In other news from Hell

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BoSoxGal
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In other news from Hell

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RIP 14 elementary school kids + 1 teacher from Uvalde, Texas. Plenty more in the hospital so don’t write that death toll in stone yet.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
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Econoline
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Econoline »

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BoSoxGal
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Re: In other news from Hell

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Thursday was meant to be the last day of school, but it’s over for the whole district as of today.

The death toll has risen - now EIGHTEEN children dead and one adult teacher.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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BoSoxGal
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Re: In other news from Hell

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Nope, wrong again. Death toll 21; 18 kids and 3 adults. Gaining on Sandy Hook with every new update.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
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Sue U
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Sue U »

TOO MANY GUNS
TOO READILY AVAILABLE
TO TOO MANY PEOPLE.


It really is that simple.

What are you willing to do about it? How many dead children does it take?
GAH!

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Joe Guy
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Joe Guy »

Apparently a few children murdered every once in a while is a price we are willing to pay for the security of owning firearms.

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Re: In other news from Hell

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For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Bicycle Bill »

Shootings have touched nearly every imaginable slice of American life:  A Black church in Charleston, S.C. (2015).  A government-funded nonprofit center in San Bernardino, Calif. (2015).  A gay nightclub in Orlando (2016).  A country music festival in Las Vegas (2017).  A high school in Parkland, Fla. (2018).  A synagogue in Pittsburgh (2018).  A Walmart in majority-Hispanic El Paso, followed just hours later by a shooting in a popular nightlife corridor in Dayton, Ohio (2019).  Asian American massage businesses in Atlanta (2021).

When in the flying fuck are we, the American sheeple, going to rise up onto our hind legs and say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" — and back it up by voting gun-lobby politicians the hell out of office?
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by datsunaholic »

Bicycle Bill wrote:
Thu May 26, 2022 7:11 am
When in the flying fuck are we, the American sheeple, going to rise up onto our hind legs and say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" — and back it up by voting gun-lobby politicians the hell out of office?
Because that same gun lobby has succeeded in convincing enough of the American public that gun control = totalitarianism. They have catchy phrases like "When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns". Because they've convinced people that having guns in their homes makes them safer. That "An armed society is a polite society". That open carry reduces violence. That armed guards would prevent crime. That the solution to gun violence is more guns.

They oppose gun registration laws because they believe it makes it possible for the govt to then take their guns away. So they vote in pro-NRA candidates,

They believe that the 2nd Amendment means they have an unrestricted right to own as many guns as they want, of any type. That current gun laws are already unconstitutional. They believe that anyone should be able to own guns. Well, they believe that any white conservative should own guns, but they don't say that part out loud. They'll support gun laws that keeps guns away from black people, so long as it doesn't affect their white right.
Last edited by datsunaholic on Thu May 26, 2022 8:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by MajGenl.Meade »

Perhaps this is the great issue of our time. I don't know how we get together to solve racism, or all the other isms that divide us. But this one surely is something that all right-thinking people - of whatever race, color, creed, orientation, belief system, etc - can take to the street. We can argue the fine points of abortion, sexual stuff and how to correct racist imbalance once we've stopped feeding the killing machine.

Sure there are gun-huggers in almost all those groups - but even many of them want something to be done to curb this gun viiolence.

That Texan "more people killed in Chicago" - that's no damn excuse for school attacks, but another damn reason to curb all of this by any means necessary (except shooting perhaps). Aside: besides that's a coded call for leaving things be because "Chicago" really means "black men dying" - so some are willing to put up with the occasional class of kids dying because . . . you know . . .

Steve Kerr has always AFAIK been a stand-up guy. Except for the leaving the Cavs thing which wasn't all his fault anyway. Boy he stood up here and left a room of journos stunned and me and lots of others in tears and, I hope, anger.

I'm cominig back to this and do nothing? No. It's time. I love guns - OK, antiques - but I don't love how easy it is to get 'em, how disgusting politicians are in doing nothing, and how the Founding Fathers had no possible comprehension of the future strength of state and the Federal government military power. They wrote for a time when the people were the army-in-waiting for the defense of the homeland. Excuses about opposing the government cannot be allowed to distract from the commonplace mass murders of our own people.
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts

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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Sue U »

MajGenl.Meade wrote:
Thu May 26, 2022 8:56 am
I'm cominig back to this and do nothing? No. It's time. I love guns - OK, antiques - but I don't love how easy it is to get 'em, how disgusting politicians are in doing nothing, and how the Founding Fathers had no possible comprehension of the future strength of state and the Federal government military power. They wrote for a time when the people were the army-in-waiting for the defense of the homeland. Excuses about opposing the government cannot be allowed to distract from the commonplace mass murders of our own people.
My Congressman and Senators are already on board with gun control legislation, You are coming back to Ohio, where you will be electing a Senator who will be a critical vote in getting anything done. Make sure that you do everything possible to ensure your new Senator is one who will actually do something (hint: vote for Tim Ryan, not that douchenozzle who won the GOP primary; make sure everyone you know does, too).

Universal background checks; waiting period for purchase; mandatory safety training & periodic recertification; licensing & periodic renewal; registration of all firearms with periodic renewal; liability insurance; renew the "assault weapons" ban. These are the absolute minimums for "responsible gun ownership."
GAH!

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Re: In other news from Hell

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Sharing below an old but still entirely relevant letter from the president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police regarding the federal assault weapons ban which the GOP allowed to expire now many years ago.

I would also add that the family members of the Sandy Hook massacre victims recently won a $73 million judgment against Remington, the maker of the assault rifle used by the Sandy Hook killer whose name I will not mention. The basis for the lawsuit was the marketing campaign of the firearms maker, which appealed to troubled young men.

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Here’s a link to an article about the marketing of these killing machines to volatile young men: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bushmast ... 317924/amp

By the time you read this column, it is highly probable that the federal ban on semiautomatic assault weapons will have expired and once again these weapons will begin to flood our communities and threaten our officers.

First passed in 1994, the assault weapons ban required domestic gun manufacturers to stop production of semiautomatic assault weapons and ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds except for military or police use. Imports of assault weapons not already banned by administrative action under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush were also halted.

Since the law was enacted, the ban has proven remarkably effective in reducing the number of crimes involving assault weapons. Since 1994 the proportion of assault weapons traced to crimes has fallen by a dramatic 66 percent. Public opinion polls continue to prove that more than 75 percent of the public supports a reauthorization of the current ban.

The IACP has been a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban since 1992, and our membership approved a resolution calling for its reauthorization at our 2003 conference. The membership took this action because we, as law enforcement executives, understand that semiautomatic assault weapons pose a grave risk to our officers and the communities they are sworn to protect.

It is deeply troubling that Congress and the administration have so far failed to reauthorize this critically important legislation.

Assault weapons are routinely the weapons of choice for gang members and drug dealers. They are regularly encountered in drug busts and are all too often used against our officers. In fact, one in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2001, was killed with an assault weapon, according to “Officer Down,” a report from the Violence Policy Center. The weapons in question—including the Colt AR-15, a semiautomatic version of the M-16 machine gun used by our armed forces, the Uzi, and the Tec-9 pistol, whose manufacturer’s advertisements hailed its “fingerprint-resistant” finish—have been used in countless murders such as the Stockton schoolyard and Columbine High School shootings.

Opponents of the assault weapons ban often argue that the ban only outlawed certain weapons because of their “cosmetic features” and not because they are inherently more dangerous than other weapons. This is simply not true.

While most rifles are designed to be fired from the shoulder and depend upon the accuracy of a precisely aimed projectile, semiautomatic assault weapons are designed to maximize lethal effects through a rapid rate of fire. Assault weapons are designed to be spray-fired from the hip, and because of their design a shooter can maintain control of the weapon even while firing many rounds in rapid succession.

The cosmetic features opponents of the ban point to are actually military features such as silencers, flash suppressors, pistol grips, folding stocks, and bayonets that were designed specifically to increase the lethality of these weapons and make them more concealable. Many come equipped with large ammunition magazines allowing 50 or more bullets to be fired without reloading.

Weapons of this nature serve no legitimate sporting or hunting purposes and have no place in our communities. Unless Congress acts, the firearms of choice for terrorists, drug dealers, and gang members will be back on our streets—where, once again, our officers will be outgunned by criminals.

If Congress and the administration fail to reauthorize the assault weapons ban, it will be up to the law enforcement community to demand that it be reinstated. Over the last decade, we have made significant progress in our efforts to reduce violent crime rates. The ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines has been a crucial component of our national crime-fighting strategy.

We must not surrender the gains that we have made.

It is vital that we, as police chiefs, take a leading role in this effort. We know the tremendous harm that these weapons can inflict on our communities and we know what the proliferation of these weapons will mean to our officers. We need to be leaders, both in word and in deed, and we must make every effort to ensure that our elected officials understand that failure to reauthorize the assault weapons ban is a significant step back for law enforcement and public safety

Our communities and the officers we lead expect this of us; our duty demands it.
https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/pre ... orization/
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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BoSoxGal
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Re: In other news from Hell

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3483B42E-F69E-415B-AD9D-639D4B631E86.jpeg
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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BoSoxGal
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Re: In other news from Hell

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The husband of one of the teachers killed Tuesday has passed away today of broken heart syndrome. They leave four orphaned children behind, two of whom are still minors in school.

Isn’t it great that it is so easy to buy an assault weapon in Texas?
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Re: In other news from Hell

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For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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Re: In other news from Hell

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But Republicans insist that it's having to wear masks and reading storybooks about two daddy penguins that is traumatizing to children.
Uvalde student covered herself in classmate’s blood, played dead to survive shooting

An 11-year-old student at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas says she covered herself with a classmate’s blood and played dead to avoid being shot on Tuesday.

Miah Cerrillo told CNN Friday that she put her hands in the blood of a classmate after the shooter left the classroom and smeared it on herself to appear as though she was already dead, in case the killer came back to the room.

She survived, but her aunt, Blanca Rivera, told NBC in Houston that she saw her teacher and friends massacred.

Cerrillo told CNN that her class was watching a movie Tuesday afternoon when her teachers got an email about a shooter in the school.

One teacher “went to the door and he was right there — they made eye contact,” CNN reporter Nora Neus, who interviewed Cerrillo, told the outlet.

“Miah says it just happened all so fast. He backed the teacher into the classroom. He made eye contact with the teacher, again, looked her right in the eye and said ‘goodnight’ and then shot her and killed her.”

He then turned his weapon on the classroom of fourth graders, hitting the other teacher and many of Cerrillo’s friends.

After he left the classroom, Cerrillo said she heard him enter an adjoining classroom and heard more gunfire and screams.

At this point, Cerrillo and a friend grabbed their dead teacher’s phone and used it to call 911. She told CNN she thought it was taking police a long time to reach the campus, but said she later learned that police waited outside the school while the gunman went on a killing spree inside.

As she recounted the events to CNN, she broke down crying, saying she didn’t understand why the police officers didn’t come inside to help sooner.
Neither do the rest of us, Miah, neither do the rest of us.
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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Gob »

"Ted Cruz calls for multiple armed cops and military veterans to be stationed at schools, bulletproof doors to protect our 'most precious asset' and slams DEMOCRATS for blocking his gun violence legislation"

If think you need "multiple armed cops and military veterans to be stationed at schools, bulletproof doors", I don't suppose it would cross your mind to think that your society is seriously fucked up?
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

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Scooter
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Re: In other news from Hell

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Ted Cruz's brilliant idea was to have all students enter and exit by a single door.

Hundreds of students masses around a single door at the same time every morning and afternoon.

Sounds like a mass murderer's dream scenario.
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Gob
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Re: In other news from Hell

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“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

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Re: In other news from Hell

Post by Scooter »

And one more:
Far-Right Rep. Paul Gosar Tweets Lie That Texas Shooter Was Trans

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, a far-right Republican and major supporter of Donald Trump, tweeted and then deleted a false allegation that “a transsexual [sic] leftist illegal alien” was responsible for the mass shooting Tuesday at a Texas elementary school.

Gosar’s tweet came in response to another Twitter user who wondered if the shooter was the type of “trash” who supported Gosar and his ideological allies, such as U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, The Arizona Republic reports.

Gosar responded, “We know already fool. It’s a transsexual [sic] leftist illegal alien. … It’s apparently your kind of trash.” The tweet was on his personal account, not his U.S. House feed. He eventually deleted the message, and the person he was responding to deleted the comment that led to Gosar’s remark, but there are screen shots of the tweets.

Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in a fourth-grade classroom at Robb Elementary School. The shooter was killed by police. The attack has prompted calls, mostly from Democrats, for further gun regulations.

Gosar wasn’t the only one to allege the shooter was transgender or gender-nonconforming. “Photos purporting to show [the shooter] in skirts quickly circulated on social media, though they were debunked as featuring a person who doesn’t live in Texas and wasn’t involved in the slayings,” the Republic reports.

In a commentary piece for the Republic, Laurie Roberts wrote that Gosar “has shown himself, yet again, to be completely unfit for office.” She noted, “There is not so much as a shred of evidence that Ramos was a transexual, or a leftist, or an ‘illegal alien.’”

However, she predicted that no Republican leader in Arizona will denounce him and that he will be reelected “in a landslide.”
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu."

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