Mark Warner - I will no longer support you
Mark Warner voted against the assault weapons ban
Mark Warner voted against limiting the size of magazines
Mark Warner is the most popular political figure in Virginia, and could have voted for both measures without in any way jeopardizing his reelection in 2014
Mark Warner is from a state that saw the slaughter at Virginia Tech. Cho used both ten and fifteen round magazines for his two handguns. Think how much damage he did. Think how much more he might have been able to do had he had 30 round magazines and had to change less frequently.
I have been involved in Democratic politics in Virginia including at a statewide level.
Mark Warner is considered the 800 pound gorilla of Virginia Democratic politics.
In a sense my taking this stand may make me toxic in Virginia politics.
I don't care.
It does not matter that neither of these amendments were going to pass.
I rely on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
If you are unwilling to step up to that, I am unwilling to offer you my support, my money or my vote.
Mark Warner voted against limiting the size of magazines
Mark Warner is the most popular political figure in Virginia, and could have voted for both measures without in any way jeopardizing his reelection in 2014
Mark Warner is from a state that saw the slaughter at Virginia Tech. Cho used both ten and fifteen round magazines for his two handguns. Think how much damage he did. Think how much more he might have been able to do had he had 30 round magazines and had to change less frequently.
I have been involved in Democratic politics in Virginia including at a statewide level.
Mark Warner is considered the 800 pound gorilla of Virginia Democratic politics.
In a sense my taking this stand may make me toxic in Virginia politics.
I don't care.
It does not matter that neither of these amendments were going to pass.
I rely on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.:
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.It matters not to me whether Mark Warner believes the baloney of the gun lobby or merely lacks the guts to stand up for what is right. What is right is to stop the slaughter.
If you are unwilling to step up to that, I am unwilling to offer you my support, my money or my vote.
"The United States has done it again — and not in a good way."
That is the opening sentence of The Kids Are (Not) All Right, the column in today's New York Times by Charles M. Blow.
He looks at comparative statistics from UNICEF, and US specific statistics from The Children's Defense Fund
Considering just some of the former - among the countries examined America's children have the highest rate of children overweight - not necessarily something about which we want to brag "we're #1!"
From the UNICEF report, titled "Child Well-Being in Rich Countries" Blow notes
4 children are killed by abuse or neglect.
5 children or teens commit suicide.
7 children or teens are killed by firearms.
I will come back to the last of those in moment.
As a teacher by profession, I also noted the last statistic:
16,244 public school students are suspended. (that is based on a 180 day school year).
There is much more.
Gabby Giffords lays down markers against the Senators who voted no
I decided to use whatever visibility I may have here to try to draw attention to it, to encourage others to reading, to go to the New York Times and pass on the link to others.
If you do that, you can stop reading now.
If I have not yet convinced you, please keep reading.
He looks at comparative statistics from UNICEF, and US specific statistics from The Children's Defense Fund
Considering just some of the former - among the countries examined America's children have the highest rate of children overweight - not necessarily something about which we want to brag "we're #1!"
From the UNICEF report, titled "Child Well-Being in Rich Countries" Blow notes
the United States once again ranked among the worst wealthy countries for children, coming in 26th place of 29 countries included. Only Lithuania, Latvia and Romania placed lower, and those were among the poorest countries assessed in the study.Some of the statistics from CDF, which are presented on a daily basis, include:2 mothers die in childbirth.
4 children are killed by abuse or neglect.
5 children or teens commit suicide.
7 children or teens are killed by firearms.
I will come back to the last of those in moment.
As a teacher by profession, I also noted the last statistic:
16,244 public school students are suspended. (that is based on a 180 day school year).
There is much more.
Gabby Giffords lays down markers against the Senators who voted no
Mark my words: if we cannot make our communities safer with the Congress we have now, we will use every means available to make sure we have a different Congress, one that puts communities’ interests ahead of the gun lobby’s. To do nothing while others are in danger is not the American way.Those are the concluding words of A Senate in the Gun Lobby’s Grip, a powerful op ed in tomorrow's New York Times by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.By now many here perhaps know about it - from Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell, or if you have seen mention of it in Good Op-Ed By Gabby Gifford @ NYT by Publius2008, who in a comment wrote
Kinda hoping someone will do it justiceI hope the diary will remain up, and that people will give Publius tips and recs for having notified us.I read the diary.
with a full blown diary. If they do, I will take this down.
I decided to use whatever visibility I may have here to try to draw attention to it, to encourage others to reading, to go to the New York Times and pass on the link to others.
If you do that, you can stop reading now.
If I have not yet convinced you, please keep reading.