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Why 'Django' stirs race debate
Gene Seymour: Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino spatting over "Django Unchained" Seymour says film, which upends slavery narrative, is classic comic-book Tarantino He says debate is over whether white artists have right to tell any part of black American story Seymour notes James Baldwin's sound advice: "If you don't like their alternative, write yours" Editor's note: Gene Seymour is a film critic who has written about music, movies and culture for The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post. (CNN) -- Spike Lee says he's never going to see Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" because he's certain it is "disrespectful of my ancestors." Tarantino says he doesn't need to waste time responding to Lee's accusation. That, as they say, is that. So why do we insist on staring at two egomaniacs staring down each other? Race. Again. The subject that never fails to provoke, antagonize, alienate -- and fascinate rubber-necking onlookers from sea to shining sea. Fixating on race is an absurdity that has no rational reason to exist, yet no one quite knows how to eliminate it from humankind. The only thing dumber than race is underestimating its importance. Gene Seymour "Django Unchained" is Tarantino's latest exercise in genre-bending audacity, an antic ripsnorter folding in most of what its director knows and loves about spaghetti westerns, 1970s blaxploitation thrillers and his own ribald, recklessly violent body of work. Its title character, played by Jamie Foxx, is a slave bought and freed by a drolly effective German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), who agrees to help Django emancipate his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from a decadent plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. "Django" makes no pretense of being anything other than a phantasmagoric pseudo-western, rife with calculated vulgarity, anachronism and impropriety. Its body count rivals that of Tarantino's 2003 martial-arts epic, "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (to whose messily operatic set pieces of slaughter "Django" bears an uncanny resemblance). Marquee blog: What's the verdict on "Django Unchanied"? var currExpandable="expand17"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/18/bts-django-cast-violence-in-movies.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121218092653-bts-django-cast-violence-in-movies-00014322-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand17Store=mObj; Film violence inspires real violence? var currExpandable="expand27"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='showbiz/2012/12/25/iri-django-unchained-jamie-foxx-kerry-washington-uncut-raw-youtube.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121225053054-iri-django-unchained-jamie-foxx-kerry-washington-uncut-raw-youtube-00021013-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand27Store=mObj; Jamie Foxx: 'Django' controversy is good The movie has so far grossed more than $100 million since its Christmas Day nationwide release. Critics' reactions have ranged from wild-eyed enthusiasm (The Boston Globe's Wesley Morris: "Corkscrewed, inside-out, upside-down, simultaneously clear-eyed and out of its mind") to wary detachment (The Detroit News' Tom Long: "(Y)ou may leave ... wishing for both more and less") to borderline outrage (Slate's Dana Stevens: "There's something about (Tarantino's) directorial delectation in all these acts of racial violence that left me not just physically, but morally queasy.") Given advance hype for the movie as extravagant as its violence, I doubt that audience members, whatever their race or age, bought tickets with the expectation of seeing some historically faithful saga of antebellum life, and neither did I. We were buying a comic book. Many people have a grievance against the very notion of comic books, but I don't. Expect a movie or a comic book to explain everything about anything and all you earn is surplus sadness that you don't really need. Nevertheless, there are many who, unlike Lee, have seen the movie and carry the same grievances as he does. The most scathing attack came from that novelist-satirist-poet Ishmael Reed, writing in The Wall Street Journal: "To compare this movie to a spaghetti western and a blaxploitation film is an insult to both genres. It's a Tarantino home movie with all the racist licks of his other movies." He aimed this laser shot at the Oscar-nominated actor who plays the treacherous "house slave" to DiCaprio's character: "Samuel L. Jackson ... plays himself." I doubt Jackson felt the blow. He has, in fact, further provoked the movie's antagonists by running straight at an interviewer asking about the movie's prolific use of the "N-word," refusing to answer the question unless the reporter, who is white, actually says the dread epithet aloud. (He didn't.) Still, Reed's condemnation discloses what may lie at the heart of Lee's objection: the debate over whether white artists have the right to tell any part of the black American story -- which, as Reed writes, is as old as Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 abolitionist novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." It is also as recent as 1967 when the white Southern novelist William Styron published, "The Confessions of Nat Turner," a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel told in the first-person voice of the brilliant-but-doomed leader of an 1838 slave rebellion. The outcry from African-American novelists was so intense that a collection of essays, "William Styron's Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond" was published a year later. James Baldwin, a friend of Styron's who was one of the few African-American authors speaking out on the book's behalf, put his position as succinctly as possible: "I will not tell another writer what to write. If you don't like their alternative, write yours." It's still sound advice -- and in the intervening years, black authors have taken it, from Alex Haley's 1976 blockbuster, "Roots," to Toni Morrison's haunting "Beloved" from 1987. Both were adapted for the screen, and while "Roots," the television miniseries, delivered a resounding national impact, the 1998 movie adaptation of "Beloved," even with Oprah Winfrey as producer and co-star, earned about $26 million, roughly half of its $50 million budget. I remember many of my African-American relatives and friends who told me they were not going to see "Beloved," no matter how good it was or who was in it, because they simply did not want to watch a movie about slavery's legacy. Some of these same folks, on the other hand, tell me they were psyched about seeing a movie, however "incorrect" on several levels, in which a black ex-slave secures freedom for his wife, kills every white man who stands in his way -- and gets away with it. Exasperated? If you're not, you should be. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gene Seymour.
National Cathedral to wed same-sex couples
Same-sex couples have lined up to marry in city halls Washington National Cathedral is the site of presidential funerals Four presidents have had inaugural prayers there It is also a place of worship for the Episcopal Church (CNN) -- When laws went into effect in three states for same-sex couples to marry, many were quick to line up at their city halls to exchange vows. Now they may do so in one of the nation's most prominent churches -- the Washington National Cathedral. Most Americans know the house of God, also called the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, as a place where sacred rites are carried out on behalf of the nation. It has been host to the funerals of numerous presidents and of inaugural prayer services for four presidents, including Barack Obama. But it is also an active house of worship in the Episcopalian Church, said the Cathedral's dean, Gary Hall. The denomination has developed a blessing rite that mirrors current wedding ceremonies for heterosexual couples and allows each bishop to decide to allow same-sex marriages in their churches or not. Bishop Mariann Budde decided to allow the rite, since same-sex marriage is legal in the District of Columbia and now in neighboring Maryland as well, Hall said. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery51=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery51.setImageCount(9); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S.", 1); The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S."} Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage equality legislation into law earlier this year. Voters there approved same-sex marriage on Election Day. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} In 2010, television reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez' and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Phyllis Siegel, 76, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, 84, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office last year. (Photo by Michael Appleton-Pool/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriages became legal in Connecticut in 2008. A shift in beliefs was captured in a recent Pew Center poll that found 48% of Americans now favor same-sex marriage. Just four years ago, only 39% felt that way. (Photo by Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November referendum. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Lara Ramsey, left, and her partner of eight years, Jane Lohmann, play with their 7-month-old son, Wyatt Ramsey-Lohmann. The two wed in 2004 after Massachusetts approved same-sex marriage. (Photo by Angela Jimenez/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Beth Robinson of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force was among those who fought for marriage equality in Vermont in 2009. (Photo by Jordan Silverman/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife Jennifer were married in 2009 in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > >> Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); It was Budde's decision that led Hall to create the same-sex rite. He sees it as "another historic step toward greater equality." The states of Washington, Maine and Maryland all legalized same-sex marriages in referendums during the 2012 general election. It was already legal in the nation's capital. In March, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two appeals cases related to same-sex marriage -- California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples. The American Episcopal Church is intimately connected with the Church of England, which last week approved the advancement of male priests in same-sex committed relationships to the position of bishop. But those relationships must be celibate. City halls in Baltimore; Portland, Maine; and Seattle erupted in celebration as the first same-sex couples tied the knot in December and January. Seattle's ceremony included 133 couples, who walked outside and down rain-slickened steps afterward, where they were greeted by cheers, confetti and a brass band celebrating the first day same-sex couples could marry in Washington. To wed at the National Cathedral, one member of the couple must be baptized into the Church, and both must commit to a Christian marriage of "lifelong faithfulness, love, forbearance and mutual comfort." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
National Cathedral to wed same-sex couples
Same-sex couples have lined up to marry in city halls Washington National Cathedral is the site of presidential funerals Four presidents have had inaugural prayers there It is also a place of worship for the Episcopal Church (CNN) -- When laws went into effect in three states for same-sex couples to marry, many were quick to line up at their city halls to exchange vows. Now they may do so in one of the nation's most prominent churches -- the Washington National Cathedral. Most Americans know the house of God, also called the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, as a place where sacred rites are carried out on behalf of the nation. It has been host to the funerals of numerous presidents and of inaugural prayer services for four presidents, including Barack Obama. But it is also an active house of worship in the Episcopalian Church, said the Cathedral's dean, Gary Hall. The denomination has developed a blessing rite that mirrors current wedding ceremonies for heterosexual couples and allows each bishop to decide to allow same-sex marriages in their churches or not. Bishop Mariann Budde decided to allow the rite, since same-sex marriage is legal in the District of Columbia and now in neighboring Maryland as well, Hall said. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery51=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery51.setImageCount(9); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S.", 1); The U.S. Supreme Court this month will begin considering several cases involving same-sex marriage, including one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which says "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Above, Frank Capley-Alfano and Joe Capley-Alfano celebrate outside of San Francisco City Hall in February after a federal appeals court blocked the law. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S."} Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire celebrates after signing marriage equality legislation into law earlier this year. Voters there approved same-sex marriage on Election Day. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} In 2010, television reporter Roby Chavez, right, shares a moment with gay rights activist Frank Kameny during Chavez' and Chris Roe's wedding ceremony in the nation's capital. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Phyllis Siegel, 76, kisses her wife, Connie Kopelov, 84, after exchanging vows at the Manhattan City Clerk's office last year. (Photo by Michael Appleton-Pool/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Michael Miller, left, and Ross Zachs marry on the West Hartford Town Hall steps after same-sex marriages became legal in Connecticut in 2008. A shift in beliefs was captured in a recent Pew Center poll that found 48% of Americans now favor same-sex marriage. Just four years ago, only 39% felt that way. (Photo by Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, center, shakes hands with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller after signing a same-sex marriage bill. The law was challenged, but voters approved marriage equality in a November referendum. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Lara Ramsey, left, and her partner of eight years, Jane Lohmann, play with their 7-month-old son, Wyatt Ramsey-Lohmann. The two wed in 2004 after Massachusetts approved same-sex marriage. (Photo by Angela Jimenez/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Beth Robinson of the Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force was among those who fought for marriage equality in Vermont in 2009. (Photo by Jordan Silverman/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Amy Klein-Matheny, left, and her wife Jennifer were married in 2009 in Iowa after same-sex couples were allowed to marry there. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S."} Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. Same-sex marriage amendments in the U.S. HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > >> Same-sex marriage amendments in U.S. Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); It was Budde's decision that led Hall to create the same-sex rite. He sees it as "another historic step toward greater equality." The states of Washington, Maine and Maryland all legalized same-sex marriages in referendums during the 2012 general election. It was already legal in the nation's capital. In March, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two appeals cases related to same-sex marriage -- California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples. The American Episcopal Church is intimately connected with the Church of England, which last week approved the advancement of male priests in same-sex committed relationships to the position of bishop. But those relationships must be celibate. City halls in Baltimore; Portland, Maine; and Seattle erupted in celebration as the first same-sex couples tied the knot in December and January. Seattle's ceremony included 133 couples, who walked outside and down rain-slickened steps afterward, where they were greeted by cheers, confetti and a brass band celebrating the first day same-sex couples could marry in Washington. To wed at the National Cathedral, one member of the couple must be baptized into the Church, and both must commit to a Christian marriage of "lifelong faithfulness, love, forbearance and mutual comfort." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Selasa, 08 Januari 2013
Giffords, husband take on gun lobby
NEW: Giffords and Kelly cite overall figure for gun deaths which includes suicides The two launched a political action committee to raise money to counter the gun lobby A Connecticut lawmaker apologized for telling Giffords to "stay out" Giffords and Kelly want background checks for private sales of firearms (CNN) -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly have launched what they hope will mark a new era in the battle over gun rights in America. On the second anniversary of a mass shooting in Arizona that wounded Giffords and killed six others, the couple launched a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, along with a website calling for contributions to help "encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership." In an op-ed in USA Today, the two make their goal clear: to counter the influence of the gun lobby. "Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission," they write. var currExpandable="expand15"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/08/exp-costello-giffords-gun-control.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130108032345-exp-costello-giffords-gun-control-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand15Store=mObj; Giffords pushes for tougher gun control var currExpandable="expand25"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/07/21/ac-intv-mark-kelly-co-theater-shooting.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120721021958-ac-intv-mark-kelly-co-theater-shooting-00011410-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand25Store=mObj; Kelly in 2012: Takes long time to recover var currExpandable="expand35"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/09/07/exp-erin-mark-kelly-gabby-giffords-dnc.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120907121602-giffords-pledge-getty-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand35Store=mObj; Gabby Giffords rouses convention "Rather than working to find the balance between our rights and the regulation of a dangerous product, these groups have cast simple protections for our communities as existential threats to individual liberties. Rather than conducting a dialogue, they threaten those who divert from their orthodoxy with political extinction." Emphasizing that they support the Second Amendment and own two guns themselves, Giffords and Kelly call for "laws to require responsible gun ownership and reduce gun violence." "Until now, the gun lobby's political contributions, advertising and lobbying have dwarfed spending from anti-gun violence groups. No longer. With Americans for Responsible Solutions engaging millions of people about ways to reduce gun violence and funding political activity nationwide, legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby." Bloomberg anti-gun ad marks anniversary of Arizona shooting Legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby.Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly "America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others," Giffords writes. "This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small ... But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying -- and for the worst of reasons." Giffords and Kelly have spoken out in the wake of last month's slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 27 people murdered, 26 of them at Sandy Hook Elementary School -- including 20 children. Giffords wrote on Facebook at the time, "As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws -- and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait." Giffords and Kelly visited Newtown last week. They met with local and state leaders to discuss gun control legislation, mental health identification and treatment, and "concerns for the erosion of our societal values such that we are increasingly desensitized to violence," according to Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra. Giffords told to 'stay out' Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hugs House Cloak Room attendant Ella Terry after resigning from Congress in January 2012 That visit also highlighted the intense political concerns surrounding such issues. Connecticut State Rep. DebraLee Hovey, the state's assistant Republican leader, posted a note on her Facebook page saying, "Gabby Gifford stay out of my towns!" Hovey later issued a statement apologizing, saying, "Our community has struggled greatly through this tragedy, and we are all very sensitive to the potential for this event to be exploited for political purposes. This is what I wish to avoid." The statement added that Hovey has advocated for a dialogue on mental health issues, school safety and gun control. Kelly, a former captain in the U.S. Navy and NASA astronaut, also responded publicly in the wake of the Newtown shootings. On his Facebook page, he took on the National Rifle Association -- the central pro-gun rights lobby -- after a news conference by a top NRA official about the Newtown tragedy triggered widespread anger. Kelly wrote that the NRA's response was "defiant and delayed," and that the organization "chose narrow partisan concerns over the safety of our families and communities." The NRA has argued that it is committed to keeping people protected, and that a focus on stricter gun control is misguided. "If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said of the anger following his initial news conference. NRA President David Keene later told CNN the group supports schools choosing whether they want armed guards. Kelly: 'Good guys with guns' aren't the whole answer LaPierre made clear his group believes that more guns, not fewer, are necessary for security. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said. Mark Kelly and his wife Gabrielle Giffords are launching a PAC to battle gun lobby. Kelly said he knows from personal experience that that's not the case. The day Jared Loughner shot Giffords and 18 other people at a public event in Tucson, there was such a "good guy," Kelly argued in an interview with ABC. A man came out "of the store next door and nearly shot the man who took down Jared Loughner," Kelly said. "The one who eventually wrestled (Loughner) to the ground was almost killed himself by a good guy with a gun, so I don't really buy that argument." Giffords and Kelly want to require comprehensive background checks for private sales of firearms, ABC reported. And Kelly said he does not believe an extended magazine is needed for those who have guns for sport. Gunmen have used high-capacity weapons in numerous shootings, including one at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and Newtown, where gunman Adam Lanza had four weapons. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is pushing legislation to reinstate a ban on assault weapons. A former Marine's passionate disagreement with Feinstein has garnered attention online. There just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable.Joshua Boston, former Marine "I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind's shortcomings instead of pretending like they don't exist," Joshua Boston wrote in a CNN iReport. "There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family." Facebook user Ellen Schmuker wrote in a CNN discussion that Giffords and Kelly's plan is "foolish" because "all gun bans are going to do is punish law abiding citizens for the actions of lunatics." But HoaiPhuong Nguyen took the opposite stance. "No one is more qualified to head this effort, go Gabby and Mark," she wrote. What do you think of Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly's new efforts to counter the gun lobby? Weigh in for a story. ow.ly/gD5M7— Josh Levs (@joshlevscnn) January 8, 2013 CNN.com users weighed in on Twitter as well, with Susan Blumberg-Kason saying she considers the idea "crucial." 'We can't be naive' In their column Tuesday, Giffords and Kelly note that that gun violence "kills more than 30,000 Americans annually." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009, 31,347 people died from firearm injuries. Nearly 60% were a result of suicide. Homicide comprised 37% of those deaths. Overall firearm injuries were down 2% from the year before. Giffords' remarkable recovery after being shot in the head has inspired many across the political spectrum. She told ABC she's doing physical therapy, yoga, and speech therapy, and working with a service dog. She has also been able to begin some outdoor activities. The tragedy two years ago thrust her and her husband into a new kind of spotlight. Tuesday marks a moment in which they are turning all that focus and attention -- as well as their passionate calls for stricter gun control -- into a political movement. "We can't be naive about what it will take to achieve the most common-sense solutions," they wrote in their op-ed. "We can't just hope that the last shooting tragedy will prevent the next. Achieving reforms to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings will mean matching gun lobbyists in their reach and resources." "We have experienced too much death and hurt to remain idle. Our response to the Newtown massacre must consist of more than regret, sorrow and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve fellow citizens and leaders who have the will to prevent gun violence in the future." What do you think? Post comments, or send an iReport. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
Influential, 'brilliant' writer Cramer dies
Richard Ben Cramer, author of monumental "What It Takes," dead at 62 Cramer remembered as generous, warm, a little stubborn "What It Takes" called one of the great books on American politics in 20th century Cramer's other books included biography of Joe DiMaggio, thoughts on Mideast (CNN) -- Richard Ben Cramer, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer whose 1992 book "What It Takes" remains one of the most detailed and passionate of all presidential campaign chronicles, died Monday night, according to his longtime agent, Philippa "Flip" Brophy. He was 62. The cause of death was lung cancer. Cramer's work -- and work ethic -- was legendary among reporters. He talked in firm, declamatory bursts in a growl of a voice tinged with cigars and alcohol. He was generous with other writers, dogged in his pursuit of information, and known for idiosyncratically "doing things in his own way, on his own schedule," recalled Brophy. "He was stubborn, charming and the most brilliant person I knew -- and the warmest," she said. "He was an unmatched talent who set an enormously high bar for political journalism. I will miss him," said Vice President Joe Biden in a statement. Biden and Cramer became friendly when the author was working on "What It Takes." CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger, echoing many, attests to his generosity. She was a cub reporter for the old Washington Star when she was assigned to the Maryland statehouse beat. Cramer, then with The (Baltimore) Sun, took her under his wing. "I was this new kid on the block, and he'd been around and knew Maryland politics very well, and he was smart and a brilliant writer -- and kind to a new reporter on the beat," she said. Cramer put all his fury, emotion and eye for detail on the page in such works as "Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life" (2000), "How Israel Lost" (2004) and especially "What It Takes," a 1,047-page account of the 1988 presidential race. "What It Takes" reads like Tom Wolfe on speed, like Theodore H. White left out in the wild. It's fueled by Cramer's determination to find out just exactly why people are crazy enough to run the obstacle course in pursuit of the nation's highest office. The book contains astute and sympathetic profiles of George H.W. Bush, Michael Dukakis, Joe Biden and particularly Bob Dole. The latter comes across as particularly rich, with his distinctive third-person speaking style and tossed-off "Aghs," all rendered with Cramer's painterly eye. "Too much political journalism today, even in book form, is geared more toward staff feuds and soap opera and less to what Richard spent so much time in 1988 exploring: what makes these candidates tick, and what drives them to compete in such an arduous -- and yes, at times, ridiculous process," said CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, who covered the Dukakis campaign that year. Cramer plunged into the day-to-day drudgery of a presidential campaign with a vengeance, and what emerges is half winged exultation, half death march. (Indeed, the strain of doing the book made him very ill, though reports that it nearly killed him were "exaggerations," said Brophy.) In the long history of campaign works, which includes White's "Making of the President" series, Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" and John Heilemann and Mark Helperin's gossipy "Game Change," Cramer's tome looms large -- "one of the most important books on American politics in the 20th century," said Michael Pakenham, a former editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer and a Cramer colleague. The book was hugely influential. "Richard Ben Cramer transformed a whole generation of political reporters with his sweeping chronicle of the 1988 campaign," said Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and Washington bureau chief for The Daily Beast. "While almost no one could write and report as he did, he set the bar higher for everyone." Cramer was fascinated as much by the machinery that produced power and hero worship as he was by the people at their center. "He was a journalist who listened and watched particularly well," says Butch Ward, a senior faculty member at the Poynter Institute and another former Inquirer colleague. "He went places most of us aspired to, but he got there." Such determination didn't often sit well with reviewers. "What It Takes" was criticized as self-indulgent; "How Israel Lost," which painted a bleak picture of Cramer's former Mideast stomping grounds, was knocked as simple-minded. And Cramer's warts-and-all DiMaggio biography, though a bestseller, was slammed for the author's blunt handling of the New York Yankee hero. Cramer "relentlessly, pulverizingly tells us that the man wasn't worthy of the legend built up around him," Allen Barra wrote in Salon. The review was headlined "Joe Cruel." Cramer, of course, didn't see it that way. "I think among older fans there's a sense that I'm somehow messing with their own memories, which was never my intent," he told CNN at the time. "I can understand their annoyance. But to me the life of DiMaggio was always more interesting than the myth." Cramer was born in Rochester, New York, in 1950, and studied at Johns Hopkins and Columbia's journalism school. He worked at The Sun in the 1970s and then at the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1977 to 1984. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his Middle East reporting in 1979. As a freelance writer, he wrote a number of well-received profiles, including a Rolling Stone piece on Jerry Lee Lewis, an Esquire cover story on Baltimore mayor (and later Maryland governor) William Donald Schaefer, and a much-talked-about story on Ted Williams, later reprinted as the book "What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?" Despite his renown among journalists, he wasn't always an easy sell, recalls Brophy. After she signed him -- "intercepting" him from agency head Sterling Lord because she loved his newspaper and magazine work -- she spent years funneling him book ideas from interested publishers. "He'd say, 'No, no, no, no, no,' and I would say (to others), 'He's really the type of person who needs to come up with his own idea.' " When he finally had his own idea, it was for "What It Takes," a mammoth undertaking that frightened publishers. "I said, 'Richard, that's a great book idea, but it's not a first book. It's like a 10th book.' And he went, 'Sell it,' " said Brophy. "And I did." With just four books and a handful of magazine articles over his long post-newspaper career, Cramer operated on his own clock. Sometimes that meant literally, said Brophy. One morning, while researching "What It Takes," he called her at 7:30, saying that he had missed a 7:15 flight. "What time did you get there?" she asked. "7:20," he replied. But that was Cramer, agree his friends, an occasionally shambling presence who was also a keen observer, a raconteur, a baseball fan, a master of ceremonies. (He served the latter role at Pakenham's wedding.) Ward imagines him in another time, another place, holding court with some other witty friends. "It's probably not too much a stretch to imagine Richard sitting at the Algonquin, sharing great thoughts with other people," he said. Cramer is survived by his wife, Joan Cramer, and a daughter, Ruby. An earlier marriage ended in divorce. According to The Sun, there will be no funeral at Cramer's request. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Keep politics out of gun research
Michael Halpern: We need scientific research on gun violence to inform policy Halpern: The NRA pressured Congress to end gun violence research at CDC Researchers free from conflicts of interest should work with policy makers, he says Also, we must open our minds to findings that disagree with our beliefs, he writes Editor's note: Michael Halpern works with the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is an expert on the use of science in government policy and writes on the intersection of science and politics at The Equation. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelUCS. (CNN) -- Since the December 14 mass killing in Connecticut, we've seen a lot of finger pointing. Too many guns. Not enough guns. Powerful lobbyists. Insufficient mental health services. Discussion of possible explanations is often neither civil nor constructive, and based on a closed-minded and entrenched belief that those who disagree with us have their facts wrong. The victims in Sandy Hook, Aurora and Fort Hood -- all killed or wounded by gun violence -- deserve better. There are two major ways we can zero in on facts and foster a more informed discussion. Michael Halpern The first is to further develop and meaningfully consider high quality scientific research on violence prevention and mental health. The second is to create more opportunities for public policy discussions that incorporate this research. The scientific literature regarding violence prevention is considerable. Yet important research that focuses on gun violence has been shut down for political purposes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention once considered gun violence a public health issue. The science agency had the freedom to ask important questions: Does having a gun in the home make a family safer? Do concealed carry laws increase or reduce gun fatalities? Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. But in 1996, the National Rifle Association pressured its many supporters in Congress to put the squeeze on the CDC by cutting funding that went to gun research, with the stipulation: "None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control." Gun-related research ground to a halt. In 2009, scientists funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism looked into whether carrying a gun increases or decreases the risk of being shot in an assault. In 2011, Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg inserted a provision into a funding bill that extended the CDC restrictions to the rest of the Department of Health and Human Services, ending that similar research. Even Obamacare has been touched by the NRA: The new health care law restricts doctors' ability to collect data about patients' gun use. var currExpandable="expand116"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/28/exp-erin-gun-control-debate.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121229122418-exp-erin-gun-control-debate-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand116Store=mObj; Mixed messages in gun control debate var currExpandable="expand216"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/22/newtown-united-takes-on-gun-violence.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121222042412-newtown-united-takes-on-gun-violence-00001725-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand216Store=mObj; Newtown United takes on gun violence var currExpandable="expand316"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/12/19/tsr-pkg-keilar-obamas-call-to-action-on-guns.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121219103721-tsr-pkg-keilar-obamas-call-to-action-on-guns-00002207-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand316Store=mObj; Obama gathers team for gun reforms var currExpandable="expand416"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/12/21/pmt-ct-shooting-david-chase.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121221043948-pmt-ct-shooting-david-chase-00002602-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand416Store=mObj; Chase: All questions are on the table "Criticizing research is fair game," Drs. Arthur Kellermann and Frederick Rivara wrote in opposition in the Journal of the American Medical Association last month. "Suppressing research by targeting its sources of funding is not." Science and engineering research can answer important questions. For instance, can we cost-effectively engineer firearms to be used solely by the registered owner? What's the best way for law enforcement agencies to share gun violence data? Does media attention focused on the killers encourage copycat crimes? Does better access to mental health services reduce criminal activity? Some findings could lead to policy choices that aren't yet on the table or help determine where we should best focus our attention. Republicans and Democrats alike are warming up to the idea that adequate research can lead to more informed policy decisions. Former Rep. Jay Dickey, the Arkansas Republican who led the charge against the CDC in 1996, recently expressed regret for suppressing firearm safety research. Just as important, how do all these pieces of the puzzle fit together? Having an informed debate means relying on credible syntheses of expert studies. To come up with answers, scientific organizations, such as the National Academy of Sciences, could convene independent panels to piece together what is known and what is not known and to evaluate various policy options. The commission set up after the 2010 British Petroleum oil spill is one such example. The 9/11 Commission is another. When independent experts who are free from conflicts of interest come together in good faith to study an issue, they can have a profound and constructive influence on government policy. At a more basic level, national and state legislative committees should hold more hearings designed to study evidence rather than using hearings as theater to advance a political point of view. Nongovernmental organizations, including the one where I work, can redouble their efforts to bring scientists and policymakers together. This is especially important after the demise of the Office of Technology Assessment, a research office within Congress that, until the mid-1990s, provided independent analyses on issues up for congressional debate. In the absence of a reliable base of information we can all agree on, we guess. We interpret the facts to suit our beliefs. We put our faith in the institutions or individuals we trust, whether it's the NRA, religious leaders or gun control groups. And we keep on having the same broken debate. Of course, the evidence can only take us so far. Moral, economic, legal and political arguments can and should carry weight. But robust research can set the baseline for a discussion and help us make the best decisions for society. The more polarized, caustic and poorly analyzed an issue, the more intractable it becomes. We need to develop venues for rational discourse about research that is resilient to political pressures. More robust partnerships among scientists, policymakers and the public can help us work together to address critical challenges, even after they fall from the headlines. Vice President Joe Biden is leading a task force to address our country's problem of gun violence. One critical step the task force should embrace is to lift restrictions on the research public health scientists can do. And we can all reject attempts to discredit evidence that challenges our beliefs. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Michael Halpern.
Giffords launches anti-gun violence site
NEW: Giffords and Kelly argue an "ideological fringe" has cowed "Congress into submission" NEW: The two launched a political action committee to raise money to counter the gun lobby NEW: A Connecticut lawmaker apologized for telling Giffords to "stay out" NEW: Giffords and Kelly want background checks for private sales of firearms (CNN) -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly have launched what they hope will mark a new era in the battle over gun rights in America. On the second anniversary of a mass shooting in Arizona that wounded Giffords and killed six others, the couple launched a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, along with a website calling for contributions to help "encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership." In an op-ed in USA Today, the two make their goal clear: to counter the influence of the gun lobby. "Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission," they write. "Rather than working to find the balance between our rights and the regulation of a dangerous product, these groups have cast simple protections for our communities as existential threats to individual liberties. Rather than conducting a dialogue, they threaten those who divert from their orthodoxy with political extinction." Emphasizing that they support the Second Amendment and own two guns themselves, Giffords and Kelly call for "laws to require responsible gun ownership and reduce gun violence." "Until now, the gun lobby's political contributions, advertising and lobbying have dwarfed spending from anti-gun violence groups. No longer. With Americans for Responsible Solutions engaging millions of people about ways to reduce gun violence and funding political activity nationwide, legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby." Bloomberg anti-gun ad marks anniversary of Arizona shooting "America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others," Giffords writes. "This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small... But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we're not even trying — and for the worst of reasons." Giffords and Kelly have spoken out in the wake of last month's slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 27 people dead, 26 of them at Sandy Hook Elementary School -- including 20 children. Giffords wrote on Facebook at the time, "As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws -- and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait." Giffords and Kelly visited Newtown last week. They met with local and state leaders to discuss gun control legislation, mental health identification and treatment, and "concerns for the erosion of our societal values such that we are increasingly desensitized to violence," according to Newtown First Selectman Pat Llodra. That visit also highlighted the intense political concerns surrounding such issues. Connecticut State Rep. DebraLee Hovey, the state's assistant Republican leader, posted a note on her Facebook page saying, "Gabby Gifford stay out of my towns!" Hovey later issued a statement apologizing, saying, "Our community has struggled greatly through this tragedy, and we are all very sensitive to the potential for this event to be exploited for political purposes. This is what I wish to avoid." The statement added that Hovey has advocated for a dialogue on mental health issues, school safety and gun control. Kelly, a former captain in the U.S. Navy and NASA astronaut, also responded publicly in the wake of the Newtown shootings. On his Facebook page, he took on the National Rifle Association -- the central pro-gun rights lobby -- after a news conference by a top NRA official about the Newtown tragedy triggered widespread anger. Kelly wrote that the NRA's response was "defiant and delayed," and that the organization "chose narrow partisan concerns over the safety of our families and communities." The NRA has argued that it is committed to keeping people protected, and that a focus on stricter gun control is misguided. "If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said of the anger following his initial news conference. NRA President David Keene later told CNN the group supports schools choosing whether they want armed guards. LaPierre made clear his group believes that more guns, not fewer, are necessary for security. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said. Kelly said he knows from personal experience that that's not the case. The day Jared Loughner shot Giffords and 18 other people at a public event in Tucson, there was such a "good guy," Kelly argued in an interview with ABC. A man came out "of the store next door and nearly shot the man who took down Jared Loughner," Kelly said. "The one who eventually wrestled (Loughner) to the ground was almost killed himself by a good guy with a gun, so I don't really buy that argument." Giffords and Kelly want to require comprehensive background checks for private sales of firearms, ABC reported. And Kelly said he does not believe an extended magazine is needed for those who have guns for sport. Gunmen have used high-capacity weapons in numerous shootings, including one at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and Newtown, where gunman Adam Lanza had four weapons. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is pushing legislation to reinstate a ban on assault weapons. A former Marine's passionate disagreement with Feinstein has garnered attention online. "I own the guns I own because I acknowledge mankind's shortcomings instead of pretending like they don't exist," Joshua Boston wrote in a CNN iReport. "There are evil men in this world and there just may be a time when I need to do the unthinkable to protect me or my family." Giffords' remarkable recovery after being shot in the head has inspired many across the political spectrum. She told ABC she's doing physical therapy, yoga, and speech therapy, and working with a service dog. She has also been able to begin some outdoor activities. The tragedy two years ago thrust her and her husband into a new kind of spotlight. Tuesday marks a moment in which they are turning all that focus and attention -- as well as their passionate calls for stricter gun control -- into a political movement. "We can't be naive about what it will take to achieve the most common-sense solutions," they wrote in their op-ed. "We can't just hope that the last shooting tragedy will prevent the next. Achieving reforms to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings will mean matching gun lobbyists in their reach and resources." "We have experienced too much death and hurt to remain idle. Our response to the Newtown massacre must consist of more than regret, sorrow and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve fellow citizens and leaders who have the will to prevent gun violence in the future." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
Greene: Don't allow phone use on planes
Bob Greene: FAA looks at letting passengers use gadgets on takeoff, landing He says the more texting, e-mailing and surfing are allowed, the better Cell phone calls are the opposite, though: They raise anxiety Greene: Are we that unwilling to disconnect from our gadgets for a few minutes? Editor's note: CNN Contributor Bob Greene is a bestselling author whose 25 books include "Late Edition: A Love Story"; "Chevrolet Summers, Dairy Queen Nights"; and "When We Get to Surf City: A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll, Friendship, and Dreams." (CNN) -- Let's say that you're the Federal Aviation Administration. (Unlikely, granted. But, just for the purpose of this exercise, try to envision yourself as a government agency). You're about to make a decision that will affect millions of travelers. Your decision may please them or it may infuriate them. Most of them have no idea right now that you're contemplating the decision, but as soon as you make it, all of them will become aware, and they will respond, likely in a visceral manner. You're the FAA. What do you do? Bob Greene What the real FAA is pondering concerns expanding the permitted use of tablets, personal communication devices and other electronic gadgets on commercial flights. Last month, The Hill reported, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote in a letter to FAA Acting Administrator Michael Huerta: "I write to urge the FAA to enable greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other portable electronic devices during flight, consistent with public safety ... mobile devices are increasingly interwoven in our daily lives. They empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness." Become a fan of CNNOpinion Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments. For many years, passengers have been told that some electronic devices, including cell phones, can interfere with aircraft navigation and communication signals. But as technology advances, ways around this are being developed. Many airlines already sell in-flight Wi-Fi connections for laptop computers and tablets, so the logical next step would be to allow airborne passengers to use their cell phones to connect to the world below. A few thoughts: In terms of written communication from passengers on the plane to people down below -- e-mail, text messages sent from cell phones, social network posts -- the more the better. Anything the digital traffic will bear. If you've been on flights with Wi-Fi enabled, you may have noticed that the passengers using it seem to be contented, almost docile -- the tension level seems to have been lowered. Like it or not, we've become hooked on being constantly connected, and passengers who are able to maintain that connection while six miles in the air appear to be traveling in a state of something close to silent, electronically-sated, tunnel-vision bliss. But there should be one exception to this: Technical and connectivity issues aside, the FAA and FCC should never extend their digital-era permission slip to voice calls on cell phones. The result of allowing phone calls in the air would produce the opposite of the tranquilizing effect of permitting other forms of electronic communication. The anger level of travelers who become incensed by the yammering in the next seat would rise to the level of a public safety concern. Passengers would be demanding to be moved, would ask flight attendants to referee disputes, would probably engage in fistfights. Allowing jousting matches or bullfights in airplane aisles wouldn't be much more disruptive than allowing voice calls on planes. (But what about the idea of passengers voluntarily exercising restraint and courtesy in those close quarters, limiting the length and loudness of their calls out of respect for their fellow citizens? All right, stop laughing and rolling around on the floor -- get up. This is the United States in the 21st century. We know that voluntary phone courtesy is not going to happen). You may recall Airfone, the air-to-ground pay phone service that debuted on commercial flights in the 1980s. It required a credit card for each call, and was expensive -- $7.50 in '80s dollars for the first three minutes, when the service was introduced. It never become all that popular, and eventually it faded away. But that was before the advent of personal cell phones. Talking on the phone anywhere, at any time, is today seen not as an exotic and costly luxury but as an entitlement. The FAA is reportedly not considering voice-call permission on flights; if and when that day comes, walking across the country may feel like a more palatable option than flying. There's one decision the FAA is evaluating that probably says more about us than it does about in-flight safety: Those two brief stretches of time when all electronic devices must be turned off -- after the doors to the plane close until it is at cruising altitude, and then again on approach for landing -- are being questioned. If it can be determined that signals do not interfere with the pilots' transmissions, should passengers now be allowed to use their electronic gadgets even in those few minutes? Some contend that, in those crucial parts of a flight, passengers should not be distracted, and should be alert to instructions from the cabin crew. But reading a magazine or a book can lure a passenger's attention from the crew, and those are not prohibited. So the question would seem to be: Has the addiction to the gadgets become so powerful that we are unwilling to disconnect and look away even for that paltry handful of minutes? Has the agitation from withdrawal gotten to that level? Because if it has, then this is an issue considerably more profound and far-reaching than anything having to do with the rules of travel. Regardless of what the FAA decides, there is one option for in-flight diversion that will still be available, something ancient kings and monarchs could only dream of: Looking out the window, high above the clouds. Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.
Fiery guest calls Piers 'hatchet man'
Radio host Alex Jones backs a petition calling for the deportation of Piers Morgan Morgan supports restrictions of semi-automatic rifles like those used in recent mass shootings Jones faced off with the CNN host on Morgan's show Monday night "1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms," Jones shouted (CNN) -- The man who wants Piers Morgan deported for advocating gun control faced off with the CNN host on Morgan's show Monday night, denouncing Morgan as "a hatchet man of the New World Order" and warning of a new American revolution. Radio talk show host Alex Jones backed a petition on the White House website calling on Morgan, a British citizen, to be deported "for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens." Alex Jones: "The Republic will rise again when you attempt to take our guns" "We did (this) to point out that this is globalism, and the megabanks that control the planet and brag they have taken over in Bloomberg, AP, Reuters, you name it -- brag they're going to get our guns as well," said Jones, who said his show is carried on 140 U.S. stations. 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"They have taken everybody's guns but the Swiss and the American people. When they get our guns, they can have their world tyranny while the government buys 1.6 billion bullets, armored vehicles, tanks, helicopters. Predator drones, armed, now in U.S. skies, being used to arrest people in North Dakota." Read more: Piers Morgan and guests react to various gun incidents Morgan has been outspoken in calling for restrictions of semi-automatic rifles like the kind used in last year's mass killings in Newtown, Connecticut, and Aurora, Colorado. But Jones said the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of a right to bear arms "isn't there for duck hunting. It's there to protect us from tyrannical government and street thugs." "Hitler took the guns. Stalin took the guns. Mao took the guns. Fidel Castro took the guns. Hugo Chavez took the guns. And I'm here to tell you, 1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms," Jones shouted. Live Blog: "Guns in America," a discussion "You're a very loud man. You make a loud noise," Morgan said at another point, as he attempted to quiz Jones about the comparative difference in firearm homicides between the United States and the United Kingdom, where 35 people were killed in shootings in 2012, compared to more than 11,000 in the United States. Jones replied that Britain was "a total police state." Watch: 'Deport Piers Morgan' host's rant - Part 2 "England has a lot lower gun crime rate, because you took all the guns," Jones said. "But you've got hordes of people burning down cities and beating old ladies' brains out every day." Morgan called that "ridiculous." Follow Piers Morgan Tonight on Twitter "Let's try again. How many gun murders were there in Britain last year?" he asked. "How many chimpanzees can dance on the head of a pin?" Jones replied. "I already went over those statistics." Piers Morgan: Sandy Hook must be a tipping point for change Jones, who said he "probably" owns more than 50 guns, also referred to common antidepressants as "mass murder pills" that make people commit violence and repeated his contention that "criminal elements of the military-industrial complex" were behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. "We lawyers refer to people like that not as witnesses, but as exhibits," said famed attorney and Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, who followed Jones on the show. "He was an exhibit, like a piece of evidence. You see him speaking and you say to yourself, 'I don't want that man to have a gun.'" if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}
Senin, 07 Januari 2013
Are we ready for the next superstorm?
Powerful satellites provide early, accurate predictions for the paths of dangerous storms Weather experts are concerned these satellites could be the victims of budget cuts Climatologists say such life-saving devices are crucial as more 'superstorms' could strike Today, New York is reviewing what steps it can take to prepare for devastating storms (CNN) -- They hover above our heads, out of sight, zooming in and taking pictures. They aren't interested in the latest celebrity wedding or covert military operation. And the images they take aren't going to make the front page of any magazine or website. But maybe they should. That's because the data collected by these powerful satellites have helped save countless lives by allowing meteorologists to warn people about dangerous storms -- sometimes a week before they strike -- with pinpoint accuracy. Seven days before Superstorm Sandy hit the United States on October 29, computer models based on the data from these satellites predicted the storm would make landfall in New Jersey. Opinion: What's next after Superstorm Sandy? It landed just five miles from where the earliest forecasts said it would. "It is unprecedented," said Chad Myers, CNN's severe weather expert and meteorologist. "(No) other storm in recent memory has been forecast that good for that long. var currExpandable="expand19"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2013/01/04/pkg-zarrella-tcs-weather-forcasts.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130104054953-pkg-zarrella-tcs-weather-forcasts-00010327-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand19Store=mObj; Satellite went down before Sandy struck var currExpandable="expand29"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='international/2012/11/01/amanpour-climate-change-hurricane-sandy.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121031035921-taxis-new-jersey-sandy-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand29Store=mObj; Scientist: Sandy a taste of things to come var currExpandable="expand39"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='politics/2012/11/16/obama-climate-change.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=' cnn.com/politics '; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121116084842-obama-climate-change-00004304-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand39Store=mObj; Obama: Focus on jobs, not climate change .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery94=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery94.setImageCount(23); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Geneva, Switzerland", 1); Low temperatures in Switzerland helped freeze Lake Geneva in early February. Rita Rautenbach got this amazing shot at the time. "'During the night and the day before, we had extreme temperatures where it got so cold that the spray made waves on the lake. As it sprays up it turns into ice immediately. It became layer on layer on layer. It became thick blocks of ice on the bench, on the cars." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":1,"title":"Geneva, Switzerland"} Hospital rooms were completely destroyed after a tornado hit Harrisburg, Illinois in February. Jane Harper, a nurse there, took this photo after moving patients out of harm's way. She went to check one of the patient rooms, and found that the room was no longer there. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":2,"title":"Carbondale, Illinois"} A lightning storm lit up the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, California in April. Phil McGrew shot 20-second exposures for 90 minutes in order to get shots like this. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":3,"title":"San Francisco, California"} Severe flooding in Duluth, Minnesota, in June destroyed roads and left neighborhoods underwater. "We have not experienced anything like this in our community," said photographer and healthcare preparedness coordinator Kayla Keigley. "Roads are destroyed. Neighborhoods are underwater. I am in shock and I work in the field of preparedness - this is something I work to deal with daily. Our community is in disbelief." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":4,"title":"Duluth, Minnesota"} A stranded seal sat on a Duluth, Minnesota, roadway after it was washed out of the Lake Superior Zoo during the June flooding. This image, shot by Ellie Burcar - who discovered the seal - went viral. Authorities soon arrived and the seal survived the ordeal. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":5,"title":"Duluth, Minnesota"} June's High Park fire, caused by extreme drought conditions, could be seen from the Horsetooth Reservoir in Larimer County, Colorado. "Climbing to this vantage point afforded me the opportunity to capture the fire crew on film at eye level as they flew by, and to look down into the heliport," said Bryan Maltais. "I could also also photograph the unique atmospheric conditions that the fire created." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":6,"title":"Fort Collins, Colorado"} An avalanche tumbled down the surrounding mountains of the Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal in June. After hiking for more than a week in the Himalayas, J. Grant Trammell decided to shoot some photos from the safety of base camp. "It was a magically clear and still morning. I awoke just at 4 a.m. I made my way to a vantage point just above the Annapurna Base Camp and shot images for almost five hours." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":7,"title":"Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal "} Wildfires burning in the foothills of the Colorado Springs mountains blanketed a nearby neighborhood with pitch-black smoke in June. "We ran outside and saw the side of the foothills getting engulfed by flames coming down on either sides of the quarry," said photographer Michael Kennedy. "Our subdivision quickly deteriorated into a war zone with police cars coming into the neighborhood with loud speakers announcing 'leave the area, under mandatory evacuation.'" cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":8,"title":"Colorado Springs, Colorado"} A massive haboob, or dust storm, overtook Phoenix, Arizona in July, and Andrew Pielage knew he had to get it on camera. Racing up a mountain that was nearby, he skipped the official trail to get a better view and was able to capture it from a very unique angle. "I had made it just in time. You really get a good and scary sense of the size and magnitude of these types of storms. It will be a photograph I will never forget." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":9,"title":"Phoenix, Arizona"} Searing temperatures and high humidity brought a heat wave to Toronto, Canada, in July. "These past days have been brutal with the heat, the humidity. Tempers are short, electricity system is straining but not buckling... yet," photographer David Bradley told us at the time. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":10,"title":"Toronto, Canada"} Skies darkened over New York City as a storm moved into the area in July. "The storm was pretty mild, but seeing it come through was amazing," said photographer Jenna Bascom at the time. "Gorgeous clouds, great light." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":11,"title":"New York, New York"} A historic drought in Terre Haute, Indiana, dried up a lake at the Wabashiki Fish and Wildlife Area, killing the fish living in it back in July. At the time, photographer Michael Gerringer said, "This lake attracts an impressive variety of birds and other wildlife, but when I walked out into the lake bed the only bird species I saw were a pair of turkey vultures overhead and a few red-headed Woodpeckers." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":12,"title":"Terre Haute, Indiana"} Hurricane Isaac brought flooding to the streets of Fort Pierce, Florida in August. Trish Powers described the water as "waist deep" at times. See more Isaac images here. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":13,"title":"Fort Pierce, Florida"} Many homes like this one collapsed in New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Isaac hit in August. Eileen Romero was completely shocked when she came upon the scene only a block away from her home in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":14,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"} Dramatic flooding hit low-lying parts of Manila, Philippines, in August after continuous rainfall. Grant Orbeta captured stunning images like this one. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":15,"title":"Manila, Philippines"} Fuego Volcano spewed ash into the air in Antigua, Guatemala, shortly after it erupted in September. Photographer Jennifer Rowe said, "People who have lived here for more than 20 years have told me this is the biggest eruption they've ever seen." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":16,"title":"Antigua, Guatemala"} Rare cloud formations, called mammatus, were spotted in La Crosse, Wisconsin in September. The name "mammatus" comes from the Latin word manna, or breast. "After the storms rumbled through, I saw a yellow orange glow out the window," said Jim Jorstad. "I then grabbed my camera, began driving several miles up the hill, stopping to take photos along the way." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":17,"title":"La Crosse, Wisconsin"} Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic faced large-scale flooding as it was hit with Hurricane Sandy prior to the U.S. in October. Misael Rincon shot images of the superstorm and other hurricanes in 2012. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":18,"title":"Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic"} A fleet of taxi cabs sat submerged in a flooded parking lot in Hoboken, New Jersey, after Superstorm Sandy hit the area in October. Photographer Jonathan Otto said, "The picture was taken from the 14th street viaduct looking over the corner of Jefferson and 14th street, where it appears New York stores new cabs." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":19,"title":"Hoboken, New Jersey"} A house in Union Beach, New Jersey, was left standing despite being ripped apart from the winds of Superstorm Sandy in October. While photographing the area, Clifford Rumpf said each photo taken of the ravaged neighborhood was more shocking than the next. See more Sandy images here. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":20,"title":"Union Beach, New Jersey"} Phnom Penh, Cambodia was hit with a torrential downpour of rain in October, causing flash flooding. Jim Heston was in awe of the fact that his camera was able to capture falling rain as well as it did. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":21,"title":"Phnom Penh, Cambodia"} A nor'easter blew through Manhattan in November just after the area was hit by Superstorm Sandy, but a number of New Yorkers continued with business as usual. "I immediately rushed outside with my camera to capture some images, and, as the snowfall got heavier, I ended up walking from Upper East Side, down Fifth Avenue, to Times Square, taking snapshots of the snow bearing down on people and blanketing the streets," said Edgar Alan Zeta Yap. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":22,"title":"New York, New York"} A December winter storm brought much needed moisture to drought-stricken Wisconsin. Jim Jorstad said, "The photos were stunning to capture. I drove up in the rural area of Chaseburg, Wisconsin. Some of the photos...were taken in and around some Amish communities nearby." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":9,"y":4,"pos":23,"title":"Chaseburg, Wisconsin"} Geneva, Switzerland Carbondale, Illinois San Francisco, California Duluth, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota Fort Collins, Colorado Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal Colorado Springs, Colorado Phoenix, Arizona Toronto, Canada New York, New York Terre Haute, Indiana Fort Pierce, Florida New Orleans, Louisiana Manila, Philippines Antigua, Guatemala La Crosse, Wisconsin Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Hoboken, New Jersey Union Beach, New Jersey Phnom Penh, Cambodia New York, New York Chaseburg, Wisconsin HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 > >> 23 best weather photos of 2012 Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, "Photos: Weather from space"); } }); "We knew days in advance, much more in advance, 48 hours in advance more than we knew in Katrina (in 2005)." It could have been a much different story. A month before the 1,000-mile-wide storm struck the Northeast, at the height of the hurricane season, the geostationary satellite that monitors the Caribbean and Atlantic -- where Sandy gathered strength -- stopped working. While there are dozens of American weather satellites in orbit, these geostationary spacecraft are crucial to predicting dangerous weather patterns. America's aging satellites Luckily, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, had a backup satellite to scramble into place. Without it, the early warning for Sandy's impending strike on the northeast might not have been as accurate. That close call has meteorologists worried that, in this era of shrinking budgets, aging satellites might not get the expensive repairs they need to operate, and NOAA might not be able to purchase backup satellites. Wind, rain, snow and fire: The storm that broke records, and hearts Satellites like these are expensive -- $1 billion each -- and they take five years to build and launch. Compare that to the cost of major storms, like Sandy which is estimated to have inflicted nearly $80 billion in damage in New York and New Jersey alone. Not to mention the cost in human lives. "If there's a major failure of the satellites, that would be a major disaster and indeed we would be blinded in many respects," explained Kevin Trenberth, who heads climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "We would not be able to see what's going on in the Earth's system as well as we can now." Scientists can only wonder how many lives this technology could have saved on September 8, 1900, when a Category 4 hurricane slammed into Galveston, Texas, with no warning, killing at least 8,000 people. It would be another 70 years before satellites were used in weather forecasting. Opinion: More voices needed in climate debate A major failure of these satellites could pose a serious threat as climatologists and meteorologists warn that storms like Sandy could become more frequent and more powerful in the near future. Lessons from Katrina Seven years ago, the only thing protecting the low-lying city of New Orleans from a massive storm surge was an inadequate and outdated system of levees and floodwalls. var currExpandable="expand125"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2012/11/01/exp-point-redlener-sandy.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121101023839-exp-point-redlener-sandy-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand125Store=mObj; Lessons from Katrina and Sandy var currExpandable="expand225"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/08/29/pkg-savidge-isaac-katrina-memories.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120829124258-pkg-savidge-isaac-katrina-memories-00014020-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand225Store=mObj; Katrina memories haunt New Orleans var currExpandable="expand325"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='weather/2012/08/28/pkg-vause-hurricane-katrina-revisited.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120828094958-pkg-vause-hurricane-katrina-revisited-00002517-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand325Store=mObj; Looking back at Hurricane Katrina After Hurricane Katrina slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005 -- killing 1,800 people and inflicting $100 billion in damage -- Congress said never again. Federal lawmakers spent $14.5 billion, mostly federal funds, to build a fortress around New Orleans. Today the city is protected by 350 miles of stronger levees and higher flood walls that form a circle around New Orleans to keep any deadly storm surges at bay. Among its most powerful new weapons: the largest storm-surge barrier in the world. The massive barrier wall extends nearly 200 feet into the earth, and towers 26 feet above the water. It's reinforced by 350,000 tons of steel -- 50 times the amount in the Eiffel Tower. The fortress has turned New Orleans into a giant bathtub. To prevent that bathtub from filling up during a major storm, the city built the world's largest water pumping system. "(One station) can pump about 30,000 cubic feet of water per second, which is just extraordinary," said Garrett Graves, who is overseeing the state's new hurricane protection plan. Katrina survivors offer advice to Sandy victims At that rate, Graves explained, each of the 77 pumping stations could "fill an Olympic size swimming pool in about 4½ seconds." It's arguably the best hurricane protection system in the country -- but Malcolm Bowman hopes it won't be for long. That's because Bowman wants to build a barrier system across the 5-mile-wide opening to New York Harbor that he says could have protected America's most populated city from Sandy's devastating storm surge. "If barriers and sand dunes had been properly built in the last eight years, none of this would have happened," he said. Bowman leads the Storm Surge Research Group at Long Island's Stony Brook University. The group promotes a plan to create an elaborate system of barriers and causeways that would virtually flood-proof much of metro New York. They say their "Outer Harbor Gateway" plan would cost billions of dollars less than the damage that Sandy inflicted upon the state of New York. Bowman has spent years warning officials of the storm surge risk to New York City. Less than a month after Katrina, he wrote an op-ed in the New York Times warning that the same thing could happen to New York City -- and outlining his storm barrier system solution to prevent it from happening. He tried again in 2008 as part of a climate change panel convened by New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But no barriers were built. Experts warn of superstorm era to come Today, Bowman is hopeful that New York authorities will green-light his plan. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is awaiting recommendations from a commission that he tasked with finding long-term solutions to protect his state from future weather calamities. Two commissions on disaster preparedness and response have already offered their recommendations to the governor, who is expected to announce several proposals during his "state of the state" address on Wednesday. Bowman's idea is not new: Similar barriers already exist in Stamford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, and massive barriers are already in operation in the Netherlands and Russia. With the rising sea levels -- a result of the shrinking polar ice cap -- experts including Bowman say the risk of massive flooding events is increasing each year -- and not just in low-lying communities like New Orleans. "We have to start planning," Bowman said. "It's no longer every person for themselves. There's too much at risk. We have to do it." The polar problem Over the past 20 years, the global sea level has risen more than two inches as a result of Greenland's shrinking ice masses, according to Dr. Kevin Tremberth with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. That's because warmer temperatures are melting the polar ice caps. var currExpandable="expand151"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='tech/2012/10/17/3d-antarctic-map.reuters'; mObj.videoSource='Reuters'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121017023230-3d-antarctic-map-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand151Store=mObj; Scientists map Antarctic sea ice var currExpandable="expand251"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2012/11/11/intv-balog-chasing-ice.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121111042333-intv-balog-chasing-ice-00015922-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand251Store=mObj; Photographer captures glacial retreat var currExpandable="expand351"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='international/2012/12/04/greenland-secrets-in-ice-c.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121204120223-greenland-secrets-in-ice-c-00021213-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand351Store=mObj; Icebergs change Greenland's habitat Recent satellite images from NASA showed unprecedented surface ice melt, with about 97% of Greenland's ice sheet showing signs of thawing. These changes in the polar region are closely monitored by climate scientists, like Daniel Steinhage, whose team surveyed Greenland's shrinking ice with Polar 6 one of the most advanced research aircraft in the world. It will take months to evaluate the data gathered by the aircraft, including ice samples thousands of years old taken from deep within the ice sheet. Uncovering Greenland's secrets The Arctic is something like an archive of the Earth's climate and within its layers, researchers can find information on temperatures, the amount of precipitation, dust particles and ash from volcanic eruptions dating back 100,000 years. "If we can explain the past, what happened there, then we can use the same programs to run them forward to see what the future will bring us," said Steinhage of Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute. Long before the official lab analysis, scientist Sepp Kippstuhl can identify some unique patterns even with his naked eye. What he and the other scientists are seeing is that Greenland's ice sheet is vanishing quickly -- a fact confirmed by the 2012 NOAA Arctic Report Card. What's not entirely clear is how quickly, how often, and why temperatures changed in the past, something that these scientists are studying to better understand how our climate is evolving today. For now, one thing is clear: Melting ice and rising sea levels increase the potential of a damaging storm surge. "We expect several more feet in the next century," said climate scientist Adam Sobel. "So if you start with higher water ... the storm surge will be added on top of that. And so, we'll get a higher flood." NASA scientist links climate change, extreme weather Who's going to pay? Superstorm Sandy brought a record-breaking 15-foot storm surge to New York Harbor (the storm surge is the level of water generated by a storm that's above the normal high tide). As Sandy approached New York, one buoy in the harbor measured a 32.5-foot wave -- nearly seven feet taller than the highest wave churned up by Hurricane Irene in 2011. The enormous amount of water combined with the storm's powerful winds washed out the low-lying beachside neighborhood of Breezy Point, New York. The flooding is believed to have sparked a fire that burned down more than 100 homes. Bowman said all of that devastation could have been avoided. He said 30-foot-high sand dunes would have been enough to keep Breezy Point dry. Opinion: Extreme weather and a changing climate Projects such as that are expensive to build -- but sometimes the cost isn't the only hurdle standing in the way. Some oceanfront residents in New Jersey have stymied a federally funded effort to build storm-protecting dunes -- even after witnessing the devastation from Sandy and Irene. It comes down to a property rights issue: Homeowners must cede part of their land to the government through easements, where the dunes will be built. Some homeowners want the government to compensate them for land; others just don't want to allow the government to control the property. "If we did sign it, we give up our land," Long Beach Island, New Jersey, resident Dorothy Jedziniak told National Public Radio. "Assignment means that your local politicians could assign a walkway, toilets, whatever." Bowman believes the cost is too high for residents living near the coast not to act. "People who lived here are paying for it in terms of human misery," he said. "But if you talk about paying for it in terms of rebuilding and the dollars, where are the dollars going to come from? And are the people of the Midwest going want to pay for protecting these privileged few people who are lucky enough to live on the ocean's edge? I don't think so." Opinion: Why we should expect more weather disasters if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Tricia Escobedo wrote this story based on reporting from CNN Correspondents Ed Lavandera, John Zarrella, David Mattingly, Jason Carroll, and Frederick Pleitgen.
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