Guns, race, religion, terror, wingnut thread

[Vrede too]

... Yes, atrocities have been committed under the banner of the Confederate flag; idiots still commit atrocities using the Confederate flag as a battle cry; the KKK also touts the American flag in their asinine displays of manliness; shouldn't then, the American flag be banned from flying atop state-owned property because the KKK is a hate/racist group?

America is many things. The Confederate flag represents two - the fight to retain past slavery and modern racism.

South Carolina House approves bill removing Confederate flag (94-20)

The South Carolina House approved a bill removing the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds, a stunning reversal in a state that was the first to leave the Union in 1860 and raised the flag again at its Statehouse more than 50 years ago to protest the civil rights movement....

In other words, SC's slaver flag at the Capitol was a deliberate endorsement of Jim Crow from the start.

Props to Nikki Haley for speaking out quickly and decisively. It took the steam out of official support for the slaver flag locally and nationally. All that are left to defend it are racists and the history ignorant.

[neoplacebo]

Up here in northeast TN, hard by the VA border, there's many a pickup truck with a rebel flag emanating from the bed; some trucks have double rebel flags (I think these are displayed by dubble rebels only) since the flag flap began. I dread this weekend since there's bound to be even more rebels, dubble rebels, and rebel acolytes out now that SC has decided to take down the flag. I may just stay in and fool around with dangerous and illegal substances just to avoid the pitiful scene that is fast approaching. And if not, well, the admiral goes down with the ashtray I guess.

[O Really]

It's almost always the ratty pickups, isn't it?
Let me know when you see them flying from the back bumper of a Lexus.

[neoplacebo]

It's almost always the ratty pickups, isn't it?
Let me know when you see them flying from the back bumper of a Lexus.

Generally, yes. But I have seen several nice trucks sporting this sort of display as well. And I'll keep my eyes peeled for any renegade Lexus, Mercedes, or Tesla vehicles with rebel flags. If any show up, I will get a photo for historical purposes.

[O Really]

Reminds me of an old (and apparently still current) song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcBOcwgb4OA
And it's up against the wall, redneck mother...

[Vrede too]

Confederate flag protest in South Carolina (with more pics)

[O Really]

If anybody had any doubts about what that flag generally stands for now (nevermind 150 years ago), just read the comments.

[Vrede too]

[Mr.B]

bless ... her ... heart ...!
She made good points, but I think her soapbox-style ballyhooing was a bit over the top! It worked though!
She'd make a good candidate in the Democratic presidential race.

(I wonder if she watched the video afterwards?)

[k9nanny]

IT'S ANCIENT HISTORY! Removing the Confederate flag is not going to end hatred and bitterness as long as mankind inhabits this rock we live on; something will replace it; it's human nature.

Desegregation, integration as we called it then, did not end racism, so should we have dismissed it?
What makes the SC display especially sickening? It was raised over the Capitol as a symbol of opposition to civil rights.

IMO, it's not about dis honoring our ancestors who fought for the Confederacy. Just like today, soldiers are coming home, or not, from the war in Iraq, that sickens me. " Why do they always send the poor?" Then and now, it's all about doing the dirty work for the 1%.

[O Really]

'Tis true. Grunts are fighting for their own lives and those of their mates. Not for some ideology or political strategy. That's why apologists can say they are honoring their ancestors who were "fighting to protect their homes" and not for slavery. True on an individual basis, fershure. But why were they there in the first place? Why was their home at risk? Why were they being invaded? That would be because of some hot-head slavers who wanted to protect the inhumane driver of their economy. Of course, most fighters in the Civil War didn't own slaves, nor had a significant dog in the slavery fight. But that doesn't mean the war wasn't over the retention of slavery. People just got sucked in - forced to pick a side. Look at the Shelton Laurel Massacre, as an example. The leaders of the insurrection should have been rejected and hanged.

[Vrede too]

Got to Be Thwarting Something: FBI Claims It Stopped Unspecified Mayhem, Possibly on July 4

[Bungalow Bill]

I feel a bit bad for Vincent Sheheen. He ran against Haley in 2010 and 2014.
In 2014 he advocated taking down the Confed flag. Haley said that was a stunt
or gimmick, some such dismissive word, and that the CEOs she talked with never
mentioned the Confed flag. And now she'll get most of the credit for taking it
down. Politics can be weird.

[Bungalow Bill]

Got to Be Thwarting Something: FBI Claims It Stopped Unspecified Mayhem, Possibly on July 4

IOW, the Bureau couldn't find some clueless loser who they could
give a fake bomb to so a "terrorist" attack could be "discovered"
before it could be carried out.

[Vrede too]

Or, some or all of these supposed wannabe terrorists were aided and encouraged by the FBI. We'll see, maybe.

[O Really]

Hey guys, I see there's a sale on aluminum foil at the new Publix.

[Vrede too]

It's right next to the government commodities you can swallow whole.

Zero for 40 at Predicting Attacks: Why Do Media Still Take FBI Terror Warnings Seriously?

[O Really]

Well, terrorists (of all stripes) really don't usually give much real warning. They don't send a threat saying they're going to bomb the marathon or put explosives on the Washington monument to coincide with the fireworks. So by definition, it's somewhat of a guess, with probably low chance of accuracy at best. And it seems possible, at least, that a "warning" results in a change of plans on the part of the terrorist. But how about the media role in this? If the Feebs say "there might be an attack on the 4th of July" does every news outlet have to treat it like it was "breaking news"? Instead of saying "be extra vigilant" couldn't they question what that means and ask what specifically should regular people do? It's part of the all scare all the time approach.

As to the FBI, I don't know what they do, how well they do it, nor what they should be doing to defend against terrorists (of all stripes) who want to create havoc. But those people exist, and they do occasionally create havoc. What would you like the FBI to do?

[Seth Milner]

You've seen the videos where someone shouts boo! to a goat and it keels over? I'm under the impression that these unknown terrorists are shouting boo! to us just to watch us jump around and fidget. OK, so they're having their fun by tossing out little hints here and there to get us scrambling; and then, sometime, somewhere, one day, when we're least expecting it . . . n 'nuther words, we best not get too complacent.

[O Really]

Excellent point, Seth. Speaking from personal experience (though way longer ago than ISIS or al qaeda) that stuff happens. Back in the day, the Israelis, Egyptians, Jordanians all played mind games. The Egyptians flew these Russian-made TU-16's. Sometimes they'd start them up, give all indication they were going out armed and primed for bear, just to get the Israelis to scramble their jets. The Israelis would tease the Jordanians by flying helicopters under the radar and then popping up to say "boo". Pretty much everybody in that part of the world is crazy.