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Regardless of party, anyone who dehumanizes political opponents is extremely dangerous. This is the mindset that fuels shootings, assassinations and wars (eventually).

Agreed. There's no excuse for assassination.

Thank you. Did you read this passage: "You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am, I, I — I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights" He was a radical evangelical Christian who believed that killing to protect God given rights as he saw them was a fair trade. No mention of needing the second to defend against rape, lynchings, pedophilia, etc. And for school shootings his plan was more guns in schools. If you want to think he was the right man for the times have at it.

Within two years Brazil dealt with the crime, the trial and the sentencing of its president for treason. The former president was convicted of trying to cling to power after losing the 2022 election and has been sentenced to 27 years in the slammer.Jair Bolsonaro was a close buddy of the US King Donald Trump.Trump put tariffs on Brazil for proceeding with this trial. On the other hand the US and its weakling president Biden did nothing for four years when King Trump spearheaded an insurrection. Now since Trump has been crowned again he has bullied the courts into empowering him even more. He has used his royal position to earn over $4.2 billion dollars in his first year. King Trump has had his royal clerks re-write history about the insurrection. Every day the King sees new CEOs of giant corporations who pay bribes in order to curry favours. Soon the Kings new B747, another gift/bribe, completely adorned in gold will take flight. Ready to scour the globe for new bribes.

Well actually there is a GOP action plan to protect kids in America. The MAHA plan for healthier kids includes 128 ideas, but few details "The Make America Healthy Again Commission, led by Kennedy, identified four potential drivers behind rising rates of chronic disease among children, including poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and chronic stress, as well as "overmedicalization" – which the commission describes as "a concerning trend of overprescribing medications to children." Well yes it is because for MAGA, Trump, Christian nationalists the silence over the largest killer of American children is absolute. For third straight year, firearms killed more children and teens, ages 1 to 17, than any other cause including car crashes and cancer The hypocrisy of conservatives is absolute.

Now there’s a mantra. So your silence after the targeting of Democratic people in Minnesota, the kidnapping attempt on Gretchen Whitmer in Wisconsin, are also violence? Wendy P.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. The following is a copy and paste job, not my work.... Charlie Kirk said: “It was huge mistake to pass the Civil Rights Act back in 1964.” That is his exact quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk said: “Jewish money is ruining American culture.” That is his exact quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also said: “Gay people are destructive, and they should be put to death.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. On national television. Charlie Kirk also stated, one hour after a tragic school shooting in Lewistown that left 26 dead: “I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” Re-read that sentence, above. Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also stated this: “We have to tell our babies to stop crying.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. He was discussing the starvation of those in Gaza. Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Charlie Kirk also stated this: "I can't stand the word empathy. I think empathy is a made up New Age term that does a lot of damage.” Yes, that is his exact word-for-word quote. In complete context. Murder for political reasons is ALWAYS wrong. Always. My heart sincerely goes out to his wife, and his two children. They did not deserve any of this. They are innocent.

Given that Trump is literally banning words, and banning museums from representing history - your ire is misplaced. He may well have been the best of some group you are picturing. He was not the best of Americans. The best of Americans work to unite the country and prevent violence, not divide the country and foment violence.

The man himself stated publicly and on the record that some people being assassinated by firearms was a fair trade for second amendment gun rights that could be used to defend the will of God. While I continue to wish these gun deaths weren't a part of our daily life, the degree to which I am horrified by this assassination is a whole lot less than I am for the types of gun deaths he thought were the fair trade.

All Americans should horrified by this assassination.

Survivalists have long dreamed of a day when their prepping and AR-15s can be deployed against the evil government. A second American revolution. Well its happened in Washington D.C. Grand juries made up of ordinary freedom fighters are refusing to indict those prosecuted by the King's courts. "In what could be read as a citizens’ revolt, ordinary people serving on grand juries have repeatedly refused in recent days to indict their fellow residents who became entangled in either the president’s immigration crackdown or his more recent show of force. It has happened in at least seven cases — including three times for the same defendant." This despite the fact that juries are force fed whatever stories the prosecutors want to come up with. Stories like the defendant has insulted the looks, the intelligence and the size of the King's hands. Or even called him a Limp Caudillo! One freedom fighter, himself on the brink of starvation because of the King's bad economy. Threw his subway sandwich at a storm trooper and was charged with felonious assault. Three times juries refused to indict him. Now his image of resistance is spreading to the walls of the city. All of which infuriated the King causing him to throw a half eaten Royal Mac hamburger against the great hall of the royal palace. The rest of the world has seen a crack of light under the castle's drawbridge. There is a fight against the King from his subjects.

Sure, but that's why we have a Coast Guard. Tracking the speed boat and intercepting it would have been a no brainer and if they were drug runners and resisted with deadly force then tough shit. This was cold blooded murder not legitimate border protection.

NO, Martin D18... I don't really discuss guitar stuff here because it is a Cooper forum but the second one is now public... I found Neil Young's first guitar from high school, an orange 6120 Gretsch he sold in 1965 to go acoustic... He regretted it and always wanted it back.. he replaced it in Buffalo Springfield with another orange Gretsch,,, Randy gave him my number and he called me, I gave him all the details and proof, he obtained it within hours,,, He is playing Mr Soul on it for his current tour.. FB Video.. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EGihHxWw9/

An old lady goes to the doctor and says: "Doc, I can’t stop farting. They’re silent with no smell, but I’ve let out 20 in the past 5 minutes sitting here"/ The doc gives her some pills and tells her to come back next week. The next week the old lady comes back and says "Doc, I took the pills, the farts are still silent but now they stink!" The doc says "Great! We’ve cleared up your sinuses, now let’s work on your hearing!"

My Brazilian friends have said that US politics is for beginners.

Wrong Timothy McVeigh single handily puts the killed and injured by the right on top by a factor of ten.

It's not violent leftists or rightists it's that we are all violent animals who are barely under control on our good days. That nature is easily combined with our other true natures of stupidity, gullibility, tribalism, and irritability. Stir or shake, it doesn't matter, and out comes another homicide.

Maybe there's a lesson there.

Now do the body count on each side.

Facebook is now being filled up with Charlie Kirk quotations. And they don't flatter him at all. Especially his views on empathy, which apparently is a made up word. I feel empathy for his wife and children, is that enough or does it mean I'm a left wing radical terrorist?

And their work is complete. Yet another person who could engage in dialog now sees others only as either like minded or enemies. Wendy P.

Melissa Hortman says you're full of shit. Because we all know there's no such thing as being not MAGA enough. On this forum? Wake me up when any Democrat Senators start laughing about Kirk's murder in public, as happened with at least one prominent Republican after the Minnesota killings. Anyway as said to Jay have you no respect for his loved ones in this difficult time? Have you no self respect? This is the time for thoughts and prayers to his family, not cheap and cynical political point scoring. For shame, sir!

Charlie Kirk put himself center stage in the effort to overthrow a democratically elected government in favour of a would be tyrant, and why would anyone think he wasn't ready to do it again? According to Kirk, his own murder is not just the cost of doing business with the second amendment, it's the reason the second amendment was written.

Sure there is, according to future victims, but only if as a price paid for the protection of god given rights that curtail other rights belonging to unbelievers.

That transcript outlines what the NRA has used as its arguments for the last several decades. Prior to today I'd never heard of Charlie Kirk and I feel very sorry for his two innocent young children. Charlie Kirk was a political fraud. He sold "open dialogue" and open debate as his come on for his political activism. For his podcasts and his personal political business. But as a Christian nationalist, racist, misogynist, influence peddler, conspiracy peddler and anti-science MAGA trafficker. He did everything possible to steal the rights and freedoms of others. To entrench his rights and that of conservative Christians over all other Americans. The election was stolen,the deep state of enemy liberals must be destroyed, Blacks are inherently violent people, if you're not for Christ the government should not be for you and on and on. This is what he peddled in his podcasts, his interviews and this new movie business. He sowed division and hate. He was no Christian, no example of a good citizen, he fed hate and race baiting. Fuck him. "Its not the guns" is mostly right. Political assassinations in the US arises because of the actions of redistricting. Of labelling the other party, the other group, race, etc. as the enemy. Of the use of the department of justice to attack your enemies. They arise because groups of religious and political activists are using political power to steal rights and freedoms from others who are not a part of their political group. This is not the first assassination and until the winner take all strategy ends they will become more common. For those that incite the violence, fuck them too.

I greive for the loss of life, but not for him as an individual / activist. I was called a Republican today because I wanted him to survive. If wanting him to survive makes me a republican...then so be it.

I genuinely believe the US would be a less violent place with more boobies on TV. Countries that don’t allow boobies always seem to be full of angry violent men.

I see him as creating chaos, stepping back and watching people gravitate to the chaos while he rubs his hands in delight.

Really, for a good 100 years or so until the late 1980’s and early 1990’s this was fairly true of the US. The “divide and conquer” strategy, especially when it’s US were dividing, is not good for a country that wants to adapt to the world. And the world isn’t going to adapt to it for real long Wendy P.

Nordic countries: The political parties respect each other and trust between them and the government is a given. The people trust the government. America. The political parties are at war and one party the MAGA-republican party teaches that the government is evil.That it can't be trusted and tries to use the justice system against its citizens. The parties use the tax system to create winners and losers.

Benzedrine has been confirmed.

I refuse to hide from being American, I'm just not especially proud of it for the time being.

I think Cooper is a guy that likes McGyvering. Control freak. In a strange way he is also trying to maintain 'isolation' - as little interaction with the outside world as possible. He is demonstrating his tactical priorities. It may not be logical but it is his way of fostering the illusion that he is in control. He also has confidence in his McGyvering! Arrogance. Manager type. If something goes wrong he only has himself to blame ? A loner mentality. Loners have lots of grudges... its a personality type. Myopic manager type. ? Conflict archetype. Saw these personality types when I worked for Voc Rehab. They just could not accept that a stroke of some other event had changed their lives. They turned to crime as a shortcut thinking they could not be caught ... a pathetic situation common in the rehab profession. They always forget or overlook something crucial. Cooper may be a guy who decided to solve a financial problem by an elaborate parachuting solution few others would even conceive. The FBI might have looked for Cooper in the social welfare system.

Speaking of cowboys: "Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US will "blow up" foreign crime groups if needed, possibly in collaboration with other countries. "Now they're gonna help us find these people and blow them up, if that's what it takes," Rubio said during a visit to Ecuador...."The president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they've been waging war on us for 30 years and no-one has responded." The US Department of Defence in now renamed the Department of War to better reflect the war on domestic jaywalkers in Washington. Together with the war on high speed boats in international waters. Too bad many CIA officers hired in the last two years were fired in May. They might have come in handy identifying all the new gangs who have waged "war" against America for the last 30 years.

Trump might have soldiers in Humvees in Washington. Here in Aus when we deploy the military in a city we do it properly:) They’re practicing for the upcoming air display day - and not my photo.

Several politicians in Utah have stood tall subsequent to the Kirk shooting by calling for calm. Furthermore they are republicans. "Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah built a political brand as the Republican antidote for an age of anger, imploring a divided United States to “disagree better” through civil discussions and bridge-building service projects....Mr. Cox walked in front of the television cameras to make his highest-profile plea to date against the rising tide of political violence that had just crashed into his backyard.... several leaders in Utah echoed Mr. Cox’s appeal to tamp down the overheated political rhetoric, reflecting the state’s self-image as a bastion of a kinder, gentler conservatism. Former Gov. Gary Herbert, whom Mr. Cox served as lieutenant governor, said he hoped the moment would serve as a “wake-up call.” “We should not get so angry that we feel like we have to win the argument or kill them,” said Mr. Herbert, who also made compromise a key tenet of his term and now runs an institute at Utah Valley University — the same college where Mr. Kirk was killed — that teaches young people about moral character in politics.' Compare this with FOX a broadcaster who cheered for hours when a CNBC commentator was fired for his truthful comments about Kirk's character and political position. FOX went on:“They are at war with us, whether we want to accept it or not,” Jesse Watters, the right-wing Fox News commentator, said on his broadcast on Wednesday. He added that “we are going to avenge Charlie’s death in the way that Charlie wanted to be avenged.” Echoing Trump's calls for vengeance and retribution for the killing. Not only are they moderating voices but undoubtedly Christian as well this being Utah after all. It will take more than Mr Cox to restore calm but perhaps hope is out there.

Is it dehumanizing to call a dehumanizing asshole an asshole? In this instance some of we extremist liberal individual rights mongers aren't doing the dehumanizing. We are simply observing that when folks who think occasional assassinations are a part of a healthy society get assassinated, as a direct consequence of their being dehumanizing assholes, it's not evidence of a topsy turvy world.

Like the 877 kids shot dead so far this year in the USA. Not a lot of outrage from the right about them. Yet an outspoken fascist gets shot and you'd think the sky fell.

I interpreted this as jaybird saying "he was the best of MAGA (or conservatism)", which makes the bar pretty low, but maybe he was, who am I to dispute that?

Not if the expectation is penetrating their beliefs and seeding in a dose of reality, especially when they start with the old dark heart of fallen man horseshit. I do think there is value in in calling it out, however.

Let no tragedy go to waste, eh? You could at least have waited for his body to be cold before leveraging his murder to make a cheap political point. If he's the best of you, why treat him with such disrespect on the day of his death? Now is surely the time for thoughts and prayers, not partisan pettiness.

That will fall flat in a nation where 99% don't know the difference between an adjective and an adverb.

Oh, Hockey. I thought it was the NFL.

I don't. But most businesses will choose success over bankruptcy.

You have no idea.

I've said it a million time. It's weird that he decided to spend an hour and a half McGyvering the money bag instead of simply demanding that a knapsack be brought.

Hence the justification to kidnap US citizens by Russia, N.Korea, Iran, etc. Governmental regulations of these countries sets aside the "right to life", due process, etc, I guess US included. The US constitution says that only Congress has the power to declare war. Article II - which lays out the president's powers - says that "the president shall be Commander in Chief of the Army" and some constitutional experts have suggested that this grants the president the power to authorize strikes against military targets Drug traffickers are not military targets no matter what Trump states.If they are then every vessel operating anywhere could be a target not for boarding and search but instead for summary sinking. If this is allowed to stand Trump directing predator drone attacks on Mexican soil. Air to air shootdowns of "smugglers aircraft" is next. Labelling any group, any country, any individual an "enemy" will be enough for Trump to order a military kill command. "Trump was asked by host Maria Bartiromo about how he would handle bureaucrats who might seek to undermine him in a potential second term. "I always say, we have two enemies," Trump said, adding: "We have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within, and the enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia and all these countries." Trump added that a "smart president" could handle outside adversaries "pretty easily," but "the thing that's tougher to handle are these lunatics that we have inside, like Adam Schiff." "I call him the enemy from within," he added."

If you seriously believe that there are arguments in favour of rape that are compelling, then apparently you really don't find rape as repellant as everyone else here does. Another good explanation of your vote for Trump, I guess. Along with the fact that he promised DEI hiring would be reserved for white people, which you’re all in favour of.

Do you know the details of that? As I understand it, those stairs down and locked are meant to be able to support the plane, since all three engines are on the tail making it tail-heavy, it risked being able to tilt back as passengers are loading. If that is true, then those stairs down and locked could prevent the plane from rotating on takeoff, and that could potentially cause damage to the tail section in the attempt?