Today I'd like to talk about the nation's reaction to the massacre of the innocents in Newtown, Connecticut, and the reaction of the nation to it.  It's important to note that this senseless slaughter of 20 beautiful young people, their teachers, and killer Adam Lanza's mother is gut-wrenching and elicits emotions that touch us all so deeply that it is difficult not to lash out at all of the perceived causes for this horror:  assault weapons, lax school security, and a lack of adequate mental health care are just three of the most often cited.  But even before the first of the victims was laid to rest, the reaction from the media and the public was a mix of fear and loathing; a fear of the next mass shooting and a loathing of the weapons behind the carnage and of those those who would ban them, depending on your politics. 

Let's look at assault weapons first.  California Senator Diane Feinstein and President Barack Obama are leading the charge to revive and expand the federal assault weapons ban to include high-capacity magazines and weapons that have two or more military characteristics.  Adam Lanza used just such a weapon, a Bushmaster assault rifle (the civillian version of the AR-15) to assassinate his victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  But was this massacre a function of the weapon Lanza used, or of the deranged mind of the shooter coupled with the availability of the weapons that his mother legally owned?  It is hard to say that the general appearance of a gun is more likely to make it a murder weapon. 

Another contentious point in the proposed ban on high-capacity magazines, limiting new weapons to 10 rounds or less.  The argument is that fewer bullets per re-load means fewer casualties before the shooter becomes vulnerable between magazines.  This is a difficult argument for gun-rights advocates to overcome and is probably the most defensible provision in the proposed ban.  It's hard to argue that one can not defend one's home or kill wild game with 10 bullets as opposed to 30. 

Universal background checks are likely the least defensible provision in this proposal because they are the least enforceable.  There are too many situations involving a gun ownership transfer that just can't really apply under a background check.  Examples include personal private sales of individual weapons.  Private citizens do not have access to the vast data base that licensed gun sellers do and even they are often fooled by those who lie on their forms.  Also, as we do with every other legal commodity, apart from obvious documentation required at the point of sale (i.e.: a drivers license to buy a car) it is incumbent upon the buyer in a private party transaction to be legally authorized to own and utilize the item in question.  When we look at other types of transfers, such as buying guns as gifts or handing then down as part of an estate to future generations, the question of back ground checks gets even thornier.  Does a father have to run a background check on his 18-year old son when giving him a shotgun for Christmas?  Does a Grandfather have to do a background check on his granddaughter before leaving her his revolver in his will?  These are questions that would have to be answered.  As for the oft-cited "gunshow loophole", that is a situation where background checks can and should be conducted as the technology to operate just as a retail story would is readily available at these venues.

Finally, as to Adam Lanza's mental state, that is yet to be determined.  We've seen many other high profile shooters (Jared Loughner, John Hinkley Jr., James Holmes, etc...) determined to be mentally ill and there are already laws in place to preclude these people from possessing guns.  There is a great argument to be made for improving out mental health system but in an era of budget cuts and curtailed deficit spending, it is difficult to see how governments will find the funds needed to make the improvements that will make any real difference.  President Obama's healthcare reform act may be able to address some of these funding issues in that mental health is covered under the law but it remains to be seen if it will have any real effect on the availability mental healthcare and destigmatization of a diagnosis that can follow you for the rest of your life.

While mass-murders like Newtown CT, Aurora CO, Tucson AZ are gut-wrenching, they are thankfully rare.  Some would argue that their rarity means additional gun legislation is not needed because these are societal aberrations and far from the norm.  But 9-11 was an aberration that was far from the norm and, while 3,000 people dead and a forever-changed New York skyline is much bigger than any one mass shooting, we changed an entire industry and we all live differently because of it. 

The sad truth is that, whatever the weapons and whatever the motivations, this tragedy will repeat itself.  The criminals will change, the number of victims will change, the scene of the crime will change but the killing will continue because Humanity will never change: we are a sometimes violent species and there is often no rhyme or reason for what we do.

Welcome Back To Gilli-land 2.0

I am back after a long hiatus and there is so much to talk about.  So much, in fact, that it is hard to know where to start.  What follows will be interesting but it will, by no means, be exhaustive...

Firstly, it is the silly season and the politicians who are all vying for our votes this year are offering everything to everyone while condemning their opponents for doing the same.  I did get to go to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa and, after drying out from the first day's Hurricane Isaac remnants, I had a great time.  For me, politics is the only game that counts so conventions are like the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Championship and Stanley Cup all rolled into one.  But by Day-4 I was so sleep-deprived  (maybe 10 hours for the whole four days) that I still can't remember everything that happened.  For those of you who thing the GOP is full of stuffy old White people who can't let loose, you could not be any more wrong.  The beer, wine and food flowed, the music blared and tongues loosened as folks let their hair down and got very real.  It was refreshing to see people you only ever see in a professional context be honest and really enjoy themselves in their own element.  I have to thank everyone for not treating me as the outside enemy-mainstream media guy and welcoming me into the fold, if only for a week.  Once home, people settle back into old patterns and the business of politics resumes as winning once again becomes everything and the unbridled optimism of the convention evolves into a pragmatism that recognizes the very real possibility that losing is a real option.  While  it remains to be seen just who will win, it is clear that it will be a close race and it's doubtful that anyone will emerge with an unmitigated mandate.

Secondly, I have begun to ease back into family-focused travel with trips to Tubac AZ and Albuquerque NM over the summer.  Both trips were very different yet both were very restorative.  In Tubac, the old-world charm of this Spanish colonial town is pervasive and overwhelming, leaving  you with a sense of longing for an older, simpler time.  The Tubac Golf Resort is amazing with spectacular rooms that are affordable and a restaurant that is on the high end of of the budget but the flavor and quality justify the price.  The area is like Sedona, only better because it is easier to get to, more affordable and  just as beautiful, in it's own agrarian way.  This does not even factor in the centuries of history that are available to visitors to the Presidio, an old Spanish fort that was the launching point of the Spanish expedition that founded San Francisco.  Old Spanish missions are within easy driving distance and are a reminder of the the best and the worst in the colonization of the New World.  And Albuquerque is, of course, Albuquerque.  Visiting there was more about feeding relationships than it was about seeing the sights of the city.  Staying with cherished friends and catching up with other equally cherished friends made that trip a very special one. I am looking forward to the return trip soon.  As for Tubac, the Book Club retreat that is now in the planning stages for 2013 is going to both fun and challenging as I've never been a part of anything like it before.  My wife is really organized, though, and already has a very full schedule set up for attendees, though I am sure it will change more than a few times before it is finalized.  With her reaching out to authors with invitations to attend, and her already getting positive feedback, it's looking like the retreat will be well attended and informative for everyone.

Thirdly, and finally (for now), I am diving into this social media thing with abandon, having revved up my presence on Blogger, Twitter, Facebook and Linked-In (all two-syllable titles...interesting...) in an effort to increase my exposure and name recognition.  In this ever-expanding universe of social media and networking, one must lead or fall behind into obscurity and, as someone who's business it is to inform people in ways that make them want to hear it from me, I cannot afford to be left behind.  So, in that vein, I will be prolifically posting across the social media spectrum and will be paying close attention to views, responses and re-tweets.  I will also be sharing a little more of my own opinion on my Blogger page.  Please, do not take offense and remember that the views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer, family, friends, colleagues or even passing acquaintances.  I look forward to your attention and your input.  feel free to chime-in, criticize, praise, pan, forward, re-tweet, etc...(just be nice, Ok?)

So if you are new to my blog, welcome.  If you are returning to my blog, welcome back.  If you are leaving my blog, I hope to see you here again soon as I think you will like what you read and even have a thought or two provoked.  Until next time...

Warmest regards,
John

Little Girl Gone

Emotions are seldom more pronouced than when a child disapears. Depending on the news cycle, word that a baby, toddler or even a pre-teen is missing can rally a nation in the hope that all will be well and the fear that it won't. Five-year old Jahessye (Jessie) Shockley is one such case.

The smiling, bright-eyed, little girl with a smile as wide as bright as the future she deserves was last seen at her Glendale, Arizona, apartment on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. Her mother, Jerice Hunter, tearfully told police she had only left Jahessye for a few minutes in the care of her 13-year old sister. Police responded with a mobile command center, hundreds of officers and volunteers working a three-mile radius search of the area, canvassing homes and parking lots, asking neighbors and strangers in the area if they had seen this beautiful little girl. Their only lead, so far, is a witness report that a child matching Jahessye's description was seen that afternoon getting into a late-model dark chevy sedan, maybe a Malibu.

But the news cycle ground on and this was just not enough to keep this story going so enterprising reporters started digging, asking police about Jahessye's parents, Jerice in Arizona and George Shockley, in California. What they found would fuel another day or two of stories and speculation. Jerice was convicted, and sent to prison, in 2006, for beating her other children with extension cords and sticks. George Shockley is a registered sex offender and is currently doing time in prison. While police admit they are aware of these facts, they continue to say neither parent is a suspect in Jahessye's disappearance.

What police are saying is that they now believe Jahessye was kidnapped by a person or persons yet unknown and a $11,000 reward is now being offered. Jahessye's grandmother, Jerice's mother, is leading neighbors in vigils and is raising her voice to police and community leaders, asking why more is not being done to find her beautiful grandaughter. She's even marching on the state capitol to call even more attention to the fact that, after more than a week, no one has any idea where her Jahessye is.

It remains to be seen just how this case will be resolved. Will Jahessye be found alive? Will she be discovered to be the victim of a kidnapping? Will she be discovered dead, killed by a friend, family or a stranger as is all too often the case? One thing is crystal clear: this little girl did nothing to deserve her fate and it is tragic in the extreme that she is still missing. Someone out there knows what has happened to her and police need to redouble their efforts to find her.