My Schedule…and A Little Extra: My wife cried uncontrollably, “Why!?!” After the initial horror of grasping the loss of those precious young lives and the others affected, her mind like every parent immediately refocused on her own seven and four years old kids…the target age of the shootings. Not safe at school…not safe at the mall…not safe anywhere. When I was 7-8 years old I was practically independent…I rode my bike to school and even went to the mall…after all, Tron, Pac Man and Star Wars were waiting for me at the arcade. Now you can’t let your kids go to the bathroom without worrying they’re in danger. But shootings at school? Unthinkable.
My way of dealing with it on Friday was to avoid the news…I concentrated on work. On Saturday night my wife and went to the movies…we saw Lincoln. Yes we knew it was a heavy movie and probably not the right medicine but we really wanted to see it. Good Lord…the previews at the movie were so extremely violent I swear I was uncomfortable from the get-go. My wife was squirming in her chair…we kept looking at each other…what is wrong with us Americans? We glorify violence…the more ghastly the better. Maybe there is some sort of death-toll requirement in Hollywood, you know like a formula they came up with…‘if we have 12 people brutally murdered within the first 15 minute of the movie then the movie’s success is 15% more likely, 20% if we add a lot of blood and guts.’ The directors in Hollywood must have special meetings to contemplate the most gruesome and horrific scenes possible…and then they go for shock value beyond that. Sure, maybe I was over-sensitive but the previews made us altogether uncomfortable…and then the first scene of the movie was the civil war.
The movie however was fantastic in every aspect and I can’t recommend enough that you go see it. Lincoln and so many others dedicated themselves to the abolishment of slavery…it was morally reprehensible…evil. And they barely passed the amendment…but they did. Although the intentions of the 2nd amendment were honorable, I can’t help but think there is an analogy to the 13th amendment. I mean, Lincoln worked to abolish slavery not only to free the bound, but also to free the unborn shackled. Maybe it’s time we reconsider the 2nd amendment which indirectly guarantees more deaths of future Americans. In modern times is the 2nd amendment necessary…is it outdated either in full or in part?
On Facebook I saw repeated comments like, “It’s ridiculous to live in this violent country where we encourage guns. I’m outta here, done, I quit, I’m moving to Europe!” My wife also expressed such concerns and said she wanted to move. I participated in some respectful yet heated debates on Facebook about the 2nd amendment and gun control laws. I argued that the statement guns don’t kill – people kill, is not relevant when you see stats like in the graphic below which was circulating on FB (I have not verified its accuracy). One of my neighbor friends elegantly pointed out the right to bear arms has been guaranteed to our citizens for more than 200 years…it is very dangerous to start picking and choosing which constitutional rights to restrict. I had another close friend and former law school classmate argue that it’s just not feasible to close the door on gun laws, it’s ingrained into our society and impossible to scale back we have enough guns on the streets in America to arm the nation for the next millennium. But in my opinion, particularly when I see stats about handguns in America, something has to change…both legally and culturally. Your thoughts?
My Market Watch: Very little activity other than a D rating on an auction…might move bonds south and if so rates might worsen…I’ll let you know if anything changes…. My Disclaimer
My Schedule: Available all day. J
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Phil Grossfield's Blog 
We’re on the same page, Phil. I agree that we need to compromise and come up with some new legislation that we can all live with. I grew up in a hunting family and I continue that tradition. I am all about the hunt and the time I spend in the wilderness with very good friends. None of us are NRA members or gun nuts. We respect the laws and never have more that the legally allowed 3 shells in or shotguns while hunting water fowl. I also never have more than three rounds in my deer rifle. Honestly I never take more than one shot. You either get your deer with the first shot or you miss. a second shot is nothing more than a hail Mary as it relates to last minute desperation. With that said I think we can take a few steps that most reasonable people would think may minimize the impact of what has become an all too common occurrence in our society.
We need to limit the number of rounds that are legally allowed in clips to under 15. I would like to see that number lower, but there are too many existing guns out there that hold more and it would not be feasible to pass such legislation.
No more easy gun show sales. I am not saying sales at gun shows should be eliminated, but they should be managed in the same way that any hand gun sales are at a licensed dealer.
Background checks prior to all gun sales. Seems like a no brainer.
No same day sales unless the buyer has a photo ID much like a conceal carry permit that shows the purchaser has already done the required dance.
Mandatory reporting of all lost or stolen guns.
I would also like to see us do more screening prior to issuing anyone a conceal/carry permit. An MMPI test may be a good option. We don’t want any mentally unstable people allowed to carry a weapon in public.
Mandatory sale of trigger locks with all gun sales. A gun safe is even better. We don’t want to have anyone accidentally discharging a gun. This mostly applies to children.
There are more, but I think this would be a good start.
I and my wife had a similar weekend to you and yours. It’s a tough thing to consider. My daughters are 8 and 5. Lincoln was a fantastic film!
Cheers! Phil