Tag: mass shooting

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White House Acting Chief Of Staff: Trump Rhetoric ‘Not To Blame’ For White Nationalist Shootings

Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told ABC News reporter Jon Karl that Donald Trump’s heated racial rhetoric is not to blame for the rash of recent mass shootings by white nationalist terrorists.

“This is a serious problem … but they are sick, sick people and the president knows that … I don’t think it’s fair to try and lay this at the feet of the president.”

Mulvaney’s title is ‘Acting’ Chief of Staff for a reason. He’s merely an actor in Trump’s reality show, saying the lines he’s given.

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Buttigieg: U.S. Is “Under Attack From Homegrown White Nationalist Terrorism”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking in Las Vegas, NV

Mayor Pete Buttigieg told attendees at a labor union forum in Las Vegas Saturday that the United States is “under attack” by white nationalists carrying out deadly mass shootings across the country, and those white nationalists have become emboldened by Donald Trump.

Buttigieg was speaking at a forum in Las Vegas sponsored by the public-sector labor union AFSCME.

News of the recent mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart broke during the event.

Eschewing his prepared introductory remarks, Buttigieg addressed the tragedy head-on.

“America is under attack from homegrown white nationalist terrorism,” Buttigieg said in his opening remarks. “White nationalism is evil. And it is inspiring people to commit murder, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the American government, and that has to end.”

When asked his thoughts on Trump’s position on white nationalists, Buttigieg said the president “at best condones and encourages white nationalism.”

Buttigieg also called for stricter gun control laws across the country.

“We are the only country in the world with more guns than people,” said the 37-year-old White House contender. “It has not made us safer. We can respect the Second Amendment (on gun rights), and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans.”

Among several policies he shared that would help stem the tide of gun violence were:

• Implementing universal background checks for firearm purchases

• Banning the sale of high capacity magazines

• Allowing the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence

• Passing “red flag” laws that remove firearms from at-risk people, such as those convicted of domestic violence

Buttigieg also said there should be stricter regulations for military-style firearms often used in mass shootings.

“Weapons of war have no place in American neighborhoods,” said the Afghanistan war veteran.

Buttigieg addressed the lack of leadership on gun violence by the president today.

“Will the President of the United States leave his golf resort, go back to Washington, address the nation, condemn—in no uncertain terms—white nationalism, and call for the Senate to convene tomorrow to enact at least the most basic gun safety reforms that most Americans want?”

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News Round-Up: June 13, 2019

I attended the opening night of the hit two-man play Potted Potter at Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night. The show, which parodies all 7 books of the Harry Potter series in 70 minutes, has been running for years in the UK. The original stars opened the show here and I was thrilled to take my uber-handsome god son, Josh, to the performance.
Opening night of ‘Potted Potter’ in Las Vegas

Some news items you might have missed:

• I attended the opening night of the hit two-man play Potted Potter at Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night. The show, which parodies all 7 books of the Harry Potter series in 70 minutes, has been running for years in the UK. The original stars opened the show here and I was thrilled to take my uber-handsome god son, Josh, to the performance.

• During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, John Cena talked about getting ‘accidental boners’ during wrestling matches.

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) somehow ‘straight-washed’ his proclamation observing the 3rd anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. DeSantis blamed the missing mention of the LGBTQ community on staffers. It was later added to the proclamation.

• A mother in South Carolina was arrested after walking into an elementary school and confronting her son’s bullies.

• The Australian man accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in March pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court on Friday.

• The 20 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for the first Dem debates have been announced:

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Florida Lawmakers Propose Declaring Pulse Nightclub A Federal Landmark

The temporary memorial at Pulse Nightclub

As the nation remembers the tragedy of the mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, three years ago today, Florida lawmakers in Congress have begun plans to have the nightclub declared a national monument.

CNN reports that during a memorial ceremony on Monday, Reps. Stephanie Murphy, Val Demings and Darren Soto shared their plans to sponsor landmark legislation, H.R. 3094. Soto said he would like to see the legislation pass by June 2020.

The local non-profit OnePulse Foundation would retain control of the design and construction, but the designation would make the monument eligible for federal funds as part of the National Park System.

If passed, work to build a permanent memorial would begin by 2021.

In the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, lone gunman Omar Mateen entered Pulse Nightclub and opened fire killing 49 people and injuring more than 50 more. During the crisis, Mateen told police he considered himself a soldier of ISIS.

At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Two years later, a temporary memorial in front of the nightclub.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Tuesday commemorating June 12 as Pulse Remembrance Day, and directed all state flags in the state to be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.

Here’s part of the memorial service and announcement held on Monday:

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Student Blames Chelsea Clinton For New Zealand Massacre?

Chelsea Clinton (image via Twitter)

A video showing a Muslim student blaming a very pregnant Chelsea Clinton for the anti-Muslim massacre of 49 people in New Zealand instantly went viral.

The moment took place at a vigil to honor the victims gunned down at two New Zealand mosques.

Clinton, pregnant with her third child, displays extraordinary composure while an angry student alleges Clinton’s recent commentary about anti-Semitic comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar about a pro-Israel lobby, helped cause the massacre in New Zealand.

“This, right here, is a result of a massacre stoked by people like you and the words that you put out into the world,” the student tells Clinton. “And I want you to know that and I want you to feel that deep down inside. Forty-nine people died because of the rhetoric you put out there.”

“I’m so sorry you feel that way,” Clinton replies in the video. “Certainly, it was never my intention. I do believe words matter. I believe we have to show solidarity.”

Another student snaps at Chelsea: “What does ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ mean? What does that mean?”

So, now, it’s Chelsea Clinton’s fault a violent gun massacre took place in New Zealand???

The girl in the video shut down her Twitter for a while, but apparently reactivated it today.

It seems she’s something of a homophobe and racist. These tweets were culled from her account.

She also appears to be a Bernie Sanders supporter which might explain things a bit more.

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Cameron Kasky To Attend State Of The Union Address

Cameron Kasky at the March for Our Lives (screen capture)

The Washington Post reports one of the survivor activists from the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida will attend this year’s State of the Union address next Tuesday as the guest of a Democratic congressman.

Rep. Eric Swalwell of California has invited activist Cameron Kasky to join him at the SOTU next week.

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting that left 17 dead, Kasky co-founded Never Again MSD, an advocacy group that lobbies for stricter gun laws. He also helped organize the March for Our Lives protest that took place in Washington, D.C. last March.

Kasky famously told CNN shortly after the shooting, “My message for the people in office is: You’re either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around.”

Swalwell said in a statement he personally admires the “remarkable strength” Kasky has shown since the “unimaginable” shooting at Stoneman Douglas.

“He stands at the forefront of the fight for action to address gun violence,” said Swalwell. “I’m proud to have Cameron join me at the U.S. Capitol, nearly one year after he faced a horror no kid should endure at school, to continue this fight, because there is no right more important than the right to live.”

Swalwell has called for legislation banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. He is also reportedly considering a run for the White House in 2020.

Kasky joked on his Twitter that he would be running himself in 2020, co-opting Barack Obama’s campaign slogan a bit with #YesWeCam.

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California: Shooting In Thousand Oaks Bar Leaves 12 Dead

Another mass shooting has occurred, this time in a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, that left 12 dead.

The incident began at approximately 11:20pm at the Borderline Bar and Grill,  which was holding its regular “College Country Night.”

The shooter has been identified as a former U.S. Marine who may have been coping with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the L.A. Times.

Ian David Long, 28, lived in Newbury Park, not far from the club where he threw smoke bombs and rained bullets on a crowd of more than a hundred people Wednesday night.

Sheriff Geoff Dean said his department had had several interactions with Long, including a call to his home in April for a complaint of disturbing the peace. Deputies at the time said Long was irate and acting irrationally, Dean said. They called in mental health professionals to evaluate him, and they concluded he did not need to be taken into custody.

In the neighborhood where Long lived, residents said they were well aware of his problems.

Richard Berge, 77, said the former Marine had PTSD and was known to kick in the walls of the home. Long lived with his mother, Berge said.

“She’s a very sweet woman, but she had a lot of problems with the son,” Berge said. “I just know he tore the house up.”

Long was dressed in black when he burst into the Borderline Bar & Grill, a country-music-themed venue popular with college students, around 11:20 p.m. He drove his mother’s car to the bar and did not say anything before opening fire, a law enforcement official said.

The shooter was armed with a Glock 21 .45-caliber handgun with an extended magazine that he purchased legally in Simi Valley, Dean said. A source said he also had a “smoke device.”

Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year Sheriff’s Department veteran who was planning to retire next year, was the first to enter the bar. He suffered severe wounds and later died in the hospital.

He is survived by a son and his wife, whom he called before entering the bar, Dean said.

No motive has been determined.

And right-wing loons immediately tried to set the narrative that the shooter was “Middle Eastern.”

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Report: Synagogue Shooting Occurred During Ceremony For Gay Couple’s Children

The mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue yesterday that left 11 dead and six more injured happened during a ceremony for the children of a gay couple.

According to local LGBTQ group, The Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, the deadly attack occurred during a bris, the Jewish rite of male circumcision, for the couple’s adopted twins.

We were just informed that this morning’s tragedy was happening during a Briss for a set of twins adopted by a gay couple.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all that were involved including the members of the Synagogue, law-enforcement and first responders.

We have witnessed the worst of America this morning in our town Pittsburgh. More than ever we must come together as people and change the temperament of our country.

After surrendering to police, assailant Robert D. Bowers said he “wanted all Jews to die,” according to a Pittsburgh police report.

Bowers was charged with 29 criminal accounts by federal officials.

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, issued a statement which read, in part, “Our hearts are with the community of the Tree of Life Synagogue, the first responders who bravely rushed into danger to save lives, the people of Pittsburgh, and all those impacted by this tragic act of hate violence.”

Donald Trump, true to form, told reporters that gun laws had “little” to do with the shooting.

“If they had protection inside, maybe it could have been a different situation,” Trump said.

Mind you, four police officers – who are well-trained in using firearms – were injured during the shooting.

After the massacre, the Trumpster called for bringing “back the death penalty” through legislation even though the death penalty is legal in Pennsylvania.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds for the victims of the shooting and their families. At this writing, the campaign has raised almost $400,000.

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Trump Twitter Rants About Baseball Hours After Mass Shooting Leaves 11 Dead

Donald Trump

On a day that saw a mass shooting where 11 people were killed at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Donald Trump surprised some on Twitter when he took time to tweet a comment on World Series Game 4.

The tweet criticized the LA Dodgers manager for pulling pitcher Rich Hill from the game which saw the Boston Red Sox go on to win 9-6, taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

Earlier in the day, Trump condemned the shooting as an “assault on humanity” and an “evil anti-Semitic attack.” He also suggested that if the worshippers in the synagogue had had guns, things might have turned out differently.

He also attended a campaign rally just hours after the shooting. He defended his campaign appearance by erroneously telling the crowd that the New York Stock Exchange was open the day after 9/11.

(pssst – it wasn’t)

In the past, presidents have usually adopted a more somber public face for at least a few days after a national tragedy. Like this from former President Barack Obama.

Twitter noticed the difference in approach.

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Four Dead As Maniac Opens Fire At A Pittsburgh Synagogue

Terrible news as there has been yet another mass shooting in America today.

A gunman entered a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this morning and opened fire as parents and family were celebrating the birth of a child.

The synagogue was hosting a bris. Parents, perhaps for the first time, were marking the birth of their son just eight days prior — a profound and emotional moment in their collective lives — and a maniac burst in and opened fire.

During a bris.

From The New York Times:

An official in Pittsburgh reported that at least four people were dead and at least 12 people had been shot after a gunman opened fire at a synagogue on Saturday morning.

Erika Strassburger, the city councilwoman for the district that includes the synagogue, the Tree of Life Congregation, said the gunman had surrendered to the police after being barricaded in the building and had been taken to the hospital.

Three police officers were shot but their injuries were not life- threatening, she said.

Asked by reporters about the horrific incident, Donald Trump blamed the victims, not the hate, saying if they had had guns things “maybe nobody would have been killed except him.”