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  • Current Events & Politics Moderators: deficiT | tryptakid | Foreigner

Trump shot

Honestly, I just want this shit to stop... we have real problems that we could be addressing and instead the US is just caught up in this fucked up momentum that keeps ramping up and ramping up, leading to shit like this.

My take is that the kid is just another disenfranchised young white man who felt angry about something in his life, got caught up in some paranoid or manic idea, had access to firearms, and decided that shooting former reality television star DJT was the right thing to do.

He's from a rust belt town that has seen steady population decrease since the 60s, where average household income barely breaks 30k, and where 20% of families and 25% of people his age live below federal poverty (which itself grossly underrepresents incomes that actually should qualify for poverty). This is an area that has been decimated by opioids over the past 20 years, another correlate to the suffering of generations unable to extract themselves from post-industrial rot.

ETA: I realized after posting that the area I am describing relates to where the rally was held, not where Crooks was raised. In looking into it further, he was raised in a relatively middle-class area and seems to have been a bright student who was also the target of bullying. He was an active member of a rifle club and recent graduate of community college, working in a nursing home.

Some further detail from wikipedia with citations:
Crooks was a registered Republican,[1][8][11][29] and his voter registration was active since September 2021, the month he turned 18.[1] Officials say he had only voted in the 2022 midterm elections.[4]

On January 20, 2021, at the age of 17, he donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project, a liberal voter turnout group, through the Democratic Party donation platform ActBlue.[6][11][13][30] His donation was made the same day President Joe Biden was sworn into office.[5] According to the Progressive Turnout Project, he made the donation in response to an e-mail about "tuning into" the inauguration and was unsubscribed from the group's mailing list in 2022.[4] One high school classmate recalled that Crooks advocated conservative views during discussions and debates about policies and wondered "why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate".
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I see gun violence as akin to suicide turned outward, the suffering that leads people to kill themselves, or that contributes to overdose deaths, can also push people to act out violently. Maybe he was deep into political conspiracy culture, maybe he thought this would make a name for himself in a world that he'd likely live an anonymous life in, or maybe he is just one more example of what happens when we treat mental health as an explanation for problems rather than a problem to be addressed.

I wish we could stop focusing on this shitshow and actually address the issues that are impacting the vast majority of us. One thing almost all of us seem to share is a frustration with the status quo, and a feeling of powerlessness to change it. I think it's that type of feeling that leads to this type of incident.
 
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tryptakid said:
Honestly, I just want this shit to stop... we have real problems that we could be addressing and instead the US is just caught up in this fucked up momentum that keeps ramping up and ramping up, leading to shit like this.

My take is that the kid is just another disenfranchised young white man who felt angry about something in his life, got caught up in some paranoid or manic idea, had access to firearms, and decided that shooting former reality television star DJT was the right thing to do.

He's from a rust belt town that has seen steady population decrease since the 60s, where average household income barely breaks 30k, and where 20% of families and 25% of people his age live below federal poverty (which itself grossly underrepresents incomes that actually should qualify for poverty). This is an area that has been decimated by opioids over the past 20 years, another correlate to the suffering of generations unable to extract themselves from post-industrial rot.

I see gun violence as akin to suicide turned outward, the suffering that leads people to kill themselves, or that contributes to overdose deaths, can also push people to act out violently. Maybe he was deep into political conspiracy culture, maybe he thought this would make a name for himself in a world that he'd likely live an anonymous life in, or maybe he is just one more example of what happens when we treat mental health as an explanation for problems rather than a problem to be addressed.

I wish we could stop focusing on this shitshow and actually address the issues that are impacting the vast majority of us. One thing almost all of us seem to share is a frustration with the status quo, and a feeling of powerlessness to change it. I think it's that type of feeling that leads to this type of incident.
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I'm an old fuck. I used to believe in actually violent action to counteract the buying of America. Not so much anymore. I've seen and heard of too many violent governmental overthrows end up with things being worse. "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."

You're only going to see incremental change in America. I know it sucks but it is what it is.
Both sides want to obscure the real issues with hot button issues.
I have my opinion as to which party does that much, much, more, but ne'mind.

The only thing we can do is to pay attention to issues and what actually is done (or attempted, in this climate) and decide which party most aligns with what we want.

So, if we all really pay attention, to what matters, maybe the Overton Window will move a little bit in the right direction. They still need our votes, for now.

We give these hot button things their power. We're doing it right now. There are crazy fucks both Democrat and Republican. It doesn't matter which the shooter is registered as or who he contributed to. Just a hot button to press.

Know what? You could almost drop all the extraneous political noise and say that, in my lifetime anyway, most all that's happened is that one party cuts taxes on the rich and then the other puts some of them back.
 
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alasdairm said:
really nice post @tryptakid

alasdair
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Thanks. I edited it because I had looked into the wrong town as being where he was from. The economic issues and related hopelessness are less likely to be a part of this, though it does seem that he was a target of bullying and was a bit of a loner. I did leave the original text as I think it remains relevant to a lot of people's struggles in this day and age, even if it's less likely to relate to Crooks.
 
451138712_122160583808156477_7388162755276914616_n.jpg
 
brokedownpalace10 said:
I'm an old fuck. I used to believe in actually violent action to counteract the buying of America. Not so much anymore. I've seen and heard of too many violent governmental overthrows end up with things being worse. "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."
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Violence begets more violence and power corrupts.
brokedownpalace10 said:
You're only going to see incremental change in America. I know it sucks but it is what it is.
Both sides want to obscure the issues with hot button issues.
I have my opinion as to which party does that much, much, more, but ne'mind.
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I think they both do it in ways that stand out to the opposition, but blend into the wallpaper for those within. Conservatives have long utilized talk radio, more recently podcasting, and social media as a means to get messaging out. Liberals are more entrenched in some forms of legacy media, entertainment, and the arts. While there's obviously going to be exceptions to those things, my sense is that this is broadly accurate.

To those with conservative views, MSM and Hollywood are seen as the examples of how there is clearly a liberal bias which silences opposition. To those with liberal views, it's the hot-take radio host or podcaster that stands out. Both sides seem ignorant (or less aware) of the ways they are influenced.
brokedownpalace10 said:
The only thing we can do is to pay attention to issues and what actually is done (or attempted, in this climate) and decide which party most aligns with what we want.
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We can vote 3rd party and try to break the stalemate, but it's never "the right time". When I voted Nader in 2000, I remember some older Bush supporters giving me shit saying "A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush!". Cornell West is running this year and I'll probably vote for him. Friends of mine caution that I shouldn't risk not voting against Trump.

The sad truth is that MOST of us want an alternative to these two, but many of us remain to frightened of the consequences of voting for such an alternative.
brokedownpalace10 said:
So, if we all really pay attention, to what matters, maybe the Overton Window will move a little bit in the right direction. They still need our votes, for now.

We give these hot button things their power. We're doing it right now. There are crazy fucks both Democrat and Republican. It doesn't matter which the shooter is registered as or who he contributed to. Just a hot button to press.
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Yeah, we're awash in information, rhetoric, and technology addictions pumping us full of content that enrages us but lasts only as long as the next cycle. Most people can't tell you the thing they were upset about last week. We're seeing the impact that this is having in real time, but it's hard to study from within.
brokedownpalace10 said:
Know what? You could almost drop all the extraneous political noise and say that, in my lifetime anyway, most all that's happened is that one party cuts taxes on the rich and then the other puts some of them back.
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...and justify doing so as a win *for you*.
 
tryptakid said:
We can vote 3rd party and try to break the stalemate, but it's never "the right time". When I voted Nader in 2000, I remember some older Bush supporters giving me shit saying "A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush!". Cornell West is running this year and I'll probably vote for him. Friends of mine caution that I shouldn't risk not voting against Trump.

The sad truth is that MOST of us want an alternative to these two, but many of us remain to frightened of the consequences of voting for such an alternative.
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As long as the winner take all system of apportioning electoral votes in the Electoral College is used by most states, you will never see a 3rd party President. Ross Perot got nearly 20% of the vote and zero electoral votes. (Nader got 2.74% and zero electoral)

So, work to abolish the Electoral College.

(BTW, the winner take all system of apportioning electoral votes is not in the Constitution :))
 
Maybe you guys should kick (the) US out of all of the affairs and let us self destruct. I am no global expert but on a micro level avoid the psychopath is a good rule of thumb...

I got nothing
 
Soso78 said:
The mad thing is that if the shooter put one straight through trumps head he would still be more coherent than Biden.
I been watching him lately and it’s absolutely embarrassing.

pretty sure he shits himself randomly.
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You're dick riding so hard for a draft dodger who couldn't give a fuck less about anybody making less than 500k a year and for what like Trumps ever gonna give a fuck about you
 
daturetard said:
You're dick riding so hard for a draft dodger who couldn't give a fuck less about anybody making less than 500k a year and for what like Trumps ever gonna give a fuck about you
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Don’t blame him draft dodging.
I don’t even know why the Vietnam war started. But it was probably bullshit, same as Iraq and Afghanistan. So many young men snd women killed for nothing.

Why would trump give a fuck about me?
 
Soso78 said:
Shooter gonna be a weird little leftie.
No gf
No job or shit job
Lives at home with parents
Easily triggered
No mates
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You're right about the friendless incel part but he had a job as a nursing home aid and was a registered republican. He doesn't really look like the antifa/blm type of kid.

BB1pYvXQ.img
 
brokedownpalace10 said:
I'm skeptical of conspiracy theories myself, but I think the government does plenty of corrupt and evil things.....Conspiracies ain't needed. Just good old politics as usual...
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I agree 100%.

I was just listening to NPR news and already the conspiracy theories range from inside job, the Democrats, BLM, Islamic terrorists, the LGBTQ community (specifically trans people), Antifa, to "the Jews." That last one is always on the list of usual suspects.
Couldn't possibly be just some poor schmuck with unresolved psych issues, a rifle, and nothing better to do. That's no fun. As I said before, a lone gunman never killed anybody. Can't be done. It's a Law of Physics.

And the moon landing was a hoax. But the fake video was done on location.
 
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