BRETT WILKINS – “Nearly 200,000 Americans are dead and more than 6 million have been infected with Covid-19 because of the administration’s disastrous response, but Trump’s top priority is showering giant corporations with deregulatory special favors,” says Matt Kent of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
Tag: National Rifle Association
Eliminate Nuclear Weapons by Divesting from Them
ROBERT F. DODGE – If we want to abolish nuclear weapons, we must stop investing in them.
The just released “Don’t Bank On The Bomb“ report draws attention to the “Hall Of Shame” companies that are either financing or producing nuclear weapons and their components.
Mass Shootings: Time for Thoughts and Prayers or Time for Change?
MELISSA A. WORK – After 20 children were killed by gun violence in Sandy Hook politicians did nothing. They made no changes, and continued to say, “Now is not the right time to talk about gun control. It is the time to mourn.†My question to you is when is the right time to talk about gun control? We see something that worked elsewhere—Australia—and we cannot learn from that?
Needed: A “Men Against Gun Violence†Campaign
ROB OKUN – Okay, guys, white guys—all guys—this is our moment to say, “Enough!†This is the moment to start a national “Men Against Gun Violence†campaign. Right after Newtown, women launched “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense†the day after the murder of 20 six and seven year-olds, and six staff at Sandy Hook elementary school. The day after!
Rape on Campus: Guns Are Not the Answer
LAURA FINLEY – Several days ago, the Miami Herald published an editorial from a college student who argued that allowing students on college campuses to carry concealed weapons was not only a constitutional right but would help prevent rape. While I appreciate her passion for the subject and am saddened to read about anyone’s victimization, this position is deeply problematic. I don’t wish to take up the constitutional argument here, but I cannot in good conscience fail to respond to the argument that a woman with a gun can prevent a rapist from sexually assaulting her.
Time to Wake Up – Replace Violence with Nonviolence
MICHAEL N. NAGLER – Maybe a kind of awakening is beginning. Former New York Mayor Bloomberg is setting up a $50 million fund to counteract some of the political muscle of the NRA, which is an interesting first step. But most politicians, when in office, are apparently unprepared to listen to this kind of reason. When that happens it is opportune to start small – simply don’t expose yourself to violent media and try to live in trust instead of fear. We make a difference as individuals, and we must make our difference in the right direction.
Male Socialization – the Unconsidered Factor in Mass Shootings
ROB OKUN – As we prepare for the gut-wrenching first anniversary of Newtown on Saturday, I teeter back and forth between sadness and anger. Sadness that 20 six and seven year-olds were murdered—along with a half-dozen Sandy Hook Elementary School educators—and anger that public officials and most of the media still largely ignore the missing component in the Connecticut tragedy—the gender of the shooter.