Tag: gun massacre

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4 Measures That Could Have Made A Difference In Mass Shootings

The New York Times analyzed data from all mass shootings since Columbine and found four legislative measures that might have saved lives in some of the mass shootings
(photo: Maurício Mascaro/Pexels)
The New York Times took a look at the federal legislative options being considered to curb mass shootings in the U.S. by analyzing the Violence Project Mass Shooter Database. That analysis found 4 measures currently proposed by Democrats in Congress that might have changed the course of at least 35 mass shootings that killed a combined 482 people. Continue reading “4 Measures That Could Have Made A Difference In Mass Shootings”

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President’s Statement On 5th Anniversary Of Pulse Nightclub Shooting

President Joe Biden issued a statement today marking the 5th anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, that left 49 dead.
President Joe Biden (screen capture)
President Joe Biden issued a statement today marking the 5th anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, that left 49 dead. He included a call to action asking Congress to pass commonsense gun regulations like universal background checks. A recent Morning Consult poll showed 84% of Americans, including 77% of Republicans, support requiring all gun purchasers to go through a background check. Here is the full statement via WhiteHouse.gov:

“Five years ago today in Orlando in the middle of Pride Month, our nation suffered the deadliest attack affecting the LGBTQ+ community in American history, and at the time, the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman.

“Within minutes, the Pulse nightclub that had long been a place of acceptance and joy turned into a place of unspeakable pain and loss. Forty-nine people were there celebrating Latin night were murdered, even more injured, and countless others scarred forever – the victims were family members, partners and friends, veterans and students, young, Black, Asian and Latino – our fellow Americans.

“A few days later, I traveled with President Obama to pay respects to them and their families, to thank the brave first responders and the community who found strength and compassion in each other, and to pledge that what happened would not be forgotten.

“Over the years, I have stayed in touch with families of the victims and with the survivors who have turned their pain into purpose, and who remind us that we must do more than remember victims of gun violence and all of the survivors, family members, and friends left behind; we must act.

“In the coming days, I will sign a bill designating Pulse Nightclub as a national memorial, enshrining in law what has been true since that terrible day five years ago: Pulse Nightclub is hallowed ground.

“But there is more we must do to address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms – mass shootings and daily acts of gun violence that don’t make national headlines.

“It is long past time we close the loopholes that allow gun buyers to bypass background checks in this country, and the Senate should start by passing the three House-passed bills which would do exactly that. It is long past time we ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, establish extreme risk protection orders, also known as “red flag” laws, and eliminate gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability.

“We must also acknowledge gun violence’s particular impact on LGBTQ+ communities across our nation. We must drive out hate and inequities that contribute to the epidemic of violence and murder against transgender women – especially transgender women of color. We must create a world in which our LGBTQ+ young people are loved, accepted, and feel safe in living their truth. And the Senate must swiftly pass the Equality Act, legislation that will ensure LGBTQ+ Americans finally have equal protection under law.

“In the memory of all of those lost at the Pulse nightclub five years ago, let us continue the work to be a nation at our best – one that recognizes and protects the dignity and safety of every American.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQBv1_is2sI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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On The 5th Anniversary Of The Pulse Nightclub Massacre

The 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting
In the five years since the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting massacre, there have been a LOT of prayers and thoughts sent out for those affected by gun violence. Unfortunately, that’s close to all we’ve gotten. In a country that polls show support commonsense gun legislation (background checks, no guns for those on the ‘no-fly’ list) to the tune of almost 90 percent, politicians are still afraid of the 3 million-member National Rifle Association. Five years ago today, 49 innocent people lost their lives in what was, at the time, the deadliest shooting massacre in the history of the country. Additionally, 53 more were injured. On that night, a gay nightclub, one of our safe spaces, became a war zone and an emergency room. One of the most chilling reports to emerge during the aftermath of the attack came from CNN which noted that first responders and investigators had to force themselves to tune out the cacophony of ringing phones coming from the 49 bodies. Clearly, their loved ones were trying to see if they were alright. “All those people, their phones kept ringing,” said the reporter. I remember that grim detail hitting me like a dagger. But on October 1, 2017, my town of Las Vegas became the target of the new ‘deadliest’ gun massacre in U.S. history. I was home watching TV with my husband and suddenly my phone began ringing and pinging, over and over. People from all over the country were checking in on me. I suddenly remembered that CNN report from Pulse Nightclub. And I felt an even deeper visceral chill. As I reported earlier this week, Congress has approved designating the site of Pulse Nightclub a national monument and President Biden will sign that action into law when he returns from abroad. Since the Pulse shooting, there have been more mass shootings and more unnecessary deaths. And still we wait for any meaningful gun legislation. There will be a streaming remembrance ceremony today at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. You can watch below via YouTube.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DNC Secretary Jason Rae and DNC LGBTQ Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes released the following statement:

“Five years ago, our nation wept as 49 lives were taken in a senseless act of violence. We lost siblings and children, cousins and friends. But we turned our mourning into a vibrant movement for reform. Gun safety is an LGBTQ issue, plain and simple. President Biden and Democrats know we must honor those lost at Pulse with action and pass gun safety legislation to finally put an end to mass shootings across our nation.

“We must also finally address the growing epidemic of violence that leaves countless transgender and gender non-conforming people afraid of losing their lives. In 2021, we have already lost 28 transgender and gender non-conforming people, almost entirely transgender women of color, putting us on track for the deadliest year on record. President Biden is committed to ending the violence, achieving equality and protecting the LGBTQ community. Today, we renew our commitment to making possible a world where LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ people of color, are valued, loved and safe.”

We remember: Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old Amanda L. Alvear, 25 years old Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 years old Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 years old Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 years old Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old Cory James Connell, 21 years old Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31 years old Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 years old Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old Frank Hernandez, 27 years old Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 years old Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 years old Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 years old Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 years old Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 years old Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 years old Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27 years old Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 years old Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24 years old Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 years old Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37 years old Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 years old Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50 years old Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

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Harvard Rescinds Acceptance Of Parkland Shooting Survivor After Racial Slurs Come To Light

Guns rights advocate Kyle Kashuv

Kyle Kashuv, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting, has had his acceptance to Harvard University rescinded after several racial comments posted on social media came to light.

Mediaite reports the messages, which featured several uses of the n-word, prompted Kashuv to apologize last month.

“I want to address this with honesty and transparency,” wrote Kashuv regarding his racist remarks, which he noted was “long before” the February 2017 massacre. “We were 16-year-olds making idiotic comments, using callous and inflammatory language in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible. I’m embarrassed by it, but I want to be clear that the comments I made are not indicative of who I am or who I’ve become in the years since.”

But in a letter Kashuv shared on Twitter, Harvard informed the student his admission was being withdrawn.

“[The Admissions Committee] takes seriously the qualities of maturity and moral character. After careful consideration, the Committee voted to rescind your admission to Harvard,” wrote Harvard. “We are sorry about the circumstances that have led us to withdraw your admissions, and we wish you success in your future academic endeavors and beyond.”

Kashuv took to Twitter to lament his situation.

Kashuv goes on to say he gave up “huge scholarships in order to go to Harvard, and the deadline for accepting other college offers has ended.”

He adds he is currently “exploring all options at the moment.”

You’ll note Kashuv doesn’t share the offending comments. He says they occurred “years ago” when he was sixteen.

I’m not sure a teenager suddenly ‘evolved’ on the issue of racial slurs in two years. Maybe, but, maybe not.

After 17 people were gunned down at his school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, Kashuv gained a substantial social media following after appearing on several news outlets (CBS News, Fox News) to advocate for civilian gun use and against gun control laws.

He also traveled to the White House to meet with Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Conservatives on Twitter are complaining that comments Kashuv made “when he was a kid” (they were two years ago) shouldn’t be held against him.

Twitter users posted examples of Kashuv’s “callous comments:”

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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New Zealand Parliament Bans Assault Weapons

Less than a month after a white supremacist loon shot up two mosques killing 50 people, New Zealand's lawmakers have banned most automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Less than a month after a white supremacist loon shot up two mosques killing 50 people, New Zealand’s lawmakers have banned most automatic and semi-automatic weapons.

Additionally, components that modify existing weapons were prohibited as well.

From NBC News:

All but one member of New Zealand’s parliament voted Wednesday to change gun laws, less than a month after shooting attack targeting two Christchurch mosques that killed 50 people.

The gun reform bill passed 119-1 after its final reading in Parliament. It must now receive royal assent from the governor general before it officially becomes law.

Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with 50 murder charges after the attack on two mosques on March 15.

Around 250,000 people in New Zealand own a total of about 1.5 million weapons.

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New Zealand High School Boys Perform Haka In Support & Unity With Muslim Community

As New Zealand continues mourning the deaths of 50 people gunned down by a white nationalist terrorist, dozens of boys from Christchurch Boys' High performed a ceremonial haka dance to show support and unity with the Muslim community.

As New Zealand continues mourning the deaths of 50 people gunned down by a white nationalist terrorist, dozens of boys from Christchurch Boys’ High performed a ceremonial haka dance to show support and unity with the Muslim community.

I’ve posted hakas on The Randy Report before here.

I always find the fierce commitment to the dance, and the spirit of those performing the haka, to be profoundly inspiring.

According to ABC News Australia, “Tears began to stream down the faces of some people watching as the boys performed the traditional dance.”


(h/t JoeMyGod)

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Trump Tweets: The New Zealand Shooting Isn’t My Fault!!!

In the aftermath of the Christchurch shooting in New Zealand which left 50 people dead, it was discovered that a manifesto was sent to the Prime Minister of New Zealand as well as media outlets. In the documents, the accused gunman hailed Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” although he did not support his policies. Donald Trump has since tweeted angry rebuttals for being 'blamed' for the shooting.
Donald Trump

In the aftermath of the Christchurch shooting in New Zealand which left 50 people dead, it was discovered that a manifesto was sent to the Prime Minister of New Zealand as well as media outlets.

In the documents, the accused gunman hailed Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” although he did not support his policies.

Donald Trump has since tweeted angry rebuttals for being ‘blamed’ for the shooting.

Although he tweeted his ‘warmest sympathies’ and ‘best wishes’ to New Zealand, he refused to criticize the white supremacist ideology behind the shooting. This has been contrasted with his quick responses to Islamist terror attacks in the past.

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Student Blames Chelsea Clinton For New Zealand Massacre?

Chelsea Clinton (image via Twitter)

A video showing a Muslim student blaming a very pregnant Chelsea Clinton for the anti-Muslim massacre of 49 people in New Zealand instantly went viral.

The moment took place at a vigil to honor the victims gunned down at two New Zealand mosques.

Clinton, pregnant with her third child, displays extraordinary composure while an angry student alleges Clinton’s recent commentary about anti-Semitic comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar about a pro-Israel lobby, helped cause the massacre in New Zealand.

“This, right here, is a result of a massacre stoked by people like you and the words that you put out into the world,” the student tells Clinton. “And I want you to know that and I want you to feel that deep down inside. Forty-nine people died because of the rhetoric you put out there.”

“I’m so sorry you feel that way,” Clinton replies in the video. “Certainly, it was never my intention. I do believe words matter. I believe we have to show solidarity.”

Another student snaps at Chelsea: “What does ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ mean? What does that mean?”

So, now, it’s Chelsea Clinton’s fault a violent gun massacre took place in New Zealand???

The girl in the video shut down her Twitter for a while, but apparently reactivated it today.

It seems she’s something of a homophobe and racist. These tweets were culled from her account.

She also appears to be a Bernie Sanders supporter which might explain things a bit more.

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Remembering The 49 Lost In The Pulse Nightclub Shooting

In the two years since the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting massacre, there have been a LOT of prayers and thoughts sent out for those affected by gun violence. Unfortunately, that’s close to all we’ve gotten. In a country that polls show support commonsense gun legislation (background checks, no guns for those on the ‘no-fly’ list) to the tune of almost 90% politicians are still afraid of the 3 million-member National Rifle Association. Two years ago today, 49 innocent people lost their lives in what was, at the time, the deadliest shooting massacre in the history of the country. Additionally, 53 more were injured. On that night, the gay nightclub, one of our safe spaces, became a war zone and an emergency room. Since the Pulse shooting, there have been more mass shootings and more unnecessary deaths. And still we wait.

From DNC chairman Tom Perez:

“Two years ago, our nation witnessed one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. It was an attack on the LGBTQ community, the Latinx community, and LGBTQ people of color everywhere. It was an attack on the American people and the values of diversity and equality that all of us should cherish. And it was an all too common reminder that our nation is in dire need of common sense gun reforms.

“On this anniversary, let us honor the lives lost that night by recommitting ourselves to the fight for a world where no one faces discrimination, where no life is taken by hatred or bigotry, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity – no matter who they are or who they love. As we celebrate Pride Month, we recognize that the fight for LGBTQ equality is far from over, and the Democratic Party will continue to stand with LGBTQ communities in America and around the world who are fighting for the rights they deserve.”

From Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin:

“Every day, we carry forward the memories of the 49 people whose lives were cruelly and tragically taken at Pulse.”

“As our nation marks two years since this tragedy, we must never lose sight of the unfulfilled hopes, the families shattered and the love lost in this preventable act of mass murder. The thousands more killed by gun violence since Pulse underscores the glaring failure of our elected officials to take common sense steps to combat the scourge of gun violence that plagues our nation.

“We remain as resolved as ever to honor those taken with action, and to work with our coalition partners to ensure that lifesaving steps are finally taken so that all of us may live safe from violence.”

We remember: Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old Amanda L. Alvear, 25 years old Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 years old Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 years old Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 years old Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 years old Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old Cory James Connell, 21 years old Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31 years old Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 years old Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old Frank Hernandez, 27 years old Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 years old Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 years old Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 years old Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 years old Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 years old Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 years old Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 years old Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27 years old Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 years old Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24 years old Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 years old Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37 years old Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 years old Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50 years old Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old