Gabby Giffords Touts Expanded Background Checks on Gun Purchases

Mary Schwalm/AP

Gabby Giffords, former Arizona Congresswoman, embarked Sunday on a seven-day/seven state journey with husband Mark Kelly, a recently retired astronaut, to advocate expansion of current gun control measures. Their "Rights and Responsibilities Tour" took them to Washington, DC where Giffords spoke to senators to seek support for expanded background checks to include gun sales on the internet and at gun shows.

This blogger fails to understand the faulty logic NRA EVP Wayne La Pierre and his followers tout saying that such measures impinge on a citizen's Second Amendment rights and has seen and absence of sanity and reason pertaining to gun ownership under his leadership.   LaPierre called Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents "Nazis" in 1995, which spurred then President George H. W. Bush to resign from the NRA in protest of that characterization. LaPierre's vitriolic attacks on anyone who opposes his extreme view of gun rights reveals a man who believes in shouting down his opponents rather than allowing them to speak without interruption. Does this behavior remind anyone of despotic behavior?

The Pew Research Center revealed that 81% of Americans support background checks for private and gun show sales, according to a survey it conducted in May. Given that overwhelming support, this blogger emphasizes that many members of Congress are ignoring their constituents and listening instead to  NRA leadership. Could it possibly be because of generous support offered to their campaigns?

Giffords and Kelly both own guns and use them for sporting activities, so they have no agenda that seeks to take away the right to own guns.  However, they do feel that reasonable measures should exist to prevent someone with a criminal record or a history of mental instability from buying guns legally.

What happened to the NRA of yesteryear that focused on teaching gun safety and comprised mainly hunters and sports enthusiasts?  The members of past generations wouldn't recognize the organization today and would be aghast at its elected leaders.  This blogger's father and many of his fellow NRA members would definitely support efforts to expand background checks and ban assault rifles and multi-round ammunition clips, but most of them have passed away. No research supports the notion that owning those types of weapons protects homeowners as much as it threatens innocent people. Tougher laws are long overdue. The number of victims killed with guns in this country tells a much different story than NRA leaders, but why use facts to make choices when we can listen to nuts rant against informed actions supported by actual data?


 

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Happy July 4th to All

image/abduzeedo.com

Ham on Wry wishes everyone a rousing celebration of our country's birthday, as we remember the purpose of our holiday. In honor of all who have been wounded or died to preserve the many freedoms we enjoy in our "sweet land of liberty," this blogger dedicates today's brief post to them and their families. No wry commentary will appear today.

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Edward Snowden's Dwindling Options

After leaking protected National Security Agency information, Edward Snowden holed up in Hong Kong for several weeks before beginning his odyssey to seek asylum elsewhere.  He has spent a week in the transit area at the Russian airport, but has yet to find a country that will honor his request for asylum. Venezuela's new president Nicolas Maduro might offer Snowden the best chance that remains to find a country willing to take him. In Russia for a meeting with President Putin, Maduro said that Snowden deserves protection under international law after doing "something very important for humanity."

Poor Mr Snowden.  He created his own "Catch 22" and is now whining about being "stateless" and blasting the Obama administration for actions to return him to the United States.  Because his passport has been revoked, he can't leave Sheremetyevo Airport unless he returns to his homeland, the USA. This blogger realizes that Snowden requires remedial education about the United States Constitution when he calls himself "stateless." He remains a United States citizen, even though he no longer has a valid passport and has the option to return here at any time. Will he exercise that option?  Probably not.  He gained notoriety but shows no interest in facing the consequences of his actions.

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador just added to Snowden's misery by confirming that anyone seeking asylum in Ecuador must be in the country to do so, adding, "Are we responsible for getting him to Ecuador? It's not logical. The country that has to give him a safe conduct document is Russia."
Correa's statement followed news that Snowden had sent the president a personal letter thanking him for the help he received from Ecuador in his exit from Hong Kong. Snowden praised Correa's bravery and cited it as an example of supporting human rights.
 
Here again, Snowden reveals his ignorance of world politics because Correa crushes any form of dissent and has clamped down on the free press, allowing only positive news about his administration.  Anyone who believes that Snowden took heroic action should read about his background and study his actions, rather than believing his words. Snowden reveals himself as a naive, misguided person who knows little about true oppression. Perhaps he should seek asylum from Sudan or North Korea, where he could see the effects of oppression first-hand.

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American Killed During Protest in Egypt

photo/wusa9.com

Andrew Pochter, an American student who attended Kenyon College in Ohio, was stabbed to death Friday while photographing violent confrontations between foes and supporters of President Mohammed Morsi in Alexandria, Egypt. Pochter was serving as a volunteer teaching English to young children for the summer to help then learn another language, and, in turn, improve his Arabic.

Pochter previously studied in the region and developed a love for the culture, eventually planning to live and work there, according to part of a statement released by his family, who added, "Andrew was a wonderful young man looking for ways to share his talents while he learned."

He would have begun his junior year this fall and dreamed of bringing peace and understanding after he completed his studies to a region immersed in conflict. When someone who wants nothing more than to change the world for the better meets a violent end, the irony makes that crime all the worse. 

As I've written before, Americans don't belong in the midst of violence which they don't really understand. When a mob convenes, it is difficult to sort out friend from foe. As a result of Andrew's death, the State Department advises travelers to postpone all non-essential travel to the area.

Egypt's ancient wisdom and enlightenment has gone missing in the 21st Century, and I don't foresee any change soon.  Andrew Pochter's murder reflects the insanity that currently dominates Egypt and many other places in the Middle East. His family is now left to grieve a young man who could have made valuable contributions to a peace effort.

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Edward Snowden's Flight of Fancy

photo/telegraph.co.uk

Anyone who hasn't followed the story of Edward's Snowden outing the National Security Agency for its use of a surveillance system, which tracked phone calls and e-mails should check the background information before reading further. From the moment the story broke, I doubted the veracity of Snowden's stated motivation for revealing classified information to the world. With each succeeding day, his actions have spoken much louder than his words to The Guardian: "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things--I don't want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under." Really, Mr. Snowden?  Let's examine a few facts to see just how important living in an open society is to him.

If Snowden were so determined to live in a world with no secret collection of data, he used flawed logic in selecting the country to which he fled for safety.  Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, while known as a productive place to do business, is still part of a repressive regime that routinely intrudes on citizens' private lives. Perhaps he has forgotten about the massacre at Tiananmen Square in June of 1989 during which thousands unarmed citizens were killed, because he was so young then. China hasn't changed so much that it would be considered a bastion of freedom today. I assume Snowden is also unaware of the massive spying program China uses on the United States and some of its allies.

With the support of Julian Assange, Snowden left Hong Kong and flew to Russia, where, according to Vladimir Putin, he currently resides at the Moscow Airport Transit Zone, awaiting a flight to Ecuador to seek asylum. Wait!  Do readers find it ironic that he has chosen to trust yet another country known for its oppression of citizens that also uses an extensive system to spy on them?  Doesn't his behavior cast significant doubt on the purpose of his leaking classified information to the press?

His actions should serve as a wake-up call to all government agencies who allow contractors access to highly secret information.  The vetting process for contractors should be conducted by a company whose sole purpose is to do just that and has nothing to do with the hiring process.  Edward Snowden had no business working at the NSA, and his work record reflects no noteworthy accomplishments, which could have made a compelling case to hire him.

The United States has revoked his passport, so, he can't travel anywhere legally now.  Perhaps he will become the modern day "Man Without a Country," a fitting end to a misbegotten tale.

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Danielle Bradbery Wins The Voice Season Four

nbc.com photo

The Voice coach Adam Levine accurately predicted Monday night who would win the show's fourth season Tuesday.  Danielle Bradbery, a 16-year-old newcomer from Texas, took the honors in a star-studded show that included performances by Cher in a rather strange costume, Hunter Hayes, Bruno Mars, Pitbull, Nelly and other well-known singers. 

This blogger thought perhaps Michelle Chamuel's rabid fans would pull of an upset, but I was wrong again.  Although the final three had solid fan bases, Bradbery had the purest voice with close-to-perfect pitch.  Given her lack of professional appearances, her natural ease on stage was all the more amazing. 

Blake Shelton's beaming face in the photo above tells a story all its own.  On each episode, he praised her talent and stage presence.  During the finale, he acknowledged her star quality and predicted Bradbery will soon be a household name as he gushed, "Danielle Bradbery is a gift to the music industry and definitely a gift to The Voice."

The Voice provides a unique venue for aspiring artists to showcase their talents and receive professional coaching to bring out their best.  As such, it offers a unique perspective on promoting singers without the drama ever-present in other talent shows.  This blogger will definitely tune in to season five next fall.

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The Voice Final Three-Who Will Take the Prize?

buddytv.com

The Voice final 3 contestants Michelle Chamuel, Danielle Bradbery, and the Swon Brothers, pictured above from left to right, gave their final performances Monday night to determine the winner of season 4. Chamuel had a rocky start, but gained popularity under Usher's tutelage and surprised this blogger by making it to the finals. Bradbery, the youngest performer at 16, has won favorable reviews with her traditional country approach.   She performed live for the first time on the show has delivered her songs consistently.  The Swon Brothers obviously enjoy themselves on stage with animated execution peppered with smiles and grins.

Once the contest reaches this point, pundits have no idea of whom America will choose as the winner because so many variables exist.  Adam Levine did predict that Bradbery would win, and Shakira's cowboy hat indicated support for the country contestants, but the outcome depends on how much effort fans expend in supporting their favorites.  Blake Shelton has the best odds of coaching a winner, since two teams members made it to the finals. All three will wind up with contracts and runners up have outpaced previous winners, so all of them really win to some degree. 

Ham and Wry will "go out on a limb" in the belief that Michelle Chamuel's avid followers will  do what it takes for her to win.  Chamuel is not my personal favorite, but she has shown great progress in each successive airing.  If I were to choose whose performances bring smiles to my face every time, the Swon Brother win without fail.  Tune in Tuesday for the results.

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