Gun violence is America's shame

The annual congressional baseball game dates back to 1909 and is now one of the only public displays of bipartisanship left in Washington, D.C. The game, which pits Republicans against Democrats, mirrors similar events that dominate American culture every summer — Little League competitions, corporate charity events and Major League series. Baseball is, after all, our national pastime.

And gun violence is our national shame, as American as apple pie and, yes, baseball.

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So far this year, there have been more than 27,800 shootings that have taken the lives of more than 6,800 people and injured an additional 13,500, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.

To say that the U.S. lags other peer nations on this measure is a gross understatement. One study that examined 2010 mortality data from the World Health Organization showed that the gun fatality rate in the U.S. is 25 times higher than rates in other high-income nations. For victims ages 15 to 24, the rate is 49 times higher. Women in this country are 11 times more likely to be killed with a gun than are their international peers.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-gun-violence-america-20170625-story.html

A pertinent excerpt from the article:

"While the epidemic of gun violence in this country and the maddening politics around the issue can make this feel like an intractable problem, nothing could be further from the truth. There is a growing body of research showing that states that have enacted commonsense measures — such as universal background checks, limits on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and restricting gun access by domestic abusers — have significantly lower rates of gun violence than permissive states do."

Sensible gun control measures work, and they do not trample on the sacred Second Amendment that the NRA/ILA apologists scream so loudly about -- "they're coming to take our guns!"

Like Trump, gun extremists repeat fear-mongering lies in order to support the claim that they are protecting the Constitution, and the American way of life. And again, in responding to Trump and gun extremists, the only answer to those bogus claims is: bullshit! Trump and the gun worshiping extremists are ripping the Constitution to shreds, and are the antithesis of what America stands for.