Regarding guns in general, and assault weapons and ammo in particular, I've said this previously, and in several different forums:
"One of the most effective means we have of reducing the addiction to such things is product liability. Manufacturers reduce their risks by making their products safer. Unfortunately, the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that was signed into law in 2005 provides gun and ammo manufacturers and sellers immunity from lawsuits. Repeal of that law should be a top priority."
I'm working on an essay on the overall subject of our inability to deal with guns, but the subject has so many tentacles that it's difficult to untangle. This latest tragedy makes it worthwhile to keep trying.
Mar 28, 2023·edited Mar 28, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Indeed this would be a huge step in the right direction. If the gun nuts hate "socialism" then they should hate this welfare program solely for the gun industry. But assault weapons ownership should be banned for other than the military. Ownership of any other gun needs to be more regulated ie mandatory background checks, licenses, insurance.
Exactly. And require that all persons owning or possessing guns carry liability insurance against damage done by their weapons if used with their permission or taken from them due to their negligence or intentional violation of safety standards. The insurance rates would curb the rate of firearm s ownership sharply. And, yes, ban assault weapons, but recognize that that will have only a small effect on the number of gun deaths.
Nicholas Kristoff of NYT has suggested a public health approach to the harm caused by firearms (I am writing on a tablet, and am not knowledgeable enough to paste in a link). While I’d like to confiscate guns, and limit those that can be owned legally, the horse is out of that barn, and Kristoff’s approach is the most sensible way for real progress.
Thanks, Anne! An excellent essay, probably a lot more informative and useful than my own. The best part of the message is that there's much that can be done, if only cooler heads could communicate. None of the public health matters he cited (or even major social change matters) happened overnight or as a result of some epiphanies. They took a lot of time and effort of people with disparate points of view to negotiate practical solutions. Such solutions cannot just be dictated or mandated.
I really love your idea of liability insurance for gun ownership! Brilliant! We have to carry it when driving a car, practicing medicine, owning a gym, even owning a home! Makes great sense. The cost could be commiserate with the amount of guns owned, and style of guns. It puts responsibility on the gun owner to act responsibility! Of course it might exclude illegally obtained guns, but not completely because they had to be obtained at some point from licensed gun owners. Love it. Thank you.
Actually while you may be required by law to have those insurances, many don't. And if you pay cash for your home, you don't need home owners. Only if you're borrowing money do they require it.
I had a further thought on responsible gun owners registering their guns and being responsible until they transfer the registration to someone else who then becomes the registered owner. The cost and process should be designed to encourage compliance and discourage fraud or evasion. Think it'll fly?
Along with required liability insurance,I think a registered gun owner would be more than happy to transfer registration, with state approval, to another owner in order to cancel an existing insurance policy. Money talks, only saved. However, if the buyer doesn’t qualify for the registration, or can’t afford the insurance, another avenue must be available to the gun owner to dispose of the weapon. A state buyback program would be at the top of my list!
If you can't get Republicans to wear a mask in an epidemic that killed over 1M of their fellow citizens, what makes anyone think calling this a "health issue" will (to borrow your euphemism) bring that horse to water? Unfortunately, as we experienced with Covid, Republicans and Libertarians think any health measure is Soviet socialism and an infringement on their right to kill themselves and the rest of society. Craziness reigns.
Republicans have made protecting our children central to their perpetual campaign for every office. Democrats should take the white heat of Robert Hubbell's anger (and others' anger as well) to address the danger to children that Republicans actually promote -- gun violence. We have been reminded of Republican Andy Ogles' Christmas card in various spots on the internet. That card depicting Ogles' armed family is a perfect example of "grooming." Ogles prepared his own children and the recipients of his Christmas card and those who have the opportunity to see it through the media to be shooters. "Grooming" indeed.
Let's not forget Tom Massie of KY who did the same thing with his family. Once a libertarian, Massie seems to have forgotten that with liberty comes responsibility.
It's the magazines, stupid! For crying out loud --- I really believe that a majority of Americans are OK with people owning sporting guns and pistols with 3-5 shot capacities. It's the assault weapons with 30 shot magazines that put all of us at risk. Why there's no true sportsman in the world who goes deer hunting or duck hunting with a 30 shot magazine. Those are made for and should be restricted to the military.
And not just the magazines--it is ammunition designed to tumble and shatter on impact to inflict maximum damage. No sportsman needs a bullet designed to leave a gaping hole.
There's a reason hunters don't use assault rifles. There's nothing left of the prey if you do. Now thing about the children who were victims of those guns. It's horrifying.
Yes. Great and intelligent comment. We should start there. And banning ammo that is designed to shred its target? Imagine a hunter wanting to destroy his dinner rather than simply killing it for supper.
Getting AR-15s out of the hands of those who value them over the lives of children will take a lifetime and more. A much more effective approach - the magazines and the ammo could be more effective faster.
I'd like to see Jordan and MTG justify the large capacity magazines and flesh exploding bullets.
But only a small fraction of firearms deaths are caused by assault weapons—a very small fraction. More important are semiautomatic pistols with 14- to 17-round magazines.
Hi, Jon. I understand your point, but we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of using statistics to diminish the incredible toll of death in the US. When we say that only "a small fraction" of firearm deaths are caused by assault weapons, that can normalize the fact that US gun deaths exceed that of other nations BY A FACTOR OF 10! (on a GDP basis).
In terms of absolute numbers, setting aside nations ruled by drug cartels and engaged in civil war, no other nation comes close to 530 gun deaths due to assault rifles in a year. In most nations that number can be counted on one hand. So although 530 is a small fraction of the US deaths due to assault rifles, it is objectively, absolutely an obscenely unacceptable number.
I guess that’s the main part of my point. Magazine capacity is what it’s all about. The 2nd Amendment drafters were familiar with re loading after a shot. They couldn’t have imagined a nut spraying out 30 shots in less than a minute. No aiming or skill required
“How many deaths will it take till they know that too many people have died”? I hate to admit it, butRegan was right: government IS the problem, but not because there’s too much of it, but because it seems that some days, there seems to be no one from either party who wants to govern. Damn it, folks, have some moxie and take a stand!
This won't make national news, I suspect, but last night Hyattsville, Maryland saw another shooting. 4 shot but only one dead (ask the dead person whether he/she feels fortunate that there was only one death)
"Isolation is at the core of many of our society’s ills, including gun violence. Human kindness and connection are our first line of defense in preventing future violence." Indeed and well said. We have way too many lonely people, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic but already a solid trend beforehand! The vicious cycle of being lonely and turning to social media/television to ameliorate that loneliness and then being radicalized... It starts young when parents allow television to occupy children rather than making space for them to play, be creative and learn how to be social. It's one reason why I want to see universal child care!
We must unite and stand up to this by showing up to vote and getting everyone we know who agrees to show up to vote-for President, Senator, House Member, Governor, State legislators, council and commission, mayor, school board up and down the ballot. The politicians who refuse to heed our voices about assault and other guns are the same ones who vote the way all the other oligarchs tell them to vote. It’s time to get off our butts-stand up and speak up and vote up. If it takes rewriting the 2nd, so be it or all the way down to the gun safety laws, the most anemic for the safety of our childrens and others lives. And while I write, my own DeSantis and his lapdog legislators are passing permitless open and concealed carry of any type of gun, assault rifles notwithstanding. It has passed the FL House and its companion Bill awaits FL Senste approval which is assured and on to the even-more assured DeSantis signature into Law. Are we too lazy to have not fought harder to keep these nut cakes out of office?
I feel your pain, Richard ! At least it appears there’s little support in Senate for lowering age to buy assault rifles to 18. My ( lemming ) Fl Rep sponsored the House bill. 😡I asked him how allowing 18 year-olds to own assault rifles would make our community safer.
I’m concerned we may swing even further right( is that possible ?) now that Claremont Institute has jumped the sinking ship of Trump and has sailed into Tallahassee . DeSantis is onboard.Ugh !
Even Eastman, that pathetic POS, will have a hard time selling DeSantis to the rest of the country. Better yet, DeSantis himself will have a difficult time convincing the country that he is fit to lead anything, let alone the nation.
The leaks are coming from witnesses, attorneys, and court personnel (in my view).
I don't know that the leaks are causing the grand jury to waver. My point is that when grand jury proceedings are treated like trials, the public loses confidence in the charging decisions of the grand jury. Grand jury proceedings are not run like trials, but if the press reports on them as if they are, it can create misimpression about the legitimacy of the indictment, which is based on a much lower standard than a jury verdict.
Here's what Senator Bernie Sanders sent to me concerning gun violence:
Thank you for contacting me about ending the epidemic of gun violence in America. I share your outrage about this senseless and horrific violence, and I agree with you that it is long past time for the Senate to take action and pass comprehensive gun safety legislation.
Let me be very clear: we must abolish the filibuster and pass gun safety legislation NOW. No one in America needs an AR-15. How many more children, mothers and fathers need to be murdered in cold blood before the Senate has the guts to ban assault weapons and take on the NRA?
I understand that there is a proud tradition of hunting, target shooting, and gun collecting here in Vermont. We know that the vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens who are extremely careful with their weapons, and common-sense gun laws are in no way an attack on their lifestyle or traditions, but they are an attempt to uphold those traditions while ensuring public safety.
In fact, many gun owners, and a strong majority of Americans, agree with many if not most common-sense gun measures. Increasingly, the American people, and especially young people, are coming together and speaking out on the issue of gun violence. I have heard from hundreds of Vermonters—parents, grandparents, teachers, students, and more—who are sick and tired of fearing for their and their loved ones’ lives because Congress won’t act to address gun violence. I share this frustration, and I agree that Congress’s inaction is outrageous and unacceptable.
In the past, Congress successfully passed common-sense gun laws. We passed legislation to share information between state and Federal law enforcement agencies to prevent those who pose a threat to the public from purchasing guns. We strengthened penalties for gun trafficking, and for using armor piercing ammunition when committing a crime. We passed the Undetectable Firearms Act and the Child Safety Lock Act, and we defeated a bill to allow people with concealed weapons permits in one state to carry a concealed weapon in any state.
But today, far too many Senators are beholden to the gun lobby. We must take on the National Rifle Association (NRA), and Congress must take concrete steps to reduce gun violence now. That means expanding background checks, which is why I am a cosponsor of both the Background Check Expansion Act and the Background Check Completion Act. The Background Check Expansion Act would expand Federal background checks to the sale or transfer of all firearms in the United States. The Background Check Completion Act would prohibit licensed gun dealers from transferring firearms to an unlicensed person before completing a background check, closing what is known as the Charleston Loophole. Like many other gun safety measures supported by a majority of Americans, universal background checks are supported by 97% of Americans.
We must ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from being sold, transferred, manufactured, and imported. There is absolutely no reason why these military weapons should be sold to civilians. That is why I’m a proud cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban. I am also a proud cosponsor of the Keep Americans Safe Act, which would ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
These are just some of the gun violence prevention ideas that are supported by the vast majority of the American people, and it’s time for Congress to move forward in response. We must abolish the filibuster, pass gun safety legislation now, and protect our communities. Now is the time for majority rule in the Senate.
Please know that I will continue pushing my colleagues to listen to the American people rather than the NRA and fight to enact legislation to keep our communities safe.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please feel free to stay in touch about this or any other subject of interest to you. For up-to-date information on what I am working on, please sign-up for my e-newsletter, the Bernie Buzz, at https://www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/newsletter-signup.
Do you know that Sanders hasn't been able to pass gun legislation in VT? He talks a good game about everything, but when you actually go look at his voting record, it doesn't scream progressive.
Robert, I'm not generally a "fight fire with fire" person, but I recognize it is a well-honed technique for managing and preventing major conflagrations. As you state so well in today's newsletter, we are well past the emergency stage and need aggressive action to counter the NRA-funded legislators who are preventing serious gun reform. Biden and Democratic officials can continue with the soft-talk, but - in search of a better strategy - I'd like to suggest a coordinated national campaign of civic action tol take the fight to the jim jordans who campaign on pro-gun activism at the local, state and national level: billboard, TV and newspaper ads in local markets with photos of lawmakers whose holiday messages and campaign ads show them (and their families) bearing arms side-by-side with photos of kid's funerals (or their grieving families where permitted) under a "stop the political carnage" banner. If a coalition of gun reform organizations were to take this on, I for one would contribute and suspect many more of us who are desperate for some effective action would do the same.
Another suggestion, though it is difficult to ask of the person or child that has been shot by an assault rifle and survived, to share photos of the damage to their bodies. It is a traumatic and painful decision to be willing to show what happened to one’s body. This suggestion comes to mind when I read the following story - It’s Been 50 Years. I Am Not Napalm Girl Anymore - in the NYT on June 6, 2022, by Kin Phuc Phan Thi. I encourage you to read her story in its entirety, as she discusses the trauma of the infamous photograph. Sadly, I agree with Ms. Thi that people cannot comprehend the damage, therefore will never act to end the violence.
Here is an excerpt.
I know what it is like to have your village bombed, your home devastated, to see family members die and bodies of innocent civilians lying in the street. These are the horrors of war from Vietnam memorialized in countless photographs and newsreels. Sadly, they are also the images of wars everywhere, of precious human lives being damaged and destroyed today in Ukraine.
They are, in a different way, also the horrific images coming from school shootings. We may not see the bodies, as we do with foreign wars, but these attacks are the domestic equivalent of war. The thought of sharing the images of the carnage, especially of children, may seem unbearable — but we should confront them. It is easier to hide from the realities of war if we don’t see the consequences.
I cannot speak for the families in Uvalde, Texas, but I think that showing the world what the aftermath of a gun rampage truly looks like can deliver the awful reality. We must face this violence head-on, and the first step is to look at it.
I have carried the results of war on my body. You don’t grow out of the scars, physically or mentally. I am grateful now for the power of that photograph of me as a 9-year-old, as I am of the journey I have taken as a person. My horror — which I barely remember — became universal. I’m proud that, in time, I have become a symbol of peace. It took me a long time to embrace that as a person. I can say, 50 years later, that I’m glad Nick captured that moment, even with all the difficulties that image created for me.
Who / what entity could tackle this huge campaign? Do you have any suggestions? We're talking about a multi-million $$$ coordinated and strategic communications campaign using all methods. VERY HIGH level and VERY EFFECTIVE. Similar to the Lincoln Project.
If we can make a list of potential $$$ underwriters (Mackenzie Scott? Mike Bloomberg? Others?), maybe we can strategize together about how to approach them?
Next steps would be to identify agencies capable of creating and launching such a fast-track Strategic MarComm Campaign, then approaching them. I am willing to join a group from Robert's Readers to brainstorm, if that would help? (35 years of strat marcomm experience).
Robert, what do you think? Could you facilitate such an action group?
After the shooting at Michigan State, their Attorney General who had children at that school, said “When will we care more about our children than our guns”. I immediately had a bumper sticker made for my car with that statement. My friends warned that living in a red state, my car would be vandalized. So Be It. Further I sent that question to my Republican Senators and Congressmen. Surprise, I have received no answer. So once again I will write them! Linda Arnold
" Democrats would have turned the tragedy in Tennessee into a “political thing” "
It's not a question of turning anything - this IS a political thing! It's another naked example of money, greed and the lust for power supplanting decent human values. And it will continue happening until complacency is replaced with determined political action. It's one of the central reasons we're all here...if we're really "woke" maybe something will get done this time.
Just imagine being irritated at the people that want to stop kids from being murdered in school and claiming that they are making it "political".... Gym Jordan is a trash bag of a human being. Abe Lincoln once said "The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves—in their separate, and individual capacities." That is what politics are supposed to be about.
Oh Robert, I decided to listen to your recording of tonight’s newsletter. Your voice is very soothing but you do accentuate those words that truly count. So much news and yet, Fake 45 gets to speak at rallies like the one in Waco, which I call Wackco. It is unnerving that Garland didn’t have the guts to put that monster behind bars at the get-go. How many years has it been now?? I have tried to support his decisions but I just can’t. We, the people, are frustrated by the constant delays of arresting all of the parties involved. We simply cannot have people like, Stephen Miller, procreate his own Aryan Nation! And then there are the sacrificial lambs...children. Assault weaponry highly touted by the Repub Party has wiped out yet more innocents. People ask “When is enough, ENOUGH?!”. I weep for those families and I weep for us. My husband and I don’t own guns for a reason. He was a Vietnam Vet. He had seen and lived a war that was useless. He never ever wanted to hold any weaponry after that experience. I wouldn’t have stayed with him if he had a gun. I am afraid of them. When we are not afraid of what these rifles or guns do to people, then we have lost ourselves. There are many of us who have protested, walked, and participated in marches for many many years. Seems like we take a few steps forward and then we get pushed back further and further. It’s maddening.
* Sidenote*: Please check your recording where you state the amount of money given to Stormy Daniels. I could’ve sworn you said $350,000 in lieu of $130, 000, which you typed out. I could be wrong, you know. :)
Yes; there was an error in the recording; after I made the recording, I went back to check the payment to stormy daniels because it seemed off to me. I corrected the amount in the newsletter, but I have no easy way to correct a single word in the recording retroactively.
One important clarification: Stephen Miller is Jewish, and grew up in Santa Monica, CA. I am continually flummoxed by his embrace of NAZI tropes. He most likely would have been erased in Hitler's Germany. He would not have been part of the mythic Aryan Nation. But, there you have it.
“… The propaganda machine of the NRA is similar to that of authoritarian and undemocratic political regimes around the world that deploy disinformation campaigns to secure control over public discourse in their nations, enabling autocrats to maintain a vice grip over information and ensure their power is unchecked and unquestioned.”
From: ‘Guns, Lies, and Fear
Exposing the NRA’s Messaging Playbook’
The National Rifle Association uses messaging strategies employed by dictators and demagogues to advance its gun rights narrative within the United States.
Here are some articles on the DC Bill. The Bill was controversial in DC. It did not have consensus among the Council and the Mayor didn't like the Bill. It's important to examine the nuances of the Bill and not finger point with black/white logic. I really wish the rhetoric in this Country would stop the zero sum game approach to all situations .
President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a resolution to block a controversial Washington, DC, crime bill that opponents have criticized as weak on crime. The controversial crime bill was initially vetoed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, with Bowser saying in a statement at the time that the bill “does not make us safer.” In a letter to the DC council chairman, Bowser expressed concern that “the council substantially reduced penalties for robberies, carjackings and home invasion burglaries.” The council, however, voted to override the mayor’s veto. “Decades of dramatic increases in incarceration have not been a solution to rising crime,” a release from the council said on the veto override.
Hi, Barbara. In the end, the people's representatives in DC voted for the bill. And yet, Congress and President Biden believed that the citizens of DC are not entitled to self governance. Why? Every argument that justifies overruling the bill is based on the notion that citizens in DC are not entitled to self-governance. Again, why?
Moreover, many articles grossly misstates the facts and repeats right-wing talking points. The bill did overhaul a 100-year-old set of laws that treated car-jacking with the same severity as murder. As I noted in my newsletter, the revised DC carjacking penalties are more severe than carjacking penalties in most states. And yet, various commentators and articles claim that because car-jacking maximum penalties were reduced from 40 years to 24 years (or 30 years if a gun is used) (still more than most states), the bill is "soft on crime."
Another example is the allegation that the bill is "soft on crime" because it reduced penalties for possession of a firearm. Hmm . . . let's see, it's a crime if citizens of DC carry a firearm, but in many states, so-called "Constitutional carry" laws say that any citizen can carry a firearm in public without a license. So, why is it a crime to posses a firearm in DC? And is it "soft on crime" to reduce the penalty for something that is not even a crime in most states? Again, why is DC treated differently? I will let you make your own inferences, but some of the possible reasons are troubling. (To be clear, I would prohibit carrying a weapon in public in all 50 states.)
Joe Biden and the Democrats blew it. They did not take the time to study the issue. No amount of vaguely describing the bill as "controversial" will cover the fact that the action presumes that citizens of DC are incapable of governing themselves. That is very troubling, indeed.
Finally, rather than discussing the "controversial" nature of the bill, it would be better if we could discuss proposed revisions and then compare them to similar laws in surrounding states. I believe you will find that what DC proposed made its laws more like Virginia, Maryland, Georgia etc. But many Congress believe that the citizens in DC should be subjected to harsher penalties for crimes treated more leniently in other states. Why?
If you are talking about me, I invite you to check the number of times Mr. Hubbell has liked my comments. He liked my comment before writing his response to me. He and I have spirited discussions. We I enjoy them. I noticed Mr. Hubbell did not "like" your comment nor did anyone else. Does that tell you something?
I wonder what the conversation was between President Biden and Mayor Bowser. We assume President Biden made an ill-informed and hasty decision. But we do not know that for certain, do we?
Regarding guns in general, and assault weapons and ammo in particular, I've said this previously, and in several different forums:
"One of the most effective means we have of reducing the addiction to such things is product liability. Manufacturers reduce their risks by making their products safer. Unfortunately, the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that was signed into law in 2005 provides gun and ammo manufacturers and sellers immunity from lawsuits. Repeal of that law should be a top priority."
I'm working on an essay on the overall subject of our inability to deal with guns, but the subject has so many tentacles that it's difficult to untangle. This latest tragedy makes it worthwhile to keep trying.
Indeed this would be a huge step in the right direction. If the gun nuts hate "socialism" then they should hate this welfare program solely for the gun industry. But assault weapons ownership should be banned for other than the military. Ownership of any other gun needs to be more regulated ie mandatory background checks, licenses, insurance.
Exactly. And require that all persons owning or possessing guns carry liability insurance against damage done by their weapons if used with their permission or taken from them due to their negligence or intentional violation of safety standards. The insurance rates would curb the rate of firearm s ownership sharply. And, yes, ban assault weapons, but recognize that that will have only a small effect on the number of gun deaths.
Nicholas Kristoff of NYT has suggested a public health approach to the harm caused by firearms (I am writing on a tablet, and am not knowledgeable enough to paste in a link). While I’d like to confiscate guns, and limit those that can be owned legally, the horse is out of that barn, and Kristoff’s approach is the most sensible way for real progress.
Here's Kristoff's piece, with a new opening paragraph. (There should be no paywall.) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/opinion/gun-death-health.html?unlocked_article_code=YY87AaUt8lavE0M1KIeJcXlu0_T6johgyeXAN3lfnvejTUDgY2QHq1YxTZyXMLMv3yZNL1jlir_H_cUx8dHEmKInmVEckEXBVld9jOn3QDPV6THhOEPMRqWAk6cjT-GQYqQi4AMpc3MUkIi13QERyXCmAIdz5Y4MUui5WOHlhAbJ9BtijEYIKfwz1-RjA6CkswNQYr9p3Gh9FcfWH2OxsDsV8FyqmAPgIB_7HGrxW3TNa0WHfpmNmJLCcU0fzpt7FVYVadbCIbKaVZJDOVzX4UvaI4m378wDc5tvfM2ChxqSAhiUfypOW0U4Fe1J08rZM9haZ_NQwVGZ4w&smid=url-share
Thanks, Anne! An excellent essay, probably a lot more informative and useful than my own. The best part of the message is that there's much that can be done, if only cooler heads could communicate. None of the public health matters he cited (or even major social change matters) happened overnight or as a result of some epiphanies. They took a lot of time and effort of people with disparate points of view to negotiate practical solutions. Such solutions cannot just be dictated or mandated.
I really love your idea of liability insurance for gun ownership! Brilliant! We have to carry it when driving a car, practicing medicine, owning a gym, even owning a home! Makes great sense. The cost could be commiserate with the amount of guns owned, and style of guns. It puts responsibility on the gun owner to act responsibility! Of course it might exclude illegally obtained guns, but not completely because they had to be obtained at some point from licensed gun owners. Love it. Thank you.
Actually while you may be required by law to have those insurances, many don't. And if you pay cash for your home, you don't need home owners. Only if you're borrowing money do they require it.
Wish I could take credit, but it's not original with me,
Hey, Jon, if I ever had an original thought, I'd be afraid my head would explode!
I had a further thought on responsible gun owners registering their guns and being responsible until they transfer the registration to someone else who then becomes the registered owner. The cost and process should be designed to encourage compliance and discourage fraud or evasion. Think it'll fly?
Along with required liability insurance,I think a registered gun owner would be more than happy to transfer registration, with state approval, to another owner in order to cancel an existing insurance policy. Money talks, only saved. However, if the buyer doesn’t qualify for the registration, or can’t afford the insurance, another avenue must be available to the gun owner to dispose of the weapon. A state buyback program would be at the top of my list!
Great thoughts!
I couldn't access Kristoff's piece, but I did find this from APHA: https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/factsheets/200221_gun_violence_fact_sheet.ashx
You should be able to access it with this gifted link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/opinion/gun-death-health.html?unlocked_article_code=YY87AaUt8lavE0M1KIeJcXlu0_T6johgyeXAN3lfnvejTUDgY2QHq1YxTZyXMLMv3yZNL1jlir_H_cUx8dHEmKInmVEckEXBVld9jOn3QDPV6THhOEPMRqWAk6cjT-GQYqQi4AMpc3MUkIi13QERyXCmAIdz5Y4MUui5WOHlhAbJ9BtijEYIKfwz1-RjA6CkswNQYr9p3Gh9FcfWH2OxsDsV8FyqmAPgIB_7HGrxW3TNa0WHfpmNmJLCcU0fzpt7FVYVadbCIbKaVZJDOVzX4UvaI4m378wDc5tvfM2ChxqSAhiUfypOW0U4Fe1J08rZM9haZ_NQwVGZ4w&smid=url-share
It's a great article Bob and I just posted it on Facebook if you use that.
If you can't get Republicans to wear a mask in an epidemic that killed over 1M of their fellow citizens, what makes anyone think calling this a "health issue" will (to borrow your euphemism) bring that horse to water? Unfortunately, as we experienced with Covid, Republicans and Libertarians think any health measure is Soviet socialism and an infringement on their right to kill themselves and the rest of society. Craziness reigns.
I'm pretty sure they did away with that https://apnews.com/article/sandy-hook-school-shooting-remington-settlement-e53b95d398ee9b838afc06275a4df403
Republicans have made protecting our children central to their perpetual campaign for every office. Democrats should take the white heat of Robert Hubbell's anger (and others' anger as well) to address the danger to children that Republicans actually promote -- gun violence. We have been reminded of Republican Andy Ogles' Christmas card in various spots on the internet. That card depicting Ogles' armed family is a perfect example of "grooming." Ogles prepared his own children and the recipients of his Christmas card and those who have the opportunity to see it through the media to be shooters. "Grooming" indeed.
Republicans are more worried about the harm done to their little ones by books than by bullets.
Let's not forget Tom Massie of KY who did the same thing with his family. Once a libertarian, Massie seems to have forgotten that with liberty comes responsibility.
It's the magazines, stupid! For crying out loud --- I really believe that a majority of Americans are OK with people owning sporting guns and pistols with 3-5 shot capacities. It's the assault weapons with 30 shot magazines that put all of us at risk. Why there's no true sportsman in the world who goes deer hunting or duck hunting with a 30 shot magazine. Those are made for and should be restricted to the military.
And not just the magazines--it is ammunition designed to tumble and shatter on impact to inflict maximum damage. No sportsman needs a bullet designed to leave a gaping hole.
Right. It’s wimpy
There's a reason hunters don't use assault rifles. There's nothing left of the prey if you do. Now thing about the children who were victims of those guns. It's horrifying.
Yes. Great and intelligent comment. We should start there. And banning ammo that is designed to shred its target? Imagine a hunter wanting to destroy his dinner rather than simply killing it for supper.
Getting AR-15s out of the hands of those who value them over the lives of children will take a lifetime and more. A much more effective approach - the magazines and the ammo could be more effective faster.
I'd like to see Jordan and MTG justify the large capacity magazines and flesh exploding bullets.
But only a small fraction of firearms deaths are caused by assault weapons—a very small fraction. More important are semiautomatic pistols with 14- to 17-round magazines.
Hi, Jon. I understand your point, but we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of using statistics to diminish the incredible toll of death in the US. When we say that only "a small fraction" of firearm deaths are caused by assault weapons, that can normalize the fact that US gun deaths exceed that of other nations BY A FACTOR OF 10! (on a GDP basis).
In terms of absolute numbers, setting aside nations ruled by drug cartels and engaged in civil war, no other nation comes close to 530 gun deaths due to assault rifles in a year. In most nations that number can be counted on one hand. So although 530 is a small fraction of the US deaths due to assault rifles, it is objectively, absolutely an obscenely unacceptable number.
I guess that’s the main part of my point. Magazine capacity is what it’s all about. The 2nd Amendment drafters were familiar with re loading after a shot. They couldn’t have imagined a nut spraying out 30 shots in less than a minute. No aiming or skill required
“How many deaths will it take till they know that too many people have died”? I hate to admit it, butRegan was right: government IS the problem, but not because there’s too much of it, but because it seems that some days, there seems to be no one from either party who wants to govern. Damn it, folks, have some moxie and take a stand!
Reagan WAS the problem
This won't make national news, I suspect, but last night Hyattsville, Maryland saw another shooting. 4 shot but only one dead (ask the dead person whether he/she feels fortunate that there was only one death)
Well said, Lynell.
😖😭
"Isolation is at the core of many of our society’s ills, including gun violence. Human kindness and connection are our first line of defense in preventing future violence." Indeed and well said. We have way too many lonely people, a situation exacerbated by the pandemic but already a solid trend beforehand! The vicious cycle of being lonely and turning to social media/television to ameliorate that loneliness and then being radicalized... It starts young when parents allow television to occupy children rather than making space for them to play, be creative and learn how to be social. It's one reason why I want to see universal child care!
We must unite and stand up to this by showing up to vote and getting everyone we know who agrees to show up to vote-for President, Senator, House Member, Governor, State legislators, council and commission, mayor, school board up and down the ballot. The politicians who refuse to heed our voices about assault and other guns are the same ones who vote the way all the other oligarchs tell them to vote. It’s time to get off our butts-stand up and speak up and vote up. If it takes rewriting the 2nd, so be it or all the way down to the gun safety laws, the most anemic for the safety of our childrens and others lives. And while I write, my own DeSantis and his lapdog legislators are passing permitless open and concealed carry of any type of gun, assault rifles notwithstanding. It has passed the FL House and its companion Bill awaits FL Senste approval which is assured and on to the even-more assured DeSantis signature into Law. Are we too lazy to have not fought harder to keep these nut cakes out of office?
We get the government we deserve. Simple.
I feel your pain, Richard ! At least it appears there’s little support in Senate for lowering age to buy assault rifles to 18. My ( lemming ) Fl Rep sponsored the House bill. 😡I asked him how allowing 18 year-olds to own assault rifles would make our community safer.
I’m concerned we may swing even further right( is that possible ?) now that Claremont Institute has jumped the sinking ship of Trump and has sailed into Tallahassee . DeSantis is onboard.Ugh !
Even Eastman, that pathetic POS, will have a hard time selling DeSantis to the rest of the country. Better yet, DeSantis himself will have a difficult time convincing the country that he is fit to lead anything, let alone the nation.
Where do you think the "hush money" grand jury leaks are coming from? And how is it causing a possible waver? Thanks, anyone who can explain!
But most importantly, we must keep pushing for banning assault weapons. I would say it's a no-brainer, but therein lies the problem.
The leaks are coming from witnesses, attorneys, and court personnel (in my view).
I don't know that the leaks are causing the grand jury to waver. My point is that when grand jury proceedings are treated like trials, the public loses confidence in the charging decisions of the grand jury. Grand jury proceedings are not run like trials, but if the press reports on them as if they are, it can create misimpression about the legitimacy of the indictment, which is based on a much lower standard than a jury verdict.
The court officers support him. That would be my bet.
Here's what Senator Bernie Sanders sent to me concerning gun violence:
Thank you for contacting me about ending the epidemic of gun violence in America. I share your outrage about this senseless and horrific violence, and I agree with you that it is long past time for the Senate to take action and pass comprehensive gun safety legislation.
Let me be very clear: we must abolish the filibuster and pass gun safety legislation NOW. No one in America needs an AR-15. How many more children, mothers and fathers need to be murdered in cold blood before the Senate has the guts to ban assault weapons and take on the NRA?
I understand that there is a proud tradition of hunting, target shooting, and gun collecting here in Vermont. We know that the vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens who are extremely careful with their weapons, and common-sense gun laws are in no way an attack on their lifestyle or traditions, but they are an attempt to uphold those traditions while ensuring public safety.
In fact, many gun owners, and a strong majority of Americans, agree with many if not most common-sense gun measures. Increasingly, the American people, and especially young people, are coming together and speaking out on the issue of gun violence. I have heard from hundreds of Vermonters—parents, grandparents, teachers, students, and more—who are sick and tired of fearing for their and their loved ones’ lives because Congress won’t act to address gun violence. I share this frustration, and I agree that Congress’s inaction is outrageous and unacceptable.
In the past, Congress successfully passed common-sense gun laws. We passed legislation to share information between state and Federal law enforcement agencies to prevent those who pose a threat to the public from purchasing guns. We strengthened penalties for gun trafficking, and for using armor piercing ammunition when committing a crime. We passed the Undetectable Firearms Act and the Child Safety Lock Act, and we defeated a bill to allow people with concealed weapons permits in one state to carry a concealed weapon in any state.
But today, far too many Senators are beholden to the gun lobby. We must take on the National Rifle Association (NRA), and Congress must take concrete steps to reduce gun violence now. That means expanding background checks, which is why I am a cosponsor of both the Background Check Expansion Act and the Background Check Completion Act. The Background Check Expansion Act would expand Federal background checks to the sale or transfer of all firearms in the United States. The Background Check Completion Act would prohibit licensed gun dealers from transferring firearms to an unlicensed person before completing a background check, closing what is known as the Charleston Loophole. Like many other gun safety measures supported by a majority of Americans, universal background checks are supported by 97% of Americans.
We must ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from being sold, transferred, manufactured, and imported. There is absolutely no reason why these military weapons should be sold to civilians. That is why I’m a proud cosponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban. I am also a proud cosponsor of the Keep Americans Safe Act, which would ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
These are just some of the gun violence prevention ideas that are supported by the vast majority of the American people, and it’s time for Congress to move forward in response. We must abolish the filibuster, pass gun safety legislation now, and protect our communities. Now is the time for majority rule in the Senate.
Please know that I will continue pushing my colleagues to listen to the American people rather than the NRA and fight to enact legislation to keep our communities safe.
Thank you again for contacting me, and please feel free to stay in touch about this or any other subject of interest to you. For up-to-date information on what I am working on, please sign-up for my e-newsletter, the Bernie Buzz, at https://www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/newsletter-signup.
Sincerely,
BERNARD SANDERS United States Senator
Do you know that Sanders hasn't been able to pass gun legislation in VT? He talks a good game about everything, but when you actually go look at his voting record, it doesn't scream progressive.
Robert, I'm not generally a "fight fire with fire" person, but I recognize it is a well-honed technique for managing and preventing major conflagrations. As you state so well in today's newsletter, we are well past the emergency stage and need aggressive action to counter the NRA-funded legislators who are preventing serious gun reform. Biden and Democratic officials can continue with the soft-talk, but - in search of a better strategy - I'd like to suggest a coordinated national campaign of civic action tol take the fight to the jim jordans who campaign on pro-gun activism at the local, state and national level: billboard, TV and newspaper ads in local markets with photos of lawmakers whose holiday messages and campaign ads show them (and their families) bearing arms side-by-side with photos of kid's funerals (or their grieving families where permitted) under a "stop the political carnage" banner. If a coalition of gun reform organizations were to take this on, I for one would contribute and suspect many more of us who are desperate for some effective action would do the same.
Another suggestion, though it is difficult to ask of the person or child that has been shot by an assault rifle and survived, to share photos of the damage to their bodies. It is a traumatic and painful decision to be willing to show what happened to one’s body. This suggestion comes to mind when I read the following story - It’s Been 50 Years. I Am Not Napalm Girl Anymore - in the NYT on June 6, 2022, by Kin Phuc Phan Thi. I encourage you to read her story in its entirety, as she discusses the trauma of the infamous photograph. Sadly, I agree with Ms. Thi that people cannot comprehend the damage, therefore will never act to end the violence.
Here is an excerpt.
I know what it is like to have your village bombed, your home devastated, to see family members die and bodies of innocent civilians lying in the street. These are the horrors of war from Vietnam memorialized in countless photographs and newsreels. Sadly, they are also the images of wars everywhere, of precious human lives being damaged and destroyed today in Ukraine.
They are, in a different way, also the horrific images coming from school shootings. We may not see the bodies, as we do with foreign wars, but these attacks are the domestic equivalent of war. The thought of sharing the images of the carnage, especially of children, may seem unbearable — but we should confront them. It is easier to hide from the realities of war if we don’t see the consequences.
I cannot speak for the families in Uvalde, Texas, but I think that showing the world what the aftermath of a gun rampage truly looks like can deliver the awful reality. We must face this violence head-on, and the first step is to look at it.
I have carried the results of war on my body. You don’t grow out of the scars, physically or mentally. I am grateful now for the power of that photograph of me as a 9-year-old, as I am of the journey I have taken as a person. My horror — which I barely remember — became universal. I’m proud that, in time, I have become a symbol of peace. It took me a long time to embrace that as a person. I can say, 50 years later, that I’m glad Nick captured that moment, even with all the difficulties that image created for me.
All good suggestions!
Who / what entity could tackle this huge campaign? Do you have any suggestions? We're talking about a multi-million $$$ coordinated and strategic communications campaign using all methods. VERY HIGH level and VERY EFFECTIVE. Similar to the Lincoln Project.
If we can make a list of potential $$$ underwriters (Mackenzie Scott? Mike Bloomberg? Others?), maybe we can strategize together about how to approach them?
Next steps would be to identify agencies capable of creating and launching such a fast-track Strategic MarComm Campaign, then approaching them. I am willing to join a group from Robert's Readers to brainstorm, if that would help? (35 years of strat marcomm experience).
Robert, what do you think? Could you facilitate such an action group?
Onward - Sheila
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1467197523127422979/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1467197523127422979%7Ctwgr%5E6ebd226eb198246ee644a4e56d2402f2158b6201%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fjamaal-bowman-thomas-massie-gun-violence_n_6424bc44e4b00c95174fc765
After the shooting at Michigan State, their Attorney General who had children at that school, said “When will we care more about our children than our guns”. I immediately had a bumper sticker made for my car with that statement. My friends warned that living in a red state, my car would be vandalized. So Be It. Further I sent that question to my Republican Senators and Congressmen. Surprise, I have received no answer. So once again I will write them! Linda Arnold
Jim Jordan’s asinine remarks just made it political.
Exactly the GOP wants everything to be political and apolitical at the same time. Words have literally become meaningless to them.
" Democrats would have turned the tragedy in Tennessee into a “political thing” "
It's not a question of turning anything - this IS a political thing! It's another naked example of money, greed and the lust for power supplanting decent human values. And it will continue happening until complacency is replaced with determined political action. It's one of the central reasons we're all here...if we're really "woke" maybe something will get done this time.
Just imagine being irritated at the people that want to stop kids from being murdered in school and claiming that they are making it "political".... Gym Jordan is a trash bag of a human being. Abe Lincoln once said "The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves—in their separate, and individual capacities." That is what politics are supposed to be about.
Oh Robert, I decided to listen to your recording of tonight’s newsletter. Your voice is very soothing but you do accentuate those words that truly count. So much news and yet, Fake 45 gets to speak at rallies like the one in Waco, which I call Wackco. It is unnerving that Garland didn’t have the guts to put that monster behind bars at the get-go. How many years has it been now?? I have tried to support his decisions but I just can’t. We, the people, are frustrated by the constant delays of arresting all of the parties involved. We simply cannot have people like, Stephen Miller, procreate his own Aryan Nation! And then there are the sacrificial lambs...children. Assault weaponry highly touted by the Repub Party has wiped out yet more innocents. People ask “When is enough, ENOUGH?!”. I weep for those families and I weep for us. My husband and I don’t own guns for a reason. He was a Vietnam Vet. He had seen and lived a war that was useless. He never ever wanted to hold any weaponry after that experience. I wouldn’t have stayed with him if he had a gun. I am afraid of them. When we are not afraid of what these rifles or guns do to people, then we have lost ourselves. There are many of us who have protested, walked, and participated in marches for many many years. Seems like we take a few steps forward and then we get pushed back further and further. It’s maddening.
* Sidenote*: Please check your recording where you state the amount of money given to Stormy Daniels. I could’ve sworn you said $350,000 in lieu of $130, 000, which you typed out. I could be wrong, you know. :)
Yes; there was an error in the recording; after I made the recording, I went back to check the payment to stormy daniels because it seemed off to me. I corrected the amount in the newsletter, but I have no easy way to correct a single word in the recording retroactively.
HA! Well I thought maybe my hearing aids were acting up! :)
All good thoughts, Marlene.
One important clarification: Stephen Miller is Jewish, and grew up in Santa Monica, CA. I am continually flummoxed by his embrace of NAZI tropes. He most likely would have been erased in Hitler's Germany. He would not have been part of the mythic Aryan Nation. But, there you have it.
Sheila, I know he’s Jewish which makes him all the more confusing! Daughter of Holocaust victims here.
Two words Jared Kushner
“… The propaganda machine of the NRA is similar to that of authoritarian and undemocratic political regimes around the world that deploy disinformation campaigns to secure control over public discourse in their nations, enabling autocrats to maintain a vice grip over information and ensure their power is unchecked and unquestioned.”
From: ‘Guns, Lies, and Fear
Exposing the NRA’s Messaging Playbook’
The National Rifle Association uses messaging strategies employed by dictators and demagogues to advance its gun rights narrative within the United States.
Rukmani Bhatia, April 24, 2019
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/guns-lies-fear/
Here are some articles on the DC Bill. The Bill was controversial in DC. It did not have consensus among the Council and the Mayor didn't like the Bill. It's important to examine the nuances of the Bill and not finger point with black/white logic. I really wish the rhetoric in this Country would stop the zero sum game approach to all situations .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/15/dc-criminal-code-passes-objections/#:~:text=D.C.%20Council%20passes%20new%20criminal%20code%2C%20despite%20some%20objections
and
CNN —
President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a resolution to block a controversial Washington, DC, crime bill that opponents have criticized as weak on crime. The controversial crime bill was initially vetoed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, with Bowser saying in a statement at the time that the bill “does not make us safer.” In a letter to the DC council chairman, Bowser expressed concern that “the council substantially reduced penalties for robberies, carjackings and home invasion burglaries.” The council, however, voted to override the mayor’s veto. “Decades of dramatic increases in incarceration have not been a solution to rising crime,” a release from the council said on the veto override.
Hi, Barbara. In the end, the people's representatives in DC voted for the bill. And yet, Congress and President Biden believed that the citizens of DC are not entitled to self governance. Why? Every argument that justifies overruling the bill is based on the notion that citizens in DC are not entitled to self-governance. Again, why?
Moreover, many articles grossly misstates the facts and repeats right-wing talking points. The bill did overhaul a 100-year-old set of laws that treated car-jacking with the same severity as murder. As I noted in my newsletter, the revised DC carjacking penalties are more severe than carjacking penalties in most states. And yet, various commentators and articles claim that because car-jacking maximum penalties were reduced from 40 years to 24 years (or 30 years if a gun is used) (still more than most states), the bill is "soft on crime."
Another example is the allegation that the bill is "soft on crime" because it reduced penalties for possession of a firearm. Hmm . . . let's see, it's a crime if citizens of DC carry a firearm, but in many states, so-called "Constitutional carry" laws say that any citizen can carry a firearm in public without a license. So, why is it a crime to posses a firearm in DC? And is it "soft on crime" to reduce the penalty for something that is not even a crime in most states? Again, why is DC treated differently? I will let you make your own inferences, but some of the possible reasons are troubling. (To be clear, I would prohibit carrying a weapon in public in all 50 states.)
Joe Biden and the Democrats blew it. They did not take the time to study the issue. No amount of vaguely describing the bill as "controversial" will cover the fact that the action presumes that citizens of DC are incapable of governing themselves. That is very troubling, indeed.
Finally, rather than discussing the "controversial" nature of the bill, it would be better if we could discuss proposed revisions and then compare them to similar laws in surrounding states. I believe you will find that what DC proposed made its laws more like Virginia, Maryland, Georgia etc. But many Congress believe that the citizens in DC should be subjected to harsher penalties for crimes treated more leniently in other states. Why?
She contrarians all over your posts. I've reported her numerous times. I'm not sure why she even reads your blog.
If you are talking about me, I invite you to check the number of times Mr. Hubbell has liked my comments. He liked my comment before writing his response to me. He and I have spirited discussions. We I enjoy them. I noticed Mr. Hubbell did not "like" your comment nor did anyone else. Does that tell you something?
I wonder what the conversation was between President Biden and Mayor Bowser. We assume President Biden made an ill-informed and hasty decision. But we do not know that for certain, do we?