The Good Guy Can't Even Kill a Man ~15' Away Strapped to a Chair

The Guardian reported that SC Department of Corrections had a botched execution.  The firing squad missed their target.  Goddamn it!  

These shooters were "good guys" that were trained.  Purportedly they are expert marksmen (or markswomen, even better, markspeople).

Why does our society have an infatuation with an instrument of destruction (aka a gun)?

I just do not understand.

Why can't we have an infatuation for human capital development (HCD)?  I know, it costs money and not all of it is well spent.  Neither is marketing dollars, but it is necessary.

If we focused on HCD, then I suspect we would have fewer problems to address and most likely, fewer criminals.

All Is Quiet At The Capital - No Assault, Unlike 4 Years Ago

Donald J. Trump’s presidential win was certified today without incident. To paraphrase House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, this cycle saw “no election deniers”—a stark contrast to four years ago when 147 Republican members of Congress voted against certifying Joe Biden’s victory.

These 147 Republicans rejected the certification, not on the basis of facts, but fueled by falsehoods and deceit ushered in by Donald Trump. Their votes against certification represented, arguably, an attack on the very foundations of our democratic republic (DR) —a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Their efforts sought to sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), with the ultimate goal of forcing a “contingent” election under the 12th Amendment. But as most of us know and readily acknowledge, there was no factual basis for this FUD.

The harm caused by this behavior is profound. It has led to criminal convictions, broken relationships, and most damaging of all —undermined trust in our election system. The lies propagated by Donald Trump, and echoed by numerous Republican leaders at all levels of government, have inflicted lasting damage on our democratic processes.

Until the Republicans who perpetuated these false narratives acknowledge the harm they have caused, our DR remains at risk. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the principles that form the bedrock of our government. This is not merely a political struggle —it is a fight to ensure our unalienable rights are secure.

All But 1 American Will Die

Yesterday at a food court within a mall located in Indiana, a bad guy with a gun killed 3 Americans and, in the process, terrorized many more.  Fortunately, a good guy with a gun, who could fire his weapon well under highly stressful conditions, killed the bad guy.

All things being equal, all but one American will die.  The math is simple; assuming we begin with 100 Americans and four die each occurrence, then after the 25th, one person will be left standing (as there is no one remaining to kill them).

Is this the place we want to live?  I would hope not.

We have mangled the Second Amendment (2A) for some perverted belief that everyone should have a gun.

As written (operative word) the 2A reads: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

It does NOT read: “A well-regulated homeowner, being necessary to the security of the home, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Nor read: “A well-regulated individual, being necessary for self-defense, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Yet SCOTUS says it reads: “For self-defense, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Notice how the 2A meaning was changed significantly; arguably, it was rewritten by SCOTUS in violation of Article V of the US Constitution via its landmark DC vs. Heller ruling.  

Nowhere in the current interpretation does responsible gun ownership come in.  Regulations have been whittled away such that anyone can obtain a gun.  There are more guns in America, then there are people.  No other country has that, and no other country has the number of deaths that we have.   

We have guns everywhere and all, but one of us, could die from gun fire, unless something changes.

The changes should begin by requiring responsible ownership through regulations as our founders articulated.  It is that simple. 

How the GOP Operates Our Government - No Trash Pickup, No Electricity, But Only Lies & Deceit

How well do you think the GOP is operating our different forms of government (local, state, & federal) on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being poor and 10 being awesome?

Let me help you with that answer with irrefutable data.  

In my town, Jacksonville, my city has not picked up recycling in 4 months.  In my state, FLA, my governor ignores science, which has led to above the median deaths per 1MM people.  Nationally, the GOP has told lies to undermine the integrity of the election system and both members and supporters of the party led an actual assault on our Capital trying to overturn a legit presidential election. 

So, how well do you think the GOP is operating our different forms of government (local, state, & federal) on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being poor and 10 being awesome?

Here are a couple of other data points to assist you in answering that question.  Last year during a big freeze that hit most of the country the Texas power grid froze and was frozen for 3 days, if I recall correctly.  And talking about Covid, those states that lead the rate of death per capita are primarily controlled by the GOP.

In summary, the GOP cannot pick up trash, cannot keep the lights on, yet they can tell a lie about as wide as a country mile.  I give them a big fat zer0.

GOP Remove Your Knee From The Neck Of America

Wow!  Time flies.  I have failed to document my:

1. Door-to-door surveys conducted January and February of 2020 just prior to the stay-at-home orders due to COVID to learn people’s thoughts on DJT
2. Door-to-door outreach of homeowners with Trump yard signs prior to the election (i.e. encourage them to take them down, which a couple did)
3. Door-to-door outreach of homeowners with Trump banners, flags, etc… post the January 6, 2021 insurrection (i.e. encourage them to take them down, which a couple did) and
4. Daily messages to my two Republican Senators, which I initiated in the Fall of 2020.

In reference to the latter, the following is the message I left today.

Remove your knee from the neck of America [in a slow deep voice]

GOP remove your knee from the neck of America! [A little louder]

This week we learned from the trial of Derek Chauvin that many bystanders pleaded with Derek Chauvin to remove his knee from George Floyd’s neck.

Your unwillingness to confront irresponsible gun use has led to tragic deaths; we now have 3 mass killings in a span of 3 weeks.  Just this week a mother sought to protect her son, yet he died in her arms.  She will carry this horror the rest of her life, which will be a living hell. [I paused at the beginning, used my voice to emphasis the 3 mass killings & strung out "living hell" because it is hell for the survivors, is it not?]

We have pleaded for you to help stop the senseless killings. You are against abortion.  Why are you not against post-birth-abortion?  In this case, 4000 days later.  When you seek to allow people to obtain a gun without any requirements --such as being responsible and ensuring they will respect other’s unalienable right to life, are you not giving them the instrument to perform to what amounts to, a post-birth-abortion? [A little crazy on the concept, but I have a little over a minute to make a point that I hope will stick in their brain]

Remove your knee from the neck of America.[in a slow deep voice]

I encourage you to use with your GOP elected representatives wherever they may hold office.

The GOP & Its Political Dogma Has Failed America

The GOP is a party of climate change deniers & now coronavirus deniers that will not take responsibility for its actions.

More importantly, its perverted since of capitalism that has played out over the last 40 years has placed our country at risk. Resources are hoarded by the 1% , which has left our country with substantial debt and very little safety net to adequately handle a crisis.

If its political dogma was so great then America would have a president that can champion those values that helped make us great to lead us through our current crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but he and his party have trampled on those values, which makes it more likely that we will have a deep and prolonged recession.  Adding insult to injury, I believe few within the GOP have the intellectual honesty to admit that GOP has failed drastically.  Absent that, November can not come fast enough.

Another Gun Owner, Another Mass Shooting

Guns do not kill people, but gun owners do as evidence by the mass shooting in Sebring, FL yesterday.

Some bullets fall on rocky ground, but some bullets tear the hearts out of people.  These bullets that lead to destruction are just like seeds that fall on fertile ground.  Unlike the seeds that will grow and eventually bear fruit, the destruction from the bullets will metastasize to eventually lead to repealing the Second Amendment (2A) unless gun advocates embrace responsibility – people most demonstrate without a doubt that they will respect other’s unalienable rights endowed by our creator else they are not worthy of exercising their 2A right.

Attack the Problem, Not the Symptom

Tonight I spoke at Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) monthly school board meeting, the second in a series.  You could say this presentation is a follow-up to my presentation this past September entitled, Sue the Gun Manufacturers.  My speech is as follows:

Good evening Board Chair, Fellow Board members, Superintendent Greene, Guests and fellow attendees.

Is not the purpose of an education to gain the cognitive thinking skills with which to solve problems?  Reading, writing, arithmetic are just means to that end are they not?  Many educational institutions based on perusing their websites do not share this goal; instead I mostly found oblique objectives.

I contend this lack of focus and direction is not new or our country would not be encountering problems that should have never arisen. We have allowed our own laws to infringe upon and even annihilate for some the unalienable rights endowed by our creator.  We respond to these outcomes with the very same activity that leads us there- passing new laws that further rub out these rights.

When in a hole, stop digging.  Some may even say the hole in which we find ourselves is analogous to hell given that lives were snuffed out in Parkland, FL and Duval county schools now look like the pea farm (James I. Montgomery Correctional Center).

As I understand it, some of you want more guns on campus. We do not need more guns. I am not alone in this thought as evidenced by the Gifford Law Center (GLC) lawsuit.  However, I think GLC is misguided as well.  It tackles the symptom not the disease that has led to this rot and stench and in doing so forces DCPS to consume precious resources that should be used to educate our children. 

When I stood before you back in September I advocated that you sue the Federal government.

In 2005 Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.  Arguably it is unconstitutional as it gives gun manufactures protections that neither you nor I have and it hinders your ability to protect my children’s unalienable rights; worse, it has led you to infringe on their rights. Meaningful change will not occur until it and other misguided laws are altered or abolished.

We do not need gun laws, as guns do not kill people; people kill people.  Since people are well, human, we need laws to ensure people are:

1. Capable of handling an instrument of death and
2. Will respect other’s unalienable rights.

I call these laws, Responsibility Laws.  

Madam Chairwoman, School Board Members, and Doctor Green I encourage you to set aside your differences with GLC and seek to overturn those laws that force you to infringe upon my children’s unalienable rights. After I leave this meeting I will share these thought of mine with GLC representatives.

I encourage both DCPS and GLC to join forces to fight for our unalienable rights because "whenever any law becomes destructive of these [rights], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new [laws] to [a]ffect their Safety and Happiness."

Most of the words in that last sentence were written ~ 250 years ago. I just nipped and tucked in a few places.

Let’s fight the good fight.  Let’s fight for our children’s well being.

More Guns or Better Control

In a span of a week, two separate gun owners, arguably with mental health issues, each committed mass murder with the guns they legally obtained, one in Tallahassee, FL last week and one much larger in Los Angeles, CA yesterday.

The question we should be asking is, do we need more guns or better control? 

Let’s explore both sides.

In reference to more guns, I do not think that is the answer because as I have previously shown conclusively, more guns have led to more deaths; please see the post entitled,  Who Are These People That Kill People? 

In reference to better control, most people believe that I refer to gun control.  I actually refer to people control because “guns do not kill people, people kill people” and those people are typically gun owners under mental duress.  However, if we do not sadly have people control we will end up with gun control, which is why I think the NRA is the threat to our Second Amendment (2A). The NRA fails to acknowledge that people are humans and humans are well human. 

Some people take responsibility for their actions, but not all.  It is those that fail to act responsibly that require laws and regulations to promote and ensure that responsibility.  These laws and regulations are a form of people control.

The first thing we should do is remove guns from those that are deemed mentally unstable or in other words, not of sound mind.  Once these people demonstrate mental stability they can have their guns back.  This is not gun control; this is people control.  Moreover and more importantly, it is F*#@ING common sense.

Challenges, Some Are More So Than Others

I think the challenges Brett Kavanaugh's family encounters pale in comparison to those of the Lawrence family residing on Jacksonville’s Westside in FLCD-5/formerly FLCD-3.

This morning Mrs. Lawrence was riding her bicycle at 6AM EST as she commuted to work at Amazon.  She was hit and killed in an auto accident not too far from where her daughter stood awaiting her school bus.  There are many unknowns to the situation; more specifically, did she have safety lights, was the car traveling at a high rate of speed, etc., but that is immaterial.  Her death creates long-lasting challenges for her survivors and my heart aches for them like my heart aches for Brett Kavanaugh’s daughters.

Mrs. Lawrence’s survivors include:

1. A husband and 
2. At least 2 teenagers of which:

• One is the previously mentioned daughter and 
• The other is an older special needs child.  

Moreover, her survivors live in a trailer not too far from where the accident occurred in an area that I once trod as I conducted surveys door-to-door approximately 9 nine years ago.  I mentioned that only to paint the picture that this family is poor, but doing what they needed to do to survive albeit with a hope and a prayer.

I learned of Mrs. Lawrence’s death reading the local news immediately after reading about Brett Kavanaugh’s third accuser and her accusations.  I immediately thought about each family and how each would deal with their respective challenges.

Sadly, I think the Lawrence family will have considerable struggles and hardships for years to come whereas the Kavanaughs (especially the daughters) will most likely only wrestle with the notion that Brett Kavanaugh had arguably been disrespectful to young women when he was at an age not much older than his daughters.

Moreover, I can empathize more with the Lawrences than the Kavanaughs.  While I personally have known a few individuals with wealth and influence from time to time, I have for the most part felt like being on the outside only to look in from time to time.  I am very fortunate that my wife works as I have yet to find steady income after being laid off from a reduction in force (RIF).  I am in the process of improving my skills to find employment with upward mobility versus having to take on menial work at a place like a warehouse.  I realize my situation is a luxury that many people do not have so they take what they can, which makes it very hard for them to break the cycle of just-getting-by let alone poverty.

Therefore, I find it galling that our government may put on the Supreme Court a man who is arguably unfit to sit there for multiple reasons, the most important one being honesty.  Brett Kavanaugh with all his privilege squandered his opportunities, which I blame in part on his parents who I believe abdicated their parenting duties and the boarding school administrators failing to assume them as it seems Brett did not develop if he developed at all a strong moral compass.  It is possible Brett Kavanaugh developed a moral compass later on, but he has obviously failed to acknowledge it until today after the third accusation.

Another reason why he is unfit to sit on the bench is that his arguable lack of self-introspection makes it hard for him to fully understand the challenges a family like the Lawrences now encounters.  As such, we need people on the bench that not only know the law and respect it, but know and empathize with families like the Lawrences because I believe there are more of them than the Kavanaughs amongst us.

The Slippery Slope to Anarchy

Someone is lying. That someone is either Christine Margaret Blasey Ford or Brett Michael Kavanaugh.

Mrs. Ford, a college professor, has stated that Mr. Kavanaugh, the current Supreme Court Justice nominee, sexually assaulted her at a party 36 years ago when they were both teenagers.  Mr. Kavanaugh refutes that accusation.

Most if not all vectors point to Mr. Kavanaugh lying.  The most credible vector is that Mrs. Ford disclosed six years ago – six years prior to her ever knowing that the President would nominate Mr. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court – during a therapy session that she was physically assaulted by Mr. Kavanaugh. I could go on with a list of other vectors, but that is not the point of this post.

The point of this post is that we could be on the slippery slope to anarchy.

• Our President lies (he has been proven in a court of law that he has lied repeatedly in the past and arguably, in the court of public, currently, on a daily basis).
• Arguably, a past and current Supreme Court Justice has lied.
• The current Supreme Court Justice nominee has arguably and very much convincingly, lied  - on separate and multiple instances.
• And members of Congress for the most part condone it.  

Are we a nation of liars?

There are consequences to lying.  If those that enforce the law, such as our President lies, then others may be led to believe that lying, if not acceptable, may be expected, which is the beginning of the slippery slope leading to where no one can be trusted.  That is a scary proposition. Even God condemns lying; please look at the 8th Commandment. 

THX NRA! FLA Kindergartners Now Receive Active Shooter Training

Yesterday, my daughter brought home a letter from the school's principal making us aware of "three very important security updates," which are:

1. Announce the school's Independence Day (it should actually be called Parent-Child Separation Day) this coming Tuesday; 
2. To inform parents that school staff received active shooter training; and 
3. All school age children, including kindergartners, must receive active shooter training on a monthly and quarterly basis with initial training with introductory videos later next week. 

"Independence Day" is when the parents leave their children at the school entrance and let the children walk themselves to their classroom. My fifth grader is not happy about that, but she would have most likely been in a state of tears if this occurred when she was a kindergartner. This so-called "independence day" seems more like Separation Day and analogous to what occurred at the southern border.

The videos are below, but the producers of these training videos have no clue about a live shooting environment. The teachers/actors tell the viewers (children) that they "won't be scared if they are prepared."  I am sorry, but I believe they lie, lie to themselves and lie to children.  It is normal to be scared when your life is in danger. Even police officers who are trained are scared in these types of situations. I think Sacha Baron Cohen's video shown further below creates a more realistic situation.

THANK YOU NRA and NRA SUPPORTERS! 

Thank you for the lose of our children's freedoms so YOU MAY HAVE THE FREEDOM TO PURCHASE A GUN WITHOUT DEMONSTRATING MENTAL STABILITY or the ABILITY TO PROPERLY HANDLE and CARE FOR YOUR WEAPON (of death).

Florida Training Video For K thru 2 Grade

Florida Training Video For 3 thru 5 Grade
Sacha Baron Cohen's video

Who Is America? (2018) | First Look | Sacha Baron Cohen SHOWTIME Series

Sacha Baron Cohen has a new entertainment series, "Who is America?", on Showtime. The episode in the YouTube video below is scaringly hilarious. It is scary because people in power actually believe in what Sacha parodies as it pertains to arming children, which I wrote about five months ago in my blogpost entitled, "Home of the Brave."

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.

Guns = Death

What is the primary function of a gun?  If you answered something other than kill, you are delusional. Guns may perform other functions, such as – fill in as a paperweight, a prop in a piece of art, used to fire a bullet to hit a target, etc, but the intended function is to kill, that simple.

Guns as they relate to America form a dichotomy. Without guns we could not have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, yet today guns are literally killing us, please see chart below.  

America has a problem and it is more than just guns. Our country is kind of like Imelda Marcos.  Instead of shoes, we have a gun obsession, arguably fueled by the gun lobby.  As such, America has 3x as many guns per 100 people than the median and 10x the number of homicides-by-gun per 100,000 people than the median resulting in approximately 4 homicides-by-gun per 100,000 guns or approximately 3x the median. We have more and kill more! Just like Imelda, unfortunately some of us must have some form of psychosis to ignore the facts.

In 2015 slightly more than 10 million guns were manufactured and distributed in the US.  If the ratios I just provided remained constant then there would have been 360 more homicides-by-gun in 2016, yet per CDC data, the total increase in deaths by firearm was 2406.  Assuming the ratio of 2 suicides-per-gun for every homicide-by-gun holds true then there was an increase of approximately 900 homicides-by-gun over the prior year, an acceleration in deaths.

Some of you may be jumping out of your seat yelling that is why we need guns for self-defense. First, less than 300 deaths by firearm were attributed to self-defense last year; translation, guns used for self-defense is immaterial.  More importantly, that thinking is in-line with those who believe that only more government policies can solve poverty.  Think of it this way, the more right you go, the more left you become.

Since some people may have a hard time wrapping their mind around these facts, please let me state the obvious, less guns will mean less deaths.

Home Of The Brave

I recently worked in an industry in which conviction was expected. If you believed in your vision then you were obligated to stand tall and stand proud even when events ran counter to your belief. If you could not pound the table with conviction during such events, then you lost the respect of your audience – competitors, employer and customers. With that in mind, I find it interesting that the gun lobby shrinks back into the shadows following the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) on Valentines Day, a day of love and compassion. Their actions imply guilt and remorse for what occurred.

Yet, the gun lobby has worked tirelessly and insidiously for decades promoting their vision.  The Supreme Court essentially rewrote the second amendment with a ruling based on a tortured analysis of just one sentence’s structure allowing the narrow majority to infer the authors’ intent 215 years later instead of validating and reinforcing what was actually written. The Supreme Court says the Second Amendment now pertains to self-defense, which has helped crystallize the gun lobby’s vision for America.

If the gun lobby truly believes their vision for America is right then they are duty bound to pound the table with conviction that the gunman at MSD would have been literally stopped dead in his tracks if guns were allowed on campus.  Just today, Rush Limbaugh advocated for guns on campus.  I am led to believe, the gun lobby has lived for this moment so they could advocate for all to have guns, including but not limit to teachers, administrators and most importantly, students. That’s right, students.

The killing of innocent Americans by an American on American soil should be a rally cry by the gun lobby for Americans to own guns, not just adults, but all Americans. Self-defense classes should begin in kindergarten and continue through twelfth grade graduation. Why, you may ask. Surely, you have not forgotten that kindergarteners died in the Sandy Hook massacre. Surely, the gun lobby would not want anything like that to happen again and is not just a price that is paid to have the right to own a gun for self-defense (which could be accomplished by myriad of other less dangerous activities).  We must arm these young tots, adolescents and teens so they are ready for the dangers they will encounter (regardless whether the adults allowed these dangers to manifest, germinate in the first place – that’s immaterial). Shootings like those at MSD and Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech and ... are like a war zone and the students must be armed.

Weekly trips to the firing range are a must, so are target practice and unscheduled drills to simulate armed intruders.  Since schools have tight budgets and cannot add this training to the curriculum then courses such as art, music and other unnecessary electives should be dropped, but definitely not gym because we want the students physically fit. In addition to buying pencils, pens and notebooks to begin the school year, parents could buy ammo and new cool holsters that match lunch boxes and back packs.

Guns are part of America’s heritage and all should embrace it.  Understandably, there are some adults who do not (that's me if you have not figured out), but if we start the process of training and more importantly, indoctrinating the use of guns at a very young age then over time there will be greater acceptance, would you not agree?

 Just imagine, if this vision were executed ten years ago then the students at MSD would have been able to coolly duck for cover, pull out their weapon and drop the perp in seconds saving many lives. Per President Trump, “no child, no teacher, [would] ever be in danger in an American school [again]. No parent [would] ever have to fear for their sons and daughters when they kiss them goodbye in the morning.” That would be awesome, would it not?!

Some of you reading this may think that this vision smacks of a third world country and you would be right.  USA has the highest gun ownership per capita in the world followed by, you guessed it – third world countries, predominately those in the Middle East.

To paraphrase Charlton Heston, let them pry the guns from our cold, dead hands – after the dust settles, of course. 

Go America! We are the home of the brave because we have to be if this vision becomes reality.

When is Enough, Enough?

Today there was another shooting at a school, 17 dead at the time of publication exceeding the number of deaths that occurred at Columbine approximately 19 years ago.  This shooting happened in south Florida, the state in which I live.

In this year alone,  just one and half months, there have been over 10 shootings at schools this year and several mass murders alone.  I have lost count and it is possible you have, too.

When do we say, “enough is enough!”

When we find ourselves in a hole, should we keep digging?  I think not.

Given all the deaths from shootings at school, some say, we should allow more open carry or concealed carry.  Does it really matter whether it is open or concealed?  To use the gun in "self-defense" someone has to shoot first and it is very well possible one or more people die before the shooter is prevented from firing more bullets.  Allow me to repeat myself, “it is very well possible one or more people die before the shooter is prevented from firing more bullets.” Even if the shooter does not kill someone, the mere fact of spraying bullets surely causes trauma.  My nine year old was traumatized from learning the news of today’s events on the radio on her way home. Should not schools be a safe place?  After hearing the news, I am sure my daughter is a little less certain, would you not agree?  Is that acceptable?  You may say that is life (or in this case, death).  I say that is sad, depressing and unacceptable!

Some say, we should arm the teachers.  Maybe the teachers do not want to be armed.  Regardless, are not teachers already over loaded with minutiae?  Do they need another task that at the end of the day is not accretive to higher learning?

Some say, we should have additional security at school.  That would be fine, but where is the money coming from? To my knowledge, taxpayers (at least the vocal ones) already complain schools receive too much money.  If no additional money is raised to pay for security services then something has to be cut, does it not?  That seems asinine, does it not, especially so when people bemoan that our education system is broken?

So what is the solution to the problem?  Some say, it’s complicated.  Truly, it is not. Please allow me to repeat myself from above, “when we find ourselves in a hole, should we keep digging?”

Are more guns the answer?  Therefore, what is the problem?   What is the one thing we could remove and there would be no more deaths from shootings?

What is more important, life or death?  If death (whether yours or someone else’s), is it really that important? Not in my book.

Should We Not Help Republicans Regain Their 1st Amendment Right?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, today is the day to have the discussion about gun control policy that you arguably believe should be swept under the rug.

I refer to her answer as White House spokesperson to repeated questions about gun control by the press in response to the mass shooting (the largest in our nation ---- to date) in Las Vegas that occurred in the late evening PST yesterday/early morning EST today at an outdoor concert.

The Republican leadership, those that lead our country, could only muster comments such as, the shooting was “an act of evil” and commanding token half-hearted actions such as, lowering flags to half-mast.  I just wonder what problem lowering flags to half-mast solves, surely, none.  Arguably, it is offensive to lower flags to half-mast in this instance because, are not the lives lost worth more than that token gesture? Instead, should we not raise flags all the way and state, “we are not taking this shit anymore!” which leads me to my question, should we not help Republicans regain their 1st amendment right?

I think Republicans have lost their 1st Amendment right from intimidation by the NRA.  I believe Republicans are afraid to speak up because they are afraid the NRA will bully them (& lose their donations).  As such, we need to help them stand up to these bullies and say enough is enough.

NRA may have started out in 1871 with good cause, but I believe it lost its way when the gun and bullet manufactures gained too much sway.    Why else would they arguably be promoting guns for everyone under the guise of protecting our 2nd amendment right?  I fear their actions could lead us to losing our 2nd amendment right.

Our nation’s leading document is the Declaration of Independence, which states that we “are endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Constitution, the Bill or Rights and the additional amendments were subsequently created to help us achieve these rights.  However, 59 people lost their “Life” less than 24 hours ago at the hands of a deranged man who used guns for some unknown reason, which follows the lives lost in Orlando, Sandy Hook, Columbine, etc. by people firing guns. Is not losing one’s “Life” at the hands of a person firing a gun  “destructive?”  As such, “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [referring to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness], is [it not] the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”  Our founders believed so or they would not have written that into the Declaration of Independence.

Eventually, if these mass killings continue everybody will know somebody that has been killed by the hands of someone wielding a gun.  When that occurs, the 2nd amendment is at risk. Therefore, we need to help the Republicans stand up to the NRA to promote responsible gun ownership, not ownership by all, which means - gun control.

The train (i.e. the discussion on gun control) left the station today and the Republicans need to jump on or they may find themselves left behind to pack their tent all by their lonesome.

Grasping at Straws

I have been remiss in not commenting in this forum the legal battles surrounding the most recent decennial redistricting, which remain ongoing after four plus years. On December 6, 2011 I was quoted by the Tampa Bay Times as saying “I would say [the Senate redistricting committee] did not listen to the voters and I’m quite displeased. If anything, [US Congressional District 5, formerly 3] looks more gerrymandered than before.” 

Arguably, the League of Women Voters (LoWV) has taken the lead to hold the Senate redistricting committee accountable.  As a result of the LoWV’s tireless efforts, the FL Supreme Court recently stated the maps most be withdrawn to follow the letter of law as it pertains to the Fair District Amendments that were overwhelmingly passed by Florida voters in 2010. Why the FL Supreme Court did not make this ruling the first time is unknown to me, but now that the maps are being redrawn once again to meet the law, Corrine Brown, not surprisingly, disapproves. Last week she filed a Federal lawsuit claiming that the potentially new district violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act; however, today she withdrew from the lawsuit, but I suspect she may eventually rejoin the lawsuit or file a new once once the new maps are approved.

What Ms. Brown ignores or just does not know is that voters in her district (at least per my analysis in 2012 of Duval County voting records) voted in favor and essentially in-line with all other voters for the Fair District Amendments; there was only a 15 bps (0.0015) difference. In others words, her constituents do not want gerrymandering either.

If she focused on the issues pertinent to voters then she would have nothing to worry about because I think the election of Barack Obama to two terms indicates that most people look past one’s skin color (even if Barack Obama may openly disagree) to focus on their qualifications and ability to resolve issues using critical thinking skills. Ms. Brown has been very fortunate the past two decades for not having more competition, but I believe that may change once the district she represents is redrawn.

Human Capital Development

It is quite apparent (or should be for most) that human capital development (HCD) is most needed in Florida Congressional District Five (FLCD-5).  If one were to read my prior posts pertaining to my walks and talks within the district then they may conclude that I have repeatedly pointed out the need for HCD even though I never mention the term specifically.

HCD is not just important to FLCD-5; it is also important to America and the world. I support this assertion with  the following anecdotal evidence from:

1. My recent jury duty and
2. Broad economic observations as its pertains to:

• Quantitative easing (QE) and
• Structural unemployment to which I can personnel attest.

 Jury Duty

Several months ago I performed a civic duty as a jurist in a domestic battery case.  Both the prosecution and defense agreed that the battery occurred; however the defense argued that the act was in self-defense.  As I listened to the testimony I thought that if the accused and the accuser had better problem solving skills (as a result of HCD) then a battery most likely would have never occurred, which would allowed everyone involved in the case (from immediate family members, to police officers, attorneys, court officials and jurists) to focus on value creating activities. 

I argue that if society focused on HCD then the need for law enforcement would be less.  I think both (policing & teaching) require money, but I ask, which one is better for society? It comes down to values and as I see it, we, as a society, as a nation, as a world, do not value HCD as much as we should…possibly because the benefits manifest themselves in the future and we have problems that we need to solve today. 

Broad Economic Observations

QE has arguably led to the sustained bull market in the face of light economic data – anemic GDP growth, low job participation rate and stagnant wages.  As a result of the Fed buying bonds, the capital that flowed into the market (to purportedly drive economic growth) led to the appreciation of all types of assets – most notably stocks.  Most people did not benefit from this appreciation as few people own stocks. The obvious beneficiaries are the wealthy.  The less obvious beneficiaries are those with pensions, which are arguably held by labor unions and local, state and federal government entities.  I consider the pensioners (not the wealthy) as the true beneficiaries of QE.  If we did not have such a dysfunctional government then our elected officials may have, should have produced legislation that would have improved our economy.  However, that would have meant coming up with an improved tax and spend legislation and a dealing with a whole host of issues, such as removing burdensome regulations that stifle innovations (& job creation).  Instead of buying bonds, we could have:

1. Built new bridges to replace deteriorating ones,
2. Built new K-12 schools,
3. Incentivized companies to train/retrain workers for new professions, etc…

One should notice that the latter is HCD, which would ultimately result in new product development, increased employment, improved wages, etc…

Hopefully, I helped you see the value of HCD.  If so then I encourage you to share with family, friends, co-workers the value of HCD.  I believe as a society if we collectively promoted HCD then eventually our elected officials would craft legislation that would promote HCD. Not an easy task, but it most be done if we seek to enjoy our current freedoms and more that we may desire.