NYU President John Sexton Condemns Hate Crime Killing; Supports March and Rally

 

 

 

New York University President John Sexton in a message to the entire NYU community soundly has condemned the vicious hate killing that took place in the shadow of NYU. He urged the university community to attend the march and rally this evening (Monday) that begins at 5:30PM at the LGBT Center located at 208 West 13th Street.

Here is President Sexton's entire message:

Dear Friends,

I am saddened to report to you that on Friday night, a 32-year old man was fatally shot on Sixth Ave, near the heart of our campus. That sadness is compounded by a sense of shock and outrage, as the Police Department has indicated the victim was targeted and killed for being gay.

Such a crime is an assault on the values we hold dear as a University community and which we share with our neighborhood: a commitment to the diversity that makes New York City great, and support for members of the LBGTQ community. We stand united with those who reject and condemn the attacks on individuals who are perceived as different or identify as such, and we offer our deepest sympathies to the loved ones and friends of Marc Carson.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other elected officials and community leaders have organized a rally this evening to denounce hate violence. I am certain many members of the NYU community will wish to join to signal our own community’s longstanding and unwavering commitment to protect and celebrate the diversity. The March will begin at the LGBT Center at 208 West 13th Street at 5:30 pm and conclude with a rally on West 8th Street and 6th Avenue at 6:00 pm.

New York is the safest large city in America, and NYU is in one of its safest neighborhoods. Nonetheless, as shocking and unusual as this crime was, I want to take this opportunity to remind all members of the NYU community to use common sense in your daily activities; to avail yourselves of the round-the clock presence of NYU Public Safety Officers; to make use of the safety resources offered by NYU, including safe rides that will take you to or from any NYU building during nighttime (available by calling (212) 992-VANS (992-8267)); to contact the Wellness Exchange (wellness.exchange@nyu.edu; 212.443.9999) directly or on behalf of a friend if you are having any difficulties coping with the news of this senseless tragedy; and, in the event of an emergency, call 911 or NYU's emergency number, 212.998.2222.

We especially encourage our students to be mindful of the fact that the diversity we all celebrate at NYU remains a contested notion for some, but that we have every right to assert and demand the freedom to be who we are and the protections that go with it.

Be safe and be well.

Sincerely,

John Sexton

3863 Dead!

 

 

That figure is almost a thousand more than all those that died on 9/11. The figure is almost as many that died in the Iraq War. The figure is more than American soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Who are the 3,863 dead?

They are the people killed in the United States from gun violence since the Newtown shooting on December 14! Really. That is not an annual toll or the gun death toll for the last five years. It is the number killed in just five months. That figure average out to over 700 people being killed each month in the United States from guns.

No one can deny that we are in the middle of a slaughter by guns in this nation. A total bloodbath is occurring and our Congress is trembling in fear of the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA). The new President elected this weekend, James Porter, is describe as even more of a hard-liner and a 'culture warrior' by USA Today.

What are they fighting with millions and millions? The simple requirement that people who purchase a gun at gun shows must do a background check. Really? Yep that is the battle. A much needed assault weapons ban and magazine clip limit is not even on the table anymore.

Hell, even senior citizens in some states are required to have their eyes checked and driving abilities tested before getting their driver licenses renew.

If a terrorism killed over 7,000 Americans in just one month, the nation would be going 'bonkers' demanding that our government act to stop it. Citizens of this country should be now going 'bonkers' to demand an end to the gun violence.

GUNS: Now This Is Child Abuse.........

 

 

In America, children have to be 16/17 year old to drive and teenagers have to get a license and take a test. You have to be 18 years old to vote and you have to fill out an application. In many states you have to be 21 years old to drink and often you have to show ID. However you evidently can buy your 5 year old child a rifle anytime.

            David Mixner 

In Kentucky, a five year old boy was presented a .22 caliber rife as a 'gift'! He then shot and killed his two year old sister. There is no way that this young boy who had no idea of the power of the rifle will ever recover from this tragedy. The parents of the young child has set this young boy's life upside down by giving him this rifle.

In Cumberland County, Ky, a mother stepped outside onto her porch for “no more than 3 minutes.” In those 3 minutes her 5-year-old son shot and killed her 2-year-old-daughter. How did this happen? The boy was given a .22-caliber rifle as a gift. The rifle was kept in the corner of a downstairs room in plain sight because the young boy was used to shooting it and had knowledge of guns. The coroner — who was interviewed by the Lexington Herald-Leader — said, "It's a little rifle for a kid. ... The little boy's used to shooting the little gun."

The mother was apparently unaware that the gun still had a shell inside. The coroner said the death would be declared accidental, that it was “Just one of those crazy accidents.”

This is real child abuse.

In America, children have to be 16/17 year old to drive and teenagers have to get a license and take a test. You have to be 18 years old to vote and you have to fill out an application. In many states you have to be 21 years old to drink and often you have to show ID. However you evidently can buy your 5 year old child a rifle anytime.

Evidently, there is a company that makes guns and related items just for young children which is what this young boy received as a gift from his parents!

Keystone Sporting Arms, based in Milton, Penn., produced 60,000 Crickett and Chipmunk rifles in 2008, according to its website. It also makes guns for adults, but most of its products are geared toward children.

The company’s slogan is “my first rifle” and its website has a “Kids Corner” section where pictures of young boys and girls are displayed, most of them showing the children at shooting ranges and on bird and deer hunts. The smaller rifles are sold with a mount to use at a shooting range.

“The goal of KSA is to instill gun safety in the minds of youth shooters and encourage them to gain the knowledge and respect that hunting and shooting activities require and deserve,” the website said.

No one at the company answered the phone Wednesday.

According to its website, Bill McNeal and his son Steve McNeal decided to make guns for young shooters in the mid-1990s and opened Keystone in 1996 with just four employees, producing 4,000 rifles that year. It now employs about 70 people.

As we say back home, 'this ain't right'.

Top Ten States With The Most Gun Violence

 

 

 

When you look at the individual states with the most gun violence it is the very states with the most relaxed gun laws. Almost all the states are in the South and fight gun control legislation tooth and nail. As a result, their citizens have the highest rates of gun violence of any in the county.

In fact, 27/4 Wall Street shows only two states in the top ten that are not in the South. Here is the list

1. Louisiana

- Firearm homicide deaths per 100,000: 9.53 (the highest)
- Firearm aggravated assaults per 100,000: 99.51 (4th highest)
- Violent crime rate per 100,000: 555.3 (7th highest)
- Need permit to purchase handgun: No
- Governor: Bobby Jindal (R)

No state had a bigger problem with gun violence than Louisiana. Between 2001 and 2010, there were 18.9 firearm deaths — which includes suicides and accidents — annually for every 100,000 residents, more than any other state. In 2010, there were 9.53 homicides involving a firearm for every 100,000 residents, by far the highest rate in the country. In November 2012, nearly three-fourths of Louisiana voters approved a state constitutional amendment that placed a very strict standard on determining whether individual gun rights can be limited. Since the amendment was passed, a host of legal challenges have been filed against the state’s gun restrictions, including a challenge of the ban on felons to own firearms. The state received an F for its gun laws from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Among the reasons for the poor grade are the fact that the state does not require a waiting period for gun purchases or prohibit the sales of assault weapons or high-caliber rifles.

2. Alaska

- Firearm homicide deaths per 100,000: 4.22 (14th highest)
- Firearm aggravated assaults per 100,000: 80.47 (9th highest)
- Violent crime rate per 100,000: 606.5 (2nd highest)
- Need permit to purchase handgun: No
- Governor: Sean Parnell (R)

In 2010, there were more than 20 gun deaths for every 100,000 residents in Alaska, more than any other state in the country. That year, the state had more 15 suicide deaths with a firearm per 100,000 residents, also more than any other state in the country. Between 2001 and 2010, there were nearly six firearm deaths among children 17 years old or younger per 100,000 children, also the most in the country. In February, Alaska’s House of Representatives passed a law that would exempt the state from new federal gun laws. Any federal agent who attempts to enforce the law could be charged with a felony. Despite its passage, the bill is considered unconstitutional since federal law is superior to state law.

3. Alabama

- Firearm homicide deaths per 100,000: 5.92 (3rd highest)
- Firearm aggravated assaults per 100,000: 40.50 (23rd highest)
- Violent crime rate per 100,000: 420.1 (16th highest)
- Need permit to purchase handgun: No
- Governor: Robert Bentley (R)

In Alabama, there were 16.36 deaths due to firearms in 2010 for every 100,000 residents, more than all but three other states. That year, there were 5.92 firearm homicides for every 100,000 people, higher than all but two other states. The state also ranked within the top 10 for homicides of women with a firearm, firearm deaths of children and law enforcement killings, all within a 10-year time frame. Recently, the Alabama Senate voted to ease gun restrictions. The legislation, if signed into law, would allow residents to keep guns locked inside their vehicles at work without fear of pushback by their employer. The legislation also would allow people to carry a visible pistol without being charged with disorderly conduct.

4. Arizona

- Firearm homicide deaths per 100,000: 4.24 (13th highest)
- Firearm aggravated assaults per 100,000: 57.36 (16th highest)
- Violent crime rate per 100,000: 405.9 (19th highest)
- Need permit to purchase handgun: No
- Governor: Jan Brewer (R)

Arizona ranked in the top 10 states for firearm deaths between 2001 and 2010, along with homicide deaths of women and deaths of children 17 and under in those years. In addition, 30% of guns used in a crime within the state were sold less than two years before the crime was committed, indicating a high likelihood of illegal gun trafficking. This was a higher percentage than all states except for Missouri. In March, Guns & Ammo magazine ranked the state as “The Best State for Gun Owners,” noting the state is one of just a few that do not require a license to carry a concealed firearm. Also, concealed carriers are not required to notify law enforcement of their weapon except during “lawful traffic or criminal investigation, arrest or detention or an investigatory stop by a law enforcement officer.”

5. Mississippi

- Firearm homicide deaths per 100,000: 6.91 (2nd highest)
- Firearm aggravated assaults per 100,000: 51.69 (19th highest)
- Violent crime rate per 100,000: 269.8 (18th highest)
- Need permit to purchase handgun: No
- Governor: Phil Bryant (R)

Mississippi scores at or near the bottom of all states in several criteria used to measure gun violence. In 2009, more than 50 guns were exported from Mississippi for every 100,000 residents and were used in a violent crime in other states, more than any other state and more than three times the average among all states. There were 6.91 firearm homicides per 100,000 residents in 2010, higher than all states except for Louisiana. In addition, there was an annual average of 2.5 homicides of women involving a firearm, also more than all states except for Louisiana. The state scored an F from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence for failing to require a background check when guns are transferred between private parties, or to regulate gun dealers effectively.

SEE THE REST OF THE TOP TEN BY CLICKING HERE....

San Pedro Sula, Honduras Is The Most Dangerous City In The World

 

 

 

The second largest city in Honduras is San Perdro Sula. With about one million people in the metropolitan area, it has earned the title of the "Most Dangerous City In The World". The Drug Lords have basically taken over the nation and the center of the violence is in San Pedro Sula.

The homicide rate is 169 per 100,000 people. The country is overrun with illegal arms and he drug gangs go at each other nonstop. The result is a city filled with blood, pain and grief.

Boston.com's Big Picture recently featured a photographs taken by Associated Press Photographer Esteban Felix and Reuters photographer Jorge Cabrera. Here are some of the photographs out of the over two dozens featured on the site.

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE ALL IMPORTANT PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS.....