Feeding The "Law and Order" Candidate

News of the slaughter of police officers in Baton Rouge must have Republican strategists hastily coming up with how the Donald is the only choice for stopping this senseless and cowardly violence. The assassination of police officers creates anger and anger feeds votes for Trump. Black lives indeed matter but they will be put into more jeopardy if the likes of a Trump takes residence in the White House. Sure there are bad and cruel police officers. There are many more good and caring officers. The bad officers will thrive under a "law and order" agenda. The self serving hate driving some protesters will only lead to more bloodshed making the demagogues salivate for the chance to impose an autocratic government. Starve the demagogue do not feed him.

With this latest massacre, one has to conclude that although Americans nurture the Second Amendment they certainly prove that they have no respect for lethal instruments in their hands. When the hell is someone going to move for gun control in no uncertain terms.

(I must admit that it is not clear as to whether or not the police were the initial target but the fact remains that gun violence took some lives)

Anno Nuovo

Yes it is a new year. 2015 hopefully will see me become a nonagenarian. Now that I think about it, nonagenarian sounds a little negative. Be that as it may (had to get that cliche in), I'll take it if it is offered to me.

Anno nuovo (the new year) is not all about aging. It is also about the return of good TV and I'm not talking about football playoffs. Tonight at 9PM, "Downton Abbey" returns for its fifth season. The Lord be praised, Sunday TV, thanks to PBS will be entertaining again.

Play ball! Of course Anno Nuovo will also usher in my favorite sport, baseball. I predict that the Cleveland Indians will make it to the Series and take it all ( only an octogenarian on his way to becoming a nonagenarian would dare make such a prediction - some would call it a sign of dementia).

Not to be sneezed at (another cliche - 2015 must be the Year of The Cliche), this year we will be privileged to see the greatest show on earth. The race for the White House starts in earnest and will challenge Downton Abbey for must see TV entertainment.

The down side of 2015 comes tomorrow. Republicans take over control of the Senate as well as the House. The only thing they seem to have on their agenda is to make sure that the last two years of the Obama presidency are a disaster, no matter how miserable it makes the ninety-nine per centers. The light at the end of the tunnel is that Obama will toss politics aside, put on his gloves ( lets hear it for cliches) and make his last two years full of presidential initiatives designed to restore this country to the ninety-nine per centers. Yes he can!

Along with an Anno Nouvo there always is an Anno Vecchio. The past Anno Vecchio, 2014, has lessons for 2015. 2014 saw the most serious flaw in our great democracy raise its ugly head. Racism is alive but not well. Along with the cancer of racism, the militaristic posture of our police forces made its debut. If 2015 can see more progress in making the words "all men are created equal" accepted by all, it will indeed be a  good year. If we can stop the march towards a militaristic and gun toting society it will be a very good year.

Our Achilles Heel?

Glad to see President Obama taking a more vocal stand on gun control. Unfortunately, I doubt that his call for effective gun control will move too many Congressmen off their asses. Not only are they in the NRA's pocket (or should I say dipping into the NRA's pockets) but with the defeat of Eric Cantor in the Virginia primaries we could have the spectacle of more Republican Congressmen ( and shamefully some Democrats) trying to convince the Tea Party how conservative they are by wrapping themselves in the Second Amendment. As far as wrapping goes, there is a company that has developed a bullet proof blanket which they claim is the solution to protecting our children during school shootings. Unbelievable that massacres have almost become an expected event. At least someone is developing protective devices while others develop more lethal guns.

Sad indeed that mass shootings have now defined the society of this country. Shameful that legislation for gun reform always ends up on the back burner. Frightful that a very conservative interpretation of the Second Amendment may very well become this country's Achilles heel.

Where have the statesmen gone?

Where have the statesmen and or stateswomen, enlightened leaders and dedicated legislators gone? They must be out there someplace. Or have they been repelled by greedy politicians? Low blow! I'm sure the preference is pragmatic politicians. Whatever or whoever they are, our representatives are letting us down. Politicians have made it perfectly clear that their first loyalty is to their political party. If there is any loyalty to spare their countrymen may be tossed a bone.

Needed legislation is on a merry-go-round.The chances of  immigration reform are practically nil until the mid-term elections are over. Raise the minimum wage? Don't bet on it - another third rail before elections. As a matter of fact any meaningful bill that impacts the wealth of the one per-centers is dead on arrival. They have so many congressional wimps in their hip pocket. Then there is gun control. The NRA not only has Congressmen in its hip pocket it has most potential presidential candidates in its front pocket.

Any action designed to fight global warming has about as much of a chance as a snowball in hell. Climate change action not only is a no-no around election time, it is a no-no supported by "Big Money" lobbyists year 'round. As one politician after another stands in denial of global warming, one can picture Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Not even the scientific evidence that the Antarctica ice shelf has disintegrated has stirred much comment in government circles. For that matter, neither has the media taken up the fight for climate control. Everyone is too busy with the NBA team owner scandal and the NFL draft.

It could be argued that once the midterm elections are over the new Congress will set aside witch hunts and will address the problems facing the country with a sincere desire to resolve them. Whoa!! Someone is forgetting that the big prize is up for grabs in 2016. There will be no time to focus on any action which might give one party or the other an edge. There will only be time for posturing and digging up material to destroy a perceived front runner.

Lets face it. Modern politics in the United States is all about winning elections. Nothing wrong with that except it has become a full time effort. Its as though the legislative branch of government is on a perennial recess. What to do?  Reform campaign laws - fat chance. A strong executive branch willing to lead at all cost might help but that's where I began. Where are these statesmen and enlightened leaders?

You're as blind as a bat!

My favorite sport, baseball, has succumbed to the cries for replay. No longer can we enjoy the spectacle of a manger venting his anger at an umpire after a controversial call at home plate. "you're as blind as a bat" has been replaced with " I'm challenging your call, please call New York". If Pete Rose were playing today he would look like an ordinary base runner. No longer would catchers brace themselves for the inevitable collision as he barreled down the third base line. I must admit that I do not fully understand the new "replay" rule on plays at home plate. (Just for the record, I am not in favor of seeing a catcher maimed trying to protect the plate nor a runner risking a concussion in order to score a run.)

The entertaining tantrums of managers are being replaced with the endless. boring chatter of play by play announcers trying to explain the replay rules. Did I say boring? What is more boring than waiting for an "expert" in New York to rule on a challenged play in Los Angeles? Even the commercials eating up air time while he diddles with ten TV monitors are more interesting than listening to someone explain over and over again why the replay option makes the game safer (and slower).

I wouldn't be surprised if teams elect to hire a new coach. He must have a law degree and twenty years experience arguing before the Supreme Court. His title will be "Challenge Coach". The Challenge Coaches' primary function will be to keep the manager from making an ass of himself if he's pissed about the way the umpire ruled on a play at home plate .

 As for baseball fans, they should make a pilgrimage to a religious shrine of their choice, and pray to some Almighty that baseball not be allowed to go down the tubes because an umpire misses a call now and then or an athlete gets injured occasionally. A few extra prayers for the umpires who are slowly being replaced by a boob tube would be in order.

Of course the ultimate solution to make baseball safer for the players is to convince them that violence is not a replacement for baseball skills. Easier said than done? How about hefty fines (six figures) or even suspension? Of course, violence in baseball or any other spectator sport will never be eliminated. Violence is the American way. Look at our love affair with guns.

Of Machiavelli and Gun Control

" Before all else be armed."
"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred."

These are not the words of the National Rifle Association's Wayne Lapierre or the late Charlton Heston. They are the words of Niccolo Machiavelli, proving that today's debate over gun control has actually been going on for centuries. Machiavelli would have been a powerful spokesman for the NRA.

Then there is the following quote from his writings which makes one question "stand your ground" laws (George Zimmerman attack of Trayvon Martin):

"Men rise from one ambition to another: first they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they attack others."

Machiavelli's words  provide  food for thought about the viciousness and hypocrisy innate in man. No wonder politicians feel they are walking on eggs whenever considering gun control legislation. Machiavelli's writings speak to their dilemma and the fears they face:

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things."

I love Westerns, but not guns

This is a post about guns. No, I'm not going to rant about the latest gun massacre on the national scene. I'm passing on the Washington, D.C. Naval Yard gun violence. I'll probably pass on the next massacre and the one after that and the one.........enough already. That's not what I want to write about. I've already done it 47 times and realize I'm beating a dead horse.

My issue with guns in this post is a passion of mine. I love Westerns. I'll turn off a baseball game

with the Indians at bat in the bottom of the ninth, the bases loaded and no outs, in order to catch a movie about the Wild West. The Wild West equates with guns. Lots of guns and lots of mayhem. I'll stay glued to the TV set fascinated by the fastest gun in the west. It's been this way since I was a child. I recall my cousin and I replaying every Western we just saw at the neighborhood theater. My favorite role was playing Tom Mix (not because his horse was named Tony).

 Even in the midst of a depression, gun sales (toy guns that is) were brisk. They came in all forms. I loved the ones that fired caps. My cousin opted for a bee-bee gun. My father emphatically let me know that anything more deadly than a cap gun was taboo for me.

The point is, I'm having a difficult time rationalizing my passion for Westerns with my passion for more effective control of guns in our modern society. I never traded in my toy gun for the real McCoy. I feel fortunate that I have never wanted to settle a dispute in the manner of those quick draw artists of the past. With my temper, this has been a blessing. Still, I don't feel like a hypocrite while I'm watching a Western. As the song goes, "that's entertainment".

 This country, whether we like it or not, was put together by gun violence but it does not follow that gun violence must continue to be at the forefront today. Had to get that last piece of preaching or "botta" into this post. Now it's time to bring it to an end. It's almost time for "Gunfight at the OK Corral".

Bill of Rights: Article II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The National Rifle Association owns the Second Amendment lock stock and barrel. It will take many more massacres before Congress has the guts to bring interpretation of this amendment into the twenty-first century. In my 1/17/13 post, “We should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment”, I referred to Walter Shapiro's article "Repeal The Second Amendment", which appeared in Salon after the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. His words are as appropriate now as they were then.

“Looking at the Bill of Rights with more than two centuries’ hindsight, it is simply irrational that firearms have a protected position on par with freedom of speech and religion. Were Americans — liberal or conservative — writing a Constitution completely from scratch today, they probably would agree that something akin to “freedom to drive” was more far important than the “right to bear arms.” The rights of state militias (which many liberal legal theorists argue is the essence of the Second Amendment) are as much a throwback to an 18th century mind-set as restrictions on quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime (the little-remembered Third Amendment).”

A majority of Americans favor legislation that provides more gun control. Too bad their elected representatives are ignoring their wishes.

ed note: More on the Second Amendment - Cherry Picking Constitutional Rights.



　

　

Cherry Picking Constitutional Rights

Dzhokhnar Tsamaev, the alleged Boston Marathon bomber, is being held by the FBI and apparently has not been Mirandized. Just as the Second Amendment gives American Citizens the right to bear arms, the Constitution provides rights for those accused of a crime. They have the right to remain silent, and the right to an attorney. The right to bear arms is interpreted literally by those opposing legislation intended to curb gun violence. The right to remain silent and the right to an attorney is treated more liberally. If public safety is involved, these Miranda rights can be waived in an effort to get information from the accused. This smells of hypocrisy. Massacres involving guns do not warrant the passage of legislation limiting the right to bear arms. Massacres involving bombs do warrant a delay in reading the accused his rights. If limiting  the rights of an accused American citizen in the interest of public safety is justified, why is it not justified to implement meaningful background checks in order to reduce gun violence in the interest of public safety? Was the Boston Marathon massacre anymore heinous than the Newtown massacre? It made more noise, but that is hardly a reason for it receiving more attention. The Newtown dead are as dead as the Boston dead. Picking and choosing  what rights we are willing to compromise is a dangerous game. I do not disagree with delaying Miranda rights to gain information on the source of bomb materials and the whereabouts of possibly additional bombs. I do not agree that the right to bear arms is infringed by efforts to limit their possession to responsible citizens.

All terrorists were not created equal

We are angry and mortified that 'terrorists', foreign or domestic committed a crime against humanity at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and well we should be. It is ironic that at the same time the Senate found it difficult to garner enough votes to pass a watered down gun control bill which at least provided for expanded background checks. In view of the Newtown massacre, one would have thought that some form of gun control legislation would sail through Congress much as the Patriot Act did after 9/11. Apparently when it comes to legislation, in the eyes of Congress all terrorists were not created equal.

Are Judges Replacing School Principals?

 A recent article in the New York Times about the impact of school police officers, points out that “As school districts across the country consider placing more police officers in schools, youth advocates and judges are raising alarm about what they have seen in the schools where officers are already stationed: a surge in criminal charges against children for misbehavior that many believe is better handled in the principal’s office.” One could almost conclude that in lieu of going after the real criminals, gun abusers, we have chosen to revere the second amendment as equivalent to one of the Ten Commandments, even if it means turning some of our students into quasi criminals.


Looking at a picture of “school monitors” in a school hallway brought two things to my mind. Am I looking at a reform school? What ever happened to student hall monitors?

The answer to the first question is no, but if the NRA has its way, guns in schools will be as commonplace as blackboards (or is it whiteboards these days). In addition to reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic our precious ones will study Gun Rights.

As for the second question, I guess that student hall monitors have gone the way of the horse and buggy. The demise may have come when it became apparent that with many parents opting out of parenting responsibilities, it would be necessary to supply the monitors with bullet proof vests in addition to a cute white brownie belt.

Parents accepting parenting responsibilities - could that be the clue to regaining school safety. Children do not become bad and adopt fantasies of mass murder because of a genetic problem. It is not the responsibility of teachers to teach them civil behavior. Until parents and guardians take control of our children our schools will become a place to be dreaded. Parents opting for armed personnel in schools are essentially saying ‘it’s your job; I’m much to busy to be a parent’.

I realize that it is not as simple as I have inferred. Parenting is not an easy job nor is it easily accepted. I doubt that much will change when it comes to modern parenting. I just hope that the collateral damage from the path we have chosen will not be too great.

Restoring Order

My blog has absolutely no effect on restoring order to the world. In spite of my ranting and raving, the NRA still rules this country, Obama's liberalism has yet to flower, war is still a way of life  - or should I say a bloody instrument of population control and  last but by no means least, Chief Wahoo is still held hostage by the Cleveland Indians. I don't feel bad, not even disappointed. I never really set out to change the world. Hell, these days I have enough trouble changing myself.

 Over the weekend I discovered that I'm still capable of restoring order to something - my garage. It was hard work but the results were great. The junk is piled up for disposal, the outdoor furniture is outdoors, the Weber is ready to be fired up and  everything else is where it belongs including the car.

In spite of the crap I read on today's front page, I'm at peace with my surroundings. Oh yes, I'm still getting home delivery of the local rag but I'm betting the ranch that in spite of their claims to continue home delivery three times a week, by the end of the year there will be no paper by the garage door. I guess that would be in keeping with the emphasis on going green. Everyone wants me to go paperless including the newspaper publisher. I haven't heard from Charmin yet.

Nothing is permanent?

According to Buddha, nothing is permanent. With apologies to the Buddha, a more realistic statement would have been that almost nothing is permanent (loopholes are always a good idea).

Such a loophole would account for the endless basketball season.  When we tack on playoffs , tournaments and something called March Madness to the regular  season it seems like playing basketball goes on forever. Everyone is currently busy making brackets ( including POTUS) and the racket is driving me nuts. I guess that's what March Madness is all about. Just when March Madness is over, we will be ready for the NBA playoffs.  In all fairness, Buddha should be forgiven for not anticipating March Madness and the NBA playoffs. How was he to know that the world ( at least the world according to the U.S. of A.) would one day allow itself to suffer the burden of  an interminable basketball season.

And then there is the campaign for President of the United States. We hardly finished Campaign 2012 and Campaign 2016 started.  Although nothing is permanent about presidential politics, election campaigns are permanent. Not ever having run for office, Buddha the teacher can be excused for not predicting the permanency of presidential election campaigns.

Buddha the warrior does not get a pass for not making an exception of wars when he proclaimed, "Nothing is permanent". War is right up there as one of the most permanent events in the history of mankind and Buddhism has done its share to promote it along with Christianity. Islam and Judaism.
Even wars to end all wars have not succeeded in removing the stamp of permanency from wars. We have learned to live with wars and with the help of the NRA we will put an assault rifle in every home to insure that mass killings are more homey.

Another thing upon which I cannot give Buddha a pass, is his failure to take into account death and taxes. Death and taxes are cast in concrete. Of course Buddha might argue that death is merely proof that life is not permanent. As for taxes, if he were around today he would defer to The Tea Party.

I must bring up Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians mascot. Evidently he is as permanent as they come. We are coming to terms with same sex marriage but still put up with this racist caricature. If only there was a Buddha to give the team owners a karate chop to the balls for their obstinacy in not freeing the Chief.

Then there is the weather. As winter drags on, it's comforting to think, thanks to Buddha, that lousy weather is not permanent. Today being the first day of Spring I could argue that the change of seasons is a classic example of nothing being permanent.  Just as death and taxes are certain , the weather is uncertain. Global warming may eventually make the foregoing moot, but in the meantime I will enjoy the arrival of Spring, even though it looks and feels like Winter and hope that Summer is kind to us and that Fall takes its time arriving.

We should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment

The NRA constantly wraps itself in the Second Amendment when any effort to place restrictions on guns is mounted. In getting effective gun control for this country, we should not be intimidated by the Second Amendment. After the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, Walter Shapiro wrote in Salon:

Looking at the Bill of Rights with more than two centuries’ hindsight, it is simply irrational that firearms have a protected position on par with freedom of speech and religion. Were Americans — liberal or conservative — writing a Constitution completely from scratch today, they probably would agree that something akin to “freedom to drive” was more far important than the “right to bear arms.” The rights of state militias (which many liberal legal theorists argue is the essence of the Second Amendment) are as much a throwback to an 18th century mind-set as restrictions on quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime (the little-remembered Third Amendment).

In his article, "Repeal The Second Amendment" (which he points out is a daunting task), Mr. Shapiro provides plenty of food for thought which applies to our latest massacres as well as the Virginia Tech massacre.

Whither Gun Control?

The more I read about the National Rifle Association and its position on gun control, the more I fear the power of the NRA. The more I see of interviews with its rank and file members, the more I fear the NRA. It may not be a stretch to liken the rise to power of the NRA to the rise to power of a fascist entity. It shakes me up to think that these gun cradling egomaniacs might even resort to violence to make sure that gun control does not go forward.

Gun control measures that the  Obama administration is proposing  should be a no-brainer for Congress, yet already we hear members of Congress declaring these controls dead on arrival. The NRA has infiltrated Congress to the extent that the probability is high that we will be short changed again when it comes to meaningful gun control. Nonetheless, it's worth the fight - one of these days the overwhelming majority of Americans will declare, "Enough is enough". If Congressmen were really listening to the American people over the din of the NRA cash flowing to their pockets, they would realize that day is closer than ever.

Here's hoping that President Obama and "Sheriff" Biden have success in the battle ahead.

The Civility Cliff

I believe that somewhere in the Constitution of The United States of America, there is an Article which decrees that no legislation shall be acted upon unless it has a cute name or better yet its name qualifies as a cliché. Case in point (a cliché here is mandatory), we started off the New Year by seeing our brave legislators coming to our rescue to keep us from falling over the “fiscal cliff” (we have Bernanke to thank for that cutie). They almost turned their back on us but at the last minute decided to toss us a bone. While we chew on that bone they will be farting around with another little problem - the abuse of guns in our society. Gun control legislation has little chance of going anywhere even though "Sheriff" Biden will do his best to shake things up. It's stymied because so far, no “Bernanke” has come forward with a cute name for gun control. Until that happens there will be no urgency to stop the massacres which are now commonplace.

 If indeed the Constitution demands cute names in order to get Congress off its ass,  I sugest that the name “civility cliff” be applied to the gun control debate. Falling off a cliff has proven to scare the shit out of the country; maybe it will work with gun control. Massacres sure don’t.

On second thought, "civility cliff" is not a good choice to steer up gun control action. It's too little, too late: we've already gone off  the "civility cliff". Gun control action will have to stand on its own two feet and that's a tall order. Personally, I think "Sheriff" Biden is up to it.

The Unmentionables

I'm not going to mention what is really going on with superstorm Sandy. I'm taking my cue from Campaign 2012. There are least two unmentionables during this epic (as in costly) campaign. I can't mention them ( if they pop up it is merely a slip on the keyboard) but they do have something to do with weather and massacres.

As for the weather, it is changing.That's not unusual. Weather is supposed to change but why is it getting to be so catastrophic? Could it be climate change, a.k.a. global warming? Evidently, in the spirit of bipartisanship, it has been decided that what we are seeing throughout this country of ours is weather change and nothing more. Global warming is an unmentionable.

As for the massacres, Campaign 2012 has decided that the National Rifle Association knows best. Massacres have been going on long before guns were invented, so we can't blame today's problems on the proliferation of guns - at least not if we want to win an election.

As for these unmentionables (dare I mention global warming and gun control), we can at least be content with bipartisanship at work. Republicans and Democrats alike have swept the issues under the rug at least for now.

Next week we will go to the polls and vote. Nowhere on the ballot will we have an opportunity to express our views on the unmentionables. Well, maybe there is. If we re-elect Obama, we have the best chance of climate issues and gun control issues being tackled. Re-election should give him the balls to fight The NRA and big business.  After all, he can't run for a third term so he might as well go for it- Congress be damned.

It is not enough to express condolences in the after effects of a 'Sandy' or a 'Columbine'. It is not enough to commit ourselves to rebuilding. We need a commitment to do the things to keep us from destroying ourselves.

Whistling In The Dark

Congress’ version of ‘Nero Fiddling While Rome Burns’ is to take a five week vacation. I guess our esteemed representatives must have made some deal with the Devil ( or their lobbyist masters) to put on hold anymore massacres ala Aurora, Colorado and to put on hold any further disasters caused by global warming. The poor bastards have been working awful hard. Bringing a nation to its knees by playing political games instead of legislating is hard work. What makes it so difficult is choosing the lobbyist with the most money.

Charles Leck through his ‘ad astra’ blog has been on a tear lately trying to bring his reader’s attention to the necessity to do something about global warming for the benefit of our children. His quest is well taken but the reality is that we are not hurting enough yet. It will take a disaster of major proportions before our politicians will dare incur the wrath of big business by implementing regulations which will keep global warming at bay. Remember a bullet to the head of a Congresswoman was not enough to influence any meaningful gun control legislation.

Our politicians will argue that they can’t tackle issues like gun control, global warming, Social Security and health care and still expect to be elected. The fact of the matter is that they probably would dare snub the big money lobbyists if they had just one champion willing to get on his horse and lead the charge no matter the political fall out. Such a champion has not come forth. The odds of one coming out of the closet are pretty slim.

No, it will not happen after the November election. The day after the election it will be time to start Campaign 2016 and that costs money.

I hope some group takes a page out of the Tea Party success story and comes up with a third party movement willing to mess with the real issues confronting the country.

If I may resort to some clichés we need a battle royal with the big money interests. We need to rake our representative s over the coals starting with The White House. Only a pitched battle will do the trick. I know that I’m whistling in the dark and at best talking through my hat. Why the clichés - hoping to prove that my clichés are as stupid as those floating around Washington and the campaign trail.

On this Sunday morning, this is the Gospel according to Tony. Go in peace and hope the AC does not break down.

The right to bear arms

After every gun tragedy like the Colorado theater massacre, the hand wringing starts, the flags come down to half mast, the editorials speak out about our gun culture, the politicians get on their soap box to express sympathy for the victims and assure us that as Americans we have the strength to survive yet another senseless killing. This will all pass in a few days and except for the victims of the crime, life will once again be normal. There will be some efforts to revive the gun control debate, but they will be feeble and inevitably delayed for another day. You see, there is no need for a debate. The American people have had numerous opportunities to insist on effective gun control and wimped out each time. Even the assassination of a president could not lure the public away from its fascination with guns. The American people do however exercise their right to annually commemorate each bloody event with speeches and editorials while  reserving the right to bear arms. Tragically, they also reserve the right to use guns. As the NRA, the organization that has the government of the United States in its pocket, has let it be known, they will spend whatever it takes to defeat any official who dares limit the use of guns. The fact that they can make this boast only proves that they have the support of the  majority of the American people. Americans are satisfied with the proliferation of weapons in our society and their use by demented and misguided citizens. To their credit, they at least draw the line at guns in the hands of terrorists - those people with funny sounding names. Someone with a name like James Holmes may not be a terrorist--only the creator of terror.

Who's The National Disgrace?

I've been waiting for some words from the National Rifle Association concerning the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Sure enough, on page 15 of yesterdays New York Times the headline N.R.A. Official Attacks Florida Shooting Coverage caught my attention. Wayne LaPiere, executive vice president of the N.R.A., accused the news media on Saturday of engaging in sensationalized coverage of the Trayvon Martin killing. His were the first comments that the gun lobby has made publicly about the fatal shooting since it occurred six weeks ago. Mr. LaPierre criticized news organizations for singling out one killing and ignoring many other violent crimes that happen in the United States every day.

“You manufacture controversy for ratings,” he added. “You don’t care about the truth, and the truth is the national news media in this country is a national disgrace, and you all know it.”

Poor Mr. LaPierre. He’s not satisfied with having the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures in his back pocket. Now he’s out to trample the media. He apparently does not understand that the media does not ignore the many other violent crimes that happen in the United States everyday, a good number of which involve one of his weapons of choice. He does not understand that the Trayvon Martin murder is an example of the absurdity of the “stand your ground"  laws his organization is vigorously promoting in legislatures across the country.

It is the N.R.A. lobby that is becoming a national disgrace not the media. Mr. LaPierre can act tough only because arguing for gun control has become the third rail in politics. Without the help of our political leaders in reining in the N.R.A. agenda, we are faced with a gun in every household. That indeed would be a national disgrace.