Today, Blogger Candidate Forum makes a Tuesday appearance to discuss the subject of a proposed border wall. Republican nominee candidate frontrunner Donald J. Trump (R-New York) has proposed a controversial wall between the United States and Mexico. Kriston Capps reports in CityLab on a competition that is really more about starting a conversation about the volatile border. His article, "Can Architects Come Up With A Better Border?" looks at a contest promoted by John Beckman: "Building the Border Wall" (http://www.buildingtheborderwall.com) that hopes to restart the heated discussion. Mr. Beckmann put the call out through the usual channels and the response was swift and angry. ArchDaily, the go-to online bulletin board for the architecture profession, posted a several immediate updates to the competition announcement before removing it. Mr. Capps writes, "Commenters called it a bad joke." Architecture's Twitter feed was in full-scale rebellion, We're going to change the title to 'Building the Border Wall'-question mark-competitor, according to Mr. Beckman.
There's obviously a real problem. We're trying to encourage an open competition-it could be architects, designers, sculptors, artists, conceptual artists, you name it-to re-conceptualize the border itself...We're politically neutral on the subject.
At first pass, a design competition that makes repairing the border (or something like it) is a national priority that indulges Mr. Trump's assumptions. Truthfully, illegal immigration from Mexico is in decline. The dubious neutrality of the contest aside, there were also indications that this was hoax: jury members listed on the site were Buckminster Fuller, Rosa Parks, Frida, Kahlo, and John F. Kennedy, they are all famous dead people.
Are these challenges insurmountable?...Is the idea patently ridiculous on a purely practical basis?
As thought provoking as these questions are, they do raise another question: "is anyone supposed to take this design contest seriously?" Mr. Beckmann enthusiastically responded in the affirmative. There is even a real cash prize-$5,000 subsidized by the $50 entrance fee. The jury will be a real one, made up of live member, yet unconfirmed members. The point of the contest, and any other design competition, is to start a conversation.
We're not encouraging people to build the wall. We're not saying you've to to complete the wall. We're not saying take down the wall...We're just trying to set up a venue for people to rethink the wall, to rethink the border situation.


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Jewish Helpline
The Jewish Helpline (Miyad) was set up 25 years ago after a young woman with a little boy, living in Hendon, committed suicide. Various people wondered whether she could have been helped if there had been someone for her to turn to. Out of this tragedy, The Jewish Helpline (Miyad) was born.
We are immensely proud of the service we provide to people across the Jewish community who are in crises. We provide a lifeline to those who are feeling lonely, anxious, depressed or suicidal. We are open from 12 noon to 12 midnight every day except Shabbat and Yom Tovim.
If you need a non-judgemental, listening ear, call the Jewish Helpline on freephone: 0800 652 9249
Hours of operation Sunday to Thursday: noon - midnight & Friday afternoon
this line is confidental and manned by fully trained volunteers
website address: jewishhelpline.co.uk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Food & Beverage Industry Awards
Choice concerned over secrecy surrounding the TPP trade deal
October 25, 2013 NewsStaff Writer	Aoife Boothroyd
Aoife Boothroyd
1136 articles published
Light industrial interactive widescreen Panel PC series
Ahrens helps shape Barossa Valley's newest winery
Listeria: How to win the war that never ends
Six ways food manufacturers can reduce risks through supply chains
Consumer watchdog Choice has raised concerns over the 'highly secretive' Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, and is calling upon the Federal Government to release the contents of the negotiations.
The TPP is a free trade treaty involving 12 countries including: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, USA and Vietnam, and Choice states that 19 rounds of negotiations have taken place in complete secrecy since 2010 with all contents hidden from consumers and the general public.
Choice has managed to obtain leaked documents from the TPP negotiations and has raised concerns that the deal could hurt Australian consumers and industry by:
Limiting the government's ability to make decisions on food labelling and public health, undermining current process, such as the potential for improved palm oil labelling
Forcing Australia to adopt draconian copyright laws, including an outright ban on parallel imports
Allowing foreign-owned electricity companies to challenge moves by our governments to reduce overinvestment in poles and wires infrastructure, the main factor driving up electricity prices
"CHOICE supports the benefits that free trade can bring to consumers, with access to a greater range of products and more competitive prices," says Choice CEO Alan Kirkland.
"We also welcome recent comments from the Government saying there must be net benefits to Australia from any deal, and we recognise some level of confidentiality is part and parcel of negotiations.
"However, Choice is increasingly concerned at the absolute secrecy surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It means there is no way of knowing whether some of the leaked texts and reports from the deal pose real risks to Australian consumers," Kirkland says.
Kirkland says that Choice is calling on the Australian Government to include consumers in the negotiation process by releasing the reports before the next stage of talks, which are scheduled to take place in Bali this December commence.
"There's a lot at stake in this process for Australian consumers – and Australian businesses – but under the current process the Australian public won't get to see the agreement until it is already signed. This isn't good enough."
Choice says that consumer organisations in New Zealand and Japan together with the international consumer organisation, Consumers International, have also raised similar concerns over the secretive talks.
← New grapevine assessment tool aims to reduce trunk diseases	Australian Ham Week aims to ramp up support for local farmers →
Food Magazine provides analytical feature driven content directly related to the concerns and interests of food and drink manufacturers in production and technical roles.
Manufacturer's Monthly


text:
Manifesta
Finding Africa America
by Jenna Gray '19 [Content note: use of racial slur] "You identify as African American, right?" He was trying to prove a point: although from different continents, he and I, an African and an American descendant of involuntary African exports, were, at least partially, the same. I paused.
Thecrimson
I'm Scared of Rich People | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
Some people are scared of snakes. Others quake when faced with heights and twenty-story buildings. But my fear falls along the socioeconomic ladder: I'm scared of rich people. I won't cross a the street when I see a trust fund kid. I might avoid eye contact, but I'm not classist.
Visions of Feminism | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson
Hear Her Harvard garnered extensive attention on social media, inspiring a number of posts on Facebook. Numerous members of female final clubs and sororities posted pictures with their friends accompanied by long captions expressing gratitude for their bond and the inspiration and support they felt the groups provide.
Housing Beyond the Gender Binary | Magazine | The Harvard Crimson
"The way I had been assigned to this entryway-this formal gendered categorization of suites, the birth name on my door, the lack of open space to challenge any of that-made it hard to feel at home there," Noah Wagner '18 says.
SatireV
1001 Ways to Avoid Calling Something Racist
NEW YORK, NY - Since the election of Donald Trump, the nation has seen a rise in public declarations and demonstrations in favor of white supremacy. For many journalists and media outlets, the problem lies not in the racism itself, but what to call it.
Performing Wokeness | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
In 2018, you'll find a host of articles about all the things millennials have seem to killed: the diamond industry, home ownership, JonBenét Ramsey (well, maybe not the last one). Far more interesting than multi-billion dollar industries made obsolete are what we've given life to: avocado toast, fidget spinners, and "woke" culture!
On Career Day, White Kindergartners Learn They Can Be Anything Except Terrorists
Kindergartner Billy Mack regularly pushes his sister, tells his mother he hates her, and threatens to burn his family's house down. "My mommy always says 'boys will be boys,' so I never really get in trouble,'" he said. "I thought being a boy means that I can do whatever I want, but turns out I can't be a terrorist."
Voyaging canoe returns to Hawaii after three-year trip across the globe
The double-hulled voyaging canoe Hōkūle'a returned to Hawaii Saturday after completing a three-year sailing journey across the world. Guided by the elements, Hōkūle'a crew members utilized traditional Polynesian navigation methods to traverse about 40,300 nautical miles across 23 countries and territories and more than 150 ports.
AIDS activists fought for public recognition. This exhibit shows their lives at home
After a long day of marching, what do protesters do when they go home? In the imagination of painter Hugh Steers, they return to the tender care of lovers. Or they may return to a routine of medications. Historian Stephen Vider reveals these and other intimate narratives in the lives of individuals affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
'It makes me feel confident, it gives me my look' -- Festival celebrates natural hair
Heads adorned by curls, kinky hair, locs and braids bob in laughter. People dressed in bright, multicolored African prints pose for photos while friends and strangers alike act like these momentary models' biggest fans, cheering "Yes!" and "Work!" For many members of the natural hair community, this scene is dreamlike.


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Missing Utah girl's body recovered just 1/2 block from her home
Uncle charged with aggravated murder wanted to hurt his whole family, grandpa says
By Pat Reavy and Ashley Imlay, KSL.com May 29, 2019, 7:52pm MDT
Share All sharing options for: Missing Utah girl's body recovered just 1/2 block from her home
The Elizabeth Shelley's great-grandfather by marriage makes a phone call while police search for the 5-year-old in the backyards of nearby homes in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. She was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Police investigate a "very credible tip" involving a location on Center Street in Logan as they search for the body of missing 5-year-old Elizabeth "Lizzy" Shelley on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Earlier Wednesday, police charged Lizzy's uncle, Alexander William Whipple, 21, with capital murder in the girl's presumed death. John Wilson, Deseret News
Elizabeth "Lizzy" Shelley, 5, of Logan, was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Alex Whipple, her 21-year-old uncle, was charged Wednesday with aggravated murder in her death. Police have not located her. Mary Whipple
Logan Police Lt. Rod Peterson holds his head in his hands while working at the scene where police found a body they believe to be Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. She was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People gather on 500 West in Logan as police search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in nearby backyards on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Police vehicles block off 100 South at the corner of 500 West in Logan as the search continues for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Alex Whipple Cache County Sheriff's Office
Police search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in backyards near the 5-year-old's home in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A Logan police officer walks down 100 South toward 500 West in Logan as the search continues for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
An FBI agent works in the backyard of a home as police search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A Cache County Sheriff's truck leaves the Logan City Landfill and Transfer Station as the search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, continues in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Elizabeth Shelley's great-grandfather by marriage puts his head on his arm as he makes a phone call while police search for the 5-year-old in the backyards of nearby homes in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Mariah Hartman, with her children, Zoe and Revee, asks Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cade Brenchley what's going on as police search in her neighbors' yards for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Crews close 100 South at the intersection of 500 West in Logan as police search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5 on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Police tape surrounds a house on 100 in Logan as police search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Logan police maintain a presence at the Logan City Landfill and Transfer Station as the search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, continues in Logan, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen about 2 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Logan police and a Utah Highway Patrol trooper are pictured at the scene where remains believed to be of Elizabeth Shelley, 5, were recovered in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The 5-year-old was last seen about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen speaks at a press conference at the Logan Police Department about finding a body they believe to be Elizabeth Shelley, 5, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Police say her uncle, Alexander William Whipple, 21, agreed to tell his attorney where his niece's body was hidden in exchange for an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue a potential death sentence against him. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Jill Parker, spokeswoman for Elizabeth Shelley's mother, reads a letter from her during a press conference at the Logan Police Department in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Police found a body they believe to be Shelley, who was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Investigators are pictured at a house where they found remains believed to be that of Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Crime scene tape surrounds a house after police found a body behind it that they believe to be Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Investigators search for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in backyards near the 5-year-old's home in Logan on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
LOGAN — The uncle of a missing 5-year-old girl finally broke his silence Wednesday.
Hours after he was charged with capital murder, he agreed to tell his attorney where his niece's body was hidden in exchange for an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue a potential death sentence against him.
The remains of Elizabeth "Lizzy" Shelley, who had been missing since Saturday, were located just half a block away from her home behind a shed and covered by dirt, sticks and other debris.
Elizabeth Shelley, 5, of Logan, was last seen early Saturday morning, May 25, 2019. Alex Whipple, her 21-year-old uncle who is a suspect in her disappearance, has been arrested but is being uncooperative with police.
Mary Whipple
The discovery ended a five-day search for the young girl and capped off an eventful day that saw Alexander William Whipple, 21, charged with aggravated murder even before the body had been found. Police and prosecutors said the totality of the evidence points to Whipple.
Whipple's grandfather believes he wanted to hurt the whole family and that was his grandson's motive for the killing.
"It's just so hard to try to understand it," Bill Whipple said.
"This is like a sucker punch out of the back, right into the head. Because we never thought that he would be a murderer," he said. "We always knew he had trouble. We always knew he was a very troubled young man. … Life didn't deal fairly to him from day one, really."
The site where Lizzy was found is an overgrown, heavily wooded area near where other evidence had been located earlier in the week.
"It's hard to believe that we'd been through that area and were unable to find her," Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen said. "We certainly would've wanted to bring Lizzy home, but this nevertheless is closure and it helps us be able to now deal with the investigation and help the family through their grief."
The remains have not yet been positively identified, but "we feel strongly that Lizzy has been found," the police chief said.
Jill Parker, a spokeswoman for Lizzy's family, shared a statement from the girl's mother Wednesday evening.
"There are not words to express the sadness and the heartbreak that we feel today. This did not end the way we wanted it to, but in the sadness, we are comforted that so many people put so much effort to help us find Lizzy. You made the difference, and we are so very thankful," the statement said.
"We have never seen so many people trying so hard and it was beautiful."
Through Parker, the family said they will remember Elizabeth as "such a caring and giving little girl. We hope that we can look to her as an example of how to live."
Alex Whipple was charged Wednesday with aggravated murder and child kidnapping, first-degree felonies; two counts of obstructing justice, a second-degree felony; and abuse or desecration of a body, a third-degree felony.
Jensen said police do not yet know how she died or what Whipple's motive was.
"There still is a lot of investigation down the road for us to really understand that," Jensen said, adding that investigators have "a lot of things to sift through."
There will be additional searches in the area for more evidence, Jensen added.
'Empty life'
Bill Whipple said even though the family knew Alex Whipple had problems, his alleged act of violence has left them dumbfounded.
He said his grandson's mother abandoned him at age 5 and disappeared for a number of years. She then reappeared and took him to live in another county.
"All I can tell you is he had an empty life. He had an empty home, an empty life. He was in and out of foster homes, he would run away from them, he wouldn't stay in them at all. He was always on the run. And these are the things that, after a while, start to wear on you," Bill Whipple said.
He said the family repeatedly offered him help and urged him to go to therapy but he declined. Though Alex Whipple had a difficult life, his grandfather said that in no way justifies his alleged actions.
Bill Whipple said Lizzy's mother had a good relationship with her brother, Alex, and had helped him. She had "no clue" her brother could do such a thing, he said, adding that Jessica Whipple had done everything she could to protect her kids, and did everything she could to survive.
"Lizzy was her whole life," he said.
The police chief became emotional earlier Wednesday as he read the criminal charges during a press conference.
"To hear a charge of aggravated murder brings with it a notion of finality, and it's very difficult for their family, I can imagine," he said.
Defense attorney Shannon Demler said he spoke with Alex Whipple for several hours at the Cache County Jail Wednesday before leading police to the location of Lizzy's body. He described his client as "very emotional," "very broken down" and "confused."
"He's struggling as anyone would be in this situation," he said. "He understands it's a very serious thing he can't take back. He understands the gravity of it."
Alex Whipple, 21, was booked into the Cache County Jail on Saturday.
Cache County Sheriff's Office
But Demler said Whipple wanted to make amends with his family — at least as much as he could.
"He wanted to make sure that the family could recover the body so they could have some closure," he said.
When asked about a potential motive, Demler said he didn't have an answer. But he believes "mental illness is more a contributing factor than substance abuse."
"Today is a difficult day," the Cache County Attorney's Office said in a statement. "Our thoughts continue to be with Lizzy's family. This tragic event has shaken our community."
'Criminal things'
After Alex Whipple was arrested Saturday afternoon and taken to the police station, investigators noted that he "began licking his hands and trying to wipe his hands clean," charging documents state. At that point, officers put him back into handcuffs "to preserve any evidence that may be on his hands."
After lying several times about his whereabouts the night before, "Alexander would state that alcohol makes him 'black out' and sometimes he does 'criminal things' when he blacks out. Alexander would not elaborate on what these 'criminal things' were," investigators wrote in the charges.
Police noted "dark-colored stains" on Whipple's pants while interviewing him that appeared to be blood, the charges state. He also had "several cuts on his fingers."
Investigators also reported finding a knife near Bear River Charter School, 75 S. 400 West — across the street from Lizzy's house — that appeared to have blood on it.
"The knife was broken near the hilt," the charges state.
The knife is believed to have come from Lizzy's house, according to police. A PVC pipe that appeared to have blood on it and a partial palm print was also found near the knife.
About 50 yards from those items, investigators recovered what they believe was Lizzy's skirt "that appeared to have been hastily buried under some dirt and bark," the charges state. "Near the skirt was a small concrete block with blood on it."
The blood found on the knife, Whipple's watch and Whipple's sweatshirt all matched Lizzy's DNA, according to the charges. The palm print was also determined to be Whipple's, according to investigators, and a discarded beer can found near those items was determined to have Whipple's DNA on it.
The great grandfather, by marriage, of missing Elizabeth Shelley, 5, makes a phone call while police search for Shelley in the backyards of nearby homes in Logan, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Earlier in the day, about 20 officers concentrated on the city landfill in Logan. Jensen said it was part of the department's "no stone left unturned" approach to the search.
"Those men and women are down there doing the best that they can to make sure we don't miss an opprotunity to bring Lizzy home," he said.
To show what extent investigators have gone to try and find the child, Jensen talked about police pulling over two semitrailers headed to Arizona that were loaded with mulch. Officers searched the trucks because some mulch had been found on Whipple's clothing.
"We've gone to every length to exhaust the numerous tips that have come into our office," Jensen said.
Open front door
Jessica Whipple told police she invited her brother Alex to her house Friday night and he arrived between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. after Lizzy was put to bed. The mother said Alex Whipple drank beer and rum with her and her boyfriend and she eventually told her brother he could sleep on the couch when she went into her bedroom about midnight.
Police previously said Lizzy had last been seen inside her house about 2 a.m. on Saturday. Detrich Black said he last saw Lizzy in her bed shortly after midnight when he retired for the night.
Jessica Whipple woke up at 9:30 a.m. Saturday to discover that the front door was wide open and both Elizabeth and the girl's uncle were gone, according to court documents.
By 3 p.m., Whipple was found by police walking about 10 miles away.
Mariah Hartman, with her children Zoe and Revee, asks Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Cade Brenchley what's going on as police search in her neighbors' yards for Elizabeth Shelley, 5, in Logan, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Shelley was last seen on Saturday morning, May 25, 2019.
"The defendant had a full-sized baseball bat, alcohol and drug paraphernalia on his person," according to a report filed Wednesday by Adult Probation and Parole. "During the interview about his missing niece, the defendant was uncooperative and made false statements about his whereabouts the night before."
Charging documents say Whipple initially denied being at his sister's house the night before, then later admitted he had been there but said he left for a walk when his sister and her boyfriend had gone to bed just before sunrise.
As police interviewed Whipple, a detective kept confronting him about the disappearance of his niece and accused him of being responsible. "Alexander did not admit he was responsible but he also never denied he was responsible," Logan police detective Matt Woods wrote in the charges.
"Throughout the interview, Alexander would (allude) to how evil the world we live in is. Alexander would talk about his struggles as a child and how his family has treated him horribly throughout his life."
On Tuesday, Whipple was charged with six misdemeanors stemming from his Saturday arrest and a judge agreed to hold Whipple without bail. Also Tuesday, Adult Probation and Parole filed an arrest warrant against Whipple for violating the terms of his probation from his 2018 convictions of theft and DUI for leading troopers on a 40-mile chase in a stolen car while he was drunk.
In surveillance video that police released Tuesday, Alex Whipple can be seen walking alone about 6:45 a.m. Saturday just a few blocks from his sister's home. A business owner in the area said a worker spotted a man running through an empty lot across the street from the business, behind an old train car, and then jumping over debris and plywood.
About 15 minutes later, while the worker was pulling out of the parking lot, the same man walked in front of his pickup truck, according to the business owner. The man's pants appeared to be wet below the knees. The driver of the truck immediately thought it was suspicious and called for co-workers to keep an eye on him.
Contributing: Ashley Moser, Sean Moody
DNA evidence suggests missing Utah girl is 'hurt' but her condition is unknown, chief says
Evidence ties uncle to missing 5-year-old Utah girl, police say
Search continues for missing 5-year-old Utah girl; uncle in custody on unrelated warrants
Police, FBI investigating disappearance of 5-year-old Utah girl; uncle in custody


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OTHER SUPPORT INSTITUTIONS
The European GNSS Agency (GSA)
The European GNSS Service Centre (GSC)
Defence, Industry & Space – DG DEFIS, European Commission
Copernicus Programme
Copernicus Relays in Chile
Copernicus Academy
Galileo Information Centre-Brazil
By telling us exactly where we are and what time it is, Galileo and EGNOS – Europe's independent satellite navigation programmes – are revolutionising transport, farming, logistics and our daily lives.
Driving this revolution is the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the only European Union agency working in space.
To accomplish this mission, the GSA is responsible for the operations and service provision for both programmes. This is no simple task, and one that requires us to wear multiple hats. For example, following the launch of a new Galileo satellite, the GSA manages the Early Orbit Phase (EOP), one of the most important phases of a space mission.
The responsibilities also include overseeing the operation of such key service facilities as the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) in France and in Spain, the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC) in Spain, the Galileo Reference Centre (GRC) in the Netherlands, the Galileo Control Centres (GCC) in Fucino and Oberpfaffenhofen and the Galileo Integrated Logistic Support Centre (GILSC) in Belgium. Collectively, these facilities ensure Galileo's security and performance so that people can trust and rely on it in their daily lives and when they need it most.
Watch This: Linking space to user needs
Furthermore, the GSA is charged with maximising adoption of European GNSS across user market segments. By constantly working closely with a broad range of stakeholders, Galileo can now be found in applications and devices ranging from smartphones to wearables and from aircraft to personal vehicles. In fact, preliminary figures show that some 75 million Galileo-enabled smartphones were sold in 2017, and 95% of the chipsets on the market are Galileo-enabled. As of April 2018, all new models of cars sold in the EU must be equipped with Galileo as required by the eCall regulation. Galileo is also being increasingly used in drones to ensure smooth navigation and in Search and Rescue operations to save lives.
As a result of this impressive market uptake, today Galileo is providing millions of users with global positioning, navigation and timing information. You can get an up-to-date listing of all available Galileo compatible products at www.useGalileo.eu.
Since taking over the EGNOS service provision, the GSA has supported its expansion to benefit a wide range of users. For example, today hundreds of airports have EGNOS-based approaches, the vast majority of European farmers rely on EGNOS to enhance precision farming, and EGNOS has become the standard for mapping and surveying in Europe.
Click here to download our GSA Fast Facts brochure.
More information: https://www.gsa.europa.eu/
Galileo Information Centre – Chile:
contacto@galileoic.cl
Román Diaz 532, Providencia, Santiago (Región metropolitana) Chile
European GNSS Service Center (GSC)
helpdesk@gsc-europa.eu
Project funded by the European Commission, Grant Agreement SI2.809404. Defence, Industry & Space – DG DEFIS, European Commission
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Signature African Art
Say My Name: Group Exhibition, presented by Ava DuVernay
27 October - 24 December 2020
View works
"Art is a disruptive and propulsive force. Creative expression is one of the most powerful tools that we can employ to activate and ignite change. I am happy to partner with Khalil and Signature African Art to showcase the galvanizing work of thirteen dynamic Black artists as they tackle issues of justice and dignity through their art practice," – Ava DuVernay, Founder of ARRAY.
Featuring portrait paintings and sculpture, Say My Name aims to connect African artists with the histories of the Diaspora in Europe and America. The exhibition in London features 13 African artists and honours the names of Black lives which have been lost at the hands of the police, including George Floyd.
His last words are portrayed by Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi, who presented a solo exhibition at the gallery in March 2020. The work is a series of 9 paintings which observes the approximate 9
minutes that George Floyd's neck was pressed on. It features 9 sentences that he said during this moment including 'I can't breathe'. Benin-based Moufouli Bello whose work is rooted in identity and ideology also presents a portrait of Breonna Taylor in Say My Name. Signature African Art will donate its share of proceeds from the sales of these works to the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Say My Name pays tribute to Black activists who have fought for equality such as Angela Davis, whose portrait is rendered by Dennis Osakue, known for his large-scale paintings that bear a photographic quality. Wangari Maathai, Kenyan activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize, is depicted by contemporary artist Taiye Erewele.
Works in the London show also reflect on historical moments in Black history, ranging from the Transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans to the Windrush scandal. Johannesburg-based Giggs Kgole comments on the loss of identity of African people during enslavement in a 3D painting. Visual storyteller Dandelion Eghosa examines Bruce's Beach, a resort seized from African Americans in the 1920s, by drawing parallels with a river in her hometown of Edo State in Nigeria.
Self-taught, Ouagadougou-based artist Adjaratou Ouedraogo explores the treatment of the descendants of the Windrush Generation in the 2018 Windrush scandal. Further works in the London exhibition include depictions of protests and police brutality alongside iconic symbols such as the Black Power fist.
Say My Name, presented by Ava DuVernay, at Signature African Art, London features works by:
Adjaratou Ouedraogo, Anthony Nsofor, Ayanfe Olarinde, Dandelion Eghosa, Demola Ogunajo, Dennis Osakue, Djakou Kassi Nathalie, Ejiro Owigho, Giggs Kgole, Moufouli Bello, Oluwole Omofemi, Samson Akinnire and Taiye Erewele.
Signature African Art will donate 40% of the proceeds of Say My Name to Ava DuVernay's Law Enforcement Accountability Project (LEAP). Dedicated to empowering activists to pursue narrative change, LEAP is a propulsive fund focused on telling stories of police abuse and violence through various narrative art forms. Administered by DuVernay's non-profit ARRAY Alliance, the LEAP initiative commissions projects across multiple disciplines including film, literature, poetry, theatre, dance, fine art and music.
"We are delighted to be collaborating with Ava DuVernay on Say My Name. Signature African Art has been committed to providing a platform for African artists since its foundation in 1992. All of the artists involved hope their works will raise awareness and help to continue the conversation around the Black Lives Matter movement. It is important that we remember these stories and that we say the names of all whom we have lost." – Khalil Akar, Gallery Director and Curator, Signature African Art.
Say My Name is on view in London at Signature African Art from 27 October – 24 December 2020. Say My Name in Los Angeles will open in February 2021 and further details of the participating artists and works will be announced later this year.
Samson Akinnire
Giggs Kgole
Djakou Kassi Nathalie
Demola Ogunajo
Oluwole Omofemi
Dennis Osakue
20 Davies street,
Mayfair, W1K 3DT
Monday – Saturday: 10am – 5.30pm
UK Government Lockdown
Gallery will re-open when the restrictions are lifted
Copyright © 2020 Signature African Art


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A Response To Trump's Anti-Gun Control Talking Points
October 5, 2017 October 5, 2017 / jackcameron	/ Leave a comment
So NBC got their hands on Donald Trump's talking points for his visit to Las Vegas in the wake of the worst mass shooting in America this century. They read like a Greatest Hits of pro-gun bullshit. These are the arguments you see again and again from gun fetishists. And since they are so common and I encounter these so often, I figured I would do myself the favor of countering these all right here so I can just refer the next gun enthusiast who regurgitates this stuff to this page where they can find the appropriate piece of propaganda and see my response to it without me having to type the same thing over and over again.
"Let's gather the facts before we make sweeping policy arguments for curtailing the Second Amendment. The investigation is still in its earliest stages."
This is a classic trope. We don't know enough. It just happened. Have some respect. The investigation is just beginning. Of course none of this actually matters. It could turn out that the guy was from ISIS, obtained his guns illegally, and that no amount of gun laws or regulations would have ever stopped him from his attack. So what. Does a recent mass shooting somehow negate what we already know about gun violence? Of course not. Anyone who wants gun control doesn't want it because of one incident. They want it because they're aware that over 120,000 people are killed or wounded by guns every single year in America. I get that 558 of those are in the news right now, but again, even if it turned out that attack could not possibly be stopped by gun control, there are still the other 100,000+ shootings that may very well be cut down by gun control. By pretending that our conversation on gun control hinges on this one incident is to ignore all of the other victims of gun violence.
"The Second Amendment has endured for more than two centuries for a reason: it is a key constitutional right that is meant to protect people's freedoms, and the President understands that."
It's cute how they say 'the President understands that'. This is the only point at which they say that. Does that imply he does NOT understand the other points? They are correct that the Second Amendment has endured for more than two centuries, but for the most part it wasn't used to defend the private ownership of guns until very recently. It wasn't until 2008 in District of Columbia v Heller that the Supreme Court used the second amendment to justify ownership of guns.
I suppose it could be argued that the second amendment is a 'key constitutional right', but it's less clear that it is or was meant to 'protect people's freedoms'. People have been arguing about the intention of the second amendment practically since its founding.
"The President believes that our founding principles, like freedom of speech, freedom of religions and the right to bear arms must be protected while maintaining public safety."
Well that's great, except that he doesn't. His administration's Justice Department is looking into Facebook pages that are anti-Trump with in an effort to identify dissenters. That doesn't sound like believing in free speech. His Muslim ban makes it clear that if he does believe in freedom of religions, it's certainly not all religions. And the fact that there are over 100,000 people shot in America every year shows that public safety is NOT being maintained.
"We welcome a reasoned and well-informed debate on public safety and our constitutional freedoms, but we reject the false choice that we can't have both."
No, they don't. If they welcomed a well-informed debate they'd allow and fund research on gun violence. Instead they fight against it. It's also worth noting that we have quite a few gun laws on the books right now that are not considered even by Trump's administration to infringe on our constitutional freedoms. Arguing that any new gun control legislation automatically must being infringing on our constitutional freedoms is like saying whatever I'm planning on making in the kitchen must be poison. Until you hear the plans, there's no way to know if that's true or not.
"And when it comes to gun control, let's be clear: new laws won't stop a mad man committed to harming innocent people. They will curtail freedoms of law abiding citizens."
Stephen Paddock was a law abiding citizen…until he opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 people and killed or wounded over 500 people. There is this myth trotted out by gun enthusiasts that somehow law abiding citizens and criminals are entirely separate kinds of people and one can never change into the other. It is, of course, like so many of their arguments complete bullshit.
That said, this particular talking point does have some truth to it. A mad man committed to harming innocent people will not likely be stopped by new gun laws. A mad man committed to breaking into your house isn't likely to be stopped by locks no matter how many you put on your door, but that doesn't mean you leave your doors unlocked, does it?
New gun laws will not make mass shootings in America a thing of the past, but it could mean less people die. Sure, the new laws won't stop some determined people, but it will stop others. Just like a locked door stops some burglars but does not stop others.
"We've seen terrorist attacks with knives, by people driving cars into crowds, by hijacking airplanes"
First off, since these are Presidential talking points, does this mean that the Trump administration is finally willing to admit that the Nazi march in Charlottesville was a terrorist attack? About damn time.
Secondly, yes, people have been attacked using knives, cars, and hijacking planes, but that does not somehow negate the 120,000 people who are shot every year. This is like insisting you don't have a problem with heroin because other people are addicted to cocaine and meth. It makes no logical sense the moment you think about it for a moment.
"Some of the cities with the strictest gun laws have the highest rates of gun violence."
"This shows that more laws on the books may not work. The problems in these cities and many others isn't too few gun laws."
It's true that the problem in these cities is not too few gun laws. The problem is being surrounded by areas that have too few gun laws. Most of the guns in Chicago come from surrounding areas where the gun laws are lax and thanks to strict gun laws in Chicago, mostly criminals have guns. This is not showing that gun laws do not work. It's showing that in order for gun control to work in America, it needs to be on a national level. Otherwise you get places like Chicago and Baltimore. Essentially, the Trump administration and many gun enthusiasts simply draw the wrong conclusion about gun violence in cities like Chicago. Whether they do this because they don't know what they're talking about or that they assume we don't know what they're talking about doesn't really matter. The fact is that they are wrong.
"Also, we've had examples where concealed carry has allowed people to protect themselves and stop a mass shooting in its tracks, such as last month in a church in Texas."
A recent study shows that for every time a gun is used in self-defense, 34 innocent people die. The fantasy of some John Wayne-type law abiding citizen stopping a gunman intent on committing harm is just that, a fantasy. It hardly ever happens. In fact, if you own a gun and you fire it killing someone, the odds are 2 to 1 that you shot yourself as suicide accounts for 2 out of 3 gun deaths.
"Again, we welcome this debates, but in the wake of Sunday night's tragedy, we shouldn't rush toward compromising our freedoms before we have all the facts."
They do not welcome this debate. Trump has no interest in debating gun control. There has never been a time that he wanted to talk gun control.
As for 'compromising our freedoms', it's worth noting that gun control laws already on the books are not considered by the Supreme Court to be compromising our freedoms. And without talking about specific gun control proposals any allegation that any new gun control law automatically compromises our freedoms can be dismissed as paranoid nonsense.
Finally, let's put to bed the idea that we are 'rushing' to do anything at all about gun control. It has been 18,693 days since 15 people were killed by a gunman at the University of Texas-Austin. It has been 12,132 days since 21 people were killed by a gunman at a McDonalds in San Ysidro, California. It has been 11,369 days since 14 people were killed in Edmond, Oklahoma. It has been 9,486 days since a man drove a car into a restaurant in Killeen, Texas and shot and killed 23 people. It has been 6,743 days since the mass shooting at Columbine where 13 people were killed. It has been 3,825 days since a man at Virginia Tech shot and killed 32 people. It has been 2,887 days since the mass shooting at Fort Hood where 13 people were killed. It has been 1,756 days since the Sandy Hook massacre. It has been 673 days since San Bernardino where 14 people were killed. It has been 480 days since a man went into a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and murdered 49 people.
The LAST thing we are doing is 'rushing' to solve the gun problem in America.
If Only We Really Gave A Damn About Gun Violence in America
October 4, 2017 October 5, 2017 / jackcameron	/ 2 Comments
I spent nearly ten years reading studies, articles, and books while talking to people I agree with, people I disagree with, and people who are just a lot smarter than I am about guns, gun control, and gun violence. I would stop short of calling myself an expert, but I know a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to guns in America. In the last year or two I've cut down on my research because I arrived at certain conclusions that made any further research on my part largely irrelevant.
Most of America agrees that universal background checks and required training on the use and safe storage of any gun that is purchased is common sense gun control. People are less in agreement when it comes to requiring registration and liability insurance but most people like that too.
That said, it's worth noting that while most of America agrees, also most of America doesn't care too much about it. We don't see protesters supporting gun control doing marches, confronting prominent politicians, or doing much of anything really beyond online petitions and lip service towards the concept of gun control.
What we in America have decided collectively is that we're probably not going to get shot and 30,000 abstract dead Americans every year is a fine price to pay for easy access to guns. We don't even pay attention to the 80,000 wounded every year from gunfire.
There is a small but vocal population of gun owners who are nearly sexually aroused by the idea of the government coming for their guns or some home intruder breaking into their house despite the odds of such things happening being astronomically low. These are people who will shoot their fellow Americans regardless of what uniform they are wearing before they will relinquish their guns.
Given points 2, 3, and 4, I have nearly zero expectation of any meaningful national gun control laws in the United States.
Now you may want to argue any of these points, and you may go right ahead and do so, but as I said, I did not arrive at these conclusions in any uninformed way. I recognize that America, like the Aztecs is a society in which human sacrifice is part of the culture. We just do it with guns rather than rolling people off of pyramids. And like the Aztec human sacrifices, it is not a practical thing, but a religious thing. Talk to any avid gun enthusiast and you'll see they have every bit the zeal of the most passionate evangelist. As an atheist, I am well aware that when it comes to religion, no amount of common sense, statistics, studies, or facts will sway a believer from their belief.
Most of us are not gun owners. Most of us do not fetishize guns. Most of us do not hold the beliefs of a religious zealot. But, despite these gun fetishists following a belief system that kills ten times the amount of people who died on 9/11 every year, we do not treat these people the same as we might a member of a ISIS or a Nazi. I don't see that changing any time soon either. Instead, we are tolerant or indifferent to their deadly religion.
When it comes to guns, people often look to politics, but really modern politics about gun control is all about getting out of the way of the gun lobby. The NRA is a domestic terrorist organization that works as the propaganda arm of gun manufacturers under the guise of representing American gun owners. They spend millions on members of both parties to make sure none of them do anything to mess up the sales of guns and ammunition to any American who might want them. I remain convinced that if enough people cared, protested, made calls, and voted out anyone who takes a dime from the gun lobby we might get somewhere on gun control, but I also remain equally convinced that won't happen because most people, including you and me, simply do not truly give a shit. Not really.
A Note About Comments: All comments are moderated. Feel free to comment if you have something beyond insults and something involving evidence to back up whatever it is you want want say. Comments with insults, unrelated or bad links, or off topic will be deleted.
Barely A Whisper Anymore
June 12, 2016 June 12, 2016 / jackcameron	/ 1 Comment
I woke up to the news that over one hundred people had been shot in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida last night. At least fifty are dead. After the initial shock of hearing the news a small voice I can barely hear anymore said, "Maybe this is the horrible tragedy that finally gets us to clamp down on gun violence."
The day before, also in Orlando, Christina Grimmie, a young singer who was on the television show The Voice was shot and killed while signing autographs. I heard that small voice then too. And then I thought, "She's probably not famous enough. It would have to be a major rock star."
John Lennon shot four times on December 8, 1980
Oh yeah. That did not do it. If someone can shoot and kill a Beatle, a dead rock star isn't going to do it. Maybe if it was someone important. Someone powerful. A leader of some sort.
John F. Kennedy shot and killed November 22, 1963
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shot and killed April 4, 1968
Robert F. Kennedy shot and killed June 6, 1968
Wow. Clearly the death of one person is not enough to galvanize the American people to demand common sense gun control. You know what works on the news? Blonde girls. That gets people all upset for some reason. A blonde girl goes missing and everyone is up in arms and the 24-hour news channels cover it for weeks. What if a blonde reporter got shot live on television? Would that wake people up enough to do something about guns and gun control?
Alison Parker shot and killed on live television August 26, 2015
Okay. I get it. One person whether they are an attractive blonde girl, the biggest rock star in the world, or President of the United States is not enough to make people rethink our policies on guns and gun control.
What about numbers? Statistics like the fact that more people died last year from gunshot wounds than from car accidents do not work either because they're just numbers.
The kind of tragedy we need to wake people up to the horrible damage easy gun access has caused is something like a school shooting. Maybe that would work.
Fifteen people shot and killed including two teenage gunmen on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School
Oh. That didn't cause people to change their minds about guns either. Well, it's high school. High school can be rough for some people. Hell, who didn't want to kill someone in high school?
You know what no one could ignore? You know what would really get everyone ready to give up their guns voluntarily just at the sheer horror of it all? If someone shot up an elementary school even the most hard core gun nut would have to pause and think we need some sensible gun control laws. That maybe we should make getting guns at least as hard as it is to get a car. That would do it.
Twenty-Six shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 12, 2012
Twenty-six dead. Twenty under the age of eight. And that was not enough to really enact change. And so I wake up this morning to the news that over 100 people have been shot and half of them are dead due to a gunman. And a tiny voice wonders if we will do anything at all about the easy access to guns in this country. But that voice has become barely more than a whisper because I know the truth. We will do nothing.
We sacrifice over 30,000 American lives every year and pay for the freedom to own guns with their blood. The Aztecs sacrificed lives to their Gods. Experts say they sacrificed as many as 20,000 people a year. We have them beat. We sacrifice so we can own weapons. We do not ask for volunteers. People are chosen at random and while most are poor, no matter who you are, you could be next. The fact that you have not been chosen is the only reason you still allow this to go on. Today, far too many will hear of a massacre in a gay nightclub in Florida and incorrectly think, "I don't go to gay nightclubs in Florida and so I must be safe."
Last night over 50 people unwillingly sacrificed their lives for your freedom to own guns. By next week you won't remember any of their names and be just as shocked as you are right now the next time a mass unwilling sacrifice is made. And you will do just as little as you always have to stop gun violence and the easy access to guns because this is America.
Why We Don't Need Guns
December 3, 2015 June 13, 2016 / jackcameron	/ 5 Comments
I read this article about guns. It wasn't for or against gun control. Instead it was focused on why people want guns. This is a good question. Unsurprisingly the most common reason people say they have guns is for protection.
It may seem incredibly reasonable that in a country full of guns you may want to have one of your own to protect yourself from guns. However, it's not very realistic. For starters, the odds of you being a victim of gun related violence are exceptionally low. According to the national safety council your odds of being shot and killed by a gun discharge are 1 in 6,699. And since we know that two out of three of all gun deaths are suicides, getting shot and killed by someone else it's more like 1 in 20,097 or roughly the same odds as you dying in a plane crash.
Even if you defy the odds and end up in a life and death situation where someone is pointing a gun at you, you're not likely to be in a situation where your gun is loaded and you're prepared to shoot. If you look at the numbers for every person shot and killed in self-defense there are 34 deaths that aren't. You also find that owning a gun dramatically increases your odds of suicide. And if you're a woman there's a 93% chance that you'll know your killer. Owning a gun for protection from strangers with guns may seem like a reasonable choice, but as I said, it's not realistic and actually puts you in more danger rather than less.
Another reason the article listed was recreation. Some people like to target shoot. Some people like to hunt. (P.J. O'Rourke once said that "Hunting is a replacement for murder.") Target shooting is something that need not be done with a deadly weapon. Pellet guns hit targets as well as bullets do. As for hunting, there's nothing sporting about taking a weapon developed by the smartest creature on the planet to kill and using it to kill things with brains smaller than a baseball. I get that some people enjoy hunting. But there's no reason for it in modern society. And when on average one toddler a week shoots someone, I think recreation is a fairly week excuse for having guns.
A recent study says that your average gun owner has eight guns. It's also worth noting that gun ownership overall has gone down over the years. In other words less and less people are buying more and more guns. Owning a gun when you look at the realities in present day America isn't a very rational choice. Unfortunately, this means that reasoning our way into disarming the country probably isn't going to work.
An Open Letter To American Gun Owners
June 8, 2014 / jackcameron	/ 4 Comments
American Gun Owners,
Let me start off by saying that I know the vast majority of you are responsible law abiding citizens who are trained in the use of your weapons and would likely never shoot another human being without other lives being in imminent danger. You're also likely not someone who is brandishing your weapons around supermarkets, department stores, and restaurants trying just to antagonize anti-gun people. Your gun likely sits in a gun case somewhere until you feel like going out to the range to target shoot or perhaps when you go hunting. Despite what many liberals might believe, most of you are entirely rational, educated individuals who are well aware of the power and responsibility inherent in owning a gun. You need not convince me of this as I already know it to be true.
Now having said that, let me also state that I don't expect that this letter is going to change your mind about guns in the slightest. When it comes to the seemingly endless and toothless gun debate here in America, most of us have chosen our sides, dug in our heels, and will not be changing our minds anytime soon. I get that. I'll even acknowledge that such a description likely fits me as well. We all have our reasons and our pet studies that will help back up what we already believe about guns, gun violence, and what can or should be done about it.
I'm aware that no amount of sources, studies, evidence, or data is going to result in a sudden shift in viewpoint. I'm equally aware that what I'm going to ask will likely fall on deaf ears. So before I get to that point, let me ask one quick and easy favor. For the duration of this letter, let's step out of our fox holes for a few moments. I will not attack you with anything and you will allow if only for a moment the idea that just maybe we could do this. Can we make that deal just for the length of this post?
Every year a gun is used to kill 30,000 Americans. 20,000 of these are suicides. 10,000 are homicides. If rates continue as they are, more people will be killed yearly using guns than will be killed in automobile accidents. And despite what many in the gun lobby have told us, liberals and Obama are doing absolutely nothing to take your guns away. If nothing else, you can rest secure in the iron-clad fact that Obama is not coming for your guns.
Okay. Now let me ask you this. What if there was a way to make 100% sure that your gun was never used for a homicide or a suicide? Sure, you may have your gun locked up. You may have various methods of security to keep your gun from being used to harm other law abiding citizens, but each of these can be circumvented. Locks can be broken. Guns can be stolen or lost. It's one of those things we think will never happen to us until it does. So I ask you to open your mind. I ask you to let in one incredibly simple idea.
The one sure-fire way to make sure that no one ever uses your guns to kill anyone else and every law abiding citizen is safe from any harm your guns might do is to simply get rid of your guns.
I know you're already immediately dismissing this concept. I know that in some cases it's a part of who you are. In other cases, you simply can't imagine a circumstance in which your gun might be used to harm others. You're probably right about that.
However, if you're able to, I'd like you to imagine a scenario in which you're wrong. Imagine that someone with ill intent did get their hands on your gun. Imagine they used it to take their own life. Or imagine they used it to kill someone. Imagine how that might make you feel and imagine how different it might be if you simply didn't have the gun in the first place. Are you not afraid of that feeling and if not, why not? Isn't that just as big of a fear as you might have of someone breaking into your house while you're unarmed? It should be. It's much more likely that a gun will be used to shoot the person holding it or used in a homicide than it is to be used to defend against a home invasion.
Home invasions are incredibly rare despite how popular such instances are on the news. And defending yourself from a home invasion with a gun is rarer still. Our government has drones and missiles. If they chose to be oppressive, your guns would not stop them. Most of the situations in which you might need a gun are incredibly unlikely. Truth be told, it's also unlikely that your gun will ever be used for anything beyond target shooting. But why leave even a small chance that it could be?
You can bring your gun in to any local police station. You do not need it. Getting rid of it may save lives. It may even save the lives of the people in your home or yourself. You want to make sure your gun never takes an innocent person's life under any circumstances? Join us and be good without guns.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I realize that you're not likely going to get rid of your guns. But I do appreciate your willingness to imagine it with me for a while.
#GoodWithoutGuns
Mistakes And Mass Shootings
May 25, 2014 May 25, 2014 / jackcameron	/ 1 Comment
Whenever there is a mass shooting, there is always talk of gun control. This is a mistake. While mass shootings are certainly dramatic and terrible, they account for a very small amount of the 30,000 people who lose their lives to gunfire every year in America.
Truthfully, background checks, limited magazines, training, registration, and other common sense preventative gun control measures are unlikely to stop most mass shootings. This leads many gun rights enthusiasts to conclude that because gun control is unlikely to stop mass shootings we should not enact any gun control measures. This also is a mistake.
Of the 30,000 gun deaths every year, 20,000 of them are self-inflicted. In other words if you are killed by a gun, you're twice as likely to be the person who also pulled the trigger. This is an area where gun control measures have an opportunity to help immensely. A suicidal person is less likely to kill themselves with a gun if they are required to go through an extensive background check and then a training course before they can even purchase a firearm. Studies show that lack of access to firearms results in lower suicide rates.
Gun control will not stop all gun deaths or gun suicides much like owning a fire extinguisher isn't going to stop all fires from burning down your home. Another common mistake about gun control is that many people think if it won't stop ALL gun deaths then we shouldn't do it at all. This is, of course, absurd.
Another mistake we often see after a mass shooting is the outcry that we should not be putting any focus whatsoever on guns and instead we should only focus on the pitiful state of our mental health care programs. We should most definitely put a focus and money and resources towards fixing the lack of mental health care in this country. But it's a bit simplistic and outright stupid to think that we only have the ability to focus on one dangerous factor when it comes to mass shootings. We can acknowledge that our mental healthcare system needs work and then look at what other factors may have contributed to these tragedies.
This leads to another common mistake. While it's correct to say that every single aspect of a person's life leads them to take the actions they choose, it's incorrect to assume that if those actions are horrific, then every single aspect that influenced those actions must be equally horrific. Correlation does not necessarily equal direct causation. Millions of people watch violent movies, play violent video games, read books on picking up girls, and listen to music with morally repugnant lyrics without committing any violent actions whatsoever. One cannot condemn something simply because a murderer may have encountered it. Of course, it's a simple matter to use this same argument regarding guns. And again, this is why I say it's a mistake to think gun control is going to stop mass shooters.
Whenever something horrible happens, we want to know why and we want to know how to stop it from happening again. Sometimes there are no simple answers. Sometimes there are obvious answers that turn out to be absolutely wrong. It's important to keep an open mind and be willing to change it when presented with new evidence. Failure to do that is the biggest mistake of all.
Jack Cameron
"I Need My Gun."
August 6, 2012 August 6, 2012 / jackcameron	/ Leave a comment
This past weekend yet another gunman committed mass murder. This time it was a Sikh temple. Immediately, the pro-gun people started posting items proclaiming their right to have guns. For years, their slogan has been that guns don't kill people, people do. This catchy slogan sounds simple and is easy to remember, but in reality it's just one of the many fallacies that the pro-gun lobby uses in their arguments to justify owning devices that are designed to kill as many people as they can as quickly as possible.
Let's start off with the foundation of every gun-rights activist's argument. The second amendment reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This amendment was ratified in December of 1791 at which time the absolute best firearm on the market was a muzzle-loaded musket. When this amendment was written it was intended for colonists to have muskets with which to join militias to fight the British. It was not intended to let paranoid guys use handguns to shoot black teenagers in hoodies. I think it goes without saying that not one of our founding fathers was thinking of an assault rifle at the time that the amendment was written.
And yet you'll rarely find the pro-gun person who will tell you about our need to form a militia. Quite often their arguments involve hypothetical situations that are likely never to happen.
"I Need My Gun To Stop Oppressive Governments."
The closest you get to someone talking about militias are those who say that they need their guns in case the government suddenly becomes horribly oppressive and they have to fight for their safety. This argument may have had some merit in the past. However, in recent years, it's been made clear that those on the government's kill list need not worry about men with guns breaking down their door. Instead it will be some guy sitting in a trailer somewhere piloting a radio controlled drone that turns your house and you into a crater. No amount of firearms are going to stop your imminent and fairly anonymous death.
Secondly, when have you heard of the United States government encountering an individual that they simply gave up trying to apprehend because he was too heavily armed? To my knowledge that has never happened because when you get down to it, the US has an Army and you don't. You can attempt to argue that you need your gun to stop government oppression all you want, if the government wants to get you, they'll get you if for no other reason than they outnumber you.
"I need my gun for home protection."
Another popular argument is that they need a gun to protect their home from intruders. The idea being that on the off chance your house is the one they break into, you will be home, awake, and ready with your gun loaded when the intruders arrive is not to different from insisting you need a parachute every time you get on a plane just in case it crashes.
It's been found that guns were used in defense during a crime incident an average of 64,615 times annually. This equates to two times out of 1,000 incidents (0.2%). In other words, when pro-gun guys talk about their 'need' to protect their family, in reality, they are talking about something that happens .2% of the time. When you compare that to the 67% of murders that are committed with a gun, their justification for owning a weapon for protection quickly falls apart.
"No matter what laws you make, criminals can ALWAYS get their hands on guns."
A common response when someone suggests that maybe we should make certain guns illegal is that criminals have no problem breaking the law and thus will simply get guns illegally if they don't have legal means to get guns. This is a lot like saying you shouldn't lock your door because a determined burglar will get into your house anyway. Sure, certain criminals will most definitely continue to get their hands on weapons regardless of which ones we make illegal just as some criminals don't care about locked doors. But using this sort of logic in other areas becomes a little disturbing. Such logic would also dictate that all drugs should be legal because drugs users will always find a way to get drugs and that we shouldn't have laws against child sex because pedophiles will always find a way to have sex with children. Such logic ultimately means we should have no laws at all because a certain segment of the population is determined enough to break whatever laws are passed. It's a classic defeatist attitude that really has no basis in reality.
"Even if you successfully outlawed all guns, murderers would still kill people."
A similar argument is that a dogged murderer will kill people even without a gun. The recent shooting in Aurora involved 60 people being shot in under 5 minutes. Such a casualty rate would be impossible with a knife or a baseball bat. The only other weapon that could do that sort of damage would be a bomb which is why explosives are illegal and highly regulated. Getting rid of or highly regulating guns isn't going to eliminate the murder rate. This is true. But it will make the murder rate go down. Proof can be found looking at the murder rate in Great Britain where there were 638 murders in 2011. Fifty-eight of them were by firearm. By comparison the United States has 12,996. Of those 8,775 were by firearm. Even taking into account the population difference, the US still had a per capita firearm murder rate 30 times higher than that of Great Britain. Yes, murderers will still kill people, but less murderers will kill less people.
"Cars kill more people than guns do."
Another frequent argument is that there are other things such as cars that kill more people than guns do. The concept here is that since no one is outlawing cars, then no one should be outlawing guns. This argument ignores a few things. The main one being that guns are designed with a single purpose in mind: to kill. The same can't be said of cars.
"If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."
Another catchy phrase is that if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns. By definition this is true. It would still be true if you replaced the word 'gun' with 'lollipop'. But it doesn't really mean much of anything. First off, no one, including me, is advocating that we outlaw ALL firearms. Secondly, even if you're armed to the teeth 24/7 as an average citizen the odds of you actually encountering an 'outlaw' and having to use your gun(s) is minimal at best.
You're much more likely to shoot yourself than you are anyone else. Statistically, over half of all suicides are committed by firearm in the United States. That's not even counting the accidental shootings. Neither of these scenarios require outlaws, but they do require guns.
"I need my guns to go hunting."
Using a gun to go hunting is something that is entirely understandable and definitely something the founding fathers both enjoyed and endorsed. If we limited the firearms that were legal to the weapons that were used for hunting, we could effectively get rid of all handguns, all assault rifles, and a bunch of other weapons that are specifically designed to kill human beings. So anyone making this argument cannot use it to justify the ownership of an AR-15 or a 9mm Pistol.
"I like to go target shooting."
I go target shooting from time to time. It's fun to blow off some steam shooting targets at the firing range. I don't see much wrong with doing so. If you just want to go target shooting, I don't see why we couldn't just regulate the firearms so that they're only available at the range. It would be a relatively easy solution. Either rent the guns you want to target shoot with or purchase the gun and have it kept at your local range. Transporting the gun to another range could be done by courier. If your interest is purely in target shooting, this solution should cause no problem whatsoever.
"I just like guns."
This last one is rarely said, but it's usually what pro-gun arguments really boil down to. Some people just like having the power to kill their fellow human beings in their hand. And the vast majority of those people are not the sort who should have the power of life and death over their fellow man. Most people do not actually need a gun for any reason at all. They just want one because it makes them feel safer and more powerful. These are not good justifications for owning a firearm which is why they have so many other excuses.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1615397/?tool=pmcentrez
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/335-156/12554-58-murders-a-year-by-firearms-in-britain-8775-in-us
http://lostallhope.com/suicide-statistics/us-methods-suicide


text:
The New Zealand Gallantry Medal (NZGM) is the fourth level military decoration of the New Zealand armed forces.

It was instituted by Royal Warrant on 20 September 1999 as part of the new indigenous New Zealand Gallantry system.  The medal, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in recognition of 'acts of gallantry' while involved in war and warlike operational service (including peacekeeping).

Bars are awarded to the NZGM in recognition of the performance of further acts of gallantry meriting the award.  Recipients are entitled to the postnominal letters "N.Z.G.M.".

This medal replaced the award of the Mention in Despatches, the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct, and Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.

Recipients

See also
 Orders, decorations, and medals of New Zealand
 New Zealand gallantry awards
 New Zealand bravery awards
 New Zealand campaign medals

Notes

References
 Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds) - Medals Yearbook - 2005, (2004), Token Publishing.

External links
 New Zealand Defence Force - Medal information page
 New Zealand Defence Force - Text of the Royal warrant for the New Zealand Gallantry awards system

Military awards and decorations of New Zealand
Courage awards

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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