Many Americans may struggle to find Idaho on a map, but the state recently has been making news across the U.S. for its Democratic candidate for governor, Paulette Jordan. Not only would she become the first female governor of Idaho, if elected, but she would also become the first Native American governor in the history of the country.… [Read more]
Gun Control in America: A Look at the Legislation That Got Us Here
Enough is enough. Those were the words of President Barack Obama after yet another mass shooting, this time at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs last week. The President said these incidents will not be normalized as part of American culture, but it may be too late for that.
There was at least one mass shooting (defined by at least two people being injured) every day in the U.S.… [Read more]
Gun Control: The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same
What exactly would it take for the people of the United States to come together and agree that maybe buying guns should be just a little bit harder to do? The tragedy of Sandy Hook seemed almost like a cartoonishly evil hypothetical answer to that kind of question. Maybe, you might have said, if a classroom full of kindergartners was shot to death, that would be enough for people to agree that some limits on gun ownership wouldn’t be totally crazy.… [Read more]
Should Your Doctor Be Allowed to Ask If You Have a Gun?
Anyone who receives regular medical care knows doctors will typically ask patients a number of questions about their habits and lifestyle. In addition to taking your height and weight and asking questions about your diet and physical activity, doctors also ask about your sexual history, drug and alcohol consumption, and other areas they feel may be pertinent to your health and wellness.… [Read more]
Pinocchio’s Nose
This morning I heard 3 commercials for 3 different Republican candidates and they all said a variation of the same thing: “I will protect your freedoms from the encroachment of growing government.”
Great line. Who wouldn’t want that? It resonates and there is a lot of evidence of that “growing government” by which to give the statement credibility.… [Read more]
Ask Mrs Vera: Should Starbucks™ provide a place for customers to check their guns?
Dear Mrs. Vera,
Do you think that Starbucks™ should provide a place for customers to check their guns?
Sincerely Yours, Jerry Baldwin, Seattle, Washington
Dear Venti Grandewin,
Thanks for writing! Despite how much everybody hates your company, they all agree that however gross the food is, and however soul-destroying the general aesthetic of these stores is, when Starbucks™ is considered in terms of its manners, nobody is arguing that the basic approach to the customer experience isn’t polite, tidy and nicely thought out — not compared to most addict shacks, opium dens and needle-drug shooting galleries.… [Read more]
Straw Men and Scape Goats in the Gun Control Debate
My grandfather was fond of a certain saying, and it made him at once endearing and off-putting. It went something like this: I’d love to argue with you, but I’d have to educate you first. It’s a sentiment that many of us would do well to keep in mind.
The world is smaller than ever, thanks to the Internet.… [Read more]
Things that don’t mix
Many things don’t mix well, such as:
- Drinking and driving
- Tea and Pepsi
- Negligent actions and guns
- My mother and a garden hose (don’t get in range, you’ll get wet, very wet)
- Republicans and common sense
- Mental health issues and guns
It’s the last item that I’m going to write about today.
Several weeks ago I wrote in a post or comment about a young man with whom my wife has conversations.… [Read more]
Children and guns…a post about a post
I recently wrote a post on Sulia titled Kids start playing with a loaded gun at home, 10 year-old boy is dead, shot in the chest. The post pulled in numerous comments that spoke to gun safety, parental negligence, the National Rifle Association, firearm education, stockpiling weapons, and alcohol and drugs. I believe that the comments are so good that they need their own post; hence this.… [Read more]
Friday News Roundup
Those of you familiar with this scribe know that I follow the news diligently. Some stories in particular caught my attention this week so I now present to you Patrick’s Friday News Roundup. Authorities rescued a 7-foot alligator found in an Ohio man’s basement. The alligator is malnourished, has bone disease from a lack of sun for 15 years and, thanks to teenagers taunting him, hates teenagers.… [Read more]
Oldest Serving U.S. Senator, Frank Lautenberg, Passed Away
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) passed away earlier today. At age 89, the five-term senator who had decided to not seek re-election at the end of his term, was the oldest official in the United States Senate and the last of the World War II “Greatest Generation” serving in the Senate.
Some of the more recent items on Lautenberg’s agenda included helping to secure federal aid for New Jersey’s Hurricane Sandy victims and various environmental, infrastructure and economic development projects for his state but Lautenberg was known as a very liberal Democrat who helped usher in broad legislation for health care and gun safety reforms.… [Read more]
Another Child Lost
The AP carried a story about a 5-year-old boy accidentally shooting his 2-year-old sister to death in rural southern Kentucky. It seems that he had received the gun as a gift last year. The gun was a Crickett, a company that specifically makes guns, clothes and books for children. A little gun for a little kid and the little kid, who was used to shooting the little gun, picked it up and killed his little sister.… [Read more]
NRA’s Annual Meeting in Houston
From May 3rd through May 5th, the National Rifle Association will hold its annual meeting in Houston, Texas. According to the NRA website,
With over 550 exhibitors covering over 400,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, educational seminars, celebrities, and fun filled special events, bring the whole family – there will be something for everyone! Spend the day exploring the products from every major firearm company in the country, book the hunt of a lifetime in our exclusive outfitter section, and view priceless collections of firearms in our gun collector area.… [Read more]
Review: North Carolina’s senators on background checks
I’m from North Carolina, home of state legislators who want to legislate a state religion, declare Islam a terrorist organization, require drug tests for some public benefits, and other craziness such as the U.S. Constitution not counting here in the Old North State. So, in an effort to get away from name-calling (NC state republicans deserve it), I’m going to write about how our two senators voted on the Manchin/Toomey background check measure.… [Read more]
Our Constitution and Treaties (yes, even U.N. treaties)
This item on Sulia.com piqued my interest because it was so misleading. Actually it aggravated me a great deal. People who should know and understand our Constitution and laws write or broadcast erroneous information that other people then accept as the truth without attempting to verify the accuracy of what they read or heard. This is wrong, so wrong!… [Read more]
An Exhausting Week…
It’s the end of a week that’s ‘one for the books.’ Endless news coverage has reminded us that we’re living in times during which not much can be taken for granted. It has been exhausting.
The week brought a vote by the House of Representatives to invade citizens’ privacy on one end, and a win by the National Rifle Association against all voices in support of sane gun control legislation on the other.… [Read more]
Consequences: We Will Not Forget
The last couple of days have been difficult for many Americans, especially those who have either lost a loved one or know someone who has been affected by gun violence. We watched as the United States Senate failed to pass background check legislation that could have helped curb the death, human destruction and financial costs of the one million plus men, women and children who have been senselessly killed by guns since 1968.… [Read more]
Putting Politics Before the Common Good
Four Democrats helped kill the gun reform legislation supported by nearly 90% of the American public yesterday in a 54-46 vote. Those Democratic Senators who voted against the Toomey-Manchin bill were: Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Max Baucus of Montana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, voted against the bill but that was for ‘procedural reasons’ in that in order to re-introduce the bill at a later date, as leader of the House he is required by rule to vote against it.… [Read more]
Gun Control Vote Today: Will Senate Step Up?
After countless gun-related tragedies which include a massacre at an elementary school, the US Senate has arrived at a day of reckoning.
Today at 4pm ET, the senators are expected to vote on a gun control background check bill that would expand background checks to more gun purchasers, increase aid for school safety and strengthen existing gun trafficking laws.… [Read more]
What’s Changed in America? Then and Now
“And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
I can remember April 4, 1968 as though it were yesterday. … [Read more]
