https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-presidential-president-could-do-something-about-mass-shootings-heres-how/2019/08/04/ddd5f72e-b6d4-11e9-b3b4-2bb69e8c4e39_story.html?utm_term=.df856843e92e

WE KNOW by now not to waste time calling on President Trump to do the right thing. He sows division and bigotry rather than promoting unity and understanding. Whatever he promises, in the crunch he capitulates to the gun lobby.

But on a weekend of horrifying and hate-fueled violence, we also know that it doesn't have to be this way. Mass shootings need not be routine, as most every other country demonstrates. Leadership need not be negative and supine.

Here is what a presidential president might say:

My fellow Americans,

These are dark days and nights of August. A weekend — a time for Americans to gather at the beach, the mall, a music festival — has brought us horror. Let us resolve to transform our great anguish into action, permanent and effective action. This horror will no longer be normal in our country.

Today, I am calling on Congress to return to Washington for an immediate joint session, to give up their district politicking and take action to combat gun violence. Enact a ban on sales of military-style assault rifles, as well as high-capacity magazines. This weaponry was made for war; its purpose is to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. It doesn’t belong on our streets.

Make background checks mandatory. And for those who have other ideas, such as federal licensing and buy-backs, come forward, and we will work on them. I have instructed my administration to undertake a major scientific research effort on gun violence that will help us chart more answers in the long term. We must free ourselves of a special interest lobby. I will personally campaign for the solutions as hard as I can and invite those from both parties to join me.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/07/30/she-was-feeding-stray-cats-that-kept-her-company-now-year-old-is-going-jail/?utm_term=.3e6af868699f



She said she feeds the stray cats in her neighborhood because it brings her comfort and companionship. Nancy Segula has been lonely, especially after the death of her husband in 2017. A couple of the cats were left behind when her neighbor moved, so the 79-year-old fed them and kept them happy. They made her happy in return.

Then an Ohio magistrate told Segula that, not only was feeding stray cats illegal, but that she would also be going to jail for it, too.

Garfield Heights Municipal Court Magistrate Jeffrey Short gave Segula the 10-day sentence after she had received four previous citations, Fox 8 Cleveland reported.

“There’s been about six to eight adult cats and now there’s kittens coming over, too,” Segula told cleveland.com on Tuesday. “I miss my own kitties. They passed away; my husband passed away. I’m lonely. So the cats and kitties outside help me.”

...

At first, she didn’t know there was a city ordinance against feeding cats, she told the news organization.

“The cats keep coming over to my house,” Segula said. “I just feel bad so then I will give them something to eat.”

Humane Society outdoor cats FAQ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/outdoor-cats-faq

Why don't feeding bans eliminate community cats?
The logic behind bans on feeding feral cats is that if there is no food available, the cats will go away. This rarely happens.

First, cats are territorial animals who can survive for weeks without food and will not easily or quickly abandon their territory. As they grow hungrier and more desperate, they tend to venture closer to homes and businesses in search of food. Despite the effort to starve them out, the cats will also continue to reproduce, resulting in the deaths of many kittens.

Second, feeding bans are nearly impossible to enforce. A person who is determined to feed the cats will usually succeed without being detected. Repeated experience has shown that people who care about the cats will go to great lengths to feed starving animals. In addition, there may be more than one feeder and other sources of food, including dumpsters, garbage cans and other animals.