interesting to watch how the media, also dependent on kissing the fannies of the rich, have been instructed to play up "mental illness" rather than pointing to the NRA which is seeing to it that they remain the chief lobby of all time...so this current holocaust will end up not being blamed on guns and those who are fascinated with them at all costs. i am disgusted by the coverage.apathy turning to empathy because we will not back down. shyness is not a quality i am any longer interested in displaying...until the day i die! ;)a NOKILL nation...NOKILL! i am waiting for folks to talk some sense regarding the tragedies of last week and stop their hedging. such as why guns are needed by anybody...and why hunting is considered a sport or a "feeding my family" necessity! BS! enough already! what and who is everybody afraid of i wonder? killing is killing.and the "mentally ill" cop out is getting really stale...wish i was the person in charge of handing out the licenses...i would deny everyone who applied citing those who want weapons are "mentally ill"! trying to keep these beliefs to myself until i think the moment is right to state the obvious...indeed it is right now...the emperor is wearing no clothes...desensitization and apathy and self-interest on one hand...cruelty and snarkiness and self-interest on the other. about 50/50 like everything else! surprise! self-interest being the only commonality!...the mental illness thing is simply a diversionary tactic set in place by the NRA whom the politicians salute.i wanna know what michael moore is thinking right about now..."bowling for columbine" was his best documentary so far...thanks for letting me vent.Bob Carlson: "made me think of good ol' Euell Gibbons's book, 'Stalking the Wild Asparagus.' ... just got through a long argument with gun nuts who resorted to name-calling. time to watch 'Antiques Roadshow' and crash." David Rat : "You tell 'em, dear! Reposting!"Steve and Cheryl Wood, about my book, "Great read of life and memories from a small Indiana Town. Would suggest it for anyone looking for a funny and relaxing afternoon read."Bob Wannberg: "So very true, love shall heal and the meaning of 'success' be known as it should be, the measure of how we can help each other, recognize and preserve the Earth and all of its beauty , and treat all living beings as they should be, with love and compassion. Susie, Roy, you are such beautiful examples of this, I learn from you each and every day...thank you....There could be no better friends anywhere, yes, Susie, Roy, and as I read your book Susie, I realize how life could be, so amazing, how I wish I still had the house I grew up in, the town, the people, how very blessed you are! Your book is captivating, once you start you cannot put it down! Brilliant in all ways, the manner you write is so smooth, it flows from page to page, just like you were sitting there talking to me! thank you again!"Mary Shaull: "I agree, Susie. But I also feel that mental illness is a real problem that must be addressed. Give you or me a gun, and we wouldn't think of hurting anyone. But there are a lot of sick cookies out there who will find guns and carry out their horrible urges. I feel that President Obama will take action on the assault rifle issue. Hope he does it fast, while all of our hearts are so terribly, terribly broken."_____________________diversionary tactics...i stand by that...a bunch of nothing but! NRA pays big money to shut mouths and finance spins...listen very carefully. hopefully, their "66 times more than any other lobby spends" will not work this time. and the ads on tv continue..advertising many shows featuring target practice and killings as we watch. all to sell guns and licenses and "sportsmen" clothing...we must all get on board with this...and all or nothing!another great point i heard tonight was: with all of america on over-the-counter OR illegal drugs, plenty of odd behavior patterns to go around..."mental illness" is seeming to be the catch-all term...does that diagnosis also include and capture altered thinking attributable to drugs of all varieties? just remembered that...at least some great dialogue to be listened to...for the moment. hoping it lasts until legislation kicks in and soon"Easier to purchase a gun/registration than to adopt a pet!" - Piers Morganoh, here is a typical quote...and to many of us the root of the problem...(I personally ask why is all of this violence, directed at animals, not pointed out as the culprit and at the root of this violent culture? that fact is being muffled.) West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, another "A"-rated member of the NRA, on Monday questioned the availability of assault weapons, saying on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle. I don't know anybody that needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting. I mean, these are things that need to be talked about." huh?the nra out-lobby for instance the brady commission to the tune of 66 times more and that takes a lot of money...and the guns are flying off the shelves this week...as the NRA points to "mental illness" reform...they are gonna cause fickle america to now point fingers ala "psychology 101"...everybody is gonna be an accusatory expert about everybody else...sick of this horrid situation caused by jerk-wads who are into guns? mindless killers all!love this! Brenda Stroik Stiller: "Easier to purchase a gun than it is to buy raw milk in Mchigan...because you know raw milk could hurt me, I need to be protected from that!"Christian Raymond: "No kill for all sentient beings!"in the midst of our national horror, reverence for animals...caring about preserving their lives is as important as ever...they are at the bottom of the barrel in more ways than one...we must sensitize human beings and our citizens to the crassness of killing second by second whether of our shelter residents, our wild-life or our farm animals...IF we start there, we stop killing each other. put the weapons meant for murder, and they all are meant for slaughter, away...get those killing devices gone off the face of the earth...accept NOKILL into our hearts...and our intelligent thinking. begin this moment...thanks, all!____________________i am cynical also...and sometimes it seems as if the religious folks are stubbornly disregarding and hunting (like "sister" sarah palin , she of the multi children) and grilling out and ignoring shelter animals on purpose? but as soon as i believe that in my very soul, somebody religious bops along and loves animals as much as I do?still, the paul ryan effort to let us know he "hunts" and that his little GIRL (?) would be hunting also...just to get votes, i got all cynical again. and lots of church ladies love him to pieces! animals are politicized no doubt about it...and if i hear one more suited fellow or dressed up dame refer to "hunting" as a "sportsman's" right in this violent culture of mass slaughter of anything that breathes, i am gonna ___ i dunno what!Lotta Stenfelt: "I can understand how Susie is thinking. And referring to the last sentences: How about putting a piece of cloth in their mouths? drenched in vinegar?...""NOKILL FOR ALL SENTIENT BEINGS" WOULD BE A GREAT FIRST STEP BACK TO NORMALCY...and another post i just read is "MANY DON'T LIKE THE THOUGHT OF ANY ANIMAL SHATTERING THE BELIEF IN HUMAN SUPERIORITY!" and another from John M. : "IT IS NOW COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT EATING ANIMALS ... CAUSES EVERY MAJOR DISEASE. IT IS TIME TO EVOLVE...START RAISING VEGETABLES, IN OTHER WORDS, HUMAN FOOD..." (and the grazing animals we eat are vegetarians by the way before we cannibalize them...)Greto Alene: "I agree, Our Animals are as precious as our children (to me more so)"Jonny Rio: "you're welcome, Susie Duncan! and may GOD BLESS U! :-}"____________________Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available (click the title to order from publisher Open Books' website). Also available in both formats at Amazon.com , or download from iTunes Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't