How Australia Ended Regular Mass Shootings: Gun Reforms After 1996 Massacre Could Be Model for U.S.

Yes, gun control is possible. Lives can be saved. We need to ground ourselves in the practical, not the theoretical. Please click GAYS AGAINST GUNS  and read. Please share. Words are often spoken about how horrible the mass killings are. Particularly by politicians. Talk is cheap, actions matter. Australia made their essential organizing principle. They passed gun reforms. Why can't we? Pulse taught me one thing. Speak up. Take action. I joined Gays Against Guns. GAG is an inclusive direct action group. Together we can win 

How Australia Ended Regular Mass Shootings: Gun Reforms After 1996 Massacre Could Be Model for U.S. | Democracy Now!

Into the eternal Blue passes Blue Gene Tranny

Ah into the blue goes "Blue" Gene Tyranny,.. with a twinkle I suspect.

be safe, please 

love you all 

Ned Sublette emailed me this touching message of his passing 

jim

I received this e-mail Saturday.  -- NS

* * *
Dear friends and loved ones,

We lost our beloved Blue this morning. "Blue" Gene Tyranny aka Robert Sheff aka Joe Gantic passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was comfortable and did not suffer. I hope he was having a beautiful and vivid dream.

As you may or may not know, I have been his assistant for the past 12 years and I definitely count him as a friend. We introduced each other to our favorite music and Blue shared many great stories of his fascinating exploits. He was very lucky to have such a supportive community who he always treasured. In his final days we were working on putting the last touches on a box set that spans his whole career. It will be a great portrait of the music he created throughout his life. I’m glad he was able to have a hand in telling his own story.

If you haven’t seen it yet,  here is a documentary about Blue by David Bernabo that was just released. It is a great chance to see Blue speak about his life and music. David did a wonderful job summing up such vibrant and varied life. 

The memorial is TBD at the moment due to COVID restrictions. I hope we can all gather and celebrate Blue together when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we can all put on his music and dance. Blue always told me, “I was a great dancer you know”.

Sincerely,

Sime

* * *

LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE
("Blue" Gene Tyranny)

He is in the blue distance
He is getting nearer
She's in the blue distance
She is getting so clear
I don't know where they came from
I don't know how we got here
I just turned my back
And suddenly you were here

Oh boy, sometimes it seems like
Iit takes forever
And then with your friends
It takes no effort at all
Oh, it could be a past turn,
Attachment illusion
That makes distance between me
Leading a double life

On the other hand
You know it takes some language
An agreement for the moment
Making dreams ring true
So that with the resistance
Comes an angel's assistance
Bringing it closer and closer
Leading a double life

She is in the blue distance
She's a visiting wonder
He's in the blue distance
He's a dream come true
Am I sleeping and waking
Or just turning over
A cellular wonder
Leading a double, double life

I have begun to educate myself on the candidates for NYC District Attorney, Realizing that this is not only a local election but an office that can have national impact..

Moving on to how we live in this particular political moment 

I looked at the current names of candidates announced for the Democratic primary, I was invited today to a forum with the candidates by two Manhattan Democratic clubs. They listed the candidates and links to their webpages and bios.  

Take a look:

candidates announced fot Democratic Primary for District Attorney NYC

the zoom debate is today at 3, A link to go is contained in the above link, 

Here is the first candidate listed. I did not know her but am impressed by her website and this video,.

Please watch and if you have anything to say about any of the other candidates... Please respond 

ESSENTIAL:: OUR YOUTH TELL JOE BIDEN HOW TO GAIN THEIR VOTE

Rev Billy's ACTION makes ST John teh Divine rector CHANGE his mind, GOOD NEWS

UPDATE:  Rev Billy's ACTION makes St John the Divine rector CHANGE his mind, GOOD NEWS

Street preacher and performance artist Rev Billy Talen's bold and fearless action of protest in Central Park at the temporary tent site of a coronavirus hospital against an Evangelical group well known for their anti-gay and anti- Mulsum apparently has caused The Rector of St John the Divine to pull out of a plan to partner with the Samaritan group placing a temporary hospital in the Catedral, I know that many of us also contacted the Rector and asked him to rethink and look for another partner.

I am glad to hear that St John the Divine has back out of a relationship why the homophobic and racist Christian group with the name Samaritan, The Rev Billy Graham' son, the heir to both his father's millions and his congregation, has refused to back down from his anti-gay and anti-Muslim public statements, While the rector of St John the Divine issued a statement saying he was aware that the evangelical group was homophobic and racist but hoped those could be set aside to save lives. I believe Larry Kramer's call for action inspired the Rev Billy Talen, well know and loved public preacher and performance artist to do a public protest in Central Park calling the Samaritan's racist. He climbed over the fence separating the recent installment of a temporary hospital in central Park run by the Samaritan and attempted to plant a RAINBOW flag on the grounds near the tent structure

Rev. Billy was roughly pushed by a gaggle of cops to the ground and arrested although he was not resisting. His protest action and arrest were documented in a video, His shouting "I am not resisting. I am peaceful" contradicts the numerous charges the police .justified their treatment of Billy

.

Apparently, Samaritans called for charges against Rev Billy,.Thankfully the entire incident was filmed and went viral on social media, I believe Rev Billy's action caused a change of mind at the St John the Divine. As an ally of the LGBT community, Rev Billy's brave action hopefully made Larry Kramer happy. It certainly did me,

ESSENTIAL: SANDERS SAYS THE FIGHT MOVES TO ELECT AS MANY DELEGATES IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROGRESSIVE PLATFORM and DEFEAT TRUMP!

ESSENTIAL: It took me a second listening to realize the truth of what Sanders is asking of us. He has asked us to continue to campaign for him in the primaries. He wants to bring the highest number of delegates to the Democratic Convention. Yes, he has discontinued his campaign, But the more delegates Sanders has at the Convention, the more influence we can have on the Party Platform to defeat Donald Trump, 

This is critical,

So Yes I am still going to vote for Bernie Sanders in the New York Primary, I hope you will do the same where ever there are Primaries yet to be held. Remember it is we come together,, we can make the change,

I don't want to ta;k about Biden ort he role the DNC played right now, These are important issues,

But now I want to tell all of you who have supported Bernie, please do not give up, CHANGE WILL COME .. We will continue to fight for change that will make a future possible for the next generation and fight to save the planet from the ravages of climate change,

We need to make the Democratic platform reflect what we believe in " Medicare for All, cancel Student debt, a sane, compassionate immigration policy, responsible gun control, voting rights for all Ameican, defense of a woman's right to choose, the separation of church and state, a fair tax policy which makes each citizen responsible for funding Democracy, end of the prison -industrial complex, (nonprofit making prisons), a justice driven foreign policy, These are just a few of the issue we need to go to the Convention with delegates ready to fight for the Sanders agenda,

We need to fight for the most progressive VP candidate,

We NEED TO GET RID OF TRUMP AND ALL HIS CRONIES, Lets put aside the candidate until after the Convention.

It is critical we don't give up.

Please listen to Sanders statement a second or third time, THE COMPLETE STATEMENT, not the edited one media like the New York times distributes, After the Primary we can talk about what we all will do next,

Be safe please,,, we still have a lot of work to do. This is the full speech Sanders gave.

PLEASE LISTEN A SECOND TIME TO WHAT SANDERS HAS TO SAY ABOUT. WHT HE IS SESPENNDIN G HIS CAMPAIGN AND WHAT HE WANTS HIS SUPPORTERS TO DO!

Sometimes you do get what you pray for ... watch,, and thank you, Jeff !