Of all the Christmas albums out there, my favorite by far is the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas. And of all the attempts to push back on the commercialization of Christmas, my favorite comes from Linus. While the other kids seem to have all the moral fiber of a Fox News host, young … Continue reading Good Will Toward All
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Reflections on Sandy Hook
This guest essay was written by Gun Sense Chester County member Barbara Gall Sheehan. She read excerpts of the essay at our recent event, Remembrance — 5th Anniversary of the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.
By Barbara Gall Sheehan
If only….I was sick that day
If only… I had missed the bus
If only…I was better at hiding
If only…I could run faster
If only…my teacher was a super hero
If only…my Dad was there to protect me
If only…I was invisible
If only…he didn’t have a GUN
Whether you are pro-gun, anti-gun or somewhere in between, we all can agree that guns in the wrong hands have tragic consequences and there is no harsher example than Sandy Hook.
Five years ago, our nation was shaken to its core when the unthinkable happened in a Connecticut elementary school. Just two weeks…
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Stick it to Them Before Congress Sticks It to You
You don't have to bend over and take this legislative middle finger right up the center, America. Vote with a phone call, and if it goes wrong, vote your Senator out. Wapo's Dana Milbank explains the smoke screen.
Current Situation
Migrating to my third generation Mac. That's a circa 2004 15" Powerbook G4 on the right, currently in use for a novel in development (Big Fish, Little Fish, for my son's 8th birthday). I had to ramp it up tonight because the more modern machines are talking to each other, or at least trying to. … Continue reading Current Situation
Halloween Specials
Trust me, this is way better than the animated version of David S Pumpkins. Does Tom Hanks really get to get away with that? Podcasts return to BenEastBooks! First up, Mohan reading The Spider and the Fly, a spooky birthday gift from his aunt. Next up, Vikram reads Poe's unsettling chiller, The Raven. Listen up! … Continue reading Halloween Specials
indie writers
we're not, amiright? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ1VorN9Cl0 Got soul.
The NRA Wants You(r money)
In early 2016, President Obama proposed certain minimal gun regulations aimed at reducing gun violence. It was mainly aimed at making sure gun sales via the internet and gun shows followed the same regulations for background checks, etc., as those who had a physical nexus. But, of course, the nation went ballistic, claiming that Obama was trying to ‘take their guns away’. And what do you think happened? Gun sales, which had been on the rise for the past decade, soared, of course.
Jeb Bush said Obama’s plan would take away the rights of someone “selling a gun out of their collection, a one-off gun”. Marco Rubio says Obama’s plan is to “take away our guns.” And in the light of all this mis-understood rhetoric, gun sales soared.
And then came Donald Trump. As I wrote in a July column under Trump, gun sales declined by 17% during Trump’s first…
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Moment of Silence
Today, of all days, marks a good time to pause and remember. And as millions of Americans struggle with present threats, its important to emphasize what unites is, instead of what divides us.
– – – – – – O-R-K-S
Speaking of Statues
Atop the U.S. Capitol Dome stands a 19 ½-foot, 15,000-lb bronze woman in a classical Roman chiton. Workers hoisted her up there in five pieces, completing her installation in December 1863. Not a good year for national unity. She's unusual for her era. "Armed Freedom," as she's known, bears a sword and wears a helmet at … Continue reading Speaking of Statues
