I don’t normally do “breaking news” stories, but the shooting at the Binghamton, N.Y. civil center may be an unfortunate sign of the times. More later, maybe.
[Update: I’m not giving her a link, but Pam “Atlas Shrugs” Geller predictably has blamed the shooting on (1) immigrants and (2) New York gun laws.]
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of the constitutionality of same-sex marriage. Much rejoicing in Liberal Land.
At the other blog, I get more political than usual and dump on Sen. Judd Gregg.
Anyone want to place any bets that it wasn’t a “Liberal” shooting up the place in Binghamton, where new American citizens were being sworn in?
As for Iowa – YOU ROCK!!! Now, if Iowa can do this, why can’t other states?
Wait for the other shoe to drop…it could be the sound of a citizen-group initiated constitutional amendment. Hopefully not but a backlash might take that form. And Iowa is what? The court of the people? California’s supreme court still deliberates on the question. Hypothetically, any group could be denied the rights that come with state-recognized civil union people over 300 lbs, blacks or redheads.
Maybe LGBT have the numbers needed to get some other token discrimination on the ballots…for effect. Just to demonstrate the inanity of it all. That would be interesting.
The men who do these kinds of shootings (and, they all seem to be men) do not deserve our sympathy. It should be made clear that they are cowards and will remain cowards throughout history because they shoot people who have done nothing for which any other human being has any right to shoot them–to end their lives; and they remain cowards because they shoot themselves because they cannot face their punishment for this heinous crime like a man. COWARDS — NOTHING MORE. They may be less such as the scum of the earth; but, they are cowards.
Mea culpa.
I assumed it was a right winger (and, who the Hell knows right now -it looks like someone who’s Vietnamese-American), but I was wrong to assume. You guy’s all know what happens when you ass/u/me?
There’s a scary situation developing with wingnuts. A very recent poll shows optimism is rising among Democrats & Independents. But far right Republicans are in a no-win state of depression. If Obama succeeds and the state of the country improves, the conservative movement (for them) is doomed. If Obama’s policies continue for only 4 years, the dire predictions from the far right is that the country is doomed.
A bunch of folks believe illegal imigration is the root of all our problems. (For the record, I am no open borders fan; my wife is not American, and we went through hell to get her here legally.) I am concerned that we are seeing a hate crime like Germany saw when Jews were designated the cause of Germany’s problems.
It this turns out to be the sad case, I am looking for the leadership of BOTH parties to do a public service announcement. I want to see John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, etc. saying the same thing. This is America and we don’t solve problems with random acts of terrorism. Time to chill, folks.
Doug,
Love ya!
But, that ain’t gonna happen (except Hillary). The others believe that anything that helps them to keep, or get and keep office/power is fair game.
McCain did nothing to stop xenophobe’s in his campaign (Hell, he said he wouldn’t vote for the immigration bill HE proposed!); Palin egged them on. Huck and Newt have been playing footsie with anyone who will help them. They have all been been playing the race and immigration card often, and the will continue to do this repeatedly.
I see no reason why they would change their tune if they notice more people are starting to tap their toes to their music.
Hell if Joe McCarthy or Father Coughlin were heads of band’s, they have them play the following tune at every rally: “Tomorrow belong’s to me!”
The facts aren’t all in yet, but the Binghamton shooter himself may have been an immigrant. This could be yet another domestic-stalking situation, where a guy hunting down his wife or girlfriend kills everyone he sees, soon as he walks in the door.
I don’t blame this country’s gun laws, I blame its gun worship. This is how Americans solve problems.
As for Iowa, in honor of the awesome occasion, I have “Til There Was You” from The Music Man stuck in my head. It occurs to me that the last wedding I attended was actually a commitment ceremony for two women in Omaha, just across the Missouri River from Iowa. I wonder if my friend and her partner will go get honest-to-gosh married now– no more of this Jim Crow “separate and unequal” stuff.
Hurray for Iowa – a state in the heart of the country. Hopefully, there is some heart left in California and the rest of the country.
No comment on the shooting. Need more facts. BUT I expect a whole lot more as people become angrier about the financial mess, oligarchs being bailed out and still livin’ high, as they themselves become jobless and homeless. I suspect, however, that such shootings are more likely to occur in corporate boardrooms and private tarmacs.
My own hot button is being hit lately with the number of fellow boomers who just don’t seem to give a crap about the world – the environment, wars, the economy, food adulteration, corporate control, etc. I am beginning to suspect they are all on Prozac. I am also beginning to wonder why it is distributed so widely…
I’m suprised Pam “Atlas Shrugs” Gellar would even be mentioned on this fine blog. She is the worst of the worst, a real right-wing-neocon-zelot-miscreant! I do however visit her hate site for a good chuckle once in a while.
According to the current article up at the New York Times, he shooter used two handguns, recovered at the site and both were licensed. Their serial numbers match the license.
As someone upthread said, it’s our worship of guns as a way to solve problems.
off topic but did anyone see this re PBS/national healthcare?
http://www.gooznews.com/archives/001372.html#more