I read an interesting post on Michael Moore's "Stuck on Stupid" blog this morning, entitled "The Danger and Tragedy of Gun Control: The Virginia Tech Students."  The post gave an overview of a student shooting that took place at the Apalachian School of Law (also in Virginia) in January 2002.  The shooter was stopped by a sheriff who was attending class.  For whatever reason, the media neglected to either interview the sheriff or publish his statements in their entirety.  Here's a quote from the blog about what the Sheriff had to say about how he and other students were able to stop the shooter:

"We exited out the back stairwell of our building. As I exited, that day I was running a little late, so I did park in a faculty parking spot, which put my vehicle between me and the shooter. We saw him in the front yard there. I stopped at my vehicle and got my handgun out.

"As we approached Peter, I started giving him a lot of verbal commands. ... I told him to drop his weapon, to get on the ground. ... His back was to us, and once he turned around and saw that I had a weapon, he laid his weapon down and stuck his hands in the air. At that time we approached him, and there was somewhat of a struggle, but we took him to the ground and handcuffed him until the authorities got there."   Read the full article Link

Reading this, one may think that perhaps the great loss of life at Virginia Tech could have been avoided had the students been allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus.  Perhaps someone may have been able to stop the Virginia Tech student by pulling out their own 9mm and firing back at this troubled youth.  On the one hand, this may seem justifiable and, in the matter of the Virginia Tech incident, a better outcome that could have most likely saved a lot of lives. We do have laws that allow for citizens' arrest and for citizens to apply deadly force wherein their lives are in mortal danger, etc.  But is this really justice?  This scenario can all too easily lead us down into a black hole of anarchy wherein justifiable homicide becomes a household term.  What is even more scary is that carrying concealed weapons is all to easy in our society.  This is a real money maker, and not just for the gun manufacturers, but for the fashion industry and the entertainment industry, as well.  The possibilities and money to made in such a venture are endless.

It's all about the money:  This would be a marketing marvel.  How about designer handguns in colors for every season (and remember not to "wear" your handgun with white pearl handles after Labor Day).  Or for those more quiet folk, a handgun with a peace symbol on the handle -- there's a real oxymoron.  Or a 9mm handgun that comes with an assortment of exchangeable clip holders -- one for every outfirt, with lots of bling.  Then there is the upscale clip holder that could possibly be designed by Louie Vitton or Prada.  And let's not leave out those animal prints.  For the more masculine line of accessories, you could have your favoirite sports team logo imprinted your handgun handle or clip holder.  Then comes a host of handgun accessories, such as hip holsters, back holsters designed especially for the corporate executive that come in designer straps to match designer suspendors.  And how about that backpack with a special compartment to place your handgun just like you have for you hand-held electronics.  And you wouldn't have to worry about targeting sales for the main stream market, as once the high-end designers put their hand gun accessories out on the market, the goliathes of the chain superstores would get on board with lower-priced goods.  Naturally, you would have to worry somewhat about the knock offs that are guaranteed to follow.  We make it sexy.  We make it appealling.  We make it a high-end that is available for in the low-end chain stores, must-have commdotiy.  If we can sell canned air and pet rocks, why not color-coordinated handguns with matching accessories.

Now envision the campus with students and faculty walking around with their stylized handgun accessories with lots of bling.  Are they safer?  Are they more secure?  Are their new toys a deterent to violence or being attacked?  No.  It is just the opposite.  Suppose someone cuts you off as you park and you are late for class -- do you pull out your hand gun and say get out of my parking space or I'll shoot you?  Take a deeper look at road rage.  Many states are (if not in place already) writing new laws to deal with the rising rate of road rage and the subsequent injuries, including fatalities, that result from same.

There is no justification for us to arm ourselves in this manner because there is no humanity in taking a life.  Killing someone does not create value, even if that person is in the wrong.  No value has been created by untimely or horrific death -- self imposed or otherwise.

No doubt we must have security and the appropriate laws in place to ensure our security at home and abroad.  Paraphrasing one of our country's forefathers, "he who gives up his freedom for the sake of secuirty, deserves neither."  In essence, we must take thoughtful action based on creating value for all. 

Take a moment to picture in your mind what it would be like were we to opt for a militarized state of existence based on fear and suspicion, wherein every public building has metal and explosives detectors, bars on the windows, armed guards dressed in military gear with drug sniffing dogs and assualt riffles.  (Unfortunately, some may say that is just like my highschool.) The creative spirit would become extinct.  And it is that creative spirit (along with a host of other ingredients) that allow us to be human. We must take thoughtful, humanistic action based on creating value for all.

We must have HOPE for a society based on creating value and take ACTION to instill and nuture our youth, and everyone, to make value-creative choices (including the laws we enact) in every aspect of life in order for us to bring about a possitive CHANGE.  Namely, we must become the change we wish to see through a human revolution from within. 

I am so grateful and proud to suppport Barack Obama for many reasons.  In this moment, I am delighted to have a candidate who is not accepting funds from personal interest groups and large pacs.  Let's do everything we can to get Sen. Obama elected.

Val McCall

No doubt, anyone sitting in front of a computer -- or a television -- has been watching and listening to the chilling story unfolding on the campus of Viriginia Tech.  A young male student entered the Virginia Tech campus this morning, armed with 9mm gun[s], killed 33 persons, including himself, and injured dozens of others.  The loss of life at the height of it's most potent promise is numbing.  Let us keep in our prayers those precious lives lost and their families whose grief tear at the fabric of our senses and our society. 

When will we ever learn?  There is a phrase in a song composed by Pete Seeger entitled "Where Have all the Flowers Gone."  It is a song about young men being blindly lead off to war only to never return home alive.  The song asks the question, "When will they ever learn?"  It is long overdue for us to ask ourselves, "When will we ever learn?"  What will it take for us to recognize that the current "gun control" system is just not working?

Violence is proliferating throughout every aspect of our society -- it has been nutured and cultured into a fine art that is marketed to the masses as a must-have commodity, whether through video games, music, movies, cartoons, "reality tv" and more.  Guns, violence, and a thrist for the macabre is what our youth, and our society as a whole, are being bombarded with every nano second of the day.  And when our senses go awry, and we start to loose touch with our humanity, there is always some new wave of "recently tested" pharmaceuticals, gauranteed to cure our ills, make us thin and keep us forever 21, side-affects notwithstanding. When will we ever learn?

It is Time to Stop the Corporate Violence.  When will we have the courage to stand up to special interests groups, such as the pharmaceutical industry that all to often touts "Take this new drug ... it will cure you from sneezing too much ... please note that it might cause the membranes in the nasal cavity to erupt, loss of bladder control, loss of eye sight, brain tumors, and and a whole lot of other things too numerous to mention ... but it will stop you from sneezing.  Might as well cut your nose off and be done with it.  Anyone read the label of some of these "uptake inhibitors" that are supposed to help a person "deal with anxiety?"  What a treat they are.

It is time for us to take the steps necessary to build a society that instills in everyone the ability to make choices based on creating value for themselves and those around them.  First, we must recognize that life is the most precious gift of all.   Then, we should nuture and savor this precious gift in every way, including the environment, our food chain, and ultimately each other.  In this manner, we can stand up against injustice for those who lost their lives today at Virginia Tech, for their grieving families and for all the many victims of violence, whether by guns or any other means.  All it takes is just one person to start a change. 

The song I mentioned at the beginning of this post was written in the the late 1950s to early 1960s.   We cannot afford to let another generation go by only to write another song 40-50 years from now, still asking, "When will they ever learn?"

Val McCall, Connecticut

I just came across this article (actually a blog post) on the web and found it of interest.  The Marketing Marterials Maven, Karen Witzig, shares her comments and thoughts regarding marketing using the Obama campaign ideology (David Axelrod).   Some food for thought as we continue to organize ourselves in Connecticut.  Here's the link:  Link

Read the article and don't forget to sign up your town/city or neighborhood (or interest group, such as CT Healthcare Community for Obama, CT Carpenters for Obama, CT Enviromental Group for Obama), as we continue our challenege to sign up Connecticut's 169 municiplaities.

The beauty of grass roots organizing is self-empowerment in one's own neighborhood.  By creating neighborhood groups that are self-operating throughout Connecticut, we can create a tidal wave of support for our chosen presidential candidate.

Once you have created a group, be sure to join the Connecticut Coalition of Group Administrators so that we can keep in touch with each other, share ideas and organization tips and planning, materials, expertise, etc., while at the same time maintain our group autonomy.

Sign Up Connecticut  by June 30, 2007:  Goal - 169 City/Towns for Obama in 08.

One of the concerns we have been facing in Connecticut is finding out who else in and around our neighborhood wants to volunteer to host a fundraiser, a rally, or participate in an awareness event, pass out flyers, etc.  As promised, I put together a database for all to use that includes name, email, phone contact, city/town, and how they would like to volunteer. I have created a section for the many groups that have been created, as well.   It's done!  Now, the task is to find a way to post the data base.  I promise to resolve this issue by week's end. 

The goal of the database is to promote the creation of self-operating groups in each of Connecticut's 169 municipalities.  That way, we can create events with those in and around our own neighborhood, and be able to contact as many folk as possible for statewide events.  There's a lot of activity going on -- here's a listing of the groups that have been started thus far.  If you don't see your town listed, start a group in your town today!

STATEWIDE:  12 Groups

• Barack Obama for President '08-Connecticut Chapter
• CT Educators for Obama (Hamden)
• Connecticut for Obama
• CT. for Obama
• CT for Obama
• Democrats for Obama (Hamden)
• DraftObama.org CT Chapter
• Hope.Change.Lead.Obama (West Hartford)
• HOPE Obama 08 (Ridgefield)
• Obama for the Future (Hamden)
• Teens for Obama (Plainville)
• U2 Fans for Obama 08

AREA GROUPS:  6 Groups

• CT. Shore for Obama
• Fairfield County for Barack Obama
• Litchfield County for Obama
• New Haven County for Obama
• Northwest Connecticut for Obama
• Southeast CT for Obama 

CITY/TOWN:  7 Groups

• dilphin cove for Obama
• STAND for Obama (Cheshire)
• Glastonbury for Obama
• Guilford, CT for Obama
• Middletown CT for Obama
• New Haven CT for Obama
• West Hartford for Obama

STUDENTS (Colleges/Universities and Other Student Groups): 14 Groups

• Avonians for Obama (Avon Old Farms School) (Avon)
• CCSU Students for Obama (New Britain)
• College Students for Obama (Statewide)
• Connecticut College for Barack Obama (New London)
• Hartford Hawks for Obama (University of Hartford)
• High School Students for Obama (Statewide)
• Law Students for Obama (Statewide)
• RHAM Loves Obama
• UCONNforOBAMA (Storrs)
• University of New Haven Students for Obama (New Haven)
• Wesleyan University for Obama (Middletown)
• YDS Students for Barack Obama (Yale Divinity Students - New Haven)
• Yale Law Students for Obama (New Haven)
• Yale for Obama (New Haven)