As some Republicans begin to stand up against Trump and McConnell on white nationalism and gun control, the fight shifts to Walmart and the corporations underwriting Trumpism

It’s now been a few days since a white nationalist gunman took the lives of 22 people in El Paso and there are any number of things that we could discuss. I’m inclined to focus on Mitch McConnell’s continued refusal to bring House Resolution 8 to a vote in the Senate, but I really don’t know what good it would do, as the Senate Majority Leader seems to be absolutely unmovable when it comes to gun control. [H.R. 8, which passed the House this past February with bipartisan support would create a universal background check system for all private firearm sales.] So, instead, I thought that I’d call out two Republicans who have issued courageous statements over the past few days, in hopes that their words, if amplified, might encourage others on the right to speak out about the terrifying and absolutely untenable situation we now find ourselves in.

First, I want to share the following excerpt from a Twitter thread authored yesterday by Nebraska state Senator John McCollister, who, it would seem, has finally had enough of his party’s role in “enabling white supremacy”. After saying, “The time is now for us Republicans to be honest with what is happening inside our party,” Senator McCollister got to the heart of the matter — the sad reality that a good number of Republicans seem to be absolutely fine with the fact that the leader of their party “continually stokes racist fears in his base,” leading to events like those that we just saw unfold in El Paso.

The Nebraska Republican Party, for what it’s worth, did not agree with McCollister’s assessment of the situation. And, instead of engaging him in a meaningful discussion on race, domestic terrorism and the future of their rapidly imploding party, they demanded that McCollister to leave the GOP. [Apparently, It would seem, there’s no longer any place in the Party of Lincoln for those who condemn racism and the incitement of domestic terrorism, or refuse to submit completely to the will of the president.] To his credit, McCollister responded by saying that he had no intention of leaving the party.

And, second, I wanted to share the fact that Republican Congressman Michael R. Turner of Ohio had come out to say that he’d changed his mind about common sense gun reform. Turner, who had voted against H.R. 8 this past February, apparently had a change of heart after Sunday’s mass shooting in Dayton, which left 9 dead. In a prepared statement explaining his new stance on assault weapons, Turner, who, up until yesterday, had a 93% approval rating from the NRA, said, “The carnage these military-style weapons are able to produce when available to the wrong people is intolerable.” While it’s unclear as to what it was exactly that triggered this significant shift in Turner’s attitude, as he’d just recently voted against universal background checks, one suspects it has something to do with the fact that his daughter was in the vicinity of this most recent deadly shooting. Whatever the reason, one thinks that Turner deserves credit for standing up the Mitch McConnell and the NRA, and saying, “This tragedy must become a catalyst for a broader national conversation about what we can do to stop these mass shootings.” Yes, it’s a shame he couldn’t say that a year ago, after the mass murder at Stoneman Douglas High School, or just recently, after Poway synagogue attack, but I suppose it’s better late than never… Let’s just hope that his fellow Republicans don’t have to experience the near-loss of children to join him on the right side of history.

Will other Republicans step up and do the right thing? Based on recent experience, I’d say that it’s doubtful, but you never know. Maybe someone like Ben Sasse or Mitt Romney could grow backbones tonight and stand up against Trumpism in some meaningful way tomorrow, instead of just wringing their hands and expressing “concern”. Personally, though, I think the more fruitful way forward involves going after the business entities that control the Republican Party. And, with that in mind — and since I can’t fall asleep — I have two more things to share.

First, there was a great op-ed in the New York Times yesterday by Andrew Ross Sorkin titled “Dear Walmart C.E.O.: You Have the Power to Curb Gun Violence. Do It..” Here’s how it begins.

Dear Mr. McMillon,

The massacre at your store in El Paso over the weekend was a tragedy.

So were the shooting deaths, days earlier, of two Walmart employees, at a Walmart store in Mississippi. So, too, was the mass shooting early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio — and the multitude of others in recent years.

It is clear that this country is suffering from an epidemic that law enforcement and politicians are unable or unwilling to manage.

In the depths of this crisis lies an opportunity: for you to help end this violence.

You, singularly, have a greater chance to use your role as the chief executive of the country’s largest retailer and largest seller of guns — with greater sway over the entire ecosystem that controls gun sales in the United States than any other individual in corporate America.

What happened over the weekend was not your fault — but it is your moral responsibility to see that it stops.

The legally purchased weapons that were used in the mass shootings did not come from Walmart. But guns in America travel through a manufacturing and supply chain that relies on banks like Wells Fargo, software companies like Microsoft, and delivery and logistics giants like Federal Express and UPS. All of those companies, in turn, count Walmart as a crucial client.

Economists have a term for the kind of influence you wield: economic leverage.

Walmart has used this leverage for years over its suppliers, partners, distributors, rivals — even cities and states.

Now you have the chance to use that clout to help fix a system that is clearly broken, to solve a crisis whose costs are measured in lives, not just in profits and losses.

Other chief executives are already stepping up. For example, Marc Benioff of Salesforce recently pushed his company to stop working with retailers that sell automatic and certain semiautomatic firearms, high-capacity magazines for ammunition and a wide variety of accessories.

Ed Stack, chief executive of Dick’s Sporting Goods, was an early mover in removing guns from his stores. He brought important attention to the issue. But unlike you, with your huge scale, he did not have enough leverage to create real, systemic change.

You have already stopped selling handguns and assault-style weapons and raised the age limit to 21 to buy a gun from your stores (though you still sell rifles and certain other types of guns). I commend you for that.

Some critics have suggested that Walmart stop selling guns entirely, but you can use your influence over gun makers for good…

Might Doug McMillon be inclined to do the right thing after the murder of 22 Walmart customers? So far, things don’t look promising. Walmart issued a statement yesterday saying that they won’t stop selling firearms or change their open carry policies. But, with that said, I think we might have more luck reasoning with Walmart than with Mitch McConnell, who has not only refused to call Senators back from recess to debate gun legislation, but, just hours after the El Paso shooting, tweeted an image showing the name of his Democratic rival for Senate, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath, on a tombstone.

[By the way, now might be a really good time to give Amy McGrath, who apparently doesn’t live too far from the old farm of my great grandparents in Georgetown, Kentucky a donation.]

And, second — seeing as how desperate times call for desperate measures — I don’t see anything at all wrong with what Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro did today when he shared the names of San Antonio business owners who had contributed to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.

People deserve to know who in their communities support the increasingly dangerous, unstable, cruel and racist Donald Trump as he leads our nation away from from its moral center and toward fascism. [Speaking of the President’s enablers, I didn’t catch it on Fox News, but I see that Tucker Carlson has declared that growing concerns about the rise of white nationalist terrorism in America are nothing more than “a hoax” and a “conspiracy theory used to divide the country.”]

Now go write that letter to Walmart, OK?

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69 Comments

  1. iRobert
    Posted August 6, 2019 at 9:19 pm | Permalink

    #MoscowMitch would rather be #MachineGunMitch

  2. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:06 am | Permalink

    Note of correction: Joaquin Castro is a Texas Representative in the US House and he is the twin brother of Julian Castro. Julian Castro is running for president.

  3. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:11 am | Permalink

    https://corporate.walmart.com/store-corporate-feedback

  4. John Brown
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:32 am | Permalink

    And Tucker Carlson called America’s white supremacy problem “a hoax”. We’ll see if he still thinks it a hoax when he gets strung up next to Agent Orange. Fucking fox nazis are the worst.

  5. Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:55 am | Permalink

    Thank you, Jean. I’ve learned my lesson. This is the last time I let the fact checkers take an evening off.

  6. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 7:28 am | Permalink

    How many white supremacists do you think there are in the USA?

  7. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 7:48 am | Permalink

    HW– THe USA is a white supremacist nation. It has been one since it’s inception. It has not yet overcome its white supremacist tendencies despite the efforts of many. Trump’s rhetoric routinely subscribes to the idea that white Europeans cultures and people are preferable to other groups– That’s White Supremacy. Many of his followers (and many of his detractors) believe in White supremacy even while they abhor open racism. Skinheads and Richard Spencer-following Chad’s are a symptom– not the thing itself. Many people don;t understand that. Many people on the left also refuse to see racism as systemic v an individual moral flaw. They love to condemn this racists. While open racism must be confronted, I mostly consider this a virtue-signaling evasion of the real issue. It’s far to easy to condemn open racism, treat a couple of Black friends as equals and then allow the real oppression to continue.

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/08/06/us-wake-el-paso-eddie-glaude-delivers-incredibly-powerful-statement-us-history

  8. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 7:50 am | Permalink

    Mark– it won’t be the first or last time the two men are confused. I was just pretty certain a Pres candidate wouldn’t go so hard. I wish they would. Maybe they all should have an ‘anger translator’ twin to do the dirty work.

  9. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 8:05 am | Permalink

    Estimate the number please.

  10. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 8:08 am | Permalink

    JB,

    Tucker gave multiple examples of politicians connecting the shootings directly to Trump’s supposed white supremacist agenda. I thought that Tucker was saying that connection to Trump was the hoax, which the politicians like Beto, Warren, and Booker were creating in order to try to strategically cash in on the tragedy.

    Tucker actually has done a good job trying to express his theories about why these mass shootings happen. Other people have other theories. Apparently you think it is ok to want to execute people who have different opinions about the underlying problems of these mass shootings. I think you are sick.

  11. Anonymous
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:07 am | Permalink

    Now HW is giving homework questions. Where is the Pudlord when you need him? We need some rhymes.

  12. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:23 am | Permalink

    JB seems to think that hanging Tucker would prove that Tucker is wrong. Is that not some evil weirdness?

    Even more weird though, is Anonymous, who apparently thinks HW ought to be ridiculed because he further inquired into JB’s opinion about a problem, which JB thinks would be solved by executing a journalist, by way of lynch-mob execution.

    JB and Anonymous are two creepy and confused dudes.

  13. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:49 am | Permalink

    You think estimating the number of white supremacists is homework?

  14. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 10:09 am | Permalink

    Anonymous said ‘pud’ huhuhuhuh.

  15. Hyborian Pudlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 10:29 am | Permalink

    Warlord has a laugh
    Racist is as racist does
    Warlord is Trump’s bitch

  16. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    ‘Pud’…huhuhuhuh…

  17. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 10:50 am | Permalink

    So can’t even give a ballpark figure to the number of white supremacists you think are in this country. Just a general idea of the scale like thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, hundreds of millions…

    From what Jean said it sounds like we are suffering the effects of ambient atmospheric white supremacy. You can’t see it but it is there, subtly poisoning us via the air we breathe.

  18. Eel
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 11:31 am | Permalink

    Would you have us believe that if the El Paso shooter had been Muslim you’d be saying “really, there aren’t that that many radical Muslims, they wouldn’t even fill a stadium” right now.

  19. John Brown
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    Pudlord, Fascist flake, and Evangelical Obfuscating Stooge are all fascists. Anybody who deflects, distracts, rationalizes and votes for the racist cited by the Christchurch nazi terrorist as “the embodiment of white identity” belongs in that stadium next to their Atomwaffen brethren. And funny that a fascist would use “stadiums” as a unit of measure for people when they have an admiration for Pinochet and his stadium prisons and helicopter rides.

  20. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 11:47 am | Permalink

    But that’s one person. I know people like you think it is insane that intelligence agencies “put people up” to doing things like that but do your research. They take mentally ill people on SSRI’s and drive them to shoot people. The family who sued the FBI for setting up their schizophrenic son to be involved in a terrorist plot for example.

    Why does El Paso dude’s dad do trauma therapy but he is connected to the monster John of God? Haven’t heard of that? Supposed healer popular with Clinton, Winfrey and others was kidnapping hundreds of young women to bear children sold internationally. Horrible but true. People here would call me batshit for noticing that or flat deny it. After researching it for yourself will you think that is reasonable?

  21. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 11:57 am | Permalink

    Okay, so according to Jerky Johnny all Trump voters are fascists so that would be 50,335 card-carrying fascists in Washtenaw County. 62,984,825 in the USA.

  22. John Brown
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 12:03 pm | Permalink

    Conservative to Nazis are merely gradations on a continuum of shared values. Just look at this Deep State nazis that got outed.

    https://www.alternet.org/2019/08/revealed-us-state-department-official-exposed-as-a-white-nationalist-organizer/

  23. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

    Interesting he is from the Obama State Department. How do you know he was not working undercover for one purpose or another? Do you think the white nationalist movement is infiltrated by government agents or do the agencies leave them alone?

  24. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 1:25 pm | Permalink

    Eel,

    How many domestic mass shootings have backing from organizations who claim responsibility for the violent actions of individuals? None I think. How many supposed white supremacist groups and supposed white supremacist groups condemn the violent actions of domestic mass shooters.

    Think through some of these issues man! We are way past the point where your “blah, blah, blah” and “ha, ha, ha” are good enough. People are dying. We need you and the other MM.com goofball crowd to step up their game.

  25. Anonymous
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 2:11 pm | Permalink

    “Warlord has a laugh
    Racist is as racist does
    Warlord is Trump’s bitch”

    Pudlord is not only a master rhymer, he also writes really good haikus.

    Wow.

  26. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 2:51 pm | Permalink

    Yiiih, it’s weawy guwud.

  27. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 2:54 pm | Permalink

    If you don’t get in line with our [false] narrative, you’re Twump’s bitch! Waah!

  28. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 2:57 pm | Permalink

    HW– most of us.

  29. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 3:02 pm | Permalink

    Most of you what?

  30. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 3:05 pm | Permalink

    Most of Americans are white supremacists? Mkay. You say I’m the fringe when I talk about real things I back up with facts. You have these extreeeeme beliefs that are so far out of the mainstream it’s shocking you believe the majority thinks anything like you.

  31. The Daily Beast
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 3:47 pm | Permalink

    In a somewhat surprising move, Fox Business Network host Trish Regan—a vocal and loyal booster of President Trump—on Wednesday called for stricter gun laws and the ban of assault weapons.

    https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-business-host-trish-regan-calls-on-trump-to-ban-assault-weapons-battles-ex-nra-spox-dana-loesch

  32. EOS
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 4:14 pm | Permalink

    When your government tells you that you don’t need an assault rifle, it is time that everyone should consider purchasing one.

  33. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 5:44 pm | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, “When your government tells you that you don’t need an assault rifle, it is time that everyone should consider purchasing one.” And who are you going to use your assault rifle on? How FUCKING STUPID THAT COMMENT IS. You and JB can crawl into a fox hole together and see who climbs out. We have empirical evidence of just how STUPID that comment is. We banned assault weapons for a decade—Did “they” come for you? Did you loose your rights as a result. Shit you don’t even remember. Grow the fuck up, you sound as stupid as HW with his comment, ” They take mentally ill people on SSRI’s and drive them to shoot people. ” What kind of fucking cool-aid are your guys drinking.

  34. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 5:49 pm | Permalink

    That would sound stupid to you. Sounds like you drank the kool aid but your body didn’t die, only your brain.

  35. Sad
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 5:57 pm | Permalink

    I know you are but what am I?

  36. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:18 pm | Permalink

    You’re just this and that.

  37. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:20 pm | Permalink

    Mrs. Warlord says you people need a special “life tutor” to help you understand all the basic shit you never learned early on.

  38. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:38 pm | Permalink

    You know what I mean though? If you don’t want a (according to you) childish response don’t say something childish.

  39. EOS
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 6:45 pm | Permalink

    @DD,

    I qualified shooting an assault rifle from a foxhole.

    Stop yelling and do the research yourself. Nearly all of the mass shooters in the last 25 years were taking SSRI’s. The FDA makes the pharmaceutical companies put a black box warning on the package insert of these prescription drugs.

    The best means to fight a fascist or tyrannical government or an invading army is an armed citizenry. Handguns are used by criminals and thugs. An assault rifle is used to defend and protect. Armed civilians are a deterrent to violence without ever having to fire a shot.

  40. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 7:28 pm | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, you just can’t help from saying stupid things about assault weapons. We have the most heavily armed civilian population outside of Iraq or Yeman. We have the most civilian on civilian gun violence of any country other than those engaged in active sectarian war which I guess you agree with JB we should be preparing for.

  41. Sad
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 8:09 pm | Permalink

    “Handguns are used by criminals and thugs. An assault rifle is used to defend and protect.”

    So what was the young man in El Paso defending and protecting? Maybe in your fantasy world that’s how things work. But you are rather sheltered. And apparently somehow qualified to shoot an assault rifle.

    Good grief.

    I know I have to but I can’t wait until Mayor Pete becomes President.

    He’ll really shake things up.

  42. Jean Henry
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 8:34 pm | Permalink

    https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-almost-all-have-domestic-violence-connection-2017-11

    I don’t think too many people here have any interest in the common sense of any woman who would marry you, HW. You had some point you wanted to make about the supposed irrelevance of white nationalism based on the number of those who are open and cognizant of their bias. But the definition of white nationality is simply the belief that white culture and people are better in most regards than others. It’s the belief that we live in a meritocracy so the differentials in outcome between races can be explained by cultural and biological differences. Trump expressed such sentiment and a preference for western European culture (aka white culture) all the time. His followers do too. He also expresses the idea in coded language. As do his followers. And as do many many left wing people who when asked to share more equally with people of color will also resort to lectures about personal responsibility. They’ll offer up some pity in the mix but its still white supremacist thinking. I’ve seen it thousands of times in my time in Ann Arbor. It really doesn’t matter if you say you are a liberal if you don’t really care about an ever growing education and suspension gap in the public schools or the systematic exclusion of black citizens from their old neighborhoods. Saying one cares about racial justice but then saying talking about it is divisive as iRobert and others do here regularly is a form of white supremacist suppression. It’s engineered to preserve the comfort of white liberals at the sacrifice of the voices and interests of people of color.

    I mean expressing anger about children in cages and open racism and mass murder is not exactly a stretch past the comfort zone for most people.

    Please define white supremacy and white supremacists as you see them HW. We can’t talk productive if we are using the same word but with two different meanings.

  43. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:07 pm | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, YOU WERE RIGHT THEY ARE COMING FOR YOUR GUNS

    https://tennesseestar.com/2019/08/06/graham-announces-gun-confiscation-red-flag-legislation-backed-by-trump/?fbclid=IwAR0cskU_7sE2-5Rgcm_Tz7wKeU6Qy33qcfIN9o-e3hntcakEo3SRdzU3g_Y

  44. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:13 pm | Permalink

    I would define white supremacy as the belief and practices that further the belief that European genetics and or culture are superior and that they should have higher status than other races. Have you defined what you think it is yet? You have repeated over and over that we “are” a white supremacist culture but what do you think it is?

  45. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 9:18 pm | Permalink

    You’ve seen white liberals “asked to share more equally with people of color” thousands of times in Ann Arbor and they responded the same way. What the hell does that mean? You are so insane hahaha. Wtf?! Why am I talking to this person?

  46. wobblie
    Posted August 7, 2019 at 10:58 pm | Permalink

    I am just finding out about “red flag” laws. So who is turning in JB, HW (just for the hell of it) and EOS. I find it interesting that the gun regulations that the Republicans can get behind are those that encourage us to place each other under police investigation. Why is that do you suppose?

  47. John Brown
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 5:27 am | Permalink

    Wobblie, for the last time, listen, I support banning all ARs and semi auto mags over 5 rds. I will weld mine into a sculpture or bury them to rust as soon as it seems like the alt right militias are no longer a threat to our community. Guns suck. All the trump nuts having them, with a stochastic terrorist in charge makes them an undesirable necessity. And fuck off on reporting someone under red flag laws because you don’t like their philosophy. Talking about the intersection of politics and guns as a mental exercise is not a crime, unless you’re coming for thought crimes now? I worry that exact thing will happen and resources intended to help reduce domestic violence will be wasted on a form of “swatting”.

    And given the overlap of cops and alt-right, are you really comfortable trusting them and the trump regime to protect our community from an army of religious zealots like EOS ? We need disarm the American Taliban first.

  48. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 7:16 am | Permalink

    Who comprises the “American Taliban” JB is talking about?

    About a year ago JB said: If somebody believes in god, that belief ought to disqualify one from having voting rights.

  49. John Brown
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 7:50 am | Permalink

    If they believe in a thing for which no evidence exists, and base their actions on guidance from this delusion, they are experiencing a form of psychosis. So that sounds like a potential red flag category to me… could apply to guns or voting. This is an important problem thats at the root of the rights death cult approach to politics and their apocalyptic approach to the future of the planet and the species. Thanks for revisiting it FF.

  50. Sad
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:11 am | Permalink

    Mayor Pete believes in God and knows how to handle a really big, powerful, deadly gun.

  51. wobblie
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    JB, it really doesn’t matter what you belief. Given the level of paranoia and fear that folks who “arm up” seem to have, you don’t think neighbor won’t be reporting neighbor to the police? Racist paranoia has gotten so bad, that racist are constantly calling the police on minorities simply for being. I am agnostic on Red Flag laws. I find it interesting that Republicans will pass that before banning high capacity magazines, for example. Selective confiscation. I thought that was the fear driving the NRA, but no, they want to hold onto their military arms, but want to make sure they can take JB’s away. JB, rather than stock piling useless guns, try spending your time studying Gandi, or MLK. That is the form that successful popular resistance takes.

  52. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:39 am | Permalink

    “If they believe in a thing for which no evidence exists, and base their actions on guidance from this delusion, they are experiencing a form of psychosis. So that sounds like a potential red flag category”

    Russian collusion

  53. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:41 am | Permalink

    JB,

    Educate yourself, man!

    Some religious people believe they have various sorts of personal evidence. What evidence do you have they do not have that sort of personal evidence?

    On the other hand most “believers” know that faith is required because they know they are lacking evidence and/ or personal evidence. It is the reason they call various forms of religious expression–FAITH!

  54. Jean Henry
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:55 am | Permalink

    “Have you defined what you think it is yet?” — reread my posts. The first thing I did was define it. And yes, my conclusion, even based on your definition (not very different), is still that most Americans have internalized some of the logical frameworks of white supremacy within their belief systems. So most Americans subscribe (consciously or unconsciously) to white supremacy. See implicit bias. This has been well demonstrated. There are ways to test bias. The data exists to back me up. Even most Black study participants showed some bias towards white people and against their own. White Supremacy is a systemic and cultural issue. The KKK etc are an expression of it.

  55. Jean Henry
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 9:00 am | Permalink

    “You’ve seen white liberals “asked to share more equally with people of color” thousands of times in Ann Arbor and they responded the same way. What the hell does that mean? ”

    It means I’m acknowledging racial bias exists on all sides, as I have done many times here. It’s not exclusive to the right by any moeans. BUT the right tries harder to encode white supremacy into laws an systems, and plays harder to violent tendencies and the divisiveness that follows it. See Lee Atwater. The guy admitted that he used racial bias to win election for Reagan. Erlichman admitted they invented the drug war during the Nixon administration to have justification to take out the Black Panthers and the Anti-war protesters. This stuff has been acknowledged. Ask any campaign strategist if we live in a racist country. They don;t deny it.

  56. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 9:20 am | Permalink

    “reread my posts. The first thing I did was define it.”

    You’ll have to point out where you did it because I’m not seeing it. I see a claim the USA is white supremacist but that is not a definition. Boil your definition down to one or two sentences like a normal one.

  57. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 9:24 am | Permalink

    “It means I’m acknowledging racial bias exists on all sides, as I have done many times here. It’s not exclusive to the right by any moeans. BUT the right tries harder to encode white supremacy into laws an systems, and plays harder to violent tendencies and the divisiveness that follows it. See Lee Atwater. The guy admitted that he used racial bias to win election for Reagan. Erlichman admitted they invented the drug war during the Nixon administration to have justification to take out the Black Panthers and the Anti-war protesters. This stuff has been acknowledged. Ask any campaign strategist if we live in a racist country. They don;t deny it.”

    I mean describe the circumstances for all those thousands of times you saw white people react with statements about personal responsibility when they were asked to share more equally with people of color. What happened? Were you referring to whites refusing minority panhandlers or what?

  58. John Brown
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 9:31 am | Permalink

    Wobblie, I have often had that conversation about the dilemma of John Brown versus Gandhi. And my personal conclusion is that both John Brown and Gandhi are needed to overcome oppressive forces. Both MLK and the Black Panthers. You are free to do your “Gandhi”. But you should re-read your Indian independence movement if you think it was all Gandhi and no armed rebellion that achieved their goal.

  59. EOS
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 10:39 am | Permalink

    Veterans are the first target. They are all being diagnosed with “PTSD”. Next, the red flag laws will prevent them from owning weapons. That’s a calculated move to prevent those most capable to bear arms effectively from being able to do so.

    The next step is to outlaw gun ownership from anyone ever diagnosed with depression. That will prevent the majority from gun ownership.

    Women who are in the process of divorcing their husbands are advised by their attorneys to take out a restraining order on their husbands if they ever raised their voices against them. That eliminates a large number also.

    As JB has stated, Christians will be targeted also, especially those denominations that are resistant to abandoning their sincerely held lifelong beliefs which are opposite to what the ruling elite wants.

    I think that 1/2 of America has Trump deranged syndrome because they thought once Obama and his allies signed something into law, that everyone would concede, and we would never be able to return to sane policies. 50% never agreed and likely never will.

    The persons coming to homes across America to confiscate legally owned weapons will be bringing what they think will be greater firepower. But there are tens of millions of assault weapons out there already. It will likely destroy our nation.

    They will start gradually, hoping the frogs in the pot won’t notice the water is getting hot until it is too late.

    God help us.

  60. dogmatic dolt
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 11:12 am | Permalink

    Aloha EOS, So are you calling Graham and Trump advocating for other forms of gun control? I sure didn’t know, “The next step is to outlaw gun ownership from anyone ever diagnosed with depression. That will prevent the majority from gun ownership.” Are you busy advocating for sensible public mental health initiatives? Since you believe the majority of the population suffers from depression–do you honestly think it is a good idea for them to be “armed up”? After all you supported Trump, of which one of his first acts as President was signing into law a revocation of Obama’s executive order including mental health incidence in gun back ground checks. Given your practical admission that you suffer from depression, and seem to also suffer from some levels of paranoia, do you think it is at all wise for you to have a firearm.? I mean really think of the safety of your loved ones. As with my dad before me, I got rid of my guns when I had children.
    but I know I am a dolt and rarely make any sense.

  61. EOS
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 11:35 am | Permalink

    DD,

    Not sure what your first question is. I’m opposed to gun control regardless of who is proposing it.

    Antidepressants are the most highly prescribed medications. They are way over prescribed and, no, I don’t think there is a physiological basis for this. Most persons don’t have an illness, they are looking for happiness in a pill. I’m far more concerned about those who are medicated, then those who aren’t. We hypothesize that neurotransmitter levels are imbalanced, which is then treated by medications that increase the levels of an assortment of neurotransmitters in the synapses. More likely to cause manic episodes than treat a real disease.

    I don’t suffer from depression nor am I paranoid. I believe I am being more realistic than those who think everything will be fine if we can just round up tens or hundreds? of millions of weapons.

  62. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    Jean Henry
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 8:55 am | Permalink
    “…reread my posts. The first thing I did was define it. ”

    Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 8, 2019 at 9:20 am | Permalink
    “You’ll have to point out where you did it because I’m not seeing it. I see a claim the USA is white supremacist but that is not a definition. Boil your definition down to one or two sentences like a normal one.”

    Jean Henry
    “…”

  63. Jean Henry
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 12:59 pm | Permalink

    HW-
    ”Trump’s rhetoric routinely subscribes to the idea that white Europeans cultures and people are preferable to other groups–That’s White Supremacy”

  64. Jean Henry
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    https://action.groundswell-mvmt.org/petitions/sign-on-to-the-pastoral-letter-on-the-el-paso-shootings

    Politicians who try to denounce the racism of an individual, but do not denounce racist policies refuse to deal with the depths of the problems we face. We cannot address the violence of white nationalism without stopping the policies of white nationalism and the lies that are told to justify them. In 1963, George Wallace began to spew racist rhetoric from the governor’s office in Alabama. By the end of that year, Medgar Evers was dead, four girls in a church were dead, and a President was dead because these words and these policies were a breeding ground for violence. It always has been that way. Whenever we’ve had these words and policies, they have also unleashed this kind of violence.

    ”For this reason, we call on President Trump, Members of Congress and Presidential Candidates, our people on the ground in movements and communities of struggle, people who have embraced the lies of white nationalism, and our religious leaders and people of faith and conscience to revive the heart and soul of this country.”

  65. Jean Henry
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 1:07 pm | Permalink

    If it helps frame things, I believe that while we are still a White Supremacist country, with outcomes, systems and rhetoric that demonstrates that reality, we are also part of a grand experiment in reaching towards egalitarian and humanitarian principles. We will have fulfilled our nation’s mandate when we overcome racism and other forms of bias and truly provide equal opportunity and security for all.

  66. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 7:11 pm | Permalink

    “Trump’s rhetoric routinely subscribes to the idea that white Europeans cultures and people are preferable to other groups”

    Only problem is that is only your opinion, not a fact. If you had left Trump out of it it would be a fine definition.

  67. Jean Henry
    Posted August 9, 2019 at 9:06 pm | Permalink

    The Trump part wasn’t the definition; it was the example.

    Is a two part sentence too complicated for you to handle?

  68. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 10, 2019 at 8:19 am | Permalink

    But to try to sneak in something about DJT into the definition of white supremacy in an argument is dumb. It’s that lawyer instinct to cast shade in an attempt to influence the feelings of the jury.

  69. iRobert
    Posted August 10, 2019 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    Jean’s no lawyer, HW.

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