Lives Matter: All lives matter
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
Eugene, Oregon
December 12, 2015 11:12am CST
You’d never know it, though, by listening so some US Presidential candidates, like Trump, who wants to bomb them unrelentingly, wherever “they” are and the Texas pipsqueak Cruz, who wants to “flatten the city of Raqqa, Syria,” which ISIS/ISIL calls its capitol. Civilian lives don’t seem to matter to these warlike men who never served in the armed forces, but are willing to put others at risk. Very macho.
Black lives matter too, though an unreasonable number of young black men seem to die at the hands of white police officers, like the boy in Chicago, shot 16 times as he was walking away from police.
Yes, police lives matter too, like the veteran officer/volunteer minister shot by the nutcase at the Planned Parenthood office in Colorado Springs, and too many others shot execution style in their cars.
The US is in crisis, at home and abroad. That crisis is made worse by voices like the (hopefully) soon to fade Trump, who panders to the most bigoted, ignorant level of citizens, or Cruz, who needs to ask his very Christian self “what would Jesus do.”
All lives matter. Happy holidays!
13 people like this
12 responses
@LadyDuck (502427)
• Italy
12 Dec 15
I hope that you are right and that Mr. Trump will soon disappear. He want to ban immigrants from Syria. I imagine he forgot that the father of Steven Jobs was from Syria, not all those people are terrorists or poor refugees, there are intelligent people, just like we are.
5 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Dec 15
You are so right Anna. He represents the absolute worst part of this great country.
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
14 Dec 15
I don't think he believes any of this. I think it is a political scam.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Dec 15
Listening to those guys, it is easy to see where they are coming from and it is not a country with the compassion and standards that we have built in the US.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Dec 15
It is unbelievable to me as well.
2 people like this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
12 Dec 15
Our world is falling apart @JamesHxstatic . If this isn't the End of Times, I don't know what is.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Dec 15
Sorry, but that is not in my vocabulary. What this is to me is humanity being stupid in a big collective way.
5 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
14 Dec 15
@JamesHxstatic Yes, so many people point to a phrase that excuses them from taking sides against bad behavior.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
13 Dec 15
I have not verified it, but I saw an article the other day that said not ONE of the presidential candidates in either party has ever served in the Armed Forced. That is a shame. They really cannot appreciate the seriousness of the decisions they may have to make. Trump, in particular, is much too cavalier about dropping bombs, killing the FAMILIES of people who commit acts of terrorism, breaking up families because one member may not be here legally and isolating our country from the world.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
13 Dec 15
He is a danger to democracy and to all of us.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40846)
• Laguna Woods, California
14 Dec 15
@JamesHxstatic - I agree with you whole-heartedly. He is scary and, as far as I'm concerned, Cruz is not much better.
2 people like this
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
13 Dec 15
I so agree with you. When I read news from the US, I feel that there is more terrorism in the Us that elsewhere. Yet it seem that the worst are the people with some power. All lives matter.
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
27 Dec 15
I believe all lives matter. I'm not a Trump supporter. But I think its not ignorance or bigotry in voters that has him at the top of the polls. It's frustration and a feeling of helplessness from people who feel betrayed by the politicians of both parties who only care about pleasing their big donors. People believe their representatives aren't listening to them once they get elected. They think that since Trump is not having to take money from big donors he will be able to do what he pleases. Both parties are corrupt at this point and the populists are just fed up. They think Trump speaks common sense. I don't think he'd really do some of the more extreme things he talks about, but his" I'll make America great again" slogan resonates with those who believe the current administration's "change" leaves them with little "hope."
The American people are afraid that terrorist will be planted into the groups of Syrian refugees. The government can't even vet visa holders well enough to prevent terrorists from getting visas. Too many people entering a country with a different cultural background who have no desire to assimilate can threaten the culture of the host country. Many people have their heads in the sand. other presidents have halted immigration - all immigration - for several years to allow immigrants to assimilate before admitting more.
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
29 Dec 15
@JamesHxstatic How many Irish, Italian, Chinese or Japanese immigrants carried out terrorist attacks here in America? None that I know of. Yes, there was fear that some Japanese might have been spies during WW2, but the real reason they were put into the camps, I believe was prejudice or the competition in the job market. Even while in the camps the Japanese American citizens remained loyal Americans who were eventually welcomed home by their previous neighbors if they were able to return.
Unfortunately, Muslims are guilty of most terrorist attacks in Western nations. They come immigrate and large groups don't assimilate. If we let immigration continue at its present rate with people entering who will not assimilate, we will not longer have an distinct American culture. Add to that the fact that many Muslims don't really believe in freedom of religion except as a means of getting to practice their religion here until there are enough of them here to take over and institute Sharia Law. They do not want to be Americans. They want Americans to become Muslims. Take a good luck at what's happening in the countries like Saudi Arabia which they control. Those who are influenced by terrorist organizations like ISIS certainly don't tolerate freedom of religion. They even kill other Muslims who disagree with them.
I realize that not all Muslims Are extremists. There are probably many Muslims who are not very religious, just as many Christians and Jews don't think much about religion except on religious holidays and when they are going through a rough place in life and need to call for help. Whatever may have happened in the Middle Ages and before, Christians and Jews do not convert by the sword now and haven't for centuries. Some very enthusiastic Christians or cultists may annoy those around them with their desire to see people converted, but they don't threaten to kill people who won't convert. They use words, not swords or bombs, to persuade.
Most middle class Americans know this. People aren't afraid of a Muslim "invasion" because of what they don't know about the Muslim religion, but what they do know that any aware person who is paying attention to modern history and who has studied religious teachings can see. If Muslim evangelists used words instead of weapons in their efforts to convert us "heathen" we might consider them more like other religions. In the meantime, if a few extreme Muslim believers who have been radicalized are planted among the Syrian refugees, we will see more incidents like San Bernardino happening here and in other state. That's why people are afraid. They know refugees and other immigrants from the Middle East can't be properly vetted and that we don't really know who they are or why they are coming.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
28 Dec 15
Many of these same things were said about the Irish and Italian immigrants a hundred years ago. Trump is a dangerous, xenophobic fool who will lead us into yet more wars, as will some other GOP candidates. He is a power hungry man who loves himself more than anything.
1 person likes this
@pauliek (287)
• Udon Thani, Thailand
14 Jan 16
@JamesHxstatic If Donald Trump was a know-nothing, how could he have become a successful businessman and billionaire?
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
13 Jan 16
I don't see how anyone can be swayed by his bigoted, belligerent, know-nothing style.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
13 Dec 15
I find it so sad that many who profess to be Christians want to hurt and/or kill others. I guess they didn't get what Jesus preached.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
13 Dec 15
Yes, I guess they only read the old testament.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
14 Dec 15
@JamesHxstatic Probably didn't read any of it.
1 person likes this
