I think voting is important, and I will continue to vote, but I also think that more needs to be done. We have hate being pushed all around us, we are more divided now more than ever. How can we have a respectful discourse, and actually have an open-minded discussion when just about everything around us is telling us differently? This terrorist was clearly surrounded by hate, and ultimately consumed by it. I don't think us voting every 2 or 4 years will counter the strength of the hate and the division.
So defensive. I'll note not to engage with you if you're going to respond like this. It's controversial to call people who claim allegiance to ISIS "radicalized Islamic terrorists"? wtf.. What is the shooter? A white supremacist. White folks commit hate crimes. This one did. I condemn him.
You will always have some level of hatred and discourse, especially in the USA.... hell that is part of the outcome of a melting pot. Having said that, yeah voting and getting others to vote will have a profound difference if the majority of people in the country really want to stop the division and double standards.
And although many posters are not explicitly saying that, their actions seem to reflect that they do believe in the overall message. When our president tells us we should ban all Muslims from entering our country, and we don't categorically condemn the fact that the underlying assertion that all Muslims are terrorists is 100% false, then aren't some people in fact agreeing to a certain extent? There was a clip showing Tucker saying that diversity is bad, and a simple question asking if you agree or disagree with that sentiment was not given a simple answer. To me it's similar to the "bad people on both sides" fiasco by our president. Here you should have a slam dunk answer to simply say that white supremacy views are just flat out wrong, but he couldn't even do that. So that seed, that underlying belief, starts to resonate and grow, which then becomes the norm for many people.
I don't mean to come off as defensive at all, and I apologize if you took it that way. I stated that I feel like you made a baseless claim, and I am hoping that you can prove me wrong and show me where in any thread discussing a brown terrorist, we collectively started discussing gun control policies or mental health. Me disagreeing with your or questioning the factual accuracy of your statements is not being defensive. Sorry if it came off like that.
You'll have to wait for this mornings news cycles to create the opinions and responses first. This thread wont have a true direction and purpose until then.
Well I've said only a little on gun access, mental health, and white nationalism in this thread so far. I suppose I feel like I'd mostly be preaching to the choir to say that we have a problem nowadays with racists radicalized on the internet who have easy access to guns. So, I wait for other people to say something dumb so I can jump all over them. Which I suppose is why people end up at gun control, and now increasingly wringing our hands about internet radicalization. We know people have this potential (I'd go further and call more than a potential, but let's proceed with your characterization) and that some will actualize, so what can we do to mitigate the damage. We can offer more mental health services (we say that, though I don't see any more actually being offered), we can flag potential terrorists (with all the civil rights problems that entails), or we can control the tools of killing. Good luck with that. Besides which, I don't think it is the problem. Billions of people live successfully with religion without becoming killers. It only metastasizes in a comparable few. But, try to suppress religion and things will get bad. Do you think it is significant whether he was inspired by Trump or not?
Are you talking about on this board? The vast majority of posters in the D&D are anti-Trump and have been very critical of him. Outside of this board? Yes, they are called Republicans. In the modern USA a majority of people will bend their principles to fit their political party. Having said that, as repugnant and short sighted as I think it is, people in the USA have the right to not like Muslims and vote accordingly. Diversity isn't good or bad. Freedom of expression is what is good and the will of the people to a large extent. I can be mad that it took the USA 100 years to end slavery, or that women couldn't vote less than 100 years ago, or that the Chinese were kept out of the country....... but there is a pattern here that has been consistent.
Watching the video is/was a mistake... The comparison to a video game is pretty apt. He went back in so many times to shoot at piles of people to make sure there were no survivors. He walked and drove down the road murdering people. It was horrifying.
You're cool with me dude. I recall the Orlando shooter of the pulse nightclub, Omar Mateen, who had various links to ISIS but there was a lot of discussion regarding whether he was "real" ISIS guy or if he was just a homophobic closeted guy who took out his frustration on the gay community or if he was someone suffering from mental illness. His case was not straightforward at all.
I'm surprised at how many posters watched it. When I heard that there was video I immediately said, there is no way in hell I'm watching that! I guess it's the forbidden apple. Queensland elected this person?
My criticism wasn't specific to this board honestly, but I don't think that that really matters. The underlying point that I was trying to make (and probably failing to do so) is that we are being divided as opposed to united. We are letting fear and hate guide us, and I just think that is unequivocally wrong, and sad. Politicians have always preyed on the weak and uneducated to control them with fear. But why do we let that continue to be the norm? Ultimately, it's on us as a people. And honestly, this is exactly what the enemies of the United States want. It only benefits them if we become more divided and weaker as a country as a whole.
How stupid is the idea of an Australian complaining about foreigners invading their lands. What an idiot that will burn in hell for his horrible actions.
Another white supremist - and Trump cut funding for those fighting against the spread of white surpemacy. DD
Also the smaller talking points. For example when "Jexodus" was first posted on here. I was like wtf is that, where do these posters even get these stories. Now the president is tweeting about it because he heard from his fox conspiracy afficionados, who read it from somewhere .
