Don’t Give Up?
Hi George/Liza,
I am writing to tell you about my husband Richie. He still goes to the window every night at 7PM and drums on a pan cover. He ends his concert with “Don’t Give Up/Don’t Ever Give Up”.
Once in a blue moon someone else on the block will join in with him, but most evenings he is on his own. Occasionally someone walking on the street or passing in a car will cheer him on.
I am not sure if this is crazy or touching. He believes that the first responders—medical staff & essential workers—still deserve to be vocally appreciated.
I would like to know what your readers think.
—Carol Quigley, Bank Street
Embrace the Absurd
It’s statistically true: there are more firearms than people in America.
Are there more guns in the hands of American civilians than there are people living in America? That’s a question I’d been asking myself for some time. It is universally agreed that it is hard to hit a moving target. And so it is with counting the number of people living in the U.S. or how many guns are in the hands of its civilian population.
After some research I found two sources which could provide me with the information I was looking for. According to the numbers compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and a survey called the Small Arms Survey (SAS) which tabulates firearms held by civilian populations around the world, there are more guns than people in the U.S. (The survey, published in June 2018, is a project of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.) Here are the absurd facts:
The estimated population of the U.S. as of April 18th, 2021 is 330,212,480. The number was compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov/popclock).
Gun ownership in civilian hands in the United States (as of the June 2018 SAS report) is estimated to be 393,347,000. The Small Arms Survey’s mission is to be “a global centre of excellence” which “generates evidence-based, impartial, and policy-relevant knowledge and analysis on small arms and armed violence issues for governments, policy-makers, and civil society.” Their report found that U.S. citizens alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian-held firearms. This amounts to “120.5 firearms for every 100 residents.” See:
T-Briefing-Papers/SAS-BP-Civilian-
Do we really need more guns than there are folks living in our country? Does this make us any safer?
—Siggy Raible
Save the Date—Spring Planting
Saturday, May 15th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dear CSA Members and Neighbors,
Our annual Charles Street Association Spring Planting is back! We will be at our usual distribution location on Charles St and Bleecker St. (Southwest corner). Masks will be provided.
Bringing the community back together, one day at a time!
Marjorie Dienstag, Charles St. Association President
