Civilian Gun Violence in 'Merica

[Brother Mythos]

"Comedy Legend Nails Exactly What America Invented, And It's Not Good"

"Eric Idle of Monty Python fame had a dark response to a social media query about what the U.S. can take credit for creating."

As per the article:

"Monty Python's Eric Idle is known as a comedy legend, but a social media post he made on Friday was nothing to laugh about.

It happened after a person on X, formerly known as Twitter, asked followers to name something the USA invented "without Googling," of course.

Idle only needed three words for his brutally honest response: "Mass school shootings.""

I couldn't agree more, this is nothing to laugh about.

Here's the link:   https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eric-idle-monty-python-school-shootings_n_65454e12e4b06bc01e2444a8

[Brother Mythos]

"Mom faces charges after toddler accidentally fires gun in Walmart, police say" 

As per the article:

"WAVERLY, Ohio -- Police say a woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her toddler found a gun in her purse and accidentally fired it in a southern Ohio Walmart store last week.

The Waverly Police Department said the woman told officers who responded shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday that the 2-year-old boy took her Taurus 9mm firearm from her purse, and it went off.

Police said the bullet went into the ceiling of the store, and the child was left with a minor injury to his forehead "due to contact with the magazine.""

This uniquely 'Merican incident could have had much worse consequences.

Here's the link:   Toddler Accidentally Fires Gun

[Brother Mythos]

"Senate Republicans block assault weapons ban, background checks bill"

As per the article:

"Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked efforts by Senate Democrats to pass an assault weapons ban and universal background checks legislation after the United States over the weekend broke the record for the most mass shootings in a single year.

Republican Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) objected to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) request for unanimous consent to pass the assault weapons ban, despite the pleas of Democratic senators who took to the Senate floor to cite the harrowing statistics of gun violence in America.

"The scourge of gun violence in America is a national crisis. The American people are sick and tired of enduring one mass shooting after another. They're sick and tired of vigil and moments of silence for family, friends, classmates, coworkers," Schumer argued on the Senate floor."

Unfortunately, this action by Senate Republicans comes as no surprise at all.

Here's the link:   It's Just Republicans Being Republicans

[Brother Mythos]

"Supreme Court leaves Illinois semiautomatic gun ban in place"

As per the article:

"Last year, the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled that gun restrictions, in order to be constitutional, must be analogous to laws on the books at the nation's founding. As a result, an Illinois gun retailer and a gun rights advocacy group challenged the state's law, contending that the "ban is not consistent with the nation's history and tradition of firearms regulation and fails constitutional muster."

An ideologically mixed panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law, however, writing that the Supreme Court's recent decision on the right to bear arms "extends only to weapons in common use for a lawful purpose," not to semiautomatic weapons that "are much more like machine guns and military-grade weaponry than they are like the many different types of firearms that are used for individual self-defense.""

I admit, I did not see this decision coming from our current Supreme Court. But, I'm glad the ban has been left in  in place. I'm sure some lives will be saved because of it.

Here's the link:   Supreme Court Leaves Gun Ban In Place

[Brother Mythos]

"Mom Of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Teacher Gets 2 Years In Prison For Child Neglect"

"Deja Taylor, whose son critically wounded his teacher, was also separately sentenced last month to 21 months in prison for marijuana use while owning a gun."

As per the article:

"Friday's sentencing was the second time Deja Taylor was held to account for the classroom shooting, which stunned the nation and shook the military shipbuilding city of Newport News.

The state sentence she received Friday from Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile was stiffer than what is called for in state sentencing guidelines and harsher than a joint sentencing recommendation of six months prosecutors and Taylor's lawyers had agreed to in a plea deal.

Taylor was sentenced in November to 21 months in federal prison for using marijuana while owning a gun, which is illegal under U.S. law. The combination of her state and federal sentences amounts to a total punishment of nearly four years behind bars."

I hope this kind of prosecution and sentencing sends a clear message to all gun fondlers, that they need to keep their lethal hardware locked up, and/or trigger locked, and out of the hands of children.

Here's the link:   Irresponsible Gun Owner Sentenced

[Brother Mythos]

"Steve Bannon calls for arming kids with guns to stop school bullying"

As per the article:

"Conservative podcast host Steve Bannon said that children should be taught to handle guns in school so they are not "picked on" by bullies.

During a program at Turning Point USA's America Fest on Tuesday, Bannon lamented that gun classes were not taught to young students in most schools."

Because, of course, guns have already solved so many problems. And, in many cases, they solved them permanently.

Here's the link:   Guns Will Solve the Bullying Problem?

[Brother Mythos]

"Federal judge rules Massachusetts assault weapons ban is consistent with recent landmark Supreme Court decision"

As per the article:

"A federal judge ruled a Massachusetts ban on assault weapons is consistent with a recent landmark Supreme Court decision that established firearms regulations must be consistent with the nation's "historical tradition."

"The relevant history affirms the principle that in 1791, as now, there was a tradition of regulating 'dangerous and unusual' weapons – specifically, those that are not reasonably necessary for self-defense," U.S. District Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV wrote in an order Thursday.

The assault weapons prohibited by the Massachusetts ban are "not suitable for ordinary self-defense purposes, and pose substantial dangers far beyond those inherent in the design of ordinary firearms," the judge wrote."

I'm sure some lives will be saved, because a federal judge upheld this state law.

Here's the link:   Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Upheld

[Brother Mythos]

"Senators tell Washington Post they regret gun votes after Sandy Hook shooting"

I believe this falls under the category: A day late, and a dollar short.

As per the article:

"Multiple current and former senators say they regret their votes against gun restrictions following the Sandy Hook mass shooting, The Washington Post reports.

Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) reflected on her experience as a newly elected official speaking with family members of the 2012 Newtown, Conn., school shooting, which left 20 children and six staff members dead.

Heitkamp told the Post she regrets voting with three other Democrats and 41 Republicans to block a background check bill the families had begged her to support just days earlier."

And, as per still further along in the article:

"Bennet, along with Heinrich, Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), introduced a bill in November that intends to regulate guns "based on the lethality of their internal mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on cosmetic features that manufacturers can easily modify."

King told the Post that banning a particular weapon allows manufacturers to easily maneuver the ban by changing the design slightly, which is why he is pushing for functionality legislation instead."

There's a long list of regretful senators in this article. But, there are some who are still trying to do something to curb civilian gun violence in 'Merica.

Here's the link:   Regretful Senators

[Brother Mythos]

"Wayne LaPierre resigns as NRA head"

As per this article:

"National Rifle Association (NRA) head Wayne LaPierre will resign from the organization at the end of the month, the group announced Friday.

LaPierre's resignation, first reported by Fox News, comes as the organization defends itself in a New York civil suit alleging he and other executives spent millions of the group's funds on luxury vacations and other perks.

And, as per further along in this article:

"LaPierre's exit adds to legal and financial difficulties for the organization.

The group's fundraising and membership have fallen steeply in recent years, losing about a half-million members from 2021-22, according to gun violence news nonprofit The Trace.

The organization raised $213 million in 2022, about half of its 2016 total, according to the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The New York suit, brought by state Attorney General Letitia James (D), alleges LaPierre and other senior leaders diverted millions of dollars away from the group's charitable mission and towards luxury personal benefits. [Emphasis mine.]

Following an 18-month investigation, James said the NRA fostered "a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight," costing the group $64 million over three years.

The NRA and LaPierre have denied wrongdoing. The case is set to go to trial starting Monday."

So, in summary, a death merchant is leaving the scene of the crime, the rubes are no longer as large a revenue source, but there's still a long way to go to finally put the lethal "charity" out of business.

Here's a link:      NRA Leader Resigns

[Brother Mythos]

"TSA found record number of firearms at airport checkpoints in 2023. Most were loaded"

As per this article:

"The Transportation Security Administration says it found a record number of firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2023. A total of 6,737 were intercepted — or an average of 18 firearms per day — 93% of which which were loaded, the agency says.

The number surpassed 2022's record of 6,542 firearms found."

And, as per the end of this article:

"Upon finding a firearm at a security checkpoint, the TSA does not confiscate it, but instead immediately contacts local law enforcement to remove the passenger. The passenger may be arrested or cited, depending on local laws.

Such passengers are also subject to a fine of up to approximately $15,000, having their TSA PreCheck eligibility revoked for at least five years and enhanced screening."

So, 'Merica has broken another record. Swell.

Here's the link to this article:      Record Number of Firearms Found at Airports

[Brother Mythos]

"Jordan Klepper Puts U.S. Gun Problem in Terms NFL Fans Can Understand"

As per this article:

"More than 24 hours after gunfire erupted during the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade on Wednesday—killing one person and injuring at least 22 others—we still know very little about exactly what led to the tragic events or who is responsible for them. "The good news is we do know one of the heroes that helped stopped the shooting," said The Daily Show correspondent/this week's guest host Jordan Klepper on Thursday.

"It wasn't a good guy with a gun," Klepper continued. "It wasn't anybody bearing arms. It was just a guy with arms.""

And, further along in this article:

""There were more than 800 police officers there, and all they could do was react after it happened," said Klepper, who then attempted to appeal to The Daily Show's viewers by putting his own argument for why gun control is necessary into football terms:

"America needs a defensive strategy that will stop a guy from getting the ball in the first place. Not just hope someone tackles him before he gets to the end zone. That's not a winning strategy—unless you're playing the Jets."

Klepper took the analogy even further when he stated that "we need to limit the size of the ball. That ball is a weapon of war; the Founders didn't anticipate the ball would be this big; I'm in too deep with this metaphor. I hear it now. You get the idea.""

Sounds like a game plan to me. Hey, it's worth a shot try.

Here's the link to this article:      Gun Control in 'Merican Football Terms

[Brother Mythos]

I haven't been to Maine in many years, as the last time I was there, in early June, it was closed. (Well, in truth, it was mostly closed.) So, I don't really know much about the place. But, given that they continue reelecting 'concerned' Senator Susan Collins, I've never thought of Maine as being a 'blue' state. However, after last year's mass shooting, it appears that some of their citizens are taking gun safety a little more seriously.

"Maine governor signs off on new gun laws, mental health supports in wake of Lewiston shootings"

As per this article:

"AUGUSTA, Maine -- Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on Friday signed into law a suite of gun safety legislation approved by lawmakers after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, expanding background checks for private sales of weapons, bolstering the state's "yellow flag" law, criminalizing the transfer of guns to prohibited people and expanding mental health crisis care.

The governor told lawmakers during her State of the State address that doing nothing was not an option after an Army reservist with an assault rifle killed 18 people and injured 13 others in Lewiston on Oct. 25.

The bills drew opposition from Republicans who accused Democrats, who control both legislative chambers, of using the tragedy to advance proposals, some of which had been previously defeated. Mills said Friday the proposals would improve public safety while respecting the state's long traditions of gun ownership and outdoor heritage."

So, although there's still much more to be done, at least the state of Maine is headed in the right direction. It's just a shame that it took mass murder to encourage them to make a little effort to address this deadly issue.

Here's the link to this article:      Maine Governor Signs Off On New Gun Laws

[Brother Mythos]

I have never fired a rifle equipped with a bump stock. But, it is my understanding that bump stocks severely reduce the accuracy of such a rifle. So, that make a rifle equipped with a bump stock unsuitable for target shooting. In any case, automatic, and even semi-automatic rifles can not be legally used for hunting game in, at least, my state. (There used to be an exception allowing handicapped hunters to use semi-automatic rifles, and that exception may still exist.)

So, what is a rifle equipped with a bump stock actually good for? Well, as has already been well proven, it's a great choice for an indiscriminate mass shooter.

"Republicans block bill to outlaw bump stocks for rifles after Supreme Court lifts Trump-era ban"

As per this article:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans blocked bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would have outlawed bump stocks after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on the rapid-fire gun accessory used in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.

Democrats tried to force a voice vote on the bill to ban bump stocks, a tactic often used by both parties when they know that they don't have the votes to pass legislation but want to bring an issue to the Senate floor. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would ban the sale of the devices, similar to the rule issued by President Donald Trump's administration after a gunman in Las Vegas attacked a country music festival in 2017 with semiautomatic rifles equipped with the accessories."

And, as per further along in this article:

"Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts objected for Republicans, blocking an immediate vote on the bill. He called the legislation a "gun grabbing overreach" that could be interpreted to include other gun accessories beyond bump stocks."

Here's this link:   Republicult™ Blocks Bill Outlawing Bump Stocks

As surviving a mass shooting, as well as initiating one, is becoming something a 'rite of passage' in the US of A, the Republicult™ is certainly doing its part to make sure it actually becomes another 'Merican tradition.

[Brother Mythos]

Whatever is happening in the state of Texas these days?

I mean, this is the place where Mexico welcomed immigrants from 'Merica, and gave them free land. But, those ungrateful southern 'Mericans rebelled anyway, because Mexico was a free country. And, of course, those ambitions 'Merican immigrants knew they couldn't really prosper without imprisoning a lot of slaves to do their work for them. And then, after becoming the 28th state of the United States of 'Merica, they rebelled yet again, because, of course, slavery.   

"The State Fair of Texas opens with a new gun ban after courts reject challenge"

As per this article:

"DALLAS -- The State Fair of Texas opened Friday under a new firearms ban, having withstood weeks of pressure from Republicans who had charged into a public rift with one of the state's most beloved institutions and have spent years championing looser gun laws.

Organizers put the ban in place following a shooting last year that injured three people and sent some fairgoers running and climbing over barriers to flee. By the time thousands of visitors began streaming through the gates in Dallas on Friday — greeted by a roughly five-story tall cowboy statue known as "Big Tex" — the state's highest court had rejected a last-minute appeal from the the state's GOP attorney general, who argued the ban violated Texas' permissive gun rights."

And, of course, this one will be going to 'Merica's Supreme Court, but probably not in time to allow all of those gun-fondling Texans to strap on a hogleg, or two, to swagger around with at the fair.

Here's the link:   The State Fair of Texas is back with a new firearms ban