Survivors, Alumni Gather to Remember Fallen Angels

December 1st is the 50th anniversary of the Our Lady of Angels school fire in which 92 children and 3 nuns perished. Prior to this tragedy, existing schools were "grandfathered" from having to retrofit to meet updated fire codes. Following this fire, new fire codes were passed and older schools required to retrofit to meet new codes. Please take a moment on Monday to remember the victims, survivors and families of this disaster. More detail information on the fire may be found here.


OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS FIRE -- 50 YEARS LATER | Survivors, alumni gather this weekend to remember the 92 children, 3 nuns who died


BY MAUREEN O'DONNELL
Chicago Sun-Times
November 28, 2008
Link to original story

It was a day when the lives of 92 schoolchildren were stolen in a place where their parents thought they would be safe: their school.

The inferno that consumed Chicago's Our Lady of the Angels on Dec. 1, 1958, opened a pit of sorrow that still seems bottomless.

The survivors have replayed those agonizing minutes in their minds countless times -- and all the things that went wrong, increasing the body count. In the strong, silent '50s, survivors, victims' families and rescuers were urged not to dwell on the blaze.

God took the good ones, they were told. Get on with your lives.

But OLA alums have never forgotten the three nuns who died and classmates who never had a chance to get old.

People are coming to Chicago from across the country for a 50th anniversary mass at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Holy Family Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt, where the names of the 92 children and three nuns will be read.

"I'm going to be at the mass to honor the kids that are not here, and the poor parents that suffered so greatly that day,'' said survivor Matt Plovanich.

In addition to the mass Sunday, all the schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago are invited to join in a prayer for the victims on Monday at 2:30 p.m., the approximate time of the fire.

At least two other Chicago services will mark the fire, and other memorial masses are being arranged across the country, according to the Web site olafire.com. "They were sitting in Catholic schools in Baltimore or Philadelphia, and they could relate because they had nuns and they had schools built at the turn of the century that were 50, 60 years old," Plovanich said.

Our Lady of the Angels alums say something good came out of something horrific: The fire made schools safer. Sweeping changes in school design, materials and construction, as well as requirements for fire doors, sprinklers and fire drills, were put into place nationwide after the blaze.

They take some comfort in that.

"One of the positive things that came about was the review of building codes; more fireproofing, how [fire] drills were handled" and sprinkler requirements, said Annette Szafran, who was an eighth-grader when the fire struck.

Szafran was pulled to safety from a window by the Rev. Joseph Ognibene and parent Sam Tortorice. Szafran found her third-grade sister outside and they hugged, surrounded by mothers and fathers on the sidewalks screaming the names of their children inside. Some parents tried to storm the building, only to be driven back by flames, or tackled by police.

The fire destroyed the neighborhood around the school at Avers and Iowa. Families moved away. Some parents divorced. Children who survived didn't want to go outside because mothers of children lost in the fire would stop and beseech them to recall their final minutes.

"Everyone knew someone who died," Szafran said. "You couldn't go to your neighbor and say, 'I'm sorry you lost your son or daughter,' because you might have lost your son or daughter. People didn't know how to comfort each other."

"Our neighbor's very best friend was at the fire that day, and he said he was pulling kids out of his classroom. He saw his son at the window and said 'Jump! Jump! I'm here' -- and his son didn't jump. He died. How do you counsel that man, who saved the other children?"

"The amount of sadness in the neighborhood was just horrible, like a darkness had come,'' Plovanich said.

The group Friends of OLA has created the James Raymond Scholarship for children of firefighters. Commemorative license plates have helped fund the scholarship, named for a janitor who rescued many students. Alums say Raymond's name was besmirched when he was questioned about whether poor housekeeping contributed to the blaze. Raymond's son, John, credits survivor Charlene Campanale Jancik, who passed away in 2003, as the driving force behind the scholarship.

About five years ago, alums began reconnecting because of ola fire.com; a documentary, "Angels Too Soon," and a book, To Sleep with the Angels, by David Cowan and John Kuenster.

The book charged that a boy at the school confessed to setting the fire, but was never prosecuted. He has since died, Kuenster said. (Many survivors were shocked when Cowan was charged with setting a 2005 fire at a storage building of St. Benedict Parish on the North Side. At the time, his wife attributed the incident to stress and alcohol abuse.)

Kuenster, a former Chicago Daily News writer, has written another book about the fire, Remembrances of the Angels, with new interviews with survivors, parents and rescuers.

"We should never forget something like this, but the kids who died and the people who are hurt and the children who are missed, there's a great legacy from this, and that is that schools are a lot safer today," Kuenster said.

After many survivors complained about a lack of psychological help, in 2003, the Archdiocese of Chicago offered 15 counseling sessions to survivors -- more, if they needed them, spokeswoman Susan Burritt said.

About 17 survivors and relatives sought help, she said. To learn more, call the archdiocese at (312) 751-5254 and ask for the assistance ministry, Burritt said.

The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary have scheduled a memorial at 1 p.m. Saturday at the graves of the three dead sisters at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside; at 1:30 p.m. at the mausoleum chapel of Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, followed by a memorial at the Our Lady of the Angels monument in Section 17 at Queen of Heaven, where many of the children who died are buried.

Also Sunday, alums of an award-winning Chicago drum and bugle corps -- which lost three students to the blaze -- will commemorate their passing. The Royal Airs will perform at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Our Lady of the Angels monument at Queen of Heaven.

Survivor Ellenann Wassinger said she plans to attend the Sunday mass. "I just want to pay my respects. I lost a lot of classmates in my room -- I think almost half," she said. "I think it will help me."

Wassinger said she struggled for years with depression and dreams of dead classmates. The fire stole "a lot of trust. . . . I don't have any friends because I'm always afraid I'm going to lose them."

John Raymond, another survivor, also will be at the mass. His memories are stirred when he hears schoolchildren at recess.

"If I hear a siren, and the kids screaming at the same time, it takes me back to the fire. I [go to the window or outside to] check on them."

On Sunday, "I feel like I have to be there, just to honor my classmates that passed, and the ones that have gotten this far, as I have,'' Raymond said. "Even though they're dead, I've thought about them all my life. It's where I should be."

Death Wish: The Impending Suicide of a Once Great Nation

http://www.fathercorapi.com/PDF/Death_Wish.pdf

http://www.fathercorapi.com/deathwish.aspx

Happy Thanksgiving

Today we celebrate one of the most important, but also one of the most neglected holidays of the year. When stores begin marketing Christmas, sorry -- "holidays," starting in October, it becomes a clear sign to me that most people have lost all meaning of Thanksgiving. Why has this happened?

Two reasons come to mind. First, Thanksgiving involves no "presents." We don't spend madly money we don't have to stock up on "Thanksgiving presents," instead we pause to recognize one of our greatest gifts, the hand of divine providence in the creation of our nation. But we no longer attach value to God, so we no longer value His gifts.

This leads to the second reason Thanksgiving has become so neglected, which is the revisionist history being propagandized to our children attacking the traditional Thanksgiving story as nothing but make-believe folklore. The Pilgrims are now lumped into the stereotype of evil, racist, white male Europeans who came to destroy the Indians (ops, sorry there I go again, I mean "Native Americans"). The reality is that the story most of us has learned, while romanticized in parts, is generally accurate. In fact, the Pilgrims and the Indians signed a peace treaty which lasted for over 50 years. The war that broke the treaty was actually a European war that spilled over into the colonies and sucked in both colonists and Indians.

So today, let us pause and give thanks for the gifts we enjoy. As George Washington said:

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favors."

–George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789

At What Cost?

According to a 2007 report released by UNICEF, children in the Netherlands lead the rest of the world in their “subjective well being” (UN report: Go Dutch!). It’s not surprising to find that the Netherlands is a very “child-centered” society where parents work hard to satisfy their children’s every whim and teachers don’t hold children too accountable for fear of hurting “self-esteem.”

In addition, Netherlands is famous (or more correctly infamous) for it’s “freedoms” and tolerant attitudes towards activities such as drinking, smoking, use of mind altering drugs, and sex. This tolerance extends to children as well. Mandatory sex education begins at age 4 and the age of consent is 12. Almost all Dutch teens are sexually active and most report smoking marijuana.

Even with all its “tolerance” and “freedom,” the UN still chides the Netherlands for not doing “enough” to implement the UN Children’s Rights Convention. Responding to this, the Dutch are ceding even more power to the government, and in addition to their already existing special government minister for young people and the family, are calling for the creation of a special government agent or “ombudsman” who “will fight for the rights and interests of children.”

What about parents in the Netherlands? Their role has been reduced to mere caregiver, responsible to feed, cloth and satisfy the whims and desires of their children; but prohibited from nurturing, guiding and teaching their children. So children in the Netherland enjoy “tolerance” and “freedom,” but at what cost?

We are headed in the same direction. Parental rights are under assault like never before in the United States. Under an Obama administration and Democrat controlled congress, expect a very strong push to ratify the UN Children’s Rights Convention in the United States. Obama’s friend Bill Ayers recently gave a speech at an “educators” conference in Venezuela stating the purpose of “public education” is not education, but state indoctrination of children into the beliefs the state wants them to hold.

WAKE UP AMERICA! We are already passed the crossroads and headed down the path of progressivism/fascism/communism/socialism. Those of us who are prepared to be leaders need to get the masses to stop following the miss-guided and instead help lead them back to the correct path – the divine path recognized by our founders when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

Get involved before it’s too late! Visit ParentalRight.org and at least lend your voice to the cause. Stand up for your country!

Church and State

"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to him. This duty is precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe."

–James Madison, A Memorial and Remonstrance, 1785

Any questions?

The Fallacy of “Gun Control” Proven Again!

The media tells us that the alleged shooter in the tragic New Jersey church shooting this weekend drove from California to New Jersey to confront the victim (story here). However, a major point is missing from their reporting. What’s missing is the fact that California and New Jersey have some of the most draconian “gun control” laws in the nation. So how could the alleged shooter bring a gun to a church and open fire? Didn’t he know that was illegal? Didn’t he realize he was committing a crime by bringing an unlicensed gun into New Jersey? Once again, the complete fallacy of “gun control” is tragically revealed. Once again, innocent people die because smug politicians decided they knew better then the people and knew better than the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Criminals who wish to use guns to commit crimes ignore the law, which surprisingly just matches the definition of “criminal.” Why is it so hard for people to see that “gun control” does nothing but disarm law abiding citizens?

The Tax System Explained with Beer

Too many people have been suckered into buying into a ridiculous “class warfare” mentality. The prevailing thought is: “Sock it to those damn rich! THAT will make us feel better about ourselves! After all, it’s only fair.”

Unfortunately, this misses a few important points. First, the “evil” rich are the ones out there taking risks, creating businesses, creating jobs, and creating wealth. Second, “class warfare” is a Marxist ideal that is completely opposed to the American dream. In America, you have the unique opportunity to make anything of yourself if you’re just willing to put in the hard work. ANYONE with a good idea is completely free to turn it into a multi-million dollar business. Ever heard of Walt Disney, Ray Kroc, Harland Sanders (you might know him as Col. Sanders), or Sam Walton?

“Come on, Steve,” you say, “that takes too much hard work. I’d rather sit around and receive my government handout. Those rich make too much profit. They can give some to me. After all, it’s only fair.”

That idea replaces “trickle down economics” with “trickle up poverty.” In a capitalist economy, as people make money, they tend to open more businesses and create more jobs, which creates more wealth for everyone. Oh, and as profits go up, tax income increases as well not only due to the fact that there’s more profit, but there are also more workers paying their taxes (but we don’t want to talk about that).

Today, we want to replace capitalism with Marxist ideals (which by the way worked out just so great in the Soviet Union) that punishes the wealthy and rewards slackers. So instead of everyone becoming better off, we all become worse off – “trickle up poverty.” Fewer businesses are opened, fewer jobs are created, and less wealth is generated. You can’t “spread the wealth” when there is no more wealth left to spread.

Here’s the other dirty little secret: 40% of Americans pay NO income taxes! In fact, most of them get a check from the government for the earned income credit. Meanwhile, the top 5% of Americans are paying nearly 60% of the income taxes. How much more do they need to be squeezed? How much is enough, how much is “fair?”

Is it really “fair” for you to work your butt off so slackers can sit around and do nothing?

Why do we want to keep punishing the “rich?”

The story below has been falsely attributed to a Georgia college professor. Even though that’s not who really wrote it, it remains a very clear explanation of our tax system and why the “sock it to the rich” mentality is flawed.

The Tax System - Explained With Beer

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.'Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly applying the same percentages that each man paid to the new $80.00 amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 ( 25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Semper Alacer - Always Alert

What's this all about?

I have created this blog to share my thoughts on the nation and do my part in attempting to bring people back to the Constitution of the United States. I've named it Semper Alacer -- Always Alert, as a reminder that our founders told us we needed to remain always alert to protect our freedom and liberty. We are headed down a dark and dangerous path as a nation. Our only hope lays in reconnecting to our founders and our Constitution.

Unfortunately, it's now hip to portray our founders as nothing but a bunch of dead racist white guys and our Constitution as something that means whatever a judge thinks it means on a particular day, if it even applies at all. Far too many people think that "the government" is the answer to all their problems. Far too many fear hard work and personal responsibility, instead choosing to give up their freedom in return for a government handout. To continue down this path will surely lead to our demise.

The funny thing is, our founders warned us about all this. They told us what would happen if we began to take freedom for granted. They told us what would happen to the nation and what kinds of politicians and "leaders" we would get. They warned us what kind of people we would become. Because we've become so disconnected from them, we don't hear their words, little lone even know they spoke those words.

WE are all AMERICANS. We are not Democrat-Americans, Republican-Americans, African-Americans, European-Americans or any other kind of "dash American." WE are one: E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One. As a people, we used to understand this instinctively. However, beginning especially in the 20th century, we've allowed certain politicians and "leaders" to begin driving wedges between us. Their desire is for us to be so busy turning against each other that we ignore what they are doing to all of us. We need to come back together as one people.

There are many who would see this great nation destroyed. They know they can never directly defeat the United States of America. The only way they can destroy our nation is if we allow them to do so. And that is precisely what we are doing when we turn against each other, when we give up our freedom and liberty for the opium of "hope" and "change." Some buy into that and think they are "winning," but in the end we all lose when our nation falls.

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin commented at the signing of the Constitution that during the convention, he had observed the Sun engraved into the President's chair. Franklin remarked on the fact that it's difficult for an artist to convey whether a Sun is setting or rising, and all during the convention, he had been trying to determine if the artwork on the chair depicted a rising or setting Sun. Franklin said with the signing of the Constitution, he was sure it represented a rising Sun. It's now up to us to determine if it's a rising or setting Sun.

Some of you may not like some of the things I have to say. To which I reply: GOOD! That is exactly why we have the First Amendment: to allow for the free and open debate of ideas. Open and honest dialog is good. It allows us to gain new insights and learn from each other.

Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray, but almost blind in service of my country. - George Washington, March 1783

And THAT is what this is all about...

Gun Owners Need Not Apply?

NRA-ILA Grassroots Alert Vol 15, No 45

To paraphrase a poem:

First they came for the gun owners, and I didn't speak up because I own no guns.

Then they came for the rich, and I didn't speak up because I am not rich.

Then they came for the home schoolers, and I didn't speak up because I do not home school.

Next they came for the religious, and I didn't speak up because I have no religion.

And then, they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up.

Are YOU going to speak up or are YOU going to sit by until there is no one left to speak up?

I don't care if you're a Democrat, Republican or Independent, Comrade Obama hasn't even been inaugurated and this is already shaping up to be a very Orwellian administration. Since when did the fact if you or a member of your family LEGALLY own a firearm become a determining factor in ANY job? Still don't think elimination of firearms ownership by private citizens is not a top priority in an Obama administration?

Again, it doesn't matter if you're Democrat, Republican or Independent, our pledge is to this great nation and our Constitution. It is NOT to any one individual or cult of personality. As I've said before, all we have to do is look to history to see where that leads people -- Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, Kim Il Sung, Castro, Chavez. Dangerous things happen when people stop following their principles and instead start following a charismatic demagogue hoping for change.

You don't buy a duck and expect it to be a chicken. All his adult life, Obama has surrounded himself with leftists, communists, unrepentant terrorists, convicted felons and America haters. He cites self-professed Marxists as his mentors. Obama himself has expressed Marxists ideals, as well as stating in his own words that he believes the Constitution of the United States to be FUNDAMENTALLY flawed. So how people could vote for him and expect him to "govern from the center" is beyond me. My granddaddy always said if its walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's probably a duck!

The motto of this blog says it all: Semper Alacer, Always Alert. Our founders warned us to always remain on the alert. They understood the power and the cost of freedom. They understood liberty is a precious thing, hard to win, but easy to lose. They warned us repeatedly that as we became accustomed to freedom, we would begin to take it for granted. What we take for granted, we value too little.

As Thomas Paine put it so eloquently on December 23, 1776, in The American Crisis:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Remaining alert and vigilant and standing up for what is right is not an easy thing to do. It will become even tougher in the days ahead. We're already seeing tactics right out of the communist/Fascist/progressive play book: If someone disagrees with your position, don't argue the facts, instead label that person as some type of "hater" or "nut job" or any other label to silence their voice and shut down debate. People are already being labeled as "racists," "homophobes," and numerous other hateful labels in order to silence their voice and shut down debate.

Don't believe in "Global Warming?" Al Gore equates you to a Holocaust denier. Don't believe Obama's policies are right for America? You're a "racist." Believe in the sanctity of marriage and strong family values? You're a "homophobe." Believe in the right to life and oppose the culture of death? You're "against choice." All labels designed to prevent any open dialogue and debate about the real issues.

Are YOU ready to stand up for your country and our Constitution? Or are you going to be one of the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots that slipped away as soon as things got tough?

Preserving liberty and freedom is not going to be easy, especially in today's "entitlement mentality" environment. People today are afraid of personal responsibility. They are willing to give up their freedoms and liberties left and right in exchange for the government taking all responsibility -- the "Nanny State." Did you know our founders warned of us this? They warned us that people would prefer a king and tyranny over freedom and being responsible for their own lives. Well, we ignored them and that warning is proving true.

Like those loyal, patriotic soldiers who remained in camp at Valley Forge with Washington that terribly cold, freezing, miserable winter of 1777, when all seemed lost, are YOU prepared to stay in the fight to victory? Are you prepared to mutually pledge to each other "our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor?" Benjamin Franklin spoke no truer words when he said at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Like any good soldier, to prevail in battle, we must have proper training. This is a fight of words and ideals and our weapon is knowledge. So in our call to arms, I recommend you begin your training with the following:

Our Founding Documents

The Declaration of Independence

The Constitution of the United States

Amendments to the Constitution of the United States

The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle that Changed the World by W. Cleon Skousen

The American Classic Series from the National Center for Constitutional Studies

The Real George Washington

The Real Thomas Jefferson

The Real Benjamin Franklin

The Heritage Guide to the Constitution edited by Edwin Meese III, Matthew Spalding, and David Forte

Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg

The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes

Constitutional Law for Enlightened Citizens by Michael P. Farris

The Importance of the Electoral College by Dr. George Grant

Why America is Free: A History of the Founding of the American Republic published by The Society of the Cincinnati

May God bless us and the United States of America!

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
- Patrick Henry, 23 March 1775

"Yes We Can . . . Ban Guns"--Obama Announces Gun Ban Agenda Before The Final Vote Count Is In

NRA-ILA Alert 7 Nov 08

It's already starting. Obama isn't even in the White House and has already announced the start of his anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment policies. We're going to get change all right! Here's the text directly from the Obama "change.gov" website (it's buried under "Urban Policy" -- like most things with Obama, you have to dig around if you want to find his real position): [Update: Like most things with Obama, since this information went public, the paragraph below was removed from his transition website.]

"Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets."

Click on the NRA-ILA article here to read more about how none of these policies do anything but introduce de facto gun control. Here's a brief rundown:

1) Repealing the Tiahrt Amendment allows anti-gun groups to bring frivolous lawsuits against gun manufactures and gun shops. It'd be the same thing as allowing people to sue car makers because someone was an idiot and got behind the wheel drunk. The crap about law enforcement access is the typical BS smoke screen. Law enforcement ALREADY has access to this information when investigating a crime.

2) "Commonsense measures" has ALWAYS been anti-gun speak for ways to ban guns. First, the laws on the books already keep guns out of the hands of criminals IF ONLY THEY WERE ENFORECED! Convicted felons are prohibited from owning firearms. "Making guns in this country childproof" means requiring non-existent or highly expensive technology on guns, resulting again in a de facto ban on all guns. The whole idea of "childproofing guns" is just another scare tactic. The fact of the matter is that accidental firearms deaths of children have declined 86% since 1975, even as the number of children and guns have risen. Children now have a less than one in a million chance of being killed by a firearm. When you take the time to look at the facts, it becomes a complete "straw man" argument.

3) There is NO gun show "loophole" PERIOD! If you purchase a gun at a gun show, the dealer is STILL required to complete the Federal criminal background check. Yet another scare tactic and an attempt to ban gun shows.

4) The so-called "Assault Weapons Ban" did nothing to reduce crime. In fact, since the 2004 sunset of Clinton's "assault weapons ban," the murder rate has been lower than anytime since the mid-1960s. The whole term "assault weapon" is completely misleading. A so-called "assault weapon" is nothing more than a semi-automatic rifle. Some look like the rifles used by militaries, but the ones civilians can purchase are NOT the same and are NOT the ones found on "foreign battlefields." There is NO difference between a so-called "assault weapon" and any other semi-automatic rifle other than appearance. Appearance does not make them somehow more lethal than any other semi-automatic rifle. Once again, other scare tactic to sucker the uninformed and ban guns.

Make no mistake about it, Obama and Biden do NOT want US (legal, law-abiding citizens) to own ANY guns - PERIOD! They don't want us to be able to choose to take advantage of our Second Amendment rights, but it's perfectly okay for them to have 24-hour armed security to protect them and their families, because, after all, they're just more important than us. Brush up on your George Orwell Animal Farm: "All pigs are created equal, but some pigs are more equal than others."

This is one battle we cannot afford to loose. If we willingly give up one Constitutional right or allow it to be severely restricted and distorted from the meaning clearly intended by our founders, we place ourselves on a slippery slope as we'd say in philosophy, where EVERY other right would be in jeopardy. Which one would be next? The First Amendment and our right to free speech?