Stop vilifying gun owners and NRA members every shooting
Yesterday’s tragedy in Florida reminds us (again) that life is precious and evil exists. Shootings, as with other acts of violence and terrorism, have always struck me to the core. Innocent lives lost locally, across the nation or even across the globe are a tragedy that no one should endure. I thought I understood loss and fear — then I became a mother. As a mother, it makes me want to hold on to my children close and never let them out of my sight, though these days even that wouldn’t guarantee their safety. My children are my heart. I can’t begin to fathom the agony that the parents must feel losing theirs. When we have situations like the one in South Florida or Las Vegas, or any other gun tragedy, the question that come to mind first is how could this have been prevented? Yet very quickly, it stops being about actual prevention. And it becomes nothing more than a politically polarizing fight of us vs. them. Gun owners vs. gun critics. Facts and fiction get twisted. We saw this with the exaggeration of how many school shootings there had been, a Bloomberg group cited 18. That number includes more than violent acts it in schools during school settings. A Washington Post article sorts through the fact vs. fiction of that including the fact that number included an adult suicide in the parking lot of a school that had not been in use in seven months. It also included the discharge of a firearm after school hours and a few accidental discharges. But facts didn’t stop countless news outlets across the country from repeating the Bloomberg propaganda, and the facts certainly won’t stop the bad information from being spread throughout the internet. This brings me to the emotional arguments of gun control that follow shootings. There are those who believe that if you support gun rights you don’t have compassion for the lives lost, that you don’t value life, or that in some way you are responsible for this level of violence that we see. That’s simply not true. It’s disgusting to dehumanize someone based on their position on gun control. Just as it is wrong for conservatives to dehumanize pro-choice supporters. We are all human and I don’t know a single person who’s not rocked to the core by these senseless acts of violence and terror. I worked for the NRA-ILA for two campaign seasons. While I in no way speak for the organization, I can tell you about my personal experience. I went to both gun shops and gun shows and talked to gun owners. There’s such a strong sense of community and family among those who own firearms, and they absolutely want to protect their Second Amendment rights. But they also love life and those around them. Second Amendment supporters are opposed to and appalled, shocked and disgusted by gun crime. Those two things are not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to have a dead heart to be a member of the NRA or support Second Amendment rights. Opposing limitations on the lawful ownership and use of firearms and/or belonging to a group that is not the same as supporting crime and certainly is not an indictment on one’s character as gun opponents would have you believe. So what does “I am the NRA” mean to me? It means that I am member of an organization, a group of people who support fundamental, American rights. You may not understand someone’s need or want for a specific type of gun, but that does not mean that gun should be banned. You may not understand the need of, or desire, for someone to recreationally shoot firearms, but your opinion doesn’t trump their rights. I don’t like some profane words — I recently wrote a blog about the n-word. I don’t understand why people choose to use it. But it’s their right. I don’t understand lyrics to songs that incite violence, dehumanize women and negate the value of law enforcement, but I understand that they stem from someone’s right to express themselves and they exist for those who do enjoy them. Don’t tell me words don’t kill people the same way as guns because I’d argue they can, and do. Words can incite violence, and hatred, and disrespect, and that they’re immeasurably powerful. This is why we rallied as a nation when the Charlottesville protest happened to shout out the voices of hate. The idea that “common sense regulations” will stop violence is simply not the case. What we really need to get to is the heart of the matter. Everyone is looking for answers, as they do after each shooting. Even more than that, they’re looking for something that will give them a sense of control. It is during these initial days, full of grief and rage, that gun control advocates and Second Amendment supporters inevitably find themselves inundated with opinions from the other side. The shouting drowns out the solutions we could agree on. The solutions we do agree on which there are many. It also drowns out the questions that go beyond gun control that suck the air out of the room: Knowing that studies have shown early exposure to violent forms of entertainment are predictors of later aggressive behavior why aren’t we doing more to limit access to this source of influence? The Texas shooting showed a breakdown in reporting that allowed someone who was ineligible to purchase a firearm to do so. In the case of Florida would an involuntary mental health hold on the young man who committed the atrocious acts have put him in the system so that he would not have been able to purchase his firearm? Teachers and former classmates say while he was a student, he had an angry disposition that led to him being expelled and flagged as a danger on school grounds. Last year, he had reportedly commented on a YouTube post that he would be a “professional
Alabama politicians react to Florida school shooting
On Wednesday the U.S. suffered yet another tragic school shooting, this one taking place in Parkland, Fla. at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Nikolas Cruz, a 19 year old who previously attended the school, killed 17 people on Wednesday. A leader of Republic of Florida, a white supremacist group, claimed Cruz as a member but according to The New York Times said the shooter “acted on his own behalf of what he just did and he’s solely responsible for what he just did.” Thoughts and prayers are being sent up all over the country for victims of the shooting; here are some of the reactions from Alabama politicians: Gov. Kay Ivey (via Twitter): At the request of the president, I’m directing flags to be lowered to half-staff as a mark of respect for victims of the FL school shooting yesterday. The students, faculty and families affected by this tragedy remain in my prayers. Alabama stands with our neighbors in Florida. pic.twitter.com/1fKxKKZpPu U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (via Twitter): Praying for everyone affected by the devastating school shooting in Florida. This tragedy is truly horrific. Thankful for the first responders. U.S. Doug Jones (via statement): I am heartbroken for the students and their families who were impacted by today’s school shooting in Florida. Tragedies like this are senseless. No child should risk their life just to go to school. Alabama 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (via Facebook): Horrific reports out of Florida. The images and videos are heartbreaking. Take a moment to stop what you are doing and say a prayer for the students, families, and everyone impacted by this tragedy. Alabama 2nd District U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (via Facebook): This situation is both heartbreaking and horrifying. As we learn more details, please join me in praying for the people involved in this tragic, senseless event. Alabama 3rd District U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (via Facebook): Our thoughts and prayers are with the 17 victims, all injured and the families of all those affected tonight. Our prayers are with you. Alabama 4th District U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (via Twitter): My heart breaks for the innocent life lost in Florida this afternoon. Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (via news release): My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and to the Parkland community. Our schools should be places where our children are loved, where they learn, and where they are kept safe. When classrooms are turned into crime scenes, when our students and teachers are terrorized by guns, something has gone horribly wrong. This is not the first school shooting our nation has witnessed, it is not the second, it is the 239th school shooting since the Sandy Hook massacre. There is an epidemic of gun violence in America, and every day Congress fails to address this epidemic, more students, more teachers, more parents and brothers and sisters are killed. Americans are tired of Congress’s inaction and silent acceptance of the status quo in the face of gun violence. The time for action, the time to strengthen background checks and ban bump stocks and close the gun show loophole is now. I have always been a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, but Congress can no longer settle for symbolic gestures when gun violence kills more Americans every day. Alabama House Democratic Leader Anthony Daniels (via a news release): “It is a another sad day in our nation. My heart cries out for the victims at Sherman Douglass High School in Florida. Our schools, houses of worship, movie theaters and outdoor music concerts should always be safe places for our children to learn and families to gather and celebrate. We cannot become numb nor allow such violence and cruelty to become our new normal. We must summon a deep well of courage to rise up and remove any notion that we are helpless against such evil. We will not make space for those who choose violence as an answer or an expression of their own pain and hate. We will continue to stand and fight against them. Period.”
Phillip Bahakel qualifies for Circuit Judge Place #2 in Shelby County
Former Judge Phillip Bahakel has officially qualified as a Republican candidate for circuit judge place #2 in Shelby County. The place was previously held by the beloved Judge Hewitt Conwill who will be retiring. “I am a Christian, a family man, lawyer and a former judge. I am not a politician. As a judge I learned how to manage a court room scheduling cases to move a docket. As a judge I had to make decisions that followed the facts and followed the law,” states Bahakel’s campaign website. Bahakel believes he has demonstrated a strong work ethic in both his private practice and in his service to the people of Alabama as a Judge. He was admitted to the Bar in 1981 and served the citizens of Alabama for six years as a Judge. He graduated from the University of Alabama and obtained his law degree at Cumberland School of Law. Bahakel said in a press release that he is committed to serving the State of Alabama and Shelby County, that he understands the importance of providing judgements on suspects day in court as quickly as possible, that he listens to the facts and followed the law and does not believe in legislating from the bench. He is not accepting campaign contributions at this time. Bahakel raised twi daughters, including one with special needs. He and his family live in Pelham Ala. Watch Bahakel’s campaign video below:
Daniel Sutter: For-profit government?
I recently wrote about some of the problems with civil asset forfeiture, under which our governments seize money or assets allegedly involved in criminal activity without securing a conviction. An Institute for Justice report detailing forfeiture abuses, “Policing for Profit,” suggests that there is an inconsistency between proper policing and profit. And yet politicians from Al Gore to Donald Trump have wanted to make government more business-like. Is there a conflict between good government and profit? The profit motive is enormously important in our economy. Profits are a residual, or what is left over after paying all the costs, and the owners get to keep any profit. Businesses typically must incur costs before selling and are never guaranteed a profit. Agriculture illustrates this: farmers must buy or lease land and purchase seeds, fertilizer and tractors to grow a crop. If the crop is large enough and market prices high enough, revenue will exceed cost. The farmer keeps any residual, and bears the losses. Business owners get to make decisions and keep the profit, so they should try to control costs. This marriage of decision-making authority and financial incentive drives the efficiency of business. The pursuit of profit does not mean keeping costs as low as possible, since building luxury cars and mansions can both be profitable. Car makers, though, should avoid waste in building both economy and luxury cars. No one in government can earn profits. We lose a powerful incentive. But why would, say, policing for profit, lead to problems? For asset forfeiture, we probably only want criminals deprived of their ill-gotten gains. We are not authorizing forfeiture against innocent people (including ourselves). A profit motive might lead to the targeting of innocent people (the poor, minorities) unable to legally defend their assets. Furthermore, we cannot easily tell when the police pursue forfeiture against an innocent person. The person who has $10,000 or more in cash seized from them might have just won a casino jackpot or sold a car for cash, or may be involved in the drug trade. The lack of clarity prevents us from holding the district attorney, mayor, or offending police officers accountable. Consider some other potential instances where government could make profits. Illegally parked cars should sometimes be towed, but the danger should ideally be balanced against the owner’s cost and inconvenience. The pursuit of profit makes such balancing less likely. Speed traps and red-light cameras might be used to issue tickets for marginal violations or excessive fines. Private, for-profit prisons might cut spending on food and medical care, creating cruel and unusual conditions for inmates. The lack of clarity is a common theme. Just how long was that car illegally parked? Did a prisoner given aspirin truly need surgery? We cannot tell when the lure of profit leads to excessive corner cutting. Yet many business interactions also lack clarity. A delayed flight might be due to unexpected mechanical problems, or a lack of reasonable preparations. An unforeseen design flaw or intentional disregard of safety could both be responsible for auto accidents and safety recall. Why is profit-seeking by government a bigger problem? The answer, I think, is that our dealings with any business are voluntary, while our dealings with government are compelled. If I get sick after eating at a restaurant, I can choose never to eat there again. Voluntariness also enables competition, disciplining businesses in the pursuit of profit. Businesses can find shortchanging customers on quality and service very costly. People cannot typically walk away from dealings with government, as is literally true for the person carrying cash stopped by law enforcement. Prisoners cannot boycott a private prison which they believe does not offer a humane level of care. The state officials administering a contract with a private prison are not “customers,” and may be more tolerant of poor conditions than if they were customers. Does this mean we can never beneficially make government function more like a business? No, but we must proceed very cautiously. The profit motive is a great force for efficiency when constrained by choice and competition. ••• Daniel Sutter is the Charles G. Koch Professor of Economics with the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy at Troy University and host of Econversations on TrojanVision. The opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Troy University.
Alabama Senate committee OKs state employee pay raise
Thousands of state workers could see pay raises in their futures under a the 2019 General Fund budget a legislative committee approved Wednesday. The Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee approved SB178, which would go into effect Oct. 1, that gives Alabama’s 33,000 state employees a 3 percent cost-of-living increase — the first across-the board increase since 2008. The proposed budget also Provides a total increase of $80 million to the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) to help improve staffing and the treatment of mental health in the state’s prison system; Adds $53.8 million to the Alabama Medicaid Agency; Provides funds to hire roughly 30 new state troopers. The spending bill, introduced by Montrose-Republican, State Sen. Trip Pittman now moves to the Senate floor.
BCA grants award to Torch Technologies John Watson
The Business Council of Alabama has granted the President of Torch Technologies, John Watson, with the Still Ambassadorial Award. Watson is also a member of the BCA’s board of directors. BCA Ambassadors ensure that Alabama businesses are represented in Montgomery and Washington, and advocate for BCA memberships to Alabama’s business community. The Still Ambassadorial Award is named after Stephen W. Still another BCA board member; Still is chairman of the BCA’s Ambassador program, a shareholder of Maynard Cooper & Gale, a ProgressPAC board member. The Still Ambassadorial Award is given to BCA members who show outstanding efforts and have been consistent contributors to the BCA’s Next Level Investor program. “The BCA is a great return on investment,” said Watson. Watson became president of Torch Technologies in 2013 and was appointed to the board of directors in 2014. He has more than 30 years of experience in the defense industry including lead roles in project engineering support, and corporate management. Torch Technologies was founded in 2002 with seven employees, they now employ more than 750 people in 10 states and one foreign country. Torch is a 100 percent employee-owned small business dedicated to quality technical services, competitive costs, and ethical business practices. The BCA featured Torch Technologies in October of 2017 observance of the company’s 15th year.
Alabama exports set new record in 2017
Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Thursday that in 2017 Alabama exports reached a record setting $21.7 billion, up 6 percent from 2016’s export total of $20.5 billion. “We’ve seen Alabama exports continue to expand in recent years, strengthening our economy at home and creating more opportunities for our citizens,” said Ivey. “The companies sending Alabama-made products to markets across the world are not just large, multinational companies, but also small and medium-sized companies located in communities across the state, setting a new annual export record is just another example of the economic success that Alabama is enjoying right now.” Alabama exports have grown 21 percent since 2011, and 50 percent in the last ten years. “Exporting is a fundamental economic pillar that supports growth in our state, and increasing demand for Alabama-made products around the globe underscores the success of our dynamic manufacturing sector,” said secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, Greg Canfield. “Growing export activity contributes economic vitality and spurs job creation across the state.” Alabama businesses exported goods to over 180 countries. According to a press release from the governor’s office, the top five markets were: Canada: $4.14 billion China: $3.62 billion Germany: $2.94 billion Mexico: $2.9 billion Japan:$682.6 million Exports to China and Mexico both grew by 10 percent, while shipments to Japan jumped 30 percent. Transportation machinery was Alabama’s No. 1 export, cars were the largest export in this category. Aircraft, spacecraft and auto parts, were the other top exports. Other exports were chemicals, minerals and paper. “With much of the world’s purchasing power located outside the U.S., Alabama companies are looking at markets beyond our borders for growth opportunities, exports enhance the quality of life for all Alabamians and elevate prosperity in the state. Creating jobs through exports for the state’s citizens is key to accelerating Alabama globally.” said director of the Commerce Department’s Office of International Trade, Hilda Lockhart. In 2017, Alabama ranked No. 22 in the nation in export volume, moving up one spot from 2016.
Former State Rep. Micky Hammon sentenced on mail fraud charges
Former Alabama House Majority Leader and Decatur-Republican Micky Hammon was sentenced to three months in prison on Thursday on charges relating to mail fraud. Hammon pleaded guilty on felony charges in September to devising a scheme to commit mail fraud involving his campaign funds. During Thursday’s sentencing he was ordered to pay $50,657 in restitution for the crimes, which will be distributed to his campaign contributors, and was sentenced to three months in federal prison and three years supervised release. He faced a maximum sentence of 20 years. According to court documents, Hammon used campaign money to pay his own personal expenses as part of a mail fraud scheme. In 2013, he created a principal campaign committee through the Secretary of States Office allowing him to raise funds for his reelection campaign. He was writing checks from his campaign committee account and then depositing them into his personal account. He later used the funds to pay for personal expenses, which is strictly prohibited by Alabama campaign finance rules. Hammon is expected to turn himself in to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in March. As a result of pleading guilty to a felony, Hammon was automatically removed from his House seat in the state House. He had represented the 4th district in the Alabama House since 2002 and served as the House of Representative’s majority leader until Feb. 2017.
State Health Dept. investigates 100 possible flu-related deaths
This season’s aggressive strain of the flu virus has already claimed several lives in Alabama. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) released updated numbers on Wednesday confirming that influenza has already taken the lives of two children and seven adults, with an additional 98 adult cases under investigation. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness, spread by a virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting this to be the worst influenza season in over a decade. “In severe seasons in the past over 700,000 people have been hospitalized and 56,000 people died from influenza. We may be on track to reach or even exceed those records,” said Anne Schuchat, CDC acting director. Flu season typically runs from October to May, typically peaking in February. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, extreme fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Although most people who get the flu recover in a few days to two weeks, some develop complications like pneumonia that can be life-threatening, the CDC said. Those at highest risk include people 65 and older, people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease, pregnant women, and the very young. ADPH said its still not too late to get the flu shot. The chart above indicates ILI activity is still increasing through much of Alabama. [Photo Credit: ADPH]
Power of Leadership brings focus to diversity in technology careers in Alabama
Alabama Power hosted its Power of Leadership luncheon Wednesday focusing on diversity in technology careers with a panel of experts moderated by journalist Soledad O’Brien. O’Brien is producer and host of the weekly political news magazine “Matter of Fact,” and the panel discussed the challenges minorities face in securing technology careers and effective ways to develop a diverse workforce. The panel included: Randall Woodfin, mayor of Birmingham Angela Benton, founder and CEO of NewME Accelerator Megan Rose Dickey, reporter with TechCrunch Greg Greenlee, founder of Blacks in Technology, and Chokwe Antar Lumumba, mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. Alabama Power also handed out awards to those helping elevate the state through community engagement and advancing a technology-based economy through education and outreach. The 2018 Power of Leadership honorees were: Anthony Hood, UAB Shegun Otulana, TheraNest Charisse Stokes, Tidal IT Solutions. You can watch the entire panel discussion below. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Baldwin County and Gulf Shores at odds over school split
In January, Baldwin County’s first-ever school split talks began. Gulf Shores is currently trying to split from the rest of the Baldwin County School System to form it’s own Gulf Shores city school system. During the first meetings in January, tension was high as the two groups discussed a new superintendent for the Gulf Shores school. According to a report by AL.com, Baldwin County school system Superintendent Eddie Tyler, said “There will be no negotiations right now on our part without a superintendent in place.” However, the main issue Baldwin County Schools has with Gulf Shores are the city schools continued demands for the school split to be completed by fall of 2018. Baldwin County Schools believes this will put more strain on the system than necessary, and think that fall 2019 is a more realistic start date. Although both groups disagreed on some issues, by the end of the first meeting Kevin Corcoran, Gulf Shores school board president, said he was thrilled with the outcome of the meeting. Gulf Shores City Schools has since hired Suzanne Freeman as an interim superintendent. She will serve the school system for 180 days, while they search for a permanent superintendent. The only issue left was where to send the nearly 600 children who attend Gulf Shores schools right now, who will need to be relocated when the city school is settled. Everything was looking like a go for Gulf Shores City Schools, until Wednesday. On Wednesday, Baldwin County school officials announced they will no longer negotiate with Gulf Shores, and have asked the state superintendent to intervene. Tyler asked Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson to resolve the issue of a start date for the schools. Tyler told AL.com, “Gulf Shores has refused to respect our sincere concerns regarding the serious consequences of a rushed split this summer, leaving only a matter of months to prepare… They knew these facilities would be complete and ready for students in August 2019, to know this from the beginning and still demand a 2018 start date is disrespectful at best.” “There has been a lot of ‘talk’ about their vision and their hopes, but they have yet to offer anything of any substance on how they will do this, including the simple question I have asked in every meeting — how are you going to get this started in just a matter of months?” said Tyler. As of late Wednesday, no decision has been made regarding the two school systems.
