Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

~~~

~~~

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

WLCOME TO AN AMERICA THAT SHOOTS FIRST AND DOESN'T CARE WHO IT KILLS.

 



When a country has more guns than people, this happens and happens and happens and happens. 


Six-year-old, parents shot in Gaston County; police search for gunman 

Source: WSOC TV 

Police are looking for a gunman after a 6-year-old girl and her parents were shot Tuesday night in Gaston County, North Carolina. 

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon learned it all happened over a basketball that rolled into the suspect’s yard. 

 [snip] 

 Neighbors said several young children were playing basketball when the ball rolled down the street and into Robert Singletary’s yard. They said Singletary got mad and ran down the street, firing a gun at a neighbor. They said Singletary then came back, shooting at William White as White ran with his 6-year-old daughter, Kinsley. 

 Kinsley and her father were seriously hurt. Her mother, Ashley Hilderbrand, was grazed by a bullet and is back home now, but William White is still in the hospital.




When one of the athletes opened the door to a car she thought was her own, she saw a man sitting in the passenger seat, and jumped out.  

After she found her own car, the man came toward her and her friends. She rolled down the window to apologize, but the man pulled out a gun and started shooting.   

One athlete suffered a graze wound, while another was shot in the leg and back and had her spleen removed.   

This is the third incident in a week – Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis, and now this.  
















Maintenance worker killed at Grand Prairie apartment complex after resident believed he was being burglarized, police say

Police say the victim was checking on balconies for frozen or busted waterlines after pipes had burst throughout the complex as a result of the recent freeze.









51 comments:

possumlady said...

I put the blame squarely on Fox's head. They have been drumming up their audience for decades scaring them and turning the U.S. into the old wild west where you shoot first and ask questions later. Or, as someone I know who has a concealed carry permit puts it "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried out by six."

Shaw Kenawe said...

possumlady

The killing of the Gillis girl from Saratoga County gave me pause.

My only granddaughter is from that area of New York state. She's a freshman in college in a a rural area of upstate New York, and this shook me to my bones, as it would do to any family who has children and grandchildren away at school.

Les Carpenter said...

A certain completely delusional and blood thirsty segment of our nation, spurred on by the NRA and weapons manufacturers are responsible. Until society has the right to shut down aggressive and self serving organizations (the NRA), make illegal high capacity rapid fire firearms, confiscate all high capacity rapid fire firearms from the general public, and develop a uniform national firearms law that supercedes all state laws the killing and deaths will only continue and increase.

And lastly, the blame rests squarely on the goddamn red gop's heads.

Dave Miller said...

Should we take solace with the idea that maybe, just maybe, there is a group of people, like those in your final photo, that have large majorities of those weapons?

Again, I ask gun supporters, because this is on you, what solutions, be it confiscation, more police funding, more prison funding, more mental health funding, etc., will you support to help end or lessen the ongoing scourge of gun violence in the US.

skudrunner said...

As preached by some on the left there are more guns than people in the US. That is in excess of 330 million yet the NRA has 4 million members. How does that make the NRA responsible for all the murders by firearms. While I don't support the nra's stand on non registration and high capacity clips I do not blame them for the multiple murders. I doubt many gang members in Chicago are NRA members and certainly not Mexican cartel associates. The left is all fired up about the number of guns in the US but seem to accept that the incompetent withdrawal from afganastan gave our enemy billions of dollars worth of weapons. The defund police movement has taken hundreds of cops off our streets and the excuses for criminals in cities has not helped violent activities. Look at Chicago and their teen riot where the mayor elect said don't blame the kids because they had nothing else to do. Little is mentioned about the murders that happen every day in our cities because they are just not sensational enough unless a cop does it.

Unlike our Bhikkhu who blames one side for the violence when it it the hate filled society we live in who is really responsible. Confiscating all the high capacity clips is a great vision but impossible to do.

Shaw Kenawe said...

skud: "The left is all fired up about the number of guns in the US but seem to accept that the incompetent withdrawal from afganastan gave our enemy billions of dollars worth of weapons."

What does that have to do with the problem of gun violence HERE IN THIS COUNTRY?

Why do you change the subject and bring in unrelated issues?


skud: "The defund police movement has taken hundreds of cops off our streets and the excuses for criminals in cities has not helped violent activities."


Not so!

A majority of police agencies across the U.S. increased budgets despite 'defund' movement


"The summer of often-violent demonstrations across the country in 2020 also spurred calls for cities to cut police budgets, an idea that's grown to be known as the "Defund Movement."

However, a national investigation by the ABC Owned Televisions Stations found those calls have not transformed into action.

An analysis of budgets for more than 100 law enforcement agencies across the country uncovered the opposite. Ninety percent of cities and counties increased spending for police between the fiscal years 2018-19 and 2021-22. None of the North Carolina cities the team analyzed reported an increase in law enforcement budgets.

Of the 10% of agencies who did decrease funding, the cuts were small with only eight agencies slashing the budget by more than 2%; a percentage many local government budget experts deem irrelevant."

skudrunner said...

Ms. Shaw, Your argument is a rise in funding means more LEO's which is not true. There are 36000 fewer LEO's in 2022 than 2020 even though our population has increased. One of the issues is police have lost support from the local bureaucrats and respect from the citizens.

According to the 2021 International Association of Chiefs of Police Survey on police retention and recruitment:

78% of agencies reported having difficulty in recruiting qualified candidates
65% of agencies reported having too few candidates applying to be law enforcement officers

I guess the people in afganastan don't deserve to have a safe life so equipping the talaban is just fine, got it.

Shaw Kenawe said...



skud: The left is all fired up about the number of guns in the US but seem to accept that the incompetent withdrawal from afganastan gave our enemy billions of dollars worth of weapons.

Dave Miller said...

Again Skud...

Let's say us libs are all wet and don't know what we're talking about.

What solutions do you propose?

Les Carpenter said...

So, quess you had eggs today eh skud? All over your face that is.

Shaw Kenawe said...

SKUD, you've hijacked this thread with your comments. But I will rebut what you claim and then say that's enough, since this thread is not about the decline of police recruitments in the US.

Here's what I found:

"The officer shortages are happening during a larger reordering of the American economy. Low unemployment rates, ample job openings and a proliferation of remote work have emboldened people in many fields to seek better pay, new career paths or more time off to spend with family. And within policing, many departments were already facing a crush of officers nearing retirement age.

But there is broad agreement among police chiefs that the dwindling of the law enforcement talent pool is directly, though not exclusively, linked to the murder of Mr. Floyd by the Minneapolis police and the widespread protests and unrest that followed."


Perhaps if Derek Chauvin hadn't decided to execute George Floyd, other men and women who thought of serving their communities as officers of the law wouldn't have changed their minds in disgust and sought other forms of employment.


“It wasn’t just what happened in Minneapolis — it was felt nationally in a way it never has been,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. He added: “I think that’s taken its toll, either on prospective candidates or existing cops rethinking what it means to be a cop in America today.”

Dave Miller said...

Shaw... why bother responding to Skud on this?

He knows literally all of the Democratic leadership, including folks like Al Sharpton, rejected the "Defund the Police" movement. From President Biden to every one of the Congressional leadership team. All. Of. Them. His failure to acknowledge that speaks volumes.

But those facts do not matter to him. Nor apparently does the fact that Fmr President Trump and the leaders of the GOP Freedom Caucus, Matt Gaetz, MTG and more are on record tweeting and speechifying with direct quotes of "Defund the FBI", our nations premier federal law enforcement organization. Nor apparently does the fact that literally the entire GOP has abandoned the Capitol Police after Jan 6 when over 120 of them were sent to the hospital for simply doing their job and protecting the people's house.

But I get it... if you have no solutions to a thorny issue like kids being killed in school, at a Sweet 16 party, in a market, theater or church, what else can you do?

Mike said...

Years ago I was a telephone repairman in a downtown area for a real phone company. I was used to going anywhere I wanted to track down telephone trouble. I had keys to equipment rooms in most of the businesses in the downtown area. I would just walk in and say "telephone man" and keep going. I sure as hell wouldn't do that today.

skudrunner said...

Ms. Shaw, Of course it is trumps fault. Joey b could cancel a pipeline, stop construction of a border wall, open the border to illegals but he couldn't modify a withdrawal from Afghanistan. I guess in some peoples mind that makes perfect sense.

No this thread is about shootings because of needless violence and the lack of police is a part of that narrative. Lack of a close family and hate are also part of that equation not in the mass shootings and pressure cooker deaths because that is just hate but in the mostly black on black shootings. I'm sure you disagree because it has to be the republicans and trump's fault. It wasn't that long ago police were respected and it was an honor to serve. Now it is a dangerous and unappreciated occupation.

Rev, I never said dems are all wet and don't know what they are talking about, When the leader of the party blames everything on someone else it does show that they don't care about a solution. The democrats don't accept any of the blame for the violence in our democrat controlled cities but that is politics and the left has trump to blame and he does give them plenty of ammunition.

Leslie. your just being silly and feel you have a clue as usual.

Grey One talks sass said...

I respectfully submit that it is possible to have a country filled with unlimited weapons of death and destruction but there are some conditions, specifically each human in must be trained in the responsible use of said weapons and held to the highest standard of comportment.

I very much blame the NRA for our current situation. I also blame those politicians who took the NRA's money even as they took an oath to defend their constituents. I also blame the humans responsible for passing Citizens United allowing untold amounts of dark money into our political arena.

None of the organizations or people I blame will ever be held responsible for their greedy ways, something I have to struggle with each day lest I become the monster I abhor. That said there is a way forward but it depends on humans doing the correct thing again and again until our society is safe(r).

So here we are, in a society with media sources spoon feeding fear and hatred into the minds of their viewers twenty four hours a day non stop and we wonder why humans keep dying. Honestly I'm amazed there isn't more death, but that's just me. That said, no child should fear ringing a doorbell. No human seeing a black person at the door ringing their doorbell should jump to the conclusion that the human is there to do mayhem. Why would they think such a thing? Thank the specific media outlets purporting to be news but legally are only 'entertainment'.

I'm old enough to remember when "There oughta be a law" was a thing. Perhaps it needs to become relevant again.

Shaw Kenawe said...

To skud

"When one of the athletes opened the door to a car she thought was her own, she saw a man sitting in the passenger seat, and jumped out.

After she found her own car, the man came toward her and her friends. She rolled down the window to apologize, but the man pulled out a gun and started shooting.

One athlete suffered a graze wound, while another was shot in the leg and back and had her spleen removed.

This is the third incident in a week – Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis, and now this."



I hope you read this latest shooting in Texas. I hope it sinks in that a young cheerleader mistakenly got into the wrong car, apologized when the owner of the car came to her in her car and that owner SHOT HER!

THIS HAPPENED IN TEXAS! Where the police are funded and respected cuz it's Abbott's Texas and the gun laws are among the most lenient in the US, and the gun massacres are among the highest!

What's the excuse there?

Stop trying to blame everyone but America's crazed gun culture. THAT'S THE PROBLEM! And the NRA abandoned its primary function -- gun safety -- and promoted weapons of war and this crazed gun culture. EXCEPT! No firearms are allowed at their conventions!

THREE TIMES in one week we have gun crazed people shooting and maiming young people for making an innocent mistakes.





What kind of country

Shaw Kenawe said...

I started to write "What kind of country allows this slaughter and maiming?"

Shaw Kenawe said...

Grey One talks sass, "None of the organizations or people I blame will ever be held responsible for their greedy ways, something I have to struggle with each day lest I become the monster I abhor. That said there is a way forward but it depends on humans doing the correct thing again and again until our society is safe(r)."


As we've witnessed the increase in mass shootings and the newest spate of shooting people for making innocent mistakes, I have no confidence at all that anything will change.

We Americans have decided that owning gazillions of guns is more important to our FREEDUMBS than the safety of our children and other citizens.



Shaw Kenawe said...

Dave M. "Shaw... why bother responding to Skud on this?

He knows literally all of the Democratic leadership, including folks like Al Sharpton, rejected the "Defund the Police" movement. From President Biden to every one of the Congressional leadership team. All. Of. Them. His failure to acknowledge that speaks volumes."

I'm not sure skud knew that. If he did, why would he keep bringing up that fake "Defund the police" meme by the Dems?

Well, he knows it now. He knows that the leadership of the Democratic Party rejects that, but there will always be the fringe that keeps it going.



Shaw Kenawe said...

All In with Chris Hayes

·

.@chrislhayes: “This idea that danger lurks behind every corner and the child who rang your doorbell is obviously there to murder you—this is the implicit, and sometimes explicit, message that plays constantly in right wing circles.”

skudrunner said...

Rev, Omar, Pressley, Gillibrand, Sanders, Tlaib, Marvelous Maxine, Bowman, Jones, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, AOC, Pocan are just a few of the politicians who were for defunding the police. I don't blame you for not wanting Ms. Shaw to allow me to post because it does cast doubts on democrats. Fortunately the democrat party has been smart enough to change their stance on this topic, with a few exceptions still holding on.

I agree with the statement that the media is partially responsible for the hate and fear. This is not just a few news outlets but all both subscribed and air. If you live in a large city you hear about all the local violence because only the violence meant to incite hate gets national coverage. Inciting hate and racism is good for ratings.

Dave Miller said...

Skud... again, any solutions? Because it is conservatives and libertarians like you who are going to have to step up and give us hope.

Unless you guys just don't care.

Libs, Dems and progressives have proposed solutions for years and folks like you, keep saying those solutions are "impossible to do". So... one more time...

What solutions do you propose.

Shaw Kenawe said...

"Former Speaker Pelosi said in February of 2022 that defunding the police “is not the position of the Democratic Party” and also said in 2020 that “from the standpoint of our legislation, we’re not going to that place.”

During Pelosi’s tenure as House speaker under President Joe Biden, Democrats have passed policing reform legislation, not defunding legislation. In fact, they have passed legislation that provides additional funding to police.


skud, the Democratic legislators you name are NOT the majority. The MAJORITY of Democratic legislators DO NOT WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE, as former Speaker Pelosi stated.

I do understand that Trumpublicans believe a MINORITY represents what everyone thinks, because that's what they ceaselessly tell us.

A MAJORITY of Americans believe abortion should be legal, safe, and rare. (But a minority of Americans [See SCOTUS] changed that with the approval of the minority Trumpublicans.)

A MAJORITY of Americans want legislation passed to address the fact that firearms are the leading cause of deaths for children and teens. (But a minority of Americans -- with the help of the NRA and red states -- do nothing.)

Just because a MINORITY of Democratic legislators mouthed off about "defunding the police," it does not follow that ALL Democrats agree.

Facts show that they don't.

PS. None of that has anything to do with gun-crazed Americans shooting first before they know what's going on -- the subject of this post. So I would appreciate not continuing the discussion of defunding, because that's not what contributes to Americans randomly shooting other Americans.

Thanks.

Dave Miller said...

Skud... once again you are lying. Show me anywhere, specifically in this post, where I said Shaw should not allow to post.

Anywhere.

What I said, because you obviously struggle on those old SRA reading comprehension tests, was this...

"Shaw... why bother responding to Skud on this?"

If you want to be taken seriously, show me where I said, or even implied the following...

"I don't blame you for not wanting Ms. Shaw to allow me to post because it does cast doubts on democrats.

We've been down this road before. You frequently mischaracterizing my statements, attribute words to me I've never written or said and lie about my words. Once, twice maybe even three times, it's a mistake.

But now it seems to be an ongoing pattern.

Why lie?

And especially about something like being critical of the Dems. heck, I'm very critical of them myself. They're not perfect, not by a long shot. They overspend, are slow to respond to real issues like immigration, lack creativity and more.

But they're far and away better than a group that lies about "defund the police". Of the group you cited, not a one of them, besides Sanders, can be called a leader of the Democratic Party. Members, yes. Leaders? Nope.

In fact President Biden himself has mostly sidelined this group, [The Squad] as it relates to policy and positions.

As it relates to Sanders, here's his statement, long on the record...

“Do I think we should not have police departments in America? No, I don’t. There’s no city in the world that does not have police departments...

I didn’t call for more money for police departments. I called for police departments that have well-educated, well-trained, well-paid professionals. And, too often around this country right now, you have police officers who take the job at very low payment, don’t have much education, don’t have much training — and I want to change that.”


Where in that does he call for defunding the police?

As for Gillibrand, here's her statement...

“No, I’m for rethinking and reforming the police department. The debate is much more about reforming and rethinking police departments so that we can have transparency, accountability, and justice...”

Where in her statement does she call for defunding the police?

I'll give you a hint... nowhere. but as usual, either your research is wrong, you are mistaken, or are lying.

Now back to the subject of this post class...

Skud, what solution to the problem of gun violence in the US do you propose to end or lessen the amount of children dying as a result of that violence.

Paula said...

Welcome to America.

Knock on the wrong door, get shot!

Turn around in the wrong driveway, get shot!

Get in the wrong car, get shot!

Go to the supermarket, get shot!

Go to school, get shot!

Go to church, get shot!

Got to work, get shot!

Go to a concert, get shot!

Go to a nightclub, get shot!

Welcome to America.

Have a nice day.

The Prophet Dervish Z Sanders said...

Shaw, why are you entertaining Skud? Why do you keep Skud around? I would kick him off my blogs immediately if he were to try commenting at my sites on my future posts.

Les Carpenter said...

So skud, since i'm silly, stupid, and do not know anything about anything (at least in you far superior mind) i'll echo Dave, a man much brighter than either you or i and ask, what are your thoughts, suggestions, and recomendations for how America might reduce the almost now daily occurances of gun violence and the resulting deaths because of it

If possible keep a sharp focus on the rising, and top cause of death in children today in America... death by firearms


Thank you in advance for expert insights.

Anonymous said...

30 states legally allow kids to carry guns:

AL, AK, AZ, AR, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV & WY

The 10 states with the highest gun death rate for kids:
AK, AL, AR, LA, MS, MO, OK, SC, TN & TX

Shaw Kenawe said...

To answer the question on why skudrunner is allowed to post here:

Skudrunner has been posting here for a long time, and he's welcomed because he is never vulgar, never insults the blog hostess, and he allows us to see how the other side of the aisle thinks.

I am somewhat disturbed when he puts words in other people's mouths (mine included) when we never say those words, and when he makes statements that are objectively not true. The defund the police, for example. The Democratic LEADERSHIP NEVER ENDORSED THAT! EVER!

And Dave Miller NEVER suggested I not allow skud to comment here. Dave M. wanted to know why I responded to skud on a PARTICULAR comment. That's it. That's certainly NOT asking me to bar him from commenting at all.

Unfortunately, some people misread or deliberately misunderstand.

Dave Miller said...

Shaw... I'm glad you updated this post to include the cheer leaders, though I am sad it was necessary.

Interesting that elsewhere in blogistan, we actually see somewhat sane ppl claiming "we just see no incidents of white people attacking people of color. If it was happening, you could be damn sure the press would be reporting it."

And there in adds another layer to our problems in America.

Many people are unable to think about a potential solution to the problem of gun violence because those solutions run counter to their belief systems.

And two, some folks apparently are simply surprisingly clueless. How else to explain that above quote as we see the posts here?

skudrunner said...

Rev, Your words "Shaw... why bother responding to Skud on this?"

Who is the democratic leadership. Would that be the squad who is all for ruining the petroleum industry, the NEA who would rather have teachers stay home than teach or kamala who is outraged about the abortion pill but could give a hoot about the border. By posting why bother responding to me he is saying he doesn't understand why you would want a different opinion much the same as dervie. I could point to leslie saying I called him stupid which I never did and that is lying but that is also him so I take it in stride.

I have my own opinions on how to curb violence in cities but it is to radical to be acceptable. As to mass killings, tone down the hate toward everyone, don't allow the perpetrators name to be published and quit identifying the individual as part of any group. Does it really matter is a shooter is white, black, brown or any nationality, male or female. This just causes hate toward that group and solves nothing.

Les Carpenter said...

Well skuddy ole buddy, i stand partially corrected. You said i was just silly and feel as l have a clue as usual, implying i don't.

So skud, you're right, you didn't use the word stupid. I stand guilty of embellishment of your actual words.

Dave Miller said...

Skud... again, offer up some solutions, radical or not. A lot of ppl think registering guns is radical. Others think gun safety instruction is radical. I don't care how radical an idea is. I just want solution and ideas.

Now for your English lesson...

You said... "I don't blame you for not wanting Ms. Shaw to allow me to post"

Are you really saying my words to Shaw that said "Shaw... why bother responding to Skud on this?" speak of me not wanting her to allow you to post? I can't see any possible for you to get that meaning from those words.

Perhaps that is why America is in a bad way these days. Two people looking at the same sentence, in the same language and having two completely different understandings of it.

Ray said...

"Would that be the squad who is all for ruining the petroleum industry, the NEA who would rather have teachers stay home than teach or kamala who is outraged about the abortion pill but could give a hoot about the border." [skudrunner]

He does this all the time. He changes the subject to focus on someone else's behavior to show that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless. It's called "whataboutism" and skud is a master at it.




Dave Miller said...

Not sure you all saw this one...

We've all been there. Playing in our yards and the ball rolls into a neighbor's yard. For me, it was Mr. Greene. If anything we were playing with, he came out and picked up and took it away. But I guess that's better than what happened with this little girl and her family.

6 year old shot after ball rolls onto neighbor's lawn...

So once again I ask... any solutions from the conservative 2nd Amendment supporting gun owners or enthusiasts out there?

Should us crazy liberals just accept this as the cost of being free Americans?

skudrunner said...

Rev, We elect our leaders to lead and they don't which is everyone's fault for voting for a party instead a person. Yes the republicans bow to the nra but why can't congress put a bill on the floor to limit large capacity clips, maybe it won't get to the floor now because of republican control but where has congress been for eight years. Maybe the parties can trade, voter ID for high capacity clips but at least it would force the idiots to take a committed stand which is exactly what they don't want.

I guess the solution is to kick down doors to melt down guns, not sure that would be well received. Most citizens have guns in Switzerland but the murder rate is almost non existent. Why, because you have to be registered and trained on gun usage. That and the media doesn't promote fear of everything and everybody which causes 80 year olds to fire through a door because the person was black and the media has convinced him they are going to murder him. You have to have a license to drive but not to own a gun, stupid because used improperly they both can kill. I do not support the nra and do support registration to own a gun.

Passing a law will not remove high capacity clips but would make it illegal to make more. Far more people are killed by normal clip guns than high capacity it is just not as media intense. Maybe enforcing our laws would have an effect. Blaming the person for committing a crime would be a nice change. Even the teen riots in chicago were excused away by the elected mayor by saying the kids didn't have anything else to do.

The best place to start improving society is to quit electing idiots and term limits so they don't start campaigning from day one and hold our elected elite responsible for their actions. Enforce the law and put a pause on blaming each other.

You are correct I did misinterpret what you said and I will be more careful with that. We may disagree on a couple of issues but you do have a reasonable approach instead of just slinging arrows to sling arrows.

Ray, I was just trying to identify the democrat leadership which Ms. Shaw referred to.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Dave M. "So once again I ask... any solutions from the conservative 2nd Amendment supporting gun owners or enthusiasts out there?"

Here are my suggestions:

All guns, like cars, should be registered.

All gun owners, like automobile owners, must carry insurance against accidental death/injury caused by said guns. (The Gillis girl from NY, for example, her family had to start a "Go-Fund -Me for unseen expenses caused by the shooter. Why should victims have to bear the cost of what the gun owner caused?)

Re-banning of AR-15s. We did it before, we can do it again.

Background checks on everyone who buys a gun; no gun sales to mentally ill buyers.

That's just off the top of my head.

Here's one that is just my preference, and one that would ever be passed:

Certain Red State legislators don't want children near drag queens and story hours?

Well, I would ban taking photos of children under 12 playing, cradling, kissing firearms!



Shaw Kenawe said...

skudrunner "...why can't congress put a bill on the floor to limit large capacity clips, maybe it won't get to the floor now because of republican control but where has congress been for eight years."

S.K. We've already explained this to you. President Obama had COMPLETE control of BOTH HOUSES of Congress for exactly 4 months. He felt it was more important to pass universal healthcare, something this country had been trying to do for 100 YEARS, and catch up with the rest of the civilized world.


Biden knew that Sinema and Manchin would NEVER get on board with anything.

Where's Congress been for eight years, you ask?

In bed with the NRA and gun manufacturers.

skud: "Blaming the person for committing a crime would be a nice change."

S.K.: The United States is home to the second largest number of prisoners worldwide, only beaten by China. Roughly 1.68 million people were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2023. In China, the estimated prison population totaled to 1.69 million people that year.



Also, skud, check out my proposals. We agree on some of them. And I'm sure we're not the only Americans who do.


Shaw Kenawe said...

Here's one I forgot:

Gun owners who cause deaths and injury because of unsecured firearms in the home should be arrested, lose the right to own guns, and made responsible for medical and funeral costs of victims who were killed or injured by the gun owner's negligence.

Mike said...

Here are two more today...

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/4-found-dead-maine-home-185000525.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=1_11

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/little-girl-parents-shot-basketball-025535069.html

skudrunner said...

Ms. Shaw, I believe we are reaching the same thing and yes there are far to many deaths by firearms. AR-15 are just one high capacity firearms but there are several others who can do just as much harm so maybe ban all rifles would be better. If you read my posts you will notice one thing I have repeated. Put it to a vote and put the incompetent crooks on record as to what they support. I fully realize BHO was far more concerned in controlling peoples healthcare that saving lives but it still should be put on the floor for a vote.

Shaw Kenawe said...

skudrunner "I fully realize BHO was far more concerned in controlling peoples healthcare that saving lives but it still should be put on the floor for a vote."


Universal healthcare saves millions of lives. Also, President Biden capped insulin prices so that those who depend on it to stay alive don't have to ration it because of its cost. Saving lives there, too.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Mike

Here's the first one you posted:

"Man allegedly guns down parents and their 2 friends days after his release from prison

A 34-year-old man allegedly shot and killed his parents and their two friends at a home in Bowdoin, Maine, days after his release from prison, authorities said.

Around 9:21 a.m. Tuesday, four people were found shot dead at the home: 72-year-old Robert Eger, 62-year-old Patricia Eger and 62-year-old Cynthia Eaton were found inside, while 66-year-old David Eaton was found in the barn, Maine State Police said at a news conference Wednesday.

The Eatons' son, Joseph Eaton, had been released from the Windham Correctional Facility in Maine on April 14 after serving a sentence for aggravated assault, according to police. His mother picked him up from prison and brought him to Bowdoin to stay with the Egers, who were family friends, police said."



The second one is linked the top of this post. I saw it too.

When there are more guns than people, we should not be surprised when there's gun mayhem and massacres on a daily basis.



Les Carpenter said...

Unfortunately we don't have universal healthcare in the USA. We have a rough facsimile of it.

America is slow in advancing social programs as socialism remains a dirty word with a very many. They've been sufficiently conditioned by the propaganda to not trust anything that smacks of socialism. Even though we have a mixed economy already.

We are seeing the rightwing resistance to more liberal prigrams already as the gop majority in the house under mccarthy is working hard to "take America back" to presumably the good ole days. Whatever that really means.

Anonymous said...

Once you own a gun, studies have shown the chances are much higher you or someone in your family will be injured with a gun. NRA likes to hide this stuff.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Grandson of man who shot Ralph Yarl says 'fear' and conspiracies consume him


"[The grandson of the shooter, Klint] Ludwig, 28, a former public safety officer who lives in suburban Kansas City, said he grew up knowing that his grandfather was "great," and would spend time at his grandparents' home exploring their quiet, kid-friendly neighborhood — streets he found himself to be mistakenly similar.

Ludwig said he never really knew what his grandfather's social and political views were when he was younger but said Lester had become consumed with watching conservative news outlets and following conspiracy theories built on misinformation."

[skip]

"His actions are his responsibility, and falling into the fear and paranoia stoked by the 24-hour news cycle and wild conspiracies did not help his mental state," Ludwig said.

Ludwig said his political views differ greatly from his grandfather and his thoughts are with the young Black high school student who could have lost his life for simply going to the wrong home.

"Ralph deserves justice, regardless of my relationship with the shooter," Ludwig said. "Black Lives Matter always."

Dave Miller said...

RN...

Here's another liberal/leftist program the GOP is trying to limit or completely block...

College Students Voting

Shaw Kenawe said...

Dave M.

I read that earlier today.

What are we to think of a political party that will try to limit college students' voting because they know that demographic will not vote for them?

So their solution is to stop them from voting.

How does that square with American democracy?

Why do Republicans even THINK this will make young people want to be part of a political party that wants to disenfranchise them because of their beliefs?

Dave Miller said...

Shaw... they're banking on the old saw of "when they are young, they're libs, but once they grow up, they become conservatives."

I have a friend who's a data geek and survey guy. Works for some of the biggest companies in the US. He says that was always true.

But not anymore.

Polling and data together are showing, and even Kellyanne Conway, the GOP data guru, is citing it, that young ppl are no longer reflexively becoming conservatives once they graduate and get a few bucks in their wallets.

Now, the GOP does not believe this, and certainly the mouth breathers watching FOX will never hear it, much less believe it, but it's true.

So what else can the GOP do but to work to suppress voter turnout among people not inclined to vote for them and/or their policies?

The GOP is on the wrong side of abortion, health care, guns, student loan issues, environmental issues, tax policy and more.

But they refuse to work to convince people that their way is better. Instead, they choose to rule by executive or judicial fiat.

And before anyone starts with the Dems do it too... that's just BS.

Show me where in the post Civil Rights Era the Dems have ever tried to limit the right to vote. Show me where Dems refused to work with the GOP after a GOP program [think the Medicare Rx benefit] was passed to make it better? Show me where the Dems stonewalled across administrations a SCOTUS nominee. And show me where DEMS refused to seat a temporary committee replacement for an ailing member so the work of government could continue?

This is the GOP today. Supporting policies that kill children, potentially kill expectant mothers, limit and make it difficult to vote, want to eliminate health care insurance for millions of Americans and want to limit and sunset Medicare and Social Security.

And they don't give a rip about the over 120 US Federal officers who were savagely beaten by Trump supporters on Jan 6.

I guess if I was running one of their campaigns, I'd work to suppress the vote too.

Les Carpenter said...

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts ansolutely.

Dictatorial power and control is the goal of the gop IMO. They have no real interest in democracy or true equality anymore. That interest ended near the end of 2008 if not sooner.

If the data and polling are correct and the nation is lucky the gop will go the way of the old Whig party.

skudrunner said...

Anon 238, That was a brilliant statement. Taking it one step further if you own a car studies have shown the chances are much higher you or someone in your family will be injured with a car.

I agree with Rev's comment that young people are not turning conservative. They are increasingly converting to the idea that socialism is a better form of government. Free money, free healthcare, minimum guaranteed income, abortion on demand and support the idea that the debt they incurred to get a degree in a subject they can't get a job in should be paid for by someone else. It is a great time to elect a president who campaigns on social media from his couch and not be allowed to debate after all he is all special interest and taking down the middle class.