1/3? Man, those are rookie numbers. Something like 80% of my home state were members at one time.

(Which makes sense, as back then we had actual laws on the books that made us a ‘whites only’ state.)

It’s more like Vancouver hates transit. I seem to recall they were the loudest objectors the last time this was proposed.

Their thinking goes something like this:

There are only two kinds of people: Bad People and Good People.

Good people can’t do bad things, only good things (so if they do a ‘bad thing’ it was obviously just an innocent mistake because they’re Good People).

Bad People can never do good things, only bad things (so if they do a ‘good thing’ it was obviously just to further some sinister agenda).

It’s nearly impossible for a Bad Person to become a Good Person, because Bad is something you are, not something you do. It’s basically genetic that they’ll always feel the urge to do Bad. Only a Higher Power like God has the power to ‘save’ a Bad Person, they can never become Good on their own.

I am a Good Person.

Since I am a Good Person, I can only do good. And I only interact with Good People, and support Good People in politics/whatever because interacting with and supporting Bad People is bad, and I don’t do bad things.

Those people I hang out with said that group over there is Bad. Since they’re Good People (because I interact with them) what they say must be true.

The problem with Epstein is he short-circuits this exceptionalism-tribalism sort of thinking, for two reasons.

First, because he hung out with what they consider ‘Good People’ (which they define as rich white males generally, and people they’ve supported in the past—remember, they only support Good People, because they’re not Bad). But Epstein was so vile, his acts so vile, and the ‘Good People’ so happy to participate, that their brains can’t square the circle of Good Person knowingly and enthusiastically and repeatedly doing Bad Things.

And second, because the vile things he did have been harped on by all the ‘Good People’ they know as being Evil and Vile since way, way before any of this Epstein stuff was even hinted at, so they have a harder time just sweeping it under the mental rug with a ‘they didn’t know!’ or ‘they didn’t mean it!’

TBF his family are also super-rich white-supremacist pieces of shit, so he probably learned a bunch of this at home.

They are terrifying things to admit to yourself. Hold on to that feeling, but train anyways. Because those thoughts will keep you from becoming like those republicans who gleefully wave their guns around and talk about shooting all the people they don’t like. And the training means you can protect yourself and others.

Guns are a tool that kills things, and so you never pick one up unless you intend to kill. But sometimes, regrettably, you have to.

You mean like they ‘didn’t’ at Kent State?

Don’t kid yourself; they absolutely will. Going by our history, though, if they can they’ll do it to a black neighborhood first.

They’ve done it before. They’ll do it again.

And let us not forget the Vanport flood, which the Portland authorities downplayed for decades and used as an excuse to pave over a vibrant community to make a raceway and a golf course. They only recently admitted that there was ‘some’ loss of life.

Because racists would inevitably set the requirements.

Yeah, seriously, that’s where they drew the line?

Eh, maybe the editor had an elephant’s-foot wastebasket at home.

They’re not ‘tough guy’ gangs so instead of knives they’re using tomatoes to settle the dispute.

One could only wish.

Except it’s not very good. I turn it off and still get AI pictures and videos, and it gets rid of some pictures I know aren’t AI.

D’awww

‘True and proper order being restored’ and ‘those uppity Others finally getting their just desserts’. And they figure that if they have to suffer a bit for that, then so be it. You have to remember that these ‘Christian’ loonies all have a persecution complex, so for them a little suffering is seen as a good thing.

The problem tends to be that (1) experts are only experts in their own fields, but have a distressing tendency to think that makes them experts in all fields and (2) an expert is often only an expert if unchallenged. Plenty of ‘experts’ have had their research get supplanted—or attempts have been made to supplant it—with newer, more accurate research, but the older so-called experts often fight against that newer research so as not to lose their exalted status. Sadly, you see often in science (look at how Louis Pasteur was treated when he dared to suggest bacteria caused disease).

I hate to say it, but I absolutely guarantee the law will do nothing but show up afterwards and pick up the pieces. If he does decide to get his fat ass off the couch and come get you, you’ll have to handle him yourself.

Playing ‘The Mysterious Axeman’s Jazz’ no doubt

Yup. I’m totally sure that had nothing to do with this guy’s response to her coming to his door.

I mean, tbf, if he’d called the police they’d probably have shot the person 6 times. Maybe he just felt like cutting out the middle man?