The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are not absolute. One cannot yell fire in a crowded theater and hide behind the First Amendment,” said Morial when asked by TheDC if he supports California Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein’s assault weapon ban bill.

“And we absolutely think that the idea of banning a military style assault weapon, a weapon that I am confident that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison never laid their eyes on, is not inconsistent with the rights of those who self-protect, those who shoot, who want to participate in sporting and hunting,”

“No one has been more aggressive in our defense of the Constitution than this nation’s civil rights leaders. …We respect the Second Amendment,” Morial added. “None of these provisions speak in absolute terms.”

TheDC asked Rev. Sharpton if he agreed with Morial’s comments.

“Absolutely, I mean if you look at the Second Amendment it was that you would have militia to protect yourself in case the government came and attacked citizens,” he responded.

“First of all, if the government were to come to disarm you, you would not be able to use an automatic weapon to defend yourself. Let’s be serious. We’re in a world of drones now so the Second Amendment would not help you in that area. It is absurd to try to cite that.”

“People do not have the right to unregulated rights in this country,” Sharpton continued. “And I think that for those that use the Second Amendment [they] are conceding that they have no argument on why you need a magazine with 100 rounds of ammunition or 30 rounds of ammunition.”

Sharpton also said “everybody is regulated with every right,” using airports as an example.

“I don’t have the right to tell them at the airport that I cite the Constitution so I’m not showing you my ID and walk through,” he said.

Okay, so what’s wrong about what Sharpton said? Well, how about me starting with the obvious hypocrisy of him stating that “People do not have the right to unregulated rights in this country.” Now this is funny. It is because this is coming from the same man who fought against recent attempts to infringe upon the right to vote by implementing Voter ID laws. Aside from me mentioning this earrlier in the post, do you remember that? Yeah, just like we all argued, voting or the right to vote is the most fundamental rights protected by the constitution. I’ve said it, Attorney General Eric Holder has said it, and even Rev. Al Sharpton has said it as well. So why now the sudden flip-flop? I mean, if no constitutional right is exempt from regulation as Sharpton said, why then did he fight to protect the attempted disenfranchisement of potential voters in the last election cycle? What’s even funnier, is how he used the same argument about flying and airports posited by proponents of Voter ID. Maybe I’m wrong, but I remember people like Sharpton arguing the point that entering an airport is not a right, but instead a privilege. See what I’m saying? Hypocritical?

So why would Sharpton make what is possibly the most egregious statement of his career? Short answer: it’s because the president is black. In other words, having received a seat at the table otherwise seen as access to the White House. With the issue of gun control in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Sharpton taking up this cause as Obama’s number one ally in the black community — a community which has seen more than it’s fair share of gun violence — gives Obama an easy out on addressing gun violence in communities of color directly. Why? Because if the face of the gun violence victims continues to be twenty elementary school children from Newtown, Ct. as opposed to Anyhood USA. Obama is guaranteed continued majority support for new gun control legislation. The real tragedy here, however, is that much of the proposed legislation will do very little to address the problem of gun violence in cities like Chicago. Why? Because tougher gun laws don’t create jobs or improve the economic opportunities of residents of these communities. And this is particularly sad, when you think about how black folks are being pimped by both sides in the gun control debate But hey, don’t tell that to Al Sharpton or the gun nuts that I said so, Okay?

Here’s to hoping that Voter ID thing never comes up again…

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