Gun Deaths

Facts: States With Weak Gun Laws And High Gun Ownership Lead In Gun Deaths!

Ronald 1 Comment

In the midst of the endless number of gun massacres occurring daily in America, and with children being the primary victims, statistics demonstrate the reality that Second Amendment advocates do not want to acknowledge.

States with weak gun laws and high gun ownership lead in Gun Deaths.

The six highest states in gun deaths are Mississippi, Wyoming, Louisiana, Alaska, Missouri, and Alabama, all with lax gun laws!

The five states with lowest gun death rates, all of which have strong gun control regulations, are Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York!

Notice that it is Southern states which primarily have high death rates from guns, while Northeastern, highly urban states have low death rates from guns!

Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, leading a Congressional hearing in New York City yesterday to go after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg due to prosecution and indictment of Donald Trump, comes from the Columbus, Ohio area, which has THREE times the crime rate of New York City!

Fox News Channel pedals lies and deceit, but it is clear that having stronger gun laws helps to lead to lower death rates, particularly among children!

It is clear that one major reason why Republicans, conservatives, Fox News Channel, and the National Rifle Association has no concern about death rates from guns, particularly among children, is the reality that many more African American children are victims than are white, Latino, or Asian children.

This is part of the continued racism and lack of concern, including police abuse against African American youths, so quick to shoot and kill, as compared to white youths!

Gun Violence Escalates In 2021!

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From January 2021 to yesterday, April 20, these are the statistics on Gun Violence:

12,882 Gun Deaths
7,260 Suicides
5,622 Homicide, Murder
10,176 Injuries
156 Mass Shootings
11 Mass Murders
91 Children 0-11 Killed, 193 Children 0-11 Injured
332 Teenagers 12-17 Killed, 801 Teenagers 12-17 Injured

Isn’t this enough for action by Congress, and to prevent continued massive loss of lives?

The Political Year 2018 Reviewed, And Hopes For A Political Renaissance

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The year 2018 saw the drastic blunders and mean spirited nature of the 45th President come to full fruition.

It was the year of diplomatic, economic, environmental, and social steps backward, wiping out a lot of the good that has been done by Presidents and Congresses of both parties in the past 70 plus years since World War II.

It was the year of the passing of political leaders who always had the motivation to do good, even when they sometimes went the wrong direction on specific issues—John McCain and George H. W. Bush.

It was a year when the Federal Judiciary stood up to Donald Trump most of the time, but also a year when extreme right wing judges were approved, and a Supreme Court Justice, Brett Kavanaugh, similar to Clarence Thomas in his mistreatment of women, was confirmed despite that reality.

It was also the year of more gun related deaths and opioid deaths than have died in war since the end of World War II.

It was the year when schools and religious institutions and public gathering places were subjected to mass death by people who desperately needed mental health intervention.

It was the year when racism, nativism, misogyny all had massive revival, assisted by the behavior of the Chief Executive in the Oval Office.

It was the year when the Republican Party lost all credibility as it refused to stand up and condemn the unstable behavior of Donald Trump, and allowed him to hijack the historical reputation of the party.

But in the midst of all this gloom, it was also the year of the rise of women, racial and religious minorities, gays and lesbians, and young people to more political power and influence than has ever been seen in American politics and society.

The Democratic Party became the bastion of future hopes of reform and change, and they have the backing of millions of Americans who desperately want a different direction for American politics and society.

2019 needs to be the year of movement against Donald Trump, and hold him accountable for his crimes and sins, and the likelihood of the Trump Presidency coming to an end by criminal indictments against family members, leading to the resignation of Trump, as occurred with Richard Nixon, seems likely.

The future of American democracy and constitutional government is at stake as we enter 2019, but the massive “Blue Wave” evokes hope and optimism.

Let us all hope for a better, more productive 2019 politically and socially.

The National Young People’s March On Washington For Gun Reform: An Inspiration To All Decent People, And A Warning To Those In Power!

Ronald 7 Comments

Today, we are witnessing a massive March on Washington, “A March For Our Lives”, estimated at 500,000 people, and in 800 locations around America, and even in other nations, by young people and their supporters, demanding gun reform after the tragic Parkland Massacre in south Florida, which led to the deaths of 14 students and three teachers by a mentally ill young man who had assault weapons designed for war as he conducted his massacre in just six minutes.

Over 187,000 students have been in the line of fire from school shootings since the Columbine, Colorado Massacre in April 1999. And an estimated 33,000 victims of gun deaths anywhere in America occur every year.

We have seen great courage and conviction by the young survivors of this massacre, and it gives hope and confidence in the future of America, that we are witnessing the commitment of young people both at that high school and all around America to bringing about essential change. And their parents and families and many others are joining them in this struggle against inertia.

We are shocked at the lack of action by Congress and President Trump, and we have a future generation of leaders being created by the refusal of our government to overcome the power and money of the National Rifle Association and other powerful interest groups that control our government, and ignore the needs and desires of the American people.

The goal has to be to kick out of office as many of the “traitors” to the American people who do not give a whit about what happens to young Americans in their schools and to all Americans in other public places.

A political revolution against the cancer now existing in our government is a revolution that will triumph, as many of the older generation of politicians, in office only for their own personal ends, shall be repudiated in midterm and later elections by massive participation by the future generation reaching 18 in 2018 or soon after.

More Gun Deaths Since 1968 Than War Deaths In All Of American History!

Ronald 4 Comments

The crazy lack of gun control, in the midst of the growing level of violence in America in the past half century is a sign of a massive crisis that Congress, under Republican leadership, refuses to deal with, due to the dominating influence of the National Rifle Association and its public spokesman, Wayne La Pierre, who has blood on his hands, as the NRA even opposed basic background checks, or denying people on the Transportation Security Administration Watch List for airline passengers the right to purchase firearms!

This is total insanity, particularly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre in 2012; all of the mass shootings since then; and the newly fresh San Bernadino, California Massacre two days ago!

A particular statistic that is a sign of the reality of this crisis is what Hillary Clinton said yesterday, that we are losing 90 people every day to gun violence!

But also, the statistic that since 1968, nearly 1.5 million Americans have died from gun violence, while ALL war deaths in all of American history total, by comparison, only close to 1.2 million people!

So in the past 47 years, 300,000 more Americans have died than all war deaths in the American Revolution; the War of 1812; the Mexican War; the Civil War; the Spanish American War; World War I; World War II; the Korean War;  the Vietnam War; the Persian Gulf War; the Afghanistan War; and the Iraq War!

How much longer can this nation suffer under refusal to do anything to deal with this disaster, which if a health crisis due to disease, would have led to rapid federal action to resolve the issue?

What will convince Congress, and particularly the Republican Party, to react?  Will the tragedy of harm to the President, Vice President, or Presidential candidates, or any other public figures, due to lack of action and concern, even lead to changes, as we had the Brady Bill, a decade after the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan, which was allowed to expire in 2004 by lack of action by President George W. Bush?

Will ANY tragedy lead to action?  Right now, it seems unlikely, crazy as that concept is!

Hysteria And Panic Take Over Republicans: Their Loss Of Understanding The Symbolism Of The Statue Of Liberty!

Ronald 41 Comments

The Republican Party is acting at its most mean spirited nature ever right now—wishing to bar all refugees from Syria, even 5 year old children and mothers, who are victims of one of the most horrible civil wars in modern history!

31 State Governors, almost all Republican, are trying to prevent any migration of refugees to their states, but that is illegal, as no one can prevent any migrant coming to the nation from settling wherever they choose, and to cut off all migration from Syria and the Middle East is outrageous bigotry, as many are saying only Christians and no Muslims should be allowed into the nation.

At the same time that we have thousands of gun deaths from domestic sources annually, now we are seeing hysteria and panic, and the belief that somehow, some terrorists will be admitted, when every day, we have domestic terrorists killing Americans, and nothing is done about that!

Of course, full vetting must be done of all migrants and refugees, but to shut the door completely is to deny the purposes of the Statue of Liberty and the so called “American Dream” that we keep on propagandizing.

Republicans and conservatives are forgetting that our land is founded on the basis of refugees and migrants escaping for a better life, and none of us who are not native American or African American would be here if not for an open mind over the generations toward people of all backgrounds escaping persecution and deprivation!

Barack Obama is right that we must not give up our principles, and must not repeat the horrible anti immigrant mentality that led to discrimination in past times against refugees and migrants of all racial and religious backgrounds, and caused the deaths of many, particularly in the time of pre World War II in Europe when Jews were denied admission and ended up dying in the Holocaust!

Fear, Panic, Hysteria, And The Media: Reflection On The Real Dangers Amidst Us!

Ronald 2 Comments

It is shocking and reprehensible how the reaction to the Ebola issue is fear, panic, and hysteria, all fueled by irresponsible, reckless media of all kinds and opportunistic politicians!

Yes, Ebola is something to be concerned about, and knowledge and education is essential, but not the crazy reaction of media, and the demagoguery being promoted by politicians, who do not know or appreciate medicine and science, but are too ready to make Ebola a political issue, and promote, in the process, their own careers by scaring people, and undermining cooperation to resolve this matter in an organized, sensible manner.

IF we really want to overcome dangers, threats, and concerns about what we face, consider the following:

Ebola, as terrible as it is, has killed about 5,000 people, mostly in West Africa, and only one person in America. Even if that death toll rises, it is NOT going to reach the total of about 50,000 annually dying from Flu and Pneumonia in America, and even with that reality, many Americans do not get annual Flu shots or Pneumonia shots as a precaution, because of unfounded fears that any shots or vaccinations, even for children, is dangerous!

Auto accidents cause the death of 40,000 per year on the average, but what do we do about texting while driving; drinking while driving; reckless speeders; and those on illegal drugs who drive and often are high?

Gun deaths average at least about 11,000 per year, but we cannot get any gun legislation through Congress, due to the National Rifle Association.

Smoking, alcoholism, and drug addiction causes hundreds of thousands of deaths per year combined, but no panic and hysteria about that.

Child abuse and assaults on women cause innumerable deaths per year, but no sense of trying to do something about it has occurred, just shaking heads and rolling eyes!

When there was limited media, we had real epidemics of Typhoid Fever, Tuberculosis, Flu, Leprosy, and other diseases, yet no panic on the scale we see now.

We have the continued problem of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and AIDS has caused more deaths than Ebola ever will, without all that much concern by most people, who just figured that since a majority of people who have this disease have been gay or lesbian, at least in America, why worry about “them”, but also there are many heterosexual victims as well, and no great attention paid to it by most Americans.

The point being made is that it is the reckless news media and the political opportunists who are trying to blame Ebola on Barack Obama, and make it seem as if he wants this epidemic to occur in America, and they have a stupid, ignorant portion of the American people who accept every allegation and sensationalistic statement as total truth, when they are bald faced lies!

Reality: States With Higher Gun Ownership and Lax Gun Laws Have Higher Number of Gun Caused Deaths!

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The attempted assassination last week of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, which also led to six people dead and thirteen wounded, has again brought attention to gun control and access laws.

The astounding reality is that states with higher gun ownership and lax guns laws have much higher numbers of gun caused deaths!

It is ironic that the average citizen seems to think that owning and carrying a concealed weapon makes one safer, when in reality it does not!

One of the people in the crowd at the event in which Giffords was shot had a gun, had not pulled it out, and realizes now that he might have , in the heat of the moment, been seen as an accomplice had he done so. Also, others might have been shot in the moment of the anarchy of what was going on.

The idea, as in Arizona, that one can bring weapons to a bar or restaurant, where drinking can lead to arguments and fights, and that such carrying protects you, is a total insanity!

The idea being considered to allow people to bring guns on college campuses is totally unnerving, as an educational institution is no place for such weaponry!

We are becoming more and more two nations, defined by gun ownership and carrying of such weapons. Popularity of guns ownership is much higher in the South and the West, reminiscent of the old tradition in the nineteenth century of the frontier and the Wild West. The Northeast, Pacific Coast and major metropolitan areas in general see much lower rates of ownership and carrying, which is ironic as more people live in these areas, and yet the level of violence is much lower.

The fact that this nation is the most violent in the world, with the highest death rate from guns, should be a sobering point that makes us wonder whether there is not a need for some type of greater controls for reasons of public safety.

And the concept that ownership of guns protects us against a tyrannical government is truly insane, as we do not have that kind of government, and anyone who believes so is indeed dangerous, as he or she is paranoid and schizophrenic–in other words, mentally ill!