Guns – Page 7 – Glen's Parallax Perspectives

How can we challenge this dominant but destructive economic assumption?

May 24, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Embedded very deeply in our American culture — and many other nations’ cultures too — is an assumption that is embedded so deeply that nobody recognizes it, let alone challenge it. The assumption is this: It is OK if what I do kills people, so long as I’m making money from what I do. At the surface level — the explicit level — if you were to ask people whether it is moral to kill other people, they would say “no.” But below the surface — at the implicit level — our society tolerates behaviors that knowingly kill people because […]

Arming “good guys” with guns is no remedy. Two examples show it is dangerous!

May 7, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

A mother with a concealed carry permit dropped her gun and accidentally killed her 2-year-old daughter. Read article at this link: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/24/1759600/-Mother-with-concealed-carry-permit-drops-gun-and-accidentally-kills-2-year-old-daughter?detail=emaildkre A gun-trained Stoneman Douglas teacher is facing charges after leaving his gun in a public bathroom at a beach. Read article at this link: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/12/1756464/-Gun-trained-Stoneman-Douglas-teacher-facing-charges-after-leaving-his-gun-in-a-public-bathroom?detail=emaildkre

Here is how to link nuclear weapons with other hot issues

April 23, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

We are committed to vigorous grassroots organizing to abolish nuclear weapons. A smart strategy is to link this issue to other hot issues that people care about. I wrote – and am attaching – 3 flyers that accomplish this. See these 3 links: Stop gun violence — Stop nuclear weapons Climate crisis and nuclear weapons are two existential threats.docx Many scientists oppose nuclear weapons We could replicate this kind of strategy for other issues we are working on. I printed hundreds of copies and handed out (and recruited some other volunteers to hand out) a great many copies of the […]

To reduce gun violence, even banning guns is not enough. We need PROFOUND NONVIOLENCE.

April 22, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

This article came out some years ago (in 2012), but it is still relevant now. Our demands have been far too modest. Rabbi Michael Lerner says that even BANNING guns does not go far enough. We need PROFOUND NONVIOLENCE. Banning All Guns is Necessary but NOT Sufficient. We ALSO need a fundamental transformation of consciousness both inner and social. See the article at this link: https://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2012/page/3/

6 ways to reduce gun violence in America: See the list, fact sheets, short videos

March 24, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

A non-profit organization, the Center for American Progress, offered this informative set of information in March 2018. See their fact sheets, action suggestions and short videos at this link: https://www.americanprogress.org/series/6-ways-to-reduce-gun-violence-in-america/view/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=progReport

Stop gun violence! –> Stop nuclear weapons!

March 24, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Stop gun violence — Stop nuclear weapons The link immediately above says this: Guns are designed to kill one person or dozens. Nuclear weapons are designed to kill millions or hundreds of millions. Guns and nuclear weapons are rooted in similar problems: • Anger and fear cause someone to shoot a gun – and also to build and launch nuclear weapons. • A temporary impulse can shoot a gun – or start a nuclear war. • Big business corporations build guns and nuclear weapons for profits. • Manufacturers of guns and nuclear weapons bribe and lobby Congress to continue building […]

Nearly 400 fatal police shootings occurred in the U.S. from January 1 to late May in 2015.

February 25, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fatal-police-shootings-in-2015-approaching-400-nationwide/2015/05/30/d322256a-058e-11e5-a428-c984eb077d4e_story.html?wpisrc=al_alert-national We keep seeing statistics about the huge number of police shootings. This article came from several years ago. The slaughter will continue until the public insists on changing public policy in several ways.

Reject 4 stupid remedies conservatives have proposed for reducing gun violence in schools

February 25, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

Conservatives often misunderstand or distort the problems in our society, and they draw upon distorted values, so they tend to propose remedies that widely diverge from practical solutions to our society’s problems. Here are 4 stupid remedies conservatives have proposed for reducing gun violence in schools: https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/4-conservatives-ideas-preventing-gun-violence-instead-gun-control?akid=16759.2186.DjFJIn&rd=1&src=newsletter1089105&t=4 Thoughtful, humane people need to reject such remedies and organize at the grassroots for remedies that will draw upon society’s best values and valid evidence-based research about what works and what does not work. We also need to organize against the Gun Lobby’s deliberate campaigns to mislead the public and dominate government.

The real problem of violence is NOT mental illness. The real problems are ANGER and ACCESS TO GUNS.

February 25, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

When mass shootings occur, many politicians try to shift attention away from the gun and blame the shooter for mental illness. Yes, our society should provide more adequate funding and services for mental health. But the problem is not “mental illness” per se. The problem is ANGER. Our society needs to explore and implement a wide variety of ways to reduce anger throughout our society. Consider this article about ANGER: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/04/anger_causes_violence_treat_it_rather_than_mental_illness_to_stop_mass_murder.html Do not let gun supporters avoid responsibility for the too-easy access to guns. They want to blame mentally ill persons. Instead, we must reduce access to guns, so consider […]

Let’s correct the misunderstanding of the Second Amendment

February 25, 2018 GlenAnderson 0

The gun lobby and other conservatives have grossly misled the American people about what the Second Amendment really means. In order to reduce gun violence — and reduce the power of the gun lobby — decent people must change the public’s misconceptions about it. The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment says: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Some years ago Warren Burger, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (who happened to be conservative) understood the reality and wrote […]

Information about Guns

November 20, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

A number of good organizations are working to reduce gun violence. Also, we have posted some information to the “Guns” part of www.olympiafor.org

TV: “How to Reduce Gun Violence”

November 16, 2017 GlenAnderson 0

Watch a 1-hour interview about “How to Reduce Gun Violence” and/or read a thorough summary of what we said during the interview. See the links below. The Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation’s TV program for September 2016 examines a persistent problem that more and more Americans want to solve: the epidemic of gun violence. A huge majority of the public wants Congress and state legislators to take strong action, but politicians keep failing to act. During this hour we will learn more about the problems and consider some solutions. Although many people feel stymied, this TV interview takes a “can-do” attitude […]