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[Trekkin]

It's also several months out, so expect things to change in the several months remaining.

I'd tentatively expect a reduction in Republican enthusiasm, if only because they've won so much they now have a very real chance of bringing about the kind of theocratic ethnostate the GOP has long carefully avoided ruling out -- and that looks very different when it's a feasible thing instead of just something to fantasize about while tut-tutting at the kids these days. It'll be undoing Roe v. Wade in the next year or so, then the wall, then unions and protests and condoms will be illegal, prayer in schools will be mandatory, and then, hey, do women really need the right to vote? And maybe we were too quick to discard slavery, too. At least a good character-building horsewhipping would stop that awful kneeling for the anthem business.

It sounds farcical, but there is a huge contingent of broken, hateful people who would cheer for any of these, and Trump is their prophet. By the time the Boomers age out of being this gigantic demographic tumor that gets them to a plurality, we will have much work to do.

[birdy51]

It is stressing. As much as I want to believe that something could be gotten done here, momentum still seems to be on the side of the orange imbecile.

[Frumple]

He also gave us Citizens United.

And a whole bunch of other regressive bullshit. Kennedy stepped off the party line on a couple of things over the years, but that's it. He's been marginally less of a piece of shit than the other republican appointees, which ain't worthy of much, if any, praise.

Especially considering the latest SCOTUS term.

[EnigmaticHat]

Are they capable of confirming a judge right now, or do they have to wait for election season?

[Folly]

Active shooter situation is being reported at a newspaper building in Maryland. At least four shot.

[McTraveller]

Active shooter situation is being reported at a newspaper building in Maryland. At least four shot.

I feel like it's a hidden social bias to cry "oh fie on the mass shooting!" when we have averages of a gun homicide a day in some cities - that 365 a year in a single city is way larger than any single mass shooting event.

(I'm in a strange mood.)

[Trekkin]

Active shooter situation is being reported at a newspaper building in Maryland. At least four shot.

I feel like it's a hidden social bias to cry "oh fie on the mass shooting!" when we have averages of a gun homicide a day in some cities - that 365 a year in a single city is way larger than any single mass shooting event.

(I'm in a strange mood.)

And it is folly to pretend like who dies to guns and how and why matter anymore.

Gun lobbying matters. Therefore, gun sales matter. All else is meaningless statistical minutiae, a shameful attempt to politicize an issue so soon after a constant and ongoing tragedy that will never abate.

Innocent people will die senselessly in droves for the foreseeable future, and it will be terrible and awful and ultimately politically inevitable. The guns will be sold regardless and bought all the more feverishly every time this is pointed out due in part to a wholly artificial fear that one day they may not be. Making America Great Again demands much bloodshed.
But her emails.

[Starver]

What's (on the assumption this is the reason) the political leanings of the Capital/Gazette?

Could be a personal thing, crime of passion, but could also be a "I don't like what them people wrote" thing.

Too early (before we even know about casualties/etc) to really talk the legs off of this one, of course. Until we know how much in bad taste my early speculation actually is.

[WealthyRadish]

Active shooter situation is being reported at a newspaper building in Maryland. At least four shot.

I feel like it's a hidden social bias to cry "oh fie on the mass shooting!" when we have averages of a gun homicide a day in some cities - that 365 a year in a single city is way larger than any single mass shooting event.

(I'm in a strange mood.)

It seems that what's more compelling about mass shootings isn't necessarily the body count, it's the public nature of the event and the accessible person of the shooter that make it a spectacle. In a statistic describing gun homicides it's easy to infer that they were miscellaneous murders committed with more comfortable motives like anger, profit, and so on (making it easy to immediately dismiss the statistic and move along), but the obvious social disruption a public killing spree represents will demand explanation and will invite curiosity about the peculiarities of the shooter, creating a sensation that happens to itself be useful to those in a position to take advantage of it.

Edit: Essentially it's the difference between something abstract and concrete, spiced with a more interesting flavor.

[PTTG??]

People imagine that, if they were the ones getting mugged or murdered, they'd be able to unlock hidden reserves of badassitude and turn the tables on their attacker.

In the context of a mass shooting, such illusions are harder to maintain.

[Folly]

And it is folly to pretend like who dies to guns and how and why matter anymore.
Gun lobbying matters. Therefore, gun sales matter. All else is meaningless statistical minutiae, a shameful attempt to politicize an issue so soon after a constant and ongoing tragedy that will never abate.

Maybe it's not a situation that is impossible to change; maybe it's just a situation that is very difficult to change. Maybe each incident that occurs, and each time people protest and push for change, it moves us slightly closer to some threshold, some breaking point where gun reform actually occurs.

Or maybe we will never see gun reform, but continual protest at least prevents things from getting worse.

Then again, sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. Maybe anti-gun activists are ironically the only ones preventing things finally getting so bad that we are forced to change things.

[Elephant Parade]

Then again, sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. Maybe anti-gun activists are ironically the only ones preventing things finally getting so bad that we are forced to change things.

I mean, that's not impossible, but it's also not particularly relevant. Sure, ending all anti-gun activism in favour of letting everything crumble might lead to change... but it also might not, and in the meantime lots of people would die. Deliberately making things worse for political gain is, IMO, one of the worst tactics there is.

[smjjames]

What's (on the assumption this is the reason) the political leanings of the Capital/Gazette?

Could be a personal thing, crime of passion, but could also be a "I don't like what them people wrote" thing.

Too early (before we even know about casualties/etc) to really talk the legs off of this one, of course. Until we know how much in bad taste my early speculation actually is.

No idea on the political leanings of that newspaper, and yeah, too early to know what exactly the motive is, like workplace violence or something else.

And it is folly to pretend like who dies to guns and how and why matter anymore.
Gun lobbying matters. Therefore, gun sales matter. All else is meaningless statistical minutiae, a shameful attempt to politicize an issue so soon after a constant and ongoing tragedy that will never abate.

Maybe it's not a situation that is impossible to change; maybe it's just a situation that is very difficult to change. Maybe each incident that occurs, and each time people protest and push for change, it moves us slightly closer to some threshold, some breaking point where gun reform actually occurs.

Or maybe we will never see gun reform, but continual protest at least prevents things from getting worse.

Then again, sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. Maybe anti-gun activists are ironically the only ones preventing things finally getting so bad that we are forced to change things.

How much worse? A mass shooting a month? Week? Day? To the rest of the world, we're already at bedrock.

Also, letting things get worse before they get better is the accelerationist position, though I know that's not what you mean.

[BurnedToast]

What's (on the assumption this is the reason) the political leanings of the Capital/Gazette?

Could be a personal thing, crime of passion, but could also be a "I don't like what them people wrote" thing.

Too early (before we even know about casualties/etc) to really talk the legs off of this one, of course. Until we know how much in bad taste my early speculation actually is.

You're not exactly wrong, but on the other hand it's a white, 20-something male shooting up a newspaper less than 24 hours after the alt-right's poster boy milo yiannopoulos said, and I quote

I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight

So yeah. We really shouldn't jump to conclusions but I can forgive people for it this time.

[smjjames]

What's (on the assumption this is the reason) the political leanings of the Capital/Gazette?

Could be a personal thing, crime of passion, but could also be a "I don't like what them people wrote" thing.

Too early (before we even know about casualties/etc) to really talk the legs off of this one, of course. Until we know how much in bad taste my early speculation actually is.

You're not exactly wrong, but on the other hand it's a white, 20-something male shooting up a newspaper less than 24 hours after the alt-right's poster boy milo yiannopoulos said, and I quote

I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight

So yeah. We really shouldn't jump to conclusions but I can forgive people for it this time.

Seriously? Not surprised Milo Yiannopoulous the shock jock went there, but there's no link yet to what he said to the shooters actions. Also, I haven't heard anything about the shooter being 20 something.

Reports are that he was using a long gun more like a hunting rifle rather than an AK-##, which makes the gun control argument tricky here since there are plenty of legit reasons to have a hunting type rifle (though Maryland is pretty urbanized, but whatever).