Lew's Blog

It's the Guns, Stupid!

2/16/2008

Once again there's gun violence, and once again everybody's trying to figure out why the murderer was "so upset and angry." What foolishness! If two children are fighting with sticks, you don't psychoanalyze them, you take away the sticks. The bottom line is that we live in an unsafe society because people who are "upset and angry" have legal access to guns. As the NY Times reported:

The gunman (at Northern Illinois U) bought his weapons legally from a Champaign gun dealer, officials said. He also bought some accessories from the popular Internet dealer who sold a gun to the gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre last year.

Every statistic indicates that in countries with strong gun control laws (Japan for example), gun murders are virtually non-existent. But the NRA opposes *every* gun control law without thinking. For example, they are right now fighting against a proposal to "microstamp" all guns, which would allow police to match fired bullets to registered guns. What possible argument can they have against such a sensible law?

How many innocent Americans have to die just because somebody had a bad day, or a bad year? Do we really want to live like this? What does it take for people to recognize that the bottom line is "No More Guns!"?

EUROPEAN TOUR Nov.18--12/1, 2007, BRIEF REPORT:

12/5/2007

EUROPEAN TOUR Nov.18--12/1, 2007, BRIEF REPORT:
All my connections were perfect, I met so many new and old friends, and I taught all the classes listed on my previously posted schedule. A few notes about the three concerts:

--Nov. 20. I performed one set at the BIM-Huis, the most famous jazz club in Amsterdam, with the terrific saxophonist Jasper Blom, and an excellent bassist and drummer. GREAT!

--Monday Nov. 26. Dave Liebman and I both presented keynote talks at the Coltrane conference in Tours. We performed a duet concert of Coltrane's music that evening at the Petit Faucheux--it was sold out and well received. I also played one new solo piano piece of mine, which was a "hit"!--the concert was recorded and my solo piece is now posted under music.

--Friday Nov 30. I performed a set at the Sibelius Academy with the exciting alto saxophonist Jari Perkiomaki and a superb bassist and drummer. Swinging!

--Sat. Dec. 1. I enjoyed Derek Scott's excellent presentation about his research on pop music of the 1800s, then took the plane back to the US in the afternoon. I arrived the same day (not Dec. 2, as I mistakenly told everyone earlier!).