Just so we’re clear, Mike, “Not in my city” really just means you’re going to tell them what you think about them when you see them in your city? Ok then, that’s great. I whole-heartedly support the peaceful exchange of ideas that our First Amendment protects. Your non-violent stance is admirable. Furthermore, I hope your confrontation successfully persuades them to abandon their assholish ways. And good luck with the gangs too.
Gang violence is actually a real problem in Chicago though. It’s fair to want to know how one deals with real issues. MikeG acted admirably.
Had I been protesting when that car plowed into the crowd and armed, if I had a clear shot at the driver I’d have taken it in a heartbeat. Should some republicans put their money where their mouth is and actually succeed, I would rebel to overthrow our new king. Both are unlikely - a “clear shot” would mean more likely to kill the driver than harm any standers by, and firing at a fast moving car doesn’t often provide that opportunity and the Monarchists are far more bark than bite but… things aren’t pretty.
What was inconceivable just a few years ago is more and more becoming reality.
The bold is what people ought to see here. I seriously doubt that this is the last of this type of violence that we see. I remember the 1990s well and the type of right wing anti-government, anti-left rhetoric was then quite similar to now. But back then those ideas were largely confined to fringe media and ignored by the mainstream press. What’s better now than then is that it’s impossible to ignore and people are rightly confronting it. On the other hand, what’s worse now is that they enjoy a type of mainstream social and political legitimacy now that didn’t exist back then. They have a president who won in part with the support of voters who believed that their country was being taken away from them. The people who are likely to sympathize with the driver of that car number in the millions not the tens of the thousands.
ENOUGH!
There are so many posters talking past each other, inferring statements other posters have not actually made, and projecting unspoken views onto others for the purpose of scoring points and trying to slide under the “no insults” rule that this thread is not actually a debate. On the other hand, it has not yet developed into a BBQ Pit rant.
I am closing it.
If anyone wishes to open a new thread to discuss the issue without making every “question” an attempt to go personal and play “gotcha!” you are welcome to do so. However, if it stops being a discussion and falls back into Pit Light, again, it will not remain open in Great Debates.
There have been efforts to discuss the matter, but they are being overwhelmed by the posturing.
[ /Moderating ]