The Left Gone Wild

[TSwizzle]

Just want to say that the trauma and fear experienced by those present are very real, regardless of the shooter's motives. Every incident is a big deal & stark reminder of the need for comprehensive solutions to gun violence in our society.

Your fear and trauma are as good as gone. Brandon has put his top person on the case.

 

[ZiprHead]

Just want to say that the trauma and fear experienced by those present are very real, regardless of the shooter's motives. Every incident is a big deal & stark reminder of the need for comprehensive solutions to gun violence in our society.

Your fear and trauma are as good as gone. Brandon has put his top person on the case.

You don't bear any responsibility for the insane gun laws that have been enacted after the stupidly decided Heller decision? You reap what you sow.

 

[Swammerdami]

Kshama Sawant is on our city council a self described communist.

Cite?

No, I'm not interested in self-descriptions that YOU think are synonymous with "communist." I want your cite that she described herself as communist.

 

[TomC]

Kshama Sawant is on our city council a self described communist.

Cite?

No, I'm not interested in self-descriptions that YOU think are synonymous with "communist." I want your cite that she described herself as communist.

I don't even care if she is a self described Communist. She could be a Christian or a lesbian or whatever. If it doesn't impact her ability to represent her constituents I don't care.
Her communication skills look like a problem. But not much of one, presuming she's holding this office to represent a community and is able to find a competent translator. Ya know, "close enough for government work". That doesn't seem problematic in a city like Seattle.

If she's doing what she was elected to do, why would anyone outside her area care?
Tom

 

[Swammerdami]

Kshama Sawant is on our city council a self described communist.

Cite?

No, I'm not interested in self-descriptions that YOU think are synonymous with "communist." I want your cite that she described herself as communist.

I don't even care if she is a self described Communist. She could be a Christian or a lesbian or whatever. If it doesn't impact her ability to represent her constituents I don't care.
Her communication skills look like a problem. But not much of one, presuming she's holding this office to represent a community and is able to find a competent translator. Ya know, "close enough for government work". That doesn't seem problematic in a city like Seattle.

If she's doing what she was elected to do, why would anyone outside her area care?
Tom

I'd never heard of Kshama Sawant until a minute before my post and, like you, I don't care one way or another.

I just get tired of exaggerations and elementary misuse of simple English. My guess -- and this should be treated as the correct answer until and unless Mr. Bank comes up with a citation -- is that Dr. Sawant did NOT describe herself as "communist." If she described herself as "socialist" she should be called a "self-described socialist." If she described herself as "Marxist" she should be called a "self-described Marxist." Is this hard to understand?

If someone describes themselves as "conservative" we do NOT claim that he/she is a "self-described Trump-licker." Should someone who is pro-Choice be called a "self-described baby-killer"?

Dr. Sawant has a PhD in economics from an American University. Many economists have studied the teachings of Karl Marx. To link her deceitfully to Josef Stalin is just baby-talk. (AFAIK she doesn't refer to herself as "Dr." I just apply that honorific in this post to evoke the infantile insolence of falsely calling her a "self-described communist.")

Discourse in America is off the rails. This is a problem far more pervasive and dangerous than Dr. Sawant's credentials.

 

[Bomb#20]

Another episode of Steve's Neighborhood?

Ikr? Steve posts gloom, doom, violence, scary people …
Meanwhile I look forward to any excuse to go to Seattle or Portland, and have never felt the least bit threatened or even uncomfortable on the streets, in the businesses or … whatever. Atlanta, which I also love, is WAY scarier. NYC? Fuggeddaboudit!
Steve’s neighborhood is diverse and vibrant, and should be appreciated by people lucky enough to live there.

Its been ten years, but the few times I've been there, I loved it. The only scary neighborhood I've found there was located on the Fox News website.

My wife was in downtown Seattle last year and got caught up in the crowd that was running away from an active shooter. They persuaded some building security guard to unlock the doors and let them take shelter until it was all over. But I guess the crowd had overreacted -- turned out it wasn't actually a psycho shooting people at random, just gang members shooting at one another, so no big deal.

Are you insinuating that the shooters were radical leftists?

You get up on the wrong side of the bed? Where exactly do you see me making any comment on anyone's politics? Why do you jump to assignment of ideology? Is it that you feel the introduction of facts into a discussion should be subordinated to considerations of political narrative? I'm "insinuating" that "never felt the least bit threatened" and "I loved it" are feelings, not data. I'm "insinuating" that maybe Steve as a local has a clearer understanding of the situation on the ground there than somebody who comes once in ten years.

 

[Bomb#20]

Though I find it hilariously comical, people against gun reform complaining about gun violence.

Somebody do that here?

 

[Bomb#20]

Kshama Sawant is on our city council a self described communist.

Cite?

No, I'm not interested in self-descriptions that YOU think are synonymous with "communist." I want your cite that she described herself as communist.

Have you seen Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri?

"Y’know what I was thinking about today? I was thinking ‘bout those street gangs they had down in Los Angeles, those Crips and those Bloods? I was thinking about that buncha new laws they came up with, in the 1980’s I think it was, to combat those street-gangs, those Crips and those Bloods. And, if I remember rightly, the gist of what those new laws were saying was if you join one of these gangs, and you’re running with ’em, and down the block one night, unbeknownst to you, one of your fellow Crips, or your fellow Bloods, shoot up a place, or stab a guy, well then, even though you didn’t know nothing about it, and even though you may’ve just been standing on a streetcorner minding your own business, what these new laws said was you’re still culpable. You’re still culpable, by the very act of joining those Crips, or those Bloods, in the first place. Which got me thinking, Father, that whole type of situation is kinda like your Church boys, ain’t it? "

Sawant joined a party that describes itself as Marxist. If Steve wants to call that "self described communist", close enough for government work.

 

[Gospel]

For those who prefer clarity over needlessly complex statements: Collective responsibility & oversimplifications = bad.

 

[southernhybrid]

I just got back from having lunch, and I sat behind a guy who was wearing a shirt that said, "WANTED for president. Donald Trump". It had a big ugly picture of the ugly asshole in-between the words. ( Trump, not the ugly guy wearing the shirt ) Since the guy was openly carrying a gun, I didn't want to tell my husband what the shirt said because Trump supporters are crazy enough to shoot someone if they think you dislike Trump.

Why are lefties so against free speech? The man is sitting there in his shirt minding his own business but you get all bent out of shape over a shirt? You are what is wrong with the USA, totally intolerant.

It's not the Lefty politics! It's the fucking guns. I'm old and I've never seen anything like this in my life. People shooting each other over road rage, over driving down the wrong driveway, knocking on the wrong door, not happy with the food you ordered in a restaurant so you shoot the cashier, etc. etc. Murders are down slightly in ATL this year, but people are still getting shot over insane things. It's the fucking guns!

This is just typical right wing fearmongering. Violent crimes are down since 1994 or something.

Sure, we have problems with homelessness, and drug abuse, but what exactly are the wonderful solutions that the right offers? The fucking War on Drugs did nothing but lock up a lot of people for years and years, sometimes simply for using a potentially harmful substance. You know.... like alcohol, which is perfectly legal. Many homeless people are mentally ill and veterans with PTSD. Some are older adults who can't afford to live on SS and some are poor people who lost their jobs or don't make enough money to pay 1500 dollars or more in rent. It's that high even in my small city. It averages over 2200 per month in Hotlanta. What great solutions do those on the right have for these problems? I've not heard any yet. They could at least put in lots of public rest rooms. Do you have an idea how hard it is to find a place to pee in most large American cities? New York City? Fogetaboutit. ATL, better look for a Fast Food restaurant and sneak into the rest room. So, this isn't a Leftist problem. It's a problem about poor people that both parties have failed to help in any substantial way. But, the two must cooperate to get anything done and that's not something this country does these days.

Well the good news is that there are hundreds of thousands of "new residents" coming in over the southern border that will be dispersed across the country and that will bring in a new level of prosperity not seen since, well since a long time ago. Maybe your city will be fortunate to receive some of them and reap the benefits. Homelessness will be a thing of the past and there will be a chicken in every pot!

I have no problem with anyone wearing a political t-shirt, even if I don't support the candidate, but I know based on the many articles I've read about the threats that a lot of the hardcore gun loving Trump supporters have made towards those who oppose Trump, or who are involved with prosecuting him, make me hesitate to use my own free speech.

Fanni Willis and some of her staff now have 24 hour protection due to all of the death threats they've received. Of course, I'm not part of her staff, but being around people who openly carry guns in a pizza restaurant at noon, with a huge picture of Trump on a shirt, make me a bit weary. The guy might be a nice guy who doesn't care who I support politically or he might be a lunatic who would threaten anyone who disagrees with him. I don't need to find out by openly discussing his t-shirt within hearing range. He can wear the damn shirt and I can criticize the damn shirt. We both have free speech, but nobody should have to worry about being attacked for their free speech based on having different political views and I don't like to take my chances when I'm around people like the guy wearing the shirt and carrying a gun. In fact, creepy looking men openly carrying guns always make me feel uncomfortable, long before Trump came into being. If I'm alone when I see one, I leave the area as quickly as possible. They may be harmless, but openly carrying a gun in the middle of the day looks threatening, even if it's not meant to be. Trump and his tendency to make violent threats, has only made it worse.

I'd be happy to have some of the newest arrivals come to my city. Every immigrant from the Southern border I've met has been a good person. They have been hard workers, and friendly. When I need work done on my home, I always prefer immigrants. They usually do the best work at a competitive price.

Plus, a lot of immigrants have backgrounds in healthcare. We are in dire need of more nurses aides and nurses. Let them apply for asylum and become so they can improve things.

What on earth would Florida have done after the last awful hurricane if it were not for immigrants, including many who were undocumented. They are the ones that helped clean up that messed up state, yet DeSantis is one of the. meanest, hateful people who never gave them credit for what they did when they were needed.

 

[bilby]

oversimplifications = bad

Thanks for simplifying that for us.

 

[thebeave]

Are you insinuating that the shooters were radical leftists?

Perhaps you haven't noticed that gun violence has been all over the place, but I don't think it's the radical Leftists that have made it easy for just about anyone, who hasn't been guilty of a felony, to buy a gun legally. My Republican governor did away with background checks to carry concealed. I'm pretty sure he's not a radical Leftist. So while I have no doubt there is crime in Seattle, I don't think it's due to radical Leftism.

Regardless of location, it's the far right that has worshipped guns and made it impossible to create reasonable gun laws. And, we have SCOTUS to thank for their help in creating the most insane gun culture I've ever seen.

The point is that its the policies of the politicians running the city (most, if not all, lefties) that are largely responsible for the civil disorder that is taking place in Seattle. The political leanings of those doing the crime is not really the issue.

While public policy likely has an impact regarding some drug use, homeless encampments, etc... I think the idea of it being responsible for "civil disorder" seems misplaced. The rural portion of the US has seen gun violence / violence in general, increase as it has in urban areas. This implies a much larger trend that Seattle politics and public safety management.

Though I find it hilariously comical, people against gun reform complaining about gun violence.

You seem to have taken liberties with what I said. I used the words "largely responsible" whereas your rehash of what I said is, "... I think the idea of it being responsible for "civil disorder"..., which implies that I said its "solely responsible". You on the other hand, seem to have overly minimized city policy influence by use of the language, "... likely has an impact on some..." which leaves open the option that it may not have any responsibility at all. Which seems to be far more incredulous than my use of the word "largely".

With regard to the being "against gun reform" comment, is that directed towards me? If so, perhaps you can remind me of what my stance is on gun reform. I keep forgetting.

 

[Elixir]

seem to have overly minimized city policy influence by use of the language, "... likely has an impact on some..." which leaves open the option that it may not have any responsibility at all.

I suspect that it is minimal. That kind of crap is going on here now - a town of under 10k residents. Trumpsuckers flaunting guns in public, even as teen marauders from Texas and elsewhere wreak havoc on local small retailers.
I always thought it was because we became a “famous” tourist destination.
Now I learn it’s because leftists have displaced the redneck cowboys who used to be in charge.

perhaps you can remind me of what my stance is on gun

Didn’t you say that every American child should be issued a semi-auto .223 long gun upon surviving to the age of 12?
Please correct me if it’s something else.

 

[thebeave]

seem to have overly minimized city policy influence by use of the language, "... likely has an impact on some..." which leaves open the option that it may not have any responsibility at all.

I suspect that it is minimal. That kind of crap is going on here now - a town of under 10k residents. Trumpsuckers flaunting guns in public, even as teen marauders from Texas and elsewhere wreak havoc on local small retailers.
I always thought it was because we became a “famous” tourist destination.
Now I learn it’s because leftists have displaced the redneck cowboys who used to be in charge.

perhaps you can remind me of what my stance is on gun

Didn’t you say that every American child should be issued a semi-auto .223 long gun upon surviving to the age of 12?
Please correct me if it’s something else.

Naw, you're mixing me up with someone else. I'm the "hand grenades for all 4th graders" guy.

 

[Gospel]

Consider the classic film 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.' Just like in the movie, you can't always tell a person's intentions simply by their appearance. While some may wear political affiliations on their sleeves, it doesn't mean they all hold harmful intent. However, when an atmosphere is created where threats are commonplace, it's natural to tread carefully, much like how Clint Eastwood's character would do in present Florida. Differentiating between genuine threats and mere political displays is important, but that doesn't mean prioritizing safety is any less. We should also appreciate hard-working immigrants, much like the townspeople valued saviors in Western films. They bring skill and dedication, helping to build and uplift our communities.

I recognize the frustration they might feel regarding the portrayal of the Republican party in the media. It often appears that their only narrative about immigrants is...

Immigrants are predominantly criminals!!
Immigrants take away jobs from American citizens!!
Immigrants are a drain on the U.S. economy!!
Most immigrants are in the U.S. illegally!!
Immigrants don't want to assimilate!!
Refugees are a security threat!!

I can relate when discussing intra-community violence within the Black community. I genuinely want to help, but often have to navigate through misconceptions and preconceptions before my voice is heard and my intentions are recognized. All while having to be cautious of my own safety around both criminals and law enforcement.

Isn't it striking that with so many immigrants in America, we rarely hear their voices? Perhaps the prevailing negative narratives discourage them from speaking out. Personally, I'm growing tired of being in a similar situation.


Edit: Apologies for not being clear on how this applies to the topic. The way negative stereotypes and misconceptions about immigrants are amplified by media and politics mirrors the claims about leftists (and, by implication, right-wingers) being unruly. Such broad generalizations tend to eclipse the nuanced stories and experiences of individuals.

 

[TSwizzle]

I have no problem with anyone wearing a political t-shirt, even if I don't support the candidate, but I know based on the many articles I've read about the threats that a lot of the hardcore gun loving Trump supporters have made towards those who oppose Trump, or who are involved with prosecuting him, make me hesitate to use my own free speech.

What were you going to use your free speech for exactly? I suspect you were going to go all Karen on his ass.

I'd be happy to have some of the newest arrivals come to my city. Every immigrant from the Southern border I've met has been a good person. They have been hard workers, and friendly. When I need work done on my home, I always prefer immigrants. They usually do the best work at a competitive price.

By competitive what you really mean is cheaper. And this is exactly why we need so many of these immigrants who will work for less than the arbitrary minimum wage.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I just got back from having lunch, and I sat behind a guy who was wearing a shirt that said, "WANTED for president. Donald Trump". It had a big ugly picture of the ugly asshole in-between the words. ( Trump, not the ugly guy wearing the shirt ) Since the guy was openly carrying a gun, I didn't want to tell my husband what the shirt said because Trump supporters are crazy enough to shoot someone if they think you dislike Trump. It's not the Lefty politics! It's the fucking guns. I'm old and I've never seen anything like this in my life. People shooting each other over road rage, over driving down the wrong driveway, knocking on the wrong door, not happy with the food you ordered in a restaurant so you shoot the cashier, etc. etc. Murders are down slightly in ATL this year, but people are still getting shot over insane things. It's the fucking guns!

Yeah, he's run afoul of the law for his actions as president. The shirt is accurate, although not as intended.

 

[TomC]

What were you going to use your free speech for exactly? I suspect you were going to go all Karen on his ass.

So, instead of responding to what SoHy said, you're just going to make up something and attribute it to her?
Tom

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

For those who prefer clarity over needlessly complex statements: Collective responsibility & oversimplifications = bad.

As usual, it depends. Gangs like Crips, Bloods, Aryan Brotherhood sanction violence. If leaders who make the gang rules sanction murders, then they are responsible. If some gang member drives the getaway car and the robber gang member murders a victim, the driver is held responsible for murder in most states. Because they know violence is always a possibility. Then to proceed is accepting responsibility.

 

[Bomb#20]

Trumpsuckers flaunting guns in public,

Yes!! Finally!!! Somebody who knows the difference between flaunting and flouting!

Didn’t you say that every American child should be issued a semi-auto .223 long gun upon surviving to the age of 12?
Please correct me if it’s something else.