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Marc Catone's avatar

I live in upstate New York, 3 hours from Buffalo and 1 hour from Conklin where the terrorist murderer lived. We have some of the most stringent gun laws in the United States, and yet an 18 year old was still able to buy weapons. I have supported the pursuit of gun-control laws and will continue to do so, but Mike, as you pointed out in your podcast, that is not the real reason for these massacres. It's the hate...the white hate...and the people who spread it...the Poor Boys, Q-Anon, the Marjorie Taylor Greenes, the Tucker Carlsons, and the rest of that ilk on Fox News. The poison they spread caused these shootings. They continue to plant the evil seeds growing in the damaged brains of white teenage boys. And the growing tide of anti-democratic actions including the reduction of voting rights, demonizing the teaching of what slavery was all about, denying the role that racism plays in every day American...that is why there are 10 dead African- Americans lying in a Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo NY. That's the answer, Mike, we must stop the hate and the fear of the other. This is why we must vote the Trump cult followers out of office. So that our schools can teach equality and the value of each human being along side the true history of the United States.

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Joseph Campo's avatar

I agree. Many steps forward need to happen. The magat repubs need to be voted out of office, as many as possible. They will always have platform, but they will then only be citizens, not anyone with a position of authority. I truly think we should try to repeal the 2nd amendment. It's a freeking disaster. At a bare minimum, stop selling automatic rifles. Nobody can justify using that for 'home self defense'. We have to abolish the electoral college because that is what got us in this mess in 2016. And I would not be opposed to expanding the supreme court to 13 judges. someone posted we have 13 circuit courts, so why don't we match that with 13 SCOTUSs. If Dems want to do it, they need to act now, but Biden seems to be against it. Finally, as Klobuchar is trying, codify Roe v Wade. The founders clearly wanted church separated from state, so if these rightwingers can point to constitution for their guns, we can tell them to shove their religious beliefs. It's gonna take a lot of work.

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Pam Doughty's avatar

💯 👏

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Alan Kramer's avatar

You can’t repeal or amend any of the first ten amendments but we could replace the entire constitution or are we to accept going to our ultimate national destruction clutching our secular bible and its Talmud, the Federalisf Papers?

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Joseph Campo's avatar

100pct right Mike. Just like if it had been a bunch of black people on J6 storming the capital, it would have been a blood bath.

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Grid's avatar

It would have also been a blood bath if Vietnam War protesters did what those Trump people did.

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Joseph Campo's avatar

4 dead in Ohio. Wouldve been a lot more than that.

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Kathleen Rooker's avatar

Some time ago I wrote an opinion letter to my local newspaper. In that letter I referenced a infamous quote from Michelle Obama, "When they (GOP) go low we (Democrats) go high!" In my letter I stated I am damn tired of going high, in fact I've gone so high I have developed a nose bleed! Look, when you try to negotiate with a bully, you need to be prepared to get your face smashed in. Or, you stand up to the bully, which might mean you still get your face smashed in; however, you leave the fight with some dignity. To me, the Democratic party has lost its dignity, its backbone for a fight. Let's tell it like it is, let us stop worrying about offending the GOP, or getting a little dirty! Our Democratic elected officials had better start coming out with some boxing gloves on, instead of a bunch of helium balloons!

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Grid's avatar

I liked your comment but I have no hope that the Democratic leaders want to risk their political positions when it comes to standing up to do what's right.

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Joan Breibart's avatar

One million Covid dead. Does anyone reading this stat know how many people die each hour or day or year? NEVER any context. This is why most Americans think trans represents 5-10% of US population whereas it is 1/10 of 1%. AND 60 mil die of something annually-- and more are born! While writing this comment about 200 people died. Still makes no dent in our overpopulated universe.

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Arshad Hydari's avatar

Why is it that a vocal minority always seems to be more effective than the silent majority ? The answer is obvious isn’t it ?! I agree with the comment that white supremacist propaganda must be pushed back in the same aggressive manner. Taking the high road is no longer valid or effective.

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jacqui klein's avatar

I absolutely loved hearing Henry from NJ tell you his idea for a massive nationwide movement commemorating the anniversary of the Voting Rights Bill (which happens to be my birthday!). I hope your feedback to him reinforced his drive to make our country a better place. I live in NJ and am proud that he is representing NJ with his voice.

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Mykel Jackson's avatar

Michael it’s the mid terms. One thing we know about Democratic voters is they tend to sit out the midterms UNLESS there is a Republican President in office. We cannot afford Dems to sit out this year. We need to motivate everyone. Republicans motivate their voters with fear. “The left is gonna take your guns, take your freedoms, make your kids gay, the left are commies etc.” Michael we need to put a little fear in our voters because not only is the fear real, it’s happening before our eyes. The right is in the process of killing abortion rights. They want to end same sex marriage, they want to take away social security, medicare etc. They want to end the minimum wage and pay people pennies. They want a police state where your every move is watched, and your local police department patrols the roads on tanks. We need to send the message to our voters that this is what they are trying to do. Nobody believes the empty promises from the Dems anymore. Nobody will vote on that. It’s not too late but November is getting closer and closer.

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Alan Kramer's avatar

All the examples of anti-democratic excess noted in this episode are enabled by one overriding cause, our present US Constitution. The system it enables allows a determined White Christian nativist element and it’s vehicle to power, the GOP. All the protests in the street, massive voter turnout, etc. will not change this, only replacing the present constitution will! Impossible you say? South African apartheid was ended by the ANC and their empowered system changed without overwhelming bloodshed, although critics will retort about violence that did occur but essentially power changed in a morally appropriate way, we must do the same before existential crisis forces that result.

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Howard biel's avatar

Remind me again how we email/phone questions in?

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Lauren Thyme's avatar

We actually hit the 1 million mark a few weeks ago. I go to Coronavirus worldwide web for stats.

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