My Life on this planet.

Freedom of speech in the USA is becoming increasingly difficult—unless, of course, you speak the language of the president. You can insult others freely, but if you speak as, for example, climate activists who highlight that scientists' warnings are becoming reality, you are silenced. Drilling for more oil is prioritized over acknowledging climate change. And when California burns, it must be the Democrats' fault—not the severe droughts of past years. Now, Europe is painted as a threat—unless it aligns with the American president. Many Christian conservatives see Russia as "Gog" in biblical prophecy but believe the real enemy is Europe. The USA still harbors resentment over American lives lost fighting fascism in Europe. Ironically, many of the same people who despise Europe now embrace Hitler’s ideological policies: anti-LGBTQ, anti-left, racism, and religious supremacy. This rhetoric mirrors that of Brexit campaigners. Remember how Ann Widdecombe once spoke about th...

Although I hoped there would be fewer mass shootings in the USA than previous years, I always feared many more may come. And thus, after a silence on gun violence after previous posts (see numbers 17 such as 17e and 17i in which I already referred to other mass shootings that killed), here another article on my blog after another two recent shootings in the USA that killed more than 30 people, including many children - some of below texts were first publications on my Facebook account.  The solution? Fewer weapons, and certainly semi-automatic guns should not be available. But, opposition to stricter gun laws is strong, certainly in certain mainly rural and conservative states so little can change and more evidence that weapons in society kill is likely to become available after more future shootings. Indeed, first comes a period that supporters of free gun-ownership can proof that supporters of stricter gun laws are wrong and thus that more weapons in societies protect people. I...

Over the past month, more gun violence killed people, by police officers but also by ordinary people - one reason why police often shoots as they fear suspects may have a gun that may kill them. Indeed, when weapons are almost freely available than mad people may get them and kill. Below my posts on Facebook.  But, it is not only mad people who kill, sometimes we read also about children who find a loaded gun , often that of their parents (indeed, an unloaded gun is useless when you need to act quickly to shoot a burglar in your home), and wound, or worse kill, someone else or themselves. Then judges need to decide whether adults are to blame. Many of these cases would not have happened when fire arms were not so easily available in society because of relaxed gun laws. 20/03/2021 Mr Trump, out the White House but his words continue to live on. After always referring in racist words to the coronavirus, increasingly Asians are targeted with deadly consequences  such as in Atlant...

I have written before about gun violence in the USA (see series 17) although my last article about gun violence is now nearly two years ago as I can't change anything except explain why massive gun ownership does not create a safe society but instead results in more shootings and eventually more deaths. Action and reaction: more citizens have guns they may use against each other but also against police officers and thus police officers use guns faster against citizens to prevent citizens may shoot first. Still, certain people continue to claim that more weapons are the way forward to protect people from mad people with gun; however, many gun lovers become very angry and aggressive when other people suggest fewer guns is the way to create a safer society. The third week of April 2021 was again quite bad that included a shooting at a school during which one student died . As the article mentions, more violence may be expected as many more weapons were sold in 2020 than in other year...

How low can you sink as a human when those who sell guns ridicule the victims of a shooting massacre at a school? And it's not only the weapon lobby, also certain politicians call opponents who want stricter gun laws " leftists who create the crisis " and thus are America's bad side. Still, I also believe many are really convinced that the solution in a country packed with weapons are "more guns but for the good guys" to stop more massacres. Also President Trump stunt allies as he seemed to agree that stricter gun laws are necessary and thus had a topic to unite with the Democrats although this creates opposition by majority of his own parties (and thus, whoever is in power has either extreme followers and extreme opponents). Still, later he seemed to have changed his mind after he discussed the issue with the weapon lobby. Another group of politicians are the opportunists, those who think they can win elections by being supportive of the second ...

Another shooting in the USA - indeed, another ' already more than one year later '. Now the shooting happened in a church in Charleston, South Carolina where mainly black people come together. Nine people died, all black as a white loser targeted people with another skin colour. No words As a commentator mentions in his article , while the foundation stones of the USA are impressive, in the latest attack the two evil building blocks that are present in the Constitution and thus in American society joined: racism and more specifically white supremacists (who are in effect small people who are angry that others can be as good or better than them) against people with another colour and more specifically against black people, and the constitutional right to carry weapons , a Constitution ' written in the age of the musket ' (to quote the article) so the new independent country could protect itself against the UK while today this article allows people to carry sem...

It is already just over one year since the shooting in Newton, Connecticut, USA where 20 children and some adults were killed at a school. In the meanwhile there were other killings, among them a shooting at a Washington DC navy yard where 12 people died. Even as recently as a few weekends ago when a 4-year old girl killed her 4-year old cousin after she found a loaded gun under her grandfather's bed. And although President Obama called for changes in the law, not much happened although it seems that 43 gun control laws have passed (in some states) compared to 93 laws that expand gun rights. If the death of 20 children can't result in tougher gun control laws, then we may forget any new legislation soon. USA The journalist Henry Porter even called in the Observer for an intervention by the international community to stop even more death amongst Americans and foreigners due to the increasing numbers of weapons (although he may not be serious, it shows the desperation ...

Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid decided there will be no vote on a plan to ban assault weapons , and thus in effect he probably kills off a key part of a gun control campaign prompted by the school massacre in Newton in December. He explains he took the decision after being told by analysts there wouldn't be a majority for the plan as 60 votes out of the 100-members Senate were needed to succeed. However, the plan passed, although only narrowly, a Senate panel last week, and thus there was hope. Therefore, I think his explanation is rubbish. Indeed, one has to talk in order to reach a consensus, but in the end Members of Parliament have to take their responsibility and vote but they can only do this when there is a vote. Only during a vote can it be sure how many and who support or oppose the ban while during debates leading to the vote one can understand why some members oppose the ban and thus some changes can be made so a majority can be reached. Only then the electorate w...

Oscar Pistorius, a South African without legs who became a sports hero after winning gold as a 17 year old boy at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, then winning golds and setting new Paralympics records in the 100m and 200m as well as a world record in the 400m during the Paralympic Games in Beijing while reaching in London the semi-finals of the 400m of the Olympic Games and winning a few weeks later two more gold medals at the Paralympics. He also won at many other sport events and is known all around the world under the nickname "Blade Runner" while earning millions as a consequence. That is until last week when he was again in the news although this time for having killed his girlfriend. He admits he shot his girlfriend dead but says it was an accident because he thought there was a burglar in the house. I read he was very sad during the hearings at the court and sobbed often and although he has been released on bail, it seems he was one of few people who was not cel...

Twenty children between five and ten years old and six adults were killed by a madman at a school in Newton, Connecticut. The madman killed himself. America is in shock after this new tragedy, indeed one in a long list. I feel sad for the families and friends. What can be said if words are insufficient? We hope people learn from this tragedy as so many young children were killed. Why can these things happen? Because people are allowed to have weapons to defend themselves, and thus some people can use those weapons against others. One would thus expect Americans start to demand restriction on weapons, certainly as elsewhere fewer of these dramas happen because there are more restrictions about carrying weapons. That does not mean these dramas can't happen. E.g. a few years ago a madman in Belgium killed two children and a teacher at a school using a knife, but it would probably have been worse if he had a gun. But it seems opinion is moving in the opposite direction. According ...