All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Darkspellmaster]

The campus police should have her number on caller ID by now, so the next time she calls, they should just say, "Give it a rest, honey."

Agreed. This seems to be a habit with her and needs to be stopped, or at least put on record that she has a habit of this and that everyone should proceed with caution when she calls. Actually I think the Dean needs to get involved with this as this would be against the student code of conduct in the handbook and should be getting her strikes for possible academic discipline.

The photo is isn't showing what people think it does. It's not an image of generic military spouses, but of the Air Force Officers' Spouses Club, which raises some different questions (do officers's spouses get more attention than the spouses of the enlisted? why are officers disproportionately white?)

https://taskandpurpose.com/viral-mil...e-tweet-photo/

I will say this much, you raise a good point on the fact that this is the Air force. Normally the most diverse branch of the military is the National Guard and the Army, followed by the coast guard and the Navy and then by the Air force as the least diverse. I'm not sure exactly why that is, or if most poc tend to want to fly for commercial airlines or the Air Force is way more jerks in regard to their selection process. That would account for Some of the issue there, but the fact that they're not showing spouses that are minorities other than one woman, is odd. Unless the spouses chose not to come in protest of the person in the white house, which also makes perfect sense too.

Well, look at who they're posing with. It isn't the brunette First Lady. No, it's the blond First Daughter.

Okay so either Melania was sick at the time, or, straight up Ivanka is the FL and should be officially named that. it's really strange about all of this.

As far as I can remember, I don't think I have ever encountered a white person verbally attacking a Non-white person.

If that changes and I find myself in a public area, a store or wherever, and I am close enough to hear an abusive exchange or something similar....

Any suggestions or recommendations as to what I should do?

Should I intervene? Should I stay out of it? Should I record it on video and post it online? Or something in between, something else? I read about these things happening and I wonder what I would, should, could do or not do in a situation. I am the kind of person who would want to help, but I am not sure what kind of help is best.

While I worked Retail I spoke with a security officer about what to do if I did see this sort of behavior. He told me the following things, and I'm modifying this for a customer.

If you see someone being harassed, the first thing you need to do is go inform security. Tell a clerk to get on the phone and call them.
Secondly record what you are seeing, but don't get in the way of the people directly. The reason is that then security can use that footage as proof to keep them out of the store, and ban them. (Yes this can be done if the person doing the harassing is becoming violent or is a repeat offender, etc.)

Third, if you feel the other person is in danger, act like you know them, and gently steer them away from the harasser.
Fourth, stay out of it directly. The reason being is that the person can then accuse you of starting the issue, or become violent with you.

If you are in an area where there is no security, then you should again try to get the person that is being harassed out of there, and yes film it.
Keep walking away from them. Do not engage them, do not egg them on because it could turn worse. Try to get their name or their car, or something that could be used to identify them with.
Lastly, take that film that you shot to the police, and show them what you saw. There may be very little they can do, but they can, at the very least, canvas the area for the person and bring them in for possible assault, harassment or disturbing the peace.

One thing I'm not is blind. Maybe I just haven't been in the right place at the right time to see or hear it. As you can see fro0m the articles, I know my State is racist, so obviously I'm not blind to it.

I grew up in a city that was, at the time, pretty well segregated. The area I lived in was primarily white, most of the students I went to elementary school with were white, and this was a public school. I didn't start interacting with Black people until high School, and I found some of the White kids caused more trouble than the Black ones.

College was also very diversified, again I never encountered any problems. Maybe they did, but if so I don't remember hearing about it.

I worked in Newark for many years, interacted with people of all races, religions and other backgrounds and never had a problem, never saw a problem. After a year or so, I started being more comfortable walking the streets, but there were places that were, at the time, still suffering from the Urban Blight that plagued Newark ever since the Riots of the 1960's. We had beggars, panhandlers and homeless people on the streets. At the time it was safer to just ignore them. Most of them were Black, but there were a few who weren't.

After I left Newark for another job, I was still working with a very multicultural group of co-workers. Never saw any problems.

So, all I'm saying is that it is quite possible that I've never had the experience of seeing a minority being verbally attacked. Being that I'm White, obviously I'm not going to be a target, unless you count the endless Dumb Polish jokes.

If I ever do see anything, I will post about it here.

I live in an area that is heavily populated by minorites. Hispanic makes up the bulk of our town, and I'm one of the few non poc in the area. It rare for me to see this behavior too because in general there isn't people who would harass others in my area due to race because, as I said, the bulk of the people living there are Hispanic. I've seen some people being jerks about nationality though, and that's a whole 'nother ball game to be sure.

In the last two days I've had:

1. Someone yell "Hurry up, #####", because I pressed a crosswalk button while on my run, that caused them to have to stop their car for 15 seconds. You know, so that I didn't die.

2. A teenager make monkey noises at a light because I honked at him when he tried to cut me off.

I'm sorry that this happened to you. Both of those people are jerks and should be reviled. Honestly, If I was around I'd flip them off for even saying that to someone. Christ, what a bunch of idiots.

Or have that someone who felt threatened whip out a gun and end you with one pull of a trigger. People have been shot for lesser reasons. You're right, it's not worth the trouble that could well escalate if you're not careful.

Yeah I get mad at my dad when he yells at drivers who cut him off because you never know if someone has a gun on them or not anymore.

I would agree with this assessment. I would though, however, get a picture of their license plate and, at the very least, report them for not following the law when it comes to pedestrians, and for driving recklessly.

[Darkspellmaster]

This is why religion sucks sometimes.

Agreed, but in a lot of cases it seems like people tend to use Religion as a means of giving them a reason to do some really crappy things politically.

Come on, dude. Knock this off.

I think he, or she, wants attention?

I remember the time I really realized how generally shitty people still are. When I was in high school, I witnessed someone pull back up the to drive through at Wendys, throw their burger/food in the window because it wasn't made how they wanted it, and yell racial slurs at the workers before driving off.

When I realized it was when I lived up North of Chicago in Crystal Lake IL, and two things happened to me. First I was told that all my friends that lived in my home town were gangsters and that if I went to Chicago all that would happen is that I would get shot. Then the other thing was that because I'm Italian, apparently that makes me a Mafia Princess. Oh and my favorite was that a guy that I thought was a friend of mine, basically said, "My prayers have been answered." when I was leaving school due to my father loosing his job. Yeah people are real creeps.

Meanwhile, over in Jerusalem...

Trump always has the find the worst people for every single thing.

Also, something that sums it alllllllllll up.

Oh for heaven's sake! Urgh, why! Why is this turning into more of a quagmire? 37 people?! Holy hell.

There's a lot of thoughts I have on Israel. Some good, some not so good. But honestly Jerusalem should not, nor should it ever have been, the capital. It's too connected with too many religions that make it impossible to be considered a good place for anything political. I would say leave it as a religious center, sure, but a political one...no.

This is kind of like the old Native American nations and the countries that make up North and South America, right?

Kind of. Kind of not. It's a bit more complicated than that. I don't think religion played that big a role in North American in regard to the Native Americans, but South Americans, it may have.

I'm going to say something I never thought I would: Trump is right, in principle, on the Jerusalem embassy deal. Israel should have the right to place their capitol wherever they want and other countries should respect that by having embassies there. In principle. However, reality doesn't work that way. When you know that innocent people will be killed as result of placing the embassy in Jerusalem, don't put the embassy in Jerusalem. Of course, this wouldn't be even close to the first time that Trump has ignored reality.

Problem one, this wouldn't be an issue if Israel would just allow for a Palestinian state and allow for people to live and let live. I honestly don't think that Jerusalem should be a political capital. Religous center, sure, but poltical no. It has too many ties to too many religions and because of that I honestly think that it should not be allowed to be on the list for Capitals. Also, if you think about it, why would you want to put your Capital when you have better areas for use for this along the coast? Seriously there are way nicer cites than this.

Okay all you degenerate gamblers out there, this one for you:

Supreme Court makes sports betting a possibility nationwide

So does this mean that if you go into a bar you can place bets there? Or am I confusing this? And does that mean that there will be a bookie? Also they do realize this could lead to more mob activity right? The mafia has always had a strong grip on gambling, even legal gambling.

That area has only be a country less than 100 years.

Why is their claim suddenly stronger than that of the other occupants claim for near 2 millennia?

Partly because of the fact that the Torah tells them of the location and for some the holy land is the land heavily implied to be that area based on the old testament. Partly because the area is also a very Mediterranean climate and it's also a huge thing because of a Zionist movement that triggered all this. Thank a Hungarian Journalist for all of this. Also, why the hell hasn't Jordan and freaking Syria given up some land so that there could be a Palestinian state?

That is my issue also. Unfortunately, history is full of people who've lost their homeland. Empires that rise and fall. Fast forward to the 20th Century and the Ottoman Empire lost control of the area around WW1. Then the British stepped in and tried to work something out. But the whole thing was mishandled by the UN after WWII and has been a mess since then. IMO it was guilt over the Holocaust and how no one stopped it until millions had lost their lives that lead to the decision to create Israel. But forcing the people who had lived their for thousands of years into complying with having a new country created on their land was not the way to go.

Not only guilt but also, let's be honest here, there is still a great deal of anti Semitic views in the world and, at that time after WWII I wouldn't be surprised if a reason why so many turned a blind eye to this was that it meant that they could decrease their Jewish population. I'm also going to point out that there's probably a bit there dealing with the fact that people didn't like the Palestinians either. No it wasn't. Honestly the UN should have split things in half, but I have a feeling that also the politicians at the time wanted the nice climate.

[Carabas]

Who attacked who first in 1948? In 1967?

At this point nobody cares and it it doesn't matter.

But it was probably the nations that figured it was okay to plonk down a western-supported country in the middle of the Middle-East, in a location that was already another nation.

[numberthirty]

I grew up in New Jersey. I have relatives in New Jersey.

New Jersey can be really f***ing racist. Like, I have a whole disowned branch of cousins from one aunt where one ended up going to prison and joining an Aryan prison gang, another one married a drug dealer from the Klan. My grandmother, also disowned, uses every racial slur imaginable, provided the group she's disparaging aren't around to hear it, and somehow, that's supposed to make it okay. This was not something relegated to that branch of the family. Every mook who thought of themselves as a tough guy wannabe Soprano would try to look more badass because they could insult groups that weren't "legit" like themselves.

It's not a progressive haven by any stretch.

I'd say that this is probably the case everywhere.

While you might have lucked into not witnessing in, that doesn't mean it's not out there.

[numberthirty]

Okay all you degenerate gamblers out there, this one for you:

Supreme Court makes sports betting a possibility nationwide

It's a step in the right direction.

There is no upside to leaving betting largely in the hands of a black market.

[Iron Maiden]

It's a step in the right direction.

There is no upside to leaving betting largely in the hands of a black market.

Now if they would only think the same way about the drug problem.

[numberthirty]

Now if they would only think the same way about the drug problem.

Don't get me started.

[Mister Mets]

In the Washington Post write-up of the violence in the Gaza Strip, I'm with the Israelis.

But the protests appeared to have a more violent edge than in previous weeks. Some young men brought knives and fence cutters. At a gathering point east of Gaza City, organizers urged protesters over loudspeakers to burst through the fence, telling them Israeli soldiers were fleeing their positions, even as they were reinforcing them.

A truck rolled past carrying young men chanting: “To Jerusalem we go with millions of martyrs” and “Death rather than humiliation.”

Drones dropped canisters of tear gas, sending crowds fleeing. Other drones dropped leaflets that urged demonstrators to say back from the fence.

While some said they would abide by official calls to keep the demonstrations peaceful, others talked about their enthusiasm to break into Israel and wreak havoc.

“We are excited to storm and get inside,” said 23-year-old Mohammed Mansoura. When asked what he would do inside Israel, he said, “Whatever is possible, to kill, throw stones.”

Two other young men carried large knives and said they wanted to kill Jews on the other side of the fence.

The vast majority of demonstrators were unarmed, but near a parking area, a man pulled out an AK-47 and took aim at an Israeli drone dropping leaflets. He let off a stream of bullets into the air and brought it down. Later, more gunfire was heard as Palestinian factions argued over who would keep the downed drown, onlookers said.

[Michael Watkins]

Agreed, but in a lot of cases it seems like people tend to use Religion as a means of giving them a reason to do some really crappy things politically.

from my perspective, that was the origin/function of religion.

[Darkspellmaster]

Melania Trump has been hospitalized for what they claim is kidney surgery - but with that family and that administration, who knows if that is the truth.

I honestly hope she's okay. I mean I don't like her husband, but I don't wish ill will on anyone.

Word around the cyber campfire tells it Dolt45 wasn’t at her side, though that’s pretty understandable. When you’re POTUS, you just can’t go anywhere without a phalanx of Secret Service agents for protection while areas are cordoned off for blocks around as security measures. I’m guessing Trump was probably holed up in the Oval Office watching Faux News and getting a boner over coverage of the opening of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.

What a...there are words for this, but I'm trying to be polite. Also I wouldn't be surprised if while he's away golfing he's having an affair with someone down in Florida.

In news of interest to our minority readers and posters here, a white supremacist gang leader has been killed the other night.

Well that happened.

And it couldn't have happened to a nicer person. Hope there's a level down there where he's being treated to all sorts of incredible pains and punishments.

Besides the point.

When you take a city and name it your capital when there's a difference of opinion if it is even your city to begin with, then you're outright trolling and taunting the world to attack you.

Again this city should not be made a capital. Any other city could work. Just not this one! Make it a religious center.

One thing he apparently has in common with Kim Jong Un.

No surprise there. He's always been like this, my issue is that I'm more scared of Kim being the first to decide, hey let's see who's more into playing chicken.

Who attacked who first in 1948? In 1967?

I'm sure there are a lot of revisionist accounts that find complete fault with Israel, and at least some of the criticisms are probably justified. But the various Arab republics have often show bellicosity without being "taunted," and a lot of that stems from the use, or misuse, of religion.

Okay so your first situations were in the later part of the 1800s when you had Jewish people migrating to what is now Israel, this increased to the point by the time WWII hit 33% of the country was Jewish. During this time you had the Arab Revolt in 1936 to 1939 which was a mostly anti british and anti Zionist attack because of econamic issues. Let's put it this way, if it was being reported on today, there would be a lot of people decrying everyone involved in this as there was a lot of innocent people, Arab, British and Jewish killed in this revolt, and people still don't talk about it.

In the final fifteen months of the revolt alone there were 936 murders and 351 attempted murders; 2,125 incidents of sniping; 472 bombs thrown and detonated; 364 cases of armed robbery; 1,453 cases of sabotage against government and commercial property; 323 people abducted; 72 cases of intimidation; 236 Jews killed by Arabs and 435 Arabs killed by Jews; 1,200 rebels killed by the police and military and 535 wounded.[80]

Following this you had the King David Hotel terrorist attack by the right wing Zionists, and then the Arab strike which lead to a number of attacks on Jewish people, who eventually did fight back, and by 1948 it was Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq that started things, followed by Yemen, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan coming in. Jewish people said they were trying to drive them into the sea (which some leaders actually wanted to do) the Arab League said they wanted to restore Law and order and stop the blood shed. It's a we say, they say situation.

Not enough is talked about the British colonizing the Palestinians, not enough is talked about how a lot of the issues between both groups actually stem from Britain and their choices there pre WW2.

[Tazirai]

Let’s not reduce a complex situation to evil bad guys and noble rebels. That’s not the world we live in. Many of the Palestinian protesters(stirred up by Hamas) attacked the IDF and tried to breach the border fence. The IDF probably(definitely) used excessive violence. Both sides acted reprehensibly.

Israeli Deaths and Casualties = 0

Yet "HAMAS" ramped up the People?

Please.

Someone invades your house, you're not allowed to protest or defend that? Liberals need to stop blaming HAMAS for everything. Just like we need to stop blaming Russia for everything. Religion to me as an Atheist doesn't help, and much of the troubles in the Middle East have to do with some morons wanting Armageddon to happen in Megiddo. That's why American Evangelicals LOVE Israel.

It's also why Democrats don't grow a spine and condemn Israel.

I'm not saying that Palestine is the Rebellion (Not all the Rebels were Good either), But when an occupying force is stealing your land with the help of the Galactic Empire what do you want them to do?

Hell in America Black Males don't want to be murdered, we can't sleep, eat, protest, etc. What do you want people to do?

[KurtW95]

Well, I for one am overjoyed that reality has been recognized with the embassy move and I don’t give a damn about the death of terrorists sent by Hamas to storm the border in attempt to kill Jews. The fact that so many people have bought into this propaganda that Israel is somehow the aggressor really gives you an idea of how the Nazis rose to power. Very troubling, but today was ultimately a good day for good in the world.

[Tendrin]

Yes, clearly the Palestinian propaganda is the effective one here as you cheerlead dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

[InformationGeek]

Good day for good in the world?

BREAKING: The number of Palestinians killed today in Gaza has now increased to 58 - that includes children, women, the disabled, and a paramedic.

A total of 2,771 wounded, including 12 journalists and 17 paramedics - with over 1,000 of them being shot.

[Kevinroc]

Yes, clearly the Palestinian propaganda is the effective one here as you cheerlead dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

"Party of life," everybody.