The Story of 10 Young People Killed in a Day by Guns Should Make You Rethink American Gun Culture – “In America, ‘Every day, on average, seven children and teens are killed by guns; in 2013 it was 6.75 to be precise,’ writes Afro-British journalist Gary Younge in the introduction to his upcoming fifth book, Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives. ‘Gun violence is the leading cause of death among black children under the age of 19 and the second-leading cause of death for all children of the same age group, after car accidents.’ Although not from America, Younge is careful to note that he spent 12 years living in the United States—from 2003 to 2015. Most importantly, Younge became a parent in the U.S. and, as such, struggled with trying to understand America’s gun culture—and its effect on the lives of children.” Yes, well Mr. Younge somehow fails to mention the number of people — between 136 and 1250 — people who defend themselves with firearms every day. Wonder why that is.
The movement marches on: Utah lawmaker opens ‘constitutional carry’ bill – “It’s a bill to protect law-abiding citizens, according to Representative Lee Perry. ‘Just because they put a coat over the top of it or a shirt over the top of it, that shouldn’t make them a criminal,’ Perry said of those who carry firearms. Right now, gun owners need to have a permit if they want to carry a concealed weapon, something Representative Perry says many of his constituents resent.”
As Californians Opposing Gun Restrictions note, “California gun laws are effecting businesses. This is part of the plan, regulate everyone out of business.”
The clever way ‘Westworld’ originally explained how guns work in its theme park – “Thanks to the original 1973 ‘Westworld’ movie, on which the HBO series is based, we have a basic idea of how the immersive theme park is supposed to function. The biggest question you might be having is how guns work. In the opening scene, we watch as Teddy shoots and kills several men attacking Dolores’ home, and then confronts the Man in Black. But when Teddy moves to kill the Man in Black, the bullets seem to evaporate into thin air.”
Why It Matters: Guns – “The right to bear arms is fundamental to the U.S., carved into the Constitution and seemingly embedded in the national DNA. But after a seemingly endless stretch of violence, Americans are confronting how far those rights extend, propelling gun issues to the forefront of this year’s elections. Do Americans have the right to have AR-style firearms, the long guns with a military look used in the past year in several mass shootings? Should they be able to buy magazines that hold 10 or more bullets? Can those on a terrorist watchlist, but not charged with a crime, be allowed to buy a gun? Should every gun buyer have to pass a background check?”
You media cluelessness shocker of the day: NPR Reporter Has No Idea What ‘Come And Take It’ Means – “Sunday marked the 181st anniversary of the Battle of Gonzales, the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution, when Texian militiamen, responding to Mexican soldiers demanding the surrender of a small brass cannon, coined the now-famous battle cry, ‘Come and Take It!’ An NPR reporter decided to mark this anniversary with a story about how the phrase has been stolen by Second Amendment activists, ‘with no appreciation of its origins.’ Some local residents of modern-day Gonzales, we’re told, ‘think it’s been cheapened—and they want it back.'”