Tag Archive for guns

Guns DO Kill People–in the Wrong Hands

August 5, 2019 Comments Off on Guns DO Kill People–in the Wrong Hands

I’m not advocating taking people’s guns or rights away, but I am advocating for sensible laws and regulations (since it isn’t happening without them) that would prevent the epidemic of gun violence in our country from spreading even more.

We hear only of the larger events, not so much the smaller ones covered only by local media. On Aug. 4, 2019, 216 calendar days have passed. Compare that with these figures for those days so far related to gun violence:

33,044 incidents — 8,735 deaths — 17,344 injuries — 393 children (0-11) injured or killed — 1,798 teens (12-17) injured or killed — 253 mass shootings (yes, more than one a day). More in one half of the country than the other (see map).

If that doesn’t make gun violence an epidemic, nothing does. We MUST stop just talking about it and begin NOW to eradicate it! Other countries have managed it; why not the U.S?

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You Gotta Watch this Show!

June 26, 2017 Comments Off on You Gotta Watch this Show!

Why didn’t someone tell me about this program?  It’s well into its  second season and I’ve just started watching it.  I’m glad I have On Demand to look back at old episodes.

I’m talking about “United Shades of America.”  The host, W. Kamau Bell, travels  all over to look at how various issues affect real people.  It’s not a dry documentary, thanks to the host’s humor (he’s a comic) and his conversations with people he agrees with, disagrees with, and others in between.  A person who isn’t keen on guns, he bought one and talked to people about why they’re important.  He visited a KKK meeting and talked to Klansmen as they burned a cross (note: Bell is Black). He went to a hard-core prison and mixed with the inmates.

I enjoy the show because he, like me, takes a slightly sideways look at life and situations, delving into the oddities and people experiencing  them–all in a straightforward, human way.

The show is on CNN on Sundays at 7 P.M. in my area.  Look it up  and give it a try.

 

 

 

 

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Causes of Violence

December 3, 2015 Comments Off on Causes of Violence

Guns may not be the cause of all the violence we’re experiencing in our country.  In today’s Thursday Thought, Mahatma Gandhi gets down to the real root causes.

“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles.” — Mahatma Gandhi

 

 

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Bostonians Should Have Been Armed

May 6, 2013 2 comments

Boston should have been better armed, says the NRA. All households should have had guns to protect themselves from the escaping bombers.  They would have been safer and not as fearful or nervous.

I agree, but only with a few provisions during an actual incident: 1) The family’s designated shooter (Guardian) must have completed formal training in handling and shooting the specific gun he’s armed with.  2) The Guardian must have taken courses (e.g., meditation) to learn to calm himself in extremely stressful situations and focus his attention and vigilance on his Guardianship role.  3) The gun must be registered so that if it is wrested from him in a scuffle with the perpetrators it can be returned to him when it’s recovered. 4) The family must all be home and stay in a designated safe-room so that they don’t startle the focused Guardian, possibly causing him to shoot a loved one. They must stay there, no matter how many hours or days it takes, until the perpetrator is captured and announced by the authorities as in police custody. 5) All doors and windows must remain locked until capture is announced.  6) No pets will be allowed outside to relieve themselves, as noise that they make may cause a neighbor-Guardian to panic and waste bullets on the family dog.  7) The police must notify the homeowner in advance of storming his home or property so that a shoot-out between them and the Guardian doesn’t accidentally occur.

With these seven simple provisions, a community can be ready for any threat it may face. Its people can relax in the safety of their own homes, as is the American way.

 

 

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Guns Are No Problem

February 12, 2013 Comments Off on Guns Are No Problem

People who say that the easy availability of guns is not a problem obviously don’t watch the daily news.  Just this morning, there were reports of six people being shot.  There are news stories almost every day about at least one or two shootings, often with child-victims and people sitting within their own homes.  At what point does it become a problem?

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