On April 25, at 1:00 PM, the Harrisburg Brethren In Christ Church will host a call to action "Standing in Solidarity For Sensible Gun Laws".
Among the planned speakers are; Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, State Representative Patty Kim and Executive Director of Heeding God's Call, Bryan Miller.
The city of Harrisburg is one of several cities in Pennsylvania that is seeing laws challenged by outside, and likely manufacturer-funded, organizations.
Heeding God's Call is a national organization with four main focal points; Public education about the dangers of illegal guns, working with sellers to end illegal straw purchases of handguns, legislative activities, and networking with communities of faith.
I plan to be at this event and will have a full report, including photography.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Escalating The Cycle?
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to getting a "Million Hoodies" hooded sweatshirt. I actually thought that it may be too little, too late. Then I saw what happened in South Carolina, where it seems that a police officer shot a man fleeing from him, then planted evidence.
It is one in another case of unnecessary, lethal, force being applied to a person of color. A few have speculated that there's a mentality where the police are starting to see any person of color as a threat. So how does any of this tie into common-sense firearms laws?
It may have to do with that police see any person of color as armed and dangerous. Those firearms, likely illegal., may be black market, from a straw purchaser or even the result of a private purchase. The legislation that could stop any of these avenues; reporting laws, purchase limits and expanded background checks, are all opposed by the NRA and its allies.
Of course, the folks that saw George Zimmerman as a hero may also see the officer in South Carolina the same way.
It is one in another case of unnecessary, lethal, force being applied to a person of color. A few have speculated that there's a mentality where the police are starting to see any person of color as a threat. So how does any of this tie into common-sense firearms laws?
It may have to do with that police see any person of color as armed and dangerous. Those firearms, likely illegal., may be black market, from a straw purchaser or even the result of a private purchase. The legislation that could stop any of these avenues; reporting laws, purchase limits and expanded background checks, are all opposed by the NRA and its allies.
Of course, the folks that saw George Zimmerman as a hero may also see the officer in South Carolina the same way.
A Reason To Be
Every movement has its 'fringe'. The gun [manufacturers] lobby has the "Open carry" and even a "Constitutional carry" camp. There is a small faction among the "gunsense" community that would like to see private ownership of firearms banned and the 2nd Amendment be repealed.
I don't see that as good idea. It plays into the "insurrectionist" camp and fuels the fear their political arm relies on. Also the 2nd Amendment is in the Constitution for a reason. At the time of our country's founding, there was little in the way of a standing Army and the United States was basically a frontier nation.
Just as most other Amendments of the Constitution have been interpreted to reflect changing times, the 2nd may need the same thing. Groups like Moms Demand and Everytown see this.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Next 'Redneck Rebellion'?
I was at a "visibility" focused on the minimum wage and other economic issues and in the course of conversing with one of the participants, the group in Harrisburg that is part of the "Black Lives Matter" movement came up. I mentioned how I felt that this group "dropped the ball" a bit by not doing a visibility or action at the 2nd annual, National Rifle Association sponsored, outdoors show. The other participant mentioned safety concerns that could have stemmed from that.
That inability to see the consequences of an action or decision by the part of the NRA was demonstrated again in their successful efforts to force the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to shelf a proposal to ban ammunition that could penetrate body armor.
I understand that their opposition is likely based on both the groups absolutist interpretation of the 2nd Amendment and their close ties to manufacturers. But I also see this as fitting into the "Insurrectionist" mentality of many of the group's members.
The argument could be made, "Criminals may have body armor too." Perhaps, but the odds of that happening are small. Few burglars or even street thugs will likely have armor, a mass shooter maybe.
I think this has more to do with readying to fight law enforcement or the American military in the revolution that many NRA members seem to think is likely, if not necessary. As many members see America becoming more diverse and urban, they see the political power, especially at a national level, threatened. They can win victories at the state and local level, and for now can hold their ground at the Federal level. But they may know that at some point, that may shift.
If only they would at the history of these insurgencies. The Whiskey Rebellion and the Civil War were both cases where rural folks took on the United States and lost. Do these "Redneck Taliban" think they'll have different results.
Of course these are folks whose reality is shaped by first person shooter games and the rest of the "culture of violence".
That inability to see the consequences of an action or decision by the part of the NRA was demonstrated again in their successful efforts to force the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to shelf a proposal to ban ammunition that could penetrate body armor.
I understand that their opposition is likely based on both the groups absolutist interpretation of the 2nd Amendment and their close ties to manufacturers. But I also see this as fitting into the "Insurrectionist" mentality of many of the group's members.
The argument could be made, "Criminals may have body armor too." Perhaps, but the odds of that happening are small. Few burglars or even street thugs will likely have armor, a mass shooter maybe.
I think this has more to do with readying to fight law enforcement or the American military in the revolution that many NRA members seem to think is likely, if not necessary. As many members see America becoming more diverse and urban, they see the political power, especially at a national level, threatened. They can win victories at the state and local level, and for now can hold their ground at the Federal level. But they may know that at some point, that may shift.
If only they would at the history of these insurgencies. The Whiskey Rebellion and the Civil War were both cases where rural folks took on the United States and lost. Do these "Redneck Taliban" think they'll have different results.
Of course these are folks whose reality is shaped by first person shooter games and the rest of the "culture of violence".
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Missing a Connection
February 26, 2015 was the third anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of an armed, Neighborhood Watch, volunteer; the shooter would be acquitted thanks in part to Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Trayvon was but one in a long list of well-publicized shootings; Tuscon Arizona, Aruora, Colorado, Ft. Hood Texas, Newtown, Connecticut, etc. There have been more mass shootings since Newtown, and there will likely be more.
But there has been another development since Newtown, incidents of people of color being killed at the hands of police officers. The shooting of Mike Brown and the strangulation of Eric Garner seemed to fill Twitter with the hashtags of "Hands Up--Don't Shoot" and "Black Lives Matter".
There would seem to be an opportunity here to bring this movement and the movement for common-sense firearms laws together. I am sure there have been informal or coincidental connections, but I have yet to see a group like Moms Demand Action sit down officially with the Million Hoodies Campaign.
Now I realize the two groups goals do not precisely match up. Moms Demand is concerned with keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals, while Million Hoodies is more concerned with police and justice issues. But they do have one common thread, they are trying to protect individuals.
Forming an alliance would have a another advantage. It may take one of the main criticisms that the "Redneck Taliban" have about groups like Moms Demand. That they are little more than suburban soccer moms with little better to do. Never mind that I hear little about the National Rifle Association reaching out into urban areas. Perhaps that dates back to the Mumford Act, or that the birth of the NRA as the political wing of America's insurgents seems to follow from race riots and the rise of the Black Panthers.
Trayvon was but one in a long list of well-publicized shootings; Tuscon Arizona, Aruora, Colorado, Ft. Hood Texas, Newtown, Connecticut, etc. There have been more mass shootings since Newtown, and there will likely be more.
But there has been another development since Newtown, incidents of people of color being killed at the hands of police officers. The shooting of Mike Brown and the strangulation of Eric Garner seemed to fill Twitter with the hashtags of "Hands Up--Don't Shoot" and "Black Lives Matter".
There would seem to be an opportunity here to bring this movement and the movement for common-sense firearms laws together. I am sure there have been informal or coincidental connections, but I have yet to see a group like Moms Demand Action sit down officially with the Million Hoodies Campaign.
Now I realize the two groups goals do not precisely match up. Moms Demand is concerned with keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals, while Million Hoodies is more concerned with police and justice issues. But they do have one common thread, they are trying to protect individuals.
Forming an alliance would have a another advantage. It may take one of the main criticisms that the "Redneck Taliban" have about groups like Moms Demand. That they are little more than suburban soccer moms with little better to do. Never mind that I hear little about the National Rifle Association reaching out into urban areas. Perhaps that dates back to the Mumford Act, or that the birth of the NRA as the political wing of America's insurgents seems to follow from race riots and the rise of the Black Panthers.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Harrisburg In The Crosshairs and Beware of "Pixel Dust"
A Twitter follower informed me of the National Rifle Association's consideration to sue the city of Harrisburg under the law that gives groups the right to sue cities. Among ordinances the NRA sees as infringing on the 2nd Amendment are prohibitions on discharging a firearm in the city limits and a law requiring that stolen firearms be reported. Mayor Eric Papenfuse believes these ordinances are sensible and responsible, and are for the safety of police and residents.
On an administrative note, I hope to make some changes to this blogs layout. I've been working with WordPress and thing I can transfer some of those skills to this site.
On an administrative note, I hope to make some changes to this blogs layout. I've been working with WordPress and thing I can transfer some of those skills to this site.
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