As many of you have already heard, one week after mass shootings in Gilroy, CA and Brownsville, NY there has been another, this time at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. As of Saturday evening, there are 20 dead and 26 injured. Once again I am sending thoughts and prayers to people who started the day never dreaming they would be victims of a bloodbath. I don’t normally post pictures of the shooter, but after much reflection, this time I am.
Take a good look folks. This cowardly, evil SOB caught on security cameras, is 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, who begins what apparently is his sick manifesto, with these chilling words.
In general I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.
”Hispanic invasion.” “…cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.” Huh. I wonder where he picked up these little pearls of white nationalist wisdom. Could it be from the current occupant of the White House and his supporters? There are two main issues here. First, while racism and the backlash against immigration predates Trump, he and his supporters, including Fox News personalities Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and many other right-wing media personalities have mainstreamed hate. In my opinion they’ve given implicit approval to white supremacists and white nationalists to act out. The second issue is the continued gun violence in this country. It’s only August, but the 2019 statistics below are pretty staggering.
Obviously there will be a lot more information coming forth in the coming days but nothing will change these basic facts:
1. The shooter was motivated by white nationalist hate.
2. Twenty innocents are dead and twenty-six injured from gunfire.
3. This country of immigrants is being torn apart by people cynically using the issue of immigration as a weapon.
4. The U.S. needs to admit that we need common sense gun legislation because once again, the clock is already ticking down to the next mass shooting, the only question is where. Another store/mall? A house of worship? A movie theater? A workplace? A school?
***UPDATE***
Another mass shooting took place early this morning. There are 9 dead, 26 injured in Dayton, Ohio after a shooter dressed in body armor walked through a popular entertainment section of the city. The only thing that prevented an even higher body count was that police were in the area. Mother of God! Can we please, PLEASE admit we have a problem and take meaningful action now?
By Hook Or By Book 
Thank you for this excellent post.
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As you said Charles, we must speak out.
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I don’t even know what to say. Great points but when will the law makers listen?
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I can say without any doubt Carla that they won’t. This is going to keep on happening until they’re voted out of office.
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So sad for sure. 😢
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Another one in Ohio.😥
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So very sad. 😥😥😥
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The lawmakers are listening but keep in mind they listen to the voters.
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You are right, unless they are voted out of office, nothing will change.
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You Stated — “You are right, unless they are voted out of office, nothing will change.”
My Response — I’ll do you one better… Until you change the way voters think…… nothing will ever change.
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Yes, that is so true!
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You Stated — “You are right, unless they are voted out of office, nothing will change.”
My Response — Also keep in mind that the people who keep them in office have no major issues with how things are (ergo keeping them in office)
So a darker truth is that you are living in the preferred state of society at the moment.
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The thing that scares me the most is the fact that people seem to almost get used to this. “Oh look, it’s another shooting” and then shrug it off. It’s sad, really sad. And I fear it will never change either 😢
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That’s exactly what keeps happening Michel. There will be outrage and cries for change but that’ll quiet down until the next one. And the one after that. And the one after that. And the one after that…
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I fear it will never end unfortunately 😢
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😥
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I wonder how many of those posts you’ll have to write before something actually changes.
I agree with what you wrote. The burger King at the White House – King of the whopper – enables it.
As far as history is concerned, wasn’t Texas Mexican before white people colonized it,?
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Well, there’s been another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio leaving 9 dead, 26 injured Emma. And yes. We annexed Texas in 1845, which sparked the Mexican-American war.
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I can’t believe there’s another one within 24 hours of the Texas one.
I wonder if this will influence the upcoming presidential campaign.
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13 hours Emma. 13 FLIPPIN ‘ HOURS!
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Your post is perfect, by highlighting not only this tragic event, but also the causes behind it.
Well done, Kim!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete. This is insane. Another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio early this morning Pete has left 9 dead and 26 injured.
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Yes, that is all over the news here today. Number 251.
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This is unfathomable Pete.
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Nothing I can say that I haven’t said many times already. It never stops.
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There’s been a second one Fraggle-Dayton, Ohio. 9 dead, 26 injured.
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I heard Kim, 🙄 😕
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😥
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Just yesterday, me and my husband were discussing people are not allowed to use more then regular internet limits in US ans Canada, they gets notice if they do (no freedom even in using internet) and on the other hand Guns are easily issued to people with reasons they could fake and next we read is attacks in public area! I don’t understand how they decide where to put restrictions, on internet or guns!
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It’s definitely arbitrary Yesha. There are a few states like Massachusetts that are very restrictive in terms of gun laws, and others that are at the very least, shall issue states.
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We are living in strange times, Kim, all over the world. Another terrible tragedy.
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We are indeed Roberta. And now with another mass shooting in Dayton, just this weekend, 29 people have been killed.
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Love your post. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Nothing will change in my lifetime. The powers that be love the NRA and the money they get. They will choose money over human lives every single time. When Sandy Hook happened and nothing was done, I knew then that this was going to be life in America. Human lives have no value to those in power. Sickening and frightening and sad.
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Thanks Vanessa. And I agree. After Sandy Hook the writing was on the wall.
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It’s sad, shocking and numbing to live through this over and over again – and the perpetrators are usually white men who are being fed hate and resentment by certain “leaders” who just want to hang on to their power, regardless of the impact on the rest of the country…thanks for sharing your perspective – we have an election coming up in just over a year, and we can all try to send people to Washington DC who will work on our behalf to effect change…
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It’s insane John. There’s not much information on the Dayton shooter beyond that he’s another white twenty-something. The only way we’re going stop this is to vote those in power out of office.
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Yes, put people in office who share a common goal to make fundamental change….that’s the power we have to overcome the special interests…
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I absolutely agree John.
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Where and when is the next shooting? Oh wait, 14 hours. These deaths are blood on Trump’s hands. I don’t understand why his more moderate supporters don’t understand this. A strong economy isn’t worth it.
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Words hold power Jeff, especially when coming from our so-called leaders.
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It would be so easy to just let numbness take over but we can’t if we want any kind of future. I hope we won’t forget that getting the horror in the White House out of office is simply not enough—we badly need an overhaul in the legislature, too.
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Absolutely Lelia. Voting Trump out of office isn’t enough.
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I will never understand white supremacist Kim because if they want to have all immigrants sent “home” they should pack their bags and go back to Europe, leaving US to American Indian, the only “local” and non immigrants! This is blindness and double standard. Pure hate and madness.
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Ah, but Sophie. That’s different. Seriously though, there’s no arguing with ignorance.
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It just keeps happening. Breaks my heart.
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Over and over and over.
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I think you are correct, politics Trump and our own BREXIT have their part to play in the rise of far right hatred.
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It’s everywhere, which is so frightening.
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You can’t provide a cogent explanation of an individual that is insane. I would say the perpetrator of this atrocity would be certifiable.
https://invertedlogicblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/05/paragraph-polemics15-why-i-no-longer-participate-in-the-gun-debate-dayton-and-el-paso-shootings/
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I’m sure the mental state of both shooters will be the subject of much debate. Thanks for the link.
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Can we agree that we shouldn’t publicly display the name or the specific contents of the shooter
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I don’t usually, but after three mass shootings in less than one week I’ve had it. Evil should be called out and named. “He who must not be named” doesn’t work. And I didn’t post his hateful essay. Just the parts that directly quoted Mr. Trump and his propaganda machine.
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If u have the time, I would like to further our discussion if u read my article, “United we stand”
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