Utah-based Casey Currey has garnered over 300,000 followers on Instagram, describing her account as “Guns, Buns and Shenanigans”. On her page, idyllic family pictures and gym videos are posted alongside Lara Croft-style bikini snaps in which the blogger holds guns of all kinds.

Instagrammer Casey Currey, who calls herself a home-grown American woman, has denied that there is a gun problem in the US, noting that the main focus should be on battling mental illness. The 27-year-old has gained a 329k-strong following on her account, under the handle buff_cookie, on which she demonstrates top-notch physical shape as well as a love for dogs and all kinds of weapons, ranging from machine guns to pistols.

Read more:

https://sputniknews.com/viral/201908191076587139-us-gun-mom-bikini-insta...

Maria Butina with gun:

Mum with guns...

One has to know, that between 12 and 25 years of age, young people loose their senses — especially in regard to "responsibility". Having trained in handling guns (even "responsibly") this will eventually lead to a MAJOR CATASTROPHE for a few teenagers.

The United States is experiencing a public health epidemic of mass shootings and other forms of gun violence. A convenient response seems to be blaming mental illness; after all, “who in their right mind would do this?” This is utterly wrong. Mental illnesses, certainly severe mental illnesses, are not the major cause of mass shootings. It also is dangerously stigmatizing to people who suffer from these devastating disorders and can subject them to inappropriate restrictions. According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, the best estimates are that individuals with mental illnesses are responsible for less than 4% of all violent crimes in the United States, and less than a third of people who commit mass shootings are diagnosably mentally ill. Moreover, a large majority of individuals with mental illnesses are not at high risk for committing violent acts. Continuing to blame mental illness distracts from finding the real causes of mass shootings and addressing them directly.

Mental illness is, regrettably, a rather loosely defined and loosely used term, and this contributes to the problem. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior…associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.” That broad definition can arguably be applied to many life stresses and situations. However, what most people likely mean when they attribute mass shootings to mental illness are what mental health professionals call “serious or severe mental illnesses,” such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Other frequently cited causes of mass shootings—hate, employee disgruntlement, being disaffected with society or disappointed with one's life—are not defined clinically as serious mental illnesses themselves. And because they have not been studied systematically, we do not know if these purported other causes really apply, let alone what to do about them if true.

Unfortunately, it has been difficult to determine precisely the causes of mass shootings and the appropriate approaches to preventing them, largely because of a dearth of public funding for this line of research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had historically been the major funder of the public health aspects of firearm-related violence research, and much was being learned. But in 1996, Congress passed the so-called “Dickey Amendment” to the appropriations bill for the CDC, which was interpreted by the agency as prohibiting support for any firearm-related studies, and therefore the agency stopped funding this research. Although agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation have devoted small amounts to studies related to firearm violence, Congressional actions over the last few years have discouraged such investment, and both agencies have virtually stopped funding that kind of work.

There is now a new opportunity to apply science to the problem of mass shootings. In June 2019, the funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives included $50 million for the Department of Health and Human Services, split between the NIH and CDC, to support research on firearm violence. It is not a lot of money, given the scope of the problem, but surely a start. The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (now parts of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) laid out a detailed research agenda in 2013 for investigating firearm-related violence that could easily be updated. The Senate and the White House should agree to this funding bill, and the country should stop scapegoating people who suffer from mental illnesses and get on with determining the real causes of mass shootings.

Stop blaming mental illness

Alan I. Leshner

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Science  16 Aug 2019:

Vol. 365, Issue 6454, pp. 623

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz0997

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An outspoken CEO known for rocking the boat resigned Thursday after the fallout from his romantic relationship with a Russian spy proved too much for investors to bear.

Patrick Byrne, the head of discount furniture seller Overstock.com, resigned Thursday — 10 days after he confirmed he’d been romantically involved with convicted Russian spy Maria Butina and that the relationship led to his involvement in the FBI’s probes of Russia and Hillary Clinton.

“Though patriotic Americans are writing me in support, my presence may affect and complicate all manner of business relationships,” Byrne wrote Thursday. “Thus, while I believe that I did what was necessary for the good of the country, for the good of the firm, I am in the sad position of having to sever ties with Overstock, both as CEO and board member.”

The road to Byrne’s resignation started on Aug. 12 when Byrne’s Overstock confirmed the accuracy of two articles by Fox News contributor Sara Carter.

One article focused on Byrne’s relationship with Butina, the Russian gun-rights activist who is serving an 18-month sentence for seeking to influence US policy on behalf of Russia. The other article said Byrne assisted the FBI with its probes into Clinton and Russia.

“In fact, I am the notorious ‘missing Chapter 1’ of the Russian investigation,” Byrne cryptically declared in Overstock’s Aug. 12 statement.

He also referred to law enforcement in his statement as “Men in Black,” and suggested that the federal probes were a farce, saying it “turned out to be less about law enforcement and more about political espionage conducted against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (and to a lesser degree, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz).”

Investors balked — sending shares of Overstock down 36 percent over the next two days as investors processed Byrne’s moonlighting endeavors at the center of what MarketWatch described as “an insane Russian-spy drama.”

Read more:

https://nypost.com/2019/08/22/overstock-ceo-resigns-after-admitting-ties...

Note Maria Butina ISN'T A RUSSIAN SPY... nor is she in prison for "for seeking to influence US policy on behalf of Russia.".

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Butina is the Russian pro-gun activist who after months of solitary confinement confessed to being an “unregistered foreign agent” in 2016. To federal prosecutors and the media, her involvement with the US gun lobby and Republican circles during the early days of the Trump campaign seemed like evidence that Moscow was sending agents to “meddle” in the US. 

Prosecutors even falsely accused Butina of using “sex in exchange for a position within a special interest organization,” and the media lapped it up, regurgitating every Cold War spy fiction trope they could in sensationalist headlines.

“Sex and schmoozing are common Russian spy tactics. Publicity makes Maria Butina different,” read a USA Today banner last year. ABC News described her as a “Real life ‘Red Sparrow’,” a reference to a graphic ‘Soviet sexpionage' novel adapted into a gruesome movie.

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/usa/467174-byrne-butina-russiagate-sater/

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Describing the conditions she faced during her months-long detention, Butina said that being placed in solitary confinement was “the most terrifying experience” of her life.

It’s very difficult when you have this little cell, very cold, just concrete and iron… Later I learned that by the United Nations, this is considered to be torture. Because it is torture… I still don’t understand why it was necessary. I guess they were trying to break my will. 

However, that did not make any sense, Butina explained, sinсe she "didn’t have any secrets." 

"I was just a student, believing in peace-building between the two countries."

She talked about how the outpouring of support from Russians helped keep her sane, and that she struggled to find the time to respond to the flood of letters she received.

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/471923-maria-butina-intv-rt-prison/

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Butina, who was charged with failing to properly register as a foreign agent, spent a month in solitary confinement before pleading guilty to the charges. The Russian said she only did it because she knew that her persecution was politically motivated and a fair trial was impossible.

“The worst thing is the US Marshals Services where they humiliate you; forbid you from going to the toilet for 16 hours; deny you water or food,” Butina said as she talked to RT and Sputnik news agency on a plane that was taking her from the US back to Moscow. After that a low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida seemed like “paradise” for her as she was allowed to go for walks and got a lot better rations.

I was just a stack of bones,” she recalled, but daily jogging and other exercises helped a lot. “I had problems with my memory, but it returned to me. My eyesight also improved.”

However, it’s still a very tough environment where humiliation of inmates is widespread as some officers treat prisoners “absolutely terribly.”

Butina recalled that just one day before she was to be released, a guard, who became unhappy with how the prisoners were executing their duties in the kitchen, warned them: "If you will do that again I will f**k each and every one of you."

When a guard is cursing at you in the most obscene words possible… It just shouldn’t be like that. We’re women after all.

At first, the relations with fellow inmates were “tense” after she was transferred from Alexandria to a correctional facility in Tallahassee because “everybody watched the news” where she was portrayed as a villain, the 30-year-old recalled.

But that changed quickly when people got to know her. The activist said that a newspaper article in her defense was also passed on inside the prison and after some time “even some guards were telling me: ‘It seems that they lied to us on this one.’”

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/471947-butina-us-prison-russia/

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Arrested in July 2018, Butina spent eight months in custody, most of it in solitary confinement, before eventually pleading guilty in December. Meanwhile US media telling juicy stories about her that later proved false. 

“They just took some Hollywood clichés and made me the scapegoat,” she said. “The color of my hair and my features served as proof of guilt. That’s the way it should be, because we see it this way in the movies.”

Read more:

https://www.rt.com/news/471950-butina-interview-exclusive-video/

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Arnaud DEVELAY caught up with elected Member of the Russian State Duma and Ranking Member of the Duma’s Commission for International Affairs, Maria BUTINA. 

Q: Let us start with what has been a crackdown on free speech around the world with the raid on Scott Ritter’s house, the arrest of individuals in the UK for merely posting comments on social networks, and the arrest in France of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov. What can you tell us about this worrying development?

Maria Butina: I view it as purely political in nature. First of all, there’s a saying in Russia that the hand is to be viewed separately from the “master.” While France acted as “the hand,” the “master” is to be found across the ocean in the United States. This reminds me of the case of Alexander Vinnik, who was first arrested in Greece before being extradited to France and then the United States. He was accused of all kinds of crimes which he never committed. It doesn’t mean that the French government is not guilty but they agreed to play along, which is something that makes me sad because France is a great country with a great people. With the Durov arrest, unfortunately, France’s role allows the U.S. to deny responsibility. However, everybody knows what’s going on. It’s a purely politically motivated arrest. It’s a blatant case of double standard where Russia [and China] are being blamed for disregarding freedoms by countries which themselves trample civil liberties. With Durov, there’s also the element of demonizing the person by accusing him of all kinds of things, including hitting his own child, while constantly repeating that he’s Russian [an aggravating factor?]. They did the same thing with me. Despite the report provided by John Durham dismissing any notion of so-called Russian interference, the U.S. media presented me as the key actor behind a plot designed to interfere in U.S. elections. I was called the “Witch.” It’s important for them to portray Russians as devoid of any kind of humanity, as if lacking a soul. Even though the French and Russians fought side by side during the Great Patriotic War, everything today seems forgotten.

Q: So you think this [the Durov case] is all part of a psychological operation aimed at demonizing Russians, a classic case of Russophobia?

Maria Butina: Yes. I call it psychological warfare for the simple reason that I have myself been subjected to it. I have witnessed it firsthand and gone through all of its stages. Many U.S. media outlets first mentioned that “she may be a spy.” Step two consisted in repeating these innuendos. Finally, step three was the actual arrest which was staged with as many artifices and witnesses as possible. The idea was to lure the public like children into believing the narrative. As far as Durov is concerned, the West has been trying to gain control of Telegram for a long time. That’s why they finally decided to snatch him.

Q: Do you believe Durov was kind of naive?

Maria Butina: I believe he was naive only insofar as I was myself also naive a long time ago. He believed in justice. He believed that he could be himself [love his country] while living in an area of the world that has long strived to portray Russia as the evil empire. Durov thought he could be safe in France. The truth is that the only place that is safe for him is the Russian Federation. In that respect, Durov found his own truth.

Q: There were reports that the Russian embassy in Paris unsuccessfully attempted to establish contact with Durov during his detention in violation of the provision bearing on consular assistance as called for by the Vienna Convention. What is your reaction?

Maria Butina: That’s a very serious violation of the rights of a citizen of a foreign country. Local authorities should have notified representatives of the Russian Federation and allowed consular assistance within 72 hours of the arrest. This being said, the West doesn’t abide by any rules anymore. It doesn’t matter whether Durov holds several passports. That’s actually what also happened to me. Consular officers were looking for me after U.S. authorities purposefully altered my date of birth and mis-spelled my name so that the personnel at the embassy couldn’t find me. Is that respectful of the Vienna Convention? This being said and while the West violates international laws, Russia continues to follow them. Somebody has to remain sane in all this.

Q: You wrote a book chronicling your detention in the U.S. [#Prison Diary]. Could you remind our [readers] what happened to you?

Maria Butina: I spent 467 days in detention in the United States stemming from charges of conspiracy to operate as an agent of a foreign power in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). My convicted was upheld on appeal even though nobody else’s name ever appeared in the court record. How can I conspire with myself? I was a straight A student studying for a Master’s degree and next thing you know, I was finding myself at the heart of the Russian collusion hysteria, standing accused of being this seductress who had slept with many U.S. senators, even though none ever came forward to corroborate this allegation. I was sentenced to 18 months in prison, [and spent] four months in solitary confinement. While I eventually was released and deported, nobody ever apologized for what I had to go through. I will never get this time back either. It was also alleged that I was receiving funds straight from the Kremlin to use while I was in the U.S. Prior to my conviction, the FARA had only been used one time to secure conviction, against an Iranian. I was the first Russian to be targeted on these grounds in 60 years going back to the Red Scare of the 1950s. So after I served time and got deported in October 2019, I decided to write a book which today has been published in Russian, English and Serbian. I hope it will serve as a cautionary tale to people similarly situated that this law can be used against you any time someone who happens to be Russian asks you to do something. I also explain that all the incriminating elements used to convict me are under seal for the next 60 years owing to the fact that they are all fabricated or non-existent.

No names of senators, no evidence of funds. Again, how can one conspire with oneself? Of note, before I was charged and convicted, they showed a movie called Red Sparrow, which tells the story of a Russian seductress who infiltrates U.S. political circles [circus is more appropriate]. I mean, why was I placed in solitary confinement for 117 days? I was not a terrorist hiding in some Afghan mountain! I was just a student! Today, I am deemed an enemy of the United States prohibited from ever setting foot in that country. But you know what? I don’t care.

Q: This is somewhat reminiscent of the Hollywood film Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage, which purported to retrace the life of Viktor Bout. Obviously, this depiction couldn’t be more removed from reality. Viktor was eventually involved in a swap (with Brittney Griner) in late 2022. More recently, the largest swap since the days of the first Cold War occurred, involving no fewer than 26 political prisoners and spies. What could you tell us about this?

Maria Butina: I actually met Viktor at the airport when he was released and brought back to Russia. I know him and his wife very well. She’s endured so much during the 15 years of her husband’s detention. To your point about the big swap, it happened during the first Cold War in what came to be known as the Spy Bridge. As to whether something similar could happen with Durov, it depends on hard and sometimes long negotiations between the two sides. Russia has for instance tried to bring Viktor back for many years. The big surprise for me is that, despite the fact that the U.S. still has some of its citizens imprisoned in Russia, they would rather try to secure release of some non-citizens like Russian so-called “opposition leaders.” That tells you everything you need to know about their [the U.S.’s] priorities. They prefer to gain release of non-citizens to use them later for propaganda. If I were a U.S. citizen, I would start wondering whether my government’s priority is to protect the interests of its own citizens.

Q: You’re alluding to the purported frustration of Paul Whelan after Griner was chosen over him?

Maria Butina: Well, Paul Whelan was convicted of spying, of course. But they could have chosen Marc Fogel over a person who’s merely a green-card holder, as was the case in the most recent swap.

Q: Hillary Clinton stated in September 2023 that, in her opinion, “it was likely Russia would interfere in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.” In the wake of the ramping up of articles citing your name explicitly and published both in the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post despite the fact that you’ve been out of the news there since at least 2019, do you think the U.S. establishment might be preparing a smear campaign with you at its center?

Maria Butina: In capitalism, if you can profit from something repeatedly by selling the same thing with the result that people will buy it, then sell it again. If people can again be sold the idea of Russia interfering in the U.S. election process, it will be used. Hillary Clinton claims that “Russians will again interfere in our elections.” I don’t agree with such characterization of the facts. The U.S.’s own report on Russian collusion [by John Durham] concluded that there had never been such interference in the first place. How can she say that something like this will happen again when the original allegations were revealed as being nothing but lies and fabrications? Again, the truth is that the U.S. has spent substantial resources in creating the case of the “evil Russian.” As long as they feel people can be convinced that it’s true, they will resort to using it again. Truth be told, Russia does not care one bit about who wins the election. Sure, Trump said nice things about Russia. Should we not feel a sense of reciprocity to someone who is nice to you? This being said, with Kamala Harris, we have someone who’s come out of nowhere and even though she hasn’t spent time on the campaign trail is running neck and neck with the opposition candidate. I find this strange. In the end, I believe that she has a very good chance because the system can be fixed to get the “right” result. I expect ramped up, anti-Russia rhetoric as we get closer to the election. Why? Because anti-Russia politics is what the U.S. wants and Maria Butina is a perfect foil.

Q: The war in Ukraine has seen a rise in criminal practices linked to various forms of trafficking, in particular trafficking in human beings (complete or organs). How has the war in Ukraine impacted human trafficking? What information on this subject is currently available to the Russian authorities?

Maria Butina: The reports we are getting are awful. Organs are being directly removed from wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Such a practice flies in the [face of the] belief that human beings have souls. Russian troops have entered areas where signs directly advertised the sale of organs. I don’t believe those responsible for such heinous practices will escape God’s punishment. That’s why it is important that you inform Western audiences about what goes on there. Similarly, look at the biolabs. They were literally testing their pathogens on people living nearby. We seized documents relating to how each test sample would be earmarked for 400 USD. They would then proceed on behalf of big pharma to test experimental drugs on locals. Do you know that it is actually against the law to engage in such experimentation in the United States? Russia considers it its sacred duty to put an end to such practices. Any country which looks the other way and allows this to happen in complete disregard for human dignity has abandoned decency. In my opinion, it’s also something that relates to the reasons why people would want to move to Russia under the new decree on spiritual asylum.

Q: President Putin has declared that there won’t be any kind of negotiation with Kyiv, a regime that essentially engages in state-sponsored terrorism. The illegitimate self-proclaimed “president” of Ukraine is, moreover, looking to perpetuate a war which has cost his country nearly half a million casualties against all military logic. In the wake of the Kursk incursion and repeated attempts to shell nuclear facilities, do you believe the situation could spiral out if control?

Maria Butina: Hopefully, it won’t. Obviously, the group of people in Kyiv is not interested in preserving the lives of its own people. Quite the contrary. They will thus continue to escalate in order to justify receiving financial assistance which will then be diverted for their own gain. The idea is to continue stealing as much land as possible. Russia will thus remain steady in pursuing and accomplishing the goals set out at the beginning of the Special Military Operation. It’s tough but we won’t relent until the mission is completed. We know that the real puppet master is in the U.S. and, while we hope to see changes after the next U.S. presidential election, we are not naive enough to think that the conflict will be resolved in 24 hours per Trump’s words.

https://covertactionmagazine.com/2024/11/09/maria-butina-russias-iron-lady/

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