Gun Rights = Death

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Here is something that every proponent of gun rights must accept: The cost of protecting their “right” to own guns is the death of innocent people.

Because individuals own guns in the United States there will be gun violence; people will die. Many of those people will be innocent bystanders; some will be family members, many will be children.

Where there are guns there will be gun-related deaths.

The price of gun ownership is the certain death of people. In 2011 there were 8,583 murders committed with a gun. Yet more people died by suicide and accidental discharge of a gun.

This is what economists call an externality. Externalities are the costs of economic activity that are not directly reflected in the cost of the activity. Externalities are an empirical reality, not “liberal bullshit.”

Deaths caused by guns are a cost of gun ownership that is not reflected in the price of a gun. Loss of life is a cost. The simple cost of a deceased person is that they will no longer add to the overall economy by earning a wage, paying taxes, and buying things. This excludes the costs to their family and friends, to the fabric of society; emergency services add to the costs.

If you are a proponent of gun rights you need to ask yourself: How many dead people per year are you willing to accept as the price of gun right?

You want to own guns? People will die. The equation is simple.

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Video: Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe

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Kiss me under the mistletoe 2Last week I relayed that my brother Henry Boy Jenkins created a new Christmas classic Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe. The album — awesomely titled Frothing the Nog — is available through Green Monkey Records.

Henry, who is a talented musician, is also a talented artist; now he has added a video to go along with “Kiss Me.” He charmingly accompanies the song with, among other things, archival footage of himself at about age 5 or 6 during the Christmas season.

Yes folks, that is good old 8mm film–in living color no less– shot by our dad Joe Jenkins. In the family these movies are referred to as “Hank Films.” Henry was the first child so his every breath was captured by the most advanced technology of the day.

Playing himself (and using other images and video) Henry is able to capture the excitement, and the occasional heartache, that comes with the Christmas season for people young and old. Hopes collide with realities at times in ways that make life painful. As a child it may be the present that Santa does not bring; as adults the difficulties of finding love or living without loved ones. This season we are missing our dad Joe Jenkins, and mourning the recent loss of our aunt Mary Ann Jenkins.

But we have music (and videos), which soothes the pain and makes life worth living.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe

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As the War on Christmas resumes allow me to point your attention to a new-classic Xmas song. Green Monkey Records has just released their annual Xmas compilation, “Frothing the Nog,” whose title reminds us (at least me) a bit too vividly of the election year gone by.

But I digress to politics; as usual.Kiss me under the mistletoe

My brother Henry Boy Jenkins has created a new Christmas classic Kiss Me Under the Mistletoe. Henry is one of the godfathers of the pre-Grunge Seattle Rock scene, whose musical predilections combine Cheap Trick, Jimi Hendrix, and ELO–with a dash of Bowie. He was Matthew Sweet before Matthew Sweet as Matthew Sweet.

Proceeds from the compilation go to Seattle’s Millionair Club Charity, which helps homeless and unemployed people in the King County area.

Henry’s last full album was The Big Parade. He is currently working on a book.

I hope everyone enjoys the War on Christmas. I look forward to this season all year long and it is gone on too soon. Let us hope that this year we win! Until then…Froth the nog!

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