Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

Originally Posted by James Lacey

I didn't mean to imply AOC and Ilhan Omar are benign and safely ignored.

AOC and Ilhan Omar are clear advocates for policy that most conservatives would oppose, but they argue and work for that policy change in good faith. Ignore them at your peril.

MTG and Boebert are conspiracy-spewing wing-nuts that, yes, can be safely ignored.

 

"MTG and Boebert are conspiracy-spewing wing-nuts that, yes, can be safely ignored."
Here's where I disagree with you and Jim Brown. Both of them spread conspiracy theories and inspire others to do the same. MTG is unrelenting when it comes to spreading Trump's big lie of election fraud and it permeates the district that she represents. It undermines our system of democracy and election integrity. Boebert does essentially the same thing. Given what we saw on Jan 6, I don't think they can be safely ignored... 

Originally Posted by James Brown

I agree that we do not want to argue the ethics of abortion again.  I respect your position, the same as I respect Russ's.  I want to explore a side topic though.  Your position on this and a lot of issues is always a federal position.  As you note, across the total of all 50 states there is little doubt that the majority supports the right to abortion, at least early in pregnancy.  But why does abortion have to be solved at the federal level?  In many states, typically red states, a vast majority supports significant restrictions on abortion, if not an outright ban.

Why are you so willing to run roughshod over the majorities in those states?  It is not like abortion is going to be banned or limited in the states like CA where the majority supports relatively unfettered abortion rights.  

Like I mentioned to James, federalism in the form of the electoral college and Senate are bulwarks against the tyranny of the majority that I personally value a lot.  I think it is fair to say you would get rid of both these institutions and would much prefer nation-wide majority rule.  Let me know if this is an unfair conclusion.  I think this is one of the primary differences between you and me and it is reflected in our take on all sorts of issues.  

Jim

Abortions rights isn't any different than reproductive health care. Red states want to remove it, in many cases virtually entirely even in cases of rape and incest. Not everyone of the victims of the latter or women seeking an abortion have the means to travel to another state to receive care. it should be within their rights to obtain care in whatever state they reside in without the local government stepping in and telling them otherwise...

Spoken by the father of ex-marine Trevor Reed, recently released from a horrendous Russian Gulag via the efforts of the Biden administration:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/05/24/trevor-reed-mtg-detained-americans-legislation-lead-intv-vpx.cnn

Here's a basic, common sense gun control bill the REPUBLICANS won't even vote on, thanks to their allies in the NRA:
https://thehill.com/news/senate/3500893-heres-the-gun-control-bill-steve-kerr-called-on-senate-to-pass/
Of course the REPUBLICANS won't pass it since it might keep more guns out of the hands of more people who shouldn't have them in the first place. 

Gee, I haven't seen a con so worked up and ticked off since, with righteous indignation, they reminded me in a very straightforward manner that none of 'em support Russia over Ukraine. They just don't want aid going to Ukraine, just like a few extremist Republican reps,  that's all. If only we had gotten weapons to Ukraine earlier...

"Why Beto O' Rourke is right to talk politics today":
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/25/politics/mass-shooting-texas-political/index.html

"Former President Trump made an approving remark about his own vice president being hanged following chants at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to hang then-Vice President Pence, according to a report in The New York Times."
https://thehill.com/news/administration/3501462-trump-made-approving-remark-about-chants-calling-for-hanging-pence-nyt/

Originally Posted by Mel Maki

Look, all people have to do is call the police. They will be protected.

Or a school resource officer, just like in Parkland...

So, as was reported today, the school resource officer was, for reasons unknown, off campus at the time the shooter arrived. The school resource officer reportedly heard the 911 call and then sped back to the school where he then drove past the shooter who was behind a vehicle and proceeded to the back of the school where he confronted a person who turned out to be a teacher. During that time, the shooter entered a building in the school...
A 2019 study from the university of New Mexico found there there is no evidence school resource officers are effective in stopping mass shooting in schools. Many of the school resource officers are either in their last year of their police careers and are assigned to schools prior to retirement or are officers who have had problems in the field. Additionally, most of them have little training as a resource officer.
Here's the recorded actions of one in Parkland:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-florida-school-shooting-fdle-officer-20180904-story.html
Two other deputies were also fired for failing to confront the shooter:
https://www.npr.org/2019/06/26/736330111/two-more-deputies-fired-for-not-confronting-parkland-fla-school-shooter
One or both may have been reinstated, one on a technicality and the other for some other eason.

Originally Posted by Mel Maki

The AR is considered too weak to hunt deer in some states. But some gun rights people suspect this round will be restricted first. Later it can be said we restricted the weakest one, so why not these much more powerful ones?
It is obvious anti-gunners will not stop with any legislation they achieve. It is why many oppose any legislation. The best that can be done they think is maybe to slow all legislation down as much as possible.

One of the wounded officers was reportedly hit when the gunman fired through the door and walls of the building. The craziness of this idea that's its too to weak of a weapon, which is essentially a non-fully automatic m16 designed for lethal combat in war, is yet another bogus argument that has been disproved with the deaths of multiple mass shootings, over and over again but it doesn't surprise me it's coming yet once more from Mel...