Fun Things to do When You're Bored at Work

I was looking at the Denver Public Library's historic images database online--specifically, for pictures of one of my favorite Denver neighborhoods: the Highlands.  I found the black and white photo of the intersection of 32nd and Zuni, taken between 1900 and 1905: "View of Denver Tramway Company trolleys, Berkeley - Elitch number 56 and number 73, with passengers and conductors, in Denver, Colorado. Advertisement on the cattle catcher reads: 'Broadway The Eternal City, Hall Caine's Greatest Play, Jane Kennark, All Star Cast.'"

The photo below is 32nd and Zuni today (Google street view)--sans trolley lines (although, they are probably still there, underneath the asphalt), but the building on the corner is the same one.

Stop Chicago gun violence

No wonder people that have never been to Chicago think that if they come here, they are going to get shot. As of April 26th, Chicago had seen 113 victims of homicide. That's the same number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan during the same period. And the overwhelming majority of those homicides were due to gun violence. If you want proof, go to this site for tracking homicides in Chicago. It's gotten so bad in the city that several state representatives have suggested bringing in the National Guard to help stop the violence. While that may be a temporary solution, what's needed is stricter gun laws. And not just in Chicago but all over the U.S.

Check out some statistics that the Brady Campaign has put together:

• Every year, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are shot or killed with a gun
• Since 1968, over 1 million people have been killed by guns in the U.S.
• Our looser gun laws show: in 2006 our firearm homicide rate was 6 times that of Canada, 13 times that of Germany, 15 times that of Austria, 26 times that of Australia and Spain, and 31 times that of England and Wales
• In 2008, 67% of homicides were committed by guns
• A gun in the home is 7 times more likely to be used in assault or homicide than in self defense and guns are used to threaten or intimidate 4-6 times more than they are used to prevent a crime (and those gun-toting, violence-glorifying 2nd-amendment nutjobs argue that the answer is MORE people owning guns to protect themselves... INSANE!)

I won't pretend that I've ever been a proponent of gun ownership. I'll never understand how people can rationalize owning a handgun and wanting to carry a concealed weapon. In my mind, that can only lead to more gun violence. But that's a huge element in our society. And they are powerful. Did you know that Tennessee just passed a law allowing handgun owners to carry a weapon into any establishment that serves alcohol? Of course, they have to do it responsibly and can't drink alcohol or else they face fines. Yeah right, that will work. Are people absolutely f***in' nuts? And in Georgia you can now carry your gun into certain parts of the airport. Why, people? WHY? WHY IS THAT NECESSARY!? I know of two states that I've never been to that I will continue to stay out of.

I know I'm generalizing but I'm guessing that most of these NRA member, 2nd-amendment supporters live in BFE middle of nowhere... places were gun violence isn't a multiple-daily occurrence. So I propose a program to get these people to see the other side of gun ownership and the consequences of lax gun control. We fly them into cities like Chicago and force them to go to the funeral of every child killed senselessly by a gun. They could start with the funeral of someone like Cynia Cole, who was only a year old. Make them witness a mother or father's anguish. They could also attend several funerals for one family that lost 4 members who were shot to death in their own home (pictured at the top).

It must be easy to argue for the right to carry handguns when the only thing that threatens you is a rogue pheasant. Come to Chicago and we'll stick you on the south side where unfortunately the gun violence occurs most often in this town.