President Biden: The NEW one and only politics thread

It is.
But we seem to be at a defining moment in journalism, where reporting on exact words -- and context -- matter. Or it should.

 

I agree context matters.

I don't agree that the full quote changes the context of his remarks in a significant way.

 

We don't believe election results.

We don't believe court verdicts. Or in our own Justice Department.

Russia already won. Now they're just fucking around with house money.

 

Has there been reporting on what the weapon was? This is somewhat cynical on my part but it seems unlikely that it was an AR, since the body count was so low.

I know that it’s been reported the vast majority of guns are owned by stockpilers. My guess is the percentage of armed people in any given situation is lower than you think and the percentage of trained armed people is much lower than you think, though I’m guessing the gun lobby doesn’t want you to know that.

The thing is the main group of citizens impeding gun control are not the Three Percenters who need to stockpile ARs because they retain a right to declare a heckler’s veto against the gubmint, it’s the numerous mostly white people who believe they must protect themselves against an imminent threat of crime against their property and their person. And given all the news reports and murder shows out there on TV and such I’m not sure if there’s a way to put that genie back in the bottle.

I frequent a Facebook group for runners who are “Slow AF.” (1.3 miles in 15:09 on the treadmill tonight at the Y, for example) One of the most common questions that is asked is women runners asking for more effective methods to fend off male attackers, a discussion that invariably trends toward concealed carrying. And considering another woman was murdered in this fashion this month, I’m not sure if you could ever convince anyone of their safety.

 

It’s not just Russia. It’s the Republican Party.

There was a likely assassination attempt on an ex-U.S. president who is running for office again, and a not-so-insignificant portion of the American population either thinks he staged it or that the other party tried to have him killed. That is a result of decades of inaccurate bullshit being spewed by the likes of Sandy Hook hoaxers.

We live in a dangerous age where we don’t know what is fact, what is fiction or who to believe.

 

It was an AR-15.

 

Well, I stand corrected then.

 

Oh everyone knows the truth, “they just can’t handle it.”

 

In addition to four dead, there were nine wounded, if that helps the math seem more probable.

 

The weapon: The shooter used a black AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, officials said in arrest warrants. Records from a 2022 eviction obtained by The Times show that the suspect’s father had owned a black AR-15 at the time. It was later returned to him. AR-15s are one of the most common weapons used in mass shootings.

Father of Teen Suspect Charged in Georgia School Shooting

 

Are these women going to be jogging with an AR-15 slung over their shoulder or a Beretta on their hip?

Any normal person being attacked is unlikely to get a firearm out of a holster, safety off, and pointed at the attacker in time. It's far more likely that the victim will need to have something in close quarters combat, which is why mace or an easily accessible sharp object is always the go-to recommendation. Also why you fight dirty - target eyes and groin.

I don't object to owning a firearm at home for security or to hunt or protect livestock.

I object to assault rifles. And I object to the fantasy that a gun is going to magically deter an assault.

 

Haven't delved into exactly what the shooter had, but saying AR-15 is like saying Kleenex or Coke.