All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Mister Mets]

A lot of people have said that if Sandy Hook didn’t result in real and lasting gun control laws, nothing would, and that grim prediction has been proven right. Sadly, yesterday’s horror won’t change anything either. Even worse, in the eyes of right wingers, they’re no doubt elated because the “right” people, namely people of color were killed instead of whites. The fact I haven’t seen the usual empty “thoughts and prayers” platitudes since yesterday justifies that opinion.

I've seen no hint that right-wingers are happy about a mass murder.

What systematic program to radically improve gun control is Democratic Party actioning? Or any senior Democrat politician consistently advocating day after day?

( I take it as read that Republican Party isn’t busting a gut to change things, but puzzled that really there doesn’t really seem any strong appetite in Democrat Party to change gun laws.)

This is a fair point. The policies that Democrats propose on gun control aren't likely to have a significant impact.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/nationa...ded-re-embrace

He even killed a retired Buffalo cop who was working security there. I wonder how Payton Jimboboii was arrested? I'm asking for...science.

This has been covered in the news.

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/t...fbeaf848c.html

It seems he was tackled while removing his gear.

That's because it doesn't work in other situations, but it does fit perfectly for abortions. It's 100% a value judgement, if your values don't allow you to think of it as an option for any reason then great I fully support you not getting one, but that individual value cannot and should not be applied to others who do not hold that value.

And again, it's not that voters are confused about 14 weeks they are ignorant on when exactly it even begins and their education tells them that in lay terms the second trimester begins when the fetus begins to develop observable human features and is viable with medical intervention. It does not break it down week by week.

By the same token, a lot of laws are value judgements. These are things we have to determine. What tradeoffs are acceptable and what aren't?

The questions about the morality of abortion, or when life begins (which is certainly an important aspect of it) shouldn't be based on what individuals believe. There are unresolved questions that would be quite meaningful.

[Tendrin]

Though certainly not an easy task, it’s important that we stay engaged with what conservatives are pushing on the state level before hateful bills make it all the way to a governor’s desk. In an ideal world, such bills would be small potatoes, but thanks to the Republican Party’s bliss in stirring outrage over marginalized people simply existing, we have many, many heinous bills bubbling up all over the nation.

One such bill is stewing in South Carolina, as highlighted over at South Carolina United. The South Carolina state Senate passed H 4608 last week in an attempt to ban trans youth from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity. Sadly, there is nothing surprising about this move. More recently, however, the same Senate voted to pass H 4776, misleadingly titled the “Medical Ethics and Diversity Act,” which would essentially permit medical providers, health care institutions, and insurance companies to deny care to LGBTQ+ people based on their religious, ethical, or moral beliefs, as covered by local outlet ABC News 4. If signed into law, these workers would be protected from any civil, administrative, or criminal penalties.

I dunno, guys, but this seems kind of bad.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/202...st-LGBTQ-folks

[ed2962]

NEW: A mass shooter in Buffalo, NY who killed at least 10 people had posted a manifesto online espousing the White Replacement Theory, per
@BNONews

White Replacement Theory has been long promoted and championed by Tucker Carlson on Fox News.

https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/...81101623758848

********************

The Buffalo shooter's manifesto focuses on "White birth rates."

The Supreme Court's opinion overturning Roe cites the "domestic supply of infants."

This is not a coincidence.

https://twitter.com/TristanSnell/sta...19883404304387

********************

Hey New York - remember consequences?

@EliseStefanik
bought Facebook ads pushing 'great replacement theory' claiming white people are intentionally being replaced by migrants.

IMO, her words encouraged hate and division and the type of violence we witnessed in Buffalo today.

https://twitter.com/donwinslow/statu...56144059846658

I'm waiting for certain right wing pundits to twist this and say that this proves that the shooter was actually a leftist

[Panfoot]

I dunno, guys, but this seems kind of bad.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/202...st-LGBTQ-folks

I can't wait to hear the (few) LGBT Republican's be vaguely annoyed and at confused at this for a couples days before continuing on as business as normal, while the rest tell us how LGBT people are all a bunch of pedophiles and this is only exercising their religious freedom.

[Panfoot]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...entes-1353392/

Didn't even wait until the bodies were cold to start deflecting.

[Kirby101]

This is a fair point. The policies that Democrats propose on gun control aren't likely to have a significant impact.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/nationa...ded-re-embrace

So since you agree that the Dems efforts are futile, do you agree with doing nothing and even doing away with gun restrictions like the GOP is doing? Or the extreme measures this writer is suggesting?

[Tami]

Twitter Link

I am absolutely hooked on this song, and the video is haunting. To think it almost never made it out of Ukraine.

[Tami]

N.J. bishops call Murphy’s abortion proposals ‘a direct attack on dignity and sanctity of life’

While these Bishops are idiots.....

“A person’s ability to access abortion care should not depend on how much money they make,” the governor said.

The governor signed a bill in January that enshrined abortion rights into state law, anticipating the majority-conservative U.S. Supreme Court would render a ruling overturning or restricting Roe V. Wade in June.

But the legislation had been stripped of provisions that would have required state-licensed insurance plans to cover the cost of abortion care. Socially conservative Democrats in the state Senate and Assembly had refused to support it, privately saying they didn’t want to make it “too easy” to terminate a pregnancy.

I won't deny that, if I was in the State Legislature, it is possible that I might have agreed with removing the requirement for Insurance to cover the cost, or at least looked for a compromise. Probably requiring Insurance to cover abortion procedures that are medically necessary to save the life of the mother, as determined by a Doctor. Or for those under the age of 16.

[kidfresh512]

Texans asked to limit electricity use after six power plants go down ahead of a hot weekend

After six power plants went down unexpectedly Friday — and with hot weather expected across Texas this weekend — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Friday evening is asking consumers to conserve electricity through Sunday.

Texans are asked to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or above between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. this weekend and to avoid using large appliances at home during those same times.

A spokesperson for ERCOT, which operates the state’s main power grid, told The Texas Tribune he does not expect there to be electricity blackouts this weekend.

You would think people would be tired of this by now. In a state this big , that gets this hot after people already died from power outages and the high profile issues with the grid. Abbot spends his time with expensive stunts at the border building the wall, interrupting the supply chain with inspections that lead to nothing. Bussing immigrants to DC for publicity. Voter suppression laws, and anti abortion, anti LGBT policies. Its baffling really how he even has a chance to be re elected.

[Kirby101]

Texans asked to limit electricity use after six power plants go down ahead of a hot weekend



You would think people would be tired of this by now. In a state this big , that gets this hot after people already died from power outages and the high profile issues with the grid. Abbot spends his time with expensive stunts at the border building the wall, interrupting the supply chain with inspections that lead to nothing. Bussing immigrants to DC for publicity. Voter suppression laws, and anti abortion, anti LGBT policies. Its baffling really how he even has a chance to be re elected.

Because the GOP has convinced enough people that "Bussing immigrants to DC for publicity. Voter suppression laws, and anti abortion, anti LGBT policies" is more important to them than things like healthcare, energy and jobs.

[Tami]

The rise of domestic extremism in America

Domestic terrorism incidents have soared to new highs in the United States, driven chiefly by white-supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The surge reflects a growing threat from homegrown terrorism not seen in a quarter-century, with right-wing extremist attacks and plots greatly eclipsing those from the far left and causing more deaths, the analysis shows.

The number of all domestic terrorism incidents in the data peaked in 2020.

[Catlady in training]

In addition, the situations you pose, like mandating blood transfusions and kidney donations (which do have significant risks), require a state legislature to make the law and for a Governor to approve it. There's no hint that there's the political will for it.

So does pregnancy.

I am absolutely hooked on this song, and the video is haunting. To think it almost never made it out of Ukraine.

I am no fan of rap, but I admit the song is very emotional.
Let's hope they are able to host the contest next year. There were already some exceptions to that: https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/will...eld-in-ukraine

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I can't wait to hear the (few) LGBT Republican's be vaguely annoyed and at confused at this for a couples days before continuing on as business as normal, while the rest tell us how LGBT people are all a bunch of pedophiles and this is only exercising their religious freedom.

I’ve heard and read that Log Cabin Qpublicans support the right only because the GQP keeps their taxes low. Beyond that, those parasites don’t give a damn what happens to everyone else in the LGBTQ community.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...entes-1353392/

Didn't even wait until the bodies were cold to start deflecting.

Not unexpected, though I’ll admit to being mildly surprised right wingers wasted no time hanging that guy out to dry instead of embracing him like they had Kyle Rittenhouse.

[Mister Mets]

So since you agree that the Dems efforts are futile, do you agree with doing nothing and even doing away with gun restrictions like the GOP is doing? Or the extreme measures this writer is suggesting?

This is a good question.

I think it's always important to consider nothing as an option. It would be immoral to spend time, energy and resources to posture against guns, when the same effort on a different less politically loaded issue would be able to save more lives and allow more people to reach their potential. There are often backlashes to efforts at gun policy, with firearms sales increasing every time Democrats hint that they want more restrictions. From the perspective of the Democratic party it's self-destructive (it pisses off swing voters, and the likely failure of the legislation upsets younger activists.)

There may be some other approaches that can work, like ensuring that people who purchase firearms be warned about potential consequences (higher rates of suicide among family members, risk of injury, etc.) or dealing with America's violent culture.

[Kirby101]

This is a good question.

I think it's always important to consider nothing as an option. It would be immoral to spend time, energy and resources to posture against guns, when the same effort on a different less politically loaded issue would be able to save more lives and allow more people to reach their potential. There are often backlashes to efforts at gun policy, with firearms sales increasing every time Democrats hint that they want more restrictions. From the perspective of the Democratic party it's self-destructive (it pisses off swing voters, and the likely failure of the legislation upsets younger activists.)

There may be some other approaches that can work, like ensuring that people who purchase firearms be warned about potential consequences (higher rates of suicide among family members, risk of injury, etc.) or dealing with America's violent culture.

Oh, sure, it's not like that wouldn't be a waste of time, energy or resources. That sounds like an easy fix. Interesting that you think a warning label on a gun would do more good than closing the gun show loophole or universal background checks. Something supported by 84% of voters, INCLUDING 77% of Republicans.
https://morningconsult.com/2021/03/1...hecks-polling/

But I guess doing nothing has worked so far. The problem Mets is that YOUR PARTY LIES about what actions the Democrats actually want to do. What is effective is scaring those voters with outright falsehoods. So what if it results in bore dead bodies.