National Rifle Association

A Joint Statement And Press Conference Of The Four Former Presidents Now Needed To Call For Action Against Mass Murder Epidemic In America!

Ronald Leave a comment

The crisis that America faces now after the Aurora, Colorado Massacre last Friday requires courage, principle, and determination being expressed by the men who have held the Presidency, and know of the need for some gun regulation, including banning of assault weapons and large capacity magazines.

Therefore, former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, crossing party lines and doing what is moral, ethical, and essential, need to issue a joint statement, and go further.

They need to meet together in public in Washington, DC, hold a press conference, and all four need to make comments to the nation at large on the essential need for both political conventions to adopt resolutions at their national convention five and six weeks from now of the need for gun regulations to stop the mass murder going on in our nation!

Yes, this will stir controversy, and anger the National Rifle Association, but it is time for our former Presidents to forget politics, and bring their stature and dignity onto their parties, and put the opponents of such resolutions and actions on the spot, fully exposed for who they are, and embarrass the anti gun regulation opponents at the least!

This is a national emergency, really more significant than the economy, foreign policy or just about anything else. This is a “war” on America, a “terrorist” attack from within, more dangerous than Islamic terrorism, and it is time for action, and for our four former Presidents to be statesmen, not politicians!

Some Facts About Guns In America: The Toll They Take!

Ronald Leave a comment

Every day in America, 87 Americans are killed by gun violence, close to four per hour!

Every day in America, 183 Americans are wounded by gun violence, close to eight per hour!

Every year in America, about 1,000 young people under the age of 21 are shot, about three per day!

Gun violence cost annually is about $100 billion, which could be used for health care or education, instead of the cost of the suffering that guns produce!

One would think such statistics would be more than enough reason for sane, rational people to say it is time for gun regulations to prevent acquisition of large amounts of ammunition, and to ban totally any possibility of assault weapons.

But of course, there is too much profit in gun sales, and the National Rifle Association enriches itself and its leadership, by stirring its members into a frenzy that legitimate purchase and use of guns would ever be totally banned!

Time For All Good People To React To Religious Extremists, NRA Fanatics, And Grover Norquist Blackmail!

Ronald 1 Comment

America has many problems, but has allowed itself to be taken hostage by extremist, fanatical groups that have no purpose but the promotion of hate, greed, and selfishness, and it is time for all good Americans to speak up and make it clear that they will not allow the hostage situation to continue to exist!

Who are the villains?

Christian extremists who keep on promoting that only a theocracy with their brand of religion will send a person to Heaven, and in the process promote narrow mindedness and hate, need to be confronted without fear.

National Rifle Association leadership, including Wayne LaPierre, who enrich themselves and promote extremism in defense of the Second Amendment., and against reasonable gun regulations, particularly assault weapons, are a threat to public safety.

And Grover Norquist, the anti tax radical, and head of Americans For Tax Reform, has gained so much power and influence that Republicans are afraid to challenge him, and have allowed themselves to be blackmailed into refusing to consider ANY tax increases, no matter what, and willingness, therefore, to create financial chaos and the destruction of government’s ability to do its job of being in charge of the federal budget.

Until these three extremist groups are under control, America has little chance to move forward and deal with the promotion of tolerance, of public safety, and of responsible budgetary reform!

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Throws Down The Gauntlet To Barack Obama And Mitt Romney: Come Up With A Plan For Responsible Gun Regulation After The Aurora, Colorado Massacre!

Ronald Leave a comment

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has thrown down the gauntlet to President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney to take responsibility for coming up with a plan for gun regulation, in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado Massacre last Friday. The fact that a Presidential campaign is on is a perfect time to force the issue to be addressed NOW, not later!

Both candidates and many political leaders of both parties have avoided the subject, as it is seen as toxic, with the tremendous power and impact of the National Rifle Association, arguably the most powerful pressure group in American politics.

But as Bloomberg said, on the average, 12,000 people are murdered every year by gun violence, which adds up to 48,000 in a four year Presidential term.

We lost 58,000 in Vietnam over a period of nine years, it should be pointed out, and here, we would have close to that amount in just four years!

This is inexcusable and unacceptable, and the American people, at least those who are rational and reasonable, demand something be done about this carnage NOW!

Public opinion polls are making it clear that action must be taken soon to attempt to cut down this tragedy in the future, in the most dangerous society on the face of the earth, because of the power of the gun industry, which has no concern other than profits!

Those Against “Reasonable” Gun Control Laws Are Promoting Anarchy And Lawlessness, Undermining Police And Law Enforcement Agencies!

Ronald 1 Comment

With the horrific events in Aurora, Colorado, on Friday, the Movie Multiplex Massacre conducted by James Holmes, we are seeing conservatives, Republicans, and the National Rifle Association ready to fight to prevent even “reasonable” gun control laws.

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, elected with the help of the Tea Party in 2010 over the great progressive Russ Feingold, came out swinging against any gun control legislation, using the same crazy viewpoint of Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert that if others in the audience had possessed guns, they could have stopped the gunman, fully misunderstanding that several people using guns would have likely led to far greater casualties, as no one would know who was the perpetrator, and who was trying to stop him!

Johnson, on Fox News Channel, saying this ridiculous comment, was contradicted by Senator Diane Feinstein of California, who knows the horrors of guns, witnessing the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978.

As Feinstein asserted, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason for ANYONE other than the military and police forces to have access to assault rifles, and magazines of large numbers of ammunition. Handguns and hunting rifles for specific purposes, after a total background check are reasonable, but not AK 47s or other types of rapidly firing machine guns that can kill large numbers of people, as this massacre was conducted two days ago.

This is a struggle that needs to be fought against the unreasonableness of the National Rifle Association, and those Republicans, and even Democrats, who seem to have the belief that we are fighting the Indians on the frontier, or are fighting the Crusades in the Middle East in the medieval period.

A civilized society MUST put controls on guns that are unnecessary, and that only crazy people would wish to possess, as what is the purpose of having assault weapons, except to kill large numbers of people? It is not like a handgun to protect oneself, or a hunting rifle to go hunting for deer, or whatever!

Sanity must be demonstrated, and requires courage by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and those who understand that if nothing is done, the massacre in Colorado will be repeated with much higher numbers of casualties, far surpassing the all time record of 70 victims which occurred two days ago!

Also ask law enforcement agencies, and one will find that the police see themselves as the front line of possible victims, as even with their own defenses, the widespread ownership of assault weapons endangers their lives, even more than the average civilian!

What Should Happen: A Joint Appearance In Aurora, Colorado Today By Barack Obama And Mitt Romney To Mourn The Victims!

Ronald Leave a comment

President Barack Obama is going to Aurora, Colorado this afternoon to attend a service to mourn the dead in the Multiplex Movie Theater Massacre, a very appropriate action on his part.

But this is also a moment when his opponent, Mitt Romney, should forgo partisanship and unite with Obama on the podium, shaking hands, and both of them speaking on the dangers of gun violence, and the need for the federal government to do SOMETHING, overcoming partisanship and standing for joint action, based on what is right, not what is political, for once in a long while! And if the National Rifle Association gets angry, so be it, as it is highly unlikely that they will abandon Romney and endorse Obama for President!

Could Obama reject such a bold gesture by Romney, to share the podium with him? Hardly, but it would require real courage, guts, and principle by the former Massachusetts Governor, a profile in real leadership, where neither would gain politically, but both would gain in respect and common decency to unite on what is right to do, not what is politically popular.

But notice that Romney has remained silent, other than an appropriate statement on Friday, but he should surprise everyone and announce he will be there, and will wish to make the mourning for the victims of the gun violence totally non-political!

But don’t hold your breath on this one!

Aurora, Colorado Massacre DEMANDS Action On Gun Control Measures, Despite National Rifle Association Lobbying!

Ronald 1 Comment

The horrible tragedy, the massacre at the multiplex Century Theater in Aurora, Colorado this morning, needs to be treated as a wake up call for campaigning for strict gun control laws, similar to the Brady Bill passed under Bill Clinton, and ended under George W. Bush a decade later.

This should be an issue to unite Democrats and Republicans, but Democrats are afraid to promote gun control, as they lost control of Congress to the Republicans in 1994, with the Brady Bill being part of the reason.

Many Republicans and conservatives have the paranoid feeling that Barack Obama wishes to take away their gun rights under their interpretation of the Second Amendment.

The point is that no one is trying to say that ownership or purchase of guns should be banned, as that is impossible to accomplish, even if one wished to do that.

But after the Columbine Massacre in Colorado in 1999, the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007, the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011, and now this event, the worst total of victims ever in American history, it is essential to take some steps on gun control.

And to have Texas Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert, promote the insanity that if some of the people in the theater had had weapons, they could have stopped the massacre, forgetting that several people opening up fire in a theater would have led to innocent victims being killed by those “heroes”, who might very well be shooting at each other, in the midst of the chaos, is no contribution, but Gohmert is infamous for insane, reckless statements.

This is as insane as to say that it should be alright for students and faculty to have guns on campuses, or to carry weapons into a bar, where drunken patrons could begin shooting!

A level of sanity and stability needs to be addressed by President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney in a way to bring about some legislation to cut down the level of violence, which right now makes America the most violent society in the world, with about 10,000 gun victims annually.

The Imminent Loss Of A True Statesman From The US Senate: Richard Lugar Of Indiana

Ronald Leave a comment

With 24 hours to go, it seems imminent that Indiana Senator Richard Lugar is about to lose his Republican primary for a seventh term to a Tea Party right wing extremist.

If this happens, as expected, it will be a true tragedy not only for Lugar, but also for Indiana, and for the wish for bipartisanship and principle in the US Senate.

Lugar has been in the Senate for 36 years, after serving as Mayor of Indianapolis, and while he is a strong conservative, he has never resorted to reckless statements or crazy viewpoints, always keeping his dignity and image as a person willing to cross the aisle and work with opposition Democrats.

The fact that he cooperated with a new Senator, Barack Obama, in 2005-2006, on working to avoid the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons on a world wide basis, now is being held against him.

The fact that he has occasionally supported the President on a few issues, not many, was enough to make people angry in his right wing Republican state.

The National Rifle Association is against him; Lugar has supported the DREAM Act on immigration; and he supported the two Supreme Court nominees of Barack Obama.

Lugar was twice Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and twice Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and if the Republicans won the Senate in 2012 and Lugar won, he would be Senate President Pro Tempore, third in line of succession to be President of the United States.

Of course, Lugar’s age, 80, could be used against him, but he is a very vigorous, energetic 80, and is seen by many as a brilliant statesman in his major area of interest, foreign policy.

But the GOP of 2012 is sadly controlled too much by the Tea Party and other right wingers, and the only good thing that might come out of a defeat of Richard Lugar is the takeover of the seat by a Democrat, Congressman Joe Donnelly, which would give his party a chance at keeping the Senate majority, a much endangered majority!

Gun Rights, Mass Murder, Chief Justice Warren Burger, And The Second Amendment

Ronald Leave a comment

The National Rifle Association is riding high, having succeeded in promotion of “Stand Your Ground” laws which has led to the deaths of hundreds of victims in the past ten years, including Trayvon Martin in Florida in February.

The NRA was the host of the rant of Ted Nugent last week, threatening the life of President Barack Obama, and calling for harm on Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Attorney General Eric Holder.

The NRA sat back and had no reaction to the assassination attempt against Arizona Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords in Tucson in January 2011.

The NRA had no reaction to the mass murder of 32 people at Virginia Tech five years ago this week.

The NRA had no reaction to the mass murder at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, also occurring this week.

The NRA continues to say that guns do not kill people, and that instead, people kill people, but fight against any sensible background checks, or the banning of assault weapons.

They continue to state that the Second Amendment allows uninhibited ownership of guns by anyone who wishes to collect them.

A Supreme Court case in June 2010 in McDonald V. Chicago further cemented their 2008 decision in District of Columbia V. Heller, with the five Supreme Court conservatives deciding both cases, in favor of gun owner rights.

The thought that such an important decision came about by a bare 5-4 vote on ideological grounds is very disturbing, and belies the statement of former Chief Justice Warren Burger, appointed by Richard Nixon in 1969 and serving to 1986.

In 1991, the former Chief Justice stated that the Second Amendment was subject to fraud by special interest groups, does not guarantee the right to have firearms at all, and was designed to provide state militia to promote defense of the state.

But then, as conservative as Burger was thought to be in his tenure on the Court, it is clear that the conservative majority on the Court today is far more right wing than any since the 1920s, a foreboding of the damage they may do in many key cases to be decided and announced between now and the end of June, including the Obama Health Care legislation!

Rocker Ted Nugent, Mitt Romney, And Threats Against Barack Obama

Ronald 3 Comments

Ted Nugent is a long time singer and musician, defined as a hard rocker and hevy metal musician, performing since age 10 in 1958.

Nugent has been a great influence on others in the hard rock and heavy metal music business, and has become well known for his conservative views on politics and public affairs over his long career.

Nugent is certainly entitled to have his views and to express them, but as with any public figure, and really any person, there is such a thing as going too far, if one threatens anyone, and particularly a public figure, and most significantly the President of the United States, whoever he happens to be.

In other words, there is the concept of “clear and present danger’, which allows government to prosecute anyone who threatens the breakdown of law and order, the promotion of bloodshed and violence and anarchy by one’s use of language.

Ted Nugent has reached that level of objectionable and dangerous language, and is being investigated, appropriately, by the Secret Service.

What did Nugent say?

At the National Rifle Association conference this past weekend in St. Louis, Missouri, Nugent said that if Barack Obama is reelected, he (Nugent) will either be dead or in prison. He spoke to a group of mostly young men, riling them up, by talking about decapitating Barack Obama and calling him a piece of excrement. He also bitterly criticized Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Attorney General Eric Holder, and used threatening language against them.

One could sense that Nugent was provoking these gun enthusiasts with feverish language against the Commander in Chief, and could certainly have the effect of making some young man, similar to John Hinckley, Arthur Bremer, or Lee Harvey Oswald, be motivated by the comments of this famous rock star to attempt to bring harm against President Obama, or actually assassinate him, which would be a horrible tragedy beyond belief.

Mitt Romney has been endorsed by Ted Nugent, but he needs to make a clear statement of condemnation of Nugent, and repudiate his endorsement, as who would seriously wish to have the backing of an unstable public figure who, despite his right to criticize, shows a total lack of respect for the office of President, if not the individual in that office.

But don’t bet on Romney taking a principled stand, as he has failed to do that constantly during his political career.