This & That for 30 March 2013

1. I sent the following to Grassley, Harkin, Loebsak, and Braley: 

Dear Senator/Congressman:

I reviewed this clip by Pres. Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/28/president-obama-now-time-turn-heartbreak-action-prevent-gun-violence?utm_source=email205&utm_medium=text2&utm_campaign=nowisthetime. I have not forgotten, and I will not forget how gun violence takes too many innocent American lives. I will watch your actions hoping that you will show the leadership and courage that this issue requires.

Thank you for your consideration,
Steve Greenleaf

 I invite you to join me. (Does this sound to harsh, too threatening? I think that we have to get serious, even taking away some of the slack that I normally give to liberals who have to placate gun-crazy voters.)

2. Paul Krugman on how we're really "cheating our children".

3.Courtesy of Abba, a report on Millennium Goals and malaria by Ray Chambers. (Hey, I wonder if this guy could use some help?)

4. Dave Brooks says it's more than about guns--reducing homicides-- and of course he's right, but also wrong. Has Dave never watched any cop shows? You gotta have "means". By all means attack this problem on all fronts, but let's not continue to deceive ourselves about our national gun fetish, our "Moloch" (Garry Wills). We have to have a moment of truth, the NRA & gun nuts notwithstanding.