If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
There are currently no international laws or treaties regulating the international sale of conventional weapons. This July, the nations of the world are gathering to negotiate the first ever Arms Trade Treaty. You'd think there would be universal support.
The letter signed by 23 state Attorneys General in support of the National Rifle Association's bill to nationalize concealed carry of handguns suggests that, for those public officials, pandering to the gun lobby is far more important than doing the job they were sworn to perform.
The VA has done nothing more than give sound advice based on the best medical and public health knowledge about the risks of guns. For doing so, it now faces the wrath of the gun lobby.
The question is, will the Romney campaign understand the relationships between these two freedom- and liberty-related issues and pilot a course to maximize gun owners' fear and marijuana reformers' distrust?
Gun violence is tearing our urban centers apart, and the blood that's most often shed seems to be that of promising young children. Why the deafening silence from our leading campuses?
Unarmed Americans nationwide are now finding themselves in the line of fire because of a pro-gun movement predicated on devaluing the role of government and the rule of law. It's a sad statement when a teenager can no longer safely venture outside to buy a bag of Skittles.
The children who live here are precious children and their lives are glowing with the potential of who they are and who they can become. But this will not be possible unless we stop isolating entire communities and join together to take action.
While the right to self-defense is a principle deeply rooted in Jewish biblical and rabbinic sources, this week's Torah portion actually calls on us to think about how not to stand our ground as we respond to the needs of others.
My original text for accompanying these images was filled with the usual litany of concerns about the gun culture in America. It has all been said before, and said better -- and because this is a photo blog, the images should speak for themselves. 
The Second Amendment was written for a reason, and the efforts by the NRA and others to divert our attention is a dangerous, unacceptable abuse of history.
The American Dream says that if you work hard enough, you'll achieve financial success, a house, and 2-point-something children. For some people that's still true. But it seems like it's true for less and less of us.
We should be cautious in drawing firm conclusions from this seeming correlation between public faith and gun violence, as many other factors are in play. But shouldn't faith direct us to try to stem the violence?
The Elliot Doctrine speaks simply and clearly on this one: if you're not gay, shut up about gay marriage. Two people who love one another marrying does not somehow degrade your shams of marriage, Newt.
How can any Democrat take money from the NRA or accept their endorsement? It's bad enough that the NRA has been in bed with Republicans for decades. Now Ted Nugent is leveraging his position as NRA board member/spokesperson to incite violence against them and their president.
Trayvon Martin's death calls for serious conversation about race and guns. The most important issue isn't "bad people." It's flawed culture.
We are survivors of the January 8th, 2011 shooting in Tucson and we are a diverse group of real, patriotic Americans. We are a Republican, an Independent and a Democrat, and we strongly support the second amendment. We are some of the too many faces of gun violence in this country.
