Gun Control, Deceptive Propaganda

[From article]
Jake Tapper interviewed Northeastern University criminology professor James Alan Fox to look at the data rather than the anecdotes. Over a 40-year period, Fox concluded, mass shootings have remained flat — even while the population of the country has grown significantly over the same period.
[. . .]
as lawful gun sales have increased, crimes carried out with a firearm have decreased. A majority of people think violent crimes carried out with firearms have increased over the past 20 years. They haven't, but instead have been cut in half.

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/06/13/reality-check-guns-sales-up-crimes-committed-with-guns-down-n1851342

Reality Check: Guns Sales Up, Crimes Committed With Guns Down
Katie Pavlich | Jun 13, 2014
TownHall

TX Woman With Concealed Carry Saves Husband At Restaurant Robbery

http://www.click2houston.com/news/woman-opens-fire-on-group-of-robbers-at-dennys/-/1735978/21394538/-/3f3c2c/-/index.html

Woman opens fire on group of robbers at Denny's
Police say the group of suspects fled the scene with stolen jewelry
Author: Camille Williams, Reporter, cwilliams (at) kprc.com
Published On: Aug 08 2013 06:54:12 PM CDT Updated On: Aug 08 2013 12:00:00 AM CDT

End Theft By Vending Machine Forever; Is He A Future MIT Student?

In a video posted to YouTube, a crafty engineer shows off a robot, controlled with a handheld panel, that can retrieve sodas from vending machines

Published on YouTube Feb 9, 2013

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316142/The-vending-machine-robot-steal-free-sodas.html

[audio is in French]
The vending machine robot that can steal free sodas
By JESSICA MONTOYA COGGINS
Daily Mail (UK)
PUBLISHED: 11:57 EST, 28 April 2013 | UPDATED: 11:57 EST, 28 April 2013

Removing Ice and Snow from Cambridge MA Sidewalks

February 11, 2008, City Council meeting. Megan Brook states the problem of ice and snow on sidewalks. Her solution is increasing fines. Speaking as the Vice President for Government and Public Affairs for the Mid Cambridge Emergency Committee to stop wasting "the greatest source of untapped energy since scientists split the atom," -- the hot wind energy given off without fail each week by Cambridge politicians -- and to use it to clear the sidewalks of snow and ice (THE SOLUTION), Roy Bercaw suggests using some of the appropriations for alcohol abuse prevention to teach people how to drive when drunk. This is a public service announcement of DDAM, Drunk Drivers Against Mothers. Bercaw says that prisoners should be trained in alternative dispute mediation services. He notes that the Neighborhood Crime Task Force of 50 members did not have any persons with disabilities. The Task Force determined that drugs is a major cause of crime, but did not discuss drugs. Order 5 violates Mass General Laws Chap. 43 Sec. 107 regarding Plan E form of Government. It carries severe penalties, prison, fines removal from office and being barred for life from holding elected office. Bercaw answers how to prevent city employees from engaging in illegal activities. He began thanking the Council for amending the Human Rights Commission ordinances omitting persons with non physical disabilities from protections. He notes that they are not whole people, only half people.

Cambridge MA: One-eyed King

Robert Winters is called "The Premier Observer of Cambridge Government."
Americans don't think logically. They do not think politically. Winters is a math instructor. (City Cable TV refers to him as Professor.) He thinks logically. He understands how the proportional voting system works. He is happy to explain it to anyone who will listen.
His web site consists mostly of government information for those unwilling or unable to find it on the city web pages.
He ridicules persons with disabilities. City officials and taxpayer funds address bullying in the schools. But officials ignore bullying by teachers, psychologists, police and politicians.
Winters is a teacher. To persons with disabilities he is an upper class cyber- bully thug. He is admired by academic elitists and self-centered politicians in Cambridge.
Winters says he "learned" about "The Final Report of the Cambridge Neighborhood Safety Task Force." issued on Nov. 19, 2007. [This report is not available online. It is reportedly available at the City Clerk's office.] 50 persons spent 14 months preparing it. Winters did not say that he read the report. At the City Council meeting on December 10, 2007 one councilor explained that some city residents rely on a 9-week city employment program as their only form of employment. It reveals how some residents think, but also what being "The Premier Observer of City Government" means.
For uninformed voters Winters' superficial reporting helps to understand one city issue. To some upper class residents of Cambridge, many of whom have PhD.s, Winters is the most informed. But he is an apologist for the sorry state of local government. He seldom criticizes what goes on. He sees no corruption, and has mild opinions of misguided acts of the city officials.
He never criticizes police abuses and ridicules persons with disabilities. For Cambridge he is the One-eyed King in the Land of the Blind.
"[V]oters don't want the truth; they want to be flattered and made to feel good. [. . .] To tell [them] the truth is risky, for [they are] unlikely to welcome news that [they] are being cheated and [have] colluded by [their] stupidity and indolence." (David Slavitt, Blue State Blues, page 82) For the Cambridge voters Robert Winters provides more than enough for them to understand.
Here is the link to my letter, a different perspective, to the City Council about "The Final Report of the Cambridge Neighborhood Safety Task Force."
http://tinyurl.com/28846n

NOV 19 2007 ROY BERCAW SPEAKS TO CITY COUNCIL

Speaking as the Chairman of the Mid Cambridge Emergency Committee to place a Wind Turbine in the City Council Chambers in order to capture the hot wind energy generated by the City Council each week, Roy Bercaw discusses the Final Report of the Neighborhood CrimeTask Force dated November 19, 2007. He asks if the aphorism "You get what you pay for," applies to this report of 50 volunteers which cost the city no money. He notes they describe themselves as "well intentioned." Bercaw notes that George Bernard Shaw said, "The Road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions."

Keeping the Peace in Cambridge MA

Cambridge police officers keep Central Square calm on Friday June 15, 2007.

Cambridge City Wide Task Force on Neighborhood Crime

This is a brief snapshot of the second meeting of the City Wide Task Force on Neighborhood Crime held on April 12, 2007. There was more discussion of substance at the first meeting. This meeting focused on procedure. It was led by Michael Shively, a consultant from ABT Associates. It was not announced if he was a volunteer or if he was paid by the taxpayers. Considering all of the high paid talent in this city one wonders why a consultant was needed to help these overpaid officials focus on what they want to do. Shively did not provide any programs of how to reduce crime. He explained methods how the Task Force may proceed and handed out a proposed pattern for the operation of the Task Force.
The Committee created three teams to study ways to prevent street violence in Cambridge. One is focused on Policing, one is focused on Community Response, and one on Jobs. Councilor Simmons did not attend. Richard Harding School Committee Member expressed his view that the teams should not have to meet in public. Others questioned whether their emails regarding the discussions were public records. The Mayor did not think that the meetings should be scheduled so that members of the public could attend. Instead he said the meetings should be scheduled for the convenience of the Task Force members. Open Meetings Law is Mass General Laws Chapter 39, Sec. 23 A, B, and C. It is easily available online at Mass.gov and other sites.
In view of the fact that the elected officials in Cambridge do not know their own rules nor Robert's Rules of Order by which the Council meetings are mandated to be run, it is not surprising that they are unaware of the requirements of the Open Meeting Law, the Public Records Act and the Ethics Laws.
I'm sorry for the poor quality of the video. These clips did not translate well into a web movie.