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

[Dalak]

I don't think you believe this. I hope not.

Even if you have a really low impression of your political opponents, you should be willing to accept the way they'll justify actions to themselves. Protecting children is a common justification even for the wrong.

Legislators aren't against hormone therapy for teenagers because they secretly think it's a good policy but have some other ulterior motive. They'll use backwards reasoning to conclude that the policies they were going to support anyway are best for families and children.

The society questions get into other topics. A major distinction is that progressives are more likely to believe it takes a village (this was the title of Hillary Clinton's book) while conservatives are more likely to prefer some kind of mix (IE- it's more about institutions they opt into; it's the church and neighbors your parents trust rather than the village.)

The law in Florida could be better, and there is an argument that it's intentionally vague in order to chill speech. That said, there are some things that ordinary people may be concerned about that go beyond a teacher casually mentioning their partner in class. I posted this a few weeks ago, but Illinois made curriculum material available that some parents may be opposed to.

https://sites.google.com/district65....tq-equity-week

Preschoolers are reading about Harvey Milk and pride flags. First graders learn about introducing themselves with their preferred pronouns. There are physical education activities involving pride week.

Why is a week about respecting the LGBT among us something that must be opposed by anyone? Is there any evidence at all that these activities are being used to actively influence children to change their sexual preferences? I'm not even sure they should have one at first grade/well before puberty.

I've written about a few of Trump's lies. Usually by the time I notice it, someone else will have brought it up.

Because of the political leanings, I usually don't need to inform people of arguments against Republican leadership. But when Democratic leadership lies and disparages people, it's a topic you guys are either unaware of or not inclined to bring up.

As I've pointed out before, complaining about or refusing to support Trump when you defend or support those who support him does nothing and means nothing in the long run, but the goalpost here was congressional leadership. Have you criticized them even in a response more than once or twice since Obama was elected? Because from the shouted "You Lie!" and before there have been many elected folks on the GoP side to accuse those they disagree with directly of lying and insult them before/during/after. Far more than Nancy Pelosi, but it was her that got you so upset you had to post about it.

The discussion would have been faster if it just had been agreement. But once there's disagreement, we're going to have more posts on a topic. There's noting wrong with this, but it means that reasonable people can defend are more likely to be discussed than things that no one reasonable would support.

I have no idea what this means, could you please clarify?

The quote I used "the number of students brought up as girls identifying as transgender" is an accurate description, regardless of whether you think they were brought up correctly or incorrectly.

I'm sympathetic on the difficulty of referring to correct terminology on these issues. That was all.

And responding to your use of the word Girls I used Boys and then you went on about my word use instead and haven't brought up anything but mentions of this study which seems to be the only real thing that informs your opinion on young females transitioning at a rate FAR more than young males.

With history, many conservatives will just group that under reading and writing. It's something people read about and write about.

There isn't one conservative view and there isn't one progressive view, which complicates arguments on the sensitive and important questions of what minors should be taught at school when it comes to sensitive topics.

There is one conservative view regarding CRT (the pervasive boogeyman that the guy who caused it to become mainstream has admitted they are trying to use as an umbrella to collect every liberal idea under to vilify and has been shown to spread misinformation about on many occasions) and that view is it's everywhere and influences decisions in most schools across the country. This is a view that you yourself have put forward and defended without any proof whatsoever when asked to provide it.

Another is regardless of whether they believe in Evolution or not, that children in school should be able to question it and claim that their religious beliefs trump evidence without any sort of actual study or proof. Regardless of whether a few older students might have put in the time to I'm fairly sure that any kids in elementary school were handed this argument by their parents to regurgitate at the teachers and that is wrong.

And there is the one coming out that any mention of LGBT in schools should be eliminated, which is becoming more and more popular despite it being clear bigotry and not being rallied against by good GoP voters/legislators/pundits who decide things based on their morals and object to folks like Trump.

[Malvolio]

Shapiro, following DeSantis' lead, arguing that companies that engage in social progressivism should be punished. This seems like a pretty terrible precedent that DeSanthis has set, but of course, it will be embraced whole heartedly to 'own the libs' and punish their voters as well.

Republicans are the pro-abuse party.

So the only reason a corporation changes its practices to the left is to appease "the woke mob?" Is that it? They couldn't possible be doing it because they realize that people on the left have money to spend, too? Shapiro is so full of shit, his nickname should be "Commode."

[Dalak]

Shapiro, following DeSantis' lead, arguing that companies that engage in social progressivism should be punished. This seems like a pretty terrible precedent that DeSanthis has set, but of course, it will be embraced whole heartedly to 'own the libs' and punish their voters as well.

Republicans are the pro-abuse party.

Isn't this sort of thing a continuation of Trump's attacking institutions & businesses which disagreed with him and using the power of the President to do what he could to punish them for it? It's like the majority of what the GOP is focused on nowadays is emulating or obeying the orange shitgibbon no matter what.

[CaptainEurope]

Saw my kid's childhood friend the other day. Asked her how her dad is doing and she said he died this Jan of COVID. We are living as if COVID is gone.

490 covid deaths reported in the US yesterday. 234 in smaller Germany.
When the plane crash killed 140 people a few weeks ago, we got 5 days of breathless coverage.

[Tendrin]

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog...nder-the-waves

You can look at the full thread to see all of what he was talking about. But the gist was the “grooming” discourse I mentioned here and here. In short, the entire bundle of conversations about transgenderism, gender identity and homosexuality have been very suddenly repackaged as “grooming” and “pedophilia.” Any discussion of gender identity or homosexuality in schools is now “grooming” kids for pedophiles. Even same sex marriage — which is, of course, by definition for adults — is another part of the “grooming” agenda. Disney is now routinely attacked as a hotbed of “grooming” and pedophilia as a downstream effect of the corporation begrudgingly taking a position against Florida’s “don’t say gay” law.

ou may have seen this story today about the Michigan Republican who sent out fundraising texts with a faux appointment confirmation for “your child’s gender reassignment surgery.” Perhaps you saw this viral video of a speech by Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow (D) lashing out at a Republican colleague who accused her of “grooming and sexualizing” children in a fundraising email. (Michigan, amirite?) Or maybe you remember high flying degenerate Marjorie Taylor Greene calling Democrats “the party of pedophiles … the party of princess predators from Disney … the party of teachers … trying to transition their elementary school age children.” These aren’t just a few random weeds popping up on your lawn. They’re part of a vast welling up from the deep recesses of the earth that you just heven’t fully seen yet.

Now, naturally, these efforts rely on the beliefs and efforts of willing liars and gormless rubes who will soft peddle their lies about what's taught in first grade.

But either way, the radical right wants to kill Americans.

[4saken1]

That's an interesting statistics. Can't say it surprises me, wonder what the reasons are. More laws targeting minorities and/or human rights? More bullies in general? Better access to guns? All of the above?

There are probably several factors. In addition to those you stated, having less money spent on mental health issues (because funding that would require taxation, which they are opposed to) is also likely a factor. Higher rates of poverty is also likely contributes to those numbers. Homosexuals and transgendered people living unhappy closeted lives for fear of coming out because they live in a state where being bigoted AF is accepted, if not openly endorsed, probably plays a part in it as well.

[4saken1]

Meanwhile, the right has turned to accusing anyone who disagrees with them of being a 'groomer'. Meanwhile....



https://www.nationalmemo.com/-2657200953

Thanks for those links. I'm sure that somebody somewhere must have a similar list supporting the idea that DeMoCrAtS ArE JuSt As BaD!

[numberthirty]

Time will tell. Your country is not called "Litigation Nation" for nothing.

Everybody on that plane entered into a contract with the airline under the assumption there would be masks on board. Some hated the idea, to some it was a comfort and possibly the only reason they took the risk. The airline chose to change the rules while people were trapped in the plane. If you don't see judges and juries taking umbrage with that, you've lived a sheltered life.

Politely?

There is a world of difference between "Judge/Jury will take a degree of umbrage..." and "Someone will be awarded 'Sued The Pants Off Of Them...' damages..."

As for the plane in question?

How many folks will even have actually caught covid?

How many of those folks who theoretically do catch covid actually catch a case that is not along the "Mild Cold..." as far as how tough it is?

You start setting aside the number of folks on any given flight who will be a complete non-issue in a "Sue The Pants Off Of Them For Damages..." scenario?

It's going to start to become more unlikely. Never mind actually being able to wind a settlement in that ballpark.

[numberthirty]

Saw my kid's childhood friend the other day. Asked her how her dad is doing and she said he died this Jan of COVID. We are living as if COVID is gone.

Man, this one isn't quite as simple as that.

While I am living in a state where this is currently the position of a formerly "Seriously Pro Mitigation..." governor?

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/04...pritzker-says/

Illinois Is Prepared If There’s Another COVID Wave As Cases Go Up, Pritzker Says

“Even though we’ve seen a rise in cases — and, by the way, that doesn’t even include the cases that probably are occurring where people are testing at home and not reporting … — but even with a rise in cases, and including those, we’re not seeing a rise in hospitalizations,” Pritzker said. “It’s very small upticks and even downticks all across the state; but on balance, we’re not seeing a significant rise or really any rise right now” in hospitalizations.

Chicago health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has shared similar views recently, noting earlier this week the city’s daily COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are at all-time lows during the pandemic while cases have gone up.

That said?

I am still doing my brother's grocery runs because we are agreed that trying to make it as difficult as we can for covid to make the leap from the folks he works with to the folks I will be in the grocery store with still makes the most sense for a while going forward.

He is still wearing a mask. I am still wearing a mask.

That said?

He has told me that he is the only person at his workplace doing so. In a "Garden Variety..." trip to a grocery store/Target/Wal Mart/Walgreens? I'd ballpark that, maybe, ten percent of folks are still actually wearing a mask.

If you stop by a McDonalds drive through for an iced tea?

They seem to be sticking to masks. That said, I tend to suspect that is more about attempting to hold on to the workers that they have(a local "Mom And Pop..." bakery/diner is still closed on Tuesdays because they are short staffed...) than any attempt at slowing spread of covid.

[Tami]

Rapper Residente makes case for Latinos to reclaim 'America'

And with "This Is Not America," his first single in over 18 months, the Puerto Rican performer does just that. He disputes the assumption that the term "America" refers just to the United States instead of two continents making up of 35 countries (23 in North America, 12 in South America) — including many Spanish-speaking ones.

“America is not the name of a country, it’s the name of a continent,” Residente told NBC News. “The title of the song, ‘This Is Not America,’ is from their point of view, not my point of view,” he said about people who refer to the United States as “America.”

[Tami]

QAnon Star Who Said Only ‘Idiots’ Get Vax Dies of COVID

[Gray Lensman]

Rapper Residente makes case for Latinos to reclaim 'America'

I can understand where he is coming from, but the U.S.A. isn't the only United States either. Citizens used to refer to their state rather than thier country, and when they referred to the whole called themselves "Columbians" which didn't work after another country decided to use it as an official name.

[Catlady in training]

Just read that secretary Blinken and Austin are to come to Ukraine.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

QAnon Star Who Said Only ‘Idiots’ Get Vax Dies of COVID

Play stupid games, win terminal prizes. Thoughts and prayers, yo!

[Mister Mets]

You say this as Republicans keep putting laws into place against trans athletes, a *minority of a minority*, and rile up their base against these kids in schools. You say this as as Republicans constantly strip women's abortion rights all across the country, resulting in women being forced to have children in situations where they can't support their new child. You say this as Republicans vote down every single gun law without fail even after 20 children were murdered in there school. You say this as Republicans oppose things like extending the free school lunch program. I could go on and on, but what's the point.

You appear to be a reasonably intelligent and informed person so it worries me that you seem unable to actually articulate the views of people you disagree with.

As a sidenote, we should all be able to agree that this is something that we can pull off, right? We don't have to agree with other people, but we should be able to articulate their views. We should all understand that different people will have different sources of information and frames of reference.

We may disagree on policies regarding trans athletes in schools, but the Republican opposition comes with two perspectives. The first is that it is unfair to expect female athletes to compete with male athletes, just as it would be unfair to have a failed NFL player return to college football or for a middleweight boxer to fight a bantamweight. The second is that we shouldn't incentivize major lifestyle changes like sex-change operations. This is probably the wrong way to see things, but many Republicans view all trans people as being in need of mental health services, suffering the equivalent of something like anorexia.

The arguments against abortion have been shared in numerous contexts. If someone is primed to view it as a matter of life and death, pro-life advocacy is completely sensible.

The typical policies suggested to end school shooting do not seem to be all that effective, which leads to an understanding from people familiar with American gun laws that Democrats want to go further but that it is politically difficult to do so.

We haven't discussed the school lunch extension questions on this thread much, but the basic argument is that an $11 billion dollar Covid relief program was not meant to be permanent. We can look at earlier statements to determine whether that was an unrealistic expectation, and whether people supporting a law passed during the pandemic expected it to be permanent.