NRA Calls for Surge of 'Good Guys' Carrying Guns, John Kerry Nominated Secretary of State and Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Could Affect Taxes

This column is designed to offer a platform to discuss national stories on a local level. Share your opinion in the comment section. 

-----

The NRA has called for a surge of gun-carrying "good guys" around American schools in a recent press conference. The conference was interrupted by activists calling for a ban on assault weapons, along with tighter regulations.

Members of CodePink, an antiwar organization, shouted that the NRA is "killing our kids" and "the violence begins with the NRA."

"The NRA is there with a stack of propaganda statements, so we are there to speak for the millions of people who dissent from their opinion," CodePink member Joan Stallard said. 

-----

John Kerry, who currently chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been nominated for secretary of state by President Obama. You may not know this, but Kerry was instrumental in changing the way Clarkston, Ga., dealt with its refugee population. 

Kerry was first elected to the Senate in 1984, and re-elected in 1990, 1996 and 2002, according to Biography.com. He ran for president in 2004 against George W. Bush, and lost. 

Other notable accomplishments

• Graduated from Yale in 1966
• Earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts while serving in Vietnam
• Served as head of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War when he returned in 1970
• Has strong relationships with many different heads of state, according to CNN.com
• Traveled to Pakistan to improve strained relationships, including after the raid that killed Bin Laden

-----

And in "fiscal cliff" news, it looks like we might actually fall off it. The stock market fell 1 percent Friday as investors grow increasingly nervous about the gridlock in Washington. 

Among other things, our tax rebates could be seriously delayed if a resolution isn't made by Jan. 1. That's because the Alternative Minimum Tax needs to be adjusted for inflation, and that would be part of the negotiations. Not only would the rebates be delayed, but many families could pay more in taxes than they are anticipating. 

Subscribe to Barrow Patch’s newsletters, follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook.