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This is literally my entire point, the use of language, calling the other side evil, dehumanising them etc...
Radicalised attitudes are everywhere, look at this thread...
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This is literally my entire point, the use of language, calling the other side evil, dehumanising them etc...
Radicalised attitudes are everywhere, look at this thread...
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I heard this morning a guy on MSNBC make the claim it was probably a gun loving Kirk supporter firing a shot off (not a direct quote).
Never let an event go to waste!
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At this point there isn't enough information to say who it is. My suspicion is it would be a Democrat, or at least someone who disliked Kirk, but there are very unhinged people out there who do this stuff for non-political means. The sort who get a kick simply from causing a news story or the deranged fan a la John Lennon assassination.
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Tbh im not interested in the shooter, polarisation and dehumanising of those who disagree with you is the problem...
Which Tyler put it perfectly, for the entirety of my life ive accepted both or all parties wanted the best going forward, they just disagreed which direction was best to do so, but in the last few years the narrative is good vs evil, and that has filtered down to everyday conversations!
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Someone, somewhere, somehow has to be brave enough to break this cycle of escalation and bring radical reform. Otherwise you're just waiting for the next one with just the names changing.
Disliked Kirk and disagreed with most of what he said and stood for, but no way should it have happened.
Part of me has my conspiracy hat on and thinks it could be (like the Trump shooting IMO) to further fuel tension and push towards Trumps agenda for USA.
I think that because why on earth would anyone on the Democratic side think it's appropriate.
And the likely lot will push this horrendous event to fuel more division
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My mind went there too but it's a country with a huge mental health problem full of people who think they can make a difference with a rash action.
Very similar to the assassination of the Optum CEO to me, just pointless.
Kirk was obviously a far more hateful and decisive individual but also one who could so easily have been ignored by opposers of his views.
All around horrible situation and as you say, it won't hurt the causes Kirk stood for.
This won't move the dial one inch on 2nd Amendment gun rights.
Three biggest issues to me on this are, the temperature of political debate. Mental health provision. Belief that a few gun deaths are acceptable because gun ownership rights are more important.
Three biggest issues to me on this are, the temperature of political debate. Mental health provision. Belief that a few gun deaths are acceptable because gun ownership rights are more important.
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That's the nub of it, the link that needs to be broken.
Like you say, there are no shortage of disaffected mentally ill people with access to firearms in the states. Albeit this one was well prepared enough to actually pull it off and get away from the scene, so certainly some planning was involved. If you look at the attempted Trump assassin in PA, he was all over the shop politically, a registered republican who voted Republican in midterms but donated $15 dollars to a Democrat group. Was googling Biden and Trump rallies, the DNC and RNC conventions with a view to shooting them up and he idolised school shooters. He absolutely would have tried to shoot Biden if he was the one in town, all that to say I don't think we can't assume the shooter's background or level of political coherence too easily.
On Kirk, I think there will be some revisionism on his image after the horrible nature of his death, but I don't really have anything nice to say. Frankly, I think he was an awful human being who handwaved school shootings (like the one that happened yesterday and is receiving a fraction of the airtime) and even applauded political attacks in the past (Mike Pelosi attack) so it would be disingenuous for me to express empathy for someone who by his own words didn't believe in empathy.
That said, I am not cheering on what happened, quite the opposite. No one should be gunned down in broad daylight, good person or bad and this could spark a horrible reaction. Overall, I really hope this doesn't go *** for tat now.
And that's the problem. People on both sides telling people not to be be compassionate etc
Some of his views were cretinous. But if you don't care about someone being murdered, there family or young children. That's pretty cretinous as well
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Well I don't know the bloke or his family so his death has about as much meaning to me as someone else who died yesterday who I didn't know. It's troubling for US political discourse but that's not something I have any control over either.
I think it's more about empathy and encouraging people not to have it.
Which by the looks of it is something he encouraged
When the sectarian violence is brought to your shores, don't tell anyone you weren't warned.
The cake is baked. We are about to see how deep the pit can go.
24 years later and we keep pushing the limits downward.
The cake is baked. We are about to see how deep the pit can go.
24 years later and we keep pushing the limits downward.
Obviously never heard of Northern Ireland
