tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82896943120839925142024-03-13T15:48:52.740-07:00Vatican Gun ControlThe Catholic "church" has been pretty vocal about the fact that they support the complete banning of private gun ownership. These are the articles covering this topic. keywords; Catholic gun control. Jesuit Pope Vaticantlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-63676588370132566632022-05-25T19:35:00.005-07:002022-05-25T19:35:50.997-07:00Pope Francis prays for Texas shooting victims and calls for stricter gun control<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoK9tTzk3qEmyZLSnhJ_PNzDtoowdSOBJ1TB6ffOqSmCL9PaDL0ezy-ZYpi61U5rr0rmNRWrFZtY8Y0yiGCoamldjCCCtxw-WPgGr8He99eSE004f-Pqj9erjOHM-bul1iZ4_hY49l156Cwj5MYTGjCFTD8annfNW9Ys64wbniAyxytYVaFQZopW9/s1200/FQT2gMqVgAYCwVO%20-%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="891" data-original-width="1200" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoK9tTzk3qEmyZLSnhJ_PNzDtoowdSOBJ1TB6ffOqSmCL9PaDL0ezy-ZYpi61U5rr0rmNRWrFZtY8Y0yiGCoamldjCCCtxw-WPgGr8He99eSE004f-Pqj9erjOHM-bul1iZ4_hY49l156Cwj5MYTGjCFTD8annfNW9Ys64wbniAyxytYVaFQZopW9/s320/FQT2gMqVgAYCwVO%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/05/25/pope-francis-uvalde-texas-shooting-243052" target="_blank">article link</a><br /></span><p></p><section class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodearticlebody clearfix"><div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span style="font-size: large;">VATICAN
CITY (CNS) -- Saying his heart was broken at the news of at least 19
children and two adults being shot and killed at a Texas elementary
school, Pope Francis said it was time to say “Enough!” and enact
stricter laws on gun sales.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of his weekly general
audience May 25, with thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s
Square, the pope prayed publicly for the victims of the shooting the day
before at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">“With a heart
shattered over the massacre at the elementary school in Texas, I pray
for the children and adults who were killed and for their families,” the
pope told the crowd.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="contentTweetBlock"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">“With
a heart shattered over the massacre at the elementary school in Texas, I
pray for the children and adults who were killed and for their
families,” the pope said.</span><div class="tweetlLink"><div class="twitter"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="iconTwitter"></span><span class="text">Tweet this</span></span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">“It
is time to say, ‘Enough!’ to the indiscriminate trafficking of guns,”
the pope said. “Let’s all work to ensure that such tragedies never
happen again.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Shortly before the audience, Archbishop Gustavo
García-Siller of San Antonio, an archdiocese that includes Uvalde,
tweeted: “Holy Father Pope Francis, say some prayers for the souls of
our little ones killed today and two teachers. Uvalde is in mourning.
The families are having a very dark time. Your prayer will do good to
them.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Local authorities said the children and adults were killed
by an 18-year-old student from a high school nearby. He also was
reported dead and at least three children remained hospitalized for
injuries suffered in the attack.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/SosHQSDpdho" target="_blank">video</a></strong></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div></section>tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-25969764275455253482022-05-25T19:26:00.002-07:002022-05-25T19:26:31.041-07:00Pope Francis and a cardinal say it's time for the U.S. to act on guns<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL7QMFIP6DkQSWw3YSoDkYfL6zPdDPlhXW6MsdRnbd7BVQSEub6z1Wj0Kz4UsTbN9xIUFAmkPjucvPi7pfsLC6_wn4uMLRiAfzqkURmGftlYBA_9qQRxlJ7S-V4LIdXf5kAAWbdBhFXw0v6kVu4R7v82u3HAVKV6DqAOH8j5lmUoZeB3YkLwaMPOf/s640/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="651" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL7QMFIP6DkQSWw3YSoDkYfL6zPdDPlhXW6MsdRnbd7BVQSEub6z1Wj0Kz4UsTbN9xIUFAmkPjucvPi7pfsLC6_wn4uMLRiAfzqkURmGftlYBA_9qQRxlJ7S-V4LIdXf5kAAWbdBhFXw0v6kVu4R7v82u3HAVKV6DqAOH8j5lmUoZeB3YkLwaMPOf/w586-h651/collage.jpg" width="586" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="credit-caption">
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<p><span style="font-size: large;">
"I am praying for the children and adults who were
killed, and for their families," Pope Francis said in his weekly general
audience in St. Peter's Square. The pope said it's time for new limits
on the sale of guns.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span aria-label="Image credit" class="credit">
Andrew Medichini/AP
</span></span>
</div><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: large;">Pope Francis says that his heart is broken over the mass shooting
at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, and that the U.S. must act to
prevent the spread of guns.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">"I am praying for the children and
adults who were killed, and for their families. It is time to say enough
to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms," Francis <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1529389722451300353">said on Wednesday</a>, during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the attack, 19 students and two adults died. The 18-year-old gunman, who lived in Uvalde, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/25/1101071658/what-we-know-about-uvalde-shooting">reportedly bought</a> at least two semi-automatic rifles after his most recent birthday.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">People
should be working now, the pope said, to ensure a similar tragedy can
never happen again. In the U.S., his sentiment was shared by another
senior Catholic leader: Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of
Chicago.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">"The Second Amendment did not come down from Sinai," Cupich <a href="https://twitter.com/CardinalBCupich/status/1529270441080152066">said via Twitter</a>.
"The right to bear arms will never be more important than human life.
Our children have rights too. And our elected officials have a moral
duty to protect them."</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><aside aria-label="advertisement" id="ad-backstage-wrap">
</aside><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: large;">The cardinal noted that <a href="https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2021/03/assault-weapon-ban-significantly-reduces-mass-shooting/">research has shown</a> the expired federal ban on certain rifles was effective in preventing the terror of mass shootings.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">"As
I reflect on this latest American massacre, I keep returning to the
questions: Who are we as a nation if we do not act to protect our
children? What do we love more: our instruments of death or our future?"
Cupich asked.</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p><span style="font-size: large;">There have been 27 school shootings so far this year in the U.S., according to <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2022/01"><em>Education Week</em></a><em>,</em> which tracks gun violence on K-12 school properties.</span></p>tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-31730170219914083532019-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:002019-10-07T17:25:30.364-07:00Catholic Church calls for knife control <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="article-story__headline grid__scroll-hook" data-scroll-hook-name="article-story__headline">
Catholic Church calls for knife control</h1>
<div class="article-story__abstract">
<span style="font-size: large;">Clergy members want the British Parliament to ban pointed kitchen knives.<span class="author__tag"> Author: </span> <span class="author__name"> Dale Greenstein</span><span class="author__date"> October 7, 2019<br /><br />
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gun-control.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It’s a topic that triggers countless political showdowns -- and high-powered, dinner table debates -- here in the United States, but in the United Kingdom, a sharp conversation over knife-control is cutting through the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, you read that right -- knife-control.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here’s why:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In Great Britain, like in most of the developed world, gun violence simply is not a very big problem, but knife crimes are on the rise. According to an Oct. 3 <a href="https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04304#fullreport" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report </a>from the British Parliament, in 2017 and 2018, 285 people were killed with knives and other "sharp instruments". That was 34 percent more than the two years prior.</span><br />
<br />
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<img alt="United Kingdom Knife Homicide Rate" class="image__image" data-asset-fallback="default" data-lazy-loaded="data-lazy-loaded" data-lazy-loader="https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/a74a296c-85c0-45e7-a8ea-bb894f24f876/a74a296c-85c0-45e7-a8ea-bb894f24f876_750x422.jpg" src="https://media.wtsp.com/assets/WTSP/images/a74a296c-85c0-45e7-a8ea-bb894f24f876/a74a296c-85c0-45e7-a8ea-bb894f24f876_750x422.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="image__caption">
Overview of the increase in knife homicide rates in the United Kingdom.</div>
<div class="image__credit">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Now, British lawmakers are facing pressure to act, and the push is coming from a somewhat unlikely source -- the Roman Catholic Church.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Diocese of Rochester <a href="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/0b375b1912f2d9f546f580f63/files/f2812d61-68bb-4e41-8e0b-0c3dbc61b363/Knife_blade_letter_2019.pdf">sent an open letter</a> to Parliament, calling for a nationwide ban -- on pointed kitchen knives. It was titled “No Bloody Point”. In it, members of the clergy argue the invention of the fork has rendered pointed knives obsolete, so those knives now pose an unnecessary risk. Wounds from a rounded-edge knife, they argue, are less likely to be life-threatening.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The church is not alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A conservative lawmaker took a stab at knife-control by calling for GPS trackers to be installed on every knife handle sold in the U.K.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">His proposal was roundly ridiculed on Twitter.</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Every knife sold in the UK should have a gps tracker fitted in the handle. It’s time we had a national database like we do with guns. If you’re carrying it around you had better have a bloody good explanation, obvious exemptions for fishing etc.</div>
— Scott Mann (@scottmann4NC) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottmann4NC/status/1106128906480951296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-9710070724741947482019-03-05T17:59:00.001-08:002019-03-05T17:59:45.032-08:00Long Island Catholic hospitals gearing up to train, arm security officers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hospitals nationally, along with school
districts, places of worship and local governments, have taken steps to
increase security that include hiring armed security officers and
installing security cameras.</span></h2>
<div class="mediaCell" id="topm">
<img alt="Security officers stand at their post at North" height="224" src="https://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.27924016.1551613566!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_768/image.jpg" width="400" />
<br />
<div class="caption">
Security officers stand at their post at North Shore University
Hospital in Manhasset on July 10. <br />
<br />
Northwell expects to have armed guards
in all its 13 Long Island hospitals within the next several months.
Photo Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr. </div>
</div>
<div class="byline">
<div>
<b>By Nicholas Spangler and David Olson</b> <a href="mailto:nicholas.spangler@newsday.com?subject=Long%20Island%20hospitals%20gearing%20up%20to%20train,%20arm%20security%20officers&body=Hospitals%20nationally,%20along%20with%C2%A0school%20districts,%20places%20of%20worship%20and%20local%20governments,%20have%20taken%20steps%20to%20increase%20security%20that%20include%C2%A0hiring%20armed%20security%20officers%C2%A0and%20installing%20security%20cameras.%0D%0Ahttps://www.newsday.com/long-island/armed-guards-hospitals-1.27924015?utm_source=fb_nd">nicholas.spangler@newsday.com</a>, <a href="mailto:david.olson@newsday.com?subject=Long%20Island%20hospitals%20gearing%20up%20to%20train,%20arm%20security%20officers&body=Hospitals%20nationally,%20along%20with%C2%A0school%20districts,%20places%20of%20worship%20and%20local%20governments,%20have%20taken%20steps%20to%20increase%20security%20that%20include%C2%A0hiring%20armed%20security%20officers%C2%A0and%20installing%20security%20cameras.%0D%0Ahttps://www.newsday.com/long-island/armed-guards-hospitals-1.27924015?utm_source=fb_nd">david.olson@newsday.com</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/spanglernewsday" target="blank">
@spanglernewsday </a>
<time datetime="2019-03-03T06:00:00-05:00" itemprop="datePublished"><br />Updated March 3, 2019 6:00 AM</time>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sshare">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Armed security officers could patrol six
Catholic Health Services hospitals </b>across Long Island and NYU Winthrop
Hospital in Mineola this year, joining armed officers deploying or
already deployed at Stony Brook University Hospital and most of
Northwell Health's 13 LI hospitals, officials at the health
systems said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Nationally and on Long Island in recent
years, hospitals — along with school districts, places of worship and
local governments — have taken steps to increase security that
include hiring armed security officers, installing security cameras and
metal detectors, and training staffers on active shooter scenarios with
police and sheriff’s department officers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Fifty-two percent of hospitals in a national
survey had armed personnel with handguns, according to a 2016 article in
the research journal Workplace Health and Safety. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">William Smith,
director of security at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, a
Catholic Health Services hospital, told Smithtown Town Council members
at a Feb. 5 work session about St. Catherine's intention to arm security
officers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“We’re being proactive,” Smith said. “The world we live in today, it’s needed … We’re considered a soft target.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Winthrop spokesman J. Edmund Keating
cited gang violence on Long Island and mass shootings nationally, such
as the Parkland, Florida, school massacre last year, as reasons why the
hospital likely will add armed guards by the end of the year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">"We have pretty much reached the conclusion it’s going to be a necessity because the times have changed,” he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Active shooter incidents like the ones Keating
referred to account for a fraction of gun deaths in the United States,
and those in health care facilities comprised only four of the 50
incidents in the U.S. identified by the FBI in 2016 and 2017. But the
rate of serious workplace violence incidents in health care was more
than four times greater than in private industry from 2002 to 2013,
according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Health care accounted for nearly as many serious violent injuries as all
other industries combined.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There were at least 17 fatal hospital shootings across the U.S.
between 2002 and 2018, according to a count by The Associated Press last
year. Among the shootings was a July 2017 attack at Bronx-Lebanon
Hospital, where a disgruntled former doctor killed one doctor and
wounded six other people.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">At least two nonfatal firearm incidents
occurred at Long Island hospitals during that time: John Gamble, 35, of
Riverhead, in 2016 fired multiple rounds in the parking lot of
Northwell’s Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, but no one was injured; and
Dennis Cartwright, of Southold, armed with a pistol in 2003, held the
burn unit at then-Stony Brook University Medical Center hostage because
he believed the staff was not properly caring for a relative.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">At Catholic Health Services, Chris
Hendriks, vice president for public and external affairs, said in an
email that the health system was “exploring the possibility of armed
guards.” She did not consent to multiple interview requests or explain
the apparent contradiction with what Smith told Smithtown officials.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Smith did not respond to a message
left for him at St. Catherine, but during the work session he said
Catholic Health's board in late December approved arming security
officers "throughout our six hospitals." In a program "set to go live"
July 1, only current or former police officers will be armed, he told
the board. Policy is still being written on use of force, which weapons
the officers will carry, and whether they will be uniformed or in what
he called “soft” clothes, he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">The St. Catherine staff has participated
in active shooter drills with Suffolk County police and has safe rooms
in the hospital, Smith said told the board.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">"Police are onboard. They know," he
said, though Suffolk County Police Chief Stuart Cameron said the
department had not been formally advised of the armed security officer
program.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Cameron said his officers have helped
train staffers at a number of public offices and hospitals on active
shooter response. Hospitals present a unique challenge, because of their
sometimes “emotionally charged environment” and the difficulty of
evacuating patients who may not be able to move on their own, he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">The department has no fixed stance on arming
security officers, Cameron said. “It all depends on how it’s done — who
you hire, what type of weapons you equip them with, what type of
training and what type of ammunition they have,” he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Nassau County police conducted
more than 100 active-assailant trainings over the past year for
hospitals, schools, houses of worships and other entities, police
spokesman Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun said. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Catholic Health Services also operates
hospitals in Oyster Bay, Hempstead, North Hempstead, Brookhaven and
Islip. Officials in those towns, except Islip, said the health system
had not advised them of its plan. Islip chief of staff Tracey Krut said
in an email the town has no jurisdiction over hospital security
officers, but did not say if Catholic Health Services had told town
officials of a plan to arm security officers. Krut did not respond to
Newsday's requests for clarification.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Stony Brook University Hospital has had
armed patrols for 25 years, Robert Lenahan, chief of the university
police department, said in an email. That’s because the university has
had its own police department since 1999 and, before that, had armed
public-safety officers, he said. Officers patrol inside and outside the
hospital.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">In addition to armed police officers,
there are unarmed security officers who communicate via the same campus
dispatch system as armed police, Lenahan said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Northwell expects to have armed guards in all
its 13 Long Island hospitals — and all 23 regionwide — within the next
several months, said Scott Strauss, assistant vice president of
corporate security at Northwell and a former NYPD detective.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Other hospitals around the Island are reviewing their security needs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">South Nassau Communities Hospital in
Oceanside, which is part of the Manhattan-based Mount Sinai Health
System, is not considering armed guards, but “we’re always evaluating
our security needs on a day-to-day basis,” so that could change,
hospital spokesman Joe Calderone said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">There already are security guards at
main entrances who are “eyeing everybody who walks in, walks out, walks
by,” he said. More security cameras will be added inside and outside the
hospital, said Stephen Biscotti, the hospital’s chief of security and a
former NYPD counterterrorism detective.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Northwell, South Nassau Communities,
Stony Brook and Winthrop all declined to release the number of guards or
officers patrolling hospitals, with most citing security reasons.
Northwell said in a statement that there are “several hundred” armed and
unarmed guards in its 23 hospitals. Lenahan said that, at Stony Brook,
“Levels are designed to effectively respond in emergency situations.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">South Nassau Communities, Northwell and
Winthrop declined to discuss the salaries of guards. Stony Brook said in
an email that the average annual salary for a campus police officer is
$61,000, and for unarmed security guards $40,000.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Northwell officials said the
hospital system’s beefed-up security — including armed guards and the
installation of gates at entrances — likely will cost more than $1
million.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Northwell said in a statement that its
“armed guards have the same authority as an unarmed guard” and can use
physical, nonlethal force in limited circumstances, such as defending
someone or preventing theft.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“If we feel an arrest is warranted, the police are notified,” the statement said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">A Nassau University Medical Center
spokesman declined to comment on what type of security it has at the
public hospital in East Meadow and whether any guards are armed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Richard Margulis, president of Long Island
Community Hospital in Patchogue, said in an email that “to maintain the
highest level of security for LI Community Hospital, we do not divulge
our security procedures, personnel or technology.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Roy Williams, president-elect of
the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, a
health care security association, said hospitals need to conduct their
own risk and needs assessment to decide whether to arm security
officers. Many have turned to health care security consultants to help
analyze risk factors, including police response time and local crime
statistics, he said. Armed officers are only one element of a strategy
to mitigate risk, he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"> "There are so many things that have to
be considered," Williams said. "The days of having one plan that fits
everything are long gone."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">At Winthrop, security preparations may
involve hiring an outside security company to provide armed officers to
supplement unarmed ones, since current officers are not licensed to
carry weapons, Keating said. Hospital officials are also considering
whether to install physical barriers — such as turnstiles or gates that
open and close — at entrances.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“We’ve always been known as, and will
continue to be known as, a welcoming place,” Keating said. “That’s part
of the dilemma. Obviously putting up those kinds of barriers sends a
different message."</span></div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-80849152618388043922019-02-10T10:52:00.001-08:002019-02-10T11:01:06.488-08:00Catholic Priest arrested for trying to hire undercover officer to murder man who accused him of rape at gunpoint.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
No media circus of course.
<br />
<br />
</div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SecretHistoryOfTheJesuits/videos/786456071718034/">https://www.facebook.com/SecretHistoryOfTheJesuits/videos/786456071718034/</a>
<br />
<br /><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSecretHistoryOfTheJesuits%2Fvideos%2F786456071718034%2F&show_text=1&width=560" width="560" height="427" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-20755796377245094772018-11-26T12:41:00.003-08:002018-11-26T12:41:59.124-08:00Lawyer: Buffalo priest aimed gun at boy's head while molesting him<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7J3Y1r9mW5Wn2qWhcn7rV2wXDEJN0sSC8prQnpArCPcT8_ClOxqyjRdT0uPe4jB5TlxAwlZeGQyShX16jKm44BtRa2uY0fGNCnp-_MmycTLigFS-l2F9KaWen_7Ir7kuc7DIyI0nXcQ/s1600/freeman_gun_to_head_child_rapist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7J3Y1r9mW5Wn2qWhcn7rV2wXDEJN0sSC8prQnpArCPcT8_ClOxqyjRdT0uPe4jB5TlxAwlZeGQyShX16jKm44BtRa2uY0fGNCnp-_MmycTLigFS-l2F9KaWen_7Ir7kuc7DIyI0nXcQ/s320/freeman_gun_to_head_child_rapist.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
<br /><br />A deceased former Buffalo Diocese priest is accused of pointing a gun
at the head of a teenage boy he was molesting in the mid-1980s.<br /><br /><br />
The sexual abuses are alleged to have happened after Buffalo Diocese
officials were told the Rev. Michael R. Freeman had molested other boys
and young men, but kept him in ministry.<br />
Freeman was serving as associate pastor at St. Mary parish in
Lancaster in the mid-1980s when he allegedly pointed a gun at the boy to
persuade him to have sexual contact.<br /><br /><br />
That startling new allegation was made by the now-49-year-old man in a
compensation claim submitted to a Buffalo Diocese program offering
monetary settlements to victims of childhood sexual abuse.<br /><br /><br />
The man also said in his claim that Freeman provided absolution of
the boy’s sins immediately following the acts of abuse, according to
Steve Boyd, an Amherst attorney who represents the man. Catholics
believe that priests alone, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
have the power to free those who confess their sins from the spiritual
consequences of those transgressions.<br /><br />
“This was the pattern that began, that Freeman would have this child
perform oral sex on him and then absolve him of the sin afterwards,”
said Boyd.<br /><br /><br />
The priest began having sexual contact with the boy when the boy was about 14, according to Boyd.<br /><br /><br />
<div class="article-page-widget-wrapper">
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<a href="https://buffalonews.com/topic/clergy-sex-cases/" title="Priests accused of abuse">Priests accused of abuse</a> </div>
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<a href="https://buffalonews.com/2018/11/13/bishop-malone-has-company-on-hot-seat-over-abuse-complaints/" title="Malone among several U.S. bishops under fire for abuse complaints">Malone among several U.S. bishops under fire for abuse complaints<span class="icon"></span></a></div>
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</section>
</div>
Boyd submitted the claim for the man, who declined to be interviewed
by The News but authorized Boyd to speak on his behalf. The man lives
outside of Western New York, said Boyd. He is married and has children.<br /><br /><br />
The man also said that Freeman, a former Buffalo police and military
chaplain, regularly carried a silver-plated .38-caliber revolver,
according to Boyd.<br /><br /><br />
“And if the child would not participate willingly in Freeman’s sexual
abuse, Freeman would jokingly threaten him with the revolver,” said
Boyd. “He always carried it concealed. And several times, Freeman put
the gun to the boy’s head.”<br /><br /><br />
In addition, the man accused Freeman of paying a male prostitute in Toronto to have sex with them both, said Boyd.<br /><br /><br />
“Freeman would take the child to Toronto with him and on one occasion
Freeman paid a prostitute whose name was Scott to have sex with Freeman
and the boy,” he said.<br /><br /><br />
The abuse began in 1984 or 1985 and continued through the victim’s high school years, said Boyd.<br />
<h3>
<strong>Report: Diocese knew of history</strong></h3>
Buffalo Diocese officials knew in 1981 that Freeman had a history of abuse, according to <a href="https://buffalonews.com/2018/08/15/buffalo-diocese-criticized-in-scathing-pennsylvania-grand-jury-report-on-clergy-abuse/">a Pennsylvania grand jury report</a> released in August.<br /><br /><br />
Edward D. Head was the bishop of Buffalo at the time. One of his top
administrators was Monsignor Donald W. Trautman, who served as diocesan
chancellor and vicar general and was later named auxiliary bishop in
Buffalo. Trautman became bishop of the Erie Diocese in 1990.<br /><br /><br />
The Buffalo Diocese did not inform the public about Freeman until March 2018, when Bishop Richard J. Malone released <a href="https://buffalonews.com/2018/03/20/buffalo-diocese-names-priests-accused-of-abusing-minors/">a list of 42 priests</a> who had been credibly accused of sexual misconduct with minors.<br /><br /><br />
The Pennsylvania grand jury, in its investigation of clergy sex abuse
in six Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania, included Freeman in its
report because it found that the Buffalo priest had ministered in
various assignments in Pennsylvania.<br /><br /><br />
The report said Freeman admitted to committing sexual misconduct with
minors at St. Margaret and St. Lawrence parishes in Buffalo, where he
served in the early 1970s, and at other clergy assignments. He also
taught at Bishop Turner High School.<br /><br /><br />
“The Grand Jury found no documentation in Freeman’s file that
indicated that the Dioceses of Buffalo or Erie ever notified law
enforcement officials, despite the fact that Freeman admitted to
sexually violating children in at least five of his six ministry
assignments,” the grand jury report said.<br />
The News sought additional information about the allegations against
Freeman from the Buffalo Diocese. Diocese spokeswoman Kathy Spangler
said that officials could not provide answers at the moment because
Freeman's personnel file - along with the files of other priests accused
of abuse - has been handed over to the state Attorney General's office
in response to a subpoena.<br /><br /><br />
"At some point, when it is returned to us, time frame unknown, we will be able to respond to your questions," said Spangler.<br /><br />
<br />
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<span class="DC-note-title">Grand jury summary on Rev. Michael Freeman</span>
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<h3>
<strong><br />An early accuser</strong></h3>
One of Freeman's accusers, Paul Barr of Niagara Falls, said he first notified the diocese about Freeman in the early 1980s.<br />
Barr said in an interview with The News that Freeman molested him in
1980 in the rectory of Sacred Heart Church in Niagara Falls, and he was
outraged to learn the priest later victimized someone else.<br />
“They knew, and they just turned a blind eye. What kills me is he
abused people after I reported it. I think that bothers me more than
anything,” said Barr, an attorney in Niagara Falls.<br /><br /><br />
Barr also filed a claim this year for compensation from the diocese. <strong> </strong><br />
Barr said his abuse happened after the priest invited him to the
rectory to talk about staying involved in the parish’s youth ministry
program. The invitation seemed innocuous enough: Barr, who was 16 at the
time, took his Catholic faith seriously and was flattered by the
priest’s interest in him.<br />
“The first thing he did was hand me a beer,” said Barr. “I didn’t
even like beer, but I said to myself, ‘This is cool, I’m drinking beer
with a priest.’ "<br /><br /><br />
But at the meeting, Barr said, the priest told him he needed to be
checked for a sports injury that could be serious if not detected early.
“He said, ‘You want me to check you out, make sure you’re all right?’ ”
recalled Barr, who was a high school wrestler. “He seemed to be
stressing it was something that athletes got. So he was flattering me,
saying, ‘You must be an athlete.’ ”<br /><br /><br />
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<br /><br />Barr said he trusted the priest. But then Freeman fondled him, he said. “It wasn’t an examination touch,” said Barr.<br /><br /><br />
Barr said he reported the molestation to the Buffalo Diocese a couple
years later, at the urging of a youth minister who drove him to the
chancery offices. Barr didn’t recall the name of the woman to whom he
gave the report.<br /><br /><br />
“I don’t know if it was a nun or a social worker. I told her the
story, just as I’m telling you,” he said. “She more or less thanked me
for coming in. And that was it. There was no follow up or anything.”<br />
Barr said he’s gone to counseling for years to work through the emotional impact of the abuse.<br />
<h3>
<strong>Grand jury report</strong></h3>
A summary of Freeman’s sexual misconduct was included in the
Pennsylvania grand jury report, but it’s not clear if the grand jury
obtained information about Freeman from the Buffalo Diocese or from a
diocese in Pennsylvania.<br /><br /><br />
The report stated that Freeman was assigned to St. Christopher in
Tonawanda, Pa., in 1982 and to St. Mary in Lancaster, Pa., in 1984.
However, there is no Tonawanda in Pennsylvania, and Freeman is listed in
Buffalo Diocese directories as assigned to St. Christopher in
Tonawanda, N.Y., in 1982 and to St. Mary in Lancaster, N.Y., in 1984.<br /><br /><br />
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Office declined to comment on the discrepancies.<br /><br /><br />
Trautman, who retired in 2012 and is now bishop emeritus of Erie,
said he doesn’t remember Freeman working in any parishes in the Erie
Diocese.<br /><br /><br />
“I think it’s a mistake. He was never a priest of the Erie Diocese,”
said Trautman. “I think his crime was he brought a young boy from
Jamestown into the Erie Diocese and molested him.”<br /><br /><br />
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<h3>
<strong>Trautman on Freeman allegations</strong></h3>
Trautman was a high-ranking administrator in the Buffalo Diocese for
more than 15 years prior to his appointment in 1990 as bishop of Erie.
In his administrative roles in the Buffalo Diocese – he served as Head’s
second-in-command for much of the 1970s and 1980s – he likely would
have dealt with abuse allegations against Freeman and other priests.<br /><br /><br />
But Trautman, 82, said in a telephone interview that he didn’t recall
the accusations against Freeman or how the priest’s case was handled in
Buffalo.<br /><br /><br />
“The general practice was if the priest has proven sins against him, he’s taken out of ministry,” he said.<br /><br /><br />
Trautman was heavily criticized in the grand jury report for his handling of sex abuse complaints in the Erie Diocese.<br /><br /><br />
But Trautman said he removed many priests from ministry and years ago
handed over diocesan files on abusive priests to the Erie County (Pa.)
District Attorney’s Office. He served as Erie bishop until his
retirement in 2012.<br /><br /><br />
“Not everything in that grand jury report is accurate,” he said. “I
think there are many instances where the report is not factual.”<br /><br /><br />
The grand jury report stated that Freeman’s faculties as a priest
were revoked in 1989 and that the diocese continued to provide financial
aid to Freeman until July 31, 1999, when he told diocese officials that
he had a new job that would provide a salary and health insurance.<br /><br /><br />
Freeman went on to work for the Veterans Health Administration. He
was listed in 2009 as a social worker with the Canandaigua VA Medical
Center in Ontario County, according to federalpay.org, a website that
tracks federal employees.<br /><br /><br />
He died in 2010, at age 63, in Highland Hospital in Rochester after a brief illness, according to <a href="https://www.niagara-gazette.com/archives/rev-michael-r-freeman/article_41809d32-a17e-503c-bf95-eb8df1fd46bc.html">an obituary</a> in the Niagara Gazette.<br /><br /><br />
<div class="topics">
<strong>Story topics:</strong> <a href="https://buffalonews.com/topic/clergy-sex-cases/" rel="tag">Clergy sex cases</a></div>
</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-44399179551904912542018-11-21T17:40:00.000-08:002018-11-21T17:40:31.694-08:00Cardinal DiNardo - US Bishops repeat calls for gun control after Chicago hospital shooting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px;"> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dinardo-calls-for-reasonable-gun-control-after-chicago-hospital-shooting-78762&ct=ga&cd=CAEYACoTODMyNjU3NjU0ODg2NTMxNzM3MDIaMzc5ZmEyOWU3MjFhM2QyMTpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNFunGzSEjBPXd28Eg8RZExfqL1dEA" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #427fed; display: inline; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Cardinal DiNardo calls for 'reasonable' <b>gun control</b> after Chicago hospital shooting </a> </span> <br />
<div>
<div style="padding: 2px 0px 8px 0px;">
<div style="color: #737373; font-size: 12px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: #737373; text-decoration: none;"> Catholic News Agency </a> </div>
<div style="color: #252525; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; padding: 2px 0px 0px 0px;">
Chicago,
Ill., Nov 20, 2018 / 12:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After a shooting at
Mercy Hospital in Chicago left four dead, including the gunman, on ...</div>
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<tr> <td style="padding-right: 6px;" width="16"><a href="https://www.google.com/alerts/share?hl=en&gl=US&ru=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dinardo-calls-for-reasonable-gun-control-after-chicago-hospital-shooting-78762&ss=gp&rt=Cardinal+DiNardo+calls+for+%27reasonable%27+gun+control+after+Chicago+hospital+shooting&cd=KhM4MzI2NTc2NTQ4ODY1MzE3MzcwMhozNzlmYTI5ZTcyMWEzZDIxOmNvbTplbjpVUw&ssp=AMJHsmUD5P445YDmMyxT__avO-ziUJlZ8A" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> <img alt="Google Plus" border="0" height="16" src="https://www.gstatic.com/alerts/images/gp-24.png" style="visibility: visible;" width="16" /></a> </td> <td style="padding-right: 6px;" width="16"><a href="https://www.google.com/alerts/share?hl=en&gl=US&ru=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dinardo-calls-for-reasonable-gun-control-after-chicago-hospital-shooting-78762&ss=fb&rt=Cardinal+DiNardo+calls+for+%27reasonable%27+gun+control+after+Chicago+hospital+shooting&cd=KhM4MzI2NTc2NTQ4ODY1MzE3MzcwMhozNzlmYTI5ZTcyMWEzZDIxOmNvbTplbjpVUw&ssp=AMJHsmUD5P445YDmMyxT__avO-ziUJlZ8A" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> <img alt="Facebook" border="0" height="16" src="https://www.gstatic.com/alerts/images/fb-24.png" style="visibility: visible;" width="16" /></a> </td> <td style="padding-right: 6px;" width="16"><a href="https://www.google.com/alerts/share?hl=en&gl=US&ru=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dinardo-calls-for-reasonable-gun-control-after-chicago-hospital-shooting-78762&ss=tw&rt=Cardinal+DiNardo+calls+for+%27reasonable%27+gun+control+after+Chicago+hospital+shooting&cd=KhM4MzI2NTc2NTQ4ODY1MzE3MzcwMhozNzlmYTI5ZTcyMWEzZDIxOmNvbTplbjpVUw&ssp=AMJHsmUD5P445YDmMyxT__avO-ziUJlZ8A" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> <img alt="Twitter" border="0" height="16" src="https://www.gstatic.com/alerts/images/tw-24.png" style="visibility: visible;" width="16" /></a> </td> <td style="font-family: Arial; padding: 0px 0px 6px 15px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/alerts/feedback?ffu=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dinardo-calls-for-reasonable-gun-control-after-chicago-hospital-shooting-78762&source=alertsmail&hl=en&gl=US&msgid=ODMyNjU3NjU0ODg2NTMxNzM3MA&s=AB2Xq4gwBEBWLjTr42L1T8jbWSuVZO7Zbs-J59I" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #aaaaaa; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: middle;" target="_blank"> Flag as irrelevant </a> </td> </tr>
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<span style="padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px;"> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/36035&ct=ga&cd=CAEYASoTODMyNjU3NjU0ODg2NTMxNzM3MDIaMzc5ZmEyOWU3MjFhM2QyMTpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNGPW1r4MNbotfP_thE_kWSDLqzGkQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #427fed; display: inline; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> US Bishops repeat calls for <b>gun control</b> after Chicago hospital shooting </a> </span> <br />
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<div style="color: #737373; font-size: 12px;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="color: #737373; text-decoration: none;"> Independent Catholic News </a> </div>
<div style="color: #252525; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; padding: 2px 0px 0px 0px;">
The US Conference of <b>Catholic</b> Bishops issued a statement calling for prayers and steps to curb gun violence after the latest shooting incident, at the ...</div>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-50105256277688685492018-09-02T16:33:00.000-07:002018-09-02T16:33:18.947-07:00Faith-Based Anti-Gun Coalition Formed to Take Down a Gun Manufacturer...From The Inside Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="headline">
Faith-Based Anti-Gun Coalition Formed to Take Down a Gun Manufacturer...From The Inside Out</h1>
<section id="article-media-object">
<img alt="Faith-Based Anti-Gun Coalition Formed to Take Down a Gun Manufacturer...From The Inside Out" class="article-main-image img-responsive" height="203" src="https://media.townhall.com/townhall/reu/ha/2018/63/65207a34-b30b-4f22-9b4b-bc073d073374.jpg" width="400" />
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</aside>
<span style="font-size: large;">A group of 11 Catholic groups came together to purchase stock in
Smith & Wesson. The group purchased 200 shares, the minimum number
required to for shareholders to demand reports from the company. Now,
they want the gun manufacturer to provide a report that details what the
company is doing to promote "gun safety measures" and "produce safer
gun and gun products."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">According to an <a href="http://ir.smith-wesson.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=90977&p=irol-SECText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2FwaS50ZW5rd2l6YXJkLmNvbS9maWxpbmcueG1sP2lwYWdlPTEyNDIzMDU3JkRTRVE9MCZTRVE9MCZTUURFU0M9U0VDVElPTl9FTlRJUkUmc3Vic2lkPTU3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEC filing</a>,
which is submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), here's what the group wants to see from Smith & Wesson:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shareholders request the<strong> </strong>Board
of Directors issue a report by February 8, 2019, at reasonable expense
and excluding proprietary information, on the company’s activities
related to gun safety measures and the mitigation of harm associated
with gun products, including the following (emphasis mine):</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Shareholders
request the Board of Directors issue a report by February 8, 2019, at
reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, on the
company’s activities related to gun safety measures and the mitigation
of harm associated with gun products, including the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">• Evidence of monitoring of violent events associated with products produced by the company.<br />• Efforts underway to research and produce safer guns and gun products.<br />• Assessment of the corporate reputational and financial risks related to gun violence in the U.S.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The
resolution asks American Outdoor Brands Company (AOBC) to report on
activities underway to mitigate the risks that its products may be
misused in criminal acts of gun violence. </strong>Contrary to what the
company suggests, AOBC has both the responsibility and capacity to play a
more active role in how its products are used; the requested assessment
and reporting are the first steps towards acceptance of this
responsibility. <strong>As a result of several high profile mass
shootings in the past year, most recently the shooting at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, gun violence is
increasingly being seen as a public health crisis with extraordinary
human and financial costs.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Importantly, events of gun
violence have led to mounting public backlash against gun makers and
retailers including calls for boycotts, divestment and demands for gun
safety regulation at both the federal and state levels. This environment
presents serious business risks which demand a meaningful response from
AOBC.<strong> The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
make clear the corporate responsibility to seek to prevent or mitigate
adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their
operations, products or services by their business relationships, even
if they have not contributed to those impacts.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">AOBC has a
responsibility to mitigate potential impacts through improved
monitoring of its distribution and retail sales channels and enhanced
reporting on research and development efforts to improve the safety
features of its consumer products. T<strong>he resolution does not
request that AOBC produce smart guns or other specific products; nor
does it call for the company to endorse a gun control regulatory or
policy agenda. The resolution does, however, ask for reporting because
existing disclosures of current risk mitigation measures are seen as
insufficient for investors to assess their effectiveness.</strong></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">The argument in favor of the proxy ballot vote:</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">Given
recent events of gun violence, weapons manufacturers are facing an
extraordinary climate of heightened and sustained scrutiny which may
negatively impact their businesses if they do not take more meaningful
efforts to mitigate risks.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">James Debney, the
President and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corporation, the parent
company of Smith & Wesson, the entire saga is a political ploy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Unlike
a bonafide investor, this proponent purchased just 200 shares, the bare
minimum needed under SEC rules to place an item on the proxy with the
sole objective to push an anti-firearms agenda, designed to harm our
company, disrupt the local sale of our products and destroy stockholder
value,” Debney said Thursday during a conference call with investors, <a href="https://www.guns.com/2018/08/31/smith-wesson-gun-violence-risk-report-is-a-political-stunt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Guns.com</a> reported. “This proponent will gladly sacrifice its investments and yours to achieve its political objectives.”</span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2018/09/02/our-new-hollywood-overlords-n2515118?utm_campaign=inarticle" title="Our New Hollywood Overlords - 62"><span class="mpw-inline-col__story"></span></a></span><br />
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<div class="mpw-inline-col__muted">
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<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">During his call, Debney said this report does absolutely nothing to
improve community safety. He believes this is just a move by gun control
advocates.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"We find it curious that the proponents of this
proposal overlook our long-standing call for and involvement in actions
that truly have meaningful impacts, such as greater vigilance in
enforcing the laws and criminal penalties on the books, and the need to
meaningfully address the role that mental illness plays in senseless
violence,” he said. “In contrast, the proponents’ efforts appear to be
more about their anti-gun agenda.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sturm, Ruger and Company went through a <a href="https://www.guns.com/2018/05/10/hold-fbi-eight-active-shooters-thwarted-by-citizens-in-2016-2017/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">similar situation</a> back in May where they were forced to prepare a similar report.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The coalition who purchased stocks in Smith & Wesson include:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">• Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, U.S.-Ontario Province<br />• Adrian Dominican Sisters<br />• Catholic Health Initiatives<br />• Congregation of St. Joseph<br />• Daughters of Charity, Province of St Louise<br />• Mercy Health<br />• Mercy Investment Services<br />• Sisters of Bon Secours, USA<br />• Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province<br />• Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia<br />• Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet - St. Louis Province</span><br />
</section><h1 class="headline">
</h1>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-60306895977162365462018-07-07T18:50:00.000-07:002018-07-07T18:50:13.215-07:00Catholic Priest Michael Pfleger and Thousands shut down Chicago highway with gun control march <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thousands of <a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/chicago">Chicago</a> protesters shut down a major highway on Saturday to oppose gun violence and call for stronger gun laws.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After an hour-long standstill, police announced they were shutting
down all northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway to allow protesters
to march on the road.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city’s police superintendent had voiced
support for the protest, which was led by the Rev Michael Pfleger, the <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2010/Voice-of-Change-On-Radical-Disciple-The-Story-of-Father-Pfleger/">charismatic Catholic priest</a> </b>heading a largely <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-st-sabina-100-anniversary-met-20161002-story.html">African American church</a> in one of the South Side neighborhoods hard-hit by gang violence.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="gallery-lightbox__img-container">
<img class="gallery-lightbox__img js-gallery-lightbox-img" height="240" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4dc378eb277afd52e3fabc3b02f6d45320af8b3b/0_519_5065_3039/master/5065.jpg?w=700&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=f4bcd7688fa19785f31a9a2d277200f1" width="400" /><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a class="u-underline" data-component="auto-linked-tag" data-link-name="auto-linked-tag" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/illinois">Illinois</a> state police have jurisdiction over the interstate, and had threatened to arrest anyone who stepped on to the entry ramp.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But protesters were allowed on to several lanes of highway on
Saturday as corrections department buses waited alongside. Protestors
chanted “shut it down.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Pfleger, the Rev Jesse Jackson and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were walking side-by-side among them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> After long negotiations between police and march leaders, the protest
was eventually allowed to take over the whole highway northbound and
proceed.<span class="inline-arrow-in-circle inline-icon "><svg class="inline-arrow-in-circle__svg inline-icon__svg" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24">
</svg>
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Daniel Blalock, 35, said had been willing to get arrested if
necessary: “I didn’t come here planning to go home. I want peace, just
peace. It’s going to take a long time but this is the first step.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Shortly before the march began, Illinois’s governor, Bruce Rauner,
said that Pfleger and other organizers had agreed to limit their
demonstration to the highway shoulder, without taking over the road. In a
tweet, Pfleger called the assertion a “LIE” and said the protest would
go on as planned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Later in the day, Rauner called the shutdown “unacceptable.” The
Republican said in a tweet Saturday that he was “disappointed” in
Emanuel, and called on him to “take swift and decisive action to put an
end to this kind of chaos.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Emanuel responded in a tweet : “It was a peaceful protest. Delete your account.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Protesters said they hoped the march would push public officials to
pass stronger gun control laws and address the underlying causes of gun
violence in Chicago.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“If Governor Rauner and Mayor Rahm Emanuel can meet in secret to
decide to give Amazon a billion dollars,” referring to officials’
attempts to lure the company to Chicago, “they can meet and decide to do
something about not only gun violence but inequality,” said attorney
Eric Martin White, 50, carrying an American flag.</span><br />
<source media="(min-width: 0px)"></source><span style="font-size: large;"> I’m hoping that this is just a little spark that encourages people
to continue to lift their voices and demand a redress of grievances,” he
said. Katherine Pisabaj, 19, wore a black halter top to the march to show
the scar running down her stomach, where doctors operated after she was
shot in the back on 25 February in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood,
a hipster enclave that also sees gang violence. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="gallery-lightbox__img-container">
<img class="gallery-lightbox__img js-gallery-lightbox-img" height="640" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9a67b5a3045e92f3d14f0e522708ce2ccc3e5aca/0_125_2448_3060/master/2448.jpg?w=700&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=012630f487f2b787de3803fce1324ca0" width="512" /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Her mother, Yolanda
Segura, held a sign calling on President Trump to help Chicago. Pisabaj’s four young nephews joined them, sitting on the hot concrete
of the highway as protesters waited for news of the lane closures. “This can’t be a shared experience any more, I don’t want my nephews
to have to go through what I went through,” she said. “Now that young
people are speaking up and getting involved, we have a lot more power. I
don’t think this will be an issue my whole life, we’re going to make a
change.” Pisabaj, a college student planning to study nutrition science, said
police found that a gang member had shot her in a case of mistaken
identity. “It can happen to anyone of any age anywhere,” said Segura.
“We need stronger laws on guns.” Pfleger and his parishioners are calling for “commonsense” gun laws
and for city and state officials to meet with them to talk about what
they see as the root causes of the city’s notorious gun violence:
poverty, lack of jobs, subpar or shuttered schools for largely African
American residents on the city’s South and West sides. Last year more than 3,000 people were shot in Chicago, more than 600 of them fatally.
</span><br /><br />
<div class="gallery-lightbox__img-container">
<img class="gallery-lightbox__img js-gallery-lightbox-img" height="240" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1c53cb2d80b9230c73651011f73d1da2f77a9e4e/0_0_3894_2337/master/3894.jpg?w=700&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=7a37653446ae17055878556d3d3a7391" width="400" /> </div>
<div class="gallery-lightbox__img-container">
</div>
<div class="gallery-lightbox__img-container">
<span style="font-size: large;">There have long been frequent <a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151201/downtown/chicagoans-actually-do-protest-violence-their-communities-all-time/">neighborhood protests and events</a>
against gun violence in Chicago, including marches, midnight basketball
games to provide positive alternatives for youth, and block parties to
reclaim public space from gangs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While Chicago’s almost entirely Democratic elected officials
generally support gun control, Saturday’s march also drew criticism.
Many complained about the traffic it would create for weekend travelers,
while one African American pastor accused Pfleger, who is white, of
grandstanding and trying to “<a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="https://wgntv.com/2018/07/06/mayor-top-cop-throw-support-behind-pflegers-planned-protest-on-dan-ryan/">play Tarzan</a>” in the black community. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Pfleger has pointed out that the highways are periodically closed for presidential visits and other reasons. Jackson was quoted<a class="u-underline" data-link-name="in body link" href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-rahm-emanuel-pfleger-dan-ryan-march-20180706-story.html"> in the Chicago Tribune </a>saying, “Stopping traffic is less damaging than the shooting and the killing and the jailing.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">On Thursday night, Chicago police arrested 106 people and seized
large quantities of drugs in what the police superintendent described as
an effort to crack down on gun violence and see prosecution of repeat
gun offenders. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-92143108592858327842018-06-21T20:19:00.000-07:002018-06-21T20:19:59.243-07:00Ohio’s GOP legislators nix a 'sensible' gun-control law<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8DyhQIfrkRPy0XKQTXnRFcLy8xMIopV-sWM7FddDG2TbM3Rnmwv1D1UMRTZY8w0KHBFNORC2_A2nrRPXQx8F5Xo6kjO6cIPgC9WMG52UXMPLk7XqZgxl_gc1twWxxP8-5upyKQ2j2Ks/s1600/blue-mass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8DyhQIfrkRPy0XKQTXnRFcLy8xMIopV-sWM7FddDG2TbM3Rnmwv1D1UMRTZY8w0KHBFNORC2_A2nrRPXQx8F5Xo6kjO6cIPgC9WMG52UXMPLk7XqZgxl_gc1twWxxP8-5upyKQ2j2Ks/s320/blue-mass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p1">
<span style="font-size: large;">They rejected the treasonous conspiracy against the 2nd amendment by a "broad coalition of students, teachers, school counselors, <u>police chiefs</u>, pediatricians and <u>Catholic clergy</u> demanding" gun control...<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.vindy.com/news/2018/jun/21/ohios-gop-legislators-nix-a-sensible-gun/">http://www.vindy.com/news/2018/jun/21/ohios-gop-legislators-nix-a-sensible-gun/</a><br /></span>Republican leaders in the
Ohio House and Senate have largely ignored Republican Gov. John Kasich’s
appeal for expedited action on his proposal to update the state’s gun
laws.</div>
<div class="story_body" id="target-story_body_template">
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p2">
But they will be hard-pressed to
turn a deaf ear to a broad coalition of students, teachers, school
counselors, police chiefs, pediatricians and Catholic clergy demanding a
vote on the governor’s packages of reform.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p3">
Indeed, in a joint letter sent
last week to state legislative leaders, the groups representing the
police chiefs and others criticized the Ohio General Assembly’s seeming
“lack of urgency” in updating Ohio’s gun laws.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p4">
There are companion bills in the
House and Senate containing changes recommended by a bipartisan
advisory panel convened by Kasich. The measures have been stalled since
mid-April.</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p5">
Two months ago, we suggested
that Republican majorities in Congress and in the Ohio Legislature are
dragging their feet on enacting sensible gun-control legislation because
they fear the politically powerful National Rifle Association.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p6">
It is noteworthy that Republican
President Donald J, Trump and Republican Gov. Kasich are pushing for
changes to existing guns laws, but are unable to get GOP lawmakers to
act.</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p7">
In early March, Trump met with
members of Congress from both parties and made it clear he would take on
the NRA to get national gun-control legislation enacted.<br /><br /></div>
<center>
</center>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p8">
Gov. Kasich, recognizing that
this is an issue that crosses political lines, formed a bipartisan
gun-policy advisory group after a sniper killed 58 people attending an
open-air country music concert in Las Vegas.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p9">
Kasich is urging state lawmakers
to adopt a package of reforms that would: take guns away from people at
risk of hurting themselves or others; keep guns away from those
convicted of domestic violence; facilitate gun-violence protection
orders; close some gaps in the background check system; strengthen the
law against “straw man” gun purchases; and ban bump stocks and
armor-piercing ammunition.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p10">
Kasich’s reassurance<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p11">
As we noted in the April
editorial, the governor sought to reassure pro-gun advocates that the
changes he was proposing to Ohio’s laws were limited in their scope.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p12">
“No one is interested in some slippery slope in trying to go and grab everyone’s guns,” Kasich said.</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p13">
The bump-stocks prohibition is similar to the one President Trump has proposed.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p14">
But there’s a measure moving
through the Ohio General Assembly that Kasich says he will not sign. The
so-called “Stand Your Ground” bill, which has the support of pro-gun
groups, would remove the requirement to try and retreat before taking
lethal action.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p15">
The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association is opposed to the bill, saying it would make it harder to convict criminals.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p16">
The very fact that Republicans
lawmakers consider this more important than the sensible, much-needed
measure sought by the governor speaks volumes about their legislative
priorities.</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p17">
It’s time they received a reality check. <br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p18">
Here’s what the letter from the coalition urging legislative action on Kasich’s package of reforms said, in part:<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p19">
“Within this past month alone,
Americans have grieved for those killed or injured in three school
massacres and our nation continues to average more than one shooting at a
school per week. This issue is not going away and we cannot continue to
bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this violence won’t happen
here – because it has. And it will again.”<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p20">
There was a meeting Tuesday of House Republicans to judge the level of interest in moving forward with House Bill 585. <br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p21">
The legislation also would
require that gun purchases be entered into the statewide law-enforcement
database, something the governor has urged local agencies to do.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p22">
Before Tuesday’s GOP caucus,
the measure, sponsored by Rep. Mike Henne of Clayton, had no co-sponsors
and was languishing in committee.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p23">
Not much has changed today, which means the chances of passage are slim at best.</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p24">
Here’s what House Speaker Ryan Smith of Bidwell had to say about the Kasich measure:</div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p25">
“That bill has frankly caused a
lot of consternation with our caucus. It’s not to say that we’re
insensitive to it or don’t want to do something on it, it’s just people
are very protective of the Second Amendment.”<br /><br /></div>
<div class="permalinkable" id="h74932-p26">
Such justification for inaction
is a cop-out because there’s nothing Kasich has proposed that’s an
assault on the Second Amendment.</div>
</div>
</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-6107505929421135792018-06-05T10:54:00.001-07:002018-06-05T10:54:20.872-07:00CCRKBA Rips Hypocrisy Of Anti-Gun Chicago Priest <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CCRKBA Rips Hypocrisy Of Anti-Gun Chicago Priest
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-oSl8uHBbgXts8MqrGWjMFfbvNGsC0r-qdB0bhZ7DCHE5qUCFpCNcNPhlFkqoXUIhYKau4uPabH6OZvHal-uIquMBxjMCadQXef8urz7uhghvLTC7mg4pt3nZR2xtqu2Ss-ml5kPpvE/s1600/pfleger+parkland+creeps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="492" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-oSl8uHBbgXts8MqrGWjMFfbvNGsC0r-qdB0bhZ7DCHE5qUCFpCNcNPhlFkqoXUIhYKau4uPabH6OZvHal-uIquMBxjMCadQXef8urz7uhghvLTC7mg4pt3nZR2xtqu2Ss-ml5kPpvE/s640/pfleger+parkland+creeps.JPG" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">BELLEVUE, Wash.</span></span></span>, <span class="xn-chron">June 4, 2018</span>
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep
and Bear Arms today is calling on the Chicago Archdiocese to conduct a
full, impartial and public investigation into whether anti-gun Father <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Michael Pfleger</span></span> employs armed security, following the arrest of a man outside of the cleric's church more than a week ago.<br /><br />
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"The man arrested outside Pfleger's St.
Sabina church was carrying a firearm with an expired Firearm Owner's
Identification card, which gun owners must have in <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Illinois</span></span></span>," noted CCRKBA Chairman <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Alan Gottlieb</span></span>.
"A church spokesperson has said the man is not a 'bodyguard' for the
outspoken Catholic priest. Well, we want to know exactly what he was
doing outside that church, with a firearm, since he's been described as
Pfleger's security and has apparently been with Pfleger at several
community events.<br /><br />
"If Pfleger has an armed bodyguard while he
travels around pushing to disarm everyone else," Gottlieb added, "then
he is a hypocrite of the highest order. Somebody should remind Pfleger
that it is a sin to lie."<br /><br />
According to at least two published reports, a man identified as <span class="xn-person" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><span itemprop="name">Henry Eugene Hale</span></span> was arrested outside Pfleger's church on <span class="xn-chron">May 28</span>. Reports said his FOID card expired in December, but that he is licensed to work as a security guard in <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">Illinois</span></span></span>. Following the arrest, Hale was reportedly released on <span class="xn-money">$150</span>
bail. Four years ago, Pfleger drew criticism for allegedly having three
armed guards at a gun control rally, and he also said at one rally that
the owner of a local gun shop should be snuffed.<br />
"It is bad enough for a priest to publicly
demonstrate against the exercise of a God-given right to
self-protection," Gottlieb said, "but when he apparently does so under
the full protection of armed guards, that's deserving of an
investigation. Frankly, our members are tired of the hypocrisy from
anti-gunners who toil to disarm everyone else. The public should know if
Pfleger has armed bodyguards, who hired them and who is paying them. <br /><br />
"It's time for the Archdiocese to
investigate," he stated. "Pfleger has become an embarrassment to the
church, and something of a false prophet for gun control extremism. <br /><br />
"If Pfleger wants to be a political
activist," Gottlieb concluded, "he should turn in his collar and
vestments, and get out of the pulpit and stand on a soapbox. If it's
true that he has armed security, then he needs to practice what he
preaches."<br /><br />
With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (<a class="linkOnClick" data-include="300659333" href="http://www.ccrkba.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.ccrkba.org</a>)
is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a
non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to
preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected
officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights
activists in local communities throughout <span class="xn-location" itemprop="contentLocation" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Place"><span itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/address"><span itemprop="addressLocality">the United States</span></span></span>. <br /><br />
SOURCE Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms</div>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-31539590477053969832018-05-09T17:43:00.000-07:002018-06-21T20:23:22.762-07:00Pope calls for banning "all weapons"... YES HE DID.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do we really want peace? Then let’s ban all weapons so we don’t have to live in fear of war. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/990553785415200773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2018</a></span></div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes He did call for the banning of all weapons. Snopes and the other propaganda rags trying to help cover it up are liars. Total abolishment of private gun ownership is the official doctrine of the Catholic cult!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.guns.com/2017/04/16/guns-swiss-guard/" target="_blank">But look at all the guns on the Vatican's compound</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-57504559083537514512018-05-09T15:39:00.001-07:002018-05-09T15:39:59.602-07:00Sturm Ruger Shareholders Adopt Measure Backed by Gun Control Activists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 class="css-ua6igs ejekc6u0">
<span class="balancedHeadline" style="display: inline-block; max-width: 410.109px;">Sturm Ruger Shareholders Adopt Measure Backed by Gun Control Activists</span></h1>
<figure class="ResponsiveMedia-media--32g1o ResponsiveMedia-toneNews--pMwMi ResponsiveMedia-sizeMedium--3hVlk ResponsiveMedia-layoutHorizontal--1e727 styles-ledeMedia--QQsLl css-1qj8zsz ResponsiveMedia-toneNews--pMwMi" itemid="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/05/09/business/09STURM/merlin_137857704_4a340a31-511d-4306-af3d-71401c65e6dc-articleLarge.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="group"><div class="ResponsiveMedia-container--G2JS6 ResponsiveMedia-toneNews--pMwMi">
<span class="accessibility-visuallyHidden--OUeHR">Image</span><img alt="" class="Image-image--2zb04" height="266" src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/05/09/business/09STURM/merlin_137857704_4a340a31-511d-4306-af3d-71401c65e6dc-articleLarge.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp" width="400" /></div>
<figcaption class="ResponsiveMedia-caption--1dUVu media-caption--3q8sa ResponsiveMedia-toneNews--pMwMi" itemprop="caption description"><span class="ResponsiveMedia-captionText--2WFdF media-captionText--1yGqw">A
Sturm Ruger display at a gun show. The firearms manufacturer will face
proposals from gun-control activists at its annual shareholders meeting
on Wednesday.</span><span class="ResponsiveMedia-credit--3F-q_ media-credit--3-06U" itemprop="copyrightHolder"><span class="accessibility-visuallyHidden--OUeHR">Credit</span><span>Daniel Acker/Bloomberg</span></span></figcaption></figure><div class="styles-bylineTimestamp--3EUut styles-toneNews--1wgku">
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By <span class="css-1baulvz"><a class="css-hlplvh e1x1pwtg0" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/tiffany-hsu">Tiffany Hsu</a></span></div>
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<time class="css-3u3suj eqgapgq0" content="2018 - 05 - 09" datetime="2018-05-09" itemprop="datePublished">May 9, 2018<br /></time></div>
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Sturm
Ruger, one of the country’s largest firearms makers, had urged
shareholders for weeks to reject a proposal from a group of <b>Roman
Catholic nuns </b>demanding more transparency from the company on whether it
planned to develop safer products and monitor the ones already in
circulation.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
But when the votes were counted at the company’s annual meeting on Wednesday, <b>a majority of investors sided with the nuns</b>.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ruger,
which makes a variety of weapons, including a style of rifle often used
in mass shootings, must now produce a report by February on how it
tracks violence associated with its firearms, what kind of research it
is conducting related to so-called smart gun technology and its
assessment of the risks that gun-related crimes pose to the company’s
reputation and finances.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
The vote was
a rebuke to the company’s leaders and victory for guncontrol activists
who had prepared the resolution. But the chief executive, Christopher J.
Killoy, played down the impact of the measure’s passage<br /><br /></div>
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“This
proposal requires Ruger to prepare a report,” Mr. Killoy told
shareholders after the vote was announced. “That’s it, a report. It
cannot force us to change our business, which is lawful and
constitutionally protected.”<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
The Ruger meeting was the first chance for activist shareholders to confront a publicly held American gun maker since <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/us/parkland-shooting-reconstruction.html" target="_blank" title="">17 people died in Parkland, Fla.</a>, in a school shooting in February.</div>
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<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Shareholder
approval of the proposal faced long odds, but activists had prepared
for months to challenge Ruger. They plan to raise similar issues at
other shareholder meetings this year.<br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ruger
did not support the proposal, which was submitted by 11 members of the
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a shareholder advocacy
organization that included health care networks and several groups of
nuns. The company said in a public filing that “the intentional criminal
misuse of firearms is beyond our control.”<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
But
Institutional Shareholder Services, an advisory firm, backed the
proposal, describing it as a push for “concrete evidence that the board
is properly assessing risks to the company’s long-term viability.”<br /><br /></div>
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On
a separate front, Amalgamated Bank, an institutional investor and
retail bank that promotes social justice issues, had worked with other
groups that have tried to convince major Ruger shareholders like
BlackRock and Vanguard that the company’s close ties to the National
Rifle Association had exposed it to risk.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Amalgamated
said on Tuesday that it would withhold its vote to reappoint Sandra
Froman, the only woman on the Ruger board, to the seat she has held
since 2015.<br /><br /></div>
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Ms. Froman won re-election on Wednesday.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ms.
Froman, a lawyer, has served on the N.R.A.’s board since 1992 and was
its president from 2005 to 2007. She helped organize a <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.facebook.com/nrawomen/photos/a.350730654985095.80621.302706906454137/1734589393265874/?type=3&theater" target="_blank" title="">breakfast at the N.R.A.’s annual meeting</a> in Dallas this month, where President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke.<br /><br /></div>
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In a <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.amalgamatedbank.com/sites/default/files/Letter_to_RGR_Amalgamated_Shareholder_Activism.pdf" target="_blank" title="">letter sent to Ruger</a>
last month, Amalgamated’s chief executive, Keith Mestrich, said Ms.
Froman’s connections to the gun group “may inhibit objective assessment
and management of the risks” that Ruger faced.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ruger
has contracted with the N.R.A. for some of its promotional and
advertising activities and has made over $9 million in payments to the
group over the last two years, according to <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://ruger.com/corporate/PDF/Proxy-2018.pdf" target="_blank" title="">public</a> <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/95029/000117494717000464/def14a-17408_rgr.htm" target="_blank" title="">filings</a>.</div>
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Ms. Froman did not respond to requests for comment.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ruger
is based in Southport, Conn., but held its shareholder meeting at a
hotel a short drive from one of its factories in Arizona.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="css-1cy1v93 e2kc3sl0">
Ruger
has faced previous pressure to open up. In 2016, New York’s public
advocate asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/business/dealbook/sturm-ruger-under-pressure-from-new-york-public-advocate.html" target="_blank" title="">look into allegations</a> that Ruger had misled investors and failed to properly disclose its reputational and liability risks.<br /><br /></div>
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“This
is not the first time this has happened, though there’s a little more
intensity now,” said Brian G. Rafn, a principal at Morgan Dempsey
Capital Management, referring to calls for changes in the gun industry.
“This is a very, very polarized time, with everyone lining up on either
side of the fence.”</div>
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<em>Follow Tiffany Hsu on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/tiffkhsu?lang=en">@tiffkhsu</a>.<br /></em><br />
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-32899650522739769412018-05-01T21:44:00.001-07:002018-05-01T21:44:51.694-07:00The Catholic Church on gun control and gun rights: 13abc talks with Bishop Thomas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Video: <a href="http://www.13abc.com/content/news/--481305921.html">http://www.13abc.com/content/news/--481305921.html</a></span><br />
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<span id="dateline" itemprop="dateline"><strong>TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - </strong></span>
Abortion, gay marriage, immigration rights are divisive and debatable
issues, but in the eyes of the Roman Catholic church those are issues
where there is little if any room for debate.<br />
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In an interview with Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas, we get a
closer look at the church's position on what is perhaps the most hot
button issue in our country right now, gun control.<br />
Bishop Thomas addresses questions over assault weapons, the second amendment and arming teachers more.<br />
</div>
</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-91857601530151854682018-04-04T18:54:00.000-07:002018-04-04T18:54:46.736-07:00Francis-appointed cardinals march for immigration, gun control on Good Friday <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
April 3, 2018 (<a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/">LifeSiteNews</a>)
– On Good Friday, two Pope Francis-appointed cardinals participated in
processions that focused on immigration and gun control.<br />
<br />
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey joined a walk “for
justice, for immigrants, and for all.” Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich
participated in a “peace walk” and praised anti-gun teenagers for giving
“all of us a lesson in courage.” <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Cardinal Cupich on Good Friday marched through Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, which suffers from gun violence, with Fr Manuel Dorantes and young people before addressing crowd in English and Spanish, exhorting them to continue fighting against gun violence. <a href="https://t.co/jpdSV9tnja">pic.twitter.com/jpdSV9tnja</a></div>
— Michael J. O'Loughlin (@MikeOLoughlin) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeOLoughlin/status/979794966602858496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
<br />
<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/francis-appointed-cardinals-march-for-immigration-gun-control-on-good-frida" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Read More </span></a><br />
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-89670641346889465962018-03-27T08:05:00.002-07:002018-03-27T08:05:38.830-07:00Bishops take to Twitter to back 'March for Our Lives' <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In
this March 14, 2018, file photo, Abbey Kadlec, left, and her classmates
stand on the stairs and sidewalk of Lewis and Clark High School to
protest gun violence, part of a nationwide movement, in Spokane, Wash.
(Credit: Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review via AP.)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">NEW
YORK - As thousands marched on Washington and around the country in
support of tighter gun control policies, a number of Catholic bishops
took to social media to offer support for those participating in the
events.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">At a Mass for Peace, Justice, and Healing in Boston, Cardinal Sean
O’Malley praised the young people of Parkland, Florida - the most recent
school massacre, where 17 students and teachers were killed in
February, and which set off a new wave of public activism in protest of
gun violence. There was a school shooting in Maryland last week as well.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“The extraordinary role of the students from Parkland in focusing the
country on this critical social problem should be a sign of hope for
all of us. The manner by which the students have presented their case
has already impacted the tone of the debate about guns and violence,”
said O’Malley.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“They have helped us to realize that these tragedies victimize people
from all walks of life, from every class and ethnicity. We owe these
students and those who will join them today our support and our
gratitude,” he said.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">O’Malley acknowledged that the Second Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution affirms the right for citizens to bear arms, but added that
all rights are subject to regulation.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the day on Saturday, he took to Twitter to offer
commentary on gun violence and used the official hash tag for the event,
#MarchforOurLives.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island - who is a
new adaptor to Twitter, having only joined last month - posted the
following message: “It seems to me that private citizens shouldn’t be
permitted to own assault rifles any more than then they can own chemical
weapons of mass destruction. How about a little common sense in this
public debate?”<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Tobin identifies on his Twitter bio as “ardently pro-life,” and in
2013 publicly announced he had switched his party affiliation from the
Democratic party to join the Republicans over the issue of abortion.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">In San Antonio, Texas, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller also weighed
in on the March for Our Lives events, writing on Twitter: “What is a
common factor in all those horrible killings in our country? Guns,
bombs, arms. Let’s listen to the wisdom of our young people in
Washington, Florida, throughout the US. Let’s listen to those affected
directly by these crimes. We’ve not been able to solve it. Let’s
listen!”<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Garcia-Siller has frequently used Twitter to call for greater action
on guns, especially following the shooting at a Texas church in
Sutherland Springs in November 2017, which left 26 people dead and 20
others injured.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Cardinal Blase Cupich - who recently started his own initiative to
end gun violence in Chicago - met with high school students from his
archdiocese who were traveling to Washington on Friday to participate in
the March on Saturday to offer a special blessing. He also posted on
Twitter on Saturday that “I want to assure all our young people that “I
am with you” and all those marching in Chicago and around the nation
today to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EndGunViolence?src=hash">#EndGunViolence</a>.”<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2018/03/23/chicago-students-join-march-for-our-lives-against-gun-violence-and-in-racial-solidarity/"><strong>RELATED: Students join March for Our Lives against gun violence, in racial solidarity<br /></strong></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Bishop Bill Wack of the diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee,
and one of the nation’s youngest Catholic bishops, applauded the young
people marching against gun violence, drawing a comparison to the annual
March for Life against abortion.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“It’s good to see so many young people raising their voices against
gun violence, just as it is inspiring to see them at the March For Life
every year. We must be pro-life in all of life’s beautiful forms and
stages. God, give us the gift of peace,” he wrote on Twitter.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">Earlier this month, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB) called on Congress to work together to find “concrete proposals”
in response to the “crisis of gun violence.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“We must explore ways to curb violent images and experiences with
which we inundate our youth, and ensure that law enforcement have the
necessary tools and incentives to identify troubled individuals and get
them help,” they wrote.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">The U.S. bishops have long advocated for a comprehensive approach to
reducing gun violence that addresses mental illness without
stigmatization, which they reiterated in their most recent statement.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">They concluded their appeal by noting that in light of the Parkland massacre, it was time for action, instead of mere talk.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“In the words of St. John, ‘let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth,’” they wrote.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><h4 class="box_header page_margin_top">
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-77923884104001622742018-03-25T16:15:00.000-07:002018-03-25T16:15:41.271-07:00A day after March for Our Lives, Pope urges youth to speak out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Pope Francis blesses attendees and palm leaves during at St Peter&#39;s square on March 25, 2018" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall small medium" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-medium-plus-169.jpg" height="224" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180325125133-01-pope-francis-palm-sunday-0325-exlarge-169.jpg" width="400" /><div class="media__caption el__gallery_image-title">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pope Francis blesses attendees and palm leaves during at St Peter's square on March 25, 2018</span><span style="font-size: large;"><cite class="el-editorial-source"> (CNN)</cite>A day after hundreds of thousands of people protested gun violence at <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/24/us/march-for-our-lives/index.html">March for Our Lives</a> events in the US and around the globe, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/14/world/pope-francis-fast-facts/index.html">Pope Francis</a> called on the world's youth to continue speaking out and standing up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Dear young people, you have it in you to shout," the Pope said in his <a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2018/documents/papa-francesco_20180325_omelia-palme.html" target="_blank">Palm Sunday address</a> at St. Peter's Square in Rome. </span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pope Francis at the the end of Palm Sunday Mass in Vatican City</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Palm Sunday -- celebrated on the Sunday before <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/world/easter--holy-week-fast-facts/index.html">Easter</a>
-- is commemorated by Christians as the day Jesus entered Jerusalem in
the week of his crucifixion, when palm leaves were strewn in his path.
Noting that this Palm Sunday coincides with World Youth Day, the pontiff
used the opportunity to compare youth to Jesus's followers, who were
scorned by his detractors. <br /><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> "It is
up to you not to keep quiet," Pope Francis said. "Even if others keep
quiet, if we older people and leaders -- so often corrupt -- keep quiet,
if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you
cry out?"<br /></span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/24/us/march-for-our-lives-wrap/index.html"><img alt="March for Our Lives: Top moments that made up a movement" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-medium-plus-169.jpg" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180324161731-march-for-our-lives-crowd-medium-plus-169.jpg" /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="el__storyelement__header"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/24/us/march-for-our-lives-wrap/index.html">March for Our Lives: Top moments that made up a movement</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A day earlier, survivors of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/18/us/parkland-florida-school-shooting-accounts/index.html">shooting massacre at a Parkland, Florida high school</a> led protests around the country and even abroad in favor of stricter gun control laws. </span></div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
<span style="font-size: large;">That followed the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/us/national-school-walkout-gun-violence-protests/index.html">National School Walkout</a>
in mid-March, when thousands of students protesting gun violence left
their classrooms for 17 minutes -- one for each of the 17 people killed
at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day. </span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/us/national-school-walkout-gun-violence-protests/index.html"><img alt="A generation raised on gun violence sends a loud message to adults: Enough" class="media__image media__image--responsive" data-demand-load="loaded" data-eq-pts="mini: 0, xsmall: 221, small: 308, medium: 461, large: 781" data-eq-state="mini xsmall" data-src-full16x9="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-full-169.jpg" data-src-large="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-super-169.jpg" data-src-medium="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-exlarge-169.jpg" data-src-mini1x1="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-small-11.jpg" data-src-mini="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-small-169.jpg" data-src-small="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-large-169.jpg" data-src-xsmall="//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-medium-plus-169.jpg" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/180314130738-04-school-walkout-washington-0314-unfurled-medium-plus-169.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div class="media__caption el__storyelement__title">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="el__storyelement__header"><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/us/national-school-walkout-gun-violence-protests/index.html">A generation raised on gun violence sends a loud message to adults: Enough</a></span></span></div>
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
<span style="font-size: large;">In a <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/02/22/180222a.html" target="_blank">message</a>
prepared in advance of World Youth Day, the Pope told young people: "Do
not be afraid to face your fears honestly, to recognize them for what
they are and to come to terms with them." </span></div>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-87206351190397877482018-03-24T21:06:00.000-07:002018-03-24T21:06:20.923-07:00 Keep spirit of march going, Catholic college students urged <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a class="post_image prettyPhoto" href="https://cruxnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/20180323T1617-0050-CNS-MARCH-PANEL-TRINITY-1024x731.jpg" title="Keep spirit of march going, Catholic college students urged"><img alt="Keep spirit of march going, Catholic college students urged" class="attachment-small-slider-thumb size-small-slider-thumb wp-post-image" height="260" src="https://cruxnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/20180323T1617-0050-CNS-MARCH-PANEL-TRINITY-690x450.jpg" style="display: block;" title="" width="400" /></a><div class="post_image_caption">
A
person reads information about gun violence during a panel discussion
about gun policy analysis and citizen activism at Trinity Washington
University March 23. The March for Our Lives protest against gun
violence is scheduled for March 24 in the nation's capital. (Credit: CNS
photo/Tyler Orsburn.) </div>
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WASHINGTON,
D.C. - In a standing-room-only lecture hall at Trinity Washington
University March 23, a presenter asked for a show of hands for how many
planned to attend the March for Our Lives the next day in Washington.<br /><br /><br />
Most hands in the room went up and they also went up again for the
next question: “How many know someone who died from gun violence?”<br /><br /><br />
The hands weren’t raised quite as much for questions about how many
in the room had done lobbying work, had written letters to the editor or
called members of Congress about gun legislation. The presenters urged
them to do so, that afternoon even, saying they should step up during
this moment of heightened citizen activism.<br /><br /><br />
“The march is great, but it doesn’t stop tomorrow; you have to keep
marching,” said Vernon Scott, an assistant professor of criminal justice
at Trinity Washington and moderator of a panel discussion on preventing
gun violence - one of six presentations at the school’s teach-in on gun
violence the day before the March for Our Lives.<br /><br /><br />
Scott and the other panelists urged students to think about other
things they could do to affect change with everything from voting, to
addressing members of Congress or taking a stand on issues beyond just
gun control.<br /><br /><br />
One young woman in the audience said it’s hard to believe change can
happen when you’ve seen so much firsthand. Her brother was shot and
killed in 2004 and her husband was severely injured when he was shot two
years ago. Her family won a lawsuit for her brother’s death, which
wasn’t what they really wanted, and when her husband was shot, police
questioned his lifestyle as if he had been to blame.<br /><br /><br />
“I want to see a change,” she said after another woman in the
audience said she saw someone get shot right in front of her. “Just like
you’re in pain, I’m in pain too,” she said. “The reason we’re here”-
talking about doing something to stop gun violence - “is because of your
story. The more we push, the closer we’re going to get” to see things
happen.<br /><br /><br />
The overall sense from this panel was that change in gun laws and
even treatment of mental illness was inevitable from the momentum that
began with the Parkland, Florida, high school students who said,
“Enough.” And history has shown that societal change, such as the civil
rights movement, occurred because people stood up and fought for it.<br /><br /><br />
“We’re at a tipping point,” said Sister Mary Johnson, a Sister of
Notre Dame de Namur, and a professor of sociology and religious studies
at Trinity.<br /><br /><br />
She also urged students to be as involved as they could in this
current moment addressing gun violence and said that no matter one’s
religious beliefs, there is a role religion can play to bring about
change. This crisis demands moral language, she said, where people speak
up and say: “To take the life of another person is evil and can’t be
allowed anymore.”<br />
<br />
The panel discussion did not offer easy answers nor did the presenters indicate that change would be around the corner.<br /><br />
“This is lifelong work,” said one of the speakers, a Trinity graduate
who works with the Friends Committee on National Legislation.<br /><br />
At the end of the hourlong session, Pat McGuire, president of
Trinity, gave a mini pep talk of sorts to the students telling them
never to be afraid or intimidated to call members of Congress.<br /><br />
“Their power comes from us; they work for us,” she said, encouraging students to “speak the truth to that power.”</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-90897033785324443122018-03-22T17:36:00.000-07:002018-03-22T17:36:32.082-07:00US Catholic sisters plan participation in March For Our Lives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="" height="266" src="http://www.globalsistersreport.org/sites/globalsistersreport.org/files/styles/story/public/stories/images/0237%20%281000x667%29.jpg?itok=wE2gCWqq" title="tudents at St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans gather March 14 for 17 minutes to pray and remember the 17 students and faculty members killed in a Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida. Students carried signs with the names of those who died, and the Hail Mary was recited after each name was read. The school is run by the Dominican Sisters of Peace. (Courtesy of the Dominican Sisters of Peace)" width="400" /><br /><br /><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style ">
Students
at St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans gather March 14 for
17 minutes to pray and remember the 17 students and faculty members
killed in a Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida. Students carried
signs with the names of those who died, and the Hail Mary was recited
after each name was read. The school is run by the Dominican Sisters of
Peace. (Courtesy of the Dominican Sisters of Peace)<br /><br /></div>
</div>
Thousands of people are expected to take part in the <a href="https://marchforourlives.com/" target="_blank">March For Our Lives</a>
event March 24 in Washington, D.C., and the more than 800 "sibling
marches" planned worldwide. Hundreds of sisters will be among them.<br /><br /><br />
The march is to demand that children be safe from gun violence in their schools.<br /><br /><br />
"We have worked for years and years to support all sorts of efforts
at much more comprehensive gun control at local and national levels and
even internationally," said Eileen Harrington, a co-member of the <a href="https://www.lorettocommunity.org/" target="_blank">Loretto Community</a> and its mission activities coordinator. "But the problem of gun violence just continues to escalate."<br /><br />
Loretto sisters will participate in local marches, and Loretto volunteers will join the national march, she said.<br /><br />
And the community has another tool at its disposal: prayer.<br /><br />
"Several years ago, we really found ourselves at a loss for what else
we could do beyond what we had been doing," Harrington said. "So we
decided we needed to turn to prayer. We are, after all, a faith
community."<br /><br />
At 9 a.m. on the first Monday of every month, the community — at the
motherhouse, staff offices, Loretto-sponsored schools and everywhere
Loretto community members live — stops and prays for an end to gun
violence.<br /><br />
"Our community's mission is to work for justice and act for peace.
Ending gun violence is one of our priority concerns," Harrington said in
an email. "We remain resolute and hopeful that, as is the case with big
change, something will shift in ways we could not predict or foresee,
and we as a people will make progress. This is why we pray."<br /><br />
<img alt="" height="266" src="http://www.globalsistersreport.org/sites/globalsistersreport.org/files/styles/story/public/stories/images/2860%20%281000x667%29.jpg?itok=lJeifcTO" title="Students at St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans March 14 (Courtesy of the Dominican Sisters of Peace)" width="400" /><br /><br /><div class="cutline">
Students at St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans March 14 (Courtesy of the Dominican Sisters of Peace)<br /></div>
In addition, the community's Franciscan Spirituality Center will host its annual Good Friday <a href="https://fsc.retreatportal.com/events/f?p=101:2:20856998108832::::PROGRAM_ID:1341" target="_blank">Justice and Peace Stations of the Cross</a>, which this year will include a stop at a middle school to pray for racial harmony and an end to gun violence.<br /><br />
The Dominican Sisters of Peace encouraged their schools to take part in the events, including the <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/node/163146" target="_blank">March 14 school walkouts</a>.
The community's social justice team created a guide to help the schools
plan and publicize their events and shared the guide with other
Dominican congregations across the county, spokesperson Dee Holleran
said in an email.<br /><br />
The students and staff at the congregation's Our Lady of the Elms
Middle School and Upper School in Akron, Ohio, prayed March 14 for the
17 students and staff who lost their lives Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and were joined by sisters and
associates in the Akron area.<br /><br />
A similar event was held at the St. Mary's Dominican High School in
New Orleans, Holleran wrote, where 17 students carried handmade signs
with the names of the victims, and a Hail Mary was recited after each
name was read.<br /><br />
Dominican Sr. Barbara Kane, justice promoter for the community, said lawmakers need to work on behalf of citizens.<br /><br />
"We recognized in 2013 the importance of sensible gun safety
legislation and concretized that belief with our Corporate Stance. Since
that time close to 7,000 students have been killed in schools," Kane
said in an email. "It's hard to understand why our legislators cannot
pass legislation that would protect children and that the majority of
Americans want enacted."<br /><br />
The <a href="http://www.opscc.org/" target="_blank">Dominican Sisters in Committed Collaboration</a>
— which includes the Dominican congregations of Amityville, New York;
Blauvelt, New York; Caldwell, New Jersey; Ossining, New York; Maryknoll,
New York; and Sparkill, New York — will have sisters taking part in
several marches and have rolled out a national postcard campaign calling
on elected officials to enact gun control measures, Sr. Didi Madden
wrote in an email.<br /><br />
The <a href="http://csjp.org/" target="_blank">Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace</a>
in Seattle will take part in the march there, but those in New Jersey
who have a regional assembly scheduled for that date are showing their
support by making a $500 donation to the march in Newark, New Jersey.<br /><br />
The Franciscan Sisters of Clinton, Iowa, will take part in their
local march, and the Felician Sisters plan to take part in the local
marches where they are located, too.<br /><br />
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious issued a <a href="https://lcwr.org/media/news/mourning-not-enough-lcwr-calls-action-prevent-gun-violence" target="_blank">statement</a>
Feb. 23, calling the Feb. 14 shooting at a high school in Florida that
left 17 dead and another 17 wounded "a horrible tragedy that has become
all too familiar to students, teachers, and parents across the country."<br /><br />
The statement called for mandatory background checks and waiting
periods for all gun purchases, banning civilian ownership of
high-capacity weapons and magazines, and for gun trafficking to be a
federal crime.<br /><br />
"Where is the outrage? Have we become immune to the horror? Why are
elected officials unwilling to confront the epidemic of gun violence
that is sweeping the nation? When will the killing stop?" the statement
reads. "Prayers and condolences are not enough. The killing must stop.
It is well past time that we enacted sensible gun violence prevention
legislation. This is not about protecting the second amendment. It is
about protecting the most precious resource we have, the gift of life."<br />
The organization, which represents about 80 percent of the sisters in
the United States, urged members to participate in the March 24 events
in solidarity with the students of Parkland, who have called for an end
to gun violence.<br /><br />
"We will walk with you as together we seek to put an end to violence
and follow the path of peace," the statement said. "In this Lenten
season as we recall the life Jesus, the Christ, let us pray for the
grace to embrace his way of nonviolence and let us never doubt that the
deep darkness of these days will be overcome by the radiant light of our
lives and actions lived in love."</div>
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-64435575002024698812018-03-15T16:57:00.003-07:002018-03-15T16:59:39.316-07:00St. Louis archbishop, a longtime hunter, supports gun control<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This article appears in the <b><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/feature-series/gun-violence" target="_blank">Gun Violence</a></b> feature series. <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/taxonomy/term/110556" target="_blank">View the full series</a>. </span></div>
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<img alt="" height="295" src="https://www.ncronline.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_full_width/public/Carlson%20at%20prayer%20vigil%20resize.jpg?itok=wONRNoZX" width="400" />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">St. Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson at an Interfaith
Prayer Service for Peace and Solidarity at Kiener Plaza in downtown St.
Louis in September 2017 (CNS photo/Teak Phillips, St. Louis Review)
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<span style="font-size: large;">For years, the U.S. bishops have pushed for gun control,
most recently in a statement in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida,
school shooting. They have promoted a ban on assault weapons,
limitations on the purchase of handguns, and safety measures, such as
locks that prevent children and anyone other than the owner from using
guns without permission.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">At least one prominent Catholic hunter agrees with them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson is among the few bishops who know
what it's like to shoot a gun, with hunting experience dating back to
the time he served as bishop for the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, diocese
from 1995 to 2004.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">"I agree with raising the age for purchasing firearms," he told NCR
during a phone interview, describing one measure promoted by students in
Parkland, who convinced the Florida legislature and governor to do that
after the Feb. 14 killing of 17 students and teachers. Carlson also
said there is no reason for anyone to own an assault weapon like the
kind used in the recent Florida school shooting.</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">St. Louis has a serious violent crime problem, and last
year recorded 205 murders in the city with a population of slightly more
than 300,000. By contrast, New York, with a population of more than
eight million, recorded fewer than 300 murders that year. Carlson has
spoken out against the rash of street violence with other St. Louis
religious leaders.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But hunting is a different issue entirely, he said, noting that those
who hunt responsibly are not part of the spike in gun violence.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ordained in his native St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota,
archdiocese in 1970, Carlson first began hunting soon after being named
bishop of Sioux Falls. He came to St. Louis in 2009, after serving as
bishop of Saginaw, Michigan.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">While hunting, he uses a 20-gauge shotgun, which fires shells to kill
pheasants, not regular bullets. Each year while bishop of Sioux Falls,
he participated in a charity fundraising hunting trip with diocesan
priests in South Dakota. Since coming to the more urban St. Louis area,
he has hunted only twice in 10 years. The pheasant are not so plentiful
in Missouri, he said.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Serious hunters have a credo that, Carlson said, he tries to follow:
"You never hunt for anything you are not willing to eat." Carlson will
give away his excess meat to convents. He said the best part of hunting
is to watch the work of the trained dogs.<br /></span></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: large;">Besides gun control measures, the scourge of violence
needs to be combatted by preventing violence in families, and,
reiterating a favorite phrase of bishops, Carlson said that the dignity
of each human person needs to be respected. In response, he has spoken
in favor of extending citizenship rights to Dreamer students, the
children of immigrants born in this country, and recently urged his
priests to speak against racism on the first Sunday of Lent this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">"All has to be part of the national debate," he told NCR. "We have to
listen to one another and not just be thinking about what we are going
to say next."<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">[Peter Feuerherd is a correspondent for NCR's Field Hospital series
on parish life and is a professor of journalism at St. John's
University, New York.]<br /></span></div>
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In This Series</h2>
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<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/catholic-schools-join-student-walkouts-protest-gun-violence" target="_blank">Catholic schools join student walkouts to protest gun violence</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Mar 14, 2018 </div>
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<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/cfo-quits-florida-catholic-university-stays-gun-manufacturer-board" target="_blank">CFO quits Florida Catholic university, stays on gun manufacturer board</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Mar 13, 2018 </div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<h3 class="views-field views-field-title">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/arm-our-hearts-not-our-teachers" target="_blank">Arm our hearts, not our teachers</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Mar 6, 2018 </div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<h3 class="views-field views-field-title">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/us-bishops-back-assault-weapons-ban-leery-arming-teachers" target="_blank">US bishops back assault weapons ban, are leery of arming teachers</a> </h3>
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Mar 5, 2018 </div>
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<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<h3 class="views-field views-field-title">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/single-mindedness-needed-guns" target="_blank">Editorial: Single-mindedness needed on guns</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Mar 2, 2018 </div>
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/taxonomy/term/110556" target="_blank">View all ›</a> </div>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-77799250680005267292018-03-13T20:41:00.000-07:002018-03-13T20:41:29.110-07:00200 Catholic schools to participate in anti-gun protest
<h1>
Chicago students planning to join national walkout on gun safety</h1>
<a data-event-action="navigate to Chicago section-front" data-event-category="article" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/section/chicago-politics/">Chicago</a>
<img alt="" class="attachment-cst-article-featured size-cst-article-featured" height="259" src="https://suntimesmedia.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/floridaschoolshooting911calls.jpg?w=763" width="400" /><br /><br />
On.
Feb. 14, 2018, students hold their hands in the air as they are
evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in
Parkland, Florida, after a shooter opened fire on the campus. | Mike
Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, file photo
</div>
<br />
Students all over Chicago and in many of its suburbs will walk out
of class Wednesday, adding their voices to a national effort aimed at
halting shootings in schools.<br />
<br /><br />
Kids and their teachers throughout Chicago Public Schools plan to
step outside mid-morning for 17 minutes — one minute for each of the
people gunned down inside a Parkland, Florida, high school last month.
Student activism following that deadly shooting spree by a former
student with a semi-automatic long rifle has sparked a national
conversation about gun control.<br /><br />
The walkouts appear to have CPS’ tacit approval. Though CPS
principals aren’t supposed to be involved, class schedules at some high
schools are being moved around to accommodate the walkouts. District
officials distributed a resource guide for teachers, and at the last
Board of Education meeting, CEO Janice Jackson referred to this “crucial
moment in our country,” saying, “I want to make sure our students have
an opportunity to express themselves and engage thoughtfully in this
national dialogue… Educators and students will decide what’s right for
their school community, and as a district we are committed to supporting
them.”<br /><br />
Some 200 Catholic schools in Cook and Lake counties also will
participate in peace-building activities — with 80,000 students
assembling in prayer, staging discussions and making signs promoting
peace that they’ll hang around schools and parish properties, according
to the Archdiocese of Chicago.<br /><br />
“With the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida and the daily violence
we experience in our city, we believe this is a time to come together
and work as a community of Catholic schools to help achieve a lasting
peace,” a spokeswoman said.<br />
tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-67029831010118257302018-03-09T23:03:00.000-08:002018-03-09T23:03:44.649-08:00Bob Brehl: Hope arises in U.S. gun laws debate <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Almost every day there are articles in these Catholic periodicals hitting their followers over the head with anti-gun propaganda. The enemy of freedom is the Catholic cult! Always has been. Over 20 years I've studied this issue. World-wide, from their inception, they HATE freedoms of the people. They HATE constitutional Republics. They will have it the Pope's way, only! "The ends justifies the means" they say... So you can believe that many, maybe ALL of these mass shootings are false flags to try and convince Americans that guns are bad! Everyone needs to study these things are expose them the best you can. Commenting on articles helps. Whatever you can do... Article:<br /><br /></h2>
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"Bob Brehl: Hope arises in U.S. gun laws debate"</h2>
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March 8, 2018- Article <a href="https://www.catholicregister.org/opinion/item/26940-bob-brehl-hope-arises-in-u-s-gun-laws-debate" target="_blank"> <b>SOURCE</b></a></span>
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Nothing changed after 20 very young children were slaughtered at
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., five years ago.<br /> </div>
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When the senseless deaths of 17 six-year-olds and three
seven-year-olds (and six educators trying to protect them) couldn’t
bring sanity to the U.S. gun laws debate, it looked like absolutely
nothing would.<br /><br />That shooting occurred Dec. 14, 2012 and even
during the Christmas season no laws were passed to increase the age for
purchasing semi-automatic weapons to the same age as buying a beer. A
person deemed a terrorist threat and placed on the “no fly” list can
still go buy weapons of mass domestic destruction. Federal law still
does not require background checks for “private transactions,” like
sales at gun shows.<br /><br />Lawmakers couldn’t agree on any positive changes. As they always do, politicians — especially those funded by the <a href="https://home.nra.org/"><strong>National Rifle Association</strong></a>
(NRA) — simply call for prayer and say the Second Amendment must be
upheld, even if some solutions have nothing at all to do with the right
to bear arms.<br /><br />But today, on the heels of the Valentine’s massacre of 17 Florida high school students, there are real, tangible signs of hope.<br /><br />So,
what makes the Parkland shooting different? After all, since Sandy Hook
there have been more than 1,500 mass shootings in the U.S.<br /><br />
There now appears to be three main catalysts for change, with the age
of the victims being the most important. The other two would be the
power of the buck and the ego of the President.<br /><br />Sensing a swing
in public opinion, giant retailers like Walmart and Dick’s Sporting
Goods have announced they will sell guns and ammunition only to those 21
years of age or older.<br /><br />Wall Street is also applying pressure.
BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager, announced it will offer
clients the ability to opt out of investing in gun manufacturers. Others
in the financial sector like Blackstone, State Street and Bank of
America have announced they’re re-examining their relationships with
gunmakers, too.<br /><br />More than two dozen companies, including Delta,
United Airlines, MetLife and Hertz, have stopped offering special
discounts to NRA members.<br /><br />Then there’s President Donald Trump. He
has already said he will issue an executive order to ban bump stocks,
devices that turn semi-automatic rifles into machine guns.<br /><br />
<br />He also held an hour-long session with members of Congress at the
White House and invited TV cameras. And he embraced a series of
gun-control measures that his Republican party has long rejected.
Theatrics or not, his comments offer hope.<br /><br />At one point, he
chastised politicians for being “too afraid” of the NRA, which
contributed several million dollars to his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump boasted that the NRA is on board with some gun control measures. <br /><br />While the NRA might hold sway over some lawmakers, Trump said, it has less power over him. <br /><br />Trump’s
ego is enormous and a case can be made that if he can slay the mass
shootings menace in the U.S., it could be his historical legacy, like
civil rights for Lyndon Johnson and winning the Cold War for Ronald
Reagan.<br /><br />In the last 50 years, more Americans have died on home
soil from domestic guns than all Americans have died in all the wars the
country has fought. Regardless of his motivation, Trump appears to be
moving to the right side of the debate.<br /><br />And the final catalyst for change — the age of the victims, or more precisely the age of the survivors.<br />The
ages of children at Sandy Hook was heart-wrenching and dumbfounding.
But parents had to carry the fight and be the victims’ voices to prevent
them dying in vain. <br /><br />Surviving six- and seven-year-olds couldn’t
do it. Think about it. The children who survived Sandy Hook are right
now five years younger than those who survived in Florida.<br /><br />Teenagers
can organize marches, boycotts and social media campaigns. They can
demand change, which they are doing now. They are telling politicians
that their thoughts and prayers are not enough, that it’s time for
action.<br /><br /> <br />They’ve
been attacked as “crisis actors” by the gun lobby, and I hope these
young people continue to be underestimated by those folks.<br /><br />During
the early 1960s civil rights movement, children in Alabama defied
parents, teachers and even police to march against segregation. They had
fire hoses turned on them for goodness sake. And their crusade helped
to change history.<br /><br />And today’s teen crusade is picking up
momentum. A national Quinnipiac University poll found that 97 per cent
of Americans support universal background checks for firearms
purchasers. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents favour banning assault
weapons.<br /><br />Some of these high school students will be voting this
November in mid-term elections and all of them will be old enough to
vote in 2020. So much can be done without impacting the Second Amendment
and these teenagers are not going to give up without meaningful
change.<br /><br />That’s why common sense is returning to the gun debate and hope is the highest in years.<br /><br />(Brehl is a writer and author of several books.)<br />
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-64916703379102988672018-03-06T18:04:00.001-08:002018-03-06T18:04:18.043-08:00Bishops call for ‘common-sense gun measures’ after Florida school shooting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Demonstrators from Teens for Gun Reform, an organization of students in the Washington DC area created in the wake of February's school shooting in Parkland, Fla. Credit: Lorie Shaull/CNA " border="0" height="266" src="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/Teens_For_Gun_Reform_an_organization_created_by_students_in_the_Washington_DC_area_in_the_wake_of_Wednesdays_shooting_at_Marjory_Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_in_Parkland_Florida_Credit_Lorie_Shaull_CNA.jpg?w=760" width="400" />
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Demonstrators from Teens for Gun
Reform, an organization of students in the Washington DC area created in
the wake of February's school shooting in Parkland, Fla. Credit: Lorie
Shaull/CNA</div>
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<div class="addthis_inline_share_toolbox_dbkk" data-description="In the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 people, two US bishops have issued a joint statement calling for “common-sense gun measures” and dialogue about specific proposals that will reduce gun violence and ensure school safety." data-title="Bishops call for ‘common-sense gun measures’ after Florida school shooting" data-url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/bishops-call-for-common-sense-gun-measures-after-florida-school-shooting-71770" style="clear: both;">
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<span class="noticia_byline">Washington D.C., Mar 5, 2018 / 08:00 pm (<a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/" target="_self">CNA/EWTN News</a>)</span>.-
In the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 people, two US bishops have
issued a <a href="http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-046.cfm">joint statement</a>
calling for “common-sense gun measures” and dialogue about specific
proposals that will reduce gun violence and ensure school safety.<br /><br />
"Once again, we are confronted with grave evil, the murder of our
dear children and those who teach them. Our prayers continue for those
who have died, and those suffering with injuries and unimaginable grief.
We also continue our decades-long advocacy for common-sense gun
measures as part of a comprehensive approach to the reduction of
violence in society and the protection of life,” the statement said.
<br /><br />
The statement was issued by Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla.,
chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice, and Bishop
George V. Murry, S.J., of Youngstown, Ohio, chairman of the Committee on
Catholic Education.<br /><br />
The bishops said the idea of arming teachers “seems to raise more
concerns than it addresses.” Rather, the bishops said “concepts that
appear to offer more promise” would include “an appropriate minimum age
for gun ownership,” universal background checks, and the banning of
certain gun accessories, such bump stocks.<br /><br />
Previously, the USCCB has voiced support for several gun control
measures, among them a ban on assault weapons, limits to high-capacity
magazines, additional penalties for gun trafficking, as well as
restrictions on who can purchase handguns. The USCCB is also in favor of
child safety locks that prevent children from using guns.<br /><br />
The bishops also noted that violent images “inundate our youth.”
<br /><br />
“We must explore ways to curb” these images, they said.<br /><br />
The bishops also pointed out that while the vast majority of people
with mental health conditions are not violent, mental illness has played
a role in many mass shootings. “We must look to increase resources and
seek earlier interventions,” they said.<br /><br />
The Parkland shooter’s lawyers <a href="http://time.com/5159134/who-is-the-florida-shooter-parkland-nicolas-cruz/">say</a> that he has mental illness and “brain development issues.”<br />
Since the shooting in Parkland, some Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School students have become public advocates for increased gun control
measures. The USCCB praised these students, saying that “the voices of
these advocates should ring in our ears as they describe the peaceful
future to which they aspire.”<br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/shootings-demonstrate-need-for-gun-control-usccb-says-56057">Shootings demonstrate need for gun control, USCCB says</a></h3>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-83925153846241894342018-03-06T17:58:00.000-08:002018-03-06T17:58:11.708-08:00US bishops back assault weapons ban, are leery of arming teachers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This article appears in the <b><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/feature-series/gun-violence" target="_blank">Gun Violence</a></b> feature series. <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/taxonomy/term/110556" target="_blank">View the full series</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/file/20180215t1522-14670-cns-bishops-gun-violence-experience-resizejpg" target="_blank">20180215T1522-14670-CNS-BISHOPS-GUN-VIOLENCE-EXPERIENCE </a></h2>
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<img alt="A salesman clears the chamber of an AR-15 in 2016 at a gun store in Provo, Utah (CNS/Reuters/George Frey)" height="263" src="https://www.ncronline.org/sites/default/files/styles/article_full_width/public/20180215T1522-14670-CNS-BISHOPS-GUN-VIOLENCE-EXPERIENCE%20resize.jpg?itok=Qs6n-ome" title="A salesman clears the chamber of an AR-15 in 2016 at a gun store in Provo, Utah (CNS/Reuters/George Frey)" width="400" />
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A salesman clears the chamber of an AR-15 in 2016 at a gun store in Provo, Utah (CNS/Reuters/George Frey) <br /></div>
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The U.S. bishops' conference entered its voice Monday
into the nation's latest gun reform debate, renewing past support for
gun control measures like an assault weapons ban and universal
background checks while expressing concern with the idea of arming
teachers as a deterrent of future shootings.<br /></div>
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"Once again, we are confronted with grave evil, the
murder of our dear children and those who teach them," said Bishop
Frank Dewane and Bishop George Murry, chairs of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops' committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development
and on Catholic Education, respectively, in <a href="http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-046.cfm" target="_blank">a statement</a> referencing the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.<br />
<br />
The two committee chairmen offered prayers for those who died and
"those suffering with injuries and unimaginable grief," while also
reasserting the bishops' "decades-long advocacy for common-sense gun
measures as part of a comprehensive approach to the reduction of
violence in society and the protection of life."<br />
<br />
"This moment calls for an honest and practical dialogue around a
series of concrete proposals — not partisanship and overheated
rhetoric," said Dewane, bishop of Venice, Florida, and Murry, bishop of
Youngstown, Ohio.</div>
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Domestic Justice and Education Chairmen Urge Concrete Actions to Address Scourge of Gun Violence. Read more: <a href="https://t.co/VbFZ25ySNW">https://t.co/VbFZ25ySNW</a> <a href="https://t.co/BCh0qWmdfA">pic.twitter.com/BCh0qWmdfA</a></div>
— US Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCCB/status/970750870894923776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In that vein, they reasserted the Catholic bishops
long-held support for a federal ban on assault weapons, and limiting
access to certain handguns and to high-capacity weapons and ammunition
magazines.<br />
<br />
The bishops also pushed against the idea of placing armed, trained
teachers or other professionals into schools as a means to deter a
shooter — a concept that President Donald Trump has repeatedly advocated
in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas massacre.<br />
<br />
"The idea of arming teachers seems to raise more concerns than it addresses," the bishops said.</div>
<div class="entity entity-paragraphs-item paragraphs-item-read-next-suggestion">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/cardinal-cupich-calls-action-gun-legislation" target="_blank"><b>Related:</b> Cardinal Cupich calls for action on gun legislation </a></div>
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Instead, they said "concepts that appear to offer more
promise" include requiring universal background checks, banning "bump
stocks" and "setting a more appropriate minimum age for gun ownership."<br />
<br />
Legislation addressing bump stocks and background checks has been <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/no-shortage-gun-legislation-awaits-action-congress" target="_blank">introduced in Congress</a>, though no bill has gained much momentum. A <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/03/05/rubio-nelson-bill-seeks-crackdown-on-people-who-fail-gun-background-checks/" target="_blank">bill introduced earlier Monday</a> by
a bipartisan group of eight senators, including both senators from
Florida, would require federal agencies to report to state law
enforcement within 24 hours individuals who try to buy a gun but fail a
background check. A previous version of the bill was proposed in the
House of Representatives in January 2016.<br />
The bishops also called for increased safety measures for storing
guns and more steps to criminalize gun trafficking. They stressed that
while most people with a mental illness rarely commit violent acts,
there is a need to increase mental health resources as well as implement
earlier intervention strategies.<br />
<br />
"We must explore ways to curb violent images and experiences with
which we inundate our youth, and ensure that law enforcement have the
necessary tools and incentives to identify troubled individuals and get
them help," the committee chairmen said.</div>
<div class="entity entity-paragraphs-item paragraphs-item-read-next-suggestion">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/preview/dicks-sporting-goods-gun-policy-change-followed-sister-talks" target="_blank"><b>Related:</b> Dick's Sporting Goods' gun policy change followed sister talks</a></div>
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The statement from the U.S. bishops' conference joins
multiple other calls from Catholics in the 19 days since the Valentine's
Day mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas, where a former student armed
with an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle killed 14 students and three
school officials.<br />
But it's been Stoneman Douglas students, as well as other teens, <a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/catholic-students-join-florida-school-walkouts-gun-reform" target="_blank">including from Catholic schools</a>,
who have taken on a central role in the national discussion on how to
prevent future mass shootings and curb gun violence in America.<br />
<br />
Over the weekend, students from St. Sabina Academy in Chicago — a
city that has faced its own issues with gun-related homicides — <a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/03/05/st-sabina-students-parkland-survivors/" target="_blank">met in Florida with Stoneman Douglas students</a> to discuss ideas to address gun violence.<br />
<br />
In an effort to keep the gun debate from dissipating, as it has
following past mass shootings, the students have planned a "March for
Our Lives" in Washington, D.C., and other cities nationwide on March 24.
School walkouts have also been planned for March 14 and April 20, the
latter the anniversary of the 1999 school shooting that killed 13
students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.</div>
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"The advocacy by survivors of the Parkland shooting — and
young people throughout our nation — is a stark reminder that guns pose
an enormous danger to the innocent when they fall into the wrong
hands," the bishops said in their statement. "The voices of these
advocates should ring in our ears as they describe the peaceful future
to which they aspire."<br />
<br />
"We must always remember what is at stake as we take actions to
safeguard our communities and honor human life," they said. "In the
words of St. John, 'let us love not in word or speech but in deed and
truth.'"<br />
<br />
[Brian Roewe is an NCR staff writer. His email address is <a href="mailto:broewe@ncronline.org" target="_blank">broewe@ncronline.org</a>. Follow him on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brianroewe" target="_blank">@BrianRoewe</a>.]</div>
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In This Series</h2>
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/arm-our-hearts-not-our-teachers" target="_blank">Arm our hearts, not our teachers</a> </h3>
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Mar 6, 2018 </div>
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<div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/single-mindedness-needed-guns" target="_blank">Editorial: Single-mindedness needed on guns</a> </h3>
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Mar 2, 2018 </div>
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<div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/no-shortage-gun-legislation-awaits-action-congress" target="_blank">No shortage of gun legislation awaits action in Congress</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Feb 28, 2018 </div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<h3 class="views-field views-field-title">
<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/cardinal-cupich-calls-action-gun-legislation" target="_blank">Cardinal Cupich calls for action on gun legislation </a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Feb 28, 2018 </div>
</div>
<div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last">
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<a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/catholic-social-doctrine-sheds-light-how-combat-gun-violence" target="_blank">Catholic social doctrine sheds light on how to combat gun violence</a> </h3>
<div class="views-field views-field-created byline-wrapper">
Feb 28, 2018 </div>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8289694312083992514.post-17413994062739210342018-02-28T18:43:00.001-08:002018-02-28T18:51:10.781-08:00Trump: 'Take the Guns First, Go Through Due Process Second', tells lawmakers not to fear NRA <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQGWCB9JDwLbLNpx-E26zfhHr2Z-ROx3iBB2Qaxb-gQZSTIzMn41Q6dCCYx0pT5crl3E-Drb8yxNlJQeRN21MJOt3AVBFvF-wYdmRBKYk9W8ET8Xp7n-36L9n_eLUPUD1IrYhhbchEzw/s1600/trump-pope-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQGWCB9JDwLbLNpx-E26zfhHr2Z-ROx3iBB2Qaxb-gQZSTIzMn41Q6dCCYx0pT5crl3E-Drb8yxNlJQeRN21MJOt3AVBFvF-wYdmRBKYk9W8ET8Xp7n-36L9n_eLUPUD1IrYhhbchEzw/s400/trump-pope-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="https://reason.com/blog/2018/02/28/trump-take-the-guns-first-go-through-due">https://reason.com/blog/2018/02/28/trump-take-the-guns-first-go-through-due</a><br />President Donald Trump, who campaigned as a defender of gun rights, <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-says-police-shouldve-taken-parkland-shooters-guns-away-whether-they-had-the-right-or-not/">told a bipartisan group of politicians</a> today that authorities should have simply taken away Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz's weapons:
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"The police saw that he was a problem, they didn't take any guns
away. Now, that could've been policing. They should've taken them away
anyway, whether they had the right or not."<br />
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"I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man's case that
just took place in Florida ... to go to court would have taken a long
time," Trump emphasized. And he said this:<br />
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"Take the guns first, go through due process second."<br />
</blockquote>
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This comes from a president who only a few weeks ago wondered aloud
on Twitter, "Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?":<br /><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/962348831789797381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<br /><br />
Here's the reaction of longtime gun-control supporter Sen. Dianne
Feinstein to Trump's suggestion that an "assault weapons" ban be added <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/26/manchin-toomey-gun-background-check-424307">to legislation</a> from Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would expand background checks:<br /><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Feinstein's reaction when Trump says she should add assault weapons ban to Manchin-Toomey <a href="https://t.co/7dlKxwa1KO">pic.twitter.com/7dlKxwa1KO</a></p>— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/968952338898591744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br /><br />
Is this truly a Nixon-Goes-To-China moment, in which the Republican
Trump, who also said today that he "loves the Second Amendment," will
restrict gun ownership more than any president since Bill Clinton signed
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban">the assault-weapons ban</a>
into law in 1994? That remains to be seen, as Trump has double-reversed
course in the past, such as when he agreed to legalize "Dreamers" in a
deal with Democratic lawmakers <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/11/politics/daca-deal-obstacles-flake-white-house/index.html">before changing his mind</a>.
In the meantime, Trump's criticism of the NRA and embrace of gun
control is leaving progressives as bewildered as it is making
conservatives angry as hell:<br /><br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“Take the guns first, go through due process second.” — <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <br><br>Imagine if Obama had said this. Fox News and Republicans would’ve called for him to be impeached.</p>— John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) <a href="https://twitter.com/jchaltiwanger/status/968955263431487488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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tlthe5thhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03353793782307969410noreply@blogger.com0