General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThis is the same thing that's been perpetrated on the public about the Trump rooftop shooter
...where the media has never nailed down the fact that the young man who shot at Trump wasn't affiliated with Democrats or the 'left,' but had a family life that was immersed in the culture of republicans, conservatism, and an obsession with powerful guns.
Looks to be the same with this young man who is said to have shot Kirk, with nothing at all indicating any 'leftist' or 'trans' or any influence in his life other than Utah Mormon, republican doctrine which doesn't lend itself to the kind of 'outreach' to other ideologies, like the seemingly bipartisan effort Kirk was engaged in on the day he was shot.
But, I'm going to guess that because of the evidence of apparently deliberate 'engravings' on shell casings reportedly found with the rifle, the press is going to be able to, or compelled by fear of the right-wing bullying, to muddle that clear republican influence on his life and upbringing.
Imo, it's the corrosive, divisive politics of the present-day republican party which is responsible for almost all of the political violence in America, encouraged and fomented by their very president who tried to light a fire at the feet of Democrats and the 'left' immediately after the Kirk shooting, with no clue who committed the murder at the time.
Democratic supporters weren't the ones violently attacking Capitol police with American and Trump flags, injuring 140 of them and contributing to the deaths of FOUR others. That was the present-day republican party which set up a hangman's gallows on the Capitol lawn intended for their own party's vice-president.
It's been disaffected republicans who have been shooting and aiming the guns at the president; the weapons they fight so virulently against the 'left' to protect and possess with the clearly stated goal of resisting our government to the point of overthrowing it.
They want Americans to believe, improbably, that the party which has consistently opposed the free flow of the very type of rifle that killed Charlie Kirk are the actual perpetrators and orchestrators of his killing; not the people like Kirk and his ilk who have fought Democrats tooth-and-nail to hold onto their weapons until the absolute end in their cold, dead hands.
This killing of their own has republicanism written all over it. It fucking stinks of it.

underpants
(192,816 posts)
leftstreet
(37,157 posts)EarlG
(23,175 posts)It was unbelievably irresponsible for so many people who should be looked up to to provide accurate information to the public (I'm talking about the news media and public officials) to immediately jump to the conclusion that this was a political assassination committed by a leftist, without a subject even being in custody.
It's to be expected from Trump, who would never let a bloody tragedy get in the way of trying to score political points and foment further violence. It should not be tolerated from people who ought to know better, who hold positions of power and who need to serve the public more responsibly. There won't be any apologies over this, but there should be. People in positions of responsibility went out there and basically smeared half the country with no evidence whatsoever.
malaise
(288,846 posts)Rec
PunkinPi
(5,173 posts)Scubamatt
(203 posts)to start asking the media why the jumped the gun and were so anxious to point the finger at "the left." Make them defensive about their shoddy and jingoistic reporting. Remember how the Republicans always were saying how they couldn't get a fair shake from the "liberal media"? IT STUCK in the public's mind. We need to do something similar here to get the focus back on the insanity that is the right wing.
bigtree
(92,456 posts)...and the media has just allowed republicans and Trump a daylong rant about the 'left' when it's been their very own flock that's turned on them.
It's like something out of a novel.
still-prayin4rain
(446 posts)And nobody in power interested in doing anything about it except use it to drive more division. This country is in a dark place.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(28,068 posts)Isn't that what America is all about?
Personally, I'm in favor of confiscating all guns. Hunters, you can pick up your gun from the gun safety facility when you show them the killing permit you have.
And it shouldn't fucking take murdering even more with guns for the gun apologists finally get it. Although that probably won't happen until each and every one of them loses someone that way.
Mme. Defarge
(8,759 posts)otchmoson
(209 posts)if there is a correlation (weak? strong?) between sheriffs offices, their youth engagement programs and radicalized young people? This shooting in Utah has an echo of the shooting at Florida State University. Young people who are already familiar with weapons improve their skill by association with law enforcement departments. The radicalization may come from online groups, but is it possible it also comes from law enforcement mentors?