Field Research Pertaining To The Economy

A couple of weeks ago I analyzed BLS data and concluded that I had more control over my employment situation than previously thought; please see post entitled, Plug Away.  To verify my conclusion, I conducted field research the past two weeks. My findings were mixed. 

Going door to door during the day 99% of those with whom I spoke were not seeking employment (either they were retired or held positions with hours not during the standard business day); however, when I went to a job fair for finance and IT professionals, over 80% of those in attendance were 35 and older with more than half those 50 and above.  Based on this limited research, I conclude that it is still a tough employment market, especially for those that are older for a myriad of reasons for which I am still uncertain.

Separately, when I went door to door, I conducted additional research pertaining to healthcare, retirement savings and peoples’ perception of America.  I will share those findings next week. Stay tuned!

Ollie North Don’t You Recall, “I Don’t Like Mondays?”

On Sunday, two days after the ten people were killed by a young man wielding a gun at a high school in Santa Fe, TX, Oliver North, incoming NRA President, demonstrated once again his lack of common sense¹ when he stated on Fox News Sunday that this horrific crime was like a “disease…[caused by] a culture of violence” and we must “harden the place [referring to schools] sufficiently, that those kids are safe inside the door.” Upon learning his comments, I immediately recalled the song “I Don’t Like Mondays”² by the Boomtown Rats.  I encourage you to listen to it while you read this post; the link will pop up in a new window.

The song is not about going to work or school; it is about Brenda Spencer, who is still in jail for killing two school age kids at a school and wounding many more from across the street in January 1979³. Her actions prove that “hardening” the schools is not the answer; responsible gun ownership is, which leads be to conclude that the disease is the NRA. It promotes a gun "culture" with nary a mention of responsibility that should be required on the part of the owner.  The NRA's reckless behavior is putting our Second Amendment at risk and I am pissed!

The military promotes responsibility, should not we expect and demand that of ordinary citizens? I encourage you to read the Atlantic article entitled, Regulate Weapons Like We Do in the Military, Says an Army Officer.

I just wonder when the states will sue the NRA and the gun manufacturers for the increased costs to “harden” schools and other associated measures. I believe this is a reasonable expectation given that the states sued:

1. Tobacco companies for the costs associated with treating lung cancer and other illness attributed to smoking and
2. Drug manufacturers for costs associated with the opioid addiction our country is currently facing.

1. He was a central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal.
2. The song topped the UK charts in 1979 and made it to 73 in the US.  It is a catchy tune, is it not?
3. Forgive me for ruining the song for you if you did not already know the back story.

When Does The NRA Own The Problem It Helped Create?

I think most people would agree the ten people killed at a high school in Santa Fe, TX earlier today, which comes on the heels of five killed in Ponder, TX two days prior, which comes on the heels of… (well let’s just say the list goes on) is a problem, is it not?  Most if not all mass shootings are arguably caused by a mentally unstable individual, yet the NRA does not advocate funding for mental health; instead, the NRA seeks to repeal/reverse laws previously enacted that made it difficult to purchase a gun by a person who has been determined not mentally fit as evidenced by H.J.Res. 40, which became law on February 28, 2017. Additional anecdotal evidence to support my belief that the NRA helped create this problem is its actions of deniability.  Not once has the organization ever made a statement when a mass shooting like the one that occurred today that goes something like the following - "We at the NRA regret that guns were used  in such a senseless way creating destruction within the core fabric of our families, communities and Nation - the heart of America.  We find such actions unacceptable."

However, not all is lost with the NRA.  It may not know it, but the NRA recently demonstrated strong undeniable leadership for gun control. The NRA banned weapons at its own annual conference earlier this month.  It did so to ensure the safety of our President and Vice President. Yet, are we not all “created equal [and] … endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?”  We are! Therefore, if the ban on weapons is good for the President and Vice President then should it not apply to all, everywhere?  If not then what legislation do you propose?  If you are not willing to investigate, accept and promote sound legislation to ensure responsible gun ownership to protect our unalienable rights then maybe we should ban weapons, do you not agree?  I am for the former (legislation promoting responsible gun ownership), but if your against such measures then I believe you are the problem and we must ban weapons because our unalienable rights precede the Second Amendment.

Plug Away

In three years since I was laid-off due to a reduction in force (RIF), I have found sporadic income, which I attributed to a skills mismatch and the economic environment following the “great recession.”

In reference to the former, I have sought to close the skills mismatch gap. I have accomplished more and learned more in the past three years than I did in the three prior years for which I am proud.  However, I am not proud that my family is worse off financially due to me earning wages sporadically via gigs vs. steady, on-going wages via full-time employment.

I am not alone, as I know others in a similar situation. Seeking answers, I delved into data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor. I retrieved “employed persons by detailed industry and age” within “household data, annual averages” for years 2011 through 2017.  While it is highly detailed (over 400 different job categories), I focused on total employment by age.  The following chart shows my findings.

There are three columns for each age group: those employed in 2011, 2017 and the change (∆).  All age groups with the exception of the one in which I reside, 45 to 54, showed gains. The data validated what I believed. More specifically, older workers such as myself are passed over for a myriad of reasons, one being the cost of providing benefits, namely healthcare, which would also explain why those 65 and older saw big gains, these individuals have Medicare negating the need for company sponsored healthcare. I went to bed that night in a slightly better state of mind.

Intuitively, I knew the chart above did not tell the whole story; people age-in and age-out of groups.  To adjust my data for this flux, I adjusted the results above using total population data provided by the census bureau to obtain a ratio of employed:total population by age.  The following chart shows my findings.

Whoa! All age groups have had job gains. I painfully concluded, “The fault … is not in [my] stars, but in [myself]” (Shakespeare 1.2.142-143). The first day, I was in a funk.  I tried to cheer myself up by saying the good news with my findings is that I have more control over my fate than I led myself to believe.  Sadly, the second day did not get better; I yelled at myself – to fix me, change the way I think, how I prioritize, etc. On the third day still in disbelief I recalled a quote attributed to James Allen, a British author, “Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that the right thoughts and right efforts inevitably bring about the right results.” In short, I must continue to plug away.  In the process, maintain optimism while learning new skills and marketing myself more effectively.

The NRA Puts The Second Amendment At Risk

As Job stated in Job 3:25, “The thing which [the citizenry] greatly feared is come upon [them], and that which [the citizenry] was afraid of is come unto [them].”

A friend of mine once told me the purpose of the Second Amendment (2A) of the United States Constitution was so citizens could protect themselves from a government that seeks to be an overlord, similar to that of the British government during colonial times, which I failed to point out in my post entitled, “Is It Time To Use Article V Of The US Constitution?”.  While my friend is a member of the NRA, I have not heard nor seen such language from the NRA organization of late. Instead, what I have heard and seen from the NRA organization is that more guns will prevent people from using guns to kill other people (that sounds silly, does it not?).

The NRA loves to tout the Heller opinion focusing on one aspect, guns for self-defense, hence its promotion of more guns.  The NRA fails to acknowledge another aspect of the Heller opinion, the need for regulations.  Contained within the Syllabus of the Heller opinion, the majority writes, “The [2A] right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose [¹]: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the [2A] or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.”

Because the NRA has thwarted meaningful regulations to prevent actions such as a mentally challenged individual from obtaining guns similar to the shooter at the Waffle House in Nashville two weeks ago² the US Government has dictated to the NRA that it must ban all weapons of any kind - at its own conference this coming weekend to protect our elected officials.  If NRA believed in what it promoted then it should have told the Secret Service come as you are or do not come at all.  Is not banning guns at their own private event at the request of some government official tantamount to a government acting as an overlord? Does not acquiescing to such dictum run counter to the 2A and set precedent for similar actions in the future?

As such, I stand by my assertion that the NRA is the threat to our 2A, not its protector, which I stated in my post entitled, “Should We Not Help Republicans Regain Their 1st Amendment Right?”.  The NRA has run amok and acted carelessly due to its willful ignorance.

The majority of the Supreme Court believed in the need for regulations. I think it is about time the NRA believes the same.

Freedom and responsibility require each; we cannot have one without the other. We have enough guns.  We need to demonstrate more responsibility with those guns.

If the NRA truly believes in protecting then 2A then they should:

1. Embrace and advocate funding for mental health and 
2. Seek to keep guns out the hands of those with mental health issues.

While at it, the NRA should disinvite the VP of the United States to demonstrate that it drinks its own kool-aid and eats its own dog food. Else, the NRA tacitly admits by its actions (as actions speak louder than words) that more regulation is needed to ensure responsible gun ownership.



Note:1.  Just like the Commerce Clause in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, this 'clause' leaves a lot (let me repeat, a lot) of maneuverability room to craft reasonable legislation.

2. The system, as it is currently designed, worked.  The system took the guns away; however, the family gave the guns back to the killer.  Obviously, the system failed; therefore, maybe the confiscation of guns should extend to immediate family since the apple does not fall far from the tree.  Please let me know and more importantly, your elected representatives know if you have a better idea.  Status quo, do nothing, claiming no law out would prevent a crime such as the one in Nashville is a cop out.  That attitude will lead to a complete ban on guns like it did at the NRA conference.