Why did gun sales increase 40% after April 20, 1999? Why did gun sales increase 60% after January 8, 2011? Why did gun sales increase 41% after July 20, 2012? Why did gun sales increase 400% after December 14, 2012?
On April 20, 1999 there was a MASS KILLING at Columbine High School Colorado—15 people were killed and 21 wounded with GUNS. On January 8, 2011 there was a MASS KILLING at Tucson, Arizona –6 people killed and 12 wounded with GUNS. On July 20, 2012 there was a MASS KILLING at Aurora, Colorado –12 people killed and 70 wounded with GUNS. On December 14, 2012 there was a MASS KILLING at Sandy Hook Elementary school---26 people slaughtered, 20 of which were 6-7 year old school children, with GUNS.
There is no evidence that the sale of automobiles, groceries, refrigerators or any other merchandise in the U.S increased 40%, 60%, 41% or 400% on April 20, 1999, January 11, 2011, July 20, 2012, or December 14, 2012. However after a MASS KILLING with GUNS people in the U.S. rush out in large numbers and buy GUNS.
Take the same four dates and the same four locations and assume the same number of people were killed and the same number injured but change only ONE thing--- the killings and injuries were caused by an escaped pet lion instead of guns. Do you believe pet lion sales would increase 40%, 60%, 41%, 400%? How many folks do you know who would buy a pet lion immediately after a pet lion mass killing?
Logically it makes no more sense to buy a gun after a series of gun killings than it would to buy a pet lion after a series of lion killings.
NRA members send Wayne LaPierre over $100 million dollars a year which he uses to SELL guns, after holding out a million dollars yearly for his salary. LaPierre sold Americans over 300 million guns which is 50% of all the guns in the world although we are only 5% of the world’s population. His record shows he is the highest paid gun salesman in the world and the most successful.
LaPierre scared Americans into buying more guns with statements such as the following:
“Only with your direct input can we stop President Clinton and his anti-gun allies from ripping the Second Amendment right out of the Constitution.” “And now one of his first moves as president could be to turn his administration into a gun-grabbing goon squad.”
“It doesn’t matter to them that the semi-auto ban gives jack booted government thugs more power to take away our constitutional rights, break in our doors, seize our guns, destroy our property, and even injure or kill us.”
The Sandy Hook slaughter of innocent school children on December 14, 2012, and the other mass gun killings, are viewed by Americans as a national tragedy. Polls show 92% of Americans support common sense regulations of guns and show they believe approval of those regulations will end or reduce the senseless gun killings in this country.
President Obama went to Sandy Hook and expressed the grief of a compassionate nation to the parents, families and friends of the slaughtered 6-7 year old school children.
LaPierre, the NRA’s million dollars a year gun salesman, saw Sandy Hook as an opportunity to sell more guns, and announced his plan to sell more guns thusly: “ I call on Congress today to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary” to put armed police officer in every school in America and arm every teacher in America with a gun.
Anyone who tells you guns make you safe is a GUN SALESMAN. Guns are made to kill. More guns kill more. Military guns kills larger numbers more quickly. Gun salesmen will say or do anything to sell guns—including capitalizing on the slaughter of 6-7 year old innocent schoolchildren .
Americans who rushed out and bought more guns after these tragic mass gun killings were following LaPierre the GUN SALESMAN. They should have been following someone who wanted to end or reduce gun killings.
It is time for Americans to stop following the “Judas Goat” gun salesman LaPierre and support those who propose common sense solutions which will end or reduce the ever increasing gun killings.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Taxes
Is the current federal corporate income tax law working or are some corporations working the current tax law?
ZERO- amount of corporate federal income taxes paid in 2012 by Facebook on $1.6 billion pre-tax income. $429 million amount of taxpayer dollars Facebook received in 2012 in corporate welfare. $2.17 billion tax deductions Facebook received in 2012 which it can use in future years!!!!
ZERO--amount of corporate federal income tax paid by 4.5 million S corporations, two-thirds of all U.S. corporations. Bechtel the largest engineering and construction company in the U.S with 52,700 employees, and $27.9 billion in revenue is an S corporation!!
Citizens for Tax Justice studied the tax records of thirty of America’s largest C corporations for the years 2008-2011 including GE, Boeing, Verizion,and Mattel. 26 paid ZERO corporate federal income tax. The 4 remaining paid tax rates of less than 4%. Overall all 30 corporations had an average federal income tax rate of -3.1% over that 4 year period.
In 1952 federal corporate income taxes collected was 6.1% of GDP and by 2010 had fell to 1% of GDP the lowest rate since 1936!!!!
Corporate profits in the third quarter of 2012 hit an all-time high of $1.75 trillion up 18.6% from 2011 and representing 11.1% of GDP while wages for workers hit an all time low falling to 43.5% of GDP.
In an article dated April 9, 2012 , after a study of 450 companies in the Standard and Poor Index, the Wall Street Journal summed up how corporations had worked the current tax laws in this language: “Big U.S. Companies have emerged from the deepest recession since World War 11 more productive, more profitable, flush with cash and less burdened by debt.”
Does the individual federal income tax law work, or do some individuals work the tax law?
ZERO--amount of federal income tax paid by about half of the people who file tax returns.
14% the federal income tax rate paid by Mitt Romney with assets over $250 million which provide an annual income over $20 million.
16% the tax rate paid by Warren Buffet America’s second richest man with assets of $46 billion—half the rate paid by his secretary.
If federal income tax rates are too high why:
Does 34% of the world’s billionaires live in America, three times more than the number that live in any country in the world?
Does 3,104,000 of the world’s millionaires live in America almost twice the number that live in any other country in the world?
Does 68% of millionaires in a recent poll say they should pay more taxes?
Does America’s two riches men Bill Gates and Warren Buffet say they should pay more taxes
If federal income tax rates are too high how did:
Exxon-Mobile make $82,56l.00 profit per minute after taxes the first three months of 2011?
Warren Buffet start Berkshire Hathaway in 1962 when the top federal income tax rate was 91% and make it into the 7th largest corporation in America with over $427 billion in assets?
Sam Walton go from one Wal-Mart store in Bentonville, Arkansas on July 2,1962 to become the largest retail merchandiser in the world and from 1982 to 1988 be the richest man in America. Twenty years after his death his 4 children are listed as number 6-7-8-9 of America’s wealthiest worth over $20 billion each.
Bill Gates become the richest man in America with assets over $66 billion?
Mark Zuckerberg at age 28 acquire $9.4 billion in assets 8 years after launching Facebook?
Many people believe the above examples show gross unfairness in the current federal income tax system which Congress created and maintains and believe our federal tax system should be revised from top to bottom.
Many people believe the 5 Arkansas Republican congressmen, who along with 253 of their fellow Republican Congressmen, signed the Grover Norquist taxpayer protection pledge promising on their oath to oppose all efforts to increase taxes or eliminate loopholes which make revision of the current tax system impossible.
History indicates the rich always get richer and the poor get poorer regardless of the tax rate. From 1979 to 2007 income for the richest 1% grew 275%, for the next 19% income grew 65%, for the next 60% income grew 40% and for the bottom 20% income grew 18%.
Gun Locks
“Between 1979 and 1997, 651,697 Americans lost their lives to gun violence, including 334,870 suicides, 278,865 homicides, 28, 964 unintentional shooting, and 8,998 from unknown causes. National Center for Health Statistics
11 year old Andrew Golden and 12 year old Mitchell Johnson on March 24, 1998 shot and killed 4 students, one teacher, and wounded 10 at a Jonesboro, Arkansas school. The guns these 11 and 12 year old children used were taken from the home of Andrew’s grandfather. Guns not equipped with a gun lock Guns not kept in a locked gun case.
On December 14, 2012 Adam Lanza riddled the bodies of 26 people, 20 of which were 6-7 year old students at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam, an unstable person, took the guns he used from his home. Guns not kept in a secure gun case. Guns not equipped with a gun lock. Guns owned by a family member, his mother.
4 year old Joshua Johnson on February 11, 2013 accidentally shot and killed himself. This 4 year old child shot himself with a loaded gun owned by his mother. A gun his mother kept in a shoe box in her bedroom. A gun not equipped with a gun lock which police, in Memphis where he lived, furnished free of charge to gun owners. 4 year old Joshua would be alive today had his mother (1) removed the bullets from her pistol (2) placed a free gun lock on her pistol (3) kept her pistol in a secure gun case.
How many of the 651,697 Americans killed with guns from 1979 to 1997 were killed by guns kept in homes? Guns not equipped with a gun lock or kept in a locked gun case? Guns easily ACCESIBLE to 4-11-12 year old children or ACCESIBLE to an unstable family member?
How many of the 300 million guns in America today are kept in homes? How many of those 300 million guns are equipped with gun locks or kept in a secure gun case? How many of those 300 million guns are ACCESIBLE –within easy reach—of 4-11-12 year children or unstable family members or friends?
Cars are required to be equipped with safety devices such as seat belts and air bags. A study of 9,859 head on collisions showed cars equipped with seat belts and air bags reduced the number of car deaths more than 80%
Most people welcome regulation of cars, explosives, drugs and any products which endanger human life because they know such regulations protect people from harm and reduce the number of deaths caused by the use of such products.
Caring people should welcome gun regulations which would protect the public from gun killings as readily as they accept regulation of other products. Such gun regulations may well reduce gun killings 80% just as seat belts and air bags reduced the number of deaths in head-on collisions over 80%.
Requiring gun owners to keep their guns in a secure gun case and place gun locks on all of their guns WOULD most assuredly save lives and would not lessen owner’s Second Amendment right.
Requiring the gun industry to equip guns at the time of manufacture with gun locks or technology that disabled guns when in the hands of anyone other than the owner WOULD save lives.
Will you do nothing and watch in horror and sadness as the number and frequency of mass gun killings of innocent six and seven year old school children continues to increase all across this country. Or will you support the grieving families of the children killed in these tragedies who ask you to call or write your congressman and urge him/her to support gun regulation that will stop or reduce these tragic gun killings. Choose like the life you save may be the life of your 4-6-7 year old.
Racial Segregation
On May17, 1954 the U.S Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education held “separate but equal” state racial segregation laws relating to public education were unconstitutional.
People in Arkansas and the South bitterly denounced the Brown decision. Citizens formed or joined groups such as the White Citizens Council and the KKK to oppose the Brown Case. Schools were closed. Angry crowds formed and marched on Central High to prevent black students from attending a white school. Community leaders, doctors, preachers, lawyers and politicians led the opposition to school integration. The Arkansas legislature spent millions of taxpayer dollars passing laws attempting to overrule the Brown case and spent millions more of taxpayer dollars for court cost and attorney fees defending these unconstitutional laws and resolutions.. 240,982 Arkansas voters in 1968 expressed their opposition to the Brown case by voting for George Wallace for President who had promised “segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.”
On September 12, 1958 the U.S. Supreme Court in Cooper v. Aaron held: “The State of Arkansas could not pass legislation undermining the Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is the voice of the Constitution (see Marbury v. Madison 1803).”
All the segregation laws and resolutions passed by the Arkansas legislature have been declared unconstitutional and most people in Arkansas accept Brown v. Board of Education as the law of the land. However taxpayers of Arkansas will pay the Little Rock School District $73 million dollars in 2013, and for how much longer no one knows, to implement integration. This $73 million dollar payment every year should be a reminder to the citizens of Arkansas: “Federal law trumps state law. It’s how things work.” See Arkansas Democrat Gazette editorial March 15, 2013.
Fifty nine years later historians, and few people, regard the march of the angry white crowd on Central High as a freedom march or regard those who organized or participated in the march as freedom fighters
On January 22, 1973 the U.S Supreme Court held in Roe v Wade that a woman has a constitutional right to have an abortion until viability which the Court defined as 24-28 weeks.
People in Arkansas, and all across the country, bitterly denounced the Roe decision. Some people prefer to pick and choose the laws they obey and engage in misleading and destructive attacks on the laws they do not wish to obey
The Republican controlled Arkansas Legislature has passed two bills on abortion over the Governor’s veto attacking Roe v. Wade because they want to deny women their Constitutional right to have an abortion. House Bill 1752 sponsored by Republican Bob Ballinger, exempting Arkansas gun manufacturers from federal regulation, is expected to become law—a law that is also in conflict with the U.S Constitution.
Members of the Arkansas Legislature who swear or affirm to support the Constitution of the United States should consider whether they breach that oath when they sponsor laws seeking to block Supreme Court decisions defining Constitutional rights such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade.
By passing abortion laws defying Roe v. Wade and ramming them down the Governor’s throat, overriding his veto has the Arkansas legislature crossed the line and launched a destructive and misleading attack on the U.S Constitution? Will these unconstitutional abortion laws challenging Roe v. Wade result in numerous cases in many courts costing the taxpayers of Arkansas millions of dollars in court cost and attorneys fees just as the unconstitutional segregation laws?
Will you be a law-abiding citizen and support other law-abiding citizens who accept Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. Or, do you choose to defy Roe v. Wade and support others who defy the Constitution? The choice is yours.
Fifty nine years later will historians and the taxpayers who pick up the tab for the court cost and attorneys fees incurred by these unconstitutional abortion laws applaud the legislators who passed such laws as patriot law-makers or brand them as law-breakers?
Will a legislative gift of $125 million in tax breaks to the Koch brothers to build a steel mill near Osceolo be considered an act which made government smaller?
.
Arkansas legislature past and present
On May17, 1954 the U.S Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education held “separate but equal” state racial segregation laws relating to public education were unconstitutional.
People in Arkansas and the South bitterly denounced the Brown decision. Citizens formed or joined groups such as the White Citizens Council and the KKK to oppose the Brown Case. Schools were closed. Angry crowds formed and marched on Central High to prevent black students from attending a white school. Community leaders, doctors, preachers, lawyers and politicians led the opposition to school integration. The Arkansas legislature spent millions of taxpayer dollars passing laws attempting to overrule the Brown case and spent millions more of taxpayer dollars for court cost and attorney fees defending these unconstitutional laws and resolutions.. 240,982 Arkansas voters in 1968 expressed their opposition to the Brown case by voting for George Wallace for President who had promised “segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.”
On September 12, 1958 the U.S. Supreme Court in Cooper v. Aaron held: “The State of Arkansas could not pass legislation undermining the Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court is the voice of the Constitution (see Marbury v. Madison 1803).”
All the segregation laws and resolutions passed by the Arkansas legislature have been declared unconstitutional and most people in Arkansas accept Brown v. Board of Education as the law of the land. However taxpayers of Arkansas will pay the Little Rock School District $73 million dollars in 2013, and for how much longer no one knows, to implement integration. This $73 million dollar payment every year should be a reminder to the citizens of Arkansas: “Federal law trumps state law. It’s how things work.” See Arkansas Democrat Gazette editorial March 15, 2013.
Fifty nine years later historians, and few people, regard the march of the angry white crowd on Central High as a freedom march or regard those who organized or participated in the march as freedom fighters
On January 22, 1973 the U.S Supreme Court held in Roe v Wade that a woman has a constitutional right to have an abortion until viability which the Court defined as 24-28 weeks.
People in Arkansas, and all across the country, bitterly denounced the Roe decision. Some people prefer to pick and choose the laws they obey and engage in misleading and destructive attacks on the laws they do not wish to obey
The Republican controlled Arkansas Legislature has passed two bills on abortion over the Governor’s veto attacking Roe v. Wade because they want to deny women their Constitutional right to have an abortion. House Bill 1752 sponsored by Republican Bob Ballinger, exempting Arkansas gun manufacturers from federal regulation, is expected to become law—a law that is also in conflict with the U.S Constitution.
Members of the Arkansas Legislature who swear or affirm to support the Constitution of the United States should consider whether they breach that oath when they sponsor laws seeking to block Supreme Court decisions defining Constitutional rights such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade.
By passing abortion laws defying Roe v. Wade and ramming them down the Governor’s throat, overriding his veto has the Arkansas legislature crossed the line and launched a destructive and misleading attack on the U.S Constitution? Will these unconstitutional abortion laws challenging Roe v. Wade result in numerous cases in many courts costing the taxpayers of Arkansas millions of dollars in court cost and attorneys fees just as the unconstitutional segregation laws?
Will you be a law-abiding citizen and support other law-abiding citizens who accept Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. Or, do you choose to defy Roe v. Wade and support others who defy the Constitution? The choice is yours.
Fifty nine years later will historians and the taxpayers who pick up the tab for the court cost and attorneys fees incurred by these unconstitutional abortion laws applaud the legislators who passed such laws as patriot law-makers or brand them as law-breakers?
Will a legislative gift of $125 million in tax breaks to the Koch brothers to build a steel mill near Osceolo be considered an act which made government smaller?
.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Use of fear and hate "words"
Effective use of fear and hate “words” on radio and television in political campaigns began in the 1970’s with the Nixon “Southern Strategy.”
“Words are more powerful than swords; with a sword you can kill one at a time but with words you can create a massacre. When words are fueled with emotion they get tremendous power to create or kill. Use words with caution because you are liable for what you say.” Unknown
Effective use of fear and hate “words” on radio and television in political campaigns began in the 1970’s with the Nixon “Southern Strategy.” After school integration and passage of the Civil Rights Voting Act Republican’s use of “words” which created fear, hate and distrust between whites and African-Americans enabled Nixon to become President and what had been the solid Democratic South became and remains the solid Republican South.
Lee Atwater known as the Darth Vader of the Republican Party and his understudy Karl Rove perfected the fear, hate and divide type of campaigning and elected two Bushes to the White House and hundreds of Republicans to Congress and to all levels of state offices.
In November 1996 Newt Gingrich made his contribution to fear, hate and divide type campaigning when he issued a GOPAC memo entitled “Language: a key mechanism of Control.” A memo containing over 60 words Republicans should use in describing their opponents such as “liberal” “radical” “incompetent” “bizarre.”
Rush Limbaugh fills the airwaves with “words” of hate and fear which divide such as “slut” “prostitute” and “femanizi.” Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glen Beck send millions of hate, fear and divide “words” over the airwaves.
In 2008 a winner in a U.S. Senate races collected on average and spent $8.5 million and the winner for a Congressional House seat collected, on average and spent $1.4 million to get out the “word.”
In the 2012 election candidates and their supporters spent an estimated $6 billion to $9.8 billion on “words.” The most expensive and most negative charged election in the history of the United States.
Obama-- positive 6.3%, contrast 20.3%, negative 73.3%
Romney--positive 11.9, contrast 52.1%, negative 36.0%
Democratic groups—positive-0-, contrast 11.3%, negative 88.7%
Republican groups—positive1.2, contrast 3.6%, negative 95.2
(The number of negative television and cable ads in the 2012 Presidential race as found in a Wesley Media study)
Democrat and Republican candidates seldom mention their qualifications. Both parties spend most of their time and money using “words” of fear and hate. The reason negative campaigns are growing: political consultants make millions of dollars designing negative campaigns, the media makes millions of dollars printing and airing them, Rush makes $400 million saying them and politicians who conduct negative campaigns win.
“Words are more powerful than swords; with a sword you can kill one at a time but with words you can create a massacre. When words are fueled with emotion they get tremendous power to create or kill. Use words with caution because you are liable for what you say.” Unknown
Effective use of fear and hate “words” on radio and television in political campaigns began in the 1970’s with the Nixon “Southern Strategy.” After school integration and passage of the Civil Rights Voting Act Republican’s use of “words” which created fear, hate and distrust between whites and African-Americans enabled Nixon to become President and what had been the solid Democratic South became and remains the solid Republican South.
Lee Atwater known as the Darth Vader of the Republican Party and his understudy Karl Rove perfected the fear, hate and divide type of campaigning and elected two Bushes to the White House and hundreds of Republicans to Congress and to all levels of state offices.
In November 1996 Newt Gingrich made his contribution to fear, hate and divide type campaigning when he issued a GOPAC memo entitled “Language: a key mechanism of Control.” A memo containing over 60 words Republicans should use in describing their opponents such as “liberal” “radical” “incompetent” “bizarre.”
Rush Limbaugh fills the airwaves with “words” of hate and fear which divide such as “slut” “prostitute” and “femanizi.” Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glen Beck send millions of hate, fear and divide “words” over the airwaves.
In 2008 a winner in a U.S. Senate races collected on average and spent $8.5 million and the winner for a Congressional House seat collected, on average and spent $1.4 million to get out the “word.”
In the 2012 election candidates and their supporters spent an estimated $6 billion to $9.8 billion on “words.” The most expensive and most negative charged election in the history of the United States.
Obama-- positive 6.3%, contrast 20.3%, negative 73.3%
Romney--positive 11.9, contrast 52.1%, negative 36.0%
Democratic groups—positive-0-, contrast 11.3%, negative 88.7%
Republican groups—positive1.2, contrast 3.6%, negative 95.2
(The number of negative television and cable ads in the 2012 Presidential race as found in a Wesley Media study)
Democrat and Republican candidates seldom mention their qualifications. Both parties spend most of their time and money using “words” of fear and hate. The reason negative campaigns are growing: political consultants make millions of dollars designing negative campaigns, the media makes millions of dollars printing and airing them, Rush makes $400 million saying them and politicians who conduct negative campaigns win.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)