Can't solve a problem until you admit you have a problem!

[Roman Snow]

It's a little disingenuous not to mention that the guns used in those "hermetically sealed" areas come from gun friendly states like Florida, Texas, Georgia and so on

Very genuine. Do you see the point you made? Do we have state borders? Not really. We live in a free country. Anyone can carry a weapon. It is the state where the crime is conducted that is to be examined. Soft targets. Near guarantee of unarmed citizenry.

What is the term they call a gun in the arms of a woman? "The great equalizer. There is a reason for this. Liberals are always gushed over for their (false) compassion. They do have compassion- for all the wrong people. They have compassion for the criminals. But who are the inner city victims? Generally minorities and women. Idiots like Obama want the inner city women to be powerless. Such compassion. They want lighter sentences for thugs. Such compassion. Oh such evil.

I'm not gonna play "whose religion is better" because that's not the point. The point from a security and problem solving standpoint is capability and the issue becomes fundamentalism and we've seen over and over again that it doesn't matter which form of fundamentalism it is.

Your Bosnian example was weak, and inaccurate. But it has already been torn to shreds.

My Marxist professor William Dorman already gave me the US - Iran run down back in Journalism school in the late '80's, and we do have some agreement on US mistakes in this process. But why are you so reticent in not recognizing that Islam is the ONLY violent religion in the world? They are persecuting and killing Christians and Jews all around the world.

 

[Mackeyser]

I don't call overthrowing democratically elected governments and then installing one of the most horrific dictators of the 20th century... a "mistake". I don't call encouraging the radicalization of the Mujahedin in Afghanistan a "mistake".

Also, I'm not much for labels. I'll just leave it at that. (Like, I'm not a liberal, for one...) That dogmatic word salad didn't really so much make any point as just say where you're at on a bunch of stuff. Which is fine...I guess... It's pretty much a conversation ender, cuz you can't really discuss someone else's dogma. It's kinda like talking about another man's wife. The more you talk, the more uncomfortable it gets...

The Bosnian example is fine. It wasn't torn to anything. Just because one poster with an agenda posted a few things doesn't change a historical event. People are constantly trying to rewrite history and Bosnia is no different. http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...ca-massacre-bosnia-anniversary-denial/398846/ I really, really, really am not going to relitigate Bosnia because someone refuses to believe that Christians are capable of doing in 19xx what they did in 13xx. Sorry. Oh, and I'm very much a Christian. Have openly said that I thought about going to Seminary School when I was younger, taught Sunday School for years and led Bible Study groups.

Point is that none of the LGBTQPIA+ community is going away. The various religious communities and society at large can either at the very least allow for a peaceful coexistence OR we will see more events like this one. Right now, the biggest roadblock is religious fundamentalism. Is Islamic fundamentalism the worst right now? Yeah, for a number of reasons. Still, it's not the only one and I wasn't letting any off the hook. There was only really the one example of Buddhist fundamentalism and I still included that...because it exists.

Now I was always taught to be a good neighbor and to tend to my house. In my case, that's Christianity and America. So I focus on fixing our issues and how best to do better going forward. That doesn't mean that Muslim Americans aren't doing that same thing or that Hindu Canadians aren't doing that same thing or that Buddhist Argentinians aren't doing that same thing.

 

[Roman Snow]

I don't call overthrowing democratically elected governments and then installing one of the most horrific dictators of the 20th century... a "mistake". I don't call encouraging the radicalization of the Mujahedin in Afghanistan a "mistake".

Also, I'm not much for labels. I'll just leave it at that. (Like, I'm not a liberal, for one...) That dogmatic word salad didn't really so much make any point as just say where you're at on a bunch of stuff. Which is fine...I guess... It's pretty much a conversation ender, cuz you can't really discuss someone else's dogma. It's kinda like talking about another man's wife. The more you talk, the more uncomfortable it gets...

The Bosnian example is fine. It wasn't torn to anything. Just because one poster with an agenda posted a few things doesn't change a historical event. People are constantly trying to rewrite history and Bosnia is no different. http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...ca-massacre-bosnia-anniversary-denial/398846/ I really, really, really am not going to relitigate Bosnia because someone refuses to believe that Christians are capable of doing in 19xx what they did in 13xx. Sorry. Oh, and I'm very much a Christian. Have openly said that I thought about going to Seminary School when I was younger, taught Sunday School for years and led Bible Study groups.

Point is that none of the LGBTQPIA+ community is going away. The vaMatthew 11:28 (NAS) "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.rious religious communities and society at large can either at the very least allow for a peaceful coexistence OR we will see more events like this one. Right now, the biggest roadblock is religious fundamentalism. Is Islamic fundamentalism the worst right now? Yeah, for a number of reasons. Still, it's not the only one and I wasn't letting any off the hook. There was only really the one example of Buddhist fundamentalism and I still included that...because it exists.

Now I was always taught to be a good neighbor and to tend to my house. In my case, that's Christianity and America. So I focus on fixing our issues and how best to do better going forward. That doesn't mean that Muslim Americans aren't doing that same thing or that Hindu Canadians aren't doing that same thing or that Buddhist Argentinians aren't doing that same thing.

Well Mac, I didn't intend to shut down discussion by using labels. The "label" I gave my professor was one he wore proudly. I look back at my education now and see that he was so narrowly agenda driven. I believe my education was tainted. Our "text books" were his books written with Mansour Farhang on the US Press and Iran.

It is just such a hot button for me when systematic evil is compared with fringe anomalies. Is "Fundamentalism" a label Mac?

There are huge questions about the way the Bosnian numbers are being reported. You may have more trust in The Atlantic than I do, for credible reporting. I find that magazine to be very dogmatic. Another poster gave another source that you seemed to dismiss. We all have our views.

As a Christian, you know that Jesus never taught anything but to love our neighbor. And even to love our enemy. Nobody rapes or murders "in the name of Christ."

But they will invoke Allah as they behead dissenters for the crime of refusing to deny Christ. Why is that truth so muddy to so many?

And someone will want to bring up Old Testament violence. You studied the bible Mac, you know the difference.

I agree with more than you realize about US foreign policy. If you don't mind the label, my views are more libertarian.

Ultimately the heart we should examine is our own. I appreciate your feedback Mac my brother.

 

[LesBaker]

I thought they arrived like 30ish minutes after the shooting began... Still a slow response time. Either way, these guys are so incredibly safe and slow, I agree I'm not a fan. It took 3 hours for SWAT to clear up to my room during the UCLA lock down and that was a murder suicide. The response was amazing, four departments, and hundreds of officers came to the university, but the actual process of clearing was so slow, if he was an active shooter he could have gotten far more.

I wont get into any gun debates though, different topic, I have a unique opinion about it.

I think the thing that may have been a monkey wrench is he was "taking breaks" during the shooting and they seemed to switch gears to a hostage posture but didn't change to active shooter when he would start shooting again. I read that he stopped a few times, possibly when he was making calls.

This is a really messy situation and a tough topic. Levelheaded discussion is always appreciated.

I've heard nary a peep about his wife and I am very interested in what happens there.

 

[Selassie I]

Guys... seriously.

NO POLITICS OR RELIGION

This isn't new news around here.