[Occupymendocino] Howard's memorial

[Irene L. Malone]

I hope that the Occupy Songsters can sing at Howard's memorial on  
Dec. 7.  Let's make a plan to get together and practice.
Irene
On Oct 26, 2014, at 10:51 AM, Richard Karch wrote:

>
> <LOGO4.GIF>
> Background on Gun Control
>
>
> Statistics on Gun Ownership
> 40% of all US homes have guns
> 81% of Americans say that gun control will be an important issue in  
> determining which Congressional candidate to vote for.
> 91% of Americans say that there should be at least minor  
> restrictions on gun ownership;
> 57% of Americans say that there should be major restrictions or a ban.
> Child-Safety Locks
> In 1996, 140 children died after being accidentally shot; in 2012  
> the figure was 259 with comparable numbers in between.
> About 1,500 children are hurt by guns every year.
> "Trigger Locks" require entering a combination to use the gun (or  
> some other locking method); they are intended to reduce inadvertent  
> use by children or other unauthorized users.
> Gun control
> Advocates of gun control cite the large number of people killed in  
> gun-based homicides each year: over 8,000 per year, peaking at  
> 14,000 in 1993.
> Over 100,000 people are shot each year in the U.S.; 72% of all  
> violent killings use guns as the weapon.
> Compared to Japan, where gun laws are very strict regarding both  
> ownership and punishment, only 4 people were killed by guns in  
> 2012. Japan has a smaller population, but even counting that, the  
> per capita death rate is 1,000 times higher in the United States.
> Background Checks
> The "Gun-Show Loophole" means that there are no background checks  
> when purchasing guns in a private transaction.
> Guns sold at gun shows through dealers ARE subject to background  
> checks; only those sold privately are not.
> Right to Bear Arms
> The Supreme Court ruled in 1939, in a case called "US v. Miller,"  
> that the 2nd amendment only protects guns suitable for a well- 
> regulated militia -- for example, sawed-off shotguns can be banned  
> because they're not "ordinary military equipment".
> Since 1939, the Supreme Court has not heard any further 2nd  
> amendment cases; the most recent ruling prior to “Heller”, in 1997,  
> overturned part of the 1993 Brady Bill, but did not address 2nd  
> amendment rights.
> “Heller” refers to a ruling on the issue of “individual rights”.  
> The Supreme Court ruled, in the 2008 case called “District of  
> Columbia v. Heller”, that the 2nd Amendment does define an  
> individual right to gun ownership, as opposed to a “collective  
> right” for a state-run and state-armed National Guard.
> Much discretion was left to the states and to Congress, but Heller  
> opens up the issue to further Supreme Court cases.
> Hence, gun control issues are still primarily the subject of  
> Congressional legislation.
> Federal discussions on gun control often focus on the “D.C. handgun  
> ban” because Congress has direct control over the gun laws of the  
> District of Columbia. One such law was at issue in the Heller case.
> Gun Control Buzzwords
> The biggest component of the Gun Control debate is whether existing  
> gun laws are sufficient, or whether more gun laws are needed.
> Liberals and populists generally favor more gun laws. Look for  
> buzzwords like "more registration" or "more licensing" to describe  
> seeking further restrictions legal ownership; or "close the  
> loopholes" and "restrict access" for further restrictions on  
> illegal ownership.
> Moderate liberals and populists will generally favor more  
> restrictions on ownership while paying lip-service "sportsmen's  
> rights" or respecting "the right of self-protection." A moderate  
> compromise is to "extend waiting periods" before allowing  
> ownership, to perform "background checks" of varying degrees of  
> severity.
> Conservatives and libertarians generally oppose gun laws. Look for  
> buzzwords like "Second Amendment rights" or "allow concealed  
> carry". A call for "instant background checks" pays lip-service to  
> gun-control advocates: it sounds like a restriction, but means  
> allowing purchasing guns on the spot.
> Moderate conservatives and libertarians oppose gun laws while  
> acknowledging that restrictions are inevitable. Look for buzzwords  
> like "enforce existing gun laws," which implies not passing any NEW  
> gun laws. Similarly, "more strict enforcement" of gun laws implies  
> a pro-Gun Rights stance, unless it is accompanied by a call for new  
> gun laws.
> Centrists and moderates from both the right and left generally  
> support restrictions on juvenile access to guns, especially in the  
> wake of tragedies like Littleton and other gun-related deaths.
> Positive mentions of the NRA (the National Rifle Association, the  
> largest pro-gun rights lobbying group) implies support of gun  
> rights, while opposing the NRA or "taking on the gun lobby" implies  
> support of gun restrictions.
> Many states have “Stand Your Ground” laws, justifying the use of  
> deadly force when threatened, in contrast with the legal principle  
> of an “obligation to retreat” first. The Florida version of the  
> “stand your ground” law gained national attention in February 2012  
> in the case of Trayvon Martin shooting. Martin, an unarmed black  
> teenager, was shot and killed by a “neighborhood watch”  
> coordinator, George Zimmerman. Citing the “stand your ground” law,  
> Zimmerman was not initially charged, but was later arrested. The  
> trial is pending in summer 2013.
> The Newtown, Connecticut shootings in December 2012 reignited the  
> debate on gun regulation. On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, 20,  
> fatally shot twenty children and six adult staff members in a mass  
> murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Several bills were proposed  
> in the 2013 Congressional session: banning the sale of semi- 
> automatic firearms, and restricting large-capacity magazines.
> Amendment II to the US Constitution
> 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. (1791)
>
>
>
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