Murder – deliberate, cold-blooded murder – emanates from the highest office in the land.
The criminal in the White House most recently again exemplified his penchant for murder, having 11 civilians killed in a small boat off Venezuela. No effort to interdict the boat to investigate it. No court order. No due process.
This criminal is also an adjudicated rapist. His best pals for years trafficked in the rape of underage girls by other rich, powerful still-accountable pals of his. He instigated an attack on the U.S. Capitol, his Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters also then attacking police officers, seriously injuring over 140 of them. The Supreme Court could have enforced the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause, but chose instead to ignore it. Moreover for this epidemic of violence, the criminal in the White House gave pardons to all the convicted and still-being-tried violent insurrectionists.
Every day now he exults in ICE teams of goons and thugs with police state violence attacking, terrorizing tens of thousands across America.
This is who we are. This is what the U.S. has descended into.
"Political violence begets political violence. Ben Rhodes. (CHARLIE KIRK)
"With stronger gun laws, there is less gun violence." Sen. Mark Kelly
"We have a government in this country that makes a lot of people unsafe. What is our government doing to lower the temperature?" Ben Rhodes
" Data shows that these attacks are perpetrated by a 'lone wolf' who is "radicalized" online. We need regulation of tech media and its spread of disinformation, conspiracies, etc." Barbara F. Walter (Prof. of International Affairs and expert on civil wars, violent extremism, and domestic terrorism)
Our President is a narcissist. If you add dementia, coupled with revenge fantasies and emperor/strongman delusions, you have a mad King trying to lead us into a dystopian nightmare. We must not let him. Today holds a tragedy. But already, Trump tries to make Charlie Kirk a martyr, and he blames the "radical left". We must at all cost remain peaceful. But we must now be hyper-vigilant... His Kingdom is threatened, and he is facing losses... so he will lash out. We must note everything and watch what he does...
"Our president is a narcissist" almost sounds like flattery. He is a mass murderer, including his mishandling of the pandemic and recently having 11 people on a boat in international waters killed, violating international law. He is a felon, a racist and will - as someone else stated - use the deplorable murder of Charlie Kirk as another reason to declare some artificial emergency so he can continue his regime of revenge and retribution.
Marli, the comment by our Manchurian vice president about the killing of 11 people in a boat, described how murderous this regime is in a nut shell: "I don't give a sh*t".
We're seniors and aren't filthy rich. We aren't going to start a business in Canada. Essentially, we're ineligible. We aren't going to leave our kids and grandkids behind anyway. They'll need us.
Mama Mia who said that? I was once exploring since maternal grandparents were born there and I jokes that it would be easier to just find an Italian woman instead if she would have me.
Hello Marli... DJT is a Malignant Narcissist... DJT is the Center of His Own Universe... We Are All Expendable Assets In His View... DJT's reaction to Poland invoking Article-4 of the NATO Convention, "Here We Go!".... WTF... :-(
Having cravenly dodged the draft, he no doubt imagines war to be (A)-a John Wayne film in which he is the leading actor and (B)-absolutely no more risk to himself than sitting in an air-conditioned movie house watching pedophilic porn, alternately diddling his diminutive dong and munching mouthfuls of popcorn.
You’ve described this detestable nutcase perfectly. So perfectly, I can smell that popcorn. In a visceral, nauseating way.
I had no idea there were this many truly horrible people in this country. I believed, as Anne Frank did, that people were mostly good. Witnessing the last decade has been eye opening, infuriating, and utterly depressing. Wow, was I wrong.
Jessie, I feel exactly the same way. I've learned deeply troubling things about my own family. There are questions I wish now I had never asked them. Their answers horrified me.
You were not wrong about people in our community; the laws which were accepted by most, prove that most of us agree. The daily news is not exciting unless it reports unusual behavior.
Anne did not know there were active informers around the annex business building. She knew at a visceral level the horror but unknowable until one experiences it. There was a great documentary on the end of her life with an also a mind blowing explanation of how the SS kept folks in line.
I visited the annex now museum way back in the eighties.
This also (the now of now) falls into moral injury and the layers we have experienced over the decades. Lots of trauma much unhealed and one at times repeats the trauma mostly unknowingly but sometimes by choice in an subsumation of the thinking of thinking and emotions of the trauma itself. Also the isms of racism and sexism snd ableism and just otherism along with the colonialism that built our country.
Many folks, groups, and institutions have been touched and harmed and hurt by all of this ping pong trauma. Moral injury is like Darth Vader going to the dark side utterly until the last moment of his death. I much prefer Field of Dreams and Stat Trek, Fried Green Tomatoes, Starman, The Color Purple, The Kite Runner, The Secret of Ronan Inish , and Brother from Another Planet to that last minute change of heart because yes last minute. I cling to the beauty of nature still left, I cling to my own memories or just historical memories of good people , and hope for the courage of myself an all others to change this accumulation point into a swerve of beyond bettter.
I always sensed we were more than not not in a good place so this for me oh well yeppers at least just get on with the clean up moment time line. I am so ready to clean up all that has gone so wrong.
It is troubling, the many horrible people in this country. Charlie Kirk was one of the most outspoken of them.
After initially focusing on secular economic issues, Kirk began to openly embrace Christian nationalist views around 2019. He stated there was "no separation of church and state" and called on Christians to engage in political activism to "reclaim the country for Christ."
Kirk pushed "spiritual warfare" rhetoric. In 2021, Kirk launched Turning Point Faith, an initiative that used apocalyptic and conspiracy-laden narratives to encourage pastors to fight against what he terms a "Satanic" and "dehumanizing" woke left.
Kirk voiced support for the "seven mountains of cultural influence," a framework used by some Christian nationalists that calls for Christians to take control of different aspects of society, including government.
Kirk's politics aligned with a specific political ideology that merges Christian identity with a belief that America was founded as a Christian nation for white people.
Kirk promoted the controversial "Great Replacement" theory, which claims that immigration is intended to reduce the white population.
So, even at that, it came as a complete surprise to me that he would be targeted for assassination. Some have pointed out the irony of Kirk's statement: "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational."
Yes, life to Trump is like being in the movies or as if reality TV is real. He reminds me of Simple-minded Chance (Peter Sellers) in the film "Being There." Chance lived inside a wealthy home his entire life and educated only by television. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078841/
Djt orders the flag to be lowered for Kirk, who was not in the administration. However, he had no response to the murders of a MN state official and her husband in July. NOT ONE WORD! It is R= good; D = bad. So much for the UNITED States of America! Absolutely unconscionable!
They will make Kirk a martyr and commit endless acts against Democrats in retaliation. Kirk lived by the will of God, even if he had a perverse idea of what that will was, now God has called him home because Kirk’s work for God was done.
Diane, the flag shit made me gag! Using my flag for political reasons? To honor a horrible man? Yup, you can tell who he thinks are important. Glad I'm not one of the important ones...
These years with Trump appear to be a time of rage; intense anger. There is a wedge being driven between the American people with the intent to divide and conquer. The global corporatist fascist leaders of the Republican party are playing for fools the undereducated racist persons of the party with word games and reasoning fallacies. For example, "Freedom" is a very attractive word to youth and it always will be. Charlie Kirk, a community college drop out, died speaking to youth wearing a shirt with a single word across his chest, “FREEDOM”. Charlie Kirk was a con-man. What divides the two main political parties is their views of freedom and liberty. Kirk’s wearing that shirt reminded me of Abraham Lincoln’s “Address at Sanitary Fair in Baltimore” during the Civil War. Lincoln spoke of liberty but the word is much the same as freedom which is the innate ability to act without external constraint. Thus the attraction by youth. Liberty emphasizes a legal right to act without undue constraint from an oppressive authority. That is what Charlie Kirk and Trump’s Nazi party are attracted to. Lincoln said in part, “The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names--liberty and tyranny.”
Today the American people are still much in want of a good definition of the words freedom and liberty. The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott Decision said a person, a slave, is property with no rights. Then came the Civil War. The Roberts 5 in their Citizens United Decision depended on another dumb Supreme Court decision which created the doctrine that property, a corporation, is a person with rights and the Roberts 5 gave us corporate free speech expressed in Super PAC money controlling our elections. Again the Supreme Court’s pathetic obsession with property brought us to where we are now with festering political violence. To paraphrase Lincoln, with some the word freedom may mean for each person to do as he pleases with himself; while with others the same word may mean for a corporation to do as it pleases. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, FREEDOM. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names–freedom and unbridled corporate greed which is the single most paramount threat to We the People, our democracy and our Earth. The GOP died with Ike. Today we have a Nazi party dba R.I.N.O.
We need to stay cool, organize, register new Democrats and inform youth that unbridled greed is not the true meaning of the freedom they seek. Also inform youth to stay in school and learn the true meaning of words and to recognize reasoning fallacies.
Liberty. Freedom. These are just different labels for Social Darwinism UNLESS they are accompanied by the need for responsibility, accountability, and a recognition that others share an equal right to the same.
Marli, yes Trump is ALL of those things, but he is also a PEDOPHILE and a SEX TRAFFICKER. Using the word "alleged" after over 100 victims' testimony and thousand of pages of evidence have been presented is total BULLSHIT!
Additional names have been released of other pedophiles in the Epstein/Trump/Maxwell sex trafficking ring and many more will follow.
But as long as Bondi and Patel are in charge, there will be NO justice. Plus, the six Supreme Court Fascist's have totally shifted from upholding the US Constitution to rubber stamping everything Trump brings to the Court.
The economy is in freefall and Congress can't find a way to pass even the simplest budget bills. But it doesn't really matter, because Trump, Bessant and Miller are withholding Congressional allocated funds and spending money on Trump's stupid pet projects like there's no tomorrow.
Look how Kirk’s murder and Trump’s reaction have shifted MAGA’s attention. They were splintering over the Epstein files but now Trump will use the murder to distract their rage from Epstein and the economy. Democrats will face a tougher choice when deciding to shut down the government.
Trump said the Epstein files were a “Dead Issue”. Looks like they are now. Coincidence???
That reminds me. Maybe Charlie Kirk's killer is the same person who put the noose around Epstein's neck. I have not heard Epstein's name since yesterday's morning and I don't think anyone else has either. It's like if you want to control the headlines go big or go home. I bet there is all kinds of press "stories" already scripted just like a reality TV show.
I wish I had kept a list with all the 'attributes' that trump has 'achieved' - sadly Ms Leavitt and the liar-in-chief do not refer to these negative achievements when lying repeatedly to their enslaved press corps (who never bark at those statements). And I agree, "alleged" crimes against hundreds of young women/girls is another euphemism for the atrocities committed. But ... the $ 200Million for a gaudy ballroom at the White House will 'allegedly' be paid by trump and private donors? Yeah, right!
A corporate press paid by, thus influenced by, other corporations for air time. What could go wrong? Then the corporations which owns news programs wants to merge with another corporation and needs trump's signature. Thump is a transactional person. Thus again, what could go? wrong?
Remember, Trump feels entitled enough to be able to rape 14 year old girls, ruin their lives, and then brag about it. Still, so many Americans expect him to care about them and make their lives better.
Amazing how T & his idiots came up with the left wing ideas when there still is minimal information to back up that claim. Geez, wonder what happens if the shooter turns out to be a republican?
On top of this dangerous moment news comes that Kash Patel sacked the longtime head of the FBI’s Utah office, a distinguished Pakistani-American who joined right after 9/11, because she “didn't fit in.”
An FBI in shambles with its crazed MAGA head pursuing imaginary “woke” demons, who wasted no time claiming that the killer had been apprehended — only to have Utah State authorities issue an IMMEDIATE corrective.
In Washington, the FBI was arresting Metro fare jumpers — a misdemeanor of $100. Such a clever use of highly-trained counterintelligence agents…
Ken Dilanian reported the absence of leadership in the Utah office this evening on Jen Psaki’s show. We can only imagine how the takeover of the agency by rogue baboons must be making the blood of retired FBI professionals boil with rage.
Whenever the killer is caught, millions will doubt the FBI’s word because of all this nonsense, at the very moment when accuracy, professionalism and dispassion are most needed.
That last sentence is chilling. It is a wonder any of us are still sane. I still see him as a weak man desperately and calamitously doing everything he can to hang onto his power. But the pushback hasn't lessened. It has increased. Like I said, theories abound right now. I say tread water and make it to shore. I think generations before us would be saying -- have courage...
Remembering the words of the old civil rights anthem, based on the Black spiritual: “hold on, hold on, keep your eyes on the prize, your hand on the plow and hold on, hold on…”
Setting aside our quibbling in the interest of solidarity and liking both your very apt comments, here for those who may have never heard it is a link to what was in essence the anthem of the southern Civil Rights Movement, of which I was part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJh0F_vYs8 (Pete Seeger does a damn fine job, though to sense its true power, imagine it sung by several hundred protestors who are valiant enough to raise their voices in determined song even though they know they are literally risking their lives by doing so.)
And it’s not just him. He’s surrounded by equally vengeful, bigoted (each in Their own way), trigger happy people, who see his admin as the way to achieve THEIR dreams.
What heralds the news is inaccuracy, in fact- lies, utter unprofessionalism in fact whims, and BS, and radical right wing (in fact ) authoritarian bent rhetoric.
Yesterday a former neighbor , a serviceman, doubled that same message saying ( of the Kirk murder) the left is responsible for all of this in a FB rant. A self admitted bully in school who can’t see he never changed raised by a bigot and an enabling mother..the radical righters..wrapped up in a nutshell
Correct , we are not perfect , we are peace seekers, tolerant, accept the different/the biases, are care-takers, farmers, and yes even “old hippies”. Willing to venture out and say few of us own AK-47s or become radicalized. No, we’re just guilty of looking away too often.
We don’t want to see anyone’s husband, wife, son, daughter, or grandchild killed.
We are not the manifestations of greed, the corporate thieves, nor masked thugs be they smiling con men/women or a radical screaming bigots-we are not the problem -but it’s time to stand up to them and stand for law abiding representation.
Near every email I get is asking for money.
It won’t fix the problem.
There’s enough money ..what needs spread around is caring and love.
With no middle class Democrats, 90% of the money in the hands of billionaires , many of whom are “friends of Trump,” we who love our country must put our bodies to work. Volunteer to help wherever you can.
Absolutely. The volunteers are well known, have been for years, they are a certain sect who ‘man’ the soup kitchens, animal shelters, trash details on the rivers, poll workers, the lists are long.
Yes Patricia. All of us have something to offer, in many ways, to push our agenda to clean up the mess in the USA now. My old hippie friends & family can still walk, talk, write.
Most news is calling this an assassination. But other political shootings are called murders. Why? Perhaps it isn’t a left-wing killer. Perhaps someone in his own party saw his reasonable ability to talk to both sides as threatening?
Betsy, I sort of posted the same thing after a friend texted me asking if I thought the same thing, that being, MAGA wanted Kirk out as a method to rally the base and change the focus from Trump.
Perhaps they didn’t like his position on releasing the Epstein files. In fact, Laura Loomer has been all over him for weeks regarding this, and she holds a lot of power regarding “personnel” decisions
This political violence did two big things for the regime: 1. It pushed Epstein off the news (as did Putin’s strike against Poland: a payment into the favor bank as well as getting Ukraine off the headlines for Vlad?). 2. It got rid of a young handsome rival.
We’ve seen convenient Covid (miraculous recovery and bad news off the headlines) and convenient assassination attempt (ditto). Was this convenient political violence, with an added bonus of giving cover to cracking down on Democrats, as Marli suggests above?
Are you calling Kirk handsome? That’s interesting. His forehead, not unlike Matt Gaetz’s, was too oversized and out of proportion for my eye. But no matter: I catch your drift. Butler PA was a wholly staged sham job with collateral damage in the audience to make it believable. I believe this was much the same. Yet another convenient way to change the narrative, distract from Epstein, and finally, to have a real excuse to go after any one of us who isn’t a MAGA loyalist. I don’t care if that sounds unhinged: this regime is the bottom of the barrel of unhinged. My gut tells me they will do literally ANYTHING to consolidate power and do horrible things. Kirk was their latest collateral damage, but far more powerful because he can be martyred.
I thought the same thing. He had an unpleasant, sneering face, just like Gaetz, both with that sloping forehead and perpetual sneer on their faces. I found both of them physically repulsive. Those were not gentle, soft eyes adorning that grinning mouth.
Like Stephen Miller’s eyes. Black eyes, lifeless eyes, like a doll’s eyes….
It was the hard mouth that I saw in Kirk. Seeing him for the first time, I was immediately repelled by the “MAGA look” of him. His “debates” I missed as well, but wondering about their quality. Sounds less debate than indoctrination.
The widely known & professionally respected Dr. SANJAY GUPTA was interviewed soon after the BEFORE Kirk was declared dead.
The doctor was able to describe the entry point of the bullet near the bottom of the neck above the clavicle. The Dr. Gupta proceeded to describe in detail (as if he was giving a public post- mortem) the resulting damage to the wind pipe, arteries, veins continuing through the victim's head likely smashing vertebrae & all neurological function.
I strongly concur with your conclusion Terry. It was a professional hit from about 150 to 200 yard distance according to those few outlets that actually report admissible facts.
Post mortem data will provide vital investigatory facts including but, not limited to the following:
* the bullet or fragments thereof?
* any rifle bore markings on a bullet or what is left?
* whether the bullet was a "tumbler" meaning was the rifle was an AK-47 or similar?
* was the bullet steel jacketed?
* another 40 important physical facts from the real world.
I would not venture a theory without many more admissible facts but, former military trained sniper seems possible at this very early stage.
Too soon to know re/ the case of who killed him...Of course, we would be suspicious... His ear gunshot wound at his rally still seems suspicious to me. Trump lies day and night - why wouldn't we be suspicious?!# Epstein will come back.I don't think he considered Kirk a rival.... Theories abound...
Kirk would not have been viewed as a rival by Trump, to whom he was always obsequious. but he surely might have been been so viewed by Vance the Vindictive. Also recall Third Reich history, specifically the murderous purge of the Original Nazi Party known as "the Night of the Long Knives."
Also, you just need to ask yourself, “Who does this murder benefit most?” And also: the murderer was a sharpshooter, a professional who has alluded the keystone cops FBI. Who, in our culture, are the professional assassins?
Would not put It past his desperation to have somehow been involved in the Kirk killing. He's a raving lunatic. We have to stop him. Where is the military - the parts of them that will refuse to follow an unlawful order? His cabinet certainly won't do anything at least not yet.
I keep thinking of all the powerful people who are connected to the Epstein files. Anyone could easily pay someone to distract from the news cycle of Epstein.
I cannot go there with you. But it's sickeningly possible he knew and thought it would pull attention off the Epstein matter. It might be all that would pull the extreme Qanon types off Epstein.
I hate that I had the same thought. His miraculously healing ear following being pierced by a bullet from an AR15 (despite having no swelling or tissue damage that’s always associated with a GSW) happened right before the GOP convention and after his last felony conviction. Also quite convenient.
let's stop with crazy conspiracy theories. wait til the facts come out. What good does it do to put baseless theories out there except to rile up ppl. Facts, people ,are what's needed.
Didn't like the guy and what he stood for but let's wait for the facts
And because all the focus was on a “political” killing, the shooting at a Colorado school was ignored. No way to make political hay over that like there is over the Kirk killing. So disgusting.
Trump shows no hesitation to blame whomever is not in his favor, such as, earlier pinning blame for fatal pain crash on "DEI", or calling for the the death of black men who were innocent. We were taught to pledge allegiance to our republic, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Trump treats justice based on publicly supported law as in impediment, not as a mission.
Gary, as Heather noted above, Truman talked of how the US is diverse, made up of people from many nations. Diversity within our population is our strength, and #47 and his regime of supporters, by trying to rid us of it, are tearing the country apart. We become weaker as a result.
Look at what Putin did with drones. Just a reminder that he feels all powerful now, given his sway over DT. Next project: back to Ukraine and NATO or au revoir US.
DEI is essentially a form of affirmative action. Giving a break to someone who has been systemically discriminated against is fundamentally fair. But if you come from a privileged background, it can feel unfair when “one of those others” gets a position you believe should be yours. And when the privileged vastly outnumber the disadvantaged, you get a tRump elected.
I can identify one of the persons who contributed to the political violence and the absence of competent FBI personnel in Orem, Utah. His name is Kash Patel.
Kudos to the professional reporting of MSNBC's KEN DELANIAN & local Salt Lake City, Utah news outlets who pointed directly to recent firing of the experienced "Agent in Charge" of the Salt Lake City FBI Field Office.
Lets dig some more now & in the days ahead & scrutinize the policy, fired personnel & FBI mayhem wrought by Kash Patel since May 2025 that set the stage for the despicable murder.
I am talking about the FIRING of the decorated counter-terrorist specialist who was (past tense) the SAC (Special Agent in Charge) of the Salt Lake City FBI Field office.
Her name is SHOHINI SINHA who joined the FBI after 9/11 to "make a difference" & was appointed to the Salt Lake City FBI SAC job by Christopher Wray In July of 2023.
My understanding based on local Salt Lake City outlets was SINHA was fired & replaced circa 5/27/25 because per Kash Patel determined she "isn't a good fit'.
Well, the political assassination of Charlie Kirk is "not a good fit". See also the spot-on comment of "It's Come To This" comment above.
It certainly has come to this. Fire Kash Patel now!
Agreed, Bryon, and Patel's incompetence extends beyond Sinha's firing. How many FBI agents were fired across the country for not "fitting in", or for not being "loyal"? How many left because they couldn't tolerate working for this regime? Add that to what has been wrought throughout civil service and even the military. We are destroying ourselves as a nation, rotting from the inside, and from the top down.
What if Wray had not resigned in fear and we never got fumbling, incompetent Patel in his place? The cowardice of Rs in every position in this country has been the biggest surprise of all—no, wait. The enabling of SCOTUS is the biggest. But they’re Rs too aren’t they?
Has it crossed no one's mind that he or the people around him would actually potentially martyr a follower in this way to garner sympathy for himself and perhaps use it to declare a national emergency to his benefit? There's no bridge he wouldn't seize to stay in power. And today is September 11th a memory of attacks on our country he will try to use to his benefit even as he refused to serve his country by exemption after exemption. I hate to think that of him but he doesn't inspire trust of any kind. And to toss off this day when all the countries of the world defended us by symbolically spitting in their face by saying 'whats up with drones attacking Poland ' and not condemning it immediately? I am livid!
Almost anything — and therefore nearly everything — seems possible with these people who routinely violate the Constitution to protect their demented cult head from the tiniest little scrap of accountability.
In my former professional life as a political scientist, state-society relationships under authoritarian regimes were my focus, both right- and left-wing. One of the scariest aspect of everyday life under brute tyranny is its never-ending uncertainty. People “disappear”, political opponents die in sudden car crashes, pesky subordinates or rivals undergo sudden “explosive defenestration” out a 17th story window, police “round up the usual suspects” and the like.
Citizens never really know what’s up, down, what is true, a lie, a cunning blend of both, an act of incompetence or subterfuge, who really knows? Scores of innocents suffer retribution, the guilty go scot free. It serves the regime’s interests to have everyone frightened and unsure of themselves all the time.
Reverberations and rhymes you never want to hear in a supposedly free republic..
Wow, ICTT. Yes, we are watching an incessant uncertainty escalate while the questions about who and what and why keep piling up. They invite wild speculation. I am loathe to wallow in conspiracy theories but...
It can only be a monster of Shakespearean-sized tragedy (think of the villain Macbeth) who attracts the kinds of rumors we have heard about Trump. The questions about what Putin has over on him... The constant drumbeat of denials over pedophilia with his buddy Epstein... The rape conviction...
It seems obvious that his contempt for people (esp. females) and his sexual hunger become an underlying cause of the misery he inflicts.
Yes, it seems to be the "theme song" for tonight...Nobody trusts him...I just said even his ear wound is still suspicious to me. I guess it is now Sept. 11 for all time zones... There is plenty to be angry about....
It's rare that a gunman only takes one shot. Usually, the gunmen let loose a barrage of bullets that kill or wound several people and often are prepared to be killed themselves.
It also seems unusual that it took place at a public event. A sniper would have chosen a spot where they would lay in wait, like their home or workplace, with the intention of getting away with it.
Once snipers start killing political targets the incompetent Patel and Bondi will have trouble catching them causing fear in the communities where it happened.
The one-shot fatality suggests the work of a trained sniper; the lack of witnesses suggests tactical understanding of cover and concealment; the absence of an arrest suggests skill in escape and evasion; the wounding rather than an outright kill suggests tactical manipulation of the necessitated first aid as a distraction to aid escape. Ergo...
It does not suggest a trained sniper Loren, it suggests someone who knew how to shoot, we have millions of people in this country that know how to do that, who are not trained snipers. If you know how to shoot that was an easy shot. The intent was to kill him, that they were able to keep him alive for an hour is testimony to the medics, I never thought he would survive being hit where he was.
Did they really keep him alive or wait until they reached the hospital to pronounce him dead in order to stop chaos at the scene? This is a common practice in many places.
Dick Montagne--Respectfully, you're very wrong. Sounds to me as if you are echoing the hoplophobic assumption all U.S. firearms owners are sociopathic wanna-be killers with Billy Dixon skills. Not true; one of the many consequences of the 1972 termination of the military draft is the majority of today's U.S. shooters, cops included, have difficulty keeping five rounds in the black -- the 5.5-inch center of a 10.5x12-inch slow-fire pistol target -- at 25 yards. Also, successfully shooting at living creatures is vastly different from punching lifeless, motionless paper targets in both the necessary mind-set and the required skill-set. (Apropos the draft, its cessation was not motivated by humanitarianism; it was prompted by ruling-class recognition mandatory military service was doing the same thing in the U.S. it did in Tsarist Russia; that is, training the revolution.)
I think that thought looms in the back of all of our minds, especially as the FBI is linked to Kash Patel. And so many good and decent agents are gone. It was very strange that "now you see a suspect now you don't" situation happened. We have to see what plays out
Well, ‘Quick-draw Kash Patel’ was all set to name a supposed perp but then dropped it. I suppose the guy they were looking at didn’t have the credentials they’d prefer.
Thinking back to my long-ago years as a crime reporter, it was typically less-than-competent, glory-hungry local cops that monkey-wrenched a case by prematurely expostulating a suspect. It appears Donald the Destroyer has reversed that pattern by reducing the once-formidable FBI to fame-seeking ineptitude. Note the quick response of the Utah State Police in declaring Patel's captive was not the shooter. Given the MAGAstapo's relentless defiance of the Constitution, the Utah State Police intervention probably saved the captive's life. Even so, NYT says the person has been charged with obstruction of justice. If this charge was filed by Patel's bunch, it's probably as bogus as his claim he'd caught the killer; under the circumstances I'd guess the person is a non-white Patel's goons judged was a bit too slow in producing identity papers, hence "obstructing." We should follow the case closely lest it become (another) miscarriage of justice; premature prosecution frequently leads to wrongful conviction.
Loren- fame-seeking ineptitude" Very Funny.... That could apply to his Cabinet as well... How many lives have you lived?? (Also, very, very sorry about your loss) It seemed so odd today... It's good to hear your analysis... You know I love mystery novels and detective fiction. I haven't read anything for enjoyment since months before the election... Just political articles- books - watching videos...you must have many interesting stories... Following the case closely is a must. I will stop now as my brain is foggy for 2 nights with very little sleep...Thank you!!!!
Kirk's way of stimulating open debate among throngs of college kids could be seen as a threat to the regime's preference for intimidation and dumbing down.
Actually what you have is an individual who could not be making all this happen all by himself. What I suspect we have is multiple individuals using Trump to their own ends, which may very well be mutually contradictory. We also have a deeply corrupted and flaccid Republican congressional majority and an anti-democratic majority on the Supreme Court. Needless to say, we did not get here overnight. Trump did not come out of nowhere.
Yes, prof. Richardson mentioned in one of her videos that Stephen Miller and Russell Vought were probably running the show right now... Yes, Trump did not come out of nowhere... Thank you for sharing...
This was obviously a professional hit job. In my darkest moment I had the thought that the felon child rapist ordered this to distract us from the Epstein files and the trashing of the economy.
We protest on Oct 18, we get to town halls, we vote in special elections ( Virginia Democrat just had a 3:1 victory) We have lessened the gap in the House... Two more special elections will be coming up. Spanberger for Gov. race early voting begins in 10 days... Epstein files are still alive and kicking... You can take videos, do music, political satire... Judges have ruled against him in several instances lately. Pushback matters...Speaking out matters.
Thank you for your comment. Tonight has felt like trying to steer a ship to calm waters in a tsunami. But that's the great thing about a Democracy. We all can express ourselves and it has been very lively tonight... And interesting...Speaking out is critical... And the Oct 18 indivisible nationwide protest is critical.... We all have undergone a great deal. It's great that we have this community that we can share in. And great to have Heather as mentor and guide... I don' t know how she does it all, but she has my respect and caring...
Prof Richardson said in one of her recent videos that she feels that Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are running the show. I posted that in an earlier post, I think, last week. However, Donald Trump has more than enough revenge motivation to feed the fire and fan the flames of his newly named Dept. of War.
Michele, I totally agree with you. It does seem that the more we strive for peaceful, non-violent solutions, the more "incidents" like this one seem to rear their ugly heads. There's a French term called "Agent Provocateur" that appears to be a likely scenario under this current regime.
Mais oui!..........Merci .beaucoup.... Oh est la bibliotheque? Who would be a good example of a French agent provacateur??? Trump as an "agent provocateur" is looking for any excuse to declare Martial Law... And that is what we don't need on top of everything else! Bonne nuit...
It’s pretty doubtful he’ll be around much longer but I have had a few visions of him being enclosed in as body chamber with heart, lung, kidney pump’s and him only having head with orange with and atop his pale face with odd eye cylindrical enhancers which out his eyeballs out front and augmentation giving g him broad local vision as well as views in systems and ability to broadcast. It’s a bit of a nightmare …though I think the Puritan Jihad will have an attractive white nationalist with devout faith certainly before this could be nightmarish scenario.
Any which way as Trump is not gonna be around boy we need to realize how stacked the odds are against us and be out of the box in creative and organized. It’s the Supreme Court that’s the problem. They’re the only ones that created the situation in the government plus whoever the Cabal is that they’re working with of course they do little free beer nice findings or traditional findings to try to play. We must not be plicated. They are not adhering to the constitution they’re rewriting it to be a kind of law and constitution that existent when the Puritans were in charge of Massachusetts before 1681 I believe that’s the law they seem to be creating. I’m gonna try to find the link for it. Blessings, sorry for my nightmare.
I appreciate your sharing of your nightmare...I think probably all of us have had a few interesting ones. Yes, we don't know how much longer Trump has... Prof. Richardson has voiced in recent video, that perhaps Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are running the show from behind the scenes due to Trump's mental decline (as well as physical decline). Although the Supreme Court has been using the Shadow Docket to make many rulings, the lower courts have still been standing strong... Recently, many judges complained in an interview re/ Supreme Court.
Pushback has been very effective in these last weeks. One example is the fact that Gov. Pritzker preeempted action by Trump by making two very strong and powerful speeches. He explained crime was down in Chicago ( and in Illinois) and gave statistics. He showed that many "red" states had higher crime rates. He told Trump in no certain terms that Trump was not wanted or needed in his state, and that he would take whatever legal action. His first speech, I believe, will go down in history books as a brilliant speech for our Democracy.
Let's go back for a minute. The brave Texans who left their state to avoid the quorum on gerrymandering inspired Gavin Newsom to take a strong stand against Trump in his decision to gerrymandering in defense of our 2026 election. But what Newsome also did was to effectively counteract Trump on social media as well. That had a huge effect. We also know that Judge Charles Breyer (U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit) ruled Trump's deployment of troops to LA violated federal law. The injunction is frozen till Sept. 12(today). We shall see how this proceeds.
Trump is like a cornered animal now. He sees the pushback ( so do those behind the scenes) and so he creates more chaos to distract. ( The Epstein Files are his nemesis). Heather Cox Richardson suggests those in power behind the scenes want to grab as much power as possible as fast as possible in order to establish an authoritarian regime - so that if Trump dies, they can put anyone they want in office. So much is happening.
I have not even looked at today's news yet... Do not lose hope... Prof. Richardson is a voice of calm. Her short videos often have good advice to us as we all maneuver our way through this. Please remember that authoritarian takeovers depend on you feeling overwhelmed and powerless and thus giving up... Nothing is easy right now. The Oct. 18 ( Indivisible) "NO KINGS 2" nationwide peaceful protest is critical. We need to double the amount of people we had the first time (which was 6 million)--so we need 12 million. I don't know yet how Charlie Kirk's death will affect what goes on. We wait and see.
One last thing, the lower courts are putting pressure on the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the "merits" of many cases. Pressure may be on our side as these major cases come to them... Yes, the Republicans in Congress and the Supreme Court have been disgustingly nonexistent in this fight...But all pushback and all pressure has a big effect. Trump wants an excuse for war, and or Martial Law... Because his use of troops as he uses them now is illegal and he knows that... I hope I have at least given you things to think about. I so appreciate who you are, and that you had the courage to write and share your feelings!!!! If there are typing errors, forgive me - I have to take a very sick kitty to the vet... You can reply if you want to talk more...I hope this all fits in this space...
Hi Michele I am so unable to make sense of SubStack and am trying to find a way to find my replies. I saw it once but can find out now. Did my attempt to post my response the the piece by HCR cause something for you.? I wouldn’t want to cause any problem! I’m working on several things around our history, my new to me findings about SCOTUS and the statistical improbability how the administrations shift virtually every time needed in order to keep a conservation SCOTUS. Hard to not conclude there has been more than just the gerrymandering (how unconstitutional is that?) and manipulating…. So I’m experimenting amid the venue.
American voters were seduced by a narcissist who convincingly promised them their most desperate needs. Now they are dismayed at having been used, lied to, gaslighted and manipulated. Trump has always presented as a very sick man— without morals, empathy or fitness to be in office. All of this was fully evident by his long sordid history. Nothing about the repugnant, cruel behavior surprises anyone who has ever tangled with a narcissist.
His minions cling to the myth knowing to let go risks their demise.
How does America break up without breaking apart?
(Btw are the Epstein, Putin, Trump dots connecting in anyone else’s picture?)
I'm not apologizing, Berry -- and I gave your comment a "like."
But if you're expecting people to connect the dots, please remember most Americans are "educated" far too much in the standardized testing simpleton rationality fantasyland -- not in any real world where humans live.
Drumpf’s most determined minions are just like him. Have similar motivations and ‘psychological’ profiles. He has shed light on their paths to what it is they crave most. And it ain’t pretty.
All true, Phil. One should study the horrible white race riots of our past where whole neighborhoods were wiped out in a matter of days. Even towns were destroyed and disappeared. This is how it begins. This is where Trump and his henchmen are taking us and soon it will not be by degrees.
The right wing has been busy eliminating accurate history from schools and libraries in hopes of keeping students from learning the repulsive parts of American history. I think they are afraid that their children will learn empathy, and make it more difficult to groom them to be fascists and impose their religious superstitions on the rest of the country.
It one of those ear worms that pops up every so often. It’s a lyric by Paul Simon.
“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school It's a wonder I can think at all”.
He sings it beautifully and with a matter of fact spirit.
I’ve never particularly felt that way. But it explains a lot about where I grew up. If we want to address propaganda, misdirection, and misinformation in education, it’s always been there.
I remember being told in very early years that of course slave owners wouldn’t mistreat their property any more than they’d mistreat an expensive horse. It sure confused me, I was an early reader. I’d read some of Frederick Douglas. I’d seen the photographs. I didn’t live in the Southeast. But I saw, felt and knew about deep racial attitudes in the adults in our community. I also knew the teachers really believed what they said. It’s what they’d heard and like everybody else they were trying to grasp their times and do the best they could with what they had. I decided then, it was wits. I was 7. Stevenson was not President. The commies were bad. They had but one political party. We were wonderful. We had two. I studied my hand briefly. One, then two. I didn’t raise my hand to ask the obvious question. I already knew better. But a couple years later, as I reluctantly advanced, we did have Civics, something now minimized to a nothingness from which it may never emerge.
What you’ve stated is true. I’m just taking the context back to my own experience. In historical retrospect, I can look back to the 1920s. Not my time. Fascism was fashionable in some political quarters. In an unfettered capitalist society, corporations would inevitably own the government. What’s not to like?
If we go back to the early 19th century and late 18th in the US, we’re still struggling over feudalism.
Show me a history that does not misrepresent time. Just get a load of Boorstin’s tales, or an even worse fictionalist, Niall Ferguson. I’d opine that the introduction of Ferguson makes your entire point about right wing propagandists for you.
Phil, I disagree - this is NOT WHO WE ARE - unfortunately, this is who some of us (or those living in America) are…evil, hate-filled, narcissistic, badly flawed individuals!
Trouble is, we are ruled by a standardized testing set of elites who have long since taken over the schools. It's a dirty fact that, even here on Heather's site, the best among us resent being noticed.
Thus our dear Dem leaders have remained totally out of touch from the tens of millions of working class "deplorables" whom our meritocracy elites cannot, will not ever even deign to see. Not to mention the snide aloofness of Dems from all the humanities which have tracked this pain.
Phil, the sadness is that too many of our democratic leaders who have the pulpit and/or microphone must feel or be ashamed the Democratic Party’s rich history from — let’s just say — the Depression and the work of FDR with tremendous help from Frances Perkins, Harry Truman, JFK and really LBJ, Mr. BILL Clinton as well as Obama and Biden! These individuals — these presidents - have each tended to have the wellbeing of large segments of our nation’s population who are not wealthy in their minds as they carried out their role and duties as POTUS!
Many - if not most - of their policies and programs are or have been favored by large population segments — but when one considers meeting the voters where they are — we have to realize how many of our country’s citizens [voters] have no clue to the history of the democrats and Democratic Party because they may not have paid attention to their American history teachers while in school, they may not have attended schools here for varying reasons (we have a lot of immigrants - legal and illegal) and these people need to be enlightened and some reminded of the differences between Parties’ histories in America! It is almost always the “economy…stupid”!!!
But Jim Riley, are you aware that it may be 40 years since civics classes were taught in public schools? And that every one of the presidents you listed were not racists, nor was Elinor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife. Do you remember that it was she who arranged the concert for Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial when the DAR refused
that lady their hall? It’s racism and greed that divides US. May we recognize that before it’s too late and rid ourselves of Gold worship.
Virginia, civics may not be taught — but I believe that US or American history continues to be part of many or most public schools’ curriculum. As for racism or racists — i didn’t mention nor reference anything to imply that they were. Ask almost any average working American in the middle — those who are not classified as poor or not well-off or wealthy — and the majority will say that the Social Security program is one of the most important programs of the government probably followed by Medicare. These were/are programs that the Republicans or conservatives opposed. And this is just two programs that are beneficial to many Americans! Yes, I am well aware of Eleanor Roosevelt’s work!
Thank you for clarifying the reality of the problem, and its instigator. This is actually what I'd hoped to hear from Heather this morning.
This murder is on Trumps hands. He's enabling this violence of sentiment, in both sides. Exactly as he intends. Think of how dark a man must be inside to take pleasure in terrorizing little girls.
And as I said on "Common Dreams" moments after the Charles Kirk was pronounced dead, the Christonazis now have their very own Horst Wessel -- though, of course, thanks to our wonderful neoliberalism-toxified public schools -- most of the kids who read that website had absolutely no idea whom (or what) I was talking about, so I added some non-operational links as footnotes.
The Trump administration just negotiated a release of 14 political prisoners from Belarus, which has thousands of political prisoners. Including some from Lithuania, a German and some others. In exchange, Trump removes sanctions from Belarusian air companies. While the release of people is important, it does not warrant releasing sanctions on the partner to Russia. Now the president of Belarus is singing Trump's praises.
Correction, Phil, this is who they are. They espouse illegal violence using those who won't ID themselves. We're out there every day proesting peacefully and legally as guaranteed by the Constitution. Let's use those rights while we still can. Contact your reps in DC, join a local, Democratic group, get out and be seen, carry a sign. For example: Stop the genocide in Gaza. 1 in 4 Palestinians has died in this irrational war. Stop the yahoo.
This morning,with no hint of irony, Trump declared that Kirk’s shooting is the result of “one side” demonizing anyone who disagrees with them! Can he even hear himself?
Like they protected Charlie Kirk? On the same day that that bigot was shot, three teens were critically injured in yet another school shooting in Colorado.
The Trump administration is not protecting anyone. Of course, the Orange Fartmeister had nothing to say about the latest school shooting so obsessed was he with milking Kirk's death for all it was worth making scurrilous attacks on what he called the 'Radical Left' like the shameless excuse for a human being that he is.
Compare his reaction to Kirk's death with his resentful refusal to lower flags after Senator John Cain had died.
But please don't say "is not protecting anyone," when we all know himself first, and then scads of pals rich and powerful all get the protections needed, necessary, vital for the continued floating of our insane acquiescence to and ignorance of the far-right foundations keeping the tax cuts coming to the rich and powerful, keeping the killing of regulatory agencies reigning them in, and keeping the courts and the public from ever knowing the names of all Donald's, Jeffrey's, and Ghislaine's pals who for years, years raped all those delicious, delectable underage girls.
You're right, Phil, as usual. Trump has gone from asserting that the birthday letter published in the WSJ was 'non-existent' to claiming that the signature was a forgery and then to not commenting at all, claiming that it was a 'dead issue'. It's very much alive in his defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and the WSJ which was never going anywhere and now seems fatally doomed. In some ways, Kirk's untimely demise has given him a temporary reprieve from the pressure of the Epstein files which loom over him like the Sword of Damocles.
Evidently, Kirk’s shooting was Drumpf’s little reality TV show. The school shooting took a bite out of his airtime. News cycles are a highly competitive market.
I think it's a godsend for him (if you'll pardon the expression) because it offers him a reprieve from the Epstein saga and given him a further excuse to launch attacks on his opponents. He was going to milk the awful killing of the Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, but this was far, far better for his purposes and he wasted no time in exploiting it to the full.
So you’re just like the shooter of Charlie Kirk. Well, you gotta tell all the folks the truth, but I have nothing to do with being a troll. I offer a alternate opinion to the lies, distortions, half truths, full truths that are posted here by the Liberal lemming horde
You tell lies, Rick, as I and others have shown several times here. There are other places you could post where people feed off those lies so why don't you post there instead? Nobody's buying them here.
Not to mention that this is the fourth day out of five that Heather has ignored every top story that all the other networks are covering what a shock
And you wonder why you have no clue about what’s going on in the real world …. Just walk out on the street spend a few days in reality rather than in a book or a link or history.
His responses show readers what MAGAs are thinking, something non-MAGAs really need to understand. They also provide grist fot the historical record Heather is creating by allowing comments to her letters. And, is it really appropriate to be attempting to censor the responses of others as they seek to engage is democratic actions?
It's a "them." Haven't you noticed how this well-paid, coordinated team of Russian trolls just tonight (night by my time in Japan) have posted a multitude of (often long) replies all at the same time?”
I am in Indonesia and see the posts all happen almost at once, like Phil in Japan.
I agree with Phil. This is not a solitary MAGA that we can “learn” from, as you write. It's a group of trolls who write to create disturbances in Heather’s posts. When I point it out, I am letting newcomers to Heather know the long standing situation.
It's a "them." Haven't you noticed how this well-paid, coordinated team of Russian trolls just tonight (night by my time in Japan) have posted a multitude of (often long) replies all at the same time?
Do some Iranians, North Koreans, exiled Syrians, or Chinese work, simultaneously troll among them? Or is it just Russians all bowing to Putin and fellow murderous oligarchs, and bearded, long-skirted, heavily bejeweled Eastern Orthodox Russian priests?
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
If the Republican party is so strong then why all the gerrymandering and voter suppression laws? Hell is certainly coming for that old paedophile Donald Trump.
I will make my points succiny because I could write for an hour because she has said nothing positive about Trump whatsoever and I will do you a favor and send you about 20 of his accomplishments and positive things he's done for this country but it's already at least a month old and he's got about 15 more notches in his Doorway of other accomplishments like more of the trade deals like bringing NATO in brilliantly which is nobody gets how incredibly brilliant his deal with NATO was
The phenomenal decline of crime in Washington DC and the buyer from even the liberal mayor who was originally against him coming and now it's not only thanking him, but on a hiring spree for police because she sees what works, but I will send you a little list here Heather never mentions anything positive. She always starts out her post in a negative light And because of that most of the people here and I say that comfortably are absolutely ignorant of the outside, anything to the right of center
K82Bullet points of Trump’s wins .. this is the assertion as I read articles from various publications.
1. Closed the border in only 75 days when AOC and Mayorkas and Harris (aka the border czar) said that the NOY ONLY THAT THE BORDER WAS SECURE, but only way to do it was legislation/aka mass amnesty) which, of course would take years. It didn’t fall the public when 10 to 15,000 illegals cross the border every day while the people in the administration continue to tell the story of the border being secure
And as well, the Democrats attempted to allow these folks to vote. Attempted in many local precincts, including 800,000 people/non-citizens in New York City given permission to vote and only ceased by the highest court in the state of New York.
2. Removing/deporting/arresting over 1,000,000 illegals that were brought in by Biden and the Democrats in order to get them to be able to vote. ( and there is proof of that)
3. The precision, annti- Iran nuclear strike. TACO pseudonym up in smoke. Using tension on the entire world, fearful of a nuclear Iran. While it’s proxies now remain quiet, on the Global stage
4. Three Trump assisted peace/cease fire deals. Iran/ Israel, Pakistan/ India. Somalia/ethiopia
5. The NATO increase in defense deal, including purchasing unique weaponry from the US to dissuade Russian aggression , well the leaders of NATO looked up to Trump and even called him, Daddy and thanked him for having pushed them to increase their funding to protect them against Russia, while the left and Legacy media called it bullying .
6. Despite economic specialists, liberal congress leadership, legacy media, boasting impending economic doom, rampant inflation (currently lowest in four years), global tariff and trade war nightmares, stock market crash, unemployment spikes, all unrealized thus far, and all wrong so far and now admitting they were wrong so far.
7. Doge.finding much fraud, waste, and abuse… further details in bullet point coming later. But all leading to the $9 billion recission bill.
8. THE OBBB… finding one of the only ways to assist the middle and lower income folks by eliminating tax on tips tax on Social Security and tax on overtime..for the time being… while increasing our defense budget, perhaps acquiring our own golden dome like Israel’s iron dome against foreign aggression… creating the permanent tense cuts of the first Trump administration, and including a large tax for the middle and working class. A $12.5 billion bill for modernization of our air traffic control system.
Many incentives for small business
9. The $9 billion rescission bill eliminating the federal government from funding, left-wing networks, and eliminating other sources of waste, fraud and abuse. 4 men pleading guilty to $500 million fraud at USA ID and another find is $2.7 billion fraud against Medicare. That would’ve grown to almost 14,000,000,000, had it not been detected
10. Job growth, exceeding expectation and estimates.
11. Eliminating the Department of education and sending education back to the states.
12. Referring Rowe v Wade back to the states where the voters have a voice not just nine Supreme Court justices.
13. Hey Siri of favorable Supreme Court rulings, stopping local justices rampant attempts to stop legislation …as an example from nationwide injunctions. Deportation rulings, deportation rulings, defund USAID, and the Dept of Education, and a few more of a personal nature
14. Stock market Ascension. Despite persistent assertions by the left and other economic pundits, the NASDAQ hit an all-time high. While the S&P also hit an all-time high and had the longest upward trajectory in the last 20 years. Well, the Dow is also threatening to beat its all-time high, which was in December 2024 after Trump’s election.
15. A major unexpected occurrence in June having to do with the deficit for the first time in 20 years for the month there was a budget surplus of $27 billion. Personally, I don’t imagine that will continue despite the tremendous amount of tariff income.
16. Somewhere between 10 and $13 trillion of additional investment in the USA by foreign entities as well as American companies, expanding their businesses here in America versus outsourcing them to other countries such as Mexico and China., including some of America’s and foreign most successful companies.
17. Gas prices continue to fall, even despite the attack on Iran, which by most assertions would’ve increased the price of gas, however the opposite has happened including the lowest gas prices in five years on Memorial Day as an example
Egg prices down 66% while the left was screaming about egg prices in January when Trump took office… average prices of eggs highest in March at $6.22 while the lowest average is $2.52 in June
18. Removing men participating in women’s sports, therefore leveling the playing field for women.
19. Reaching their military recruitment goals, five months early versus the short fall of 40 to 50,000 recruits during the previous administration.
20. Putting out the fire of antisemitism, especially at elitist universities, while promising severe consequences of antisemitic policies by eliminating federal support.
Well, those are the top 20 on the billboard charts. I welcome all the forthcoming love.
The “sides” let’s look closer at when , how, what started this “side” business. We are all in the same world. It’s pretty obvious what ,by whom, and likely when destruction/pollution/and the asassinated happened. To NOT care to keep things level -the playing field ya know-is not done by the loving caring people.
One upmanship ( even lie to you to make their point) , slavery, greed, mental illness. Even in our marketing , bias even in studies ( sorta follows you can’t proof read your own material) resorting in trust those supposed proven facts …ie TRUTH…why currently in any ‘negotiations/deals’ …heard of extortion? I always think of the Shawshank Movie and “all of us are not guilty” inference.
“We” came here to America to rid ourselves of prosecution ..be it religious ,controlling ,biased, it started off -this whole shebang -killing the indigenous ,the natives , dishonoring any treaty, labeling them -whether it’s “heathens” or the “radical left” …because they weren’t ’like us’ or …go ahead…deny it and fill.in.your.blank.”definition”…”what you/he/they really meant to say”.
The Shadow Docket People are now “our” SCOTUS…let me be perfectly clear…this has been going on since day 1.
Most the people killed had a “Dream” .
A lot of people painted America as the place where it could happen.
A lot of people believed that, and wanted it too…
They are being deported..they live in fear..the trust is gone…our allies are disgusted…our economy is not “the best ever seen” that was destroyed …because?…you were lied to…
I didn’t vote for him or them, wouldn’t have sanctioned know liars ,conspiracy theorists, nor believed in trickle down.
You that voted in this rapist, liar, cheat, con-man…and his loyal gang..who will save us now?Huh?
Well, ignorance is bliss for you guys. When I get a chance a little bit later, I'll respond to some of your nonsense and facing today's reality. In the meantime, get out there and support America and the American president whoever he may be. And I have a little story, which will tell you in the next post that will illustrate specifically the difference between the left and the right with regard to political hate and divisiveness.
Leslie, I didn’t think people could actually stutter in print but apparently you can Post repeat post repeat Post. Repeat post. Repeat, Post. Repeat… do you have anything else to add? Ricky go back to bed. lol
I am suspecting that The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers are being actively recruited by ICE. They can continue to "bust" heads with impunity and get paid for it. When Trump pardoned the attackers on the Capitol Building on January 6th, Trump gave full permission to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to carry on with violencr against ANYONE . Afterall, Trump told these violent people to ATTACK. We all heard Trump's speech. By the way, Trump never called in the National Guard but sat in The White House watching TV as the Capitol Building was raided and Capitol police were assaulted and murdered.
Now Trump has invaded Washington DC using The National Guard. Logically, Trump is illogical as to his actions. ??????
Every perpetrator of violence in the last 4 years has been a Trump supporter. We will not have violence. The FBI reports significant footage of the shooter, both ingress and egress. They are reviewing that now to help identify the shooter. For the last 4 years, every perpetrator has been a Trump supporter, while Trump and the right have first jumped to blaming the left without any evidence. These are unbelievable facts. More than likely the idiom will hold true this time. We will not know for some time yet. https://open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/charlie-kirk-killing-political-violence?r=3m1bs&utm_medium=ios
Phil, yes to all you say here. Not only that, but we are awash in guns which Rs have done nothing to control. I have to say what happened yesterday in Utah is ironic and that is an understatement. What I am seeing is D pols condemning this in contrast to the dead silence or exultation by Rs when the Minnesota pols were assassinated. Why no half mast for them or numerous school shootings....would the flag be nearly always at half mast. Ordinary folks, with few exceptions, recognize the problems, but do not care that this man who was exalting the party of death and destruction and death star himself, received what they view as karma.
I agree, Phil. Each shooting emphasizes the decay we ourselves have allowed until people like us have no recourse other than to post a note of dismay on Heather's newsletter. As always, we are left wondering what to do? Just what does it take to mend ourselves? The answer always ends in the same way: you and I must protest, object, oppose, involve. It's always going to come back to that. So please, Phil, decide now what you are going to do.
Professor I appreciate “a shield against aggression” and the reminder that NATO was built to make rules, not headlines. Here’s the turn: deterrence feels like nothing happening on purpose. The work is unglamorous, but that quiet is the victory.
Poland shooting down drones and invoking Article 4 shows an alliance with muscle memory. Because consultation is a pressure valve that turns fear into process, signals boundaries to Moscow, and keeps twenty-nine other capitals rowing in the same direction. Trump’s “Here we go!” post and his rush to blame “the radical left” after a killing do the opposite. Because demagogues monetize adrenaline. Institutions minimize risk. The first escalates emotion for clicks. The second channels danger into law, procedure, and time. The miracle of deterrence is the quiet you never feel.
Of course he's blaming "the radical left" - as I predicted he would. The Kirk shooting may be Trump's Reichstag fire. Even it wasn't a total setup, it certainly came at a convenient time for his agenda.
I hear what you’re saying Xplisset, but we need to show acknowledgment in a way that is firm, but civilized, don’t you agree. I found this tonight from our neighbor on Substack.
‘The road to tyranny is paved not with outrage, but with shrugs and applause. We are now at that moment. History’s slide into barbarism is rarely marked by a single gunshot; it is marked by the silence that follows.’ ~ The Rational League (9/11/25).
JaKsaa, Hey I’m with you on tone. Civility is a tactic that keeps doors open and silence is the danger that lets harm harden. Your quote nails it that the slide happens when people shrug.
Here’s how I try to thread this. Name the harm in plain English. Tie it to a rule, budget, or oath. Ask for a concrete remedy with a date. Example: “ICE shackling Korean workers humiliated an ally and undercut U.S. jobs. Hold a public briefing and freeze the raids until oversight occurs.” That’s firm without heat, and it does moves a lever.
Two lanes at once: inside lane is letters, hearings, records requests. Outside lane is visible, nonviolent presence that says we’re many and we’re watching. We keep faces calm and facts sharp, but we do not disappear.
I appreciate your push. Let’s be the kind of neighbors who are impossible to ignore and easy to join.
There is a kind of adult anger that is not rage or hatred, that is powerful and admirable because it radiates truth, focus, and agency. It respects unalienable rights, even of the convicted, and protects the rights of those in peril. And it's not a separate thing from the adult love, love that cares about and tends to what happens to others. Compassion, conscience, responsibility.
I say "adult" in the sense of "maturity of self", or even of a society, that for some individuals manifests precociously, and for others, never seems to appear, irrespective of age in years.
Now is the time to grow beyond what I said of US (to myself in France in 2004). “We are the bad teenagers on the block.” Maturity must be next. Thank you, JL Graham.
We know for Trump there is nothing to be gained through order and peace. He must have a crisis at any cost. He will stop at nothing to create one and we see he has already begun. It doesn’t matter how it begins or by who’s hand. His authoritarian power will be cemented.
I personally don't like hearing the phrase "Here we go" because I worked for Alaska Airlines when flight 261 went into the water in Southern California, and that's the last thing the pilot said before they hit the sea.
Hello Xavier... In the Past 48hrs.... Putin is Probing NATO.... Israel has attacked 6-Countries.... There is a Political Assassination in Utah.... The Putin, and Netanyahu Vultures are Circling a Reeking Orange Carcass... Xi Is Just Waiting... Did anybody notice Xi's Gray Mao Suit in Shanghai?... Imperial Rome fell to Political Chaos First, and the USA?...
Apache, you’re clocking escalation. The move now is to separate spectacle from structure. Putin tests edges, Netanyahu exports crisis, Xi banks time. Our counter is simple and strong. Tighten alliances, defend courts and press, and turn adrenaline into turnout and oversight. Calm and resolve IS a tactic Apache.
Hello Xavier... We can cut sending $$$, and Weapons to the Israeli Killing Machine now... We can inflict tougher Sanctions on Russia instead of rolling out the Red Carpet, and Clapping for Putin now... Putin has been Probing since at least 2014 in Syria, and the Ukraine... These can be done Now... Calm, and Resolve are Tactics, but can also be interpreted as Weakness... Netanyahu, Putin, and to a lesser extent Xi, are Circling their Prey, and acting as Predators... They are Sensing Weakness...
Yes quiet, and sometimes not so quiet rules, yet products of deliberation. Of soul searching.
Rules that guide and yet are powerless without our collective daily commitment. The social contract. A tack of societal negotiation to take the place of wanton violence. Off the hot-war battlefield assassination is terrorism, ans society suffers whomever the target. Assassins are another form of malignant narcissist, who sees fit to impose their will with aggressive violence. So are those who inflame the aggressive acting out ignorant of hatred where wisdom is sorely required.
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
You proclaim your politically partisan prejudice and hateful bigotry by leaping ahead of the evidence to spew “So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty…”
As of now, no suspects have been identified, yet you characterize them as being “lefty.”
This truly is a dangerous moment. When the US President condemns all Democrats for this assassination and yet never even uttered the names of Minnesota Democrats that were assassinated.
I don't recall them lowering the flags at the White House for the political assasinations that occurred in Minnesota of actual elected officials and yet, he does it for a racist, sexist influencer who literally became a millionaire by spewing misinformation and hate. Here's a convenient list of some of his greatest 'contributions' to the violent culture that ironically seems to have taken his life.
All Trump can say to Russia’s invasion of Polish airspace, in a Trump truth, no less, is “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” How long are we going to continue to condone this extremely expensive, extremely destructive, extremely enervating president who has literally nothing to offer but garbage? Does he realize what a huge part he is playing in making all of this worse?
He’s a Russian patsy with dementia who just sued the Wall Street Journal for $10 billion, so TERRIFIED of whatever they have on him by way of a child molester’s little ‘birthday book.’
Shocking as it is to grasp the implications of these two predators going kissy-kissy with each other, hinting at predatory “secrets” and laughing over crude drawings of naked girls, the worse “secrets” probably involve vast quantities of money-laundering and likely blackmail. Epstein used wire transfers and cash payments of over $1 billion to buy “girls” from Belarus, Turkmenistan and pay off Russian banks as middlemen.
In the middle of all this chaos, most of us have nearly forgotten the moment in 2019 when Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood over him and demanded “why is it with you all paths lead to Putin?”
We didn’t realize back then that those paths included a stopover at Epstein’s Virgin Islands dacha….As they say in Moscow (crudely re-translated back into English), “the plot, she thickens.”
This crude and unnecessary. Remember the trigger factor to people who have been assaulted. Stop dumping dark writing all over these comments because it pleases you. People are going through enough. Your constant negativity is a drain on what we are trying to accomplish to the point is becomes subversive.
Why not comment on the activism points?
From Dr. Richardson Podcast We Cannot Wait for the Ballot Box in November 2026 | Explainer September 9, 2025 We’d all rather live in a world where our Democracy is secure… this is the world we got and we’ve gotta figure out ways to make it better and to preserve our Democracy for the people who come after us. And in that I don’t think yet that our efforts are wasted no matter what we are doing. So try and get out there and make the future because there is joy in that and we’re doing it together and that itself is a gift.”
I am one of those who’s “going through enough” too, by the way. Tens of millions of us are, in many different ways.
It’s not up to you to decide what enervates or energizes others. You are not a Roman censor to decry what you think should not be said out loud, or to issue formal approvals for the things that please you, however much you may wish it so. I will continue writing commentary, just as hundreds of others here do, every day, all the time.
You are absolutely free to ignore whatever you feel like, or that which fails to please you. I won’t be losing any sleep about it.
If you comment, then people can comment on what you say. I will not ignore what I see as harmful to fighting back against this coup.
My encouraging people to be hopeful and proactive is one of the ways I fight back against the evil in our Country and Government. I have been in this forum for many years. I see a trend of rightfully depressed and frightened people. I will continue to work to counter this and offer people some hope and a way to fight back. One way is to challenge the people who feed hopelessness. I follow Dr. Richardson's philosophy of hope, cheerfulness and embracing fighting back like crazy. I encourage you to listen to her podcasts. They are erudite, caring and full of hope for America.
I wish you well. I have spent enough time already in this forum and need to get on with other things today.
Barbara, here I respectfully disagree. People are allowed to comment here and elsewhere, so long as they stay within the community guidelines and terms of use. If you don't like what someone has to say, you can rebut. If someone's comments bother you consistently, you can mute or block. Diversity of opinion should be welcomed, and people have to be able to vent outrage. That doesn't negate any efforts to work to re-right the ship. I don't believe we ought be telling people how to express themselves, unless their comments are directed personally. There are plenty of folks I read here and elsewhere on Substack whose comments I find disagreeable for one reason or another. I've muted and even blocked a few of them (mostly the ones directing personal and groundless attacks at me), and try to ignore the rest.
That said, I believe we MUST keep Epstein's name, misdeeds and associations out there, lest they be covered up by yet another villainous attempt to distract us from it. The victims need to tell their story, the sordid trail of money and trafficked humans needs to be revealed, and the perps need to face justice.
Where is the indignation when children are gun down in schools; concerts are gun down in an open venue; worshippers are gun down in their house of worship. Where is the indignation? We get from the gun lobby pressure to remove all common sense legislations for gun control and we get from the legislature Thoughts and prayers but no real action. We have: an administration that is purely authoritarian in nature violating all sorts of rules, norms, and legislations; a judicial system that has been weaponized against those who would speak out against our felon president. We have a Supreme Court that is led by Boot, licking conservative, Chief Justice leading a Cabal of contortionist extremist perjured jurist. The felon president will seek to make the victim of this violent crime a martyr for his cause. But what else would we expect from a thin skinned bungling buffoon felon president?
Russia under Putin recognizes that our country is suffering from divisiveness and is led by a clown. He will push every gray area and the felon president will weakly say “here we go”. Which begs the question, where? Where will we go? Will this country step up to the plate when Putin drops the first bombs on the Eastern nations that are part of the NATO alliance or will our president say thoughts and prayers and you shouldn’t have started the war, a common refrain he uses against President Zelinsky, who is a victim of the Putin aggression. The felon president and his clown car cabinet have turned this nation into the laughingstock of the world, supported only by despots and dictators. But well, we need to continue the pressure on this president vis-à-vis his involvement with the pedophile Epstein and Maxwell. We need to get under his skin as often as as possible. We need to resist the state militias/guards policing our streets and the use of our military against American citizens and residents. But most importantly, we need to turn out the vote. It is critical for the survival of the American democratic experiment.
Barbara, we need to work extremely hard NOW to make sure we have free and fair elections leading up to the mid-terms.
If you are a person of color or registered anything other than Republican there is a chance your name will be purged from the voter rolls. Check the voter rolls regularly to make sure your name hasn't been removed. And if it has alert authorities or the media that it is happening.
Brad Rathlensburger has removed over 200,000 people from the voting roles in GA with total impunity.
Barbara, I fully agree with your points, especially the ones about the importance of 2026 and massive street protests. We need a rallying cry. 2026 is important for the future of this country, but also has a connection to our past, being 250 years since we declared our independence from monarchy. The Heritage Foundation had Project 2025; I'd humbly suggest people on ours come up with Project 250, or 2026/250, and create a new Declaration which reminds us of what we have already lost, and how much more we stand to lose unless we right our course. Hopefully someone (or a group) is working on that (HCR comes to mind as a thoughtful, brilliant and eloquent influencer.) Meanwhile, YES to taking to the streets in nonviolent, massive protests, on a regular basis.
There is a massive NO KINGS protest planned nationwide for October 18. I recently attended a sidewalk protest. They are not only highly visible they are quick and easy to organize. The media refuses to cover protests so we need to be creative. We can also do the Be Brave overpass protests.
This week I wrote a scathing take him to the woodshed letter to the Mayor of my large Midwest city. Other than exposing his corruption, prejudice and graft I challenged him to stand up. The following is the closing.
"You need to step up, stand up and be a vocal opponent against what is happening in our Democracy. ICE is on our streets, and you are silent. You surrendered our Sanctuary City designation. Your Administration cowers and acts like business as usual. The fulcrum of Democracy is at a perilous tilt. You ran as a Democrat. I strongly suggest you either honor that affiliation in a proactive manner or resign. This moment offers each of us the opportunity to achieve a greatness. Why aren't you, as Mayor, seizing your moment?"
I will be attending the next NO KINGS demonstration on the 18th, as I have the past ones (and others.) Excellent letter, hope that it reaches his eyes and then his heart.
Dont forget postcards to voters, discovered very useful in 2018. Lists are available. Try TonyTheDemocrat online. If you can, do 10 a day from the lists he will send you of adresses and Info about the candidates you will be writing for. The only requirement is your first grade skill in printing legibly!
Barbara Mullen, just type in TonyTheDemocrat (with the caps). The full address is that and you will get “mail chimp” and can go from there. My limited skills dont allow me to leave this site and give you more info. I might never find you again. But once you are “established” with Tony and “Request,” you type in that plus prescribed info and with postcards and stamps (Etsy and Amazon 🙁 have generic postcards) you will have candidates’ profiles, 3-4 sentence material on each, and you can print away. Dont wreck your wrist. Use underarm muscles to guide your pen.
Then: TURNOUT project. Much the same as above, but will send postcards and sometimes address stickers.
Or: check with your local Indivisible for help. Again, it’s type it in and find your local chapter. (I always end with if you don’t have one, start one.)
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
I won’t respond to the troll, but I will drop his “logic” from yesterday’s post here to you. Didn’t age well.
“It is estimated that 90% of the firearms/guns in this country are owned by people in red states. AND it is also estimated that about the same 90% percentage of killings and murders using handguns happen in blue states. Go figure….”
After a high profile shooting, my rule is to stay silent for a minimum of 72 hours. However, with the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk (31), I am going to share my Hot Take. As a history major, I am aware of Fascist Choreography: the staging of an horrific event in order "justify the expansion of state power and the suppression political dissent."
Tonight:
"Without evidence, Trump allies are quick to blame the Left." [This is a tell.]
"The shooter is still at large. We do not know the shooter's identity."
Media headline: "Charlie Kirk Shot Dead at Public Debate"
My headline: "One Dead in Utah School Shooting"
"Charlie Kirk brainwashed young men and prepped them for the alt-right pipline. Charlie Kirk stated that children who die from gun violence are "necessary casualties" for the right to bear arms. He preached hate and he reaped what he sowed."
My Hot Take:
The Utah shooter is a professional. From 200 yards, the shooter hit his target in the throat. The question the media must ask is... Who hired the trained sniper?
Hi Phil, This is the first time I've heard you refer to your military service. I did basically the same thing as you, but a year earlier and as an ROTC graduate. I arrived in Vietnam exactly one month, to the day, after your service began. Took off the uniform exactly one year later. And you're right about the shot, except we trained on the M-14. We got a chance to train on the M-16 in 1969, during the middle of our language training, and I was issued one in Vietnam. but never had to fire a single shot, and quite cheerfully turned it in upon my departure.
Thanks, Phil, for your service. My stepbrother was a translator/interpreter in the Marines, too, and he has never wanted to talk about it.
I'm not sure the M 16 was designed to be particularly accurate at 200 yards, or that it would be the preferred weapon of a trained sniper turned assassin. But it was simple and light, and at 50 yards or 25, it was reputedly hellishly effective for mowing down attackers about to overrun your position. As I recall it could fire off 20 high velocity bullets (or 19 as a precaution against jamming) in about 2 seconds. Happily, I never had to shoot it at a person. But, I remember (from basic training at Fort Lost in the Woods near Rolla MO, 1972) being told part of its effectiveness was that the round wobbled and entered an enemy's body at a slight angle, causing it to do massive damage as it tumbled through to the exit wound. No real need for accuracy. Yes. A totally disgusting killing machine that should never, ever be in the hands of any civilian. On the firing range I couldn't hit the targets at 200 yards and later went AWOL, achieving a general discharge under "honorable" conditions. The Army couldn't get rid of me fast enough. I lucked out.
Funny thing about the lack of recoil of the m-16 was the increase in basic accuracy. With the addition of the scope which fit on the ramp accuracy was excellent at 400 meters, with 4 out of 5 shots hitting the diameter of a snuice can lid which is approximately 3 inches. My time in the war was overlapped by yours with most of it revolving around incursions of the enemy in 3 corp in and near the Parrot’s beak. You undoubtably must be familiar with Nixon’s announcing that we were no longer on offensive patrols merely in defensive perimeter function. Scopes were of course not used except in rare instances. Not suitable for firing the m-16 while face down with the gun resting on top of one’s head firing blindly into the foliage.
Just curious. My late husband was an interpreter for the Air Force at the same time in Saigon and stationed on an Army base. Just wonder if you interptetors interacted with one another.
People on social media say that it would not be a difficult shot for experienced hunters or trained soldiers. I have no idea if that is true but if it is that easy, all the more reason to have very strict gun control laws for the common good.
I sense a Reichstag fire-esque moment as well, Greg. Trump's deranged televised rant from the Oval Office he desecrates daily was a not so subtle dog whistle to the usual suspects, including his pardoned Praetorian Guard .
My question is why is the media nearly en masse amplifying this??
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
If that’s what gives you pleasure go for it but a 31 year-old man who did nothing but go to college campuses and offer open debate to students who questioned everything that he was opposed to, and he did it with calm and patience and answered every question and then this is the way he is treated by the left. Nobody with any kind of a brain thinks it was anybody else but a lefty. This guy was bringing more young people to believe in reality and freedom. And therefore he was a big threat to the left. But you read my post so I thank you. But you’re not gonna be happy going forward that’s for sure.
He was a bigot right up until his vicious, bigoted life was ended by a gun. He defended gun violence as 'worth it' to protect what he called the 'God-given' right to bear arms. He challenged people to prove him wrong and someone just did.
Yeah, you idiot. Maybe it was his mother-in-law doing the shooting thank God at least one idiot from MSNBC got fired for the same type of talk that you’re bringing here
Just like the article that the times put out the first piece of evidence they put out after almost every other Legacy media put out and didn’t use the word allegedly
This paranoid, the scumbag president, issues verdicts before anything is known. He knows who to blame even before anything happens. This will bring even more violence.
I have not fully watched Trump's Oval Office address. But from the clip that I saw, what he is doing fits his overall agenda of "declaring an emergency so he can grab more power". Trump's FAKE EMERGENCY DEMOCRACY (rivaling the Disaster Capitalism practiced by Wall Street to grab economic assets like farm land after farmers go broke) has our nation on a very slippery slope to dictatorship. We MUST find a way to prevent this! We MUST show our fellow Americans that a future based on cooperation and love is possible... that Trump's preferred future of hate and division can be put in the ash heap of history where it belongs.
Right on Steve Brant, but watch out for SCOTUS. Trump has expensive lawyers on his side, and the justices ‘CYA’ will side with Trump if we can’t show a firm resistance to our outrage. We need Gavin Newsom or Senator Whitehouse to advise what secret sauce we can use to wipe that Teflon off of the extremist traitors. We have the disadvantage of a fearful Congress and a fearful Press.
Charlie Kirk was a strong defender of the second amendment. I wish he were not murdered but leave it to Trump to jump to conclusions. He is the most partisan president in my lifetime and I go back to FDR.
It looks like Trump’s meeting with Putin only gave Putin more encouragement to be belligerent.
Phil, Putin had a good read on trump, he is not afraid of him and is laughing at his face with total disrespect and arrogance while our home made " strong man" is convinced he is the respected ruler. Embarrassing to say the least. 😮💨
Why don't you ooze back to Flyover Loserville with the rest of the MAGAts, where the fact you're an ignorant piece of shit too fucking stupid to qualify as a member of the species won't be so blindingly obvious? You have nothing in common with FDR, you damned moron.
What Phil says is 100% accurate TC so calm down. Kirk was a strong defendant of the second amendment. The problem was he used it as a weapon. He took it to nasty extremes and in the end was killed with his own stick.
Mr. Weisberg did not say he had anything in common with FDR. He was saying he was old.
Stop rage posting and abusing people. We see enough of it from this Administration. People need a break from it.
Charlie Kirk was a dedicated bigot who advocated violence against Black, Trans, and immigrant communities. That was his life. My sympathies today are with the victims of yet another school shooting, and those who are enduring genocide in Gaza.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
The past has a way of speaking to us, if we are willing to listen. Today’s headlines echo moments that once led the world into catastrophe. Russian drones over Poland, the activation of NATO’s Article 4, and the rhetoric of strongmen should remind us of the perils that come when aggression is met with hesitation or denial. History warns that authoritarians probe for weakness, and silence invites bolder moves.
The North Atlantic Treaty was born from the rubble of war. Its architects believed that rules, alliances, and vigilance could prevent new tyrannies from rising. Harry Truman spoke of a “shield against aggression” and trusted that free people would choose peace over servitude. That faith is being tested again. When democracies fracture or drift toward isolation, the door opens for those who thrive on intimidation.
Domestic violence also mirrors historic patterns. The murder of a political figure and another school shooting underscore how unchecked anger corrodes civic life. In times of strain, hatred can be weaponized. The language of scapegoats and “enemies within” has never led to safety, only to repression and loss.
We stand at a crossroads. Pretending that these events are isolated or that past lessons no longer matter is a dangerous illusion. The price of ignoring history is written in the ruins of cities and the silence of the oppressed. To preserve peace and freedom, we must remember how fragile they are and meet threats, foreign and domestic, with resolve grounded in principle. History’s echoes grow louder when we refuse to hear them.
Another act of brutal violence today, one which will reverberate in dreadful ways for a long time to come.
Another crowd of terrified onlookers subjected to rule by the gun, rather than the rule of law and access to free speech for all.
Another grotesque example for the next nutball with access to military-grade weaponry to degrade our already degraded country even further than most of us thought possible.
I notice the most immediate condemnations of this violent act came from those whom this young man hated the most, and constantly vilified —Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the Clintons, Gabby Giffords, Pete Buttigieg, others — all saying and doing the right and proper things.
Yesterday, every former President and recent vice-president took to some kind of news platform to express shock, convey thoughts for the family affected, condemn political violence across the board.
All, save ONE, of course, who used the event to moan about “martyrdom” the way the Ayatollah of Iran might, and said NOT ONE WORD condemning violence.
No need to bother asking who wouid dare speak like that, who would be so reckless with the nation’s sentiments, or not see the great danger of the moment.
Would you stop? If you must write this please add in hope. People are going through enough.
From Dr. Richardson Podcast We Cannot Wait for the Ballot Box in November 2026 | Explainer September 9, 2025 “I am a little discouraged, sometimes, when I write Letters because people sort of throw up their hands …and say it’s all over. I write them and I make them as thorough as I try to make them about what’s happening because I feel if you understand what’s happening it’s easier to fight back against it. If you understand what’s happening, then you can see the pressure points to change what is happening. We don’t want to be here, any of us. We’d all rather live in a world where our Democracy is secure… this is the world we got and we’ve gotta figure out ways to make it better and to preserve our Democracy for the people who come after us. And in that I don’t think yet that our efforts are wasted no matter what we are doing. So try and get out there and make the future because there is joy in that and we’re doing it together and that itself is a gift.”
No, I won’t”stop” — whatever that even means. Those are the basic facts of today. Yes, they are unpleasant. Yes, none of us would like to be here at the present moment. And yes, this is the reality we are up against.
“If you understand what’s happening…it’s easier to fight back against it.” No truer words indeed.
Leave the facts to Dr. Richardson. She was speaking of her Letters. Now speak to the end of what I transcribed from her podcast. She speaks of hope and fighting back. What you engage in is hopelessness. I never see you mention any activism or hope.
I don’t see anyone’s writing here as engaging in hopelessness. Nor do I think she has ever been a scold to those writing to express the reality we face. There is a difference between expressing reality and sticking one’s fingers in one’s ears and singing La La La, ignore reality.
“Sticking one’s fingers in one’s ears and singing La La La” is another Gail force wind. Thank you dear. That very phenomenon is endemic in the world I live in. The Lala Landers! Akin to burying one’s head in the sand. I guess we have to forgive them while covering their asses which are left out in the kill zone.
We have already almost forgotten that Putin chose this very moment to test the durability of NATO, now that a Russian pastry/patsy with the emotional maturity of a 3-year-old heads its most powerful member.
While Russian drones purposely violated NATO airspace heading to murder more Ukrainian innocents, a limousine drove Trump 1/10 of a mile to a steakhouse, together with his patsy entourage, where he dined on lobster and crab and proclaimed Washington “safe.” Protestors booed him near the entrance until he ordered them “removed” like he did his empty plate of overdone steak and ketchup.
WE THE PEOPLE do not have to take these events lying down and nor should we. WE have the power to never give up. See, they, whoever “they” are, desperately are trying to whittle our psyches down. WE cannot allow that to happen. The country has a wannabe dicktator who is physically and mentally fading. There are MAGA who are now suffering from the illegal tariffs proposed by him. Just look at farmers who supported Trump. They are producing videos on TikTok crying about how their crops are drying up because China isn’t buying their fruits and vegetables. Maybe MAGA will become “woke” after the tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk. Lord knows they don’t give a shit about the kids who were shot today in Colorado by a student at their school or the killings of a beloved State Assembly woman, her husband, and the wounding of two others. We need a massive purge without violence. Let’s do it together with all of the courage we can muster up.
👺 …”The script is always the same. The tyrant declares the people must be “protected,” from drugs, from dissent, from whatever phantom menace can be conjured. The public, weary of chaos and primed by fear, begins to nod. Protection becomes the pretext for execution.
Once the principle is abandoned, that even the guilty must be protected by law, then nothing is safe. The guillotine sharpens itself on the promise that it will never fall on you.
When a government claims the right to kill without trial, and when millions cheer it on, we are at the point of no return.
So let us be clear. When you cheer murder without trial, you are not defending America. You are defending the end of it.”
The American Night of the Long Knifes: When MAGA Defends Murder Over Justice
It is the republicans and the rabid right wing fascists like this kirk creep who are responsible for the millions of guns on our streets. His killing is just another predictable daily result of guns being ubiquitous and easy to get in America. Period. So, I am finding it impossible to feel anything at all for him not because he is not a fellow human being who may deserve some generic level of sympathy as a murdered member of the species, but because he did everything he could to bring this upon himself — and upon thousands of way more innocent others. GUNS KILL PEOPLE, even irredeemable lying misogynist racist right wing arseholes. I make no apology for the fact that I ran out of sympathy for these insane violent crackpots like the despicable kirk about 100 school massacres back. What we really have here is a cautionary tale that one should be very careful what one wishes for. Those bullets the right wing worships? They're not picky whose flesh they tear into. Oh, and … thoughts and prayers, of course.
I just wish our scumbag president would show the same sorrow and determination to name a responsible every time a totally innocent kid is killed in our schools. Thanks for your comment Little Bird.
I just figure it’s way past time to call it like it is. A country that allows — nay, justifies — the constant slaughter of children is beyond barbaric. And that’s what kirk did.
'You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am, I, I — I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe.'
So there you have it. He was probably so arrogant it never occurred to him that he would wind up some of that collateral damage he so blithely dismissed as ‘worth it'. He was a depraved creep.
Murder – deliberate, cold-blooded murder – emanates from the highest office in the land.
The criminal in the White House most recently again exemplified his penchant for murder, having 11 civilians killed in a small boat off Venezuela. No effort to interdict the boat to investigate it. No court order. No due process.
This criminal is also an adjudicated rapist. His best pals for years trafficked in the rape of underage girls by other rich, powerful still-accountable pals of his. He instigated an attack on the U.S. Capitol, his Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Three Percenters also then attacking police officers, seriously injuring over 140 of them. The Supreme Court could have enforced the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause, but chose instead to ignore it. Moreover for this epidemic of violence, the criminal in the White House gave pardons to all the convicted and still-being-tried violent insurrectionists.
Every day now he exults in ICE teams of goons and thugs with police state violence attacking, terrorizing tens of thousands across America.
This is who we are. This is what the U.S. has descended into.
"Political violence begets political violence. Ben Rhodes. (CHARLIE KIRK)
"With stronger gun laws, there is less gun violence." Sen. Mark Kelly
"We have a government in this country that makes a lot of people unsafe. What is our government doing to lower the temperature?" Ben Rhodes
" Data shows that these attacks are perpetrated by a 'lone wolf' who is "radicalized" online. We need regulation of tech media and its spread of disinformation, conspiracies, etc." Barbara F. Walter (Prof. of International Affairs and expert on civil wars, violent extremism, and domestic terrorism)
Our President is a narcissist. If you add dementia, coupled with revenge fantasies and emperor/strongman delusions, you have a mad King trying to lead us into a dystopian nightmare. We must not let him. Today holds a tragedy. But already, Trump tries to make Charlie Kirk a martyr, and he blames the "radical left". We must at all cost remain peaceful. But we must now be hyper-vigilant... His Kingdom is threatened, and he is facing losses... so he will lash out. We must note everything and watch what he does...
"Our president is a narcissist" almost sounds like flattery. He is a mass murderer, including his mishandling of the pandemic and recently having 11 people on a boat in international waters killed, violating international law. He is a felon, a racist and will - as someone else stated - use the deplorable murder of Charlie Kirk as another reason to declare some artificial emergency so he can continue his regime of revenge and retribution.
Marli, the comment by our Manchurian vice president about the killing of 11 people in a boat, described how murderous this regime is in a nut shell: "I don't give a sh*t".
Pres and VP do not have the character or demeanor to hold any public office let alone the highest PO.
Today, I am European.
My wife thinks Canada looks like the place you want to be.
We're seniors and aren't filthy rich. We aren't going to start a business in Canada. Essentially, we're ineligible. We aren't going to leave our kids and grandkids behind anyway. They'll need us.
Good luck getting in.
Albert R. Killackey, Esq. -- I live in Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and every day experience reveals that there are NO borders in North America.
It’s time for European nato to launch 10,000 drones toward Russia.
Go!
And today I am Canadian.
Go!
I thought you already are by marrying an Italian and living there.
Mama Mia who said that? I was once exploring since maternal grandparents were born there and I jokes that it would be easier to just find an Italian woman instead if she would have me.
Scum bag
Hello Marli... DJT is a Malignant Narcissist... DJT is the Center of His Own Universe... We Are All Expendable Assets In His View... DJT's reaction to Poland invoking Article-4 of the NATO Convention, "Here We Go!".... WTF... :-(
Having cravenly dodged the draft, he no doubt imagines war to be (A)-a John Wayne film in which he is the leading actor and (B)-absolutely no more risk to himself than sitting in an air-conditioned movie house watching pedophilic porn, alternately diddling his diminutive dong and munching mouthfuls of popcorn.
You’ve described this detestable nutcase perfectly. So perfectly, I can smell that popcorn. In a visceral, nauseating way.
I had no idea there were this many truly horrible people in this country. I believed, as Anne Frank did, that people were mostly good. Witnessing the last decade has been eye opening, infuriating, and utterly depressing. Wow, was I wrong.
Jessie, I feel exactly the same way. I've learned deeply troubling things about my own family. There are questions I wish now I had never asked them. Their answers horrified me.
He just gave voice to the horrible people, didn't he? We used to have a sense of decorum.
You were not wrong about people in our community; the laws which were accepted by most, prove that most of us agree. The daily news is not exciting unless it reports unusual behavior.
Anne did not know there were active informers around the annex business building. She knew at a visceral level the horror but unknowable until one experiences it. There was a great documentary on the end of her life with an also a mind blowing explanation of how the SS kept folks in line.
I visited the annex now museum way back in the eighties.
This also (the now of now) falls into moral injury and the layers we have experienced over the decades. Lots of trauma much unhealed and one at times repeats the trauma mostly unknowingly but sometimes by choice in an subsumation of the thinking of thinking and emotions of the trauma itself. Also the isms of racism and sexism snd ableism and just otherism along with the colonialism that built our country.
Many folks, groups, and institutions have been touched and harmed and hurt by all of this ping pong trauma. Moral injury is like Darth Vader going to the dark side utterly until the last moment of his death. I much prefer Field of Dreams and Stat Trek, Fried Green Tomatoes, Starman, The Color Purple, The Kite Runner, The Secret of Ronan Inish , and Brother from Another Planet to that last minute change of heart because yes last minute. I cling to the beauty of nature still left, I cling to my own memories or just historical memories of good people , and hope for the courage of myself an all others to change this accumulation point into a swerve of beyond bettter.
I always sensed we were more than not not in a good place so this for me oh well yeppers at least just get on with the clean up moment time line. I am so ready to clean up all that has gone so wrong.
It is troubling, the many horrible people in this country. Charlie Kirk was one of the most outspoken of them.
After initially focusing on secular economic issues, Kirk began to openly embrace Christian nationalist views around 2019. He stated there was "no separation of church and state" and called on Christians to engage in political activism to "reclaim the country for Christ."
Kirk pushed "spiritual warfare" rhetoric. In 2021, Kirk launched Turning Point Faith, an initiative that used apocalyptic and conspiracy-laden narratives to encourage pastors to fight against what he terms a "Satanic" and "dehumanizing" woke left.
Kirk voiced support for the "seven mountains of cultural influence," a framework used by some Christian nationalists that calls for Christians to take control of different aspects of society, including government.
Kirk's politics aligned with a specific political ideology that merges Christian identity with a belief that America was founded as a Christian nation for white people.
Kirk promoted the controversial "Great Replacement" theory, which claims that immigration is intended to reduce the white population.
So, even at that, it came as a complete surprise to me that he would be targeted for assassination. Some have pointed out the irony of Kirk's statement: "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational."
I'm right there with you, Jessie.
I'd rather smell the popcorn than smell Trump--or imagine his diminutive dong.
Yes, life to Trump is like being in the movies or as if reality TV is real. He reminds me of Simple-minded Chance (Peter Sellers) in the film "Being There." Chance lived inside a wealthy home his entire life and educated only by television. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078841/
OH Albert, what a great film clip! Sur could be T.
They should be showing Our American Cousin. I’m sure he’d find it amusing, and miss the plot.
Oh Loren! Your words! :-)
Thank you for your rage. The murder of Kirk was outrageous, but the presidents response to all the death he's caused is worse. Here we go indeed
Djt orders the flag to be lowered for Kirk, who was not in the administration. However, he had no response to the murders of a MN state official and her husband in July. NOT ONE WORD! It is R= good; D = bad. So much for the UNITED States of America! Absolutely unconscionable!
Or all the babies murdered in school shootings to say nothing of the teachers and school personnel, places of worship, etc.
They will make Kirk a martyr and commit endless acts against Democrats in retaliation. Kirk lived by the will of God, even if he had a perverse idea of what that will was, now God has called him home because Kirk’s work for God was done.
Diane, the flag shit made me gag! Using my flag for political reasons? To honor a horrible man? Yup, you can tell who he thinks are important. Glad I'm not one of the important ones...
These years with Trump appear to be a time of rage; intense anger. There is a wedge being driven between the American people with the intent to divide and conquer. The global corporatist fascist leaders of the Republican party are playing for fools the undereducated racist persons of the party with word games and reasoning fallacies. For example, "Freedom" is a very attractive word to youth and it always will be. Charlie Kirk, a community college drop out, died speaking to youth wearing a shirt with a single word across his chest, “FREEDOM”. Charlie Kirk was a con-man. What divides the two main political parties is their views of freedom and liberty. Kirk’s wearing that shirt reminded me of Abraham Lincoln’s “Address at Sanitary Fair in Baltimore” during the Civil War. Lincoln spoke of liberty but the word is much the same as freedom which is the innate ability to act without external constraint. Thus the attraction by youth. Liberty emphasizes a legal right to act without undue constraint from an oppressive authority. That is what Charlie Kirk and Trump’s Nazi party are attracted to. Lincoln said in part, “The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names--liberty and tyranny.”
Today the American people are still much in want of a good definition of the words freedom and liberty. The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott Decision said a person, a slave, is property with no rights. Then came the Civil War. The Roberts 5 in their Citizens United Decision depended on another dumb Supreme Court decision which created the doctrine that property, a corporation, is a person with rights and the Roberts 5 gave us corporate free speech expressed in Super PAC money controlling our elections. Again the Supreme Court’s pathetic obsession with property brought us to where we are now with festering political violence. To paraphrase Lincoln, with some the word freedom may mean for each person to do as he pleases with himself; while with others the same word may mean for a corporation to do as it pleases. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name, FREEDOM. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names–freedom and unbridled corporate greed which is the single most paramount threat to We the People, our democracy and our Earth. The GOP died with Ike. Today we have a Nazi party dba R.I.N.O.
We need to stay cool, organize, register new Democrats and inform youth that unbridled greed is not the true meaning of the freedom they seek. Also inform youth to stay in school and learn the true meaning of words and to recognize reasoning fallacies.
Liberty. Freedom. These are just different labels for Social Darwinism UNLESS they are accompanied by the need for responsibility, accountability, and a recognition that others share an equal right to the same.
"Here we go", eh? Slim Pickens riding the bomb down.
If only. Not that I want to see an A-bomb loosed, but if T was on it? Hmmmmm
I loved "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." May Slim R.I.P. (1964). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snTaSJk0n_Y
Apache, 'expendable', for certain, but 'assets'? If an asset is something you value, we aren't that.
Marli, yes Trump is ALL of those things, but he is also a PEDOPHILE and a SEX TRAFFICKER. Using the word "alleged" after over 100 victims' testimony and thousand of pages of evidence have been presented is total BULLSHIT!
Additional names have been released of other pedophiles in the Epstein/Trump/Maxwell sex trafficking ring and many more will follow.
But as long as Bondi and Patel are in charge, there will be NO justice. Plus, the six Supreme Court Fascist's have totally shifted from upholding the US Constitution to rubber stamping everything Trump brings to the Court.
The economy is in freefall and Congress can't find a way to pass even the simplest budget bills. But it doesn't really matter, because Trump, Bessant and Miller are withholding Congressional allocated funds and spending money on Trump's stupid pet projects like there's no tomorrow.
Look how Kirk’s murder and Trump’s reaction have shifted MAGA’s attention. They were splintering over the Epstein files but now Trump will use the murder to distract their rage from Epstein and the economy. Democrats will face a tougher choice when deciding to shut down the government.
Trump said the Epstein files were a “Dead Issue”. Looks like they are now. Coincidence???
What a horrible thought but if you believe the Butler assassination attempt was staged it fits that there willing to sacrifice anyone for Trump.
That’s my new sign: “President Trump: The Pedophile President.”
That reminds me. Maybe Charlie Kirk's killer is the same person who put the noose around Epstein's neck. I have not heard Epstein's name since yesterday's morning and I don't think anyone else has either. It's like if you want to control the headlines go big or go home. I bet there is all kinds of press "stories" already scripted just like a reality TV show.
And the weekend is always a slow news time, plus football will dominate the headlines. Epstein will be back in the news full force on Monday!
I wish I had kept a list with all the 'attributes' that trump has 'achieved' - sadly Ms Leavitt and the liar-in-chief do not refer to these negative achievements when lying repeatedly to their enslaved press corps (who never bark at those statements). And I agree, "alleged" crimes against hundreds of young women/girls is another euphemism for the atrocities committed. But ... the $ 200Million for a gaudy ballroom at the White House will 'allegedly' be paid by trump and private donors? Yeah, right!
A malignant narcissist to be more precise. A psychopath.
I keep asking myself when are the media and the pundits going to quit normalizing this man?
Never. They are working for him! Those that are cynical will go along and the rest are bought and paid for.
A corporate press paid by, thus influenced by, other corporations for air time. What could go wrong? Then the corporations which owns news programs wants to merge with another corporation and needs trump's signature. Thump is a transactional person. Thus again, what could go? wrong?
An addled one, at that.
Remember, Trump feels entitled enough to be able to rape 14 year old girls, ruin their lives, and then brag about it. Still, so many Americans expect him to care about them and make their lives better.
You forgot child rapist
he's a democidal sociopathic malignant narcissist. He doesn't give a shit who will die in his wake
Amazing how T & his idiots came up with the left wing ideas when there still is minimal information to back up that claim. Geez, wonder what happens if the shooter turns out to be a republican?
Well, the news is out - the shooter is NOT a left winger! As one commenter states: MAGA on MAGA. Waiting for more updates
On top of this dangerous moment news comes that Kash Patel sacked the longtime head of the FBI’s Utah office, a distinguished Pakistani-American who joined right after 9/11, because she “didn't fit in.”
An FBI in shambles with its crazed MAGA head pursuing imaginary “woke” demons, who wasted no time claiming that the killer had been apprehended — only to have Utah State authorities issue an IMMEDIATE corrective.
In Washington, the FBI was arresting Metro fare jumpers — a misdemeanor of $100. Such a clever use of highly-trained counterintelligence agents…
Ken Dilanian reported the absence of leadership in the Utah office this evening on Jen Psaki’s show. We can only imagine how the takeover of the agency by rogue baboons must be making the blood of retired FBI professionals boil with rage.
Whenever the killer is caught, millions will doubt the FBI’s word because of all this nonsense, at the very moment when accuracy, professionalism and dispassion are most needed.
That last sentence is chilling. It is a wonder any of us are still sane. I still see him as a weak man desperately and calamitously doing everything he can to hang onto his power. But the pushback hasn't lessened. It has increased. Like I said, theories abound right now. I say tread water and make it to shore. I think generations before us would be saying -- have courage...
Remembering the words of the old civil rights anthem, based on the Black spiritual: “hold on, hold on, keep your eyes on the prize, your hand on the plow and hold on, hold on…”
Setting aside our quibbling in the interest of solidarity and liking both your very apt comments, here for those who may have never heard it is a link to what was in essence the anthem of the southern Civil Rights Movement, of which I was part. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJh0F_vYs8 (Pete Seeger does a damn fine job, though to sense its true power, imagine it sung by several hundred protestors who are valiant enough to raise their voices in determined song even though they know they are literally risking their lives by doing so.)
Thanks for the Pete Seeger link- good theme song for the Oct. 18 protests!
Another one with some very catchy phrases: https://open.substack.com/pub/democracydefender2025/p/no-kings-anthem?r=6ngk5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
For me it's John Lennon's Power to the People that gets me pumped
or Rise Up by Parachute Club
Thank You, Loren. Wow.
Pete's voice will never be forgotten. Keep working all, push forward!
And it’s not just him. He’s surrounded by equally vengeful, bigoted (each in Their own way), trigger happy people, who see his admin as the way to achieve THEIR dreams.
What heralds the news is inaccuracy, in fact- lies, utter unprofessionalism in fact whims, and BS, and radical right wing (in fact ) authoritarian bent rhetoric.
Yesterday a former neighbor , a serviceman, doubled that same message saying ( of the Kirk murder) the left is responsible for all of this in a FB rant. A self admitted bully in school who can’t see he never changed raised by a bigot and an enabling mother..the radical righters..wrapped up in a nutshell
Correct , we are not perfect , we are peace seekers, tolerant, accept the different/the biases, are care-takers, farmers, and yes even “old hippies”. Willing to venture out and say few of us own AK-47s or become radicalized. No, we’re just guilty of looking away too often.
We don’t want to see anyone’s husband, wife, son, daughter, or grandchild killed.
We are not the manifestations of greed, the corporate thieves, nor masked thugs be they smiling con men/women or a radical screaming bigots-we are not the problem -but it’s time to stand up to them and stand for law abiding representation.
Near every email I get is asking for money.
It won’t fix the problem.
There’s enough money ..what needs spread around is caring and love.
With no middle class Democrats, 90% of the money in the hands of billionaires , many of whom are “friends of Trump,” we who love our country must put our bodies to work. Volunteer to help wherever you can.
Absolutely. The volunteers are well known, have been for years, they are a certain sect who ‘man’ the soup kitchens, animal shelters, trash details on the rivers, poll workers, the lists are long.
Thank you🫶
Yes Patricia. All of us have something to offer, in many ways, to push our agenda to clean up the mess in the USA now. My old hippie friends & family can still walk, talk, write.
What have we become? I’m terrified for the future.
A question so many of us are asking right now.
It's obviously sexism and racism...
Most news is calling this an assassination. But other political shootings are called murders. Why? Perhaps it isn’t a left-wing killer. Perhaps someone in his own party saw his reasonable ability to talk to both sides as threatening?
On the far right, I did see one comment saying he “shilled for Jews” and was “anti-white.” Pretty nutty.
Betsy, I sort of posted the same thing after a friend texted me asking if I thought the same thing, that being, MAGA wanted Kirk out as a method to rally the base and change the focus from Trump.
Perhaps they didn’t like his position on releasing the Epstein files. In fact, Laura Loomer has been all over him for weeks regarding this, and she holds a lot of power regarding “personnel” decisions
Laura want power& T gladly gives it to her. That way, his inability to think & decide doesn't come into play.
What makes you sure they are entirely not involved?
This political violence did two big things for the regime: 1. It pushed Epstein off the news (as did Putin’s strike against Poland: a payment into the favor bank as well as getting Ukraine off the headlines for Vlad?). 2. It got rid of a young handsome rival.
We’ve seen convenient Covid (miraculous recovery and bad news off the headlines) and convenient assassination attempt (ditto). Was this convenient political violence, with an added bonus of giving cover to cracking down on Democrats, as Marli suggests above?
Are you calling Kirk handsome? That’s interesting. His forehead, not unlike Matt Gaetz’s, was too oversized and out of proportion for my eye. But no matter: I catch your drift. Butler PA was a wholly staged sham job with collateral damage in the audience to make it believable. I believe this was much the same. Yet another convenient way to change the narrative, distract from Epstein, and finally, to have a real excuse to go after any one of us who isn’t a MAGA loyalist. I don’t care if that sounds unhinged: this regime is the bottom of the barrel of unhinged. My gut tells me they will do literally ANYTHING to consolidate power and do horrible things. Kirk was their latest collateral damage, but far more powerful because he can be martyred.
I thought the same thing. He had an unpleasant, sneering face, just like Gaetz, both with that sloping forehead and perpetual sneer on their faces. I found both of them physically repulsive. Those were not gentle, soft eyes adorning that grinning mouth.
Like Stephen Miller’s eyes. Black eyes, lifeless eyes, like a doll’s eyes….
It was the hard mouth that I saw in Kirk. Seeing him for the first time, I was immediately repelled by the “MAGA look” of him. His “debates” I missed as well, but wondering about their quality. Sounds less debate than indoctrination.
A mental incapacity to feel empathy, shame, and humanity.
Strange, what you can read in a person's face. We are usually correct.
I can't believe he would murder one of his own. I just can't.
But anyone who would rape children would do anything to prevent being found out.
These killers invariably turn out to be nut case loners.
Who might just be a republican.
In that case, the shooter will never be identified.
no - it was a professional job, the killer is gone.
The widely known & professionally respected Dr. SANJAY GUPTA was interviewed soon after the BEFORE Kirk was declared dead.
The doctor was able to describe the entry point of the bullet near the bottom of the neck above the clavicle. The Dr. Gupta proceeded to describe in detail (as if he was giving a public post- mortem) the resulting damage to the wind pipe, arteries, veins continuing through the victim's head likely smashing vertebrae & all neurological function.
I strongly concur with your conclusion Terry. It was a professional hit from about 150 to 200 yard distance according to those few outlets that actually report admissible facts.
Post mortem data will provide vital investigatory facts including but, not limited to the following:
* the bullet or fragments thereof?
* any rifle bore markings on a bullet or what is left?
* whether the bullet was a "tumbler" meaning was the rifle was an AK-47 or similar?
* was the bullet steel jacketed?
* another 40 important physical facts from the real world.
I would not venture a theory without many more admissible facts but, former military trained sniper seems possible at this very early stage.
I concur with Terry
I’m guessing lone nut case.
uh….and you know this by means of what tarot deck?
That's what I meant.
They found the weapon, just got the news.
what I don't see anyone saying he was attractive. Plus his personality and his words were very ugly.
Terry, Kirk was a bit less repulsive than tRump, that's all.
Yes, he was ugly and hard to look at.
100% agree
Too soon to know re/ the case of who killed him...Of course, we would be suspicious... His ear gunshot wound at his rally still seems suspicious to me. Trump lies day and night - why wouldn't we be suspicious?!# Epstein will come back.I don't think he considered Kirk a rival.... Theories abound...
Kirk would not have been viewed as a rival by Trump, to whom he was always obsequious. but he surely might have been been so viewed by Vance the Vindictive. Also recall Third Reich history, specifically the murderous purge of the Original Nazi Party known as "the Night of the Long Knives."
Also, you just need to ask yourself, “Who does this murder benefit most?” And also: the murderer was a sharpshooter, a professional who has alluded the keystone cops FBI. Who, in our culture, are the professional assassins?
Laura Loomer has been all over him for weeks for his pushing the release the Epstein files…
there was no injury to his ear - all fake...
Would not put It past his desperation to have somehow been involved in the Kirk killing. He's a raving lunatic. We have to stop him. Where is the military - the parts of them that will refuse to follow an unlawful order? His cabinet certainly won't do anything at least not yet.
I keep thinking of all the powerful people who are connected to the Epstein files. Anyone could easily pay someone to distract from the news cycle of Epstein.
I think the felon child rapist ordered it as well
I cannot go there with you. But it's sickeningly possible he knew and thought it would pull attention off the Epstein matter. It might be all that would pull the extreme Qanon types off Epstein.
I hate that I had the same thought. His miraculously healing ear following being pierced by a bullet from an AR15 (despite having no swelling or tissue damage that’s always associated with a GSW) happened right before the GOP convention and after his last felony conviction. Also quite convenient.
let's stop with crazy conspiracy theories. wait til the facts come out. What good does it do to put baseless theories out there except to rile up ppl. Facts, people ,are what's needed.
Didn't like the guy and what he stood for but let's wait for the facts
The problem with that, Doreen, is that we can no longer trust what they claim as facts.
Are you going to trust the “facts” this regime will come up with?
🎯
And because all the focus was on a “political” killing, the shooting at a Colorado school was ignored. No way to make political hay over that like there is over the Kirk killing. So disgusting.
Sadly, this regime has made lies such a cornerstone of their existence that we can rarely take anything at face value.
It's terrible, but that was my first thought. Inside job. I hate/resent that I live in an atmosphere that causes me to think this way.
They’ve found the weapon. Let’s hope that leads to the killer.
Trump shows no hesitation to blame whomever is not in his favor, such as, earlier pinning blame for fatal pain crash on "DEI", or calling for the the death of black men who were innocent. We were taught to pledge allegiance to our republic, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Trump treats justice based on publicly supported law as in impediment, not as a mission.
Ironically, most Americans support "diversity, equity and inclusion." But obviously Trump and his entire administration doesn't.
Gary, as Heather noted above, Truman talked of how the US is diverse, made up of people from many nations. Diversity within our population is our strength, and #47 and his regime of supporters, by trying to rid us of it, are tearing the country apart. We become weaker as a result.
Look at what Putin did with drones. Just a reminder that he feels all powerful now, given his sway over DT. Next project: back to Ukraine and NATO or au revoir US.
The felon 45-47 regime is operating on the Project 2025 playbook, the goal of which is to put white men in power permanently.
Impossible to put white men in power permanently. Not worthy of it and Chinese, for one country, know it.
DEI is essentially a form of affirmative action. Giving a break to someone who has been systemically discriminated against is fundamentally fair. But if you come from a privileged background, it can feel unfair when “one of those others” gets a position you believe should be yours. And when the privileged vastly outnumber the disadvantaged, you get a tRump elected.
Whatever they think it is…
I can identify one of the persons who contributed to the political violence and the absence of competent FBI personnel in Orem, Utah. His name is Kash Patel.
Kudos to the professional reporting of MSNBC's KEN DELANIAN & local Salt Lake City, Utah news outlets who pointed directly to recent firing of the experienced "Agent in Charge" of the Salt Lake City FBI Field Office.
Lets dig some more now & in the days ahead & scrutinize the policy, fired personnel & FBI mayhem wrought by Kash Patel since May 2025 that set the stage for the despicable murder.
I am talking about the FIRING of the decorated counter-terrorist specialist who was (past tense) the SAC (Special Agent in Charge) of the Salt Lake City FBI Field office.
Her name is SHOHINI SINHA who joined the FBI after 9/11 to "make a difference" & was appointed to the Salt Lake City FBI SAC job by Christopher Wray In July of 2023.
My understanding based on local Salt Lake City outlets was SINHA was fired & replaced circa 5/27/25 because per Kash Patel determined she "isn't a good fit'.
Well, the political assassination of Charlie Kirk is "not a good fit". See also the spot-on comment of "It's Come To This" comment above.
It certainly has come to this. Fire Kash Patel now!
Agreed, Bryon, and Patel's incompetence extends beyond Sinha's firing. How many FBI agents were fired across the country for not "fitting in", or for not being "loyal"? How many left because they couldn't tolerate working for this regime? Add that to what has been wrought throughout civil service and even the military. We are destroying ourselves as a nation, rotting from the inside, and from the top down.
What if Wray had not resigned in fear and we never got fumbling, incompetent Patel in his place? The cowardice of Rs in every position in this country has been the biggest surprise of all—no, wait. The enabling of SCOTUS is the biggest. But they’re Rs too aren’t they?
He didn’t resign in fear, he resigned in defeat. He would have been fired anyway. He saw what was coming.
Yes, probably. But as Tim Snyder said, “don’t obey in advance.”
We were all just discussing that. I said I thought the "now you see the suspect - now you don't " very strange...
Honestly, I think Patel’s gobsmacking incompetence and arrogance best explains that. Not much of a mystery.
Perhaps... It seems awfully bizarre... Yes - It would be very helpful if we had some answers!!!
Patel is just another Trump toady.
Has it crossed no one's mind that he or the people around him would actually potentially martyr a follower in this way to garner sympathy for himself and perhaps use it to declare a national emergency to his benefit? There's no bridge he wouldn't seize to stay in power. And today is September 11th a memory of attacks on our country he will try to use to his benefit even as he refused to serve his country by exemption after exemption. I hate to think that of him but he doesn't inspire trust of any kind. And to toss off this day when all the countries of the world defended us by symbolically spitting in their face by saying 'whats up with drones attacking Poland ' and not condemning it immediately? I am livid!
Almost anything — and therefore nearly everything — seems possible with these people who routinely violate the Constitution to protect their demented cult head from the tiniest little scrap of accountability.
In my former professional life as a political scientist, state-society relationships under authoritarian regimes were my focus, both right- and left-wing. One of the scariest aspect of everyday life under brute tyranny is its never-ending uncertainty. People “disappear”, political opponents die in sudden car crashes, pesky subordinates or rivals undergo sudden “explosive defenestration” out a 17th story window, police “round up the usual suspects” and the like.
Citizens never really know what’s up, down, what is true, a lie, a cunning blend of both, an act of incompetence or subterfuge, who really knows? Scores of innocents suffer retribution, the guilty go scot free. It serves the regime’s interests to have everyone frightened and unsure of themselves all the time.
Reverberations and rhymes you never want to hear in a supposedly free republic..
Wow, ICTT. Yes, we are watching an incessant uncertainty escalate while the questions about who and what and why keep piling up. They invite wild speculation. I am loathe to wallow in conspiracy theories but...
It can only be a monster of Shakespearean-sized tragedy (think of the villain Macbeth) who attracts the kinds of rumors we have heard about Trump. The questions about what Putin has over on him... The constant drumbeat of denials over pedophilia with his buddy Epstein... The rape conviction...
It seems obvious that his contempt for people (esp. females) and his sexual hunger become an underlying cause of the misery he inflicts.
Yes, it seems to be the "theme song" for tonight...Nobody trusts him...I just said even his ear wound is still suspicious to me. I guess it is now Sept. 11 for all time zones... There is plenty to be angry about....
It's rare that a gunman only takes one shot. Usually, the gunmen let loose a barrage of bullets that kill or wound several people and often are prepared to be killed themselves.
It also seems unusual that it took place at a public event. A sniper would have chosen a spot where they would lay in wait, like their home or workplace, with the intention of getting away with it.
Once snipers start killing political targets the incompetent Patel and Bondi will have trouble catching them causing fear in the communities where it happened.
The one-shot fatality suggests the work of a trained sniper; the lack of witnesses suggests tactical understanding of cover and concealment; the absence of an arrest suggests skill in escape and evasion; the wounding rather than an outright kill suggests tactical manipulation of the necessitated first aid as a distraction to aid escape. Ergo...
Bingo!
It does not suggest a trained sniper Loren, it suggests someone who knew how to shoot, we have millions of people in this country that know how to do that, who are not trained snipers. If you know how to shoot that was an easy shot. The intent was to kill him, that they were able to keep him alive for an hour is testimony to the medics, I never thought he would survive being hit where he was.
Did they really keep him alive or wait until they reached the hospital to pronounce him dead in order to stop chaos at the scene? This is a common practice in many places.
Dick Montagne--Respectfully, you're very wrong. Sounds to me as if you are echoing the hoplophobic assumption all U.S. firearms owners are sociopathic wanna-be killers with Billy Dixon skills. Not true; one of the many consequences of the 1972 termination of the military draft is the majority of today's U.S. shooters, cops included, have difficulty keeping five rounds in the black -- the 5.5-inch center of a 10.5x12-inch slow-fire pistol target -- at 25 yards. Also, successfully shooting at living creatures is vastly different from punching lifeless, motionless paper targets in both the necessary mind-set and the required skill-set. (Apropos the draft, its cessation was not motivated by humanitarianism; it was prompted by ruling-class recognition mandatory military service was doing the same thing in the U.S. it did in Tsarist Russia; that is, training the revolution.)
Trump himself would have found someone to shoot Kirk if it would advance his agenda. And it might. Remember PA.
I think that thought looms in the back of all of our minds, especially as the FBI is linked to Kash Patel. And so many good and decent agents are gone. It was very strange that "now you see a suspect now you don't" situation happened. We have to see what plays out
Well, ‘Quick-draw Kash Patel’ was all set to name a supposed perp but then dropped it. I suppose the guy they were looking at didn’t have the credentials they’d prefer.
Thinking back to my long-ago years as a crime reporter, it was typically less-than-competent, glory-hungry local cops that monkey-wrenched a case by prematurely expostulating a suspect. It appears Donald the Destroyer has reversed that pattern by reducing the once-formidable FBI to fame-seeking ineptitude. Note the quick response of the Utah State Police in declaring Patel's captive was not the shooter. Given the MAGAstapo's relentless defiance of the Constitution, the Utah State Police intervention probably saved the captive's life. Even so, NYT says the person has been charged with obstruction of justice. If this charge was filed by Patel's bunch, it's probably as bogus as his claim he'd caught the killer; under the circumstances I'd guess the person is a non-white Patel's goons judged was a bit too slow in producing identity papers, hence "obstructing." We should follow the case closely lest it become (another) miscarriage of justice; premature prosecution frequently leads to wrongful conviction.
Loren- fame-seeking ineptitude" Very Funny.... That could apply to his Cabinet as well... How many lives have you lived?? (Also, very, very sorry about your loss) It seemed so odd today... It's good to hear your analysis... You know I love mystery novels and detective fiction. I haven't read anything for enjoyment since months before the election... Just political articles- books - watching videos...you must have many interesting stories... Following the case closely is a must. I will stop now as my brain is foggy for 2 nights with very little sleep...Thank you!!!!
Kirk's way of stimulating open debate among throngs of college kids could be seen as a threat to the regime's preference for intimidation and dumbing down.
After listening to him speak do you really think he’s smart enough Bill? As to the lunatics around him it might be a different story.
Actually what you have is an individual who could not be making all this happen all by himself. What I suspect we have is multiple individuals using Trump to their own ends, which may very well be mutually contradictory. We also have a deeply corrupted and flaccid Republican congressional majority and an anti-democratic majority on the Supreme Court. Needless to say, we did not get here overnight. Trump did not come out of nowhere.
Yes, prof. Richardson mentioned in one of her videos that Stephen Miller and Russell Vought were probably running the show right now... Yes, Trump did not come out of nowhere... Thank you for sharing...
“…flaccid Republican congressional majority and an anti~democratic majority on the Supreme Court.” Bingo.
Flaccid Congress indeed.
I had trouble coming up with the right word. I'm not 100% sure that "flaccid" is the best word, but it'll do for now!
IMO, flaccid is perfect; both impotent and limp…
This was obviously a professional hit job. In my darkest moment I had the thought that the felon child rapist ordered this to distract us from the Epstein files and the trashing of the economy.
I think a few of us have had the same dark moment. Nothing else is working.
Perhaps the man murdered in Utah was a sacrifice, not a martyr, ordered by d trump.
Might Jeffrey Epstein's ghost say something of one being murdered as a sacrifice?
But if he was murdered as a sacrifice, then he could be made a martyr to have the justification Trump needed to use violent force...
Wow, I have not thought of that!! Very interesting.
With the Epstein revelations, he must distract bigly.
Thank you for making me smile!!!
Yes Michelle 2, we watch ,and then what?
We protest on Oct 18, we get to town halls, we vote in special elections ( Virginia Democrat just had a 3:1 victory) We have lessened the gap in the House... Two more special elections will be coming up. Spanberger for Gov. race early voting begins in 10 days... Epstein files are still alive and kicking... You can take videos, do music, political satire... Judges have ruled against him in several instances lately. Pushback matters...Speaking out matters.
Speaking out matters more than almost anything at this stage.
Thank you for your comment. Tonight has felt like trying to steer a ship to calm waters in a tsunami. But that's the great thing about a Democracy. We all can express ourselves and it has been very lively tonight... And interesting...Speaking out is critical... And the Oct 18 indivisible nationwide protest is critical.... We all have undergone a great deal. It's great that we have this community that we can share in. And great to have Heather as mentor and guide... I don' t know how she does it all, but she has my respect and caring...
Right now, you need to start with dementia. We have a regime using him, trying to lead us into a dystopian nightmare
Prof Richardson said in one of her recent videos that she feels that Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are running the show. I posted that in an earlier post, I think, last week. However, Donald Trump has more than enough revenge motivation to feed the fire and fan the flames of his newly named Dept. of War.
Michele, I totally agree with you. It does seem that the more we strive for peaceful, non-violent solutions, the more "incidents" like this one seem to rear their ugly heads. There's a French term called "Agent Provocateur" that appears to be a likely scenario under this current regime.
Mais oui!..........Merci .beaucoup.... Oh est la bibliotheque? Who would be a good example of a French agent provacateur??? Trump as an "agent provocateur" is looking for any excuse to declare Martial Law... And that is what we don't need on top of everything else! Bonne nuit...
Charlie Kirk is today's Horst Wessel.
Do you know what reason was given for Horst's murder??
Hello Michele2... Horst Wessel was killed in a Street Fight between Nazis, and Communists...
Hey Apache... Thank you.
It’s pretty doubtful he’ll be around much longer but I have had a few visions of him being enclosed in as body chamber with heart, lung, kidney pump’s and him only having head with orange with and atop his pale face with odd eye cylindrical enhancers which out his eyeballs out front and augmentation giving g him broad local vision as well as views in systems and ability to broadcast. It’s a bit of a nightmare …though I think the Puritan Jihad will have an attractive white nationalist with devout faith certainly before this could be nightmarish scenario.
Any which way as Trump is not gonna be around boy we need to realize how stacked the odds are against us and be out of the box in creative and organized. It’s the Supreme Court that’s the problem. They’re the only ones that created the situation in the government plus whoever the Cabal is that they’re working with of course they do little free beer nice findings or traditional findings to try to play. We must not be plicated. They are not adhering to the constitution they’re rewriting it to be a kind of law and constitution that existent when the Puritans were in charge of Massachusetts before 1681 I believe that’s the law they seem to be creating. I’m gonna try to find the link for it. Blessings, sorry for my nightmare.
I appreciate your sharing of your nightmare...I think probably all of us have had a few interesting ones. Yes, we don't know how much longer Trump has... Prof. Richardson has voiced in recent video, that perhaps Stephen Miller and Russell Vought are running the show from behind the scenes due to Trump's mental decline (as well as physical decline). Although the Supreme Court has been using the Shadow Docket to make many rulings, the lower courts have still been standing strong... Recently, many judges complained in an interview re/ Supreme Court.
Pushback has been very effective in these last weeks. One example is the fact that Gov. Pritzker preeempted action by Trump by making two very strong and powerful speeches. He explained crime was down in Chicago ( and in Illinois) and gave statistics. He showed that many "red" states had higher crime rates. He told Trump in no certain terms that Trump was not wanted or needed in his state, and that he would take whatever legal action. His first speech, I believe, will go down in history books as a brilliant speech for our Democracy.
Let's go back for a minute. The brave Texans who left their state to avoid the quorum on gerrymandering inspired Gavin Newsom to take a strong stand against Trump in his decision to gerrymandering in defense of our 2026 election. But what Newsome also did was to effectively counteract Trump on social media as well. That had a huge effect. We also know that Judge Charles Breyer (U.S. Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit) ruled Trump's deployment of troops to LA violated federal law. The injunction is frozen till Sept. 12(today). We shall see how this proceeds.
Trump is like a cornered animal now. He sees the pushback ( so do those behind the scenes) and so he creates more chaos to distract. ( The Epstein Files are his nemesis). Heather Cox Richardson suggests those in power behind the scenes want to grab as much power as possible as fast as possible in order to establish an authoritarian regime - so that if Trump dies, they can put anyone they want in office. So much is happening.
I have not even looked at today's news yet... Do not lose hope... Prof. Richardson is a voice of calm. Her short videos often have good advice to us as we all maneuver our way through this. Please remember that authoritarian takeovers depend on you feeling overwhelmed and powerless and thus giving up... Nothing is easy right now. The Oct. 18 ( Indivisible) "NO KINGS 2" nationwide peaceful protest is critical. We need to double the amount of people we had the first time (which was 6 million)--so we need 12 million. I don't know yet how Charlie Kirk's death will affect what goes on. We wait and see.
One last thing, the lower courts are putting pressure on the Supreme Court.The Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the "merits" of many cases. Pressure may be on our side as these major cases come to them... Yes, the Republicans in Congress and the Supreme Court have been disgustingly nonexistent in this fight...But all pushback and all pressure has a big effect. Trump wants an excuse for war, and or Martial Law... Because his use of troops as he uses them now is illegal and he knows that... I hope I have at least given you things to think about. I so appreciate who you are, and that you had the courage to write and share your feelings!!!! If there are typing errors, forgive me - I have to take a very sick kitty to the vet... You can reply if you want to talk more...I hope this all fits in this space...
I Just wish we would ask the NSA to explain the lack of follow up re CIA submission 2024 evidence of tamper having caused the outcome.
SCOTUS has from its 1803 has been anti constitutional.
Hi Michele I am so unable to make sense of SubStack and am trying to find a way to find my replies. I saw it once but can find out now. Did my attempt to post my response the the piece by HCR cause something for you.? I wouldn’t want to cause any problem! I’m working on several things around our history, my new to me findings about SCOTUS and the statistical improbability how the administrations shift virtually every time needed in order to keep a conservation SCOTUS. Hard to not conclude there has been more than just the gerrymandering (how unconstitutional is that?) and manipulating…. So I’m experimenting amid the venue.
Apologies if I bungled!
Nice to meet you !
American voters were seduced by a narcissist who convincingly promised them their most desperate needs. Now they are dismayed at having been used, lied to, gaslighted and manipulated. Trump has always presented as a very sick man— without morals, empathy or fitness to be in office. All of this was fully evident by his long sordid history. Nothing about the repugnant, cruel behavior surprises anyone who has ever tangled with a narcissist.
His minions cling to the myth knowing to let go risks their demise.
How does America break up without breaking apart?
(Btw are the Epstein, Putin, Trump dots connecting in anyone else’s picture?)
Sorry, Berry, but standardized testing models only the linear causalities.
In real life, the connections you suggest are much more serpentine, convoluted, layered, multi-faceted-duplicitous-complicated.
Not certain what you are apologizing for. No intent on my part to convey a simplistic picture. A label is just a compass point.
I'm not apologizing, Berry -- and I gave your comment a "like."
But if you're expecting people to connect the dots, please remember most Americans are "educated" far too much in the standardized testing simpleton rationality fantasyland -- not in any real world where humans live.
I also think they are connected and that is what Putin has on Trump that keeps him in line . Follow the money , or money laundering or whatever.
There is something so wrong that Trump can’t have it come out!
Vlad has something big on Trump.
Drumpf’s most determined minions are just like him. Have similar motivations and ‘psychological’ profiles. He has shed light on their paths to what it is they crave most. And it ain’t pretty.
All true, Phil. One should study the horrible white race riots of our past where whole neighborhoods were wiped out in a matter of days. Even towns were destroyed and disappeared. This is how it begins. This is where Trump and his henchmen are taking us and soon it will not be by degrees.
The right wing has been busy eliminating accurate history from schools and libraries in hopes of keeping students from learning the repulsive parts of American history. I think they are afraid that their children will learn empathy, and make it more difficult to groom them to be fascists and impose their religious superstitions on the rest of the country.
It one of those ear worms that pops up every so often. It’s a lyric by Paul Simon.
“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school It's a wonder I can think at all”.
He sings it beautifully and with a matter of fact spirit.
I’ve never particularly felt that way. But it explains a lot about where I grew up. If we want to address propaganda, misdirection, and misinformation in education, it’s always been there.
I remember being told in very early years that of course slave owners wouldn’t mistreat their property any more than they’d mistreat an expensive horse. It sure confused me, I was an early reader. I’d read some of Frederick Douglas. I’d seen the photographs. I didn’t live in the Southeast. But I saw, felt and knew about deep racial attitudes in the adults in our community. I also knew the teachers really believed what they said. It’s what they’d heard and like everybody else they were trying to grasp their times and do the best they could with what they had. I decided then, it was wits. I was 7. Stevenson was not President. The commies were bad. They had but one political party. We were wonderful. We had two. I studied my hand briefly. One, then two. I didn’t raise my hand to ask the obvious question. I already knew better. But a couple years later, as I reluctantly advanced, we did have Civics, something now minimized to a nothingness from which it may never emerge.
What you’ve stated is true. I’m just taking the context back to my own experience. In historical retrospect, I can look back to the 1920s. Not my time. Fascism was fashionable in some political quarters. In an unfettered capitalist society, corporations would inevitably own the government. What’s not to like?
If we go back to the early 19th century and late 18th in the US, we’re still struggling over feudalism.
Show me a history that does not misrepresent time. Just get a load of Boorstin’s tales, or an even worse fictionalist, Niall Ferguson. I’d opine that the introduction of Ferguson makes your entire point about right wing propagandists for you.
Phil, I disagree - this is NOT WHO WE ARE - unfortunately, this is who some of us (or those living in America) are…evil, hate-filled, narcissistic, badly flawed individuals!
I'd love to disagree with you, Jim.
Trouble is, we are ruled by a standardized testing set of elites who have long since taken over the schools. It's a dirty fact that, even here on Heather's site, the best among us resent being noticed.
Thus our dear Dem leaders have remained totally out of touch from the tens of millions of working class "deplorables" whom our meritocracy elites cannot, will not ever even deign to see. Not to mention the snide aloofness of Dems from all the humanities which have tracked this pain.
Phil, the sadness is that too many of our democratic leaders who have the pulpit and/or microphone must feel or be ashamed the Democratic Party’s rich history from — let’s just say — the Depression and the work of FDR with tremendous help from Frances Perkins, Harry Truman, JFK and really LBJ, Mr. BILL Clinton as well as Obama and Biden! These individuals — these presidents - have each tended to have the wellbeing of large segments of our nation’s population who are not wealthy in their minds as they carried out their role and duties as POTUS!
Many - if not most - of their policies and programs are or have been favored by large population segments — but when one considers meeting the voters where they are — we have to realize how many of our country’s citizens [voters] have no clue to the history of the democrats and Democratic Party because they may not have paid attention to their American history teachers while in school, they may not have attended schools here for varying reasons (we have a lot of immigrants - legal and illegal) and these people need to be enlightened and some reminded of the differences between Parties’ histories in America! It is almost always the “economy…stupid”!!!
But Jim Riley, are you aware that it may be 40 years since civics classes were taught in public schools? And that every one of the presidents you listed were not racists, nor was Elinor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife. Do you remember that it was she who arranged the concert for Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial when the DAR refused
that lady their hall? It’s racism and greed that divides US. May we recognize that before it’s too late and rid ourselves of Gold worship.
Virginia, civics may not be taught — but I believe that US or American history continues to be part of many or most public schools’ curriculum. As for racism or racists — i didn’t mention nor reference anything to imply that they were. Ask almost any average working American in the middle — those who are not classified as poor or not well-off or wealthy — and the majority will say that the Social Security program is one of the most important programs of the government probably followed by Medicare. These were/are programs that the Republicans or conservatives opposed. And this is just two programs that are beneficial to many Americans! Yes, I am well aware of Eleanor Roosevelt’s work!
Oh, Please ! Spare us !
That is right. Some living here are evil!
Thank you for clarifying the reality of the problem, and its instigator. This is actually what I'd hoped to hear from Heather this morning.
This murder is on Trumps hands. He's enabling this violence of sentiment, in both sides. Exactly as he intends. Think of how dark a man must be inside to take pleasure in terrorizing little girls.
Jen, I think of today’s Letter as more documentation than assessment.
How do we know—we don’t—the shooter wasn’t one of those 47 pardoned?
Interesting thought.
And as I said on "Common Dreams" moments after the Charles Kirk was pronounced dead, the Christonazis now have their very own Horst Wessel -- though, of course, thanks to our wonderful neoliberalism-toxified public schools -- most of the kids who read that website had absolutely no idea whom (or what) I was talking about, so I added some non-operational links as footnotes.
The Trump administration just negotiated a release of 14 political prisoners from Belarus, which has thousands of political prisoners. Including some from Lithuania, a German and some others. In exchange, Trump removes sanctions from Belarusian air companies. While the release of people is important, it does not warrant releasing sanctions on the partner to Russia. Now the president of Belarus is singing Trump's praises.
Correction, Phil, this is who they are. They espouse illegal violence using those who won't ID themselves. We're out there every day proesting peacefully and legally as guaranteed by the Constitution. Let's use those rights while we still can. Contact your reps in DC, join a local, Democratic group, get out and be seen, carry a sign. For example: Stop the genocide in Gaza. 1 in 4 Palestinians has died in this irrational war. Stop the yahoo.
This morning,with no hint of irony, Trump declared that Kirk’s shooting is the result of “one side” demonizing anyone who disagrees with them! Can he even hear himself?
No. No self-awareness whatever. Appearances are his only concern, and his taste runs to backwater glitz.
Yeah, we’ve been descended into protecting American from drug dealers and killers and illegal criminals. That you want to protect.
Like they protected Charlie Kirk? On the same day that that bigot was shot, three teens were critically injured in yet another school shooting in Colorado.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/three-teenagers-remain-critical-condition-colorado-high-school-shooting-incident?msockid=13378ba6f3b860b635ee9e79f29f61ee
The Trump administration is not protecting anyone. Of course, the Orange Fartmeister had nothing to say about the latest school shooting so obsessed was he with milking Kirk's death for all it was worth making scurrilous attacks on what he called the 'Radical Left' like the shameless excuse for a human being that he is.
Compare his reaction to Kirk's death with his resentful refusal to lower flags after Senator John Cain had died.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/27/politics/white-house-flag-john-mccain-tribute
Consider also his spiteful decision to cancel security details for a range of political opponents.
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-names-donald-trump-has-stripped-security-clearance-2048973
Yes, Russell, you've got his vulgarity exactly.
But please don't say "is not protecting anyone," when we all know himself first, and then scads of pals rich and powerful all get the protections needed, necessary, vital for the continued floating of our insane acquiescence to and ignorance of the far-right foundations keeping the tax cuts coming to the rich and powerful, keeping the killing of regulatory agencies reigning them in, and keeping the courts and the public from ever knowing the names of all Donald's, Jeffrey's, and Ghislaine's pals who for years, years raped all those delicious, delectable underage girls.
You're right, Phil, as usual. Trump has gone from asserting that the birthday letter published in the WSJ was 'non-existent' to claiming that the signature was a forgery and then to not commenting at all, claiming that it was a 'dead issue'. It's very much alive in his defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and the WSJ which was never going anywhere and now seems fatally doomed. In some ways, Kirk's untimely demise has given him a temporary reprieve from the pressure of the Epstein files which loom over him like the Sword of Damocles.
Evidently, Kirk’s shooting was Drumpf’s little reality TV show. The school shooting took a bite out of his airtime. News cycles are a highly competitive market.
I think it's a godsend for him (if you'll pardon the expression) because it offers him a reprieve from the Epstein saga and given him a further excuse to launch attacks on his opponents. He was going to milk the awful killing of the Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, but this was far, far better for his purposes and he wasted no time in exploiting it to the full.
You are referring to Trump, of course. Thanks for being on our side.
No, I’m referring to a 31-year-old Charlie Kirk. And thank God at least MSNBC fired one host for being as stupid as you.
BS troll. Folks don't respond to this troll. Don't even read his comments. For all you new folks here I am letting you know this guy is a troll.
Yep - the troll farm are off their meds again. Just ignore and/or block.
So you’re just like the shooter of Charlie Kirk. Well, you gotta tell all the folks the truth, but I have nothing to do with being a troll. I offer a alternate opinion to the lies, distortions, half truths, full truths that are posted here by the Liberal lemming horde
You tell lies, Rick, as I and others have shown several times here. There are other places you could post where people feed off those lies so why don't you post there instead? Nobody's buying them here.
You know who the shooter is? Have you alerted the authorities? Not doing so would make you a "person" of interest...
So, you're saying Charlie Kirk was a drug smuggler and a killer? Thanks for being so woke!
Not to mention that this is the fourth day out of five that Heather has ignored every top story that all the other networks are covering what a shock
And you wonder why you have no clue about what’s going on in the real world …. Just walk out on the street spend a few days in reality rather than in a book or a link or history.
BS troll. Folks don't read him. Don't respond.
His responses show readers what MAGAs are thinking, something non-MAGAs really need to understand. They also provide grist fot the historical record Heather is creating by allowing comments to her letters. And, is it really appropriate to be attempting to censor the responses of others as they seek to engage is democratic actions?
Sandra, here is how Phil Balla responded to me:
“Wendyl, please stop the "him."
It's a "them." Haven't you noticed how this well-paid, coordinated team of Russian trolls just tonight (night by my time in Japan) have posted a multitude of (often long) replies all at the same time?”
I am in Indonesia and see the posts all happen almost at once, like Phil in Japan.
I agree with Phil. This is not a solitary MAGA that we can “learn” from, as you write. It's a group of trolls who write to create disturbances in Heather’s posts. When I point it out, I am letting newcomers to Heather know the long standing situation.
Wendyl, please stop the "him."
It's a "them." Haven't you noticed how this well-paid, coordinated team of Russian trolls just tonight (night by my time in Japan) have posted a multitude of (often long) replies all at the same time?
Do some Iranians, North Koreans, exiled Syrians, or Chinese work, simultaneously troll among them? Or is it just Russians all bowing to Putin and fellow murderous oligarchs, and bearded, long-skirted, heavily bejeweled Eastern Orthodox Russian priests?
Phil, thanks, I know. I agree. I am in Indonesia and, like you in Japan, see all the troll posts happening almost at once.
His Substack byline reads: "vote with logic and facts, not feelings or hate." Wish he'd follow his own advice.
Yup, I’ve noticed that for awhile now.
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
If the Republican party is so strong then why all the gerrymandering and voter suppression laws? Hell is certainly coming for that old paedophile Donald Trump.
Yawn
The next time you spend a minute or two in the world of reality will be the first time
Get yourself a Mirror. Fast. Seems like the only one here with a smile on my face
"They smilin' in your face, all the time they want to take your place, the Backstabbers!"
Russia's attempted provocation of Poland/NATO is the top story. Another gun death in 2025 America? Just another day.
What has HCR missed in the last 5 days that should have been covered?
I will make my points succiny because I could write for an hour because she has said nothing positive about Trump whatsoever and I will do you a favor and send you about 20 of his accomplishments and positive things he's done for this country but it's already at least a month old and he's got about 15 more notches in his Doorway of other accomplishments like more of the trade deals like bringing NATO in brilliantly which is nobody gets how incredibly brilliant his deal with NATO was
The phenomenal decline of crime in Washington DC and the buyer from even the liberal mayor who was originally against him coming and now it's not only thanking him, but on a hiring spree for police because she sees what works, but I will send you a little list here Heather never mentions anything positive. She always starts out her post in a negative light And because of that most of the people here and I say that comfortably are absolutely ignorant of the outside, anything to the right of center
K82Bullet points of Trump’s wins .. this is the assertion as I read articles from various publications.
1. Closed the border in only 75 days when AOC and Mayorkas and Harris (aka the border czar) said that the NOY ONLY THAT THE BORDER WAS SECURE, but only way to do it was legislation/aka mass amnesty) which, of course would take years. It didn’t fall the public when 10 to 15,000 illegals cross the border every day while the people in the administration continue to tell the story of the border being secure
And as well, the Democrats attempted to allow these folks to vote. Attempted in many local precincts, including 800,000 people/non-citizens in New York City given permission to vote and only ceased by the highest court in the state of New York.
2. Removing/deporting/arresting over 1,000,000 illegals that were brought in by Biden and the Democrats in order to get them to be able to vote. ( and there is proof of that)
3. The precision, annti- Iran nuclear strike. TACO pseudonym up in smoke. Using tension on the entire world, fearful of a nuclear Iran. While it’s proxies now remain quiet, on the Global stage
4. Three Trump assisted peace/cease fire deals. Iran/ Israel, Pakistan/ India. Somalia/ethiopia
5. The NATO increase in defense deal, including purchasing unique weaponry from the US to dissuade Russian aggression , well the leaders of NATO looked up to Trump and even called him, Daddy and thanked him for having pushed them to increase their funding to protect them against Russia, while the left and Legacy media called it bullying .
6. Despite economic specialists, liberal congress leadership, legacy media, boasting impending economic doom, rampant inflation (currently lowest in four years), global tariff and trade war nightmares, stock market crash, unemployment spikes, all unrealized thus far, and all wrong so far and now admitting they were wrong so far.
7. Doge.finding much fraud, waste, and abuse… further details in bullet point coming later. But all leading to the $9 billion recission bill.
8. THE OBBB… finding one of the only ways to assist the middle and lower income folks by eliminating tax on tips tax on Social Security and tax on overtime..for the time being… while increasing our defense budget, perhaps acquiring our own golden dome like Israel’s iron dome against foreign aggression… creating the permanent tense cuts of the first Trump administration, and including a large tax for the middle and working class. A $12.5 billion bill for modernization of our air traffic control system.
Many incentives for small business
9. The $9 billion rescission bill eliminating the federal government from funding, left-wing networks, and eliminating other sources of waste, fraud and abuse. 4 men pleading guilty to $500 million fraud at USA ID and another find is $2.7 billion fraud against Medicare. That would’ve grown to almost 14,000,000,000, had it not been detected
10. Job growth, exceeding expectation and estimates.
11. Eliminating the Department of education and sending education back to the states.
12. Referring Rowe v Wade back to the states where the voters have a voice not just nine Supreme Court justices.
13. Hey Siri of favorable Supreme Court rulings, stopping local justices rampant attempts to stop legislation …as an example from nationwide injunctions. Deportation rulings, deportation rulings, defund USAID, and the Dept of Education, and a few more of a personal nature
14. Stock market Ascension. Despite persistent assertions by the left and other economic pundits, the NASDAQ hit an all-time high. While the S&P also hit an all-time high and had the longest upward trajectory in the last 20 years. Well, the Dow is also threatening to beat its all-time high, which was in December 2024 after Trump’s election.
15. A major unexpected occurrence in June having to do with the deficit for the first time in 20 years for the month there was a budget surplus of $27 billion. Personally, I don’t imagine that will continue despite the tremendous amount of tariff income.
16. Somewhere between 10 and $13 trillion of additional investment in the USA by foreign entities as well as American companies, expanding their businesses here in America versus outsourcing them to other countries such as Mexico and China., including some of America’s and foreign most successful companies.
17. Gas prices continue to fall, even despite the attack on Iran, which by most assertions would’ve increased the price of gas, however the opposite has happened including the lowest gas prices in five years on Memorial Day as an example
Egg prices down 66% while the left was screaming about egg prices in January when Trump took office… average prices of eggs highest in March at $6.22 while the lowest average is $2.52 in June
18. Removing men participating in women’s sports, therefore leveling the playing field for women.
19. Reaching their military recruitment goals, five months early versus the short fall of 40 to 50,000 recruits during the previous administration.
20. Putting out the fire of antisemitism, especially at elitist universities, while promising severe consequences of antisemitic policies by eliminating federal support.
Well, those are the top 20 on the billboard charts. I welcome all the forthcoming love.
Rick Sender, thank-you for attempting to bring us all into reality - it's so woke of you :)
The “sides” let’s look closer at when , how, what started this “side” business. We are all in the same world. It’s pretty obvious what ,by whom, and likely when destruction/pollution/and the asassinated happened. To NOT care to keep things level -the playing field ya know-is not done by the loving caring people.
One upmanship ( even lie to you to make their point) , slavery, greed, mental illness. Even in our marketing , bias even in studies ( sorta follows you can’t proof read your own material) resorting in trust those supposed proven facts …ie TRUTH…why currently in any ‘negotiations/deals’ …heard of extortion? I always think of the Shawshank Movie and “all of us are not guilty” inference.
“We” came here to America to rid ourselves of prosecution ..be it religious ,controlling ,biased, it started off -this whole shebang -killing the indigenous ,the natives , dishonoring any treaty, labeling them -whether it’s “heathens” or the “radical left” …because they weren’t ’like us’ or …go ahead…deny it and fill.in.your.blank.”definition”…”what you/he/they really meant to say”.
The Shadow Docket People are now “our” SCOTUS…let me be perfectly clear…this has been going on since day 1.
Most the people killed had a “Dream” .
A lot of people painted America as the place where it could happen.
A lot of people believed that, and wanted it too…
They are being deported..they live in fear..the trust is gone…our allies are disgusted…our economy is not “the best ever seen” that was destroyed …because?…you were lied to…
I didn’t vote for him or them, wouldn’t have sanctioned know liars ,conspiracy theorists, nor believed in trickle down.
You that voted in this rapist, liar, cheat, con-man…and his loyal gang..who will save us now?Huh?
Well, ignorance is bliss for you guys. When I get a chance a little bit later, I'll respond to some of your nonsense and facing today's reality. In the meantime, get out there and support America and the American president whoever he may be. And I have a little story, which will tell you in the next post that will illustrate specifically the difference between the left and the right with regard to political hate and divisiveness.
BS troll.
Oh, Ricky, go back to bed.
Leslie, I didn’t think people could actually stutter in print but apparently you can Post repeat post repeat Post. Repeat post. Repeat, Post. Repeat… do you have anything else to add? Ricky go back to bed. lol
Go take a pee pee first.
I always do…in my urinal at home…it’s wonderful, to be spoiled and not have to sit down just to pee. Lol
You are a very ugly person. And yes, I know you are a nasty troll.
I am suspecting that The Proud Boys, Oath Keepers are being actively recruited by ICE. They can continue to "bust" heads with impunity and get paid for it. When Trump pardoned the attackers on the Capitol Building on January 6th, Trump gave full permission to the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to carry on with violencr against ANYONE . Afterall, Trump told these violent people to ATTACK. We all heard Trump's speech. By the way, Trump never called in the National Guard but sat in The White House watching TV as the Capitol Building was raided and Capitol police were assaulted and murdered.
Now Trump has invaded Washington DC using The National Guard. Logically, Trump is illogical as to his actions. ??????
Every perpetrator of violence in the last 4 years has been a Trump supporter. We will not have violence. The FBI reports significant footage of the shooter, both ingress and egress. They are reviewing that now to help identify the shooter. For the last 4 years, every perpetrator has been a Trump supporter, while Trump and the right have first jumped to blaming the left without any evidence. These are unbelievable facts. More than likely the idiom will hold true this time. We will not know for some time yet. https://open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/charlie-kirk-killing-political-violence?r=3m1bs&utm_medium=ios
Phil, yes to all you say here. Not only that, but we are awash in guns which Rs have done nothing to control. I have to say what happened yesterday in Utah is ironic and that is an understatement. What I am seeing is D pols condemning this in contrast to the dead silence or exultation by Rs when the Minnesota pols were assassinated. Why no half mast for them or numerous school shootings....would the flag be nearly always at half mast. Ordinary folks, with few exceptions, recognize the problems, but do not care that this man who was exalting the party of death and destruction and death star himself, received what they view as karma.
I agree, Phil. Each shooting emphasizes the decay we ourselves have allowed until people like us have no recourse other than to post a note of dismay on Heather's newsletter. As always, we are left wondering what to do? Just what does it take to mend ourselves? The answer always ends in the same way: you and I must protest, object, oppose, involve. It's always going to come back to that. So please, Phil, decide now what you are going to do.
I think there should be an investigation. Who was really in that small boat. What is the truth of it?
Doesn’t matter who was in the boat. The military action was a war crime.
Quiet rules prevent loud wars.
Professor I appreciate “a shield against aggression” and the reminder that NATO was built to make rules, not headlines. Here’s the turn: deterrence feels like nothing happening on purpose. The work is unglamorous, but that quiet is the victory.
Poland shooting down drones and invoking Article 4 shows an alliance with muscle memory. Because consultation is a pressure valve that turns fear into process, signals boundaries to Moscow, and keeps twenty-nine other capitals rowing in the same direction. Trump’s “Here we go!” post and his rush to blame “the radical left” after a killing do the opposite. Because demagogues monetize adrenaline. Institutions minimize risk. The first escalates emotion for clicks. The second channels danger into law, procedure, and time. The miracle of deterrence is the quiet you never feel.
Of course he's blaming "the radical left" - as I predicted he would. The Kirk shooting may be Trump's Reichstag fire. Even it wasn't a total setup, it certainly came at a convenient time for his agenda.
Yes, a very convenient time 🙄
I hear what you’re saying Xplisset, but we need to show acknowledgment in a way that is firm, but civilized, don’t you agree. I found this tonight from our neighbor on Substack.
‘The road to tyranny is paved not with outrage, but with shrugs and applause. We are now at that moment. History’s slide into barbarism is rarely marked by a single gunshot; it is marked by the silence that follows.’ ~ The Rational League (9/11/25).
Firm, civil, never silent.
JaKsaa, Hey I’m with you on tone. Civility is a tactic that keeps doors open and silence is the danger that lets harm harden. Your quote nails it that the slide happens when people shrug.
Here’s how I try to thread this. Name the harm in plain English. Tie it to a rule, budget, or oath. Ask for a concrete remedy with a date. Example: “ICE shackling Korean workers humiliated an ally and undercut U.S. jobs. Hold a public briefing and freeze the raids until oversight occurs.” That’s firm without heat, and it does moves a lever.
Two lanes at once: inside lane is letters, hearings, records requests. Outside lane is visible, nonviolent presence that says we’re many and we’re watching. We keep faces calm and facts sharp, but we do not disappear.
I appreciate your push. Let’s be the kind of neighbors who are impossible to ignore and easy to join.
There is a kind of adult anger that is not rage or hatred, that is powerful and admirable because it radiates truth, focus, and agency. It respects unalienable rights, even of the convicted, and protects the rights of those in peril. And it's not a separate thing from the adult love, love that cares about and tends to what happens to others. Compassion, conscience, responsibility.
I say "adult" in the sense of "maturity of self", or even of a society, that for some individuals manifests precociously, and for others, never seems to appear, irrespective of age in years.
Now is the time to grow beyond what I said of US (to myself in France in 2004). “We are the bad teenagers on the block.” Maturity must be next. Thank you, JL Graham.
All insightful and true.
We know for Trump there is nothing to be gained through order and peace. He must have a crisis at any cost. He will stop at nothing to create one and we see he has already begun. It doesn’t matter how it begins or by who’s hand. His authoritarian power will be cemented.
Bill, I read with gratitude the quotes of President Truman that Heather referenced today. How I long to have a president who would feel like that!
I as well. I long to see a loyal opposition party(s) with a tad more than a shred of decency.
Xplisset, we and the worl needs a shield against the scumbag president.
"Here we go". What does that even mean? What is actionable about that statement? How can others agree or disagree?
Trump acts like a toddler whose favorite toy was broken. He will lash out at the most convenient target, even if he was the one who broke it.
I personally don't like hearing the phrase "Here we go" because I worked for Alaska Airlines when flight 261 went into the water in Southern California, and that's the last thing the pilot said before they hit the sea.
I find that phrase horribly disquieting.
Hello Xavier... In the Past 48hrs.... Putin is Probing NATO.... Israel has attacked 6-Countries.... There is a Political Assassination in Utah.... The Putin, and Netanyahu Vultures are Circling a Reeking Orange Carcass... Xi Is Just Waiting... Did anybody notice Xi's Gray Mao Suit in Shanghai?... Imperial Rome fell to Political Chaos First, and the USA?...
Apache, you’re clocking escalation. The move now is to separate spectacle from structure. Putin tests edges, Netanyahu exports crisis, Xi banks time. Our counter is simple and strong. Tighten alliances, defend courts and press, and turn adrenaline into turnout and oversight. Calm and resolve IS a tactic Apache.
Hello Xavier... We can cut sending $$$, and Weapons to the Israeli Killing Machine now... We can inflict tougher Sanctions on Russia instead of rolling out the Red Carpet, and Clapping for Putin now... Putin has been Probing since at least 2014 in Syria, and the Ukraine... These can be done Now... Calm, and Resolve are Tactics, but can also be interpreted as Weakness... Netanyahu, Putin, and to a lesser extent Xi, are Circling their Prey, and acting as Predators... They are Sensing Weakness...
It’s no longer “the ukraine” (part of Russia), but “Ukraine” a separate and trying to be free of Russia, country.
Yes quiet, and sometimes not so quiet rules, yet products of deliberation. Of soul searching.
Rules that guide and yet are powerless without our collective daily commitment. The social contract. A tack of societal negotiation to take the place of wanton violence. Off the hot-war battlefield assassination is terrorism, ans society suffers whomever the target. Assassins are another form of malignant narcissist, who sees fit to impose their will with aggressive violence. So are those who inflame the aggressive acting out ignorant of hatred where wisdom is sorely required.
Very well expressed! Deterrence is quiet…I found that very insightful. Thank you for that calm.
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
You proclaim your politically partisan prejudice and hateful bigotry by leaping ahead of the evidence to spew “So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty…”
As of now, no suspects have been identified, yet you characterize them as being “lefty.”
Deplorable as usual.
BS troll. Don't read him. Don't respond.
Trump must be “de-presidented”. He was never qualified for this job and is making a total mess!!!!
Thank you Xplisset. Good comment.
Beautifully said, thank you.
This truly is a dangerous moment. When the US President condemns all Democrats for this assassination and yet never even uttered the names of Minnesota Democrats that were assassinated.
I don't recall them lowering the flags at the White House for the political assasinations that occurred in Minnesota of actual elected officials and yet, he does it for a racist, sexist influencer who literally became a millionaire by spewing misinformation and hate. Here's a convenient list of some of his greatest 'contributions' to the violent culture that ironically seems to have taken his life.
https://bsky.app/profile/seanfaywolfe.bsky.social/post/3lyjghoau7k2m
Thanks for the link. Useful compilation.
He has made it perfectly clear that he hates Democrats. He wants a one party rule. He apparently forgot that he used to be a Democrat.
The important thing that must be front and center is that REPUBLICANS DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT GUN LAWS WHEN THEY COULD HAVE!
They are the ones to blame, not the “radical left “.
We need to remind them!
All Trump can say to Russia’s invasion of Polish airspace, in a Trump truth, no less, is “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” How long are we going to continue to condone this extremely expensive, extremely destructive, extremely enervating president who has literally nothing to offer but garbage? Does he realize what a huge part he is playing in making all of this worse?
He has dementia. We need to work extremely hard to make sure we have elections in 2026. We can do this by:
Massive protests in the streets
Working at the State and Local level on elections
Barraging Congress with calls concerning major issues such as violence, vaccinations and
Supporting non-legacy media
Supporting election groups such as the NDRC
He’s a Russian patsy with dementia who just sued the Wall Street Journal for $10 billion, so TERRIFIED of whatever they have on him by way of a child molester’s little ‘birthday book.’
Shocking as it is to grasp the implications of these two predators going kissy-kissy with each other, hinting at predatory “secrets” and laughing over crude drawings of naked girls, the worse “secrets” probably involve vast quantities of money-laundering and likely blackmail. Epstein used wire transfers and cash payments of over $1 billion to buy “girls” from Belarus, Turkmenistan and pay off Russian banks as middlemen.
In the middle of all this chaos, most of us have nearly forgotten the moment in 2019 when Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood over him and demanded “why is it with you all paths lead to Putin?”
We didn’t realize back then that those paths included a stopover at Epstein’s Virgin Islands dacha….As they say in Moscow (crudely re-translated back into English), “the plot, she thickens.”
This crude and unnecessary. Remember the trigger factor to people who have been assaulted. Stop dumping dark writing all over these comments because it pleases you. People are going through enough. Your constant negativity is a drain on what we are trying to accomplish to the point is becomes subversive.
Why not comment on the activism points?
From Dr. Richardson Podcast We Cannot Wait for the Ballot Box in November 2026 | Explainer September 9, 2025 We’d all rather live in a world where our Democracy is secure… this is the world we got and we’ve gotta figure out ways to make it better and to preserve our Democracy for the people who come after us. And in that I don’t think yet that our efforts are wasted no matter what we are doing. So try and get out there and make the future because there is joy in that and we’re doing it together and that itself is a gift.”
I am one of those who’s “going through enough” too, by the way. Tens of millions of us are, in many different ways.
It’s not up to you to decide what enervates or energizes others. You are not a Roman censor to decry what you think should not be said out loud, or to issue formal approvals for the things that please you, however much you may wish it so. I will continue writing commentary, just as hundreds of others here do, every day, all the time.
You are absolutely free to ignore whatever you feel like, or that which fails to please you. I won’t be losing any sleep about it.
If you comment, then people can comment on what you say. I will not ignore what I see as harmful to fighting back against this coup.
My encouraging people to be hopeful and proactive is one of the ways I fight back against the evil in our Country and Government. I have been in this forum for many years. I see a trend of rightfully depressed and frightened people. I will continue to work to counter this and offer people some hope and a way to fight back. One way is to challenge the people who feed hopelessness. I follow Dr. Richardson's philosophy of hope, cheerfulness and embracing fighting back like crazy. I encourage you to listen to her podcasts. They are erudite, caring and full of hope for America.
I wish you well. I have spent enough time already in this forum and need to get on with other things today.
Best Regards
Barbara, here I respectfully disagree. People are allowed to comment here and elsewhere, so long as they stay within the community guidelines and terms of use. If you don't like what someone has to say, you can rebut. If someone's comments bother you consistently, you can mute or block. Diversity of opinion should be welcomed, and people have to be able to vent outrage. That doesn't negate any efforts to work to re-right the ship. I don't believe we ought be telling people how to express themselves, unless their comments are directed personally. There are plenty of folks I read here and elsewhere on Substack whose comments I find disagreeable for one reason or another. I've muted and even blocked a few of them (mostly the ones directing personal and groundless attacks at me), and try to ignore the rest.
That said, I believe we MUST keep Epstein's name, misdeeds and associations out there, lest they be covered up by yet another villainous attempt to distract us from it. The victims need to tell their story, the sordid trail of money and trafficked humans needs to be revealed, and the perps need to face justice.
Where is the indignation when children are gun down in schools; concerts are gun down in an open venue; worshippers are gun down in their house of worship. Where is the indignation? We get from the gun lobby pressure to remove all common sense legislations for gun control and we get from the legislature Thoughts and prayers but no real action. We have: an administration that is purely authoritarian in nature violating all sorts of rules, norms, and legislations; a judicial system that has been weaponized against those who would speak out against our felon president. We have a Supreme Court that is led by Boot, licking conservative, Chief Justice leading a Cabal of contortionist extremist perjured jurist. The felon president will seek to make the victim of this violent crime a martyr for his cause. But what else would we expect from a thin skinned bungling buffoon felon president?
Russia under Putin recognizes that our country is suffering from divisiveness and is led by a clown. He will push every gray area and the felon president will weakly say “here we go”. Which begs the question, where? Where will we go? Will this country step up to the plate when Putin drops the first bombs on the Eastern nations that are part of the NATO alliance or will our president say thoughts and prayers and you shouldn’t have started the war, a common refrain he uses against President Zelinsky, who is a victim of the Putin aggression. The felon president and his clown car cabinet have turned this nation into the laughingstock of the world, supported only by despots and dictators. But well, we need to continue the pressure on this president vis-à-vis his involvement with the pedophile Epstein and Maxwell. We need to get under his skin as often as as possible. We need to resist the state militias/guards policing our streets and the use of our military against American citizens and residents. But most importantly, we need to turn out the vote. It is critical for the survival of the American democratic experiment.
Barbara, we need to work extremely hard NOW to make sure we have free and fair elections leading up to the mid-terms.
If you are a person of color or registered anything other than Republican there is a chance your name will be purged from the voter rolls. Check the voter rolls regularly to make sure your name hasn't been removed. And if it has alert authorities or the media that it is happening.
Brad Rathlensburger has removed over 200,000 people from the voting roles in GA with total impunity.
Excellent idea. We need to start reminding people in our comments. What can be done with about removed names?
Sadly, it is a laborious process. It requires action, persistence, and the ability to resolve the issue in a timely manner.
Barbara, I fully agree with your points, especially the ones about the importance of 2026 and massive street protests. We need a rallying cry. 2026 is important for the future of this country, but also has a connection to our past, being 250 years since we declared our independence from monarchy. The Heritage Foundation had Project 2025; I'd humbly suggest people on ours come up with Project 250, or 2026/250, and create a new Declaration which reminds us of what we have already lost, and how much more we stand to lose unless we right our course. Hopefully someone (or a group) is working on that (HCR comes to mind as a thoughtful, brilliant and eloquent influencer.) Meanwhile, YES to taking to the streets in nonviolent, massive protests, on a regular basis.
There is a massive NO KINGS protest planned nationwide for October 18. I recently attended a sidewalk protest. They are not only highly visible they are quick and easy to organize. The media refuses to cover protests so we need to be creative. We can also do the Be Brave overpass protests.
This week I wrote a scathing take him to the woodshed letter to the Mayor of my large Midwest city. Other than exposing his corruption, prejudice and graft I challenged him to stand up. The following is the closing.
"You need to step up, stand up and be a vocal opponent against what is happening in our Democracy. ICE is on our streets, and you are silent. You surrendered our Sanctuary City designation. Your Administration cowers and acts like business as usual. The fulcrum of Democracy is at a perilous tilt. You ran as a Democrat. I strongly suggest you either honor that affiliation in a proactive manner or resign. This moment offers each of us the opportunity to achieve a greatness. Why aren't you, as Mayor, seizing your moment?"
I will be attending the next NO KINGS demonstration on the 18th, as I have the past ones (and others.) Excellent letter, hope that it reaches his eyes and then his heart.
Dont forget postcards to voters, discovered very useful in 2018. Lists are available. Try TonyTheDemocrat online. If you can, do 10 a day from the lists he will send you of adresses and Info about the candidates you will be writing for. The only requirement is your first grade skill in printing legibly!
Thank you Virginia. For people who don't know could you please explain how this works?
Barbara Mullen, just type in TonyTheDemocrat (with the caps). The full address is that and you will get “mail chimp” and can go from there. My limited skills dont allow me to leave this site and give you more info. I might never find you again. But once you are “established” with Tony and “Request,” you type in that plus prescribed info and with postcards and stamps (Etsy and Amazon 🙁 have generic postcards) you will have candidates’ profiles, 3-4 sentence material on each, and you can print away. Dont wreck your wrist. Use underarm muscles to guide your pen.
Then: TURNOUT project. Much the same as above, but will send postcards and sometimes address stickers.
Or: check with your local Indivisible for help. Again, it’s type it in and find your local chapter. (I always end with if you don’t have one, start one.)
“ Does he realize what a huge part he is playing in making all of this worse?”
The answer is: yes. And he savours every second of it.
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
BS troll. Don't read him. Don't respond.
I won’t respond to the troll, but I will drop his “logic” from yesterday’s post here to you. Didn’t age well.
“It is estimated that 90% of the firearms/guns in this country are owned by people in red states. AND it is also estimated that about the same 90% percentage of killings and murders using handguns happen in blue states. Go figure….”
I agree we prefer you to stay willfully ignorant just makes the administration, stronger
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More scurrilous claims, unsubstantiated by any evidence.
After a high profile shooting, my rule is to stay silent for a minimum of 72 hours. However, with the death of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk (31), I am going to share my Hot Take. As a history major, I am aware of Fascist Choreography: the staging of an horrific event in order "justify the expansion of state power and the suppression political dissent."
Tonight:
"Without evidence, Trump allies are quick to blame the Left." [This is a tell.]
"The shooter is still at large. We do not know the shooter's identity."
Media headline: "Charlie Kirk Shot Dead at Public Debate"
My headline: "One Dead in Utah School Shooting"
"Charlie Kirk brainwashed young men and prepped them for the alt-right pipline. Charlie Kirk stated that children who die from gun violence are "necessary casualties" for the right to bear arms. He preached hate and he reaped what he sowed."
My Hot Take:
The Utah shooter is a professional. From 200 yards, the shooter hit his target in the throat. The question the media must ask is... Who hired the trained sniper?
I could take that shot, Greg, as I did with M-16 in basic training, 1969.
Many of my fellow G.I.s also could, did, and got the medal to prove it.
Phil B., U.S. Army translator/interpreter of Vietnamese, 2 Sept. 1969 -- 4 Apr. '72
Hi Phil, This is the first time I've heard you refer to your military service. I did basically the same thing as you, but a year earlier and as an ROTC graduate. I arrived in Vietnam exactly one month, to the day, after your service began. Took off the uniform exactly one year later. And you're right about the shot, except we trained on the M-14. We got a chance to train on the M-16 in 1969, during the middle of our language training, and I was issued one in Vietnam. but never had to fire a single shot, and quite cheerfully turned it in upon my departure.
Thank for your service James.
Thanks for your service Phil.
Thanks, Phil, for your service. My stepbrother was a translator/interpreter in the Marines, too, and he has never wanted to talk about it.
I'm not sure the M 16 was designed to be particularly accurate at 200 yards, or that it would be the preferred weapon of a trained sniper turned assassin. But it was simple and light, and at 50 yards or 25, it was reputedly hellishly effective for mowing down attackers about to overrun your position. As I recall it could fire off 20 high velocity bullets (or 19 as a precaution against jamming) in about 2 seconds. Happily, I never had to shoot it at a person. But, I remember (from basic training at Fort Lost in the Woods near Rolla MO, 1972) being told part of its effectiveness was that the round wobbled and entered an enemy's body at a slight angle, causing it to do massive damage as it tumbled through to the exit wound. No real need for accuracy. Yes. A totally disgusting killing machine that should never, ever be in the hands of any civilian. On the firing range I couldn't hit the targets at 200 yards and later went AWOL, achieving a general discharge under "honorable" conditions. The Army couldn't get rid of me fast enough. I lucked out.
Funny thing about the lack of recoil of the m-16 was the increase in basic accuracy. With the addition of the scope which fit on the ramp accuracy was excellent at 400 meters, with 4 out of 5 shots hitting the diameter of a snuice can lid which is approximately 3 inches. My time in the war was overlapped by yours with most of it revolving around incursions of the enemy in 3 corp in and near the Parrot’s beak. You undoubtably must be familiar with Nixon’s announcing that we were no longer on offensive patrols merely in defensive perimeter function. Scopes were of course not used except in rare instances. Not suitable for firing the m-16 while face down with the gun resting on top of one’s head firing blindly into the foliage.
Just curious. My late husband was an interpreter for the Air Force at the same time in Saigon and stationed on an Army base. Just wonder if you interptetors interacted with one another.
People on social media say that it would not be a difficult shot for experienced hunters or trained soldiers. I have no idea if that is true but if it is that easy, all the more reason to have very strict gun control laws for the common good.
Greg, I've been a sharp shooter (not a hunter) for many years. It's not easy to hit a target even at a 100 yards. You need a lot if practice for that.
I sense a Reichstag fire-esque moment as well, Greg. Trump's deranged televised rant from the Oval Office he desecrates daily was a not so subtle dog whistle to the usual suspects, including his pardoned Praetorian Guard .
My question is why is the media nearly en masse amplifying this??
So once again, I prove my point a man with a couple million followers shot in public and assassinated by another lefty and what does she talk about today anything but
You’ve got to be the most willfully ignorant human beings on the face of the Earth
Try this instead:
Yes, while many of you on the left seem happy …including your legacy media…(where at least someone got fired) I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because of your Hate-filled TDS INFECTED, lunatic liberal violent ZEALOTS….TODAY
The killing/assassination of Charlie Kirk, the wounding of congressmen like Steve Scalise, The two attempts or almost 3 attempts at the killing the President of the United States, the death threats on Supreme Court justice Kavanaugh, including the threat by Senator Chuck Schumer on the Supreme Court justices, the cowardly shooting of the CEO of United healthcare.and two innocent Jews in DC in front of the embassy. This is your legacy, AND it has backfired on you.
You have succeeded in EMBEDDING THE MAGA MOVEMENT in American culture and society in perpetuity. ESPECIALLY IN OUR YOUTH !
TODAY… You have made the MAGA MOVEMENT incredibly stronger. TODAY you have made the Republican Party incredibly stronger; and TODAY you have made the Trump administration even more dedicated to justice And stopping this insanity and criminals more than ever before.
The liberals, once again, shutting down OPEN free speech, OPEN debate in one of the most difficult arenas… college campuses
What you have done today has reminded me of the action that’s probably going to follow this heinous crime…. this disgusting public destruction and desecration of civility, once again by the LEFT.
What did Kurt Russell say at the end of the movie Tombstone?
Well, Trump won’t say it. Buttttt. I think this act today is invigorating him just like Kurt Russell when wrong was being perpetrated upon the good guys.
HE SAID….You tell ’em I’m coming, …you tell,m I’m coming,…and hell’s coming with me, you hear? Hell’s coming with me!”
Oh, dear, hon. Take your pills.
Must’ve taken you hours to think that up you’re very detailed analytical mind
Maybe we should give you a Pulitzer for posts like that
A Pulitzer Prize would be great! But I’ll settle for just laughing at you.
If that’s what gives you pleasure go for it but a 31 year-old man who did nothing but go to college campuses and offer open debate to students who questioned everything that he was opposed to, and he did it with calm and patience and answered every question and then this is the way he is treated by the left. Nobody with any kind of a brain thinks it was anybody else but a lefty. This guy was bringing more young people to believe in reality and freedom. And therefore he was a big threat to the left. But you read my post so I thank you. But you’re not gonna be happy going forward that’s for sure.
He was a bigot right up until his vicious, bigoted life was ended by a gun. He defended gun violence as 'worth it' to protect what he called the 'God-given' right to bear arms. He challenged people to prove him wrong and someone just did.
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100%. 🎯
Hired? I'm leaning toward a lone wolf.
Yeah, you idiot. Maybe it was his mother-in-law doing the shooting thank God at least one idiot from MSNBC got fired for the same type of talk that you’re bringing here
Just like the article that the times put out the first piece of evidence they put out after almost every other Legacy media put out and didn’t use the word allegedly
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We are about to discover the price of allowing a demented failing old racist and narcissist to cosplay at being President of the United States.
This paranoid, the scumbag president, issues verdicts before anything is known. He knows who to blame even before anything happens. This will bring even more violence.
As does the “director” of the FBI. Dying to take a win, instead he takes two “L”s.
I have not fully watched Trump's Oval Office address. But from the clip that I saw, what he is doing fits his overall agenda of "declaring an emergency so he can grab more power". Trump's FAKE EMERGENCY DEMOCRACY (rivaling the Disaster Capitalism practiced by Wall Street to grab economic assets like farm land after farmers go broke) has our nation on a very slippery slope to dictatorship. We MUST find a way to prevent this! We MUST show our fellow Americans that a future based on cooperation and love is possible... that Trump's preferred future of hate and division can be put in the ash heap of history where it belongs.
Right on Steve Brant, but watch out for SCOTUS. Trump has expensive lawyers on his side, and the justices ‘CYA’ will side with Trump if we can’t show a firm resistance to our outrage. We need Gavin Newsom or Senator Whitehouse to advise what secret sauce we can use to wipe that Teflon off of the extremist traitors. We have the disadvantage of a fearful Congress and a fearful Press.
Charlie Kirk was a strong defender of the second amendment. I wish he were not murdered but leave it to Trump to jump to conclusions. He is the most partisan president in my lifetime and I go back to FDR.
It looks like Trump’s meeting with Putin only gave Putin more encouragement to be belligerent.
Phil, Putin had a good read on trump, he is not afraid of him and is laughing at his face with total disrespect and arrogance while our home made " strong man" is convinced he is the respected ruler. Embarrassing to say the least. 😮💨
" . . . more encouragement," my parallel Phil?
Red carpet encouragement.
I think Putin told 47 how things were gonna be during that summit.
Why don't you ooze back to Flyover Loserville with the rest of the MAGAts, where the fact you're an ignorant piece of shit too fucking stupid to qualify as a member of the species won't be so blindingly obvious? You have nothing in common with FDR, you damned moron.
What Phil says is 100% accurate TC so calm down. Kirk was a strong defendant of the second amendment. The problem was he used it as a weapon. He took it to nasty extremes and in the end was killed with his own stick.
Mr. Weisberg did not say he had anything in common with FDR. He was saying he was old.
Stop rage posting and abusing people. We see enough of it from this Administration. People need a break from it.
Thank you, Barbara.
You need help.
Far-right terrorism is by far the most common in the U.S.. For every left-wing act of violence Trump names, you could name 10 committed by the right.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/right-wing-extremists-responsible-for-majority-of-deadly-terrorist-attacks-181352019.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/far-right-violence-a-growing-threat-and-law-enforcements-top-domestic-terrorism-concern
Charlie Kirk was a dedicated bigot who advocated violence against Black, Trans, and immigrant communities. That was his life. My sympathies today are with the victims of yet another school shooting, and those who are enduring genocide in Gaza.
https://www.mediamatters.org/charlie-kirk/charlie-kirk-has-history-violent-and-bigoted-rhetoric-he-was-first-guest-california
-Mathew
https://bettergracesandliberations.substack.com/
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to those in your own state, and those in a committee that fits your topic. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly. We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙
ECHOES OF HISTORY AND THE DANGERS WE IGNORE
The past has a way of speaking to us, if we are willing to listen. Today’s headlines echo moments that once led the world into catastrophe. Russian drones over Poland, the activation of NATO’s Article 4, and the rhetoric of strongmen should remind us of the perils that come when aggression is met with hesitation or denial. History warns that authoritarians probe for weakness, and silence invites bolder moves.
The North Atlantic Treaty was born from the rubble of war. Its architects believed that rules, alliances, and vigilance could prevent new tyrannies from rising. Harry Truman spoke of a “shield against aggression” and trusted that free people would choose peace over servitude. That faith is being tested again. When democracies fracture or drift toward isolation, the door opens for those who thrive on intimidation.
Domestic violence also mirrors historic patterns. The murder of a political figure and another school shooting underscore how unchecked anger corrodes civic life. In times of strain, hatred can be weaponized. The language of scapegoats and “enemies within” has never led to safety, only to repression and loss.
We stand at a crossroads. Pretending that these events are isolated or that past lessons no longer matter is a dangerous illusion. The price of ignoring history is written in the ruins of cities and the silence of the oppressed. To preserve peace and freedom, we must remember how fragile they are and meet threats, foreign and domestic, with resolve grounded in principle. History’s echoes grow louder when we refuse to hear them.
Another act of brutal violence today, one which will reverberate in dreadful ways for a long time to come.
Another crowd of terrified onlookers subjected to rule by the gun, rather than the rule of law and access to free speech for all.
Another grotesque example for the next nutball with access to military-grade weaponry to degrade our already degraded country even further than most of us thought possible.
I notice the most immediate condemnations of this violent act came from those whom this young man hated the most, and constantly vilified —Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the Clintons, Gabby Giffords, Pete Buttigieg, others — all saying and doing the right and proper things.
Yesterday, every former President and recent vice-president took to some kind of news platform to express shock, convey thoughts for the family affected, condemn political violence across the board.
All, save ONE, of course, who used the event to moan about “martyrdom” the way the Ayatollah of Iran might, and said NOT ONE WORD condemning violence.
No need to bother asking who wouid dare speak like that, who would be so reckless with the nation’s sentiments, or not see the great danger of the moment.
Yes, that’s the one.
Would you stop? If you must write this please add in hope. People are going through enough.
From Dr. Richardson Podcast We Cannot Wait for the Ballot Box in November 2026 | Explainer September 9, 2025 “I am a little discouraged, sometimes, when I write Letters because people sort of throw up their hands …and say it’s all over. I write them and I make them as thorough as I try to make them about what’s happening because I feel if you understand what’s happening it’s easier to fight back against it. If you understand what’s happening, then you can see the pressure points to change what is happening. We don’t want to be here, any of us. We’d all rather live in a world where our Democracy is secure… this is the world we got and we’ve gotta figure out ways to make it better and to preserve our Democracy for the people who come after us. And in that I don’t think yet that our efforts are wasted no matter what we are doing. So try and get out there and make the future because there is joy in that and we’re doing it together and that itself is a gift.”
No, I won’t”stop” — whatever that even means. Those are the basic facts of today. Yes, they are unpleasant. Yes, none of us would like to be here at the present moment. And yes, this is the reality we are up against.
“If you understand what’s happening…it’s easier to fight back against it.” No truer words indeed.
Leave the facts to Dr. Richardson. She was speaking of her Letters. Now speak to the end of what I transcribed from her podcast. She speaks of hope and fighting back. What you engage in is hopelessness. I never see you mention any activism or hope.
I don’t see anyone’s writing here as engaging in hopelessness. Nor do I think she has ever been a scold to those writing to express the reality we face. There is a difference between expressing reality and sticking one’s fingers in one’s ears and singing La La La, ignore reality.
“Sticking one’s fingers in one’s ears and singing La La La” is another Gail force wind. Thank you dear. That very phenomenon is endemic in the world I live in. The Lala Landers! Akin to burying one’s head in the sand. I guess we have to forgive them while covering their asses which are left out in the kill zone.
So sorry Pat! I’ve friends/ neighbors on whom I’ve given up. A few are reconsidering!
There is a difference also between just focusing on what is wrong and not mentioning actions to protest the wrongs.
I am unashamedly an activist. We all know the horrors. What are we doing that we can share with others to fight this coup?
Stop scolding others who may also be equal activists may be a start. Otherwise perhaps someone will dictate to you what you must or must not write.
We have already almost forgotten that Putin chose this very moment to test the durability of NATO, now that a Russian pastry/patsy with the emotional maturity of a 3-year-old heads its most powerful member.
While Russian drones purposely violated NATO airspace heading to murder more Ukrainian innocents, a limousine drove Trump 1/10 of a mile to a steakhouse, together with his patsy entourage, where he dined on lobster and crab and proclaimed Washington “safe.” Protestors booed him near the entrance until he ordered them “removed” like he did his empty plate of overdone steak and ketchup.
Harry Truman must be turning in his grave.
WE THE PEOPLE do not have to take these events lying down and nor should we. WE have the power to never give up. See, they, whoever “they” are, desperately are trying to whittle our psyches down. WE cannot allow that to happen. The country has a wannabe dicktator who is physically and mentally fading. There are MAGA who are now suffering from the illegal tariffs proposed by him. Just look at farmers who supported Trump. They are producing videos on TikTok crying about how their crops are drying up because China isn’t buying their fruits and vegetables. Maybe MAGA will become “woke” after the tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk. Lord knows they don’t give a shit about the kids who were shot today in Colorado by a student at their school or the killings of a beloved State Assembly woman, her husband, and the wounding of two others. We need a massive purge without violence. Let’s do it together with all of the courage we can muster up.
Thank you Marlene. Yes we can. Yes we can fight this.
👺 …”The script is always the same. The tyrant declares the people must be “protected,” from drugs, from dissent, from whatever phantom menace can be conjured. The public, weary of chaos and primed by fear, begins to nod. Protection becomes the pretext for execution.
Once the principle is abandoned, that even the guilty must be protected by law, then nothing is safe. The guillotine sharpens itself on the promise that it will never fall on you.
When a government claims the right to kill without trial, and when millions cheer it on, we are at the point of no return.
So let us be clear. When you cheer murder without trial, you are not defending America. You are defending the end of it.”
The American Night of the Long Knifes: When MAGA Defends Murder Over Justice
The Rational League | SEPT 11 2025 | Substack
https://open.substack.com/pub/therationalleague/p/the-american-night-of-the-long-knives?r=kxzps&utm_medium=ios
JaKsaa, it's Cristal Night in America.
Good morning, Thank you for what you are doing everyday. This news is like watching a slow car crash. Get some rest when you can step away.
It is the republicans and the rabid right wing fascists like this kirk creep who are responsible for the millions of guns on our streets. His killing is just another predictable daily result of guns being ubiquitous and easy to get in America. Period. So, I am finding it impossible to feel anything at all for him not because he is not a fellow human being who may deserve some generic level of sympathy as a murdered member of the species, but because he did everything he could to bring this upon himself — and upon thousands of way more innocent others. GUNS KILL PEOPLE, even irredeemable lying misogynist racist right wing arseholes. I make no apology for the fact that I ran out of sympathy for these insane violent crackpots like the despicable kirk about 100 school massacres back. What we really have here is a cautionary tale that one should be very careful what one wishes for. Those bullets the right wing worships? They're not picky whose flesh they tear into. Oh, and … thoughts and prayers, of course.
I just wish our scumbag president would show the same sorrow and determination to name a responsible every time a totally innocent kid is killed in our schools. Thanks for your comment Little Bird.
I just figure it’s way past time to call it like it is. A country that allows — nay, justifies — the constant slaughter of children is beyond barbaric. And that’s what kirk did.
'You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am, I, I — I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe.'
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fact-check-charlie-kirk-once-205500283.html
So there you have it. He was probably so arrogant it never occurred to him that he would wind up some of that collateral damage he so blithely dismissed as ‘worth it'. He was a depraved creep.