The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Gun Massacres: Why the Republican Party Doesn't Act

    By NCD on Sat, 05/19/2018 - 12:57pm |

    Nicholas Kristof yesterday had a roughly 3000 word essay with loads of data titled "How to Reduce Shootings". The word "Republican" does not appear at all in it. "NRA" - uh, no mention of it.  "Liberal" appears twice, as in "Frankly, liberal opposition to guns has often been ineffective, and sometimes counterproductive. The 10-year ban on assault weapons accomplished little...." Nick, the careful sincere liberal, being very politically correct, gives reams of data, never mentions Republicans, so as not to upset Republicans, as he just gives them..the GOP....the cold hard facts...!! Don't laugh, please.  There are eight dead students, and two teachers, whose lives have just been ended, and survivors, some gravely wounded, facing years of pain. Kristof means well, but as has been abundantly clear on many issues, facts do not matter to the Republican Party.

    His solutions are a collection of suggestions that he notes polls say "the public favors".

    That may be true. He ignores that even though "the public favors" things they don't get put into law. He doesn't say why. These are steps like restricting sale of guns to mentally ill persons or people on those on the "no fly list". He fails to face the primary fact, it is the Republican Party that blocks most or all laws for reducing gun violence.

    The Republican Party gives all the appearance of not wanting to do anything to reduce gun violence. They have proven beyond any doubt that, at least at the federal level, they don't care if gun violence increases and claims more victims.

    Every shooting helps divide the nation into gun and anti-gun tribes and dividing the country by "identity" or by "tribe" is what the Republican Party is all about. Blood is spilled, lives are ended, a price is paid for the Republican/NRA cult like "canon of faith" that it is unavoidable, and the death tolls are "the price of freedom".

    Unrestricted access to guns is a big part of the GOP re-election strategy. Exploiting division is what it is about.  This may be about guns, or about abortion, climate change, gay rights, immigration reform, border walls, food stamps, DACA.... on and on. Facts be damned. "Fake news", "Chinese hoax", "job killer".

    A key to that strategy is making sure those issues are never resolved, so they can be recycled at every election.  Overcoming these obstacles to national unity would remove them for use at election time. Their endless use to create anger, hate and motivate their base to get out and vote for them would evaporate.

    These topics also serve as distractions from what the Republican Party is really about, looting the Treasury for their rich donors and themselves, cutting regulations on big corporations and Wall Street so they can fleece or poison main street, lying about and attacking the opposition Party as traitors instead of seeking compromise, and insuring the government does little or nothing for the average American, as they might expect more of the same, and the anger level might go down.

    Kristof's "weeks" of gathering data are a waste of time. Republicans don't care about data or logic. The only data they believe in, are data on targeting voters, that can fool, exploit ignorance, mislead, stoke anger or create apathy so they, the Republican Party, can retain power.

    We cannot have sane gun laws, that reduce gun violence nation wide as long as the Republican Party is in a position to stop them. The fact that some Republican controlled states are taking baby steps to reduce easy gun access shows that at least at the state level, pressure is being felt. The pressure on the Republicans must be unrelenting, and the only pressure that works with them is the fear of being voted out of power, or existence.

    Comments

    Chief of police, city of Houston, Art Acevedo:

    Art Acevedo, wrote that he had “shed tears of sadness, pain and anger” after the shooting, which happened about 35 miles away.

    “I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue,” he wrote. “Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do. 


    by NCD on Sat, 05/19/2018 - 10:00pm

    Some of the most ardent anti-gun politicians are protected at taxpayer expenses by armed body guards.  It’s not just politicians that have arm guards, but movie stars, banks, museums, airports, even our national parks.

    But our most precious resource our children are send off to schools with little or no protect from sick individuals.   That’s what I call Insane.


    by Carl Burton (not verified) on Sat, 05/19/2018 - 10:47pm

    There was an armed officer in Parkland. He was useless.

    In the aftermath of Parkland, one teacher who wanted to volunteer to be an armed teacher left his gun in a public bathroom. A homeless man found and fired the gun.

    Many ethnic minority parents do not trust that police officers in schools will not harass their children.


    by rmrd0000 on Sun, 05/20/2018 - 12:06am

    The pro-gun politicians are protected too by armed guards. 

    If gun loving Americans have proved anything, it's that more and more guns in more and more places held by more and more people doesn't reduce gun violence, it increases it.  

    The Kristof article had data that showed death by gun was highest in states with the most guns per resident, which mirrors national statistics of the US vs every other western nation - they have far less guns and 100 to 1000 times less murders.

    California has state police squads that take guns away from felons, and they ban assault weapons and register very one owned before the law was passed banning resale.Assault guns only purpose is killing people (assault weapons are lethal at a distance of 10 football fields, 1000 yards). Limit clip size (you don't need 20, 35 or 100 rounds to hunt or protect yourself), and vastly increase the education and accountability of gun owners for their guns. 

    Gun owners must vetted by strict federal laws, be held legally accountable to store, secure and supervise handling their guns in specific ways mandated by law.

    Partial list of guns banned in Canada, oh, and BTW, Canadians aren't suffering oppression because they can't buy these weapons. Like California, we need to limit availability of guns with no role in self protection or hunting.

    Shotguns
    - Franchi SPAS 12 and LAW 12 and variants
    - Franchi SPAS 15 and variants
    - Striker shotgun, Striker 12, Streetsweeper and variants
    - USAS-12 Auto Shotgun and variants
    - Benelli M1 Super 90 shotgun and the Benelli M3 Super 90 shotgun, and
    variants or modified versions thereof, with the exception of the
    M1 Super 90 Field, M1 Super 90 Sporting Special, Montefeltro Super 90,
    Montefeltro Super 90 Standard Hunter, Montefeltro Super 90 Left Hand,
    Montefeltro Super 90 Turkey, Montefeltro Super 90 Uplander,
    Montefeltro Super 90 Slug, Montefeltro Super 90 20 Gauge, Black Eagle,
    Black Eagle Limited Edition, Black Eagle Competition, Black Eagle Slug
    Gun, Super Black Eagle, and Super Black Eagle Custom Slug; and the
    firearms of the designs commonly known as the Bernadelli B4 shotgun
    and the Bernadelli B4/B shotgun, and any variants or modified versions
    thereof.

    Rifles and Carbines
    - American 180 Auto Carbine, Illinois Arms Company Model 180 Auto Carbine,
    and variants
    - Barrett "Light Fifty" model 82A1, Model 90 rifle and variants
    - Calico M-900, M-951, M-100 and M-105 and variants
    - Iver Johnson AMAC Long Range Rifle and variants
    - McMillan M87, M87R, M88 and variants
    - Pauza Specialties P50 Rifle and P50 Carbine and variants
    - FAMAS Rifle, MAS 223, FAMAS Export, FAMAS Civil and
    Mitchell MAS/22 and variants
    - Feather AT-9 Semi-Auto, Feather AT-22 Auto Carbines and variants
    - Federal XC-450 Auto Rifle, XC-900, XC-220 and variants
    - Gepard long-range sniper rifle and variants
    - Heckler and Koch (HK) Model G11 and variants
    - Research Armament Industries (RAI) Model 500 Rifle and variants
    - Spectre Auto Carbine and variants
    - US Arms PMAI "Assault" 22 Rfile and variants
    - Weaver Arms Nighthawk Carbine and variants
    - A.A. Arms AR9 Semi-Automatic Rifle and variants
    - Claridge HI-TEC C, LEC-9, ZLEC-9 carbines and variants
    - Kimel Industries AR-9 rifle or carbine and variants
    - Grendel R-31 Auto Carbine and variants
    - Maadi Griffin Rifle, Maadi Griffin Carbine and variants
    - AA Arms Model AR-9 carbine and variants
    - Sterling Mk 6 Carbine and variants
    - Steyr AUG rifle and variants
    - UZI carbine, UZI Model A carbine, Mini-UZI carbine and variants
    - AK-47 rifle, and any variant including AK-74, AK Hunter, AKM,
    AKM-63, AKS-56S, AKS-56S-1, AKS-56S-2, AKS-74, AKS-84S-1, AMD-65, AR
    Model .223, Dragunov, Galil, KKMPi69, M60, M62, M70B1, M70AB2, M76,
    M77B1, M78, M80, M80A, MAK90, MPiK, MPiKM, MPiKMS-72, MPiKS, PKM,
    PKM-DGN-60, PMKM, RPK, RPK-74, RPK-87S, Type 56, Type 56-1, Type 56-2,
    Type 56-3, Type 56-4, Type 68, Type 79, American Arms AKY39, American
    Arms AKF39, American Arms AKC47, American Arms AKF47, MAM70WS762,
    MAM70FS762, Mitchell AK-22, Mitchell AK-47, Mitchell Heavy Barrel
    AK-47, Norinco 84S, Norinco 84S AK, Norinco 56, Norinco 56-1, Norinco
    56-2, Norinco 56-3, Norinco 56-4, Poly Technologies Inc. AK-47/S, Poly
    Technologies Inc. AKS-47/S, Poly Technologies Inc. AKS-762, Valmet
    Hunter, Valmet M76, Valmet M76 carbine, Valmet M78, Valmet M78/A2,
    Valmet M78 (NATO) LMG, Valmet M82, and Valmet M82 Bullpup
    - Armalite AR-180 Sporter carbine and variants
    - Beretta AR70 assault rifle, and any variant or modified version
    thereof;
    - BM 59 rifle, and variants, including the Beretta BM 59, BM 59R,
    BM 59GL, BM 59D, BM 59 Mk E, BM 59 Mk I, BM 59 Mk Ital, BM 59 Mk II,
    BM 59 Mk III, BM 59 Mk Ital TA, BM 59 Mk Ital Para, BM 59 Mk Ital TP
    and BM 60CB, and the Springfield Armory BM 59 Alpine, BM 59 Alpine
    Paratrooper and BM 59 Nigerian Mk IV
    - Bushmaster Auto Rifle and variants
    - Cetme Sport Auto Rifle and variants
    - Daewoo Kl rifle, and variants, including the Daewoo K1A1, K2, Max 1,
    Max 2, AR-100, AR 110C, MAXI-II and KC-20
    - Demro TAC-1M carbine, and variants, including the Demro XF-7 Wasp
    Carbine
    - Eagle Apache Carbine and variants
    - FN-FNC rifle, and variants, including the FNC Auto Rifle, FNC Auto
    Paratrooper, FNC-11, FNC-22 and FNC-33;
    - FN-FAL (FN-LAR) rifle, and variants, including the FN 308 Model 44,
    FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Competition Auto, FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Heavy Barrel 308
    Match, FN-FAL (FN-LAR) Paratrooper 308 Match 50-64 and FN 308 Model
    50-63;
    - G3 rifle, and variants, including the Heckler and Koch HK 91, HK 91A2,
    HK 91A3, HK G3 A3, HK G3 A3 ZF, HK G3 A4, HK G3 SG/1, and HK PSG1;
    - Galil assault rifle, and variants, including the AP-84, Galil ARM,
    Galil AR, Galil SAR, Galil 332 and Mitchell Galil/22 Auto Rifle;
    - Goncz High-Tech Carbine and variants
    - Heckler and Koch HK 33 rifle, and variants, including the HK 33A2, HK
    33A3, HK 33KA1, HK 93, HK 93A2, and HK 93A3;
    - J & R Eng M-68 carbine, and variants, including the PJK M-68 and the
    Wilkinson Terry carbine;
    - Leader Mark Series Auto Rifle and variants
    - MP5 submachine gun and MP5 carbine, and variants, including the Heckler
    and Koch HK MP5, HK MP5A2, HK MP5A3, HK MP5K, HK MP5SD, HK MP5SD1, HK
    MP5SD2, HK MP5SD3, HK 94, HK 94A2, and HK 94A3;
    - PE57 rifle and variants
    - SG-550 rifle and SG-551 carbine and variants
    - SIG AMT rifle and variants
    - Springfield Armory SAR-48 rifle, and variants, including the SAR-48
    Bush, SAR-48 Heavy Barrel, SAR-48 Para and SAR-48 Model 22; and
    - Thompson submachine gun, and variants, including the Thompson Model
    1921, Thompson Model 1927, Thompson Model 1928, Thompson Model M1,
    Auto-Ordnance M27A-1, Auto-Ordnance M27A-1 Deluxe, Auto-Ordnance
    M1927A-3, Auto-Ordnance M1927A-5, Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1, Commando
    Arms Mk I, Commando Arms Mk II, Commando Arms Mk III, Commando Arms Mk
    9, and Commando Arms Mk 45

    Pistols
    - Bushmaster Auto Pistol and variants
    - Calico M-110, M-950 and variants
    - Encom MK-IV, MP-9, MP-45 and variants
    - Federal XP-450, XP-900 Auto Pistols and variants
    - Claridge Hi-Tec Model S, L, T, ZL-9 and ZT-9 Pistols, Goncz
    High-Tech Long Pistol and variants
    - Heckler and Koch (HK) SP89 Auto Pistol and variants
    - Intratec Tec-9 Auto Pistol, Tec-9M, Tec-9MS, Tec-22T, Tec-9S, Tec-22TN,
    Tec-22TM, Tec-DC9, Tec-DC9M, Tec-9A, Tec-Scorpion and variants
    - Iver Johnson Enforcer Model 3000 Auto Pistol, Plainfield
    Super Enforcer Carbine and variants
    - Skorpion Auto Pistol and variants
    - Spectre Auto Pistol and variants
    - Sterling Mk 7, Mk 7C4, Mk7C8 Pistols and variants
    - Universal Enforcer Model 3000 Auto Carbine, Model 3010N,
    Model 3015G, Model 3020TRB, Model 3025TCO and variants
    - US Arms PMAIP "Assault" 22 Pistol and variants
    - Leader Mark 5 Auto Pistol and variants
    - OA-93 assault pistol and variants
    - A.A. Arms AP9 Auto Pistol and variants
    - Patriot pistol and variants
    - XM 231S pistol, A1, A2 and A3 Flattop pistols and variants
    - AA Arms Model AP-9 pistol, Target AP-9, Mini AP-9 pistol and variants
    - Kimel Industries AP-9 pistol and variants
    - Grendel P-30, P-30 M, P-30 L and P-31 pistols and variants
    - Claridge HI-TEC ZL-9, HI-TEC S, HI-TEC L, HI-TEC T, HI-TEC ZT-9 and
    HI-TEC ZL-9 pistols and variants
    - Steyr SPP Assault Pistol and variants
    - Maadi Griffin Pistol and variants
    - Interdynamics KG-99 Assault Pistol and variants
    - Ingram M10 and M11 pistols, and variants including the Cobray M10 and
    M11, the RPB M10, M11, SM10 and SM11 pistols and the SWD M10, M11,
    SM10 and SM11 pistols
    - the Partisan Avenger Auto Pistol and variants
    - UZI pistol and variants including the Micro-UZI pistol


    by NCD on Sun, 05/20/2018 - 10:22am

    "We asked every member of the House of Representatives about the Parkland gun policy agenda.  Here's what they said.", Christopher Ingraham, WaPo today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/22/we-asked-every-me...

    ....

    shooting in Parkland, Fla., just three months ago.

    Following that shooting, a group of student survivors laid out a policy agenda consisting of five items intended to help reduce the toll of American gun violence. Those items include:

    1. Dedicated funding for the CDC to research gun violence
    2. Strengthening the ATF's ability to track and record gun sales
    3. Universal background checks for gun purchases
    4. A ban on magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition
    5. A ban on assault weapons, including a registration or buyback program for these weapons already in circulation

    Before the Santa Fe shooting, The Washington Post contacted the office of every U.S. representative, multiple times if necessary, to gauge their support or opposition to the proposals, which have yet to be codified into a single bill. We found that while many Democrats were eager to support the proposals, most Republicans did not seem to want to engage on the issue, as evidenced by the high rate of nonresponse among Republican members.

    ......


    by AmericanDreamer on Tue, 05/22/2018 - 4:09pm

    Thanks. Not surprising.

    But tightening gun laws is a slippery slope to gun confiscation.

    Without guns, we could be ruled by a self aggrandizing demagogue who fills the government with his repulsive family and grifting plutocrats who loot the Treasury, seeks to lock up political opponents, debases justice and attacks judges, calls the free press the enemy of the people and torch bearing nazis fine people, teams up with billionaire run media empires to spread propaganda and lies, threatens wars, asks for and receives foreign money for himself and for help winning elections, and says anyone who doesn't applaud him is a traitor.


    by NCD on Tue, 05/22/2018 - 5:27pm

    REPUBLICANS TAKE ACTION ON GUNS..!!!! No killing credit for merchants of death..!!

    When Congress decided not to take significant action after a spate of mass shootings this year and last, some big banks opted to take matters into their own hands by restricting financing for gun sellers.

    Now, Republican lawmakers are pressing regulators to stop banks from doing so, over concerns they are veering too far into social activism...They are also freezing out businesses that sell high-capacity magazines and “bump stocks,” attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire faster, even though such products are legal under federal law.

    GOP Founders "The right to keep and bear credit accounts by gun merchants shall not be infringed, the necessity for gun massacres being essential for the success of Republican Party campaigns."


    by NCD on Sat, 05/26/2018 - 1:54am