They are what we thought they were

British MP (member of Parliament) Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency on June 16 while campaigning for the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union.  Witnesses reported that the assassin shouted "Britain first!" during the assault, which is the name of a far-right anti-immigrant group in the country.

Mental illness doesn't respect country boundaries.  Racism doesn't respect country boundaries.  But education, mental health resources, and gun restrictions can prevent the mother of small children from being murdered in broad daylight.

For perspective, the last MP murdered was in 1990.  The last American congressman killed in office was in 1978.

Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion.

Apparently, the "right" to hunt and fish is under assault in America by...well, somebody.

"Hunting and fishing and harvesting of wildlife are part of the American fabric,” [NRA spokesperson Catherine Mortensen] said. “We do feel it’s increasingly under attack by well organized, well funded anti-hunting groups."

Several states are pushing for state constitutional amendments to permanently codify a right to hunt and fish for residents.  It's a solution in search of a problem; it's also a bad idea to etch in stone certain specific rights that only apply to subsets of the population.

But Indiana state Rep. Matt Pierce, a leading opponent, said the amendment aims to solve a problem that doesn’t exist—and likely never will. “What you tend to hear from proponents is that they’ve heard of some nefarious conspiracy in which the Humane Society of the United States, in league with some multi-billionaire, will wash so much money into the political system that it will convince members of the legislature to outlaw hunting and fishing,” said Pierce, a Democrat. “It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

It's not ridiculous.  This is exactly the M.O. of the NRA - washing so much money into the political system over low-visibility issues that they have completely re-written gun policy at the state level.  Guns in bars, guns in churches, guns on playgrounds; cities that require universal gun ownership; market-based attacks on safer "smart" gun technology.  When you pump national levels of money into local and state issues, you are bound to capture more than a few politicians along the way.