Gun Control Debate

[Alatar]

I can't believe that something that insanely offensive and racist barely even raises an eyebrow...

[RoseMorninStar]

It's disgusting what is passing for 'news' on FOX and in particular with Tucker Carlson. It's an outrage and some hang on his every word like he's anointed. They are itching for a race war.

[Frelga]

I hope Twitter survives Musk, because there is no other way I could stumble on the soap opera unfolding in Tennessee (mostly on TN Twitter). Looks like someone "identified Tennessee House Speaker’s mistress and then tagged his wife in the post". The mistress is a lobbyist for the private prison system married to the governor's deputy comms director.

There's more coming out now. It seems a lot of people are upset by the government's inaction on guns and the attempt to expel the now reinstated lawmakers.

Will it make a difference in the highly gerrymandered state?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

...

[N.E. Brigand]

Wait, wait. Don't tell me:

[RoseMorninStar]

I had originally posted this in another thread but it's more appropriate here.

Oklahoma county leaders caught on audio talking about killing reporters, complaining they can no longer lynch Black people.

White Kansas City man, 85, charged in shooting of Black teen

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An 85-year-old White Kansas City man was charged with two felonies after opening fire on a Black teenager who rang his doorbell after showing up to the wrong home to pick up his siblings.

I have no words. WTH.

[N.E. Brigand]

That was posted in response to this news:

"Tennessee GOP expels first Democratic lawmaker over gun violence protests" (NBC).

Two other Democratic legislators are likely to be expelled later today. All three took part in an anti-gun violence protest last week on the statehouse floor. Such demonstrations are prohibited under chamber rules of decorum. The only previous members to have been expelled had been convicted of or were under investigation for criminal activity. These three legislators are not under criminal investigation, and as this particular member, Justin Jones, noted in a speech before the vote today, previous members have been allowed to remain in the body despite convictions for domestic abuse or credible allegations of child molestation.

Edited to add this quote from (now former) Rep. Jones, shortly before he was expelled:

"We had a member pee in another member’s chair, in this chamber — no expulsion. In fact, they’re in leadership."

WTVF Channel 5 of Nashville today reported on State Representative Scotty Campbell, the vice chair of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus and one of the legislators who had voted to expel the "Tennessee Three" for participating on the statehouse floor in a protest against gun violence. It turns out that "an ethics subcommittee acting in secret" had "recently found [Campbell] guilty of sexually harassing at least one legislative intern, likely two." What's more, the state legislature has spent "potentially thousands of dollars ... to protect one victim, relocating her from the downtown apartment building where she and Campbell both had apartments, shipping her furniture back home in another part of the state and placing her in a downtown hotel for the remainder of her internship."

Six hours after this story broke, Campbell resigned.

[Frelga]

Again.

Florida couple delivering Instacart groceries shot at after driving to wrong address

Again, again, and again.

Shot for making a mistake: America reels from shootings of Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis and Texas cheerleaders

[RoseMorninStar]

Ugh.. how awful. What are we coming to? I really feel for those who deliver mail and packages, kids delivering girl scout cookies, utility workers. Good grief.

CNN interviewed Klint Ludwig, the grandson of Andrew Lester (the man who shot Ralph Yarl). He said his grandfather's actions didn't surprise him as his grandfather watches far right fear-mongering channels on TV all day. Sadly, I can say the same for many people I know.

[Frelga]

Gosh, really?

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[RoseMorninStar]

Huh.

[N.E. Brigand]

From NBC: "From 2011 to 2020, the most rural counties in the U.S. had a 37% higher rate of gun deaths per capita than the most urban counties, according to new research."

[RoseMorninStar]

Saw this meme on FB

[Frelga]

An 8 year old child is dead and two women were murdered covering their children with their bodies, and this absolute blight on the human race can only say that they were illegal immigrants?

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[RoseMorninStar]

You know.. because every fertilized egg counts (until they're born, or they're not white, or yadda, yadda)

[Sunsilver]

Rose, reminds me of this

[Dave_LF]

An 8 year old child is dead and two women were murdered covering their children with their bodies, and this absolute blight on the human race can only say that they were illegal immigrants?

And they weren't! They had legal resident status. As another person said, imagine fleeing violence in Honduras only to be murdered by your neighbor in Texas. That's where we are.

Edit: I should have provided evidence for that claim since it's not in the major news stories (yet?). Here's what I've got:

[N.E. Brigand]

This is the Congressman who represents Allen, Texas, where fifteen people were shot in a mall there yesterday, eight of whom died:



Arguably, he's worse than the killer, because his commitment to inaction made this mass murder possible and will lead to more murders.

And even if the problem were a lack of mental health care, he said nothing when Texas's governor cut more than $200 million for mental health services.

[N.E. Brigand]

There's apparently some very graphic video out there. I haven't seen it, but I have seen one still photo that is just horrible. I won't link to it. But I will cite the following statement from someone who was trying to help the victims:

[Dave_LF]

I hibernated my Facebook account yesterday because I was afraid of what I might post there otherwise