suicide

Winter 2020: The Great Fire

In early July, we released an exhaustive article on COVID-19 trends. It was meticulously researched, with dozens of subordinate links to data sources. In it, we cited our earlier prediction that, unless Americans were to act with unprecedented foresight and responsibility, we were looking at between one and six million deaths by the end of autumn. Our tracking gave us cause for cautious optimism.

Winter officially begins in one week, and the official COVID-19 death count just passed 300,000. Given the standard two to six week lag time in reports combined with a 3000+ person daily increase, the final numbers will be closer to 400,000 by that point. Advances in hospital treatment protocols combined with local lockdowns and responsible behavior in much of the country have prevented, at great cost, the loss of millions of American lives. Our optimism has proven justified.

(more…)

FAKE NEWS: Lynchings In 2020

I almost didn’t write this one.

It’s not fear of all the hate this’ll drag down on The Not Fake News.  Truth is never popular, less so when it’s truth to power and least of all when that power is the mob, the nameless faceless mass of public opinion.  Telling unpopular truths is what we do here, and it’ll never pay and it’ll never make us beloved.

What almost stopped me is that there are three families out there (more…)

China’s Report On USA Human Rights Violations

OK; to be fair, we deserved this:

“The remarks of US politicians have completely exposed their hypocrisy of adopting double standards on human rights issues and using them to maintain hegemony.”

We’re constantly interfering in China’s domestic policy — the raids on Hong Kong and imprisoning protestors, slavery-level factory conditions, selling political prisoners for their organs — and we’ve got the gall to lecture them on how they run their own country.  Meanwhile, even our headlines are full of our own sins.  Touché, China.  Touché. (more…)

TRIGGERED: Common Sense Gun Control

This is not being written in response to any particular event.  There was probably one today or yesterday or last week, and CNN no doubt covered it with their usual attention to detail and mechanical concern.  I’m probably pretty sad about it myself.  This is why I’m writing this article on a day when the headlines are about something else.  It’s important to keep perspective.  You can’t create effective policy and solve social problems when you’re too busy yelling or sobbing or both.

Trouble is, I’m furious.  Even today, I can’t help but be furious (more…)

Toward Effective Firearms Laws

Wars and government atrocities aside, the United States has more spree shootings than any other country each year.

This is a problem that demands discussion between reasonable and intelligent people.  Unfortunately, the political climate in this country is one of extreme and entrenched polarization; moral certitude precludes (more…)

Arming Teachers: Pros And Cons

One week ago, the House passed a bill designed to prevent school violence, one that would fund programs ranging from increased security to suicide prevention and safety education.  Conspicuously absent from this bill was any provision to arm teachers; there’s a lot of discussion about that, with opinions predictably divided along partisan lines.

As with any other contentious issue, however, it’s not that simple — certainly not as simple as Democrat versus Republican. (more…)

…But Back To Gun Control

My last article was, at least nominally, about gun control.

It started optimistically enough; I began by stating that our country is more heavily armed than some war zones and pointing out the most recent mass shooting event.  Somehow, though, in examining the statistics on gun violence, I concluded that the guns are not the real problem.

If you’re curious about that, feel free to go read that article; it’s a trip.  If, on the other hand, you’re concerned directly with controlling the ownership and possession of firearms, read on here. (more…)

Gun Control: What’s The Problem?

The United States is one of the most heavily armed places on Earth, measured per capita.  There are places that have been in civil war for long enough that all noncombatants have fled; they are less heavily armed than we.  And we see the results on the news on a daily basis, it seems; just the other night there was another mass shooting, an apparent ambush at a backyard barbecue.

So gun control appears to be a logical necessity.  Why is there even debate on the subject?

I’ve examined some statistics that may give us an answer, as well as a possible course going forward.  I’ll warn you now, though:  The answers I arrived at are vastly different than the ones I at first expected. (more…)

Obama Is Not Taking Your Guns

I should have started this with “Spoiler Alert”.  ‘Cause nobody’s seen this movie yet.

A couple of days ago, President Obama announced on national television that he was taking executive action about gun violence.  He invoked memories of tragedies, from Newtown and Aurora through Ford Hood and San Bernardino, and at one point he broke into tears.

I’m going to (more…)