How Much Longer Are We Going To Have To Endure This?

San Bernardino shooting: At least 14 people killed

The United States in 2015: ZERO Domestic Tranquility.

The Magic Cocktail of Conservatives

The NRA Visit

NRA Visits Colorado Police Evidence Room To Check Up On Rifle Used In Planned Parenthood Shooting

“It’s a little shaken up, but it should be okay—thank God,” said NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, who appeared visibly distressed while kneeling down next to the assault-style rifle and gently placing his hand on the stock. “I’ve just been worried sick since I heard about the incident. It looks like it was dropped pretty hard, and it’s barely got any bullets left, but at least it’s resting safely now. I might just sleep here tonight to keep an eye on it.” LaPierre told reporters that he would do everything he could to help the rifle return home and get back working again soon.

Good Lord, do I love the Onion.

Domestic Terrorism in Colorado Egged on by Republican Presidential Candidates

The shootings in Colorado at Planned Parenthood have been called a "tragedy" by Republicans who deign to acknowledge them. But they're more than that: the attacks on Planned Parenthood -- and the plural is correct -- are domestic terrorism perpetrated by right-wing fanatics.

In the last few decades there have been hundreds of terrorist attacks against abortion clinics:

An FBI Intelligence Assessment at the time found these attacks were "consistent with the actions of lone offenders using tactics of arsons and threats all of which are typical of the pro-life extremist movement." Moreover, the report said it was "likely criminal or suspicious incidents will continue to be directed against reproductive health care providers, their staff and facilities."

Less than two weeks after CBS reported that, another abortion clinic was firebombed in California. It was the fourth arson at a Planned Parenthood location in as many months.

"The toxic rhetoric directed at Planned Parenthood has dangerous consequences," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein in a press release at the time. "It sends a signal that using violence to close clinics and intimidate healthcare professionals and women is 'OK.' It is not."

Since 1977, according to NAF, there have been eight murders, 17 attempted murders, 42 bombings, and 186 arsons against abortion clinics and providers.

We don't know the full details behind the attack on Planned Parenthood, but the killer reportedly told police "no more baby parts" in reference to the shootings.

Republicans who have been blasting Planned Parenthood claim the latest attack in Colorado isn't their fault: the killer is "unbalanced" and you can't blame people who speak out about abortion for the actions of the crazies they incite.

Carly Fiorina has been screaming "FIRE!" in a crowded theater and now three people are dead because she egged on some kook.

But conservatives haven't been exercising "free speech:" they have been perpetuating a lie based on propaganda videos doctored by an anti-abortion hate group. Carly Fiorina has been particularly mendacious, making all sorts of outrageous and outright lies about the videos and Planned Parenthood's activities. She has been screaming "FIRE!" in a crowded theater and now three people are dead because she egged on some kook.

If conservatives were arguing the facts, it would be one thing. But when they spout lies and cite doctored videos as their "proof" they are complicit with a program of propaganda and hatred on the same level as Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Unless people like Trump, Fiorina and Cruz own up to the lies and admit that the videos are fake and that Planned Parenthood has been smeared by a bunch of fanatics, they bear a degree of personal responsibility for the attacks.

Good Words

From recent question on Quora...

I think the most pressing issue facing America is the meltdown of one of our two primary political parties. The Republicans have gone from (to my thinking) distasteful to dangerously deranged. And they're dragging HALF our population with them down the hole. (We wonder how the insanity of the Nazi party could take root in a place as advanced and civilized as Germany in the 1930s, well watching the meltdown of American conservatism gives us a front-row seat.) 

Amen

Put Them Away

Let us be clear. Our Founders did not ratify the Second Amendment so that men like this could obtain military-grade arsenals.

Look at this face. People like this guy and the ideology that allowed him to obtain the weapons that he had are the real threats to our national security. They are far worse than ISIL or any Islamic extremist organization. They continue to pile up bodies with one party in this country vociferously defending them.

It's way past time to stop them. They need to be disarmed and put away for accessories to murder.

Good Thing He Wasn't Black

Great Words

I posted a question on Quora recently that had the distinction of being answered by world famous game designer Ernest W. Adams. His response was amazing.

The people who are claiming that you have no right to live peacefully don't seem to know what "ensure domestic tranquillity" means. It means citizens not killing each other. Of course you have a right to live peacefully; it is explicitly one of the aims of the Constitution. The Second Amendment undermines that aim by empowering people to do violence with high efficiency. 

More importantly, however, it's simply a bad idea and needs to be abolished. Owning firearms not a "natural right" (there's no such thing), it is a privilege we allow to those who are not felons. But the privilege is so consistently, violently, tragically abused by Americans, that it needs to be curtailed. The Finns and the Canadians are far more responsible with their firearms. But I don't trust an American with one.

Considering he has an average of two million views per month with over four thousand followers, his response will get widespread attention. I am most grateful.

Given the advancement in technology coupled with the fact that we manage to kill thirty thousand of our own people every year due to gun violence, we are not domestically tranquil.

Why More Guns Again?

Giving Thanks...

Today, I'd like to thank the 250 or so regular readers of this site. Most of you have been with us from the beginning and we here at Zombie Politics are most grateful.

I receive several emails a week but I thought it most appropriate to share this recent note today from regular reader Ahn Hui (who gave his kind permission to publish).

Mark, I know that over the years you've been slapped around on here for your posts about gun violence. I want to say I, for one, am grateful for what you share and for the questions you pose. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. Those of us with compassionate hearts and insightful minds have to get the culture to turn the corner on gun violence. The only way to do that is to get people talking. Reason will ultimately prevail. 

When we can get the American people to understand that firearms, particularily handguns and automatic weapons are the security blankets of cowards, not the ultimate trump card they think, then we can make some progress towards a more peaceful and worthwhile future for us all.

Amen.

How Alike They Are

The Sick Jihad

The New York Daily News has officially declared war on the Gun Cult.

A "sick jihad" indeed. Why do they want to make it easier for ISIL guys to get guns?

Dallas Mayor More Concerned About Armed White People

The mayor of Dallas is pushing back against politicians who say Americans should be skeptical of Syrian refugees, saying he is “more fearful” of armed white men than people fleeing civil war in the Middle East. I know I am. They are the ones who the greatest threat to our national security, especially those who are gun rights activists.

Speaking to MSNBC on Saturday morning, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was asked to discuss the growing anxiety over Syrian refugees entering the United States, purportedly over concerns they could be potential agents for militant groups such as ISIS. Rawlings staunchly rejected the assertion that Syrians are somehow uniquely prone to violence, saying he is more concerned with the rise of white supremacy and the recent flurry of mass shootings committed by white men.

“I am more fearful of large gatherings of white men that come into schools, theaters and shoot people up, but we don’t isolate young white men on this issue,” Rawlings said.

He also said that vilifying refugees only helps ISIS, as doing so falls into their “trap.” He then pushed back on the notion that ISIS is somehow representative of Islam.

“ISIS is no more Islamic than Nazi senior staff was Christian,” he said. He also subtly challenged Christian governors and other followers of Christ who have rejected refugees, referencing Jesus’ scriptural call to “welcome the stranger” in Matthew 25:41-43.

That passage reads

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

I'd say God is pretty clear:)

Good Words

Here's a recent post from Gun Ownership is a Right and A Responsibility.

The people who love their guns the most hate humanity the most, and do this nation and this world the most harm. We see it over and over and over again.... These thugs should be arrested, prosecuted and convicted of hate crimes. In fact, it's imperative that we do precisely that.

Yep. Let's start with the gun bloggers and gun blog commenters.  In fact, we should start their very own GITMO considering that they are terrorists.

Let's see if a few years in prison will chill them out:)

Jesus and Ben Carson

Take a look at the photo that is up in Ben Carson's house.

No, that's not a photo of Carson and the late Duane Allman. That's Republican Jesus!!

Do we really want this guy as president? Wow...

What Could ISIL Do To Us That We Don't Already Do To Ourselves?

Amen.

I actually think that the major terrorist organizations have gotten wise to this. How do you terrorize a society that murders 11,000 of it's own citizens every year? They're probably thinking about what it would take to truly terrorize Americans, and not seeing how it would be possible, short of acquiring a nuclear device. This is why I expect to see American allies hit again and again. That sort of tactic might bring more pressure to bear on American policy than simply adding to the carnage Americans are obviously so comfortable with.

If Anyone Can Use Your Gun, It Doesn't Make You Safer

I live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and the big news around here lately has been the shooting of Jamar Clark, an unarmed black man. NAACP leaders have come to Minneapolis and are meeting the mayor and the governor. Protesters are camped out around a police station. Interlopers used the protest to throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police. 

The demonstrators want video of the incident released, and law enforcement doesn't want to release it yet for fear of contaminating witness statements.

From what we can tell, the following happened: Jamar Clark beat up his girlfriend. Paramedics were called and began to treat her. Clark hassled the paramedics. The cops tried to stop him. He allegedly got his hand on the gun of one of the cops. Then the cops shot him in the head. The demonstrators say Clark was handcuffed, the cops say he wasn't.

The video probably won't clear anything up: it's probably of poor quality, shot from a building surveillance camera with a poor angle.

Now, Jamar Clark wasn't some innocent motorist. He instigated the incident. But the punishment for being a violent idiot shouldn't be the death penalty.

But there is a common thread in most of these shootings of unarmed black men: cops are afraid their own weapons will be used against them. In Ferguson Michael Brown was shot after supposedly trying to take a cop's gun. Last December a cop shot Ezell Ford, a black man who supposedly tried to grab his gun. In 2013 Jonathan Ferrel, a former football player, whose car broke down was killed because the cop said he tried to take his gun.

My guess is that a lot of cops just say this to cover up bad shootings because there's no way to prove it unless there's video. But it does happen, and apparently it happens all the time.

On March 11, a defendant on trial for rape in Atlanta allegedly overpowered a courthouse deputy, took her gun and killed four people, including two law enforcement officers. A little over a month later, a Providence detective was killed with his own weapon while interviewing a suspect at police headquarters.

Police in Augusta, Ga., killed an inmate who fled on April 21 after overpowering a state corrections officer and taking his gun, authorities said. Two days later, a man under arrest in Spring Valley, Ill., wrested away an officer's gun and beat him with it. The suspect then fatally shot himself, police said.

This shows the fallacy of "guns make us safer." If your weapon can be used by anyone who picks it up, it represents a hazard to you and everyone around you.

A gun is like a hand grenade with the pin pulled. Cops run around all day and all night with this armed grenade on their hips, just waiting for it to go off. No wonder they have itchy trigger fingers.

Now, if these cops had guns that only they could fire, how many lives would be saved? And it goes beyond cops: how many kids shoot their little brothers because daddy left his gun where the kiddies could get it? How many teenagers have committed suicide with a stolen weapon? How many people have been shot by their own weapons because they dropped them on the bathroom floor?

The NRA has opposed guns that are keyed to individuals because they're afraid they would malfunction when they're most needed. And I agree that guns activated by a fingerprint reader, or an embedded chip, or some other equally esoteric technology are insufficiently reliable.

Simpler is better. There has to be a simple foolproof unlocking mechanism for a gun. It might be a ring that acts as a key when it's inserted into the grip. It might be some kind of coded safety that takes just a moment to activate while you're aiming (because cops had better damn well be aiming). This would also reduce the number of accidental shootings that occur when cops clean an "empty" gun.

The basic design of police sidearms hasn't really changed in century. It's time to use some of that American exceptionalism to design weapons that really do make us safer.

As long as anyone can shoot a cop's gun, the weapon poses a deadly threat to bystanders, suspects and the cops themselves.

Good Words

Good Words

What I didn’t fully appreciate, and nobody can appreciate until they’re in the position, is how decentralized power is in this system. When you’re in the seat and you’re seeing the housing market collapse and you are seeing unemployment skyrocketing and you have a sense of what the right thing to do is, then you realize, "Okay, not only do I have to persuade my own party, not only do I have to prevent the other party from blocking what the right thing to do is, but now I can anticipate this lawsuit, this lobbying taking place, and this federal agency that technically is independent, so I can’t tell them what to do. 

I’ve got the Federal Reserve, and I’m hoping that they do the right thing—and by the way, since the economy now is global, I’ve got to make sure that the Europeans, the Asians, the Chinese, everybody is on board." A lot of the work is not just identifying the right policy but now constantly building these ever shifting coalitions to be able to actually implement and execute and get it done.

---Barack Obama, November 17, 2015

The Gun Laws I Want Here In The United States

Here are the kind of gun laws I'd like to see here in the United States. This was from a comment on Quora.

I find it interesting some Americans think it's hard to get a gun in the US. Sounds much too easy to me.

Australian method [it helps we're an island continent with fairly tight border control]

1. Go do a gun handling safety course at a firearms shop. Takes 2 hours. Send forms off. Certificate comes back 1 week later.

2. Fill out license application for your state registry. You must include a genuine reason (for ownership). This includes recreational hunting/vermin control (on a property big enough) or as part of a sporting shooter's association (state based). Or animal welfare/primary production (i.e. cattle grazing). 

3. Pistols heavily restricted to certain employment types (security) or gun club. Very very hard for average citizen to own hand gun.

4. Long arms are broken into 3 main categories: A, B, C (there are others). A are air guns, rim fire etc. As a primary producer, say, you can pretty easily get one (pest control, animal welfare), even on small lots (say 4 Ha/10 acres). Category B include centrefires. Must have at least 25 acres to own one, or, be in a shooting assoc, or, have permission to shoot on a larger landowner's land.

5. Send forms off. Registry does check. No one with any assault/AVO/serious criminal conviction can legally own a firearm.

6. For land owners, registry checks land size/aspect and proximity to neighbours on google maps/earth/etc.

7. Licence approved/or not.

8. Take forms to motor registry and get license.

9. Go to gun shop and get a permit to acquire. 1 PTA per firearm. You can only apply for and have approved, PTAs for your allowed firearm classification. Each PTA costs money.

10. PTA approved: first PTA takes 28 days (the cooling off period). After that subsequent PTAs apparently are quicker.

11. Take PTA to firearms dealer, acquire.

12. You can only buy ammunition for the type of firearm you have.

Other notes:
Transporting firearms requires the ammo is locked separately from firearm. Preferably bolt actions have the bolt removed and store separately. Firearm locked in car or in special lockbox attached to vehicle.

Very strict laws as to storage.

All firearms must be acquired through a dealer - no person to person sales.

You cannot carry a concealed weapon in public even if you legally own it.

Arguably, this is a pain in the bum, but you can be reasonably sure most legal firearms holders are responsible.

Some (Americans especially) might see this as a curtailment of rights. Maybe in 1800 when the Wild West was as it was, but in 2015 Australia (and any civil society, really), this is a very, very small price to pay to ensure a mostly safe, civil society.

Yep.

I'm done living under their rules for guns...rules that are currently the most acute threat to our national security....rules that a small percentage of our population gets to dictate.

I'm even more tired of the current strategy that gun safety proponents are advocating. They are making the same mistake that President Obama made when he tried to meet the Cult halfway. They don't want to meet halfway. They are on the one yard one on the right side of the field, especially when it comes to this issue. So, gun safety advocates have to start on the one yard line on the left side of the field and work to the middle.

Let's begin with this: FUCK THE SECOND AMENDMENT.