Pirate's Cove

I wonder if CNN will disarm the security at their Atlanta office?

Gun violence is an epidemic in the US. Here are 4 things you can do today

If people want to reduce gun violence in the United States, experts say it’s important to start by understanding what we as a society are up against.

“First, it’s important to recognize that gun violence is a public health epidemic,” said Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Gun violence surpassed car accidents in 2020 as the leading cause of death for kids and teens in the United States. And nearly 1 in 5 adults said a family member had been killed by a gun, according to an April Kaiser Family Foundation survey.

Did they only survey people living in Democratic Party run urban areas, particularly in the low income areas? One in five killed by a gun is insane, especially when we’re talking a family member. I do not have one. I do not personally know anyone who has had a family member killed by a gun, except those who had served in war. Anyway, what does CNN want to do?

To prevent gun violence, we also have to stop blaming it all on mental illness, said Sarah Burd-Sharps, senior director of research for Everytown for Gun Safety.

The myth that the epidemic of violent gun deaths is all due to mental illness can be dangerous, Iroku-Malize said.

“Family physicians strongly caution against blaming mental illness for gun violence, which adds to the stigma and discrimination against people with mental health conditions,” she added.

We aren’t blaming it all on mental illness. That’s reserved for some wackjobs who go on murder sprees and those who commit suicide. But, doesn’t this mostly negate the need for red flag laws?

There are signs that someone is more likely to commit violence and recognizing them can empower communities to raise concerns early in hopes of getting intervention or support, said Josh Horwitz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions in Baltimore.

A history of violence, particularly domestic abuse, and sharing violent extremist content in social media posts are a big red flag of future violence, Horwitz said.

Living in a Democratic Party run city is certainly a concern, especially the inner cities where violence runs rampant. What about when leftists call for killing Republicans who refuse to go along with issues such as abortion and ‘climate change’? Should they be red flagged?

Safe gun storage is crucial to reduce shootings among children, Burd-Sharps said.

“Almost every day in this country, a kid under 18 — and often a 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-year-old — gets their hands on a loaded gun lying around the house not securely stored and either shoots themselves or someone else,” she said.

Gun owners should store their firearms unloaded and locked in a safe separate from the ammunition, Horwitz said.

Safe storage should be a case by case decision. I have no need for it. Many people I know with young children do secure their firearms, though they don’t secure them all unloaded and with ammo in a separate safe. That just makes the firearm worthless if someone breaks in. And, I will agree that idiots need to lock up their guns when they are left in their cars. Especially in Democrat run cities where car break-ins occur at high rates. Stop giving criminals your guns!

But, the gun grabbers really want to push safe storage. Ohio is looking to waive their sales tax on safes. Why? A locked up gun is one people aren’t carrying. Some might say it’s too much of a pain to constantly lock them up and then unlock when coming and going. Law abiding citizens are then mostly disarmed.

Much of what researchers say can curb US gun violence needs to be enacted by the government and institutions, but that doesn’t mean individuals don’t have a say.

“One thing that we can do is vote for the candidates who are talking about this issue and who are committed to ending this epidemic in this country and who are committed to supporting the kind of programs and policies that matter,” Horwitz said.

More funding for gun violence research is crucial for better understanding the root causes and best interventions, Iroku-Malize said.

Why are they assuming that citizens do not have a say? Granted, the system is not working correctly, but, elected politicians are supposed to be listening to their constituents and doing their bidding, and making the bureaucrats do the work the citizens want. Why can’t all those gun grabbing organizations spend their money on research? Because they won’t like what they find about who is using their guns for crime, mostly. It’s not law abiding citizens, and mostly not people who acquired their firearms lawfully.

We already have the research, it is called the FBI crime statistics each year. Over 80% of all gun crimes in the US including homicides are done by individuals who are NOT legally allowed to own a gun, so those individuals have prior felonies and have been arrested previously.

Other policies that matter include measures like background checks for gun and ammunition purchases, red flag laws, open carry regulations, and funding for resources such as threat assessment teams, violence interventions and prevention funds, Burd-Sharps said.

Background checks are already required for most gun purchases. Red flag laws have not worked as of yet. Open carry is against the law abiding. Leftists refuse to support stop and frisk and tough policing. Violence intervention doesn’t work in the areas and with the people most likely to use a gun for crime. California has all the background checks for gun and ammunition purchases, red flag laws, open carry regulations, and funding for resources such as threat assessment teams, violence interventions and prevention funds, yet, they continue to suffer from “gun crime.”

The whole point, though, is to foment the case that this is a public health emergency so that government can institute gun grabbing policies, much like they used COVID to lock people down and restrict their lives.

Read: CNN: Gun Violence Is An Epidemic Or Something »