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

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2020, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” profiled Cody Henson, a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives who served District 113 from 2017 until his resignation in July of 2019. Now, while we were concerned with Henson’s voting record, including how he was the co-sponsor of Voter ID bills to attempt to suppress the vote, or that he co-sponsored a bill to allow guns to church services, or how he voted for a bill to force local sheriffs to cooperate with ICE agents during immigration sweeps…We’d more like to talk about how Henson’s career was undone by accusations from his wife of domestic abuse, which she followed up by getting a protective order against him. Henson was charged with cyberstalking, and plead guilty to avoid jail time, settling for a sentence of 18 months probation for all the mental abuse and harassment he directed towards his wife. At first, he plead guilty, and wanted to finish out at least the rest of his term without resigning, but under pressure to leave office, caved in and announced his resignation in July of 2019. He won’t be missed, and we hope that his wife and children thrive without him lurking about.

On this date in 2021, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” profiled Aaron von Erlinger, a former member of the Idaho House of Representatives who was first appointed to his seat in the legislature by Gov. Brad Little to replace the late Idaho state Thyra Stevenson, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack in May of last year, and he was on the job in June 2020. We’re betting that Little probably regrets the pick, considering that less than ten months into his career, Von Erlinger was accused of raping a 19 year-old intern who works in the state capitol. He resigned in disgrace a month later after the House Ethics Committee found him to have engaged in “conduct unbecoming” of a legislator, and unanimously it voted to recommend his suspension. So even without the crime he’s been accused of being investigated or litigated in court, he f***ed up bad enough that he had to get the boot. Even if the relationship was consensual (we believe the accuser that it wasn’t), it doesn’t exactly track with EEO guidelines within any workplace to date a subordinate, such as say, an intern who’s half your age… so even if his story about the encounter being consensual is true (we don’t believe him), he’s still violated a pretty clear workplace guideline that would warrant action being taken. Aaron von Erlinger was found guilty of rape, and will be sentenced on July 28th. We hope they throw the book, and any other blunt objects they can at him. As this will almost definitely end his political career, we will set aside his profile at this time to cover another wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 1103-55, since this was established in July 2014.


Patricia Giddings

Welcome to what is the 1103rd original profile here at “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day”, where we’ll be discussing Patricia Giddings, who currently serves as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from District 7A, and first found her way into that office back in the 2016 elections. Our reason for profiling Giddings is quite simple… she responded to the news that fellow Republican Aaron von Ehlinger was accused of raping a 19 year old intern within the state legislature, by doxing his accuser online, sharing a link with the Jane Doe’s name and photo with thousands of her followers on social media, calling the allegations nothing more than a “[I[liberal smear job.[/I]” Ehlinger was, of course, found guilty in a court of law, but for her partisan defense, Giddings maligned a victim of rape.

The Idaho state legislature, which currently is decidedly Republican, voted 49-19 to censure Giddings for her actions. At the hearing where she was censured, she did not apologize, and doubled down that she would not have done anything differently.

Yes, that’s all terrible. So is her voting record these past five and a half years, including her attacks on any measure taken by Gov. Brad Little to stop the spread of Covid-19, whether it be vaccine mandates, or even as simple as mask mandates. She also racked up quite a record of transphobia, whether it was banning gender hormone treatments for persons under 18, or prohibiting gender changes on birth certificates. Rounding things out, she was opposed to voting by mail (during a pandemic no less), supported a ban on abortion when a fetal heartbeat can be detected (i.e. at six weeks, before many women realize they’re even pregnant), and placed a vote to ban the teaching of “Critical Race Theory” in schools, even though no one was actually teaching such a thing.

Patricia Giddings attempted to run for Lieutenant Governor of Idaho in the 2022 elections, attempting to replace the quite insane Janice McGeachin, who instead ran for Governor against Brad Little. Good news on both fronts, both Giddings and McGeachin were defeated in the Republican Primary for those seats. In Giddings’ case, other Republicans dropped out of the primary so that her main opponent, Scott Bedke, could more easily defeat her, and keep her as far away from ever having any say in the Governor’s mansion than anyone like her should be trusted to.

This is hopefully the first and last time we profile her.

[AnakinFlair]

It depends on the context. The odds that an individual will be affected are pretty low. It's still going to happen every now and then in a big country with lots of guns and violent maniacs.

Well, considering I got banned for 24 hours on Twitter today, I'll keep this short and civil.

There have been NINTEEN mass shootings in the US THIS MONTH.

Three were in Texas. Two were on the same day.

For reference, look at the map I posted a few pages back.

How's that for context.

[Kirby101]

To put this in context, the GOP's priorities are stopping nonexistent CRT teaching in schools, banning trans and gay kids and promoting white replacement theory.

[Gray Lensman]

That last part is just lazy Mets. For one, it's possible to be concerned about more than one thing at a time and two we do all kinds of things to mitigate deaths from car accidents. We bar people from operating them until they reach a certain age, make people take classes, get licensed, wear seat belts,demand air bags, and there are laws against driving impaired...we don't have nearly that many mitigating factors for guns.

And guess what? Even all that aside your concern about focusing on gun deaths versus auto accidents is misplaced as firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death in adolescents in 2020. And it's not suicides or accidents bringing that mortality issue up above car accidents as it was driven largely by firearm homicides.

And bladder cancer? C'mon! Are you even trying? That's only a rate of 4.2 per 100K while gun deaths were 13.6. And again there are all kinds of health screening programs and funding for cancer research so we're doing a whole lot more to stop people from dying of bladder cancer(and cancer in general) than we are gun deaths.

So kindly stop it with the right wing talking points.

There are researchers trying to reduce cancer deaths. No one is trying to stop them from achieving those goals.

There are engineers trying to reduce auto accident deaths by better design and innovative safety devices. There is no large organization opposing this. Getting access to legally drive a motor vehicle involves mandatory training, licensing, and a mandatory test to prove you learned what is required. Again, no nationally known group trying to prevent this.

We all know the levels of opposition to any attempts to mitigate firearms deaths. Comparing them to other deaths in this country isn't apples to oranges, it's bananas to meteorites.

[useridgoeshere]

Guns are the leading cause of death for kids in the US. That’s the context. More than auto accidents, where, as has been noted, we’ve legislated speed limits, seat belts, child seats, alcohol consumption, mobile phone usage, engineering, and maintenance.

Since I keep having to tell employees to prioritize their mental health and take the time they need after all these mass shootings, as do other folks I’ve talked to, they impact a **** lot of people.

[skyvolt2000]

To put this in context, the GOP's priorities are stopping nonexistent CRT teaching in schools, banning trans and gay kids and promoting white replacement theory.

Or this

https://twitter.com/i/events/1529610195952758784

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed HB 4327, a law that bans abortions from the moment of conception with exceptions for particular cases of rape, incest or to save the life of a pregnant woman, according to AP. The move is considered to be the "strictest abortion ban in the US" making the state the "first in the nation to effectively end availability of the procedure," AP reports. The law, which immediately took effect upon Stitt's signature, does not extend to contraception such as the morning-after pill.

Nice work 42th ranked in education....

With textbooks from 1983 still being used.

[skyvolt2000]

Well, considering I got banned for 24 hours on Twitter today, I'll keep this short and civil.

There have been NINTEEN mass shootings in the US THIS MONTH.

Three were in Texas. Two were on the same day.

For reference, look at the map I posted a few pages back.

How's that for context.

Number 4-5 was close to happening today...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...BingNewsSearch

DALLAS — Just one day after the Uvalde massacre, a Richardson student was arrested inside his high school today after police received reports of an armed man walking toward the campus, police announced. No injuries or gunfire have been reported.

Berkner High School went on lockdown after police received reports of an armed man walking toward the high school Wednesday morning just before 11 a.m.

Police also later found a pistol and a replica AR-15 style Orbeez rifle inside the suspect’s vehicle.

Berkner was taken out of lockdown at 11:45 a.m., after Richardson police said it was safe to do so, the school said in a statement. A nearby elementary school that’s two minutes away from Berkner was also placed on a secure protocol, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported. No weapon was found inside the school, Berkner High School principal Kristy Cage wrote in an email to parents.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...n-17198857.php

Northside Independent School District has lifted the modified lockdowns that were placed at two of its schools after receiving reports of a suspicious person who may have had a gun nearby, according to district officials.

Barry Perez, the executive director of communications at Northside ISD, told MySA that Sul Ross Middle School and Esparza Elementary School were placed on the modified lockdowns at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The hypocrisy of the NRA not allowing guns at a convention featuring Trump also reminds me...

This is the same NRA who had a key member of the organization banging a Russian spy, and who helped Russian oligarchs funnel money into U.S. elections as a foreign asset in 2016.

F*** them and their "patriotism" that means allowing nothing to be done to stop psychopaths from murdering a score of elementary school kids.

It's almost like they've sold out any and all principles to get money without any thought for another living soul. Oh wait, that's exactly it.

And even though a Qpublican (Steve Scalise) was severely injured in that baseball field shooting several years ago, the party still failed to understand, or rather, didn’t give a damn about the dangers normal people like you and me face each and every day from rampant gun violence.

[Tami]

Just gonna leave this here…

[numberthirty]

Just gonna leave this here…

To start with the obvious...

You know what is stopping friends and family of the victims of gun violence from picketing places that sell guns the exact same way folks picket abortion providers?

Absolutely nothing.

Second...

Right or wrong, there is a straight up "In Black And White..." right to bear arms in the document.

As of right now?

There is no "In Black And White..." right to reproductive freedoms in said document.

Probably past time to seriously attempt to get it in there, but that is a separate discussion.

[Tendrin]

There are researchers trying to reduce cancer deaths. No one is trying to stop them from achieving those goals.

Hell, until recently, we weren't even allowed to STUDY gun violence because it might lead to a reccomendation of gun control.

[Tendrin]

As has been already stated, the modern interpretation of the 'right to bear arms' is a fabrication that isn't met by historical reality.

[numberthirty]

As has been already stated, the modern interpretation of the 'right to bear arms' is a fabrication that isn't met by historical reality.

Politely?

Still a non-issue.

What is in the document is there, and it currently amounts to what it amounts to.

There is no version of things where it is not there in writing.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Qpublicans bleating or soon to bleat about how the shooting yesterday shouldn’t be politicized spent all of last week politicizing the baby formula shortage. Hypocrisy, thy initials are G.Q.P.

[GindyPosts]

To put this in context, the GOP's priorities are stopping nonexistent CRT teaching in schools, banning trans and gay kids and promoting white replacement theory.

Oh, and eliminating womens' right to choose whether or not to have an abortion.