Tag Archives: guns

Sen. Roy Blunt (r): what being a whore for the NRA gets the rest of us

20 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in campaign finance, Roy Blunt, US Senate

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Yesterday, in Missouri, from the mother of an elementary school student:

My 3rd-grade son just said this.

“If an intruder ever comes to my school, and if I don’t have any place to hide, I will just give up. I will let him kill me.”

Roy Blunt (r) [2016 file photo].

Blunt’s budget bill omits $50 million for gun violence study favored by Democrats
By Bryan Lowry
September 18, 2019 02:29 PM, Updated September 19, 2019 11:35 AM

Senate Republicans are pursuing a federal health budget that omits funding for gun violence research, a proposal that Sen. Roy Blunt warns is too “controversial.”

[….]

Do you wonder why?

Which lawmakers got the most NRA money?
By Soo Rin Kim Feb 20, 2018, 8:51 PM ET
[….]
Sen. Roy Blunt: $4.5 million
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has long been one of the biggest beneficiaries of NRA money. Not only has the group donated $56,500 to Blunt’s campaign committee over the years, the group has also spent $1.4 million bankrolling ads supporting him. The NRA also spent $2.5 million in 2016 opposing Democrat Jason Kander’s bid against the Missouri Republican.
[….]

Too soon? Too controversial?

Just excuses.

Suppose the Governor (r) called a special session of the General Assembly on a relatively trivial subject, ignoring the elephant in the room, and the minority party (D) reminded him anyway

10 Tuesday Sep 2019

Posted by in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri House

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Pun intended. The one about ignoring the elephant.

Governor Mike Parson (r) [2018 file photo].

The Missouri General Assembly was called into a special today by Governor Mike Parson (r) to address used auto taxes (seriously). The Democratic Party minority in the House filed a few bills:

100th General Assembly, 1st Extraordinary Session

HB2 Green, Alan 2563H.01I – Prohibits the sale of an assault weapon to a person under the age of 21.

HB3 Green, Alan 2540H.02I – Establishes the “Extreme Risk Protection Order Act”

HB4 Green, Alan 2562H.01I – Requires the department of public safety to commission a study on gun violence in the state of Missouri

HB5 Lavender, Deb 2541H.01I – Modifies orders of protection by adding provisions that allow the confiscation of firearms from individuals a court deems to be a danger to themselves or others

HB6 Price, Wiley 2533H.01I – Establishes the offense of unlawfully storing a firearm in the presence of a child

HB7 Bland Manlove, Ashley 2566H.01I – Requires that all sales or transfers of ammunition be processed through a licensed firearms dealer

HB9 Brown, Richard 2554H.01I – Repeals provisions that prohibit political subdivisions from adopting orders, ordinances, or regulations relating to firearms

HB10 Bangert, Gretchen 2556H.01I – Modifies provisions relating to the transport and storage of firearms

HB11 Merideth, Peter 2542H.01I – Changes the laws regarding firearms

HB13 Brown, Richard 2535H.01I – Modifies the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm

HB14 Washington, Barbara 2557H.01I – Adds public libraries to the list of places CCW permit holders are not authorized to carry concealed weapons

HB18 Mackey, Ian 2551H.01I – Specifies that the seller of a firearm must verify the age of the purchaser.

HB19 Mackey, Ian 2539H.01I – Establishes extreme risk protection orders and gun violence seizure warrants and prohibits certain persons involved in domestic violence from possessing a firearm

HB20 Beck, Doug 2536H.01I – Modifies the offenses of unlawful transfer of weapons and unlawful possession of a firearm

HB21 Morgan, Judy 2547H.01I – Requires a firearm owner to report lost or stolen firearms

HB22 Merideth, Peter 2573H.01I – Establishes the “Community Police Tax Credit”

HB23 Razer, Greg 2543H.01I – Requires that all sales or transfers of firearms be processed through a licensed firearms dealer

HB24 Washington, Barbara 2553H.01I – Makes it a class C felony to manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell, or transfer any assault weapon or large capacity magazine

HB25 Appelbaum, LaDonna 2560H.01I – Creates a civil penalty for businesses who sell or produce high capacity magazines

HB26 Appelbaum, LaDonna 2559H.01I – Creates a civil penalty for possession of a large capacity magazine

HB28 Windham, Kevin 2576H.02I – Establishes a firearm registry under the management of the Attorney General

HCR1 Windham, Kevin 2577H.01I – Urges the United States Congress to repeal the Firearm Owners Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 926

HJR1 Merideth, Peter 2544H.01I – Proposes a constitutional amendment to require a background check for all firearm transfers of ownership and to require a permit to conceal carry a firearm

Representative Deb Lavender (D) [2019 file photo].

Representative Ashley Bland Manlove (D) [2019 file photo].

Representative Richard Brown (D) [2019 file photo].

Rep. Judy Morgan (D) [2016 file photo].

Representative Greg Razer (D) [2019 file photo].

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): Well, do something

01 Sunday Sep 2019

Posted by in social media

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Certainly thoughts and prayers are having no effect.

Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) [2018 file photo].

From Representative Vicky Hartzler (r) on Facebook:

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler

I’m truly heartbroken over the heinous shooting in Texas today. Events like these are a reminder that cold, cruel reality can show up at anytime. It reminds us to hold our loved ones close and to always pray for our neighbors and our community.

Now more than ever, it’s time for America to have an honest discussion on the causes of these horrific events.
As these events too frequently dominate the headlines, I urge my colleagues to address the core problems that lead to these senseless acts of violence – addressing the pervasive mental health issues in our country, having an open dialogue about motivators of hatred and violence against other fellow Americans, and stopping criminals from illegally obtaining guns. Above all, we need to re-embrace values of life, respect, and the intrinsic worth of every human being.

Like clockwork.

Some of the responses:

Thought , prayers, mental illness.

How about we have background checks on private sales ? I also think we need a Red Flag law in every state 72 hour hold on your weapons if you are talking self harm or hurting others.

I have known a lot of people with mental health issues. I’m not afraid of them. I’m afraid of people who own guns and feel empowered to use them. Don’t hide, Rep. Hartzler, behind a party line. Be an independent thinker and work to protect Americans from gun violence.

You did nothing to address this issue the whole time you were on your break. You are always heartbroken but never willing to take any action. You talk about mental health but represent a state that is one of the worst for people getting access to healthcare. When will you be willing to do something besides post about it?

I think we need to do more than pray.

Y’all cut funding at CDC for mental health, so once again your concern about how mental health is playing a roll in all the mass shootings is nothing more than a party talking point! I want a BAN ON ALL ASSAULT WEAPONS! I WANT UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS! Pretty simple steps that YOU refuse to initiate or endorse!

Crocodile tears.

Respect for life is all but gone from pur society. Kids watch violence and play violet games from the time they are toddlers. Then we expect them to grow up compassionate humans. We need to address what gets put into the minds of people, the lack of parenting, drugs, bullying, and so much more. Mental illness is a part of the equation and getting the fear out of being open is a huge obstacle.

Uh, people in other countries consume video games at a higher rate than Americans, and yet their gun violence rates are significantly lower. You think it’s the water, maybe?

That last statement is truly laughable given your record.

How would you know the underlying factors? The CDC can’t effectively study the problem because of people like you. Those with mental health challenges have been shown through research to NOT be any more likely to conduct mass murder. The NRA owns you.

You have an opportunity to enact common sense solutions to this challenge based on evidence.

You choose to do nothing.

Blah, blah, blah…. Your party FAILED to do ANYTHING after 20 BABIES were slaughtered in Connecticut. Not just shot, their bodies were blown to bits.. Live with that… THEY voted DOWN legislation that the people of this country wanted passed..

So, are you now for background checks? I can’t tell by the way you characterized the problem.
–
From the evidence available, it’s perceived racial superiority that motivates most of the mass shooters.

Vickie. These shooters do not have mental health diagnoses

Children are in cages – “re-embrace values…worth of every human being.” Umm

How about you start with an honest actual townhall, and then start to enact some GUN CONTROL? Oh wait, the NRA controls you.

How about telling McConnell to bring the house bills to the floor for a vote? Your party refusing to do anything is a BIG part of the problem.

Let the CDC and others actually study the situation and PROVE the connection to mental health … oh – right – they have – there isn’t one.

Hint: IT’S GUNS, VICKY

You’re a joke. You have no spine. How about a #townhall to talk about gun violence and real solutions, like background checks on every sale?

You don’t appear to care about life or you would stop cutting food stamps, encourage MO leaders to expand Medicaid, and impeach Trump before he starts WW3.

Did the NRA write this for you?

Well, someone asked.

From the Federal Election Commission (FEC):

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/05/2019 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS GENERAL VA 07/26/2018 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 12/29/2017 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS GENERAL VA 10/07/2016 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 05/04/2015 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 04/26/2014 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 10/17/2013 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/27/2012 $1,000.00
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND VICKY HARTZLER FOR CONGRESS PRIMARY VA 06/27/2011 $1,000.00

Like clockwork.

Damon Daniel: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

09 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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“…Raise your hand if you’ve lost a loved one to violence. Just raise your hand. Keep your hand up. Raise your hand if you know someone who’s lost a loved one. Keep your hand up. Look around. Just look around…” [almost everyone in the room of around 250 people had a raised hand]

Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime.

Damon Daniel, Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime:

…I think it’s important for us to stop and recognize the fact that you don’t know what people are going through. And when you talk about the issue of violence people are walking around the city, next to you, they’re your neighbors, they’re the folks that wait on you at the cash register, these are the folks that teach in your classroom, these are the students in your classrooms, these are folks at your pharmacy, these are the folks that pull up at the light next to you that are hurting. And as some people say ‘hurt people sometimes hurt people.’ But healed people heal people as well…

…The vision that I have is a vision where people, especially young people can grow up with an understanding of the value of forgiveness. And that they know and understand how to resolve conflict without violence. I have a vision that one day Congress will pass common sense gun legislation that puts people before profits…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Press Availability – On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Judy Sherry: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Rashid Junaid: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9 2019)

Rashid Junaid: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

09 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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“…I see so many mothers crying on crime scenes, ‘they killed my baby’. But we have to tell the truth, your baby didn’t know how to resolve conflicts. Your baby can’t jut hit somebody and expect their response to be, ‘okay, that’s okay’. We have to teach our young people conflict resolution…”

Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Rashid Junaid, Aim 4Peace.

Rashid Junaid, Aim 4Peace:

…You can’t run from it. You gotta deal with this. Today. [applause] So they first shot at experiences of the trauma that we see happening in our community, we gotta deal with it. We gotta make sure we get the proper help to these families…

…So I’m saying conflict resolution. I’m saying trauma informed care. And I’m saying the third thing, it ain’t free…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Press Availability – On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Judy Sherry: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Judy Sherry: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

09 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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“…After Sandy Hook we were all quite sure that something would be done. Now is the time. Something would be done. And nothing was done…”

Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Judy Sherry, Grandparents Against Gun Violence.

Judy Sherry, Grandparents Against Gun Violence:

…We’re already hearing the usual responses from those unwilling to face the facts about gun violence. Of course, mental health and video games ae to blame for these horrendous events. And background checks simply don’t work. But data tells us something different. What we know is just four percent of gun crimes are committed by people with known diagnosed mental illness. Now we would certainly say that anybody who commits one of these crimes is, at that moment, mentally unfit. But these, this is not an invasion, not an issue of people all over the country afflicted with mental health issues that are causing the gun violence. We know video games, they’re played the world over. Yet we know that Americans are twenty-two times more likely to be killed with a gun than people in any other developed nation. That’s a crime. I’m beginning to wonder if we get to say ‘developed nation’ too much longer. That is a crime. And background checks? No, they don’t always work. But speed limits don’t always work either. I’m here to tell you that. But we don’t say, ‘let’s not have speed limits anymore’ because some people break the law. You just do it…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Press Availability – On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 9, 2019)

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas: On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

09 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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“…What they’re trying to do is tell you, stop worrying about guns. What they’re trying to do is tell you, nah, nah, you’re not empowered to make a difference…”

Wednesday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Mayor Lucas:

…What you are seeing on the streets, and I know there are a lot of victims, there are a lot of people touched, but I know in the community I’m from you are seeing nothing less, nothing short of a mass genocide. Right? You are seeing nothing short of a devaluing of lives, particularly in black lives. And what we’re seeing in our community is consistently, year after year, is people that are trying to tell us that doesn’t matter. That it doesn’t need to change. What I’m saying right now is, no, it does. It does…

…You know what I want the next group of people to say [in the future]? To say, wow, it’s different now…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): Press Availability – On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D): On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

08 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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“…I’ll start off with telling you that I’m mad. I’m not hopeless. The day I become hopeless will be the day I turn over the baton to someone else. Because you deserve leaders who are not hopeless. Because this problem is not hopeless. It’s hard, but it is not hopeless. We must demand more of our leaders [applause]…”

Yesterday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D).

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D):

…I want to be specific about what I mean about that. Jefferson City has passed, over about the past fifteen years, a series of law that have greatly impacted my work and my life as a prosecutor. These laws were not initiated, even though they greatly impact my business, they were not enacted by or screaming by prosecutors to have these changes. No prosecutor in the State of Missouri asked for ‘Stand Your Ground’ law. Even though prosecutors must run on a political platform – you’re either a Republican or a Democrat in the State of Missouri when you run for elected office as a prosecutor. But not one of those elected officials went to that capitol building and said, we want ‘Stand Your Ground Law’ in Missouri. So, why do we have it? Why did that happen? [voices: “NRA.”]…

…It’s time for us to move this further. Because gun laws matter. It is one thing, it is one tool. But it does matter. Because if you look at Missouri it is not an accident that we are in this position. It is not an accident. It is because we have deregulated weapons to a point that it is dangerous here. It’s dangerous. You deserve better. You deserve better, you should demand better of those who represent you and those who don’t…

Previously:

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019 (August 8, 2019)

On Gun Violence – Kansas City – August 7, 2019

08 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by in Town Hall

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Yesterday evening on the Penn Valley campus of the Metropolitan Community Colleges Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) hosted a town hall of sorts on gun violence. The community event included elected officials, law enforcement officials, and leaders of community groups. Approximately 250 individuals and members of activist groups from the Kansas City metropolitan area attended. Media from the Kansas City metropolitan area covered the two hour long town hall.

“Do something”

“We must stop killing each other”

Patty Lewis (left), a Democratic Party candidate in the 25th Legislative District.

Representative Ashley Bland Manlove (D).

Patty Lewis (left), a Democratic Party candidate in the 25th legislative District, and Elad Gross (right), a Democratic Party candidate for Missouri Attorney General.

Representative Richard Brown (D).

Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Chief Richard Smith (left), Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) (center), and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D) (right).

Speakers included Representative Cleaver (D), MCC Chancellor Dr. Kimberly Beatty, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, and the leadership (and members) of Moms Demand Action – Missouri, Grandparents against Gun Violence, Mothers in Charge, March for Our Lives – KC, Aim 4Peace, and the Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime.