Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number one cause of death among children in our nation is by gun violence. This is the first time in decades that car accidents were not the top of the list. More than 3,400 children lost their lives in 2021 by the use of a firearm, 30% of which were by suicide. As we celebrate the holiday season, let us take a moment to reflect on those families whose lives were forever shattered by the loss of a loved one through gun violence and pray that we find a way to reduce this awful scourge that is so ubiquitous in our nation.
Your LTE was published two days ago in these pages but the message needs to be repeated.
Homicides in Philadelphia passed the 500 mark this week... most of them were gun deaths. Gun violence was at record levels in Philly for the third straight year.
More than 3500 people have been shot in Chicago this year and 662 of them died. Almost 10% of those gun deaths were children... 12 (0-12 years) and 53 (13-17 years). Using the definition of mass shooting for incidents where four or more people are shot, there have been 46 mass shootings in Chicago this year resulting in 29 deaths.
How can Lori Lightfoot look at herself in the mirror?
Taffy, my friend, I believe the source may be overstock of all the old mirrors you’ve replaced. BTW, I haven’t seen you around for a while so I hope all is well, or is getting better. Happy New Year!
I am still here. I am looking down on the daisies, not pushing them up. I haven't seen much of interest lately in the DJ to comment on. I am sure that will change in couple of weeks when the clown show starts in Washington. You have a Happy New Year also!
Mr. Comolli – if I recall correctly this CDC-reported “number one cause of death among children” is misleading because the CDC counts 19 year-olds as “children.” Unfortunately for the CDC, many would say anyone older than 12 no longer counts as a child. At a stretch, you could go up to age 17, but even then, I'm sure the CDC statistic no longer holds. As such, I consider this CDC statistic as just another misleading “sound” bite not to be taken seriously in any argument. Not only that, but many guidances and “ink” from the CDC are not based in science as the CDC has lost their credibility. (To wit, masking and the COVID jab.)
I’d say that as we celebrate the holiday season, let us take a moment to reflect on those families whose lives were forever shattered by the loss of a loved one through our so-called leaders releasing convicted criminals back into the wild along with uncontrolled invaders from the south. Not to mention the lack of effort keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. Let us pray that we find a way to reduce this awful scourge that is so ubiquitous in our state and our nation. Let’s see if so-called leaders actually lead us to prosperity instead of continually lowering our standards to that of a third-world state.
Perhaps we just need to accept these deaths as the proper payment for men to have their toys and for the gun lobby to continue to make billions of dollars exporting guns to drug cartels across the border. We all need to make our individual sacrifices for capitalism.
According to the Daily Beast, "Women are gaining on men in the purchase of firearms for hunting and personal defense, according to the NRA and others. Thousands of women are learning how to shoot—and going hunting together, reports Shushannah Walshe".
Your distaste for the gun lobby is matched by those against the abortion lobby. I wonder which kills more innocents. I know how found you are of facts. Enjoy them.
What on Earth does that have to do with the gun violence we are talking about, and which Republicans tend to downplay? Yes, I know women who carry a gun in their purse for self-protection, and for good reasons, but women are not among the morons that buy assault weapons and go out on unprovoked killing missions! I hate to call such cowards “men”, but they are certainly not women!
Al, the LTE author, deserves credit for reminding us it is imperative we work to eliminate gun violence. He also deserves credit for not politicizing the issue. Westy's post and your comments do just the opposite.
Gun violence may be something that Democrats would like Republicans to downplay. Jorg, make a list of our 20 largest cities with the most crime and greatest number of homicides due to gun violence. How many of those cities are run by Democrats?. We're not talking about gun accidents, suicides or the disturbed mass shooters mentioned in your post... we're talking about firearms being used on a daily basis in those cities run by Democrats.
I referenced Chicago in my original comments in support of Al's LTE. In Chicago, this year, 662 people have been shot and killed... 65 of them under the age of 18. Part of 2022's slaughter has been 46 mass shootings. So, I'll ask you the same question posed to Westy... any thoughts on how to address the gun violence in Chicago?
Ray: Gangster conditions in certain cities are bad enough, but I am far more concerned about the mass killings of innocent little school children, some, if not all, could have prevented by outlawing assault weapons, which have no mission among civilians, - except for mass killings. And who has been resisting that very common-sense effort? Congressional Republicans!
And the last shall be first… any thoughts on how to address gun violence in ONE American city that has seen 662 persons shot and killed this year? No response.
You are “far more concerned” about school children being shot and killed. If that’s the case, explain why the children killed in Chicago and other cities do not deserve the same concern? The tragedies in Chicago and other cities do not merit more concern simply due to the magnitude of the slaughter, but neither can they be dismissed just because they did not occur in a schoolyard.
Jorg, you keep bringing this back to the political arena. OK. You want to blame Congressional Republicans for gun violence in our largest cities… cities that have been run by Democrats for decades. So, if Republicans have failed to stop the slaughter, please explain what Democrats are doing to stanch the blood flowing in the cities they control.
You asked “under what circumstances are children being killed” in American cities…
Let’s be clear. The children were shot and killed. Maybe the most recognizable is seven-year-old Jaslyn Adams. In April 2019, Jaslyn was shot and killed while sitting in a car with her father in a Chicago McDonald’s restaurant drive-thru lane. Should we more concerned if she had been sitting in a classroom with a teacher?
We’ll stick with Chicago. A partial list for 2022 that does not include children older than 9 years and younger teens: James Allen Hayes 8, Akeem Briscoe 7, Josiah Brown 3, Melissa Ortiz 8, Devon McGregor 5, Mateo Zastrow 3, and Cashawnna Love 4.
Jorg, you will have to research the tragic circumstances surrounding these children.
Ray: Of course, horrible! But what where the circumstances, and what could have been done to avoid such tragedies? Was there a common denominator, or where they all different circumstances?
Sorry I missed the questions you posted last night. I had shut my laptop down so I could get back to reading "The Mosquito Bowl" by Buzz Bissinger. A different take on WWII... I recommend it.
You asked about circumstances. They have been mentioned in past discussions in these pages. Those circumstances include urban decay, deterioration of family structure, unchecked violence, a lack of opportunity including substandard schools, and hopelessness. You asked how tragedies can be avoided. Change the circumstances.
You will have to look into the specific circumstances surrounding James, Akeem, Josiah, Melissa, Devon, Mateo, and Cashawnna.
Jorg, you ask what could have been done to avoid such tragedies. Perhaps you could ask Chuck Schumer, since around 6 months ago, Schumer blocked a school safety bill proposed by Republicans and the families of the Parkland School shooting. It’s apparent Chuck Schumer values politics more than our kids – a common denominator amongst Democrats, it appears. Meanwhile, due to Schumer’s and Democrats intransigence, some school districts are taking action: a Houston school district approved $2 million for rifles, shields, ammo, and radios and a Florida county is adding AR-15s to schools for classroom defense. It’s well past time to make schools “soft targets.” Thanks to Schumer, many schools will remain soft targets as they have no best practices to guide them.
Ray: Certainly, no easy problems to solve, but why not make it harder to obtain weapons, and at least ban assault weapons from public life? As we have seen too often, any youngster can buy an AR-15 or equivalent, and lots of ammunition, without a question asked, - no matter how scruffy and nervous he may look. And then we have the absolutely insane idea of weaponizing schools and turning them into war zones, something Schumer rightfully turned down. NRA would love it, of course, but no one with a fiber of passion and thinking ability would entertain such an idea, - not even for fun.
Thanks for your response. I wrote to Westy yesterday, "I don't think too many DJ readers would oppose restrictions on assault rifles. If we could wave a wand over all assault rifles and make them disappear, we would still have a massive gun violence crisis. Politicizing the problem does not help."
Your position to do away with AR-15s and similar firearms makes folks on the left side of the aisle feel good, but it will not end gun violence. Sticking with Chicago, there have been two more mass shootings since yesterday. The circumstances listed in my post earlier today need to be addressed by Chicago's leadership.
Remarks about the gun lobby, drug cartels, and AR-15s do not address the problems in American cities that promote gun homicides. I have answered every one of your questions, and they were legitimate questions that needed to be asked. Now it's your turn. What do you propose we do to end the awful scourge of gun violence?
Ray: I don’t know if it would help if I repeated once more what I have said all along, that removing assault weapons would be a good start. Ending gun violence in this country is a monumental task, with no easy, quick solution. So, why not start with the easiest part, banning assault weapons? Can you give me a single reason why not? What good could it do to keep them so easily available?
However, I have to thank you for all the ideas you keep giving me for my next book! Not that I ever expected you to read it, any more than the last one, but thanks anyway!
There have been 202 gun deaths on school campuses over the past 22 years or so. There have been more than 11,000 gun deaths in Chicago alone during that time. Yes, we can deal with the assault rifle and high-capacity issues. See my 12:01 post to Westy for details. Then... what course of action should we pursue? When asked multiple times how you would address the gun violence in our cities... your silence has been deafening.
Ray: You are being ridiculous, going around and around, as you have a habit of doing! How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have a solution to the complex gun issue in the cities! Do you?
I thought I was out... what you describe as going round and round is actually asking a question then having to ask again and again the same question that you never answer. Thanks for your honesty and saying you don't have a solution to gun violence in our cities.
Ray: But my question was, do YOU have a solution to gun violence in our cities? While you accuse me of not answering a question I have responded to repeatedly, you don't seem to have an answer, either! Actually, who does?
Ray – Happy New Year! I’ve been enjoying the dance-off as you’ve forced Jorg and Westy to put on their dancing shoes. A bit unfulfilling as it's one-sided but still fun to "watch." To supplement your stats on Chicago deaths, I’d like to add that Chicago motor vehicle thefts are 95% higher than 2021, thefts 50% greater, burglary up 10%, and robbery up 10%. I haven’t yet seen any numbers on firearms used in perpetrating those violent crimes but we have to assume they were, or some other weapon was used. I doubt all those folks would willingly give up their car or property if nicely asked and then file a report.
You dodge queries and skip over questions with regularity, then you insist that your question has been ignored. It has not. I was hoping to keep politics out of this conversation and for a short while that was working. The politicization of this thread has been introduced by the left and that's too bad... does it really matter who sits in the Oval Office when an 7-year-old is gunned down in Chicago? That child is gone.
The solution is to address the conditions that promote gun violence in Chicago and elsewhere. All the pearl clutching about assault weapons in DC will not eradicate gun violence in our cities. Take all the AR-15s and similar weapons off the shelves... gun violence will continue. The solutions do not have to be driven by the red team or the blue team, but the energy required to make things happen needs to be applied.
The facts are that where gun violence is the worst... Democrats are in charge. (Yes, Westy, Lori Lightfoot is responsible for the safety of her city. If not her... who?) Piles of money and decades have been wasted. Roll up your sleeves... start incentivizing the rebuilding of our inner cities. Such projects will create jobs. Get public works busy with upgrades to infrastructure. Stop incentivizing single mothers having more children. Families need good parenting to thrive. It can be a mom and a dad... two moms... or two dads. We need to strengthen families. Chicago neighborhoods have been hit hard by inequality in our criminal justice system. Hmmm... four years ago, our former president signed the First Step Act... a positive move to help keep families together.
Tax credits for businesses moving into depressed areas. That will create more jobs and stimulate local economies. Fix the schools. Give kids a chance to move up with a solid education.
Defund the police? No way. During the 2020 summer riots, it was clear folks most affected by gun violence did not want a decreased police presence in their communities. The key is for everyday folks and law enforcement to work cooperatively. Work together to get guns and criminals off the streets. That's how you can start to end gun violence and wash away the pall of despair hanging over Chicago and other cities. Give people a reason to start living instead of dying.
Background checks, safe storage, safer firearms, and help for those in need... absolutely. You can restrict assault weapons, too... but if all we hear is squawking like "No more AR-15s! No more AR-15s!"... gun violence will still be with us.
You want to politicize? What's stopping the Democratic Party leadership from addressing the conditions promoting gun violence in our cities under siege?
Likewise with the season's greetings. We are well and enjoying the fruits of our labor here in The Last Frontier. While I have not posted in a while, I have been following the Daily Journal as often as I can. I will be dropping my subscription when it comes due for renewal. However, I would enjoy sharing occasional correspondence with you. I offer you my gmail (a trash account) address wfernandez.jr53@gmail.com to establish my no trash email address. Please do not feel obligated to use it. However, you can be assured that I hope you will.
Wilfred, my friend, thanks for the response and the email. I’m sorry to hear you won’t renew your subscription but it is understandable since we read the same old, same old… and we appear to have a dearth of independent thought by rabid lefties who continue to adhere to an American Last playbook. Divisiveness appears to be the order of the day for them, rather than progress and solutions, however gradual, in Making America Great Again. I will send you a message so we can stay in touch.
Hunting rifles and handguns for personal defense are not toys. Assault rifles are toys, when they are not used for terrorism or in a war zone; they have no other purposes.
Late last year, ABC News, referencing FBI data, reported that handguns, not assault rifles, were used in 62% of gun murders. Despite public perception, more mass shootings were carried out with handguns.
Any thoughts about how to address gun violence in American cities?
The ATF reported that 150,000 handguns were exported in 2019. During that same time, about 2.5 million handguns were imported. It doesn't look like the gun lobby is making billions of dollars exporting firearms to drug cartels.
I don't think too many DJ readers would oppose restrictions on assault rifles. If we could wave a wand over all assault rifles and make them disappear, we would still have a massive gun violence crisis. Politicizing the problem does not help.
Hi Ray, I agree that there are also other common sense gun laws that should be passed. First, it only makes sense to prioritize a ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines--not only would reduce random mass shootings but they are also the weapon of choice for the white nationalist groups that are posing an increasing threat to our democracy.
Then expand background checks to close the giant loophole that allows anyone to buy any weapon without any kind of background check as long as it is a private scale. And then we could even work on gun storage laws so we can read fewer stories about children killing themselves or others with guns they happen upon.
Brady United and Gabby Gifford's organization are both groups that are doing good work in analyzing what can be done and raising awareness. What makes no sense is to point at solutions and proclaim that they are useless because each one alone does not solve the entire problem. Or to search for leaders of the political party with which you disagree and blame them for all of the gun violence in their city.
Yes, we need authentic background checks. Those checks are not intended to punish responsible gun owners but to help keep guns out of the hands of persons who should not have them. Gun storage laws can be improved, and we can add technology to the mix and make guns safer. Easier access to mental health services should be on the list, too. Sixty percent or more gun deaths annually are suicides. We have to make the effort to help those who desperately need assistance. Those services could also help someone before they become an active shooter.
You make a good point re: prioritizing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, but remember, if every assault weapon was scrapped today… the gun violence crisis remains.
Raising awareness is good. Let’s do it.
There have been 202 gun deaths from mass shootings at schools since Columbine (1999) through Uvalde earlier this year. I know it sounds like a broken record but there have been 663 gun homicides in Chicago alone in 2022. That’s a 228% increase in the number of gun deaths for one American city in one year. Since the tragedy at Columbine, more than 11,000 persons have been shot and killed in Chicago. Those victims were not killed by right wing extremists with AR-15s singing the “Horst Wessel Song.”
If you could eliminate assault weapons today, what would be your next step? Let’s assume laws improving background checks, safe storage and gun safety features are in place as well as improved mental health care services. What would be your next step?
How do you address the circumstances in Chicago and other American cities that promote gun violence? You say we cannot search for political leaders and blame them for gun violence. Well, those political leaders have failed to address decaying cities, the breakdown of families, the lack of opportunity and good schools that have resulted in gun violence and a feeling of hopelessness. There have been ample financial resources available for decades to address these issues. OK… let’s not blame those political leaders… let’s move forward. What would be your next step?
Ray, "Decaying cities," "breakdown of families," lack of opportunity and good schools do not cause gun deaths. Guns cause gun deaths. A gun can turn a bad day into a tragedy.
“What about Chicago?” is a timeworn and meaningless talking point among Second Amendment absolutists. For example, it was Trump's go-to talking point after the Las Vegas shooting.
Next steps: ban assault weapons, end the background check loopholes.
When you have the facts... argue the facts. When you cannot argue the facts, try to argue the law. If you have neither... go after persons who do not support your point of view. In this case, politicize the issue.
I would rather see meaningful efforts to stop the slaughter, but if you want to politicize the issue... OK. I suggested to Jorg that he check our 20 largest cities with the highest crime rates and the greatest number of gun homicides. Of course, he won't. The facts will show those cities have been run by Democrats... sometimes for decades. Now, lets get to the law. Check those same cities for gun laws. You will find they have some of the strictest measures in place. Let's not stop there... let's put a law in place to restrict access to assault weapons, let's put in place real background checks, and make the other improvements mentioned in my earlier posts. But here's the bad news... 90% of felons in prison who used guns in the commission of their crimes did not get them from retail sources. And remember, more than 60% of mass shootings are not accomplished with assault weapons.
You can talk about Second Amendment absolutists and militia types all day long... they're not killing thousands of people in our cities. The conditions you so cavalierly dismiss... urban decay, the disintegration of the family, joblessness, etc. is directly related to gun violence in those American cities. Sadly, the Democratic Party leadership in those cities... with plenty of money and time to eradicate those conditions... appear to have also cavalierly dismissed those problems.
Banning AR-15s will get headlines but doing so will not get rid of the awful scourge of gun violence.
Westy, guns cause gun deaths? Really? An inanimate object can load, aim, and pull the trigger by itself? I’d like to see that. As for banning assault weapons, I guess knives, screwdrivers, other “pointy” things including pens and pencils, baseball bats, golf clubs, etc. are on the list? And how will you gather up all the assault weapons known as rocks and boulders? Oh yeah, I guess if we ban all the aforementioned assault weapons, I guess some people will make their own, for themselves and others. BTW, if you can’t stop drugs, and people, from crossing the border, what makes you think you can stop assault weapons from crossing the border? I’m sure the Rio Grande is illegally transporting assault weapon rocks to the USA. Let’s build a wall!
The Harvard Chan School of Public Health reported that more people bought guns in 2020 and that most of those purchasers were women. The WSJ reported late last year that nearly half of new gun purchasers were women. I don't know if we can get an exact count, but it looks like men and women want to "have their toys."
The cartels are not getting military grade weapons from the gun lobby and they are not getting guns from American gun owners. Can you explain how the gun lobby is exporting weapons worth billions of dollars to the drug cartels? Without question, the cartels are making profits worth billions of dollars in drug sales. Why? The US is a lucrative market for them. Without drug sales, the cartels would not be able to obtain the types of weapons Americans cannot purchase. Any thoughts on how to address the drug use issue? Any thoughts on how to address the gun violence in Chicago?
Wow, Ray, are you asking a serious question? How many gun factories are there in Mexico? Zero. How many gun stores are there in Mexico? One. And from Mexico, the guns flow south to Central American countries, fueling the refugee problem at our border.
Here is just one quote for you from a recent story: "The Mexican government estimates that more than half a million guns are smuggled from the U.S. each year, arming Mexico's deadly cartel wars. Officials in Mexico — which has just one gun store and issues fewer than 50 gun permits a year — blame lax U.S. gun laws and the prevalence of gun shops in America for the bulk of weapons that allow cartels to flourish. Earlier this month, the Mexican government sued U.S. gun manufacturers in federal court, accusing them of fueling the violence."
Your response does not support your claim that the "gun lobby" is making billions of dollars exporting weapons to drug cartels. First, exactly who is the "gun lobby" mentioned in our earlier comments? It is not the American gun owner.
You probably recall the ATF data that shows 150,000 handguns were exported recently and during that same year 2.5 million handguns were imported to the US. Maybe there are no gun factories in Mexico but those 2.5 million handguns came from somewhere outside the US. Do you think the cartels were able to get any foreign made guns?
Another flaw in your logic... the Mexican government blames privately owned US gun shops for supplying the cartels with weapons? The cartels are not strolling in to US border towns to purchase firearms. Like 90% of the felons in our own prisons who used a gun during the commission of a crime, they did not use legal means to obtain firearms. The cartels rely on smuggled weapons... again, those aren't coming from American gun owners. As an aside, where do the cartels pick up .50 caliber machine guns and RPGs?
So, where are the cartels getting their weapons? Do you remember "Fast and Furious"?
Hi Ray, The Mexican government estimates 500,000 guns are smuggled across the border each year from the U.S. The average cost of a gun is $400 to $800. You do the math.
The fact that the gun manufacturers are careful to insulate themselves against direct sales to drug cartels does not mean they don't make many millions of dollars each year from this illegal arms dealing. And it seems clear that it would be very important to them to use the gun lobby to fight against closing the loopholes in background checks (and keep the manufacture of large magazines and automatic weapons legal), so that criminals can continue to buy their merchandise through private sales.
Hello, Westy... Sorry for the delayed response; I was out doing errands before dinner.
Why, Anne, thank you for the late Christmas present.
We don’t disagree on legal steps that can be taken to reduce gun violence… and we want those things to start right away. Cue the clinking of two wine glasses.
Sorry, I don’t have enough toes to do the math, but with a calculator, it looks like a half million guns at top price is hundreds of millions of dollars. Let’s not quibble about the validity of the data or how it was collected. It’s a lot of money and a lot of guns.
I still don’t see US gun manufacturers, if that’s what you mean by the gun lobby, exporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of guns across the border annually. However, I am open to looking at evidence that supports such exporting.
Yes, a lot of NRA types chafe against background checks, but solid procedures to identify eligibility to purchase a firearm is one thing responsible gun owners will have to endure to help keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. Standardize background checks to close loopholes.
Happy Sixth Day of Christmas and have a great New Year!
Westy, I guess we also need to accept drug and overdose deaths as the proper payment for our so-called leaders who refuse to enforce our laws and who allow drug cartels to export even more of their drugs across the border. For many individuals, they’ve made their ultimate sacrifices due to the incompetence of so-called leaders.
Oh yes, TY, we definitely do need to accept drug and overdose deaths. Look at the poor Sandlers of Purdue Pharma. All they did was push Oxycontin until it became an opioid epidemic, they probably didn't even kill much more than 50,000 or 100,000 people and make drug addicts of mere hundreds of thousands more, yet they are being brutally punished by having some of their profits taken away. The families of the victims just need to suck it up and accept that we live in a capitalist society and the poor put-upon Sandler family and Purdue Pharma have a right to make money any way they see fit.
Westy, if your idea of a capitalist society is sacrificing enforcement of laws then you won’t have much of a society. Or you’ll have a return to the Wild West and you’ll have to deal with a country whose residents own more than 400 million firearms. Already, some of those people with firearms are making money any way they see fit, robbing folks, because they’re not afraid of the consequences. Congratulations on your society but I wouldn’t want to live there. But then, I’m okay with folks owning firearms… the great equalizer.
Westy: It is at times very difficult to hold an educated discussion and a meaningful exchange of thoughts and ideas on this site. Some of the usual participants go around and around without adding anything meaningful. At times, I wonder if it’s even worth my time, - and then I get dragged into it again. If you send me your mailing address to safechem@comcast.net, I’ll have a copy of my new book, “Dear Editor & Beyond” shipped to you.
Jorg, I agree, the Q commentators are tedious and repetitive and it is impossible to have a meaningful exchange. Yet I do like to comment on occasion because it's not good to let these right-wing repeater bot-people go unchallenged all of the time. I always do appreciate your contributions.
Westy, you may want to perform a short review of most of Jorg’s LTE’s (and the majority of his comments). They’re usually some variation of “orange man bad” or some side issue that eventually results in “orange man bad.” Yes, tedious and repetitive of Jorg – I didn’t realize he was a Q commentator but I’d assume he does use Q-tips or partake of Quarter Pounders, maybe even with cheese.
And then if you look in the mirror, we have plenty of examples where you throw out a claim, but then you can’t support that assertion. One great example… You claim not growing alfalfa in the desert would solve our water crisis, yet you can’t follow up with how much water would be saved. Your throwaway answer when pressed? Take a few classes. If these classes didn’t tell you how stopping alfalfa farming would solve the water crisis, why would I bother taking any class – like you I still wouldn’t have an answer and I’d likely request a refund? BTW, once you and Jorg put on your dancing shoes and launch personal attacks and/or give us the runaround, we know you’ve run out of steam and your claims are jibber-jabber. Terence-bot wishing you a Happy New Year!
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(50) comments
Hello, Al
Your LTE was published two days ago in these pages but the message needs to be repeated.
Homicides in Philadelphia passed the 500 mark this week... most of them were gun deaths. Gun violence was at record levels in Philly for the third straight year.
More than 3500 people have been shot in Chicago this year and 662 of them died. Almost 10% of those gun deaths were children... 12 (0-12 years) and 53 (13-17 years). Using the definition of mass shooting for incidents where four or more people are shot, there have been 46 mass shootings in Chicago this year resulting in 29 deaths.
How can Lori Lightfoot look at herself in the mirror?
Hello Ray,
I would suspect that she may be buying mirrors from the same source as Terence.
Hey, buddy! Always good to hear from you. Happy New Year!
Taffy, my friend, I believe the source may be overstock of all the old mirrors you’ve replaced. BTW, I haven’t seen you around for a while so I hope all is well, or is getting better. Happy New Year!
Terence,
I am still here. I am looking down on the daisies, not pushing them up. I haven't seen much of interest lately in the DJ to comment on. I am sure that will change in couple of weeks when the clown show starts in Washington. You have a Happy New Year also!
Mr. Comolli – if I recall correctly this CDC-reported “number one cause of death among children” is misleading because the CDC counts 19 year-olds as “children.” Unfortunately for the CDC, many would say anyone older than 12 no longer counts as a child. At a stretch, you could go up to age 17, but even then, I'm sure the CDC statistic no longer holds. As such, I consider this CDC statistic as just another misleading “sound” bite not to be taken seriously in any argument. Not only that, but many guidances and “ink” from the CDC are not based in science as the CDC has lost their credibility. (To wit, masking and the COVID jab.)
I’d say that as we celebrate the holiday season, let us take a moment to reflect on those families whose lives were forever shattered by the loss of a loved one through our so-called leaders releasing convicted criminals back into the wild along with uncontrolled invaders from the south. Not to mention the lack of effort keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals. Let us pray that we find a way to reduce this awful scourge that is so ubiquitous in our state and our nation. Let’s see if so-called leaders actually lead us to prosperity instead of continually lowering our standards to that of a third-world state.
Perhaps we just need to accept these deaths as the proper payment for men to have their toys and for the gun lobby to continue to make billions of dollars exporting guns to drug cartels across the border. We all need to make our individual sacrifices for capitalism.
Westy,
According to the Daily Beast, "Women are gaining on men in the purchase of firearms for hunting and personal defense, according to the NRA and others. Thousands of women are learning how to shoot—and going hunting together, reports Shushannah Walshe".
https://www.thedailybeast.com/number-of-us-women-buying-guns-for-hunting-and-personal-defense-spikes-sharply
Your distaste for the gun lobby is matched by those against the abortion lobby. I wonder which kills more innocents. I know how found you are of facts. Enjoy them.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/abortion-rates-by-country
https://www.newsweek.com/cartel-violence-results-deadliest-year-mexico-record-786709
What on Earth does that have to do with the gun violence we are talking about, and which Republicans tend to downplay? Yes, I know women who carry a gun in their purse for self-protection, and for good reasons, but women are not among the morons that buy assault weapons and go out on unprovoked killing missions! I hate to call such cowards “men”, but they are certainly not women!
Hello, Jorg
Al, the LTE author, deserves credit for reminding us it is imperative we work to eliminate gun violence. He also deserves credit for not politicizing the issue. Westy's post and your comments do just the opposite.
Gun violence may be something that Democrats would like Republicans to downplay. Jorg, make a list of our 20 largest cities with the most crime and greatest number of homicides due to gun violence. How many of those cities are run by Democrats?. We're not talking about gun accidents, suicides or the disturbed mass shooters mentioned in your post... we're talking about firearms being used on a daily basis in those cities run by Democrats.
I referenced Chicago in my original comments in support of Al's LTE. In Chicago, this year, 662 people have been shot and killed... 65 of them under the age of 18. Part of 2022's slaughter has been 46 mass shootings. So, I'll ask you the same question posed to Westy... any thoughts on how to address the gun violence in Chicago?
Ray: Gangster conditions in certain cities are bad enough, but I am far more concerned about the mass killings of innocent little school children, some, if not all, could have prevented by outlawing assault weapons, which have no mission among civilians, - except for mass killings. And who has been resisting that very common-sense effort? Congressional Republicans!
Jorg
And the last shall be first… any thoughts on how to address gun violence in ONE American city that has seen 662 persons shot and killed this year? No response.
You are “far more concerned” about school children being shot and killed. If that’s the case, explain why the children killed in Chicago and other cities do not deserve the same concern? The tragedies in Chicago and other cities do not merit more concern simply due to the magnitude of the slaughter, but neither can they be dismissed just because they did not occur in a schoolyard.
Jorg, you keep bringing this back to the political arena. OK. You want to blame Congressional Republicans for gun violence in our largest cities… cities that have been run by Democrats for decades. So, if Republicans have failed to stop the slaughter, please explain what Democrats are doing to stanch the blood flowing in the cities they control.
Ray: So, under what circumstances are children being killed in those cities you refer to?
Jorg
You asked “under what circumstances are children being killed” in American cities…
Let’s be clear. The children were shot and killed. Maybe the most recognizable is seven-year-old Jaslyn Adams. In April 2019, Jaslyn was shot and killed while sitting in a car with her father in a Chicago McDonald’s restaurant drive-thru lane. Should we more concerned if she had been sitting in a classroom with a teacher?
We’ll stick with Chicago. A partial list for 2022 that does not include children older than 9 years and younger teens: James Allen Hayes 8, Akeem Briscoe 7, Josiah Brown 3, Melissa Ortiz 8, Devon McGregor 5, Mateo Zastrow 3, and Cashawnna Love 4.
Jorg, you will have to research the tragic circumstances surrounding these children.
Ray: Of course, horrible! But what where the circumstances, and what could have been done to avoid such tragedies? Was there a common denominator, or where they all different circumstances?
Good morning, Jorg
Sorry I missed the questions you posted last night. I had shut my laptop down so I could get back to reading "The Mosquito Bowl" by Buzz Bissinger. A different take on WWII... I recommend it.
You asked about circumstances. They have been mentioned in past discussions in these pages. Those circumstances include urban decay, deterioration of family structure, unchecked violence, a lack of opportunity including substandard schools, and hopelessness. You asked how tragedies can be avoided. Change the circumstances.
You will have to look into the specific circumstances surrounding James, Akeem, Josiah, Melissa, Devon, Mateo, and Cashawnna.
Jorg, you ask what could have been done to avoid such tragedies. Perhaps you could ask Chuck Schumer, since around 6 months ago, Schumer blocked a school safety bill proposed by Republicans and the families of the Parkland School shooting. It’s apparent Chuck Schumer values politics more than our kids – a common denominator amongst Democrats, it appears. Meanwhile, due to Schumer’s and Democrats intransigence, some school districts are taking action: a Houston school district approved $2 million for rifles, shields, ammo, and radios and a Florida county is adding AR-15s to schools for classroom defense. It’s well past time to make schools “soft targets.” Thanks to Schumer, many schools will remain soft targets as they have no best practices to guide them.
Ray: Certainly, no easy problems to solve, but why not make it harder to obtain weapons, and at least ban assault weapons from public life? As we have seen too often, any youngster can buy an AR-15 or equivalent, and lots of ammunition, without a question asked, - no matter how scruffy and nervous he may look. And then we have the absolutely insane idea of weaponizing schools and turning them into war zones, something Schumer rightfully turned down. NRA would love it, of course, but no one with a fiber of passion and thinking ability would entertain such an idea, - not even for fun.
Hello, Jorg
Thanks for your response. I wrote to Westy yesterday, "I don't think too many DJ readers would oppose restrictions on assault rifles. If we could wave a wand over all assault rifles and make them disappear, we would still have a massive gun violence crisis. Politicizing the problem does not help."
Your position to do away with AR-15s and similar firearms makes folks on the left side of the aisle feel good, but it will not end gun violence. Sticking with Chicago, there have been two more mass shootings since yesterday. The circumstances listed in my post earlier today need to be addressed by Chicago's leadership.
Remarks about the gun lobby, drug cartels, and AR-15s do not address the problems in American cities that promote gun homicides. I have answered every one of your questions, and they were legitimate questions that needed to be asked. Now it's your turn. What do you propose we do to end the awful scourge of gun violence?
Ray: I don’t know if it would help if I repeated once more what I have said all along, that removing assault weapons would be a good start. Ending gun violence in this country is a monumental task, with no easy, quick solution. So, why not start with the easiest part, banning assault weapons? Can you give me a single reason why not? What good could it do to keep them so easily available?
However, I have to thank you for all the ideas you keep giving me for my next book! Not that I ever expected you to read it, any more than the last one, but thanks anyway!
Jorg
There have been 202 gun deaths on school campuses over the past 22 years or so. There have been more than 11,000 gun deaths in Chicago alone during that time. Yes, we can deal with the assault rifle and high-capacity issues. See my 12:01 post to Westy for details. Then... what course of action should we pursue? When asked multiple times how you would address the gun violence in our cities... your silence has been deafening.
I'm out. Happy New Year!
Ray: You are being ridiculous, going around and around, as you have a habit of doing! How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have a solution to the complex gun issue in the cities! Do you?
Jorg
I thought I was out... what you describe as going round and round is actually asking a question then having to ask again and again the same question that you never answer. Thanks for your honesty and saying you don't have a solution to gun violence in our cities.
Check your email.
Ray: But my question was, do YOU have a solution to gun violence in our cities? While you accuse me of not answering a question I have responded to repeatedly, you don't seem to have an answer, either! Actually, who does?
Ray – Happy New Year! I’ve been enjoying the dance-off as you’ve forced Jorg and Westy to put on their dancing shoes. A bit unfulfilling as it's one-sided but still fun to "watch." To supplement your stats on Chicago deaths, I’d like to add that Chicago motor vehicle thefts are 95% higher than 2021, thefts 50% greater, burglary up 10%, and robbery up 10%. I haven’t yet seen any numbers on firearms used in perpetrating those violent crimes but we have to assume they were, or some other weapon was used. I doubt all those folks would willingly give up their car or property if nicely asked and then file a report.
Jorg, It's pretty clear that Ray's answer to the gun violence question is Lori Lightfoot. It's definitely her fault.
Well, Jorg... i thought I was finished.
You dodge queries and skip over questions with regularity, then you insist that your question has been ignored. It has not. I was hoping to keep politics out of this conversation and for a short while that was working. The politicization of this thread has been introduced by the left and that's too bad... does it really matter who sits in the Oval Office when an 7-year-old is gunned down in Chicago? That child is gone.
The solution is to address the conditions that promote gun violence in Chicago and elsewhere. All the pearl clutching about assault weapons in DC will not eradicate gun violence in our cities. Take all the AR-15s and similar weapons off the shelves... gun violence will continue. The solutions do not have to be driven by the red team or the blue team, but the energy required to make things happen needs to be applied.
The facts are that where gun violence is the worst... Democrats are in charge. (Yes, Westy, Lori Lightfoot is responsible for the safety of her city. If not her... who?) Piles of money and decades have been wasted. Roll up your sleeves... start incentivizing the rebuilding of our inner cities. Such projects will create jobs. Get public works busy with upgrades to infrastructure. Stop incentivizing single mothers having more children. Families need good parenting to thrive. It can be a mom and a dad... two moms... or two dads. We need to strengthen families. Chicago neighborhoods have been hit hard by inequality in our criminal justice system. Hmmm... four years ago, our former president signed the First Step Act... a positive move to help keep families together.
Tax credits for businesses moving into depressed areas. That will create more jobs and stimulate local economies. Fix the schools. Give kids a chance to move up with a solid education.
Defund the police? No way. During the 2020 summer riots, it was clear folks most affected by gun violence did not want a decreased police presence in their communities. The key is for everyday folks and law enforcement to work cooperatively. Work together to get guns and criminals off the streets. That's how you can start to end gun violence and wash away the pall of despair hanging over Chicago and other cities. Give people a reason to start living instead of dying.
Background checks, safe storage, safer firearms, and help for those in need... absolutely. You can restrict assault weapons, too... but if all we hear is squawking like "No more AR-15s! No more AR-15s!"... gun violence will still be with us.
You want to politicize? What's stopping the Democratic Party leadership from addressing the conditions promoting gun violence in our cities under siege?
Wilfred, my friend, Happy New Year and a belated Merry Christmas! I hope all is well in The Last Frontier.
Terence,
Likewise with the season's greetings. We are well and enjoying the fruits of our labor here in The Last Frontier. While I have not posted in a while, I have been following the Daily Journal as often as I can. I will be dropping my subscription when it comes due for renewal. However, I would enjoy sharing occasional correspondence with you. I offer you my gmail (a trash account) address wfernandez.jr53@gmail.com to establish my no trash email address. Please do not feel obligated to use it. However, you can be assured that I hope you will.
Wilfred, my friend, thanks for the response and the email. I’m sorry to hear you won’t renew your subscription but it is understandable since we read the same old, same old… and we appear to have a dearth of independent thought by rabid lefties who continue to adhere to an American Last playbook. Divisiveness appears to be the order of the day for them, rather than progress and solutions, however gradual, in Making America Great Again. I will send you a message so we can stay in touch.
Hunting rifles and handguns for personal defense are not toys. Assault rifles are toys, when they are not used for terrorism or in a war zone; they have no other purposes.
Says a person who believes big brother will protect her against animals, human and otherwise, with whom she does not live with.
Hello again, Westy
Late last year, ABC News, referencing FBI data, reported that handguns, not assault rifles, were used in 62% of gun murders. Despite public perception, more mass shootings were carried out with handguns.
Any thoughts about how to address gun violence in American cities?
The ATF reported that 150,000 handguns were exported in 2019. During that same time, about 2.5 million handguns were imported. It doesn't look like the gun lobby is making billions of dollars exporting firearms to drug cartels.
I don't think too many DJ readers would oppose restrictions on assault rifles. If we could wave a wand over all assault rifles and make them disappear, we would still have a massive gun violence crisis. Politicizing the problem does not help.
Hi Ray, I agree that there are also other common sense gun laws that should be passed. First, it only makes sense to prioritize a ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines--not only would reduce random mass shootings but they are also the weapon of choice for the white nationalist groups that are posing an increasing threat to our democracy.
Then expand background checks to close the giant loophole that allows anyone to buy any weapon without any kind of background check as long as it is a private scale. And then we could even work on gun storage laws so we can read fewer stories about children killing themselves or others with guns they happen upon.
Brady United and Gabby Gifford's organization are both groups that are doing good work in analyzing what can be done and raising awareness. What makes no sense is to point at solutions and proclaim that they are useless because each one alone does not solve the entire problem. Or to search for leaders of the political party with which you disagree and blame them for all of the gun violence in their city.
Yes, we need authentic background checks. Those checks are not intended to punish responsible gun owners but to help keep guns out of the hands of persons who should not have them. Gun storage laws can be improved, and we can add technology to the mix and make guns safer. Easier access to mental health services should be on the list, too. Sixty percent or more gun deaths annually are suicides. We have to make the effort to help those who desperately need assistance. Those services could also help someone before they become an active shooter.
You make a good point re: prioritizing assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, but remember, if every assault weapon was scrapped today… the gun violence crisis remains.
Raising awareness is good. Let’s do it.
There have been 202 gun deaths from mass shootings at schools since Columbine (1999) through Uvalde earlier this year. I know it sounds like a broken record but there have been 663 gun homicides in Chicago alone in 2022. That’s a 228% increase in the number of gun deaths for one American city in one year. Since the tragedy at Columbine, more than 11,000 persons have been shot and killed in Chicago. Those victims were not killed by right wing extremists with AR-15s singing the “Horst Wessel Song.”
If you could eliminate assault weapons today, what would be your next step? Let’s assume laws improving background checks, safe storage and gun safety features are in place as well as improved mental health care services. What would be your next step?
How do you address the circumstances in Chicago and other American cities that promote gun violence? You say we cannot search for political leaders and blame them for gun violence. Well, those political leaders have failed to address decaying cities, the breakdown of families, the lack of opportunity and good schools that have resulted in gun violence and a feeling of hopelessness. There have been ample financial resources available for decades to address these issues. OK… let’s not blame those political leaders… let’s move forward. What would be your next step?
Ray, "Decaying cities," "breakdown of families," lack of opportunity and good schools do not cause gun deaths. Guns cause gun deaths. A gun can turn a bad day into a tragedy.
“What about Chicago?” is a timeworn and meaningless talking point among Second Amendment absolutists. For example, it was Trump's go-to talking point after the Las Vegas shooting.
Next steps: ban assault weapons, end the background check loopholes.
Hi, Westy
When you have the facts... argue the facts. When you cannot argue the facts, try to argue the law. If you have neither... go after persons who do not support your point of view. In this case, politicize the issue.
I would rather see meaningful efforts to stop the slaughter, but if you want to politicize the issue... OK. I suggested to Jorg that he check our 20 largest cities with the highest crime rates and the greatest number of gun homicides. Of course, he won't. The facts will show those cities have been run by Democrats... sometimes for decades. Now, lets get to the law. Check those same cities for gun laws. You will find they have some of the strictest measures in place. Let's not stop there... let's put a law in place to restrict access to assault weapons, let's put in place real background checks, and make the other improvements mentioned in my earlier posts. But here's the bad news... 90% of felons in prison who used guns in the commission of their crimes did not get them from retail sources. And remember, more than 60% of mass shootings are not accomplished with assault weapons.
You can talk about Second Amendment absolutists and militia types all day long... they're not killing thousands of people in our cities. The conditions you so cavalierly dismiss... urban decay, the disintegration of the family, joblessness, etc. is directly related to gun violence in those American cities. Sadly, the Democratic Party leadership in those cities... with plenty of money and time to eradicate those conditions... appear to have also cavalierly dismissed those problems.
Banning AR-15s will get headlines but doing so will not get rid of the awful scourge of gun violence.
Happy New Year
Westy, guns cause gun deaths? Really? An inanimate object can load, aim, and pull the trigger by itself? I’d like to see that. As for banning assault weapons, I guess knives, screwdrivers, other “pointy” things including pens and pencils, baseball bats, golf clubs, etc. are on the list? And how will you gather up all the assault weapons known as rocks and boulders? Oh yeah, I guess if we ban all the aforementioned assault weapons, I guess some people will make their own, for themselves and others. BTW, if you can’t stop drugs, and people, from crossing the border, what makes you think you can stop assault weapons from crossing the border? I’m sure the Rio Grande is illegally transporting assault weapon rocks to the USA. Let’s build a wall!
Westy
The Harvard Chan School of Public Health reported that more people bought guns in 2020 and that most of those purchasers were women. The WSJ reported late last year that nearly half of new gun purchasers were women. I don't know if we can get an exact count, but it looks like men and women want to "have their toys."
The cartels are not getting military grade weapons from the gun lobby and they are not getting guns from American gun owners. Can you explain how the gun lobby is exporting weapons worth billions of dollars to the drug cartels? Without question, the cartels are making profits worth billions of dollars in drug sales. Why? The US is a lucrative market for them. Without drug sales, the cartels would not be able to obtain the types of weapons Americans cannot purchase. Any thoughts on how to address the drug use issue? Any thoughts on how to address the gun violence in Chicago?
Wow, Ray, are you asking a serious question? How many gun factories are there in Mexico? Zero. How many gun stores are there in Mexico? One. And from Mexico, the guns flow south to Central American countries, fueling the refugee problem at our border.
Here is just one quote for you from a recent story: "The Mexican government estimates that more than half a million guns are smuggled from the U.S. each year, arming Mexico's deadly cartel wars. Officials in Mexico — which has just one gun store and issues fewer than 50 gun permits a year — blame lax U.S. gun laws and the prevalence of gun shops in America for the bulk of weapons that allow cartels to flourish. Earlier this month, the Mexican government sued U.S. gun manufacturers in federal court, accusing them of fueling the violence."
Sorry, Westy... I missed this post earlier.
Your response does not support your claim that the "gun lobby" is making billions of dollars exporting weapons to drug cartels. First, exactly who is the "gun lobby" mentioned in our earlier comments? It is not the American gun owner.
You probably recall the ATF data that shows 150,000 handguns were exported recently and during that same year 2.5 million handguns were imported to the US. Maybe there are no gun factories in Mexico but those 2.5 million handguns came from somewhere outside the US. Do you think the cartels were able to get any foreign made guns?
Another flaw in your logic... the Mexican government blames privately owned US gun shops for supplying the cartels with weapons? The cartels are not strolling in to US border towns to purchase firearms. Like 90% of the felons in our own prisons who used a gun during the commission of a crime, they did not use legal means to obtain firearms. The cartels rely on smuggled weapons... again, those aren't coming from American gun owners. As an aside, where do the cartels pick up .50 caliber machine guns and RPGs?
So, where are the cartels getting their weapons? Do you remember "Fast and Furious"?
Hi Ray, The Mexican government estimates 500,000 guns are smuggled across the border each year from the U.S. The average cost of a gun is $400 to $800. You do the math.
The fact that the gun manufacturers are careful to insulate themselves against direct sales to drug cartels does not mean they don't make many millions of dollars each year from this illegal arms dealing. And it seems clear that it would be very important to them to use the gun lobby to fight against closing the loopholes in background checks (and keep the manufacture of large magazines and automatic weapons legal), so that criminals can continue to buy their merchandise through private sales.
Hello, Westy... Sorry for the delayed response; I was out doing errands before dinner.
Why, Anne, thank you for the late Christmas present.
We don’t disagree on legal steps that can be taken to reduce gun violence… and we want those things to start right away. Cue the clinking of two wine glasses.
Sorry, I don’t have enough toes to do the math, but with a calculator, it looks like a half million guns at top price is hundreds of millions of dollars. Let’s not quibble about the validity of the data or how it was collected. It’s a lot of money and a lot of guns.
I still don’t see US gun manufacturers, if that’s what you mean by the gun lobby, exporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of guns across the border annually. However, I am open to looking at evidence that supports such exporting.
Yes, a lot of NRA types chafe against background checks, but solid procedures to identify eligibility to purchase a firearm is one thing responsible gun owners will have to endure to help keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. Standardize background checks to close loopholes.
Happy Sixth Day of Christmas and have a great New Year!
Westy, I guess we also need to accept drug and overdose deaths as the proper payment for our so-called leaders who refuse to enforce our laws and who allow drug cartels to export even more of their drugs across the border. For many individuals, they’ve made their ultimate sacrifices due to the incompetence of so-called leaders.
Oh yes, TY, we definitely do need to accept drug and overdose deaths. Look at the poor Sandlers of Purdue Pharma. All they did was push Oxycontin until it became an opioid epidemic, they probably didn't even kill much more than 50,000 or 100,000 people and make drug addicts of mere hundreds of thousands more, yet they are being brutally punished by having some of their profits taken away. The families of the victims just need to suck it up and accept that we live in a capitalist society and the poor put-upon Sandler family and Purdue Pharma have a right to make money any way they see fit.
Westy, if your idea of a capitalist society is sacrificing enforcement of laws then you won’t have much of a society. Or you’ll have a return to the Wild West and you’ll have to deal with a country whose residents own more than 400 million firearms. Already, some of those people with firearms are making money any way they see fit, robbing folks, because they’re not afraid of the consequences. Congratulations on your society but I wouldn’t want to live there. But then, I’m okay with folks owning firearms… the great equalizer.
TY, your are consistently and delightfully inconsistent about which laws you think should be enforced.
Westy: It is at times very difficult to hold an educated discussion and a meaningful exchange of thoughts and ideas on this site. Some of the usual participants go around and around without adding anything meaningful. At times, I wonder if it’s even worth my time, - and then I get dragged into it again. If you send me your mailing address to safechem@comcast.net, I’ll have a copy of my new book, “Dear Editor & Beyond” shipped to you.
Jorg, I agree, the Q commentators are tedious and repetitive and it is impossible to have a meaningful exchange. Yet I do like to comment on occasion because it's not good to let these right-wing repeater bot-people go unchallenged all of the time. I always do appreciate your contributions.
Thanks for the offer of your book!
Westy, you may want to perform a short review of most of Jorg’s LTE’s (and the majority of his comments). They’re usually some variation of “orange man bad” or some side issue that eventually results in “orange man bad.” Yes, tedious and repetitive of Jorg – I didn’t realize he was a Q commentator but I’d assume he does use Q-tips or partake of Quarter Pounders, maybe even with cheese.
And then if you look in the mirror, we have plenty of examples where you throw out a claim, but then you can’t support that assertion. One great example… You claim not growing alfalfa in the desert would solve our water crisis, yet you can’t follow up with how much water would be saved. Your throwaway answer when pressed? Take a few classes. If these classes didn’t tell you how stopping alfalfa farming would solve the water crisis, why would I bother taking any class – like you I still wouldn’t have an answer and I’d likely request a refund? BTW, once you and Jorg put on your dancing shoes and launch personal attacks and/or give us the runaround, we know you’ve run out of steam and your claims are jibber-jabber. Terence-bot wishing you a Happy New Year!
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.