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Author Topic: Politics: 2016 Lame Duck and 2017 New Administration  (Read 252714 times)
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SMiLE Brian
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« Reply #775 on: October 16, 2017, 03:38:18 PM »

SMiLE parody from Tim Heidecker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_QYUBwFl5g
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And production aside, I’d so much rather hear a 14 year old David Marks shred some guitar on Chug-a-lug than hear a 51 year old Mike Love sing about bangin some chick in a swimming pool.-rab2591
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« Reply #776 on: December 28, 2017, 04:59:55 PM »

Well, taxes are changing. Anyone opting to prepay 2018 property taxes? I will say this for the new tax bill... it could have been worse! The initial House bill could have passed. I think the House/Senate compromise helped many middle class families avoid a tax increase. It much more resembles an actual across the board cut now. At least in the short term. Obviously, the real cuts (and complexity Huh) are on the business side. Pray for the deficit.
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18thofMay
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« Reply #777 on: February 14, 2018, 07:05:08 PM »

f*** the NRA!
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« Reply #778 on: February 21, 2018, 09:47:48 PM »

I am so proud of our children for standing up and doing what the grownups refuse to do, namely, seriously discuss the gun issue.
And I'm disgusted by the behavior of many grownups, particularly legislators who refuse to meet with the teens, or belittle them. "They aren't old enough to understand the issues." Bunk! Plus, they are the ones who are the victims of these shootings; why shouldn't they have a voice?
 and we have so many idiots in the US, believing any conspiracy theory that rolls around.

I've been thinking about how children have helped out before, in the Civil Rights movement. All those kids leaving school in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963, facing arrest one day, firehoses the next. Can just imagine how the right wing folks would have reacted to that if internet and cable TV were available. "Those kids are being disrespectful of the laws. Don't they know their place?"

One day those "adults" will realize that there comes a time when people, no matter their age, decide that enough is enough, We're Mad As Hell And We're Not Going To Take It Anymore!
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« Reply #779 on: February 22, 2018, 06:45:37 AM »

I am so proud of our children for standing up and doing what the grownups refuse to do, namely, seriously discuss the gun issue.
And I'm disgusted by the behavior of many grownups, particularly legislators who refuse to meet with the teens, or belittle them. "They aren't old enough to understand the issues." Bunk! Plus, they are the ones who are the victims of these shootings; why shouldn't they have a voice?
 and we have so many idiots in the US, believing any conspiracy theory that rolls around.

I've been thinking about how children have helped out before, in the Civil Rights movement. All those kids leaving school in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963, facing arrest one day, firehoses the next. Can just imagine how the right wing folks would have reacted to that if internet and cable TV were available. "Those kids are being disrespectful of the laws. Don't they know their place?"

One day those "adults" will realize that there comes a time when people, no matter their age, decide that enough is enough, We're Mad As Hell And We're Not Going To Take It Anymore!

Agreed. There's some great stuff going on in America right now - a real push back against the policies that have systematically worked to marginalize and severely harm the majority of the population. And in this case, yes, the child is the father of the man.
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SMiLE Brian
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« Reply #780 on: February 22, 2018, 11:39:42 AM »

Interesting perspective from Bill Burr....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrYEvKCoMUw
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And production aside, I’d so much rather hear a 14 year old David Marks shred some guitar on Chug-a-lug than hear a 51 year old Mike Love sing about bangin some chick in a swimming pool.-rab2591
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« Reply #781 on: February 22, 2018, 12:09:24 PM »

I think the name and face of mass shooters should not be reported. Every other scrap of information should be available, but not the person's name or face. That information really isn't important. We see it, then it fades.
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« Reply #782 on: February 23, 2018, 07:24:27 AM »

I've got mixed feelings about that one.

I think I partly agree. There is a segment of people who seem inspired by that sort of "celebrity," and it would be nice to cut off that form of inspiration. There are definitely people on all sides of gun control who support that idea (of not reporting the names). But to be contrarian...

 - I'd like to focus more on the underlying problem of people being inspired to commit violence. The problem ultimately lies there, with them. We can and should take appropriate steps, but the real problem is that there are (apparently) people so close to shooting people that a story about some other shooter pushes them over the edge. The real, serious problem isn't that last "trigger" (if you'll pardon the accidental pun), it's everything that leads up to it.

 - How would the non-reporting happen? Freedom of the press is hugely important. To me, as much hubbub as there is about the second amendment, it's the first amendment that is the most essential to this country. So if a publication chooses not to report names, that's one thing. And it might be the right thing, I'm not sure. But if it's a legally enforced prohibition by the government, I oppose that strenuously.

I said it elsewhere but will say again, there is something wrong with American society, and some too-large number of the citizens within it. Apparently a sufficient number of us find life--our own lives or those of others--meaningless and unfulfilling so that the best answer is to end them. Violently. It's an existential crisis in the most real sense of that phrase. The solution won't be handed to us by government and asking for such a solution is asking for failure. (Government, though, can respond appropriately to facilitate solutions.) I'm not so arrogant as to say I know the answers, but it's hard not to consider the questions.
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« Reply #783 on: February 23, 2018, 10:00:34 AM »

I have mixed feelings as well (particularly when it comes to how the non-reporting would happen). Furthermore, I'm not very knowledgeable about gun policy or gun culture nor have I studied mass shootings. But, I think it's undeniable that "celebrity" is a factor. Some shooters are driven (at least in part) by an overwhelming need to be heard, seen, and/or remembered. I vaguely remember reading some of the writings of various shooters which demonstrates this, as well as, their interest/obsession with previous shooters and their methods. In discussing the need to focus on the underlying problems that lead to mass shootings, you portray the latest news story as the final "trigger" to push them over the edge. On one hand, I completely agree with you. In that sense, the name and face of the last shooter is just an after thought, it's the fact that someone else committed the act that gives them the "courage" or confidence to do what they had long been planning to do. That's why, generally, things seem to happen in clusters. Where I live (very small town), about 10 years or so ago, there were about a half dozen suicides by train that occurred within a few miles stretch of track within about a 12 month period. I can't remember any prior and certainly not since. I don't know how else to say it, but, it becomes a "thing". I think mass shootings are similar. Beyond that, though, for other shooters "celebrity" seems to be much more a core motivator. It's those shooters which we are more likely to stop (in combination with other efforts addressing other factors) with the non-reporting of names/faces.

Ideally, the media would choose to censor itself. My political philosophy could probably be summed up by "when in doubt, side with liberty". So, I already feel myself backing down from a legally enforceable prohibition, but that's really too bad. Of course, we've got to focus on the underlying problems, but that feels like an almost impossible task. To me, in regard to mass shootings, the two main issues are mental health and culture (which inevitably intertwine). Not exactly simple issues to address. Particularly, mental health (which is by far the main issue IMO), which despite all we've learned as a society over the past few decades I fear we know next to nothing about in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, as you said, it's about addressing what inspires people to commit violence. There's hardly a more daunting task than that! We are talking about humans, after all.
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« Reply #784 on: February 23, 2018, 10:13:40 AM »

Well said.

And by the way, with respect to the media self-censoring, there are (substantially less serious) precedents: there was a time when streaking was fashionable. However, it has become less so probably in large part because the media stopped showing or talking about it. The federal government didn't say they had to do that. (Though I guess the FCC obviously forbids the showing of nudity on broadcast television.) They just decided that if you don't promote the act, people lose part of their motivation for doing it. Something like that might well help.

I was wondering when responding earlier whether there is a down-side to not naming the shooter-criminals. I'm not sure of the answer to that. I haven't thought of one, though. My instinct is that self-censorship on that narrow issue is a good idea.
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No interest in your assorted grudges and nonsense.
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