This morning I had to explain the senseless deaths of school children to my 10 year old son. This is the world we live in, but it's not the world I want for him. Firearms claim one life every 20 minutes in this country. Yet the purchase and ownership of a gun is less regulated than cars and pets. It is time to put politics aside, lobbyists in their place, and save lives. We need stricter gun controls.

With the recent tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary it becomes clear that mental health issues in our country are integrally involved in mass shootings around our country. It is appropriate that an excise tax on gun sales be put into place in order to fund mental health programs that will be in place in early childhood to assist parents in parenting and obtaining mental health services for their children. A sales tax, similar to that imposed on cigarette manufactures, would provide much needed funding for mental health services.

With the recent tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary it becomes clear that mental health issues in our country are integrally involved in mass shootings around our country. It is appropriate that an excise tax on gun sales be put into place in order to fund mental health programs that will be in place in early childhood to assist parents in parenting and obtaining mental health services for their children. A sales tax, similar to that imposed on cigarette manufactures, would provide much needed funding for mental health services.

We all have been adversely affected by special interest. The lobbiests have a fists full of dollars and our representitves ears. Our representitives are elected by us and in more cases than not have emotional rhetorical responses written by these lobbiests to explain to the constituents why special interest's concerns are more pressing than the actual issues confronting this country, states and local governments. It is causing more stalemate in congress than legislation. The actual job these committee placement, campaign fund seeking representitives and senators should be carring about. If special interest want their interest considered in new legislation, then let them convince the constitiuents in the district these representitives represent. If the district wants wants to go forward with it then let the People do the persuading to the legislators. No more back room good ole boy politics where special interest money does the talking.

In order for congressmen and senators to receive their paychecks, debates and votes MUST result in action on: Gun control Taxes And other issues that we the people elected them to do. The election is over and we want to see resuls.

The Mayor's office says he wants a change of attitude toward public transportation - here is a start.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety will receive neither.

Every time a murder is committed, the media is quick to include a name and photo in the story. As a result, the public all learn the name of the murderer. He or she becomes notorious. Rather than killing just themselves out of loneliness and misery, they die knowing that they have effectively become celebrities. And worse yet, nobody remembers the victims except their immediate families and friends. This is backwards.

Many Americans claim that their Constitution gives them the right to own and openly carry firearms. Most states have struck down limitations on gun ownership, but not one single state has provided for a balanced level of legal responsibility that gun ownership entails.

The time is now to change our culture of violence and prevent the horrific massacres that are occurring with increasing frequency. The 2nd amendment is a relic of our revolutionary past and is no longer relevant in our modern society.

I am a disabled American who has a mental illness. I was fortunate enough to receive the proper care I needed to maintain my mental health. Thousands upon thousands of others have not been as fortunate as I have been, and this needs to be taken seriously. Now.

There are thousands of federal employees and military personnel who are paid with federal tax dollars but who are delinquent in reporting their income on annual federal tax returns and in paying their fair share of taxes. Many of them neglect to resolve their own tax situations and in setting the proper example as public servants. These people should not be deserving of paychecks that are funded by federal tax dollars if they are not willing to report and pay their fair share.