God forbid anyone hint that bigotry motivates the self-righteous indignation of the right-wing—you’re liable to be murdered in the streets. A 17-year-old illegally obtained a military-grade weapon, crossed state lines, and self-righteously declared he was ready to “protect” Kinosha, WI, as if they needed this juvenile delinquent, white supremacist, vigilante. But, hey! Brandishing this weapon, looking for a fight, apparently is his god-given right. The victimizer claimed to be a victim—textbook sociopathic behavior. The bigots breath easy once more …as they chip away at democracy, they hold up flags and declare their patriotism. A bonfire of vanities, once again.
Oh, please. My husband was special forces and he will tell you that quibbling over minor alterations doesn’t make it any less of a military grade weapon. The NRA lobbyists can go f*€k themselves. A shorter barrel is used for close quarters. And you know what else? The BS argument that the 2nd Amendment guarantees a right to own such weapons conveniently ignores phrases like, “a well organized militia…” Rittenhouse is a murderer who illegally obtained his weapon, crossed state lines with it and LIED about his intent to “protect” or render “emergency care”. The bastard doesn’t even have a first aid certificate…
Photos like this (and many others) are showing the ugliness that has been among us, but now is visible for the entire world to see. These ranting, frothing people apparently are so self UNaware, they have no idea how disgusting and pathetic they look to normal, sane people. Maybe they are filled with some sort of demented pride in themselves for behaving like the mentally ill, but whatever they hoped to achieve by such behavior is completely lost by the images they force upon us. Marshall McLuhan wrote about it when he coined the phrase "the medium is the message." We look at those pictures and we get the message. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, we get FAR more in that message than the messenger may have intended.
Thank you so much for your historical perspective and TRUTH: a commodity sorely lacking in our current environment. Our children and grandchildren are charged with doing the right thing, fighting for liberty, justice and equality for ALL. I think I’ve heard those words somewhere. Do you think elected officials will ever have the integrity to implement them? My hope is waning.
Wow. That photo just sums up what the state of the USA is in this early 21st century. Angry people screaming in rage. This union has failed. Half the citizens hate or despise the other half. We're living in a bad, abusive marriage that no longer serves any purpose, far as I can see. D-I-V-O-R-C-E -- split up as amicably as possible -- before something worse happens.
Let the trumpistas have their own country or countries to tear apart and leave the rest to make something better, salvage something worthwhile from the wreckage.
I am truly frightened that we are headed to another civil war. One with no clear-cut geographical boundaries as divided the country in the first civil war. Neighbor v. Neighbor?
Sporadic political and racial violence is easy to imagine and likely will again be tied to events like Inaugurations and Protests. People grabbing a 12 Gauge to kill Neighbors seems unlikely. I think!!
It is a big leap from hating the left / Biden to actually committing preplanned first degree murders of a neighbor(s)- good for about 30 Years in jail or the death penalty. This is complete anarchy with citizens attacking Cops, Army Rangers and the USMC all of whom will shoot back. I do not believe this will take place in the USA in my lifetime. Too many sane people.
not so sure. three or four friends of mine actually entertained the notion of buying guns during the Summer of 2020. they might have done this entertaining for about half an hour, but they entertained it nevertheless. and these are people who would never, EVER have done so in "more" normal times (they could be brought back simply by my saying "yeah, and THEN what?"), so they weren't very serious. but for them to have had the thought was insane.
I make pies weekly for a local group of hunters in exchange for venison and duck and grouse. I am not anti-gun - I am anti-guns used to hunt people. That's what Rittenhouse intended to do and did.
I wasn't talking about that at all...I know it's true (although my own entirely personal opinion is that the 2nd amendment should be abandoned and is responsible for a lot of unnecessary bllodshed). I was talking very specific people. I actually have an old friend or two who're gun nuts (well, one to whom I haven't spoken in a year or two). but not the people was talking about, who abandoned the idea when I asked "what then?"
My neighbor is a Proud Boy, barred from owning guns because he literally went postal 20 years ago (luckily no one was hurt). He owns guns, and cons local hunters into "picking up some ammunition" for him which they don't realize he can't legally buy. And he drove to Washington DC, no doubt fully loaded, for the January 6th insurrection to stop that baby killer with ashes on his forehead from taking office. He threatened me and 2 other neighbors before he left. It can happen in any neighborhood. It can happen in every neighborhood.
Resistance to historical truth is often loud and threatening, but it only ramps up awareness and causes people to think, if only in a dark room. The republicans can win a few elections but not all and eventually they will burn away their support as society changes, and it is changing.
On CRT: When I went to HS in the 1950's and 1960's the whole race thing was up front in our Tahoe-Truckee High School. It was in our history books. It was unvarnished. I remember feeling shame. I remember feeling interested. The shame came from watching men firehose black people thousands of miles away and seeing mad dogs snarling on leashes. Lotta shame at that. Now? I don't feel the shame any longer. What's happened in this country with the polarization has reached a point where I don't care much, not like I once did. Whether they teach CRT or not seems meaningless in a time when they ought to be teaching some way to evade the hate and racial division that seems to permeate everything. Today, everything is racist. I heard a black woman complaining that Climate Change is Racist. Easy math on that one. Then there's the cancel guys. Ask Kevin Hart about that. It goes on and on and on. CRT probably doesn't need to be taught, since it's already a fact.
well, I went to HS in the mid-'60's, took AP American History and even had the lone black teacher in the school teaching it. so for us, the race thing was pretty front and center to begin with. but our required textbook was "The Growth of the American Republic" by Henry Steele Commager and that nasty right-wing prick of a naval historian, Samuel Eliot Morison, which shortly thereafter became notorious for its stated opinion that slavery was much worse for slaveholders than slaves (not to mention the use--I swear this is true...look it up--of the completely un-ironic use of the word "Sambo"). if ever a textbook shrieked to be cancelled, it was THAT one. but I know that nothing about slavery was ever front-and-center and pretty much no details were forthcoming. now, I loathe "cancel culture" and the more extreme crazinesses of P.C. (especially on campuses) as much as any moronic Trumpian, but I'm pretty confident that much of its most extreme aspects will run out of steam because it's just not really sustainable over a long period of time (remember the '80's, when it seemed like half the world had been sexually abused by Satan-worshipping covens EVERYWHERE and people paid lots of money to hypnotized to remember their past lives?). but to tar everybody on the "left"as supporting ALL of this insupportable horseshit is pretty fucking crazy. which brings us to increasingly irrelevant Bill Maher, who seems to believe that this entire agenda is somehow the one endorsed by the whole Democratic party, with its "extreme Left agenda." if he wants to be a schmuck on Fox, that's HIS issue (I'd call it a "problem"), but can we all agree NOT to quote him like he's some tzaddik ( which is to say, NOT a schmuck).
David: Well said. For a small ski town still stuck in the 1800's when I went to HS there, it's interesting how slavery WAS front and center. Maybe it was our teachers. All the male teachers were WWII vets and let us know right down to the battles they were in... All had a view on the south and slavery that set my mind firmly against Southerners in general. Then, not now. That's how hardcore our histories were conquering slavery. I set out to write a book about it about four years ago (after my Mustang Ranch book) and found the subject way too vast and complex. So, what we learned in that tiny country school was probably anomaly in California schools. As far as what's happening right in front of our eyes today? I hope you are correct and it dies a natural death. The divide just gets worse.
God forbid anyone hint that bigotry motivates the self-righteous indignation of the right-wing—you’re liable to be murdered in the streets. A 17-year-old illegally obtained a military-grade weapon, crossed state lines, and self-righteously declared he was ready to “protect” Kinosha, WI, as if they needed this juvenile delinquent, white supremacist, vigilante. But, hey! Brandishing this weapon, looking for a fight, apparently is his god-given right. The victimizer claimed to be a victim—textbook sociopathic behavior. The bigots breath easy once more …as they chip away at democracy, they hold up flags and declare their patriotism. A bonfire of vanities, once again.
Check the length of the barrel.
Oh, please. My husband was special forces and he will tell you that quibbling over minor alterations doesn’t make it any less of a military grade weapon. The NRA lobbyists can go f*€k themselves. A shorter barrel is used for close quarters. And you know what else? The BS argument that the 2nd Amendment guarantees a right to own such weapons conveniently ignores phrases like, “a well organized militia…” Rittenhouse is a murderer who illegally obtained his weapon, crossed state lines with it and LIED about his intent to “protect” or render “emergency care”. The bastard doesn’t even have a first aid certificate…
Photos like this (and many others) are showing the ugliness that has been among us, but now is visible for the entire world to see. These ranting, frothing people apparently are so self UNaware, they have no idea how disgusting and pathetic they look to normal, sane people. Maybe they are filled with some sort of demented pride in themselves for behaving like the mentally ill, but whatever they hoped to achieve by such behavior is completely lost by the images they force upon us. Marshall McLuhan wrote about it when he coined the phrase "the medium is the message." We look at those pictures and we get the message. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, we get FAR more in that message than the messenger may have intended.
Thank you so much for your historical perspective and TRUTH: a commodity sorely lacking in our current environment. Our children and grandchildren are charged with doing the right thing, fighting for liberty, justice and equality for ALL. I think I’ve heard those words somewhere. Do you think elected officials will ever have the integrity to implement them? My hope is waning.
Racism is as American as apple pie, Thanksgiving, and denial.
Wow. That photo just sums up what the state of the USA is in this early 21st century. Angry people screaming in rage. This union has failed. Half the citizens hate or despise the other half. We're living in a bad, abusive marriage that no longer serves any purpose, far as I can see. D-I-V-O-R-C-E -- split up as amicably as possible -- before something worse happens.
Let the trumpistas have their own country or countries to tear apart and leave the rest to make something better, salvage something worthwhile from the wreckage.
Oh, and other classic images were shown in this CNN article today, on a similar theme: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/us/angry-white-men-trials-blake-cec/index.html
I am truly frightened that we are headed to another civil war. One with no clear-cut geographical boundaries as divided the country in the first civil war. Neighbor v. Neighbor?
Sporadic political and racial violence is easy to imagine and likely will again be tied to events like Inaugurations and Protests. People grabbing a 12 Gauge to kill Neighbors seems unlikely. I think!!
Do you see Fuck Biden flags where you live? They are everywhere here in DeSantistan!
I have also seen signs like this in rural Wisconsin.
I haven't seen the flags yet but I did see a vehicle in the grocery store lot last week that had "F**k Biden" written along the top of the windshield.
It is a big leap from hating the left / Biden to actually committing preplanned first degree murders of a neighbor(s)- good for about 30 Years in jail or the death penalty. This is complete anarchy with citizens attacking Cops, Army Rangers and the USMC all of whom will shoot back. I do not believe this will take place in the USA in my lifetime. Too many sane people.
not so sure. three or four friends of mine actually entertained the notion of buying guns during the Summer of 2020. they might have done this entertaining for about half an hour, but they entertained it nevertheless. and these are people who would never, EVER have done so in "more" normal times (they could be brought back simply by my saying "yeah, and THEN what?"), so they weren't very serious. but for them to have had the thought was insane.
A firearm ownership is not uncommon in the USA. I shoot skeet with a 20 gauge double barrel.
I make pies weekly for a local group of hunters in exchange for venison and duck and grouse. I am not anti-gun - I am anti-guns used to hunt people. That's what Rittenhouse intended to do and did.
I wasn't talking about that at all...I know it's true (although my own entirely personal opinion is that the 2nd amendment should be abandoned and is responsible for a lot of unnecessary bllodshed). I was talking very specific people. I actually have an old friend or two who're gun nuts (well, one to whom I haven't spoken in a year or two). but not the people was talking about, who abandoned the idea when I asked "what then?"
My neighbor is a Proud Boy, barred from owning guns because he literally went postal 20 years ago (luckily no one was hurt). He owns guns, and cons local hunters into "picking up some ammunition" for him which they don't realize he can't legally buy. And he drove to Washington DC, no doubt fully loaded, for the January 6th insurrection to stop that baby killer with ashes on his forehead from taking office. He threatened me and 2 other neighbors before he left. It can happen in any neighborhood. It can happen in every neighborhood.
Resistance to historical truth is often loud and threatening, but it only ramps up awareness and causes people to think, if only in a dark room. The republicans can win a few elections but not all and eventually they will burn away their support as society changes, and it is changing.
Tell it like it is, old friend.
Thanks for restating the obvious…it’s facts and not theory that need to see the light of day when it comes to race relations in this country.
Excellent
So true, but so many don't want to hear the truth.
It's like reading children's Bible stories with no mention of all the blood and gore.
Thank you Lucian. Your essays make some of my days hopeful
For your resume, education, writing experience and age, you're woefully naive.
It's quicker than than taking scalps.
On CRT: When I went to HS in the 1950's and 1960's the whole race thing was up front in our Tahoe-Truckee High School. It was in our history books. It was unvarnished. I remember feeling shame. I remember feeling interested. The shame came from watching men firehose black people thousands of miles away and seeing mad dogs snarling on leashes. Lotta shame at that. Now? I don't feel the shame any longer. What's happened in this country with the polarization has reached a point where I don't care much, not like I once did. Whether they teach CRT or not seems meaningless in a time when they ought to be teaching some way to evade the hate and racial division that seems to permeate everything. Today, everything is racist. I heard a black woman complaining that Climate Change is Racist. Easy math on that one. Then there's the cancel guys. Ask Kevin Hart about that. It goes on and on and on. CRT probably doesn't need to be taught, since it's already a fact.
well, I went to HS in the mid-'60's, took AP American History and even had the lone black teacher in the school teaching it. so for us, the race thing was pretty front and center to begin with. but our required textbook was "The Growth of the American Republic" by Henry Steele Commager and that nasty right-wing prick of a naval historian, Samuel Eliot Morison, which shortly thereafter became notorious for its stated opinion that slavery was much worse for slaveholders than slaves (not to mention the use--I swear this is true...look it up--of the completely un-ironic use of the word "Sambo"). if ever a textbook shrieked to be cancelled, it was THAT one. but I know that nothing about slavery was ever front-and-center and pretty much no details were forthcoming. now, I loathe "cancel culture" and the more extreme crazinesses of P.C. (especially on campuses) as much as any moronic Trumpian, but I'm pretty confident that much of its most extreme aspects will run out of steam because it's just not really sustainable over a long period of time (remember the '80's, when it seemed like half the world had been sexually abused by Satan-worshipping covens EVERYWHERE and people paid lots of money to hypnotized to remember their past lives?). but to tar everybody on the "left"as supporting ALL of this insupportable horseshit is pretty fucking crazy. which brings us to increasingly irrelevant Bill Maher, who seems to believe that this entire agenda is somehow the one endorsed by the whole Democratic party, with its "extreme Left agenda." if he wants to be a schmuck on Fox, that's HIS issue (I'd call it a "problem"), but can we all agree NOT to quote him like he's some tzaddik ( which is to say, NOT a schmuck).
David: Well said. For a small ski town still stuck in the 1800's when I went to HS there, it's interesting how slavery WAS front and center. Maybe it was our teachers. All the male teachers were WWII vets and let us know right down to the battles they were in... All had a view on the south and slavery that set my mind firmly against Southerners in general. Then, not now. That's how hardcore our histories were conquering slavery. I set out to write a book about it about four years ago (after my Mustang Ranch book) and found the subject way too vast and complex. So, what we learned in that tiny country school was probably anomaly in California schools. As far as what's happening right in front of our eyes today? I hope you are correct and it dies a natural death. The divide just gets worse.