General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI have two missions in life.
Posted right after the first of the year and reposting because of the Sandy Hook settlement.
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One is to make images that reflect things that affect me. https://andyshanks.smugmug.com/ (pay note to Activism on that page)
The other is to educate everyone I can about the pervasive influence and social damage that guns do to society. That includes the influence of money from the gun industry and the brainwashing of gun fetishists by that industry.
Ignorance is bliss and I was quite blissful until December 14, 2012. I held a Federal Firearms License so I could collect antique guns from the WW I era and buy/sell over the internet without a background check on each one. I grew up in a rural culture where guns are ubiquitous and no more noticeable than the flatware next to your dinner plate. Then on that date 20 first grade children were killed with a military grade weapon after a person who had no business being close to such a weapon fired 500 rounds in five minutes, most of them into the bodies of babies weighing less than 50 pounds.
That changes a man. Or it should. Apparently it doesn't if that man loves guns.
I started looking into guns in America and what I found shook me.
There are more guns in America than people. 120 guns for every 100 people.
Since 1970 when the National Rifle Association, once a bastion of gun safety education and reasonable gun regulation, was taken over in a coup by the gun makers the country has become more and more inundated with guns and any sense of responsibility for gun ownership eroded. Working in the quiet and secrecy of legislator's offices with campaign funding the gun industry has effectively turned the will of American voters on its head.
Only 9% of voters favor loosening gun laws yet state after state approves Stand Your Ground laws and "Constitutional Carry" (it's not) laws that allow anyone to carry a loaded gun in public without a permit, background check or training. Most recently in Texas the "Constitutional Carry" law passed against the will of 82% of polled voters.
Gun deaths in America were at a low of 4/100,000 when Bill Clinton signed the Assault Weapons Ban. It is now at 13/100,000 and edging up to the all time high of 14/100,000.
Every recognized violence prevention organization beginning with Amnesty International, The UN and most local law enforcement recognize the availability of guns as the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF HOMICIDE AND INJURY.
I am convinced that if America knows what I do things will change. The Sandy Hook settlement will release thousands of pages of marketing information. We will all learn how gun makers target the weak and vulnerable young men with promises of masculinity and grandiose power. People like me are the worst nightmare of of the Gun Culture. And yes, we will take the guns away. Not today, not tomorrow and not all guns but we will prevail. It took 50 years of working in darkness and secrecy for an industry that thrives on death and injury to bring us to where we are and I will work to the end of my days to reverse it. And my numbers are growing.
Educate yourself. Knowledge is power.
broiles
(1,367 posts)Hekate
(90,683 posts)KS Toronado
(17,235 posts)LoisB
(7,206 posts)nt
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,615 posts)Thank you for raising your voice so that all of us can hear the truth.
K&R
brer cat
(24,565 posts)Well worth repeating.
Scrivener7
(50,949 posts)I stand with you.
SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)How is Snow doing?
AndyS
(14,559 posts)Snowbank.
Well, eating regularly will pad one's ribs.
SYFROYH
(34,169 posts)Gun deaths (murders and suicides) were at near peak numbers when Clinton signed the 1994 AWB.
But, and it is alarming, we are getting close to those numbers again after a significant decline for 15 years.
AndyS
(14,559 posts)The murder rate was near 4/100k not all gun deaths. That said, the chart you posted is more dire than my 13/100k in that it does not include accidental deaths. Including them we are very close to the all time high, higher than I expected.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)niyad
(113,302 posts)Lonestarblue
(9,988 posts)When enough people finally see the harm and decide to vote in people who will address that harm, we might have a chance of improving gun safety. Until then, hundreds of thousands more will die from gun violence, and we will continue fueling gun violence in Mexico, Central American, and South America as our gun policies make it easy to flood those countries with guns.
Response to AndyS (Original post)
VGNonly This message was self-deleted by its author.
Duppers
(28,120 posts)Including those pics, Andy.
Hope it helps to enlighten people.
crickets
(25,979 posts)eta - Your photos are gorgeous!
c-rational
(2,592 posts)RainCaster
(10,874 posts)Well stated and reasoned.
Wild blueberry
(6,628 posts)calimary
(81,262 posts)THANK YOU for this.
My only comment, after losing two friends to an argument that turned into a sudden murder suicide. Ill be happy to concede any argument with a gunner: IF I can have my two friends back. Deal?
DFW
(54,378 posts)And yet, in spite of that, a majority of our elected representatives continue to side with the makers and advocates of firearms for all. There are too few heroes among lawmakers on our side (and none on theirs) when it comes to this subject.
AndyS
(14,559 posts)The gun industry has been lobbying for 50 years and our movement is barely 10 years old. We need to spend $$ on anti violence groups. Pweiod.