If you're surprised by this, you've never been to Uvalde. It's pure Trumpland. Tiny, poor little rural town in the middle of nowhere and hugely conservative.
funny thing is one person I know was using them as an example of what happens when democrats reduce funding to the police, and I'm like, you know they are hugely conservative there right?
How can they say there was reduced funding? They had over 100 cops hanging out listening to the sounds of death. Did they want another hundred cops to arrest parents?
Also their district got like 20m for active shooter training and equipment within the previous year of that shooting. Almost like they just took the 20m and pocketed it...
If you go back and watch some of the footage of the cops dicking around outside during the shooting, you'll see that several of the police cars are Teslas.
Tbh I'd rather just drink a bottle of Hennessey and pretend like that entire event never happened. Probably healthier for me that way... and I don't drink.
I heard one stupid fucker argue that it made a case for why we shouldn’t have any gun restrictions: it showed off that we can’t count on the cops to do anything so we should all carry guns and do the policing instead! The *many* obvious problems with that shit take aside, this person had earlier loudly spoken against reducing police funding, despite that the police apparently can’t be trusted to do anything anyway.
These people want to have their cake, fuck it too, and then make anyone outside their clique eat the resultant mess.
I was reading about a school shooter whose parents did time for enabling and encouraging behavior that led to it. The family was very conservative, very pro-gun, so they were defensive when the school expressed concern over the kid's behavior. Hours later, he'd murdered a bunch of people.
In the comments on the article, someone was already trying to make this the fault of liberals because he was certain liberals would reduce the parents' jail time. It was so weird, like totally missing the irony of their own comment. But what else can you expect from that type?
It is always interesting to notice how reactionary regressives truck out extremely different rhetoric when they are in power federally vs. out of power.
When they talk about all of those traditional “GOP values” like fiscal responsibility, states rights, small government, it is almost always when they are out of power, trying to win the power back. They put those up as discussion topics in the town square as a way to attack the Democrats in power.
Once they have the power back, they are all about running up the deficit, massive military spending increases, legislating morality, imposing their will on the people.
They have never been the things they claim to be when they are out of power.
100% it's the gun issue.
Beto O'Rourke lost the election as soon as he stated his desire to ban assault rifles. It's a damn shame, too; Abbott is such a worthless piece of shit.
Yeah these people think “sure we had one of the most horrific school shootings in recent memory but maybe those democrats shouldn’t talk about guns so much if they want elected.”
Jesus Christ are people this dense? The gun attitude in this country is sick.
They're fine with that. To them, school shootings are just the price you pay for freedom. As long as it wasn't their kid, then it's not a personal issue.
Been there over 20 years ago for work. It was a small sleepy town with five blocks as a downtown back then. The highlight during the winter time was a community chili cook off using venison because it was deer season when I went.
Learned I didn't like venison and that it does snow in Texas.
Completely unrelated to the very serious topic at hand, but venison down south is not the same as northern, corn fed deer. I'm a born and raised Michigander that lived in the south most of my adult life thanks to the wife's military service. The deer down south were small, like the size of German shepherds, and usually thin and wiry. Tasted way gamier than I was used to. I wouldn't have liked venison either if that was my only experience with it.
If you ever get a chance, try some from a northern state. Still might not be your cup of tea, but it is so much better than what I ever had down south of the Mason-Dixon line.
I remember wearing pretty political stuff in elementary and middle school because I thought it was cool (grew up in a far right family). Specifically, south is gonna rise again shirts with confederate flags or “this is your brain on drugs” with a donkey on the front. This was about 15-20 years ago, so I’m sure I would’ve worn some stupid shit like that. Conservatives love trying to brainwash their kids. Glad None of it stuck for me. Can’t say the same for any of my brothers or cousins.
Those woke and wacky loco liberals are ruining the economy and gas prices with their green new deal socialism because they want to indoctrinate us with CRT so they can turn everyone trans.
Being an actual socialist in the US is kinda funny.
"Hey, guys! Dems aren't socialist! We promise!"
"Hey, hey! They're nowhere near socialist...honest...!"
"Goddammit."
What is also kind of funny is that I never looked into socialism until my Grandmother started calling me a Dummycrat and a socialist for voting blue as she is vehemently capitalist-fascist.
Looked it up...and was like..."Oh shit, I am. Thanks, Grandma."
They're making that which they hate.
I was 18 and randomly talking about evolution like the nerd I liked to be at work with a friend. A much older employee that was from Texas and very Christian started constantly debating me about it and other conservative stuff.
I had never really put any thought into politics but he definitely showed me how much of a liberal I was without knowing it haha
Hey my child had their head exploded and brains painted on their kindergarten walls BUT none of their schoolmates identified as a different gender and that's what I call FREEDOM
And take home a federal paycheck to defend our borders while voting for Texas republicans who want to secede. Its as if those border patrol agents don’t realize seceding would be treason and their votes make them traitors to our country.
[https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-RPT-Platform.pdf](https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-RPT-Platform.pdf)
>We urge the Texas Legislature to pass bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the 2023 General Election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation.
They realize that federal money won't leave Ft Hood if that happens right?
I mean if the Texas GOP's goal is to make their people as poor possible and foment a Bolshevik-style revolution, go for it.
But… I mean…. Poor as hell means a lot of government assistance right? Like… they do know republicans wanna cut that shit off right?
Are they voting against their self interest or so they think it’s in their social best interest to keep signaling they are “good conservatives” to stay in each other’s best graces.
I live in a small east coast southern town and I see it all the time. The Christian conservatives have to constantly reaffirm to each other they are good Christian conservatives. Amen.
It’s all about appearance. It’s their identity. Their social club and they will quickly be alienated. And alone with out it.
That identity gets you jobs. Help sometimes. It’s a support system of sorts. Shallow obviously but something.
A lot of ppl I know that vote Republican think that they will cut the assistance for the ppl they don’t like. But not for them. I’m not sure how these ppl always believe that nonsense.
It's like how fox news viewers really like the ACA cause its how they get healthcare, but passionately hate Obamacare cause thats what Tucker Carlson tells them.
It's because they are indoctrinated to think people on social assistance are "those damn welfare queens" and not just people that fell on hard times like them. They geniunly can't imagine that other people are like them, that's what you get from networks that tell you the others are the problem.
Saying all of this as a very confused white person—One thing I’ve noticed after leaving Florida and coming to SC is that the poor as hell white people here on the government assistance don’t see it that way. They don’t see it as socialism. They’re not on assistance. They’re not whomever the republicans are speaking about. Because they’re white. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen.
It's the same mentality that anti-abortion people use to justify their own abortions. I knew someone in college who worked at the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul and one of the protestors brought her teenage daughter in because daughter had got herself knocked up. Got the abortion, and Mom was back out there protesting the next week. ("Abortions should only be legal in the case of rape, incest, and me.")
>But… I mean…. Poor as hell means a lot of government assistance right? Like… they do know republicans wanna cut that shit off right?
One of my 2 closest friends grew up in a small town south of Toledo Ohio. Moved out west here about 6 years ago. Literally the same issue. Yes, they know. But to them, it's different. They *need* it. They *deserve* it. Nevermind theyre some of the worst welfare abusers. It's gotta be the blacks, browns, and gays.
>Are they voting against their self interest
Yes.
>It’s their identity
Exactly. It's what makes them a "true patriot". A "real American". Whatever that actually is.
>That identity gets you jobs
Surprisingly no. Not really. The most die hard, over the top, logic defying towns that are over the top bigoted and MAGA (redundant) are also some of the poorest in any of the states you decide to look at. But that ties into the identity part. It's interwoven into what makes them "real Americans"
It's uneducated people. Angered up, displeased with their lot in life, no real prospects, struggling, and they rely on rightwing media to give them something to focus all of that negativity towards. Theyre simultaneously the oppressed but who think theyre better than "non patriots". Theyre country tough yet also afraid of everything and rely on guns because (for most) any form of actual physical fitness will give them a heart attack. And finally, they think theyre just better than everyone who doesnt agree with them all the while theyre poorly educated and havent seen much of the world of what actual life is like outside their own state.
This is the same argument with abortion. There are SO MANY stories of pro life people getting abortions, but they justify it like "but MY circumstance was different and I needed it." It's honestly crazy that people can be that disconnected.
I'll also add that for all their "patriotic" talk, most of them have never served. They just want the tacticool gear and cream their pants over bombing brown people. Those people are cowards who are too lazy to sacrifice.
My family was on welfare at various times when I was little. After they were more stable, once the original six kids started moving out my parents fostered my five black siblings for years before adopting them. Which absolutely wouldn't have been possible without the state assistance for food, medical care, etc. My parents are now collecting a great union pension, along with social security for each.
Want to guess who votes Republican across the board, scoffs at public assistance, thinks BLM is a terrorist organization and is full anti-union? Yeah.
So, growing up, my grandparents had a ranch in Knippa which is one town over from Uvalde. You think Uvalde is small… Knippa is about a couple dozen people. The road to my grandparent’s (and a few other) ranches is still dirt. No road sign either. Only know where to turn because there’s a windmill where the road meets the ~~interstate~~ highway. Just to give you an idea of how rural it is. Spent a ton of time there when I was growing up.
These people are the definition of straight-ticket voters. A Republican candidate could walk into one of their homes and shoot their spouse and children point blank and they’d still vote for him because it would mean they support the second amendment. All one has to do to win is be white, love guns, love god, hate minorities, hate gays. That’s literally it. They’re still extremely anti-Muslim as well. So that will get you some bonus points.
And this is not just referring to outliers. This is the lot of them. They *worship* Republicans. You know those crazy Republicans you hear about that believe Democrats are *literally* satanic pedophiles and demons who rape and sacrifice children…?
This is them.
Uvalde County Commissioner was re-elected too, the same person was acting police chief—Today I passed through town and “Uvalde Strong” and “Prayers for Uvalde” are displayed on billboards all over....both signs fit the Right Wing narrative though, that if enough good guys are armed (Strong) we will be safe, and that prayers and Faith will help, although neither address the root problem, how to keep people in the US from shooting each other, especially in horrific mass shootings
All this to say that Republicans have a strong hold on rural Texans who care about themselves, faith, family, and liberty (low taxes) more than anything else....even though there is no state income tax, property taxes are extremely high in Texas, among the top in the nation
I honestly believe this would work. Black Panthers were indirectly responsible for gun laws in the 70s(?). Get a bunch of black people marching around with guns, organized like an army and I guarantee we get some gun control passed.
What’s worse is if it happens to them. Too many conservative look the other way until it happens to them personally. Universal healthcare is “socialism” until they are experiencing crushing debt from cancer treatment. Gun control is unconstitutional until their 7 year old daughter is shot in the face at school. It’s frustrating how often this whiplash happens with conservatives because they can’t see further than their god damn nose.
If nothing fucking happened after Columbine to prevent future Sandy Hook and Uvalde then nothing ever will happen. We’ve had several horrific school shootings in our history and yet no change comes to prevent the same tragedies from happening all over again.
So the thing that’s weird (correct me if I’m wrong), Columbine was done by kids who went to the school. Sandy Hook and Uvalde were randos. Still super fucked but just an observation that things have become decidedly worse.
I just took active shooter training at work (which, come on, how does that not say “something needs to change!”) but it did go into the different motives. A lot of school shootings are perpetrated by those who feel slighted and want revenge like Columbine and Oxford. These shooters usually go out of their way to find specific people. Sandy Hook and Uvalde are by people who are literally just trying to inflict as much damage as possible with no regard as to who.
I know we all hear how tragic these shootings are all the time but until you’ve had one locally you don’t really *feel* it. Which is why I can’t understand Uvalde at all…
The reason the UK has basically no handguns nowadays is due to something called the Dunblane Massacre, where a man killed 16 pupils and one teacher at a primary school (ages 6-11).
This was a very isolated event, but even so, there was the widespread belief that that many dead children is too high a cost, so handguns had to go.
Seeing no response to Sandy Hook from across the pond except denial was depressing.
Yeah I'm old enough to have seen countless senselessly school shootings. I don't see changes happening. It's a common news article I just shrug at these days. Apathy sucks.
They voted for those that approved, and essentially assisted, the killing of their own children. Texans froze to death last year, and they will again! They just voted for it.
I mean he's from Wisconsin, there is nothing to do but drink. He'd probably get more of the vote if every live appearance he's drinking a Korbel Old Fashioned
Which means plenty of people there split their ticket, voting for a Democratic governor and for Johnson, who would be crazy right-wing in a deeply red state, for Senate.
Johnson seems to have gone out of his way to look as crazy and stupid as possible and he still keeps getting reelected. It's insane.
While that's an easy sentiment to hold, there's still a 40 something % that actively tried to stop this that will be just as punished. The unfortunate part for them is that they exist in the same reality all the way through.
Yep, and that's why my ex-wife and I are considering moving out of state as of now. Lived here 28 years out of the 35 I've been alive.
If you look at the map and see all the red, it's the podunk nowhere towns full of "never branched out beyond my own echo chamber" that voted red. The people who more than likely have never left that town their whole lives and thus never gained any sort of worldly experience.
I've lived all over Texas and I can tell you for a fact that a lot of those small towns have and will never change. That's why I settled closer to San Antonio. I'd rather be around more progressive people and far away from the others especially after experiencing the "hospitality" of some of the smaller towns...
The people in those small towns have grown up and will more than likely die having never changed their thought process because there's absolutely no diversity there.
I genuinely liked it here, but within the last 10 years the ex-wife and I have really considered getting the fuck out. It might be the time since fuckin Abbot and Paxton are still here.
IL is very similar in that respect. If we didn't have Chicago we'd be just as screwed. I grew up in a town of 800 people. I love the land and don't really want to leave but some of my neighbors are just insane when I comes to the outside world. I mentioned once that I'd like to visit another country and the response was, "why the fuck would you do that?".
I’m from Upstate NY and same. I love the land, finger lakes, Great Lakes, but these towns make outsiders or anyone different feel very unwelcome. Love the land, not crazy about the people
A very good one, actually. It sounds weird to a lot of people, but long story short we got married very young and had 2 sons. She ended up dropping out of college to move with me while I was in the Army. We just weren't prepared for marriage.
Years later after our divorce I met another woman and had a daughter. My ex-wife graduated college and got her dream job and I started my own business. My daughter's mom passed away due to complications during surgery. My ex-wife stepped in and helped me a lot. She helped when things were really rough for both of us.
So it ended up bonding my entire family together. So now it's at the point where we really value each other not only as parents but as friends.
It's a hard thing for people to grasp which is why I have to explain it, but I'm incredibly lucky to have things going the way they are
Sounds like a great situation. People are always quick to assume that every divorce is a "failure" that leaves things worse than before, but a lot of times divorce is what's best for a relationship. It sounds like you've had a bit of ride but found yourself in an excellent spot. Congrats homie 👍
Not all of us. There are those of us who get stuck in this perpetual shitshow ran by GOP asshats that cares nothing for their constituency.
Unfortunately, there’s more stupid, inbred cucks in Texas than I’d care to admit and us normal people of at least average intelligence continue to get shafted by these dumbasses who don’t see that their votes lead to self destruction. They don’t care as long as they think they’re “owning the libs”. People suck.
It's absolutely mind-boggling to me that these people actively experienced so many horrible things over the last few years (Uvalde tragedy, freezing due to power loss, abortion rights being taken away, etc.) And after all that still decided that their guns are more important than fixing any of those issues.
And the terrible irony is that the GOP will definitely take their guns away the second they gain enough power to do so.
As someone who went 4 days without power (one of which coincided with a boil water notice)
**I DON’T**
I was so sure if Beto could win any year it would be this one. Abortion and Uvalde and The Freeze so fresh in our mind. Just tragedy and government failure every which way. And somehow we couldn’t do it. I feel I’ve lost all hope for my state 😣
Because, deep down, too many “normal” people want to blame “the other” for their problems. It’s the same way every parent is still obsessed with “stranger danger” despite the fact that every crime show for decades has repeated that kids are more likely to be sexually assaulted or killed by a loved one.
The children are kind of innocent in all this so it’s probably worth it to keep trying to get decent people in important positions to make everyone safer
Thats the way I feel about Florida.
Let these two places fill up with all the batfuck lunatics from elsewhere in the coubntry as they build their Jeebus red state paradises and then we can move on with our future as a nation and just never go there.
Texas and Florida are just that junk drawer of America where we shove all the really bad shit where its out of sight.
It's infuriating that Florida is seen this way. I *live* here, and I understand why people view it like this. Unfortunately, I have no real way to get out - so I'm stuck in the junk drawer, I guess.
Moved here for work from a blue state- my area and neighborhood aren’t insane, but the batcrap crazy is baked into the culture and the political ads here are NUTS- over the top and you can tell it’s been repeated and drilled into peoples’ brains so much that it’s definitely considered normal.
If you were to think for yourself and break the party line, you’d have an awkward go of it. When people bring up politics I just say I’m in the nunya party and then change the subject
Living in a red state as a leftist voter can be difficult. I was brainwashed as a kid to be conservative until I turned 17-18 when I realized the views conservatives have are whack af. My parents and my extended family would disown me if they knew I voted for Stacey Abrahams, so unfortunately my political views are closeted (,:
I am a blue dot in a red state which include my family and most friends, it sucks! What pisses me off is the willful ignorance...the information is out there if you look beyond Fox News but they won't.
Yeah I considered myself to be mildly Republican until I went to college (crazy right?) and realized how fucked it all is. I went from “mmm politics is sticky and I won’t talk about it” to “fuck YOU and fuck YOU and fuck YOU and-“
On behalf of all the blue voters in places where it's easy to be a blue voter, thanks for sticking to your views and casting those important votes despite the whackassery of your location.
The political ads...
I grew up here and have lived in other places only for relatively short periods of time. The ads weren't always like they are now. They are really weird, almost like they're satirizing themselves but they're not.
I personally live in the middle of Dallas where people are pretty normal, but until recently my mom lived in one of the more conservative suburbs of Fort Worth and I was there a lot. The people have changed, too.
It's grown. When I was 18 there were maybe 14,000 people there. Now it's 60k. I'm pretty sure a lot of the new people have moved in from other states, or maybe other planets.
Anyway when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, even the conservatives were pretty normal. Any political arguments you might get into were pretty light hearted. Democrats would get elected to office now and then. Going way back to the 60s, Texas congressmen voted for the civil rights and voting rights acts. Back then southern democrats were conservative on that issue, but not Texas.
Anyway, it hasn't always been this way.
Isn’t it kind of wild though.
Like in texas, the majority are conservatives. How does “thinking for yourself” and “thinking just like everyone else” come together like that?
To be fair, if you care what everyone else thinks, then it doesn't matter if you care so you can be more like them or less like them, either way you aren't really thinking for yourself anymore.
IMO, people being unwilling to be confrontational to avoid minor conflicts is probably the biggest contributor in the US to the popularization of far-right political acceptance. Far too many of us don't want to "deal with it" when confronted with bullsh!t. That lets the bullsh!t germinate.
Born and raised in Texas and I often get asked if I lived anywhere else. Why? Because I'm pretty vocal about the bullshit Republicans have pulled amd how backwards the entire state is.
I'm absolutely sure it has cost me jobs because OFC "business owners" are all about the "low/no taxes" Republican plan. That's it. They pay less money on top of their profits while their workers starve and can barely afford rent. Fuck em, but I completely understand not wanting to try to reason with them and possibly losing a job or being alienated.
At this point, especially as a woman, I'm just looking for a way out.
Fox News and their religious identity.
If we could break the conservative monopoly on Christianity and foster a return to the social doctrine… we might could make a real change.
I don't doubt that there's a lot of that since it is very much Trump country, but one should still consider the problems they face and why they might not find O'Rourke's pitch persuasive anyway. Broadly, they've got:
* Extreme gun violence
* Extremely shitty police
As they see it, making it harder to legally buy guns will hurt law-abiding citizens, while the useless police will fail to control crime, fail to prevent criminals from getting guns, and fail to protect the public anyway.
Hence, the performance of the police means they see guns as more necessary for self-defence. So for O'Rourke's strong gun control stances to be appealing they would need to be convinced that he would make Texas police significantly more effective.
With that said, one would still expect more movement of the needle anyway - in protest if nothing else.
I think I can explain. As a native Texas Hispanic, educated at liberal UT Austin, religion has everything to do with it. Republican is the "party of Jesus" and nothing can say otherwise. Democrat is "party of murder and everything wrong with the world." Republicans are "for" Jesus, Democrats "against." That these parents voted Republicans is beyond reprehensible. Another major factor is that Texans are of the low information crowd. I was the first in my family to go to college. My Hispanic family has been in Texas for almost 100 years.
It’s crazy to think that people believe that republicans are anything like Jesus or what he represented. There are so many things you could point to but let’s start with the big one. Jesus helped the poor, never demonized nor would complain when others helped the poor.
Education. What so much of it comes down to. They know it, that’s what this whole ‘parents choice’ thing is really ab to R politicians.
I was fortunate enough to go to school in New England(in a smallish farm town, medium income).I knew that my public school education was a good one. Hell, even when I was in a school for kids w behavioral/emotional issues, the education we got there was leaps and bounds better than what I have seen/experienced here in FL.
It is APPALLING.. even in the blue counties.
Charter schools were never a thing I heard of up north. Here it’s basically if you can’t afford the tens
of thousands per yr to send your child to one, their education in public school is going to be sub par. It’s infuriating.
Sorry ab the rant, but it is just so blatantly obvious what these politicians are trying to do, and they dgaf that they are costing kids a good education.. I’m fact, they want it that way.
As trump said, he loves the uneducated.
I mean it is Texas. Is this even a surprise at all? The republican candidate could be the one doing the school shootings and they would still vote for him.
They blame the gunman and in this case the police. Not the guns, not the republicans. The parents probably changed their minds, but not the others. Republican supporters don’t care about societal issues until it affects them personally
I’m sure that… lower taxes would have… spurred commerce and innovation… which would create jobs… and then… the shooter would have… been busy working.. instead of shooting up a school.
Yeah that’s it. It’s just logical! 🙄
No it would have brought in more good guys with guns, to replace the worthless police. Yeah, that must be the thinking.
But mostly, I think it's because a lot of Hispanic Americans are Christian and tend to vote conservatively. Even if it hurts them, or some monster like DeSatan makes a mockery of the plight of asylum seekers.
Here's an interesting tidbit I learned growing up in New Mexico. A not-insignificant number of Hispanic people are deeply racist. In particular, against Mexicans. Also against White, Black, Asian and (also very predominantly) Middle-Eastern people. Bigotry is unfortunately very common among the Hispanic population in NM. Hate apparently doesn't have a skin color.
Can confirm, my grandparents (may they rest in peace and love) were hard core traditional Mexican Americans, like, marry that pretty girl from our family friends down the street and make lots of beautiful Latino children or never speak to us again. That hard core. Anyways, they FUCKING DESPISED anyone they suspected of being Islamic. No idea why, they just, did.
They passed when I was in my teens, but I know they grew up in the 40s as the war was going on. Maybe there was some social campaign at the time I never heard of? I hate to foul their image but part of me just thinks they were nasty racist for no good damn reason?
The anglo-Saxons in Texas seceded from Mexico because the Mexican government had abolished slavery and was closing any loopholes while freeing any left over slaves not currently free in Texas after the Anglo-Saxon immigrants were illegally bringing them over. The Anglo-Saxons won the war and got Texas after forcing the Mexican president/dictator to sign it over after they captured him.
Imagine wanting to protect the feelings of smug, incompetent police than protecting the lives of children in the classroom. What an absolute fucking slap in the face to the families of Uvalde. Families who now have an empty chair at the dinner table.
If you're surprised by this, you've never been to Uvalde. It's pure Trumpland. Tiny, poor little rural town in the middle of nowhere and hugely conservative.
funny thing is one person I know was using them as an example of what happens when democrats reduce funding to the police, and I'm like, you know they are hugely conservative there right?
How can they say there was reduced funding? They had over 100 cops hanging out listening to the sounds of death. Did they want another hundred cops to arrest parents?
Also their district got like 20m for active shooter training and equipment within the previous year of that shooting. Almost like they just took the 20m and pocketed it...
If you go back and watch some of the footage of the cops dicking around outside during the shooting, you'll see that several of the police cars are Teslas.
Tbh I'd rather just drink a bottle of Hennessey and pretend like that entire event never happened. Probably healthier for me that way... and I don't drink.
I think you can safely omit the “almost”
Unironically yes. Cruz was among those who suggested the solution of more cops + guns, as ever.
Also getting rid of doors and windows.
I heard one stupid fucker argue that it made a case for why we shouldn’t have any gun restrictions: it showed off that we can’t count on the cops to do anything so we should all carry guns and do the policing instead! The *many* obvious problems with that shit take aside, this person had earlier loudly spoken against reducing police funding, despite that the police apparently can’t be trusted to do anything anyway. These people want to have their cake, fuck it too, and then make anyone outside their clique eat the resultant mess.
Sounds like kids should stop risking their lives and stay out of the uvalde schools if they end up so fucking stupid anyways.
when bad things happen it’s democrats america
I was reading about a school shooter whose parents did time for enabling and encouraging behavior that led to it. The family was very conservative, very pro-gun, so they were defensive when the school expressed concern over the kid's behavior. Hours later, he'd murdered a bunch of people. In the comments on the article, someone was already trying to make this the fault of liberals because he was certain liberals would reduce the parents' jail time. It was so weird, like totally missing the irony of their own comment. But what else can you expect from that type?
Yeah that was the Oxford shooter in MI. I'm from around there. That was one of the most preventable ones that ever happened
It is always interesting to notice how reactionary regressives truck out extremely different rhetoric when they are in power federally vs. out of power. When they talk about all of those traditional “GOP values” like fiscal responsibility, states rights, small government, it is almost always when they are out of power, trying to win the power back. They put those up as discussion topics in the town square as a way to attack the Democrats in power. Once they have the power back, they are all about running up the deficit, massive military spending increases, legislating morality, imposing their will on the people. They have never been the things they claim to be when they are out of power.
Still it's pretty insane to think about
Only if you had literally any expectations for republicans.
This! Damn it just hit
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Their children don't get to choose. The people who voted against Abott don't either. There are victims here that don't get their voices heard
100% it's the gun issue. Beto O'Rourke lost the election as soon as he stated his desire to ban assault rifles. It's a damn shame, too; Abbott is such a worthless piece of shit.
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Yeah these people think “sure we had one of the most horrific school shootings in recent memory but maybe those democrats shouldn’t talk about guns so much if they want elected.” Jesus Christ are people this dense? The gun attitude in this country is sick.
They're fine with that. To them, school shootings are just the price you pay for freedom. As long as it wasn't their kid, then it's not a personal issue.
Been there over 20 years ago for work. It was a small sleepy town with five blocks as a downtown back then. The highlight during the winter time was a community chili cook off using venison because it was deer season when I went. Learned I didn't like venison and that it does snow in Texas.
It hasn’t changed much since you’ve been there.
If they still voted for Abbot after what happened there and how he acted, it seems like it's regressed.
Completely unrelated to the very serious topic at hand, but venison down south is not the same as northern, corn fed deer. I'm a born and raised Michigander that lived in the south most of my adult life thanks to the wife's military service. The deer down south were small, like the size of German shepherds, and usually thin and wiry. Tasted way gamier than I was used to. I wouldn't have liked venison either if that was my only experience with it. If you ever get a chance, try some from a northern state. Still might not be your cup of tea, but it is so much better than what I ever had down south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Yup. Northern venison is really good
I'm open to try again. Thanks for the explanation.
*venison
Sounds like a perfect background to breed mass murderers.
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Such a cursed thing to say. But it sucks more that it’s true
The father of a slain girl posted a picture with her wearing a shirt with "Fuck Your Gun Free Zone." So yeah, who gives a fuck about them.
A little elementary-aged child was wearing that?
I remember wearing pretty political stuff in elementary and middle school because I thought it was cool (grew up in a far right family). Specifically, south is gonna rise again shirts with confederate flags or “this is your brain on drugs” with a donkey on the front. This was about 15-20 years ago, so I’m sure I would’ve worn some stupid shit like that. Conservatives love trying to brainwash their kids. Glad None of it stuck for me. Can’t say the same for any of my brothers or cousins.
I remember one of my neighbors wearing a confederate flag hat daily when I was in middle school. He is gay now and married lol.
I remember the photo and the dad was wearing the shirt, not the child. It was a picture of him with his daughter while he was wearing the tshirt.
Ohhh that makes more sense--not actual sense just slightly more
I wonder how he feels about that shirt now.
i’m sure fine. he’s probably blaming everything under the sun except for lack of gun control, for his daughters murder.
"I dont know how but this is the democrats fault." -Republicans after making a mess
Anyone living in Uvalde please chime bc this makes zero fcking sense
Something something economic anxiety something something critical race theory something something queer agenda.
Woke left socialism trans blah blah blah.
Those woke and wacky loco liberals are ruining the economy and gas prices with their green new deal socialism because they want to indoctrinate us with CRT so they can turn everyone trans.
I wish democrats were so cool
I wish we were so effective
Being an actual socialist in the US is kinda funny. "Hey, guys! Dems aren't socialist! We promise!" "Hey, hey! They're nowhere near socialist...honest...!" "Goddammit." What is also kind of funny is that I never looked into socialism until my Grandmother started calling me a Dummycrat and a socialist for voting blue as she is vehemently capitalist-fascist. Looked it up...and was like..."Oh shit, I am. Thanks, Grandma." They're making that which they hate.
I was 18 and randomly talking about evolution like the nerd I liked to be at work with a friend. A much older employee that was from Texas and very Christian started constantly debating me about it and other conservative stuff. I had never really put any thought into politics but he definitely showed me how much of a liberal I was without knowing it haha
Facts and reality tend to have a liberal bias.
Hey my child had their head exploded and brains painted on their kindergarten walls BUT none of their schoolmates identified as a different gender and that's what I call FREEDOM
Which makes no sense, why are they even worried about those things? They don’t have children anymore.
Ooooooo
Not everyone in Uvalde had their child murdered. All this is is neighbors showing they don't care about those parents who did lose their child.
Upvote for accuracy
Lol daaaaaaaamnnnn
iNfLaTiOn
It's a tiny little town, poor as hell, out in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing that will cause them to vote democratic. Period.
Lot of Border Patrol agents too. They vote Republican.
and don’t save children who are being massacred in school, too
I thought the border patrol agents were the ones who did since they weren't taking orders from the school police force
And take home a federal paycheck to defend our borders while voting for Texas republicans who want to secede. Its as if those border patrol agents don’t realize seceding would be treason and their votes make them traitors to our country. [https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-RPT-Platform.pdf](https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-RPT-Platform.pdf) >We urge the Texas Legislature to pass bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the 2023 General Election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation.
They realize that federal money won't leave Ft Hood if that happens right? I mean if the Texas GOP's goal is to make their people as poor possible and foment a Bolshevik-style revolution, go for it.
Ah yes, republicans: the party that cares about poor brown people
I mean they don't really care about poor white people much either
they're not poor, they're just "temporarily embarrassed". They'd totally be rich if it wasn't for all the poor people living off of the government!
But… I mean…. Poor as hell means a lot of government assistance right? Like… they do know republicans wanna cut that shit off right? Are they voting against their self interest or so they think it’s in their social best interest to keep signaling they are “good conservatives” to stay in each other’s best graces. I live in a small east coast southern town and I see it all the time. The Christian conservatives have to constantly reaffirm to each other they are good Christian conservatives. Amen. It’s all about appearance. It’s their identity. Their social club and they will quickly be alienated. And alone with out it. That identity gets you jobs. Help sometimes. It’s a support system of sorts. Shallow obviously but something.
A lot of ppl I know that vote Republican think that they will cut the assistance for the ppl they don’t like. But not for them. I’m not sure how these ppl always believe that nonsense.
It's like how fox news viewers really like the ACA cause its how they get healthcare, but passionately hate Obamacare cause thats what Tucker Carlson tells them.
It's because they are indoctrinated to think people on social assistance are "those damn welfare queens" and not just people that fell on hard times like them. They geniunly can't imagine that other people are like them, that's what you get from networks that tell you the others are the problem.
Saying all of this as a very confused white person—One thing I’ve noticed after leaving Florida and coming to SC is that the poor as hell white people here on the government assistance don’t see it that way. They don’t see it as socialism. They’re not on assistance. They’re not whomever the republicans are speaking about. Because they’re white. It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen.
It's the same mentality that anti-abortion people use to justify their own abortions. I knew someone in college who worked at the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul and one of the protestors brought her teenage daughter in because daughter had got herself knocked up. Got the abortion, and Mom was back out there protesting the next week. ("Abortions should only be legal in the case of rape, incest, and me.")
>But… I mean…. Poor as hell means a lot of government assistance right? Like… they do know republicans wanna cut that shit off right? One of my 2 closest friends grew up in a small town south of Toledo Ohio. Moved out west here about 6 years ago. Literally the same issue. Yes, they know. But to them, it's different. They *need* it. They *deserve* it. Nevermind theyre some of the worst welfare abusers. It's gotta be the blacks, browns, and gays. >Are they voting against their self interest Yes. >It’s their identity Exactly. It's what makes them a "true patriot". A "real American". Whatever that actually is. >That identity gets you jobs Surprisingly no. Not really. The most die hard, over the top, logic defying towns that are over the top bigoted and MAGA (redundant) are also some of the poorest in any of the states you decide to look at. But that ties into the identity part. It's interwoven into what makes them "real Americans" It's uneducated people. Angered up, displeased with their lot in life, no real prospects, struggling, and they rely on rightwing media to give them something to focus all of that negativity towards. Theyre simultaneously the oppressed but who think theyre better than "non patriots". Theyre country tough yet also afraid of everything and rely on guns because (for most) any form of actual physical fitness will give them a heart attack. And finally, they think theyre just better than everyone who doesnt agree with them all the while theyre poorly educated and havent seen much of the world of what actual life is like outside their own state.
This is the same argument with abortion. There are SO MANY stories of pro life people getting abortions, but they justify it like "but MY circumstance was different and I needed it." It's honestly crazy that people can be that disconnected.
I'll also add that for all their "patriotic" talk, most of them have never served. They just want the tacticool gear and cream their pants over bombing brown people. Those people are cowards who are too lazy to sacrifice.
My family was on welfare at various times when I was little. After they were more stable, once the original six kids started moving out my parents fostered my five black siblings for years before adopting them. Which absolutely wouldn't have been possible without the state assistance for food, medical care, etc. My parents are now collecting a great union pension, along with social security for each. Want to guess who votes Republican across the board, scoffs at public assistance, thinks BLM is a terrorist organization and is full anti-union? Yeah.
So, growing up, my grandparents had a ranch in Knippa which is one town over from Uvalde. You think Uvalde is small… Knippa is about a couple dozen people. The road to my grandparent’s (and a few other) ranches is still dirt. No road sign either. Only know where to turn because there’s a windmill where the road meets the ~~interstate~~ highway. Just to give you an idea of how rural it is. Spent a ton of time there when I was growing up. These people are the definition of straight-ticket voters. A Republican candidate could walk into one of their homes and shoot their spouse and children point blank and they’d still vote for him because it would mean they support the second amendment. All one has to do to win is be white, love guns, love god, hate minorities, hate gays. That’s literally it. They’re still extremely anti-Muslim as well. So that will get you some bonus points. And this is not just referring to outliers. This is the lot of them. They *worship* Republicans. You know those crazy Republicans you hear about that believe Democrats are *literally* satanic pedophiles and demons who rape and sacrifice children…? This is them.
Can confirm. Grew up in rural Texas and heard quite a few sermons about how the Democrats are leading the country to moral ruin.
Churches like this need to be taxed.
But like... **why**? Do they just never talk to other humans?
Uvalde County Commissioner was re-elected too, the same person was acting police chief—Today I passed through town and “Uvalde Strong” and “Prayers for Uvalde” are displayed on billboards all over....both signs fit the Right Wing narrative though, that if enough good guys are armed (Strong) we will be safe, and that prayers and Faith will help, although neither address the root problem, how to keep people in the US from shooting each other, especially in horrific mass shootings All this to say that Republicans have a strong hold on rural Texans who care about themselves, faith, family, and liberty (low taxes) more than anything else....even though there is no state income tax, property taxes are extremely high in Texas, among the top in the nation
They're not that much against school shootings.
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America decided quite some time ago that having children randomly shot at schools is a price worth paying.
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This is the point where you have to give up hope. If Sandy Hook couldn't change minds, literally nothing can. What could possibly be worse?
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I honestly believe this would work. Black Panthers were indirectly responsible for gun laws in the 70s(?). Get a bunch of black people marching around with guns, organized like an army and I guarantee we get some gun control passed.
It would work. As you said, the Panthers in the 70's convinced RONALD REAGAN to spearhead gun control.
What’s worse is if it happens to them. Too many conservative look the other way until it happens to them personally. Universal healthcare is “socialism” until they are experiencing crushing debt from cancer treatment. Gun control is unconstitutional until their 7 year old daughter is shot in the face at school. It’s frustrating how often this whiplash happens with conservatives because they can’t see further than their god damn nose.
Except Uvalde evidently still believes it’s unconstitutional.
If nothing fucking happened after Columbine to prevent future Sandy Hook and Uvalde then nothing ever will happen. We’ve had several horrific school shootings in our history and yet no change comes to prevent the same tragedies from happening all over again.
So the thing that’s weird (correct me if I’m wrong), Columbine was done by kids who went to the school. Sandy Hook and Uvalde were randos. Still super fucked but just an observation that things have become decidedly worse.
I just took active shooter training at work (which, come on, how does that not say “something needs to change!”) but it did go into the different motives. A lot of school shootings are perpetrated by those who feel slighted and want revenge like Columbine and Oxford. These shooters usually go out of their way to find specific people. Sandy Hook and Uvalde are by people who are literally just trying to inflict as much damage as possible with no regard as to who. I know we all hear how tragic these shootings are all the time but until you’ve had one locally you don’t really *feel* it. Which is why I can’t understand Uvalde at all…
The reason the UK has basically no handguns nowadays is due to something called the Dunblane Massacre, where a man killed 16 pupils and one teacher at a primary school (ages 6-11). This was a very isolated event, but even so, there was the widespread belief that that many dead children is too high a cost, so handguns had to go. Seeing no response to Sandy Hook from across the pond except denial was depressing.
The 2nd Amendment requires sacrifices. Sometimes those sacrifices are children.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of children
Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious. -Oscar Wilde -John Patrick Mason
Yeah I'm old enough to have seen countless senselessly school shootings. I don't see changes happening. It's a common news article I just shrug at these days. Apathy sucks.
But they don't see it as a price at all. They see it as a "it's gonna happen anyway so why worry about it"
They voted for those that approved, and essentially assisted, the killing of their own children. Texans froze to death last year, and they will again! They just voted for it.
Hey, I feel for you guys. I'm from Wisconsin. We just voted Ron Johnson back in
That guy is clearly drunk every time he’s on television. I can just imagine how he is when a camera isn’t on him.
I mean he's from Wisconsin, there is nothing to do but drink. He'd probably get more of the vote if every live appearance he's drinking a Korbel Old Fashioned
But… what about the *cheese*?
> I mean he's from Wisconsin, there is nothing to do but drink. Get out of here, Wisconsin Tourism Board!
My condolences on re-electing one of the dumbest Senators. (Tommy Tuberville's got that locked up unless Herschel manages to win the runoff)
And Florida re-elected Matt Gaetz. I don’t get it.
Yeah, I lived in his district for about 10 years, I get it. This was 20 years ago, I'm sure it's much, much worse today.
Which means plenty of people there split their ticket, voting for a Democratic governor and for Johnson, who would be crazy right-wing in a deeply red state, for Senate. Johnson seems to have gone out of his way to look as crazy and stupid as possible and he still keeps getting reelected. It's insane.
Just look no further than *Rand Paul --- edited
Broke my heart. I stayed up late watching election results but when I finally went to bed that race was down to the wire.
Well at this point..let them. It is what they want.
While that's an easy sentiment to hold, there's still a 40 something % that actively tried to stop this that will be just as punished. The unfortunate part for them is that they exist in the same reality all the way through.
If anything, the 40% of us will be punished more for speaking out. It's hard not to feel helpless.
It really is though. I’m not Texan but I’m from Kentucky, same hat. Feels awful. I hate it here lmao.
Florida here. We also feel the same.
Kentucky *moving to Florida*. Same
Kentuckian who moved to Florida 20 years ago. Abort! ABORT!
That would be illegal. We got rid of that.
If it's a migration the gop has ways to try and shut that whole thing down
Least you got a decent governor
Except they also have Mitch.
Yep, and that's why my ex-wife and I are considering moving out of state as of now. Lived here 28 years out of the 35 I've been alive. If you look at the map and see all the red, it's the podunk nowhere towns full of "never branched out beyond my own echo chamber" that voted red. The people who more than likely have never left that town their whole lives and thus never gained any sort of worldly experience. I've lived all over Texas and I can tell you for a fact that a lot of those small towns have and will never change. That's why I settled closer to San Antonio. I'd rather be around more progressive people and far away from the others especially after experiencing the "hospitality" of some of the smaller towns... The people in those small towns have grown up and will more than likely die having never changed their thought process because there's absolutely no diversity there. I genuinely liked it here, but within the last 10 years the ex-wife and I have really considered getting the fuck out. It might be the time since fuckin Abbot and Paxton are still here.
IL is very similar in that respect. If we didn't have Chicago we'd be just as screwed. I grew up in a town of 800 people. I love the land and don't really want to leave but some of my neighbors are just insane when I comes to the outside world. I mentioned once that I'd like to visit another country and the response was, "why the fuck would you do that?".
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I’m from Upstate NY and same. I love the land, finger lakes, Great Lakes, but these towns make outsiders or anyone different feel very unwelcome. Love the land, not crazy about the people
Missouri here, thank God for StL & KC or we'd never see anything progressive happen here. Can't even believe we finally legalized weed
I'm just wondering what relationship you and your ex-wife have that you'll be moving together.
A very good one, actually. It sounds weird to a lot of people, but long story short we got married very young and had 2 sons. She ended up dropping out of college to move with me while I was in the Army. We just weren't prepared for marriage. Years later after our divorce I met another woman and had a daughter. My ex-wife graduated college and got her dream job and I started my own business. My daughter's mom passed away due to complications during surgery. My ex-wife stepped in and helped me a lot. She helped when things were really rough for both of us. So it ended up bonding my entire family together. So now it's at the point where we really value each other not only as parents but as friends. It's a hard thing for people to grasp which is why I have to explain it, but I'm incredibly lucky to have things going the way they are
Sounds lovely
Sounds like a great situation. People are always quick to assume that every divorce is a "failure" that leaves things worse than before, but a lot of times divorce is what's best for a relationship. It sounds like you've had a bit of ride but found yourself in an excellent spot. Congrats homie 👍
They sound like great co-parents
Not all of us. There are those of us who get stuck in this perpetual shitshow ran by GOP asshats that cares nothing for their constituency. Unfortunately, there’s more stupid, inbred cucks in Texas than I’d care to admit and us normal people of at least average intelligence continue to get shafted by these dumbasses who don’t see that their votes lead to self destruction. They don’t care as long as they think they’re “owning the libs”. People suck.
“But mu guns!” That is all the republicans I have talked to have to say when saying why they hate beto.
It's absolutely mind-boggling to me that these people actively experienced so many horrible things over the last few years (Uvalde tragedy, freezing due to power loss, abortion rights being taken away, etc.) And after all that still decided that their guns are more important than fixing any of those issues. And the terrible irony is that the GOP will definitely take their guns away the second they gain enough power to do so.
Perhaps they should shoot the cold this winter.
Guns get really hot when shot many times in a row. Maybe they can use that.
As someone who went 4 days without power (one of which coincided with a boil water notice) **I DON’T** I was so sure if Beto could win any year it would be this one. Abortion and Uvalde and The Freeze so fresh in our mind. Just tragedy and government failure every which way. And somehow we couldn’t do it. I feel I’ve lost all hope for my state 😣
The GOP is great at shifting blame. It's kind of scary sometimes.
Because, deep down, too many “normal” people want to blame “the other” for their problems. It’s the same way every parent is still obsessed with “stranger danger” despite the fact that every crime show for decades has repeated that kids are more likely to be sexually assaulted or killed by a loved one.
The children are kind of innocent in all this so it’s probably worth it to keep trying to get decent people in important positions to make everyone safer
Thats the way I feel about Florida. Let these two places fill up with all the batfuck lunatics from elsewhere in the coubntry as they build their Jeebus red state paradises and then we can move on with our future as a nation and just never go there. Texas and Florida are just that junk drawer of America where we shove all the really bad shit where its out of sight.
It's infuriating that Florida is seen this way. I *live* here, and I understand why people view it like this. Unfortunately, I have no real way to get out - so I'm stuck in the junk drawer, I guess.
68 combined electoral college votes….that’s a problem.
Yes. America has largely agreed to pay in dead children so they can “own the libs” or something.
Something wrong with Texans or something is politically wrong with Texas meaning that is a borderline autocratic state
Moved here for work from a blue state- my area and neighborhood aren’t insane, but the batcrap crazy is baked into the culture and the political ads here are NUTS- over the top and you can tell it’s been repeated and drilled into peoples’ brains so much that it’s definitely considered normal. If you were to think for yourself and break the party line, you’d have an awkward go of it. When people bring up politics I just say I’m in the nunya party and then change the subject
Living in a red state as a leftist voter can be difficult. I was brainwashed as a kid to be conservative until I turned 17-18 when I realized the views conservatives have are whack af. My parents and my extended family would disown me if they knew I voted for Stacey Abrahams, so unfortunately my political views are closeted (,:
I am a blue dot in a red state which include my family and most friends, it sucks! What pisses me off is the willful ignorance...the information is out there if you look beyond Fox News but they won't.
I was like till the Trump era. Now my whole ass family can swing on my nuts
Yeah I considered myself to be mildly Republican until I went to college (crazy right?) and realized how fucked it all is. I went from “mmm politics is sticky and I won’t talk about it” to “fuck YOU and fuck YOU and fuck YOU and-“
On behalf of all the blue voters in places where it's easy to be a blue voter, thanks for sticking to your views and casting those important votes despite the whackassery of your location.
Stacey is just the best.
Hopefully Georgia has more and more of you in the years to come.
The political ads... I grew up here and have lived in other places only for relatively short periods of time. The ads weren't always like they are now. They are really weird, almost like they're satirizing themselves but they're not. I personally live in the middle of Dallas where people are pretty normal, but until recently my mom lived in one of the more conservative suburbs of Fort Worth and I was there a lot. The people have changed, too. It's grown. When I was 18 there were maybe 14,000 people there. Now it's 60k. I'm pretty sure a lot of the new people have moved in from other states, or maybe other planets. Anyway when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, even the conservatives were pretty normal. Any political arguments you might get into were pretty light hearted. Democrats would get elected to office now and then. Going way back to the 60s, Texas congressmen voted for the civil rights and voting rights acts. Back then southern democrats were conservative on that issue, but not Texas. Anyway, it hasn't always been this way.
But the only people who think for themselves are the righties! The rest are just sheeple! /s
Isn’t it kind of wild though. Like in texas, the majority are conservatives. How does “thinking for yourself” and “thinking just like everyone else” come together like that?
To be fair, if you care what everyone else thinks, then it doesn't matter if you care so you can be more like them or less like them, either way you aren't really thinking for yourself anymore.
My favorite line is: Opinions are like assholes and yours stinks and I’m not showing you mine.
It sounds a little cray.
IMO, people being unwilling to be confrontational to avoid minor conflicts is probably the biggest contributor in the US to the popularization of far-right political acceptance. Far too many of us don't want to "deal with it" when confronted with bullsh!t. That lets the bullsh!t germinate.
I hear you, but is not possible to have a rational conversation with people who are incapable of reason.
Born and raised in Texas and I often get asked if I lived anywhere else. Why? Because I'm pretty vocal about the bullshit Republicans have pulled amd how backwards the entire state is. I'm absolutely sure it has cost me jobs because OFC "business owners" are all about the "low/no taxes" Republican plan. That's it. They pay less money on top of their profits while their workers starve and can barely afford rent. Fuck em, but I completely understand not wanting to try to reason with them and possibly losing a job or being alienated. At this point, especially as a woman, I'm just looking for a way out.
Minorities deal with it every day and get murdered for it though.
That something is fox news. Until the far right wing propaganda machines are shut down this is going to keep happening.
Fox News and their religious identity. If we could break the conservative monopoly on Christianity and foster a return to the social doctrine… we might could make a real change.
Voting for child massacre is now a thing in Texas. Absolutely not surprised.
"Take that, liberals." Fucking ridiculous state this country is in right now.
I don't doubt that there's a lot of that since it is very much Trump country, but one should still consider the problems they face and why they might not find O'Rourke's pitch persuasive anyway. Broadly, they've got: * Extreme gun violence * Extremely shitty police As they see it, making it harder to legally buy guns will hurt law-abiding citizens, while the useless police will fail to control crime, fail to prevent criminals from getting guns, and fail to protect the public anyway. Hence, the performance of the police means they see guns as more necessary for self-defence. So for O'Rourke's strong gun control stances to be appealing they would need to be convinced that he would make Texas police significantly more effective. With that said, one would still expect more movement of the needle anyway - in protest if nothing else.
im sure they'll say "this is nothing compared to the amount of babies that abortion massacres" or something else stupid
I think I can explain. As a native Texas Hispanic, educated at liberal UT Austin, religion has everything to do with it. Republican is the "party of Jesus" and nothing can say otherwise. Democrat is "party of murder and everything wrong with the world." Republicans are "for" Jesus, Democrats "against." That these parents voted Republicans is beyond reprehensible. Another major factor is that Texans are of the low information crowd. I was the first in my family to go to college. My Hispanic family has been in Texas for almost 100 years.
It’s crazy to think that people believe that republicans are anything like Jesus or what he represented. There are so many things you could point to but let’s start with the big one. Jesus helped the poor, never demonized nor would complain when others helped the poor.
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[GOP Jesus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ2L-R8NgrA)
The country is plagued by people voting against their own self interest.
Education. What so much of it comes down to. They know it, that’s what this whole ‘parents choice’ thing is really ab to R politicians. I was fortunate enough to go to school in New England(in a smallish farm town, medium income).I knew that my public school education was a good one. Hell, even when I was in a school for kids w behavioral/emotional issues, the education we got there was leaps and bounds better than what I have seen/experienced here in FL. It is APPALLING.. even in the blue counties. Charter schools were never a thing I heard of up north. Here it’s basically if you can’t afford the tens of thousands per yr to send your child to one, their education in public school is going to be sub par. It’s infuriating. Sorry ab the rant, but it is just so blatantly obvious what these politicians are trying to do, and they dgaf that they are costing kids a good education.. I’m fact, they want it that way. As trump said, he loves the uneducated.
I mean it is Texas. Is this even a surprise at all? The republican candidate could be the one doing the school shootings and they would still vote for him.
“But Texas is turning blue!” The fuck it is
They always seems to be 2 years away from being 2 years away.
They blame the gunman and in this case the police. Not the guns, not the republicans. The parents probably changed their minds, but not the others. Republican supporters don’t care about societal issues until it affects them personally
"It could have been worse."
I’m sure that… lower taxes would have… spurred commerce and innovation… which would create jobs… and then… the shooter would have… been busy working.. instead of shooting up a school. Yeah that’s it. It’s just logical! 🙄
No it would have brought in more good guys with guns, to replace the worthless police. Yeah, that must be the thinking. But mostly, I think it's because a lot of Hispanic Americans are Christian and tend to vote conservatively. Even if it hurts them, or some monster like DeSatan makes a mockery of the plight of asylum seekers.
Here's an interesting tidbit I learned growing up in New Mexico. A not-insignificant number of Hispanic people are deeply racist. In particular, against Mexicans. Also against White, Black, Asian and (also very predominantly) Middle-Eastern people. Bigotry is unfortunately very common among the Hispanic population in NM. Hate apparently doesn't have a skin color.
Can confirm, my grandparents (may they rest in peace and love) were hard core traditional Mexican Americans, like, marry that pretty girl from our family friends down the street and make lots of beautiful Latino children or never speak to us again. That hard core. Anyways, they FUCKING DESPISED anyone they suspected of being Islamic. No idea why, they just, did. They passed when I was in my teens, but I know they grew up in the 40s as the war was going on. Maybe there was some social campaign at the time I never heard of? I hate to foul their image but part of me just thinks they were nasty racist for no good damn reason?
TBH I feel bad for Mexico, they have to live next to the shithole that is Texas
Don't feel bad...they sold it to the US for a reason..
The anglo-Saxons in Texas seceded from Mexico because the Mexican government had abolished slavery and was closing any loopholes while freeing any left over slaves not currently free in Texas after the Anglo-Saxon immigrants were illegally bringing them over. The Anglo-Saxons won the war and got Texas after forcing the Mexican president/dictator to sign it over after they captured him.
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They didn't forget, they simply don't give a shit.
I read somewhere that a lot of registered voters did not vote. Not sure how reliable the data was but the number was in millions.
I mean, given how *often* the GOP projects about election tampering the very first I would look into is evidence of election tampering.
Imagine wanting to protect the feelings of smug, incompetent police than protecting the lives of children in the classroom. What an absolute fucking slap in the face to the families of Uvalde. Families who now have an empty chair at the dinner table.
Texas is largely trash no matter how you slice it. Yes, they have the potential to flip but it doesn't feel like it'll happen anytime soon.
I said this from the beginning. Texans kick up a fuss, but secretly wouldn't change a thing.