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News & ArtsFriday, December 14, 2012
Crime / Politics I didn't vote for you because you're good at sending condolences, Obama.
Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 12:50 PM
I voted for you because you promised change. Talk about gun control. Now.
4
Chill the fuck out. He made as much of an appropriate reference to politics as he should have made.
5
President Obama:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-…
Vice President Biden:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact-vp
Senate Majority Leader Reid:
http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index…
Speaker Boehner:
http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/
Senate Minority Leader McConnell:
http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/i…
House Minority Leader Pelosi:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
Most important, don't forget your local Senator and Congressperson!
http://www.demandaplan.org
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-…
Vice President Biden:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact-vp
Senate Majority Leader Reid:
http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact/index…
Speaker Boehner:
http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/
Senate Minority Leader McConnell:
http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/i…
House Minority Leader Pelosi:
AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov
Most important, don't forget your local Senator and Congressperson!
http://www.demandaplan.org
8
And he won't because he's a pussy. Which is why he didn't get my vote this time around. Fool me once, shame on you, etc.
If you're surprised by Obama's lack of balls, you haven't been paying attention for the past 4 years.
If you're surprised by Obama's lack of balls, you haven't been paying attention for the past 4 years.
9
Mental health. Seriously. There is more than one issue at play here. We are gutting our mental health resources, and nobody cares because nobody wants to talk about mental health. You want to save the lives of millions of low income families, do something about mental health in America.
You may now go back to guns. Like politics, everyone has an opinion on it - a better opinion than those wack jobs on the other side - so it makes for good entertainment. You don't want change. You want to feel righteous.
You may now go back to guns. Like politics, everyone has an opinion on it - a better opinion than those wack jobs on the other side - so it makes for good entertainment. You don't want change. You want to feel righteous.
11
Sorry, y'all. I totally agree that we need to have the conversation on both gun control and improved mental health access and screening, but the President's remarks today were not the time to do it. Soon, but not now.
Turning a moment of tremendous grief for those families and that community into a political talking point would have been an absolutely heinous thing to do.
Turning a moment of tremendous grief for those families and that community into a political talking point would have been an absolutely heinous thing to do.
12
@6
Oh, yeah. You're one of those guys who think the Bill of Rights is full of babble. Word salad. They just threw random words in there for no reason. "Well regulated" wasn't put there in order to mean something. They were just goofing around on that one.
It's not for nothing that the Supreme Court Justices who think this way also think the governemnt belongs up in your uterus and states can discriminate against minorities if they feel like it.
Not every possible Justice is that much of a moron. Only those put there keep the country backwards and slightly loopy as long as possible. Better Supreme Court appointments are entirely realistic with a bit of effort.
Oh, yeah. You're one of those guys who think the Bill of Rights is full of babble. Word salad. They just threw random words in there for no reason. "Well regulated" wasn't put there in order to mean something. They were just goofing around on that one.
It's not for nothing that the Supreme Court Justices who think this way also think the governemnt belongs up in your uterus and states can discriminate against minorities if they feel like it.
Not every possible Justice is that much of a moron. Only those put there keep the country backwards and slightly loopy as long as possible. Better Supreme Court appointments are entirely realistic with a bit of effort.
13
Piss on the Constitution? How?
Tell us about that militia you had to belong to tote your penis substitute, you know, the "well-regulated" militia, the Constitution spelled out.
Or like the other bedwetters, suck your thumb - that would have spared the lives of a dozen and a half children today.
Tell us about that militia you had to belong to tote your penis substitute, you know, the "well-regulated" militia, the Constitution spelled out.
Or like the other bedwetters, suck your thumb - that would have spared the lives of a dozen and a half children today.
14
A-FUCKING-MEN
he did give a beautiful speech today but IT'S NOT REMOTELY ENOUGH
Time for action
wow, I'm now an internet troll who goes for the all cap look-- go me!
And for the mental health folks, you're right, BUT, there are many, many times when folks will do serious damage before they are flagged by anyone. So yes, more resources do need to go toward mental health resources, but there will always be many who will (try to) do something very bad before they are on anyone's radar
he did give a beautiful speech today but IT'S NOT REMOTELY ENOUGH
Time for action
wow, I'm now an internet troll who goes for the all cap look-- go me!
And for the mental health folks, you're right, BUT, there are many, many times when folks will do serious damage before they are flagged by anyone. So yes, more resources do need to go toward mental health resources, but there will always be many who will (try to) do something very bad before they are on anyone's radar
15
@8 "Lack of Balls?" That sounds like something an NRA supporter would say...
If you think Obama is a pussy for not stepping up, then you haven't been paying attention to arguments for and against the second amendment for the past 200 years.
If you think Obama is a pussy for not stepping up, then you haven't been paying attention to arguments for and against the second amendment for the past 200 years.
16
We need to talk about gun control. We also need to talk about social services, including mental health. We have too many guns, but we also have too many people who lose their shit.
And one of the reason we have too many people who lose their shit is this winner-take-all mentality our conservative "brothers" promote. Building (or dismantling) programs on that basis guarantees a burgeoning crop of losers, losers who come to believe they have nothing left to lose and nothing that they will ever gain.
I want to live in a peaceful society, where people have a reasonable expectation of being able to live their lives with some hope things will improve.
I want my government to support those in danger of falling off the bottom end of the pecking order, to at least let them have some dignity of food, shelter and healthcare. People don't just dematerialize if you fuck them over or let them fail. Some of them act out and repay the violence they feel was done to them.
This pending "fiscal cliff" ties into this. It is a real danger in one very real way. We already don't spend enough on social services and individual welfare. Slashing what little we do spend would be insane.
And one of the reason we have too many people who lose their shit is this winner-take-all mentality our conservative "brothers" promote. Building (or dismantling) programs on that basis guarantees a burgeoning crop of losers, losers who come to believe they have nothing left to lose and nothing that they will ever gain.
I want to live in a peaceful society, where people have a reasonable expectation of being able to live their lives with some hope things will improve.
I want my government to support those in danger of falling off the bottom end of the pecking order, to at least let them have some dignity of food, shelter and healthcare. People don't just dematerialize if you fuck them over or let them fail. Some of them act out and repay the violence they feel was done to them.
This pending "fiscal cliff" ties into this. It is a real danger in one very real way. We already don't spend enough on social services and individual welfare. Slashing what little we do spend would be insane.
18
From Mark Kelly (Gabby Gifford's husband):
"I just woke up in my hotel room in Beijing, China, to learn that another mass shooting has taken place - this time at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the entire community of Newtown, CT. I just spoke to Gabby, and she sends her prayers from Tucson.
As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait."
WELL SAID.
"I just woke up in my hotel room in Beijing, China, to learn that another mass shooting has taken place - this time at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the entire community of Newtown, CT. I just spoke to Gabby, and she sends her prayers from Tucson.
As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait."
WELL SAID.
19
@14 and with that comment - that good natured comment - time and again, people will forget about the mental health issue.
As a side note: My beef is personal, clearly. Pragmatically, though, mental health is also something that is much more politically tractable.
As a side note: My beef is personal, clearly. Pragmatically, though, mental health is also something that is much more politically tractable.
20
I didn't vote for Obama, period. Because this is what you get from empty suits: "Now is not the time..." speeches. Remember, he's a politician. You want leadership? Then don't vote for a guy just because he's not as bad as the other guy. This is what we get when we keep choosing the lesser of two evils. He's had 4 years to talk about gun control. Maybe the fact that elementary students were the victims will lead to something tangible other than untold grief, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
21
Don't blame me..I voted for Jill Stein this past November. I already knew Obama was going to win against the freak Rmoney and that Obama is nothing more than a coward.
He's guessing we will forget about this tragedy in a few months and you know what? We will..
He's guessing we will forget about this tragedy in a few months and you know what? We will..
22
@13
Don't belong to a militia. Don't own any guns. I just don't feel like tearing up the constitution because of a sensationalist news story. The Republicans did the same thing after 9-11. Gitmo, wiretapping, torture, etc.
Those who would give up liberty for security deserve neither.
Don't belong to a militia. Don't own any guns. I just don't feel like tearing up the constitution because of a sensationalist news story. The Republicans did the same thing after 9-11. Gitmo, wiretapping, torture, etc.
Those who would give up liberty for security deserve neither.
23
@12 How can we break through this fucking wall with you and people like you?
"Gun Control" is not the same thing as "banning all guns".
I don't fucking care if you have an entire arsenal for hunting or self protection or whatever the fuck you think you need it for. I care that a kid was able to get a gun and walk into a school and shoot nearly 30 people who did nothing wrong.
I care that nearly half of all guns being sold require no background check because of a stupid fucking loophole. I care about the bill of rights. I care about freedom.
I care about the freedom that those dead kids will never experience because you're too pussy to admit their might be a problem with guns. That they are dangerous. That they, when used for their EXACT purpose, end life, and maybe, because of that...there should be more strict control about who can have them.
"Gun Control" is not the same thing as "banning all guns".
I don't fucking care if you have an entire arsenal for hunting or self protection or whatever the fuck you think you need it for. I care that a kid was able to get a gun and walk into a school and shoot nearly 30 people who did nothing wrong.
I care that nearly half of all guns being sold require no background check because of a stupid fucking loophole. I care about the bill of rights. I care about freedom.
I care about the freedom that those dead kids will never experience because you're too pussy to admit their might be a problem with guns. That they are dangerous. That they, when used for their EXACT purpose, end life, and maybe, because of that...there should be more strict control about who can have them.
24
I couldn't believe how fast Obama injected himself into this before we knew all the facts!
His press conference was interrupting the live stream of news where they were still gathering information about what was happening!
25
@#11 Bullshit!! December 7, 1941 was not a time to mourn the loss of life and 'console the victims', it was time to stand up and get shit done!!! What better time than RIGHT NOW to start this discussion?!
26
@1, it is called a well Regulated Militia because we as a new country didn't have a military or police force that could respond to events in a timely manner. Oh, and those on the frontiers of the wilderness needed to have a way to defend themselves so being able to form a militia was almost necessary though most of the time they did horrible acts of murder to Indians and other settlers. And another thing, the framers of the constitution could never have imagined the weapons that we poses in todays world. So, while a musket is deadly it isn't a mass murdering weapon that gets used in todays world.
We don't need that kind of militia anymore.
We don't need that kind of militia anymore.
27
@25, on December 7th, 1941 there was an enemy to fight. It was still at large about about to commit more attacks. If it had blow its brains out on December 7th, maybe the analogy would be a little better.
28
@27 You're absolutely delusional if you think there won't be any more 'attacks'. Why make it so easy for them to have these tools??
29
Dear pissed off people, Obama isn't going to do a damn thing. That's not his nature (if you didn't realize that when you voted for him, you weren't paying attention for four years). And regardless, despite the fever dreams of the people who think he's the reincarnation of Karl Marx, that is not where the action is (leadership would be nice, but it's not his schtick).
There are 435 people being sworn in shortly who will be standing for election in 2014 in the House of Representatives (where legislation originates in this government structure). Get them on record as to their position on gun control. Now. And anyone who waffles, spend the next year raising money and prepping to primary the fuck out of them. That's how the NRA won. That's the only way to undo it. Either you make this THE issue of 2014 or get ready for more of the same.
There are 435 people being sworn in shortly who will be standing for election in 2014 in the House of Representatives (where legislation originates in this government structure). Get them on record as to their position on gun control. Now. And anyone who waffles, spend the next year raising money and prepping to primary the fuck out of them. That's how the NRA won. That's the only way to undo it. Either you make this THE issue of 2014 or get ready for more of the same.
30
Will there be more attacks from the shooter? No he's dead.
If he were still at large and still shooting kids, then it would be a different matter.
"Why make it easier for them to have guns?"
Why curtail a responsible person's legal rights because you're worried about security?
If he were still at large and still shooting kids, then it would be a different matter.
"Why make it easier for them to have guns?"
Why curtail a responsible person's legal rights because you're worried about security?
32
@30
To save lives. That's why.
If we were that worried about curtailing rights, we'd have no laws at all. We can still allow idiots to play with their guns without leaving the floodgates open. A responsible gun owner can defend themselves by getting training, getting a license, buying something other than a gun best suited to invading a country. And enough ammo to invade a country. "Well regulated" means we give people reasonable access to arms. Well regulated is the opposite of a free for all.
You know responsible gun owners lock up their guns. A law requiring guns be locked up would have no effect on the responsible gun owners. They wouldn't even notice. Responsible gun owners know they have no legitimate need for assault rifles. Part of the problem here is that some seriously dangerous idiots fall under the NRA's loopy definition of "responsible".
To save lives. That's why.
If we were that worried about curtailing rights, we'd have no laws at all. We can still allow idiots to play with their guns without leaving the floodgates open. A responsible gun owner can defend themselves by getting training, getting a license, buying something other than a gun best suited to invading a country. And enough ammo to invade a country. "Well regulated" means we give people reasonable access to arms. Well regulated is the opposite of a free for all.
You know responsible gun owners lock up their guns. A law requiring guns be locked up would have no effect on the responsible gun owners. They wouldn't even notice. Responsible gun owners know they have no legitimate need for assault rifles. Part of the problem here is that some seriously dangerous idiots fall under the NRA's loopy definition of "responsible".
33
Rights? What about your right to a bazooka or RPG? They are 'arms' no? Seems by conceding those you've acceded to limits on what allowable 'arms' are. We need to further shrink those limits of what is allowable. Your argument for the status quo is untenable. Something needs to change and I think most folks, exclusive of NRA trolls, of course, will agree.
34
@27 Doesn't speak for my comment @11. Like I said, the conversation (and action) has to happen soon, but those initial remarks the President made was not the time for him to make a controversial statement about gun control. If he had, you know the right would be lambasting him for turning the suffering of the parents and that community into a political message. Not to mention it would have been a dickish thing to do, something I would expect one from one of the right wingers frankly. Look at the statement from the AFA guy, or the guy who said earlier that we should arm teachers. We all think they are assholes because they turned this moment of intense sorrow into political/religious fodder.
I believe that we need to talk about (and act upon) gun control. While I do believe in the right to bear arms, I think our regulations on that right are incredibly lax. I believe that we need to do better mental health screening, close the gun show loophole, and do more to get illegal weapons off the streets.
I also believe we need to vastly improve mental health screening and access to mental health care. I don't know about in other parts of the country, but when Bobby Jindal started systematically dismantling our public health services, that was the first to go. It is a shame, and as a person of faith, I think it is a sin.
But the remarks the President made today weren't the time to to say any of that. That was my only point.
I believe that we need to talk about (and act upon) gun control. While I do believe in the right to bear arms, I think our regulations on that right are incredibly lax. I believe that we need to do better mental health screening, close the gun show loophole, and do more to get illegal weapons off the streets.
I also believe we need to vastly improve mental health screening and access to mental health care. I don't know about in other parts of the country, but when Bobby Jindal started systematically dismantling our public health services, that was the first to go. It is a shame, and as a person of faith, I think it is a sin.
But the remarks the President made today weren't the time to to say any of that. That was my only point.
35
@20, others. He didn't say, "now is not the time". Did you watch the speech? He said, "we're going to have to come together to take meaningful action on this, regardless of the politics." In this context, those are strong words, and quite the opposite of "now is not the time". Hopefully he'll follow up on it. Hopefully CONGRESS will follow up on it, because really, it's up to them, which means it up to us.
I thought it was the right speech to give.
I thought it was the right speech to give.
36
@35, I got the impression that when he gave his speech he meant that like tomorrow is a better time to discuss gun rules. Let the family's grieve first, then start talking about gun regulations.
37
@36 quote the part of the speech that gave you that impression. You didn't listen to it, did you?
38
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39
While the Lord of the Drones Kill List is sending condolences, hopefully he won't keep neglecting the group found at the site below:
https://twitter.com/dronestream
https://twitter.com/dronestream
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