Chit-Chat: The Feels

[Eri]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

There is a difference between standing for something or not accepting something on the one hand, and ridiculing, shaming and not being civil to people. If you don't want them doing those things to you, don't do it to them, even if you think they deserve it. You only perpetuate vindictive conflict that way. It comes back to you. Better to work out our anger in therapy or with friends who agree with us rather than perpetuate the cycle of violence and bullying behavior by taking it out on others we don't agree with or find morally repugnant. No matter how offensive they are to us it isn't worth that. Do we really want to live in a world like that? I certainly don't. Better to channel one's energy in changing things for the better, not making them worse.

Unfortunately, I think the world has always been like this - especially in America. I know I've already brought this up but post-Civil War, communities were still being bullied out of opportunities to advance their livelihoods (even as far as under pain of death). During the Civil Rights Movement - churches were being bombed while people were "turning the other cheek." The status quo was being sprayed with hoses, beaten with clubs and sicc'ed on by attack dogs in your best Sunday clothes while you peacefully protested to advocate for your own humanity. You mentioned how many former generations of women of the past had to fight to vote, earn reproductive rights, etc. and even today we're going to be fighting a lot harder for the future (it is exhausting as I'm sure you're aware).

In an ideal situation, I would be delighted to envision a world where healthy children could thrive and grow in environments where everyone is treated equally with compassion rather than hostility. But history severely contradicts this. Where violence hasn't worked is in the state's response. THAT'S what begets more violence. Address peoples' issues/concerns and you won't have any problems.

Enjoy your holiday!

Edited November 28 by Eri

[Palimelon]

Quote

Look, the Cybertruck has been an abomination since it was first announced on multiple levels. The fools who chose to purchase and drive one deserved to be shamed.

Amen.

Quote

Again, it continues to amaze me how Trump supporters go around all, "Fuck your feelings!" but the moment someone insults them or cuts ties with them over their shitty views they have a meltdown. 

This.

[Soapy Goddess]

13 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

 

Error...can't delete. 

Edited November 28 by Soapy Goddess

[anony.miss]

52 minutes ago, Soapy Goddess said:

So mature.

In the face of all the insanity right now -  a sex trafficker having been nominated for AG, Nazis marching in Ohio, tariffs about to destroy the economy - Lantern7 calling out a cybertrucker strikes me as pretty restrained.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone - hope the day lands gently.

Edited November 28 by anony.miss

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Makai said:

Morals aren’t universal so the boundaries of what I view to be morally reprehensible is likely to be different than what you view to be the boundaries. Without dealing in more specifics it is difficult to have a conversation about the issue. Are we talking online or in person? Is the response provoked or unprovoked? What kind of names? What do you view to be harassment? 

I don't have time to elaborate but verbal assault can be illegal depending on the type of action, the circumstances and the state. Per Google:

Quote

Yes, verbal assault can be a crime: 

Threatening violence

In every state, it's illegal to threaten violence, and this can lead to criminal charges. The threat must be credible to be considered a crime. 

Hate crime

Verbal assault can be a form of hate crime. 

Stalking

Repeated verbal abuse can be considered stalking, which is a crime in many places. Stalking includes following someone, contacting them, or posting about them in public. 

Intimidation

Verbal abuse can be considered intimidation if it causes fear of physical or mental harm. This includes cyberbullying, harassment, or molestation. 

Verbal abuse can also lead to civil torts, including assault or intentional infliction of emotional distress. 

If you're the victim of verbal assault, you should: 

Report it to the authorities immediately 

Inform them if you're concerned about your safety 

Seek help from a professional solicitor 

The consequences for verbal assault can vary depending on the circumstances and the state.

I've already listed the types of verbal insults and threats I'm talking about. I don't know how it matters where it happens but we were talking about calling someone an "asshole" to their face in person who's just driving a car someone associates with a political position they find offensive. The person has done nothing illegal or wrong to THEM personally and we don't even know that person's actual political affiliations (which shouldn't matter anyway). That to me is not justified. And depending on the severity and duration of the verbal abuse in the eyes of the law there may be legal consequences for that kind of behavior. Just because you think you occupy the moral high ground doesn't give you the right to threaten, intimidate, harass and insult people, especially when they have not done anything similar to you personally. And just doing it on the basis of your assumptions about them is not justified and can be a violation of THEIR rights.

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Makai said:

Morals aren’t universal so the boundaries of what I view to be morally reprehensible is likely to be different than what you view to be the boundaries. Without dealing in more specifics it is difficult to have a conversation about the issue. Are we talking online or in person? Is the response provoked or unprovoked? What kind of names? What do you view to be harassment? 

Also, whatever your morals are, the law and the American version of human rights is a thing and if you violate someone else's rights in the process, which can include being able to exist peacefully without being verbally insulted, name called and harassed to their faces, then your morals aren't what will be upheld here in the eyes of the law. Their right to peacefully exist will take precedence depending on how the law views the particular situation. If you hunt down and deny people their right to exist peacefully by calling them names and interfering with their lives in any big way just because you disagree with them, then this can apply. I'll have to save a personal example of this for another time.

[Makai]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I've already listed the types of verbal insults and threats I'm talking about. I don't know how it matters where it happens but we were talking about calling someone an "asshole" to their face in person who's just driving a car someone associates with a political position they find offensive. The person has done nothing illegal or wrong to THEM personally and we don't even know that person's actual political affiliations (which shouldn't matter anyway).

I wasn’t expecting you to answer all my questions. My point is that it is difficult to talk about these things with generalizations because perception varies from person to person. 

As I said earlier, I highly doubt the cybertruck driver heard a thing* and it’s a pretty mild insult so I don’t consider that to be insulting someone to their face. If a random stranger called me an asshole I would be more baffled than insulted. 

*This is largely based on my perspective living in a place where most drivers have their windows up, particularly at this time of year. I have never seen a cybertruck with the windows down. I have assumed that maintaining that remote aesthetic is part of the appeal for anyone who buys one. 

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Also, whatever your morals are, the law and the American version of human rights is a thing and if you violate someone else's rights in the process, which can include being able to exist peacefully without being verbally insulted, name called and harassed to their faces, then your morals aren't what will be upheld here in the eyes of the law.

The frequent protestors outside of planned parenthood clinics makes me disagree that the law is going to uphold the right to exist peacefully without being verbally insulted, name called and harassed to your face. As does people holding signs or yelling, “your body, my choice” at women. 

That doesn’t even take into account the places where a person’s right to exist peacefully is being directly threatened by the law itself. 

Edited November 28 by Makai

[peacheslatour]

10 minutes ago, Makai said:

I wasn’t expecting you to answer all my questions. My point is that it is difficult to talk about these things with generalizations because perception varies from person to person. 

As I said earlier, I highly doubt the cybertruck driver heard a thing* and it’s a pretty mild insult so I don’t consider that to be insulting someone to their face. If a random stranger called me an asshole I would be more baffled than insulted. 

*This is largely based on my perspective living in a place where most drivers have their windows up, particularly at this time of year. I have never seen a cybertruck with the windows down. I have assumed that maintaining that remote aesthetic is part of the appeal for anyone who buys one. 

The frequent protestors outside of planned parenthood clinics makes me disagree that the law is going to uphold the right to exist peacefully without being verbally insulted, name called and harassed to your faces. As does people holding signs or yelling, “your body, my choice” at women. 

That doesn’t even take into account the places where a person’s right to exist peacefully is being directly threatened by the law itself. 

Our office was across the street from a Planned Parenthood clinic and my aunt was the office manager. Every Thursday there would be this same group of angry fat old men standing out there holding up signs with pictures of dead babies. My aunt used to go over there to talk to them. I won't say she was trolling them but I won't say she wasn't. Eventually they stopped showing up.

[bluegirl147]

Growing up I always heard you have to let mean and nasty speech be allowed or we lose the right to any free speech. And I understand that premise but anti choice protesters being allowed to harass women doing what they think is right for them is something I will never agree with.

And as far as cyber trucks go they are ugly as hell.  I would expect nothing less from Elon Musk.

 

[Annber03]

I have been fortunate to not see any of these cybertrucks you guys are talking about thus far. Maybe I'm just not living in the right area or something - I don't know how expensive they are, so who knowsi if people in my neck of the woods could even afford one. 

But yeah, I woulldn't buy anything Musk put out, that's for damn sure. 

[bluegirl147]

12 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

 

But yeah, I woulldn't buy anything Musk put out, that's for damn sure. 

Back in 2017 I was at a Nordstrom's Rack and saw a blouse I liked. So I started to pick it up and saw the Ivanka Trump label.  I pulled my hand away like it was on fire.

[fairffaxx]

40 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I have been fortunate to not see any of these cybertrucks you guys are talking about thus far. Maybe I'm just not living in the right area or something - I don't know how expensive they are, so who knowsi if people in my neck of the woods could even afford one. 

They cost approx $80,000-$100,000, even though they look like refrigerators.

[Bastet]

45 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I have been fortunate to not see any of these cybertrucks you guys are talking about thus far.

I've seen one in my neighborhood/within a few miles of my neighborhood three times so far. I am telling myself it's the same person three times, not that I have three of these morons living near me.

46 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

But yeah, I woulldn't buy anything Musk put out, that's for damn sure. 

 I love the Teslas with stickers on them that say "I bought this before we knew he was insane."  (I mean, we knew then, but I take their point.)

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Every Thursday there would be this same group of angry fat old men standing out there holding up signs with pictures of dead babies

One of the hospitals near us gets picketed now and then.  Usually a handful of old men who, apparently, have nothing better to do with their time.  What's stupid is abortion is one of a multitude of procedures, treatments and operations happening on any given day.  Odds are their signs are being seen more by some guy going in for a colonoscopy than a woman going in for an abortion.

[PRgal]

My son is obsessed with Cybertrucks.  He got to see one at my husband's cousin's place (they live in a condo and it was in their garage) during Rosh Hashanah.  Keep in mind my son is 6.

[peacheslatour]

44 minutes ago, fairffaxx said:

They cost approx $80,000-$100,000, even though they look like refrigerators.

Not only that but some insurance companies will only cover them as commercial vehicles due to their massive weight and if you can get regular passenger insurance you will pay double what you'd pay for say an F150.

[Makai]

16 minutes ago, PRgal said:

My son is obsessed with Cybertrucks.  He got to see one at my husband's cousin's place (they live in a condo and it was in their garage) during Rosh Hashanah.  Keep in mind my son is 6.

Makes sense. They look straight out of Minecraft. 

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I've seen one in my neighborhood/within a few miles of my neighborhood three times so far. I am telling myself it's the same person three times, not that I have three of these morons living near me.

 I love the Teslas with stickers on them that say "I bought this before we knew he was insane."  (I mean, we knew then, but I take their point.)

I live in a fossil fuel state and I have seen one truck a couple times.  As far as I can tell we have no public charging stations.  At least not in the immediate area.  So I guess they charge at home and don't travel too far.  How long and how far does a charge last?

[peacheslatour]

17 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I live in a fossil fuel state and I have seen one truck a couple times.  As far as I can tell we have no public charging stations.  At least not in the immediate area.  So I guess they charge at home and don't travel too far.  How long and how far does a charge last?

I don't know but we have tons of them. We have them at city hall and every hospital. I know there's a couple at the car wash down the street from us. In some of the outlying areas they are constantly being vandalized. Who knows why.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, fairffaxx said:

They cost approx $80,000-$100,000, even though they look like refrigerators.

So *that's* what these weird vehicles are called? They look like something used in a sci-fi movie. 

[peacheslatour]

12 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

So *that's* what these weird vehicles are called? They look like something used in a sci-fi movie. 

[Absolom]

3 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

And as far as cyber trucks go they are ugly as hell.  I would expect nothing less from Elon Musk.

I have a neighbor who has one.  I shake my head every time I see it.

[RealHousewife]

4 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Growing up I always heard you have to let mean and nasty speech be allowed or we lose the right to any free speech. And I understand that premise but anti choice protesters being allowed to harass women doing what they think is right for them is something I will never agree with.

And as far as cyber trucks go they are ugly as hell.  I would expect nothing less from Elon Musk.

 

I feel bad for finding that the cyber truck so unattractive. I know a nice guy who has one, and I know he must love his car to spend good money on it. There are so many beautiful cars you can get for that price.

[annzeepark914]

I think the regular Teslas are so unattractive and they seem to be all over the place now.

[Calvada]

On 11/27/2024 at 11:56 AM, peacheslatour said:

The Trump voters are feeling sorry themselves after Trump won, but they are mad when their family is telling them to fuck off after Trump won because Trump sucks.

They do want it both ways. They want to gloat that Trump won, but they want everyone to love them still, even though they support a rapist. This guy has another message that I can't find where he says the third daughter has now cancelled and he just can't figure it out.

 

 

This poor man.  He just cannot understand why his daughters might be upset that he voted for a rapist, someone who would let them die if they suffer a miscarriage.  And after he "let them vote how they wish."  Perhaps his announcing to the world that they have a mental disorder will bring peace and understanding to this troubled family?  

What an idiot.  

[Anela]

I got into it a bit with my British aunt yesterday, after she commented on something I shared re: transphobia and bathrooms.  Something about how we’ve shared bathrooms with people that we know (mixed genders), and been fine.  
 

she said “that’s people you know”.  She conveniently forgot that I was 

Spoiler

Almost killed by a man, that my mother was engaged to, when I was little

And nobody arrested him. I shared a bathroom with him, too. 

I was also mentally and physically abused by my sister, several years, for setting one boundary: not wanting to be under the same roof as her now-husband, because he’d sexually harassed me on and off for years, upsetting me, and her, and causing trouble between us.  I would get the frosty treatment, and he would be temporarily downgraded to “friend” status, but not for long. 
 

my aunt supported her in everything she did to me.  She insulted me, and mocked me, and thought I should get over it, because they were getting married.  She was rude to me on social media, until I blocked her, and publicly celebrated my sister.  She had NO problem with my being expected to not only share a bathroom, but a house, with my sexual harasser, for at least a month at a time.  Because he’s Canadian, and they didn’t get their own home here, even though they got married.  Remembering everything that she was fine with, had me furious, and crying for a few hours yesterday. And I wonder what people have been expected to just put up with, in the name of politeness, for their entire lives.  I’m not shoving anyone, I’m not yelling at anyone and filming it for TikTok.  I gave the finger to a flag.  

so, she can miss me with worrying about my safety in a target bathroom, and anyone who voted for everything that man stands for, will get the same response from me. 

and I don’t want to talk about this, beyond what I’ve said. My stomach hurts, because I ate.  

Edited November 29 by Anela

[anony.miss]

Four more years of this vicious, stupid shit, four more years of his boundless ignorance and bitter hatred - all vomited up on the regular.

Edited November 29 by anony.miss

[Anela]

4 minutes ago, anony.miss said:

Four more years of this kind of vicious, stupid shit; four mroe years of Trump's boundless ignorance and bitter hatred, vomited up on the regular.

And it wasn’t a landslide.  His lead is like 270,000 votes.  
 

Just a couple of months ago, he promised the police a purge day.  One day of violence, to take care of criminals.  

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/29/trump-violent-day-policing-crime-00181619

https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-far-right-supporters-violent-memes/

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, anony.miss said:

Four more years of this vicious, stupid shit, four more years of his boundless ignorance and bitter hatred - all vomited up on the regular.

The incorrect capitalization really takes the cake. How can anyone vote for someone who types like this?

Though I need to cross stitch something that says "Radical Left Lunatic." 

[bluegirl147]

55 minutes ago, anony.miss said:

Four more years of this vicious, stupid shit, four more years of his boundless ignorance and bitter hatred - all vomited up on the regular.

Of course he is sore winner.

How anyone can think he is presidential is beyond me.  

[peacheslatour]

12 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Of course he is sore winner.

How anyone can think he is presidential is beyond me.  

I know. It's like, you won. Get over it.

[kittykat]

48 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The incorrect capitalization really takes the cake. How can anyone vote for someone who types like this?

Though I need to cross stitch something that says "Radical Left Lunatic." 

I'm going to start using Radical Left Lunatic as an honorific.  Ms. kittykat, RLL

And yeah his win is no landslide.  Harris is down by less votes than Trump was against Hillary Clinton.

[tearknee]

Although I believe that the USA is now a fairly tolerant country, run, with some obvious exceptions, by fairly liberal-minded governments, we must realize that the present circumstances will put that tolerance and that liberalism to a severe test. Unscrupulous politicians, extreme right-wing fringe groups, powerful religious bigots and a sensation-hungry media will combine to exploit public fear and ignorance and to channel public anxiety into bigotry and the search for a scapegoat, and we have no guarantee that even the most liberal-minded of governments will be able to resist this kind of pressure for long. We stand in acute danger of powerful attacks on our rights of assembly, expression and sexual and gender freedom. Left movement leaders have often cried wolf about repression in the past, but this time there is no doubt that we will have a real fight on our hands to defend our rights, our freedoms, and even our personal safety.

[Blergh]

Although my faith has been tested, I've never NOT been proud to have been a US American.

 

However, there are those that I am ashamed share my citizenship and I refuse to let any of them dictate to me what being a US American is supposed to embody!

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, anony.miss said:

Four more years of this vicious, stupid shit, four more years of his boundless ignorance and bitter hatred - all vomited up on the regular.

Can someone just fucking permanently muzzle this asshole already, please, for the love of all that is good? Just SHUT UP for once, Jesus Christ. 

I truly don't understand how more people aren't sick and tired of this guy's constant whining by now. 

Regarding the whole thing with transgender people in bathrooms, all I'll say is, the anti-transgender people are the ones who are being weirdly and creepily obsessed with worrying about the genitals of total strangers, not us.

But somehow it's transgender people who are supposedly the creepy predators. Okay. Sure. 

[Ohiopirate02]

43 minutes ago, kittykat said:

I'm going to start using Radical Left Lunatic as an honorific.  Ms. kittykat, RLL

For me, it's right up there with Childless Cat Lady as a badge of honor. 

[Makai]

3 hours ago, Anela said:

And it wasn’t a landslide.  His lead is like 270,000 votes.

His “landslide” victory. 

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, kittykat said:

I'm going to start using Radical Left Lunatic as an honorific. 

Yeah, I wear that badge with the same pride as Social Justice Warrior and Childless Cat Lady.

(Oops, didn't check the next page to see a similar reply already.  But, still - I agree.)

Edited November 29 by Bastet

[Browncoat]

I was on a small tour this morning with a couple from Denmark, a couple from Finland, and our leader who is a Kiwi (not Maori, but has Maori relatives).  They all were concerned about Trump's election and what it means for the world.  That is, when they weren't laughing about the stupidity of Americans to elect such a person.

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Growing up I always heard you have to let mean and nasty speech be allowed or we lose the right to any free speech. And I understand that premise but anti choice protesters being allowed to harass women doing what they think is right for them is something I will never agree with.

Actually, this is part of the story I referred to above that I didn't have time to tell. As far as I know they are NOT permitted to harass people while protesting based on my experience. When I was still living in the Bronx in my late 20s (in the late 1980s) an abortion clinic moved into the basement of my building where a dentist used to be. Suddenly anti-abortion protestors started organizing outside my building holding signs and at times singing or chanting. It started as a small and relatively peaceful group but it gradually got bigger and more agitated as time went on so the police put up those wooden horses to keep them back from the entrance to the building. It was made up of people of all ages and genders. It would happen every few weeks or so.

Eventually they got so agitated that they started to yell out stuff like "baby killer" and "You'll go to hell" and other stuff right to my face. I drew the line there and complained to the police. They told me they would warn them because that kind of in my face and personal interaction was not allowed under the terms of their permit to peacefully protest. The group did not listen so the police sent officers to stand near the entrance of my building. That helped for a while but sometimes the police wouldn't show up. So the protestors started harassing people again, especially young women like me. At one protest they started hurling obscenities and threats of physical harm at me and broke out of their barrier to accost me as I walked into the building. That was that. My husband and I walked into the police station, which unbelievably was right across the street. I was in tears and visibly upset. The group was already on warning and had their permit taken away from them so they stopped protesting. Unfortunately their next step was a bomb threat. I don't know what happened after that but thankfully we never had any trouble again. 

Our landlord was an immigrant and didn't realize how volatile this issue was in the US or he said he would never have rented to the clinic. He got them to move out pretty quickly. 

So anyway if the law is going to be enforced the way it should be those kinds of threatening verbal assaults violate their permits to engage in peaceful protests. But of course why should the law be enforced the way it should be anymore?

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, Makai said:

The frequent protestors outside of planned parenthood clinics makes me disagree that the law is going to uphold the right to exist peacefully without being verbally insulted, name called and harassed to your face. As does people holding signs or yelling, “your body, my choice” at women. 

That doesn’t even take into account the places where a person’s right to exist peacefully is being directly threatened by the law itself. 

See above, although my experience was in the 1980s. I don't know what goes on now but as far as I know that kind of behavior violates their permits to peacefully protest without harassing anyone in a personal way.

As for the cybertruck, if they don't hear it, that's not a problem. I call tons of people assholes while driving with my windows and their windows closed, LOL.

[Annber03]

45 minutes ago, Soapy Goddess said:

You mean like the majority of this thread?

Not even close to being the same thing. He's about to inherit the highest office in the land (again). He needs to be held to a far higher standard of professional and personal decorum .

Also, we have valid reasons to be upset. He doesn't. 

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I have been fortunate to not see any of these cybertrucks you guys are talking about thus far. Maybe I'm just not living in the right area or something - I don't know how expensive they are, so who knowsi if people in my neck of the woods could even afford one. 

But yeah, I woulldn't buy anything Musk put out, that's for damn sure. 

I just saw one on the highway in New York state on Thanksgiving. It was being driven by a young woman. We drove almost 400 miles in one day and that's the only one I saw. But I was astounded by the number of Tesla cars we saw. I always see a few in my area but wow, there were a LOT of them on the interstate. 

I remember when "buy American" was a big deal but it didn't stop people from buying Japanese cars no matter what their politics were. I really doubt all Tesla owners are Republicans either. This is a very blue area. And I don't expect people to trade in their cars just because Elon Musk went nuts circa 2022.

14 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Back in 2017 I was at a Nordstrom's Rack and saw a blouse I liked. So I started to pick it up and saw the Ivanka Trump label.  I pulled my hand away like it was on fire.

I had a blouse I bought on a clearance rack before Trump ever ran for president in my closet. I forgot it was her brand but I hadn't worn it in a few years when I realized it. I sold it on Ebay, lol.

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

 I love the Teslas with stickers on them that say "I bought this before we knew he was insane."  (I mean, we knew then, but I take their point.)

Oh, I love that! My husband told me he saw one of those the other day.

[Yeah No]

My husband and I traveled to New York State on Thanksgiving at the invitation of his nephew and girlfriend who invited us for the holiday. My sister in law and her husband were also there as were other relatives of my husband's. She is a Democrat and consistently votes Democratic while her husband has been a die-hard Republican and Trump supporter forever. He's a man of few words and deaf, not that it matters, but we often don't know what he's thinking. Anyway, we had made a pact not to discuss politics at this gathering even though most of us agree on that subject, but she took me aside at one point and shocked the crap out of me when she told me that her husband did not vote for Trump in this election. He sat it out and didn't vote for president for the first time in his life. I COULD NOT get over that! Anyway I know this man for over 45 years so him not voting for a Republican is MONUMENTAL! I said to my SIL, "There is a God after all", LOL. Of course Harris won in New York so at least his not voting for her didn't hurt that outcome. I just had to share that!

[Soapy Goddess]

56 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Also, we have valid reasons to be upset. He doesn't. 

Really? How about TWO assassination attempts?

[Spartan Girl]

Nobody forced him to run for president again (or in the first place), and nobody forced him to be an asshole.

[bluegirl147]

10 hours ago, kittykat said:

I'm going to start using Radical Left Lunatic as an honorific. 

 

7 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, I wear that badge with the same pride as Social Justice Warrior and Childless Cat Lady.

I don't think they realize those aren't the insults they think they are. When someone would say you are a bleeding heart liberal I would say well yes I am. Nobody is going to make me feel bad for wanting everyone to have equal rights.

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Also, we have valid reasons to be upset. He doesn't. 

He is always the aggrieved party.  That is his whole schtick. The deep state is out to get him.  Everything is rigged against him.  Nobody has ever been persecuted as much as him.  The man who gets away with everything always whining about not getting to do whatever he wants. My two toddler granddaughters whine less than him. 

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I really doubt all Tesla owners are Republicans either

Since Teslas are electric cars and are supposed to be better for the environment I'm guessing you are right.  Although I do think some people bought them as status symbol. Much like when Hummers first came out. 

8 hours ago, Makai said:

His “landslide” victory. 

The amount of people not voting for Trump was the definition of a landslide.

18 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Nobody forced him to run for president again (or in the first place), and nobody forced him to be an asshole.

I don't think he expected to win in 2016.  His campaign was to set up to lead to what was going to be Trump TV.  And 2024 was to stay out of prison. As I said before he doesn't want to actually do the work of a President.  He wants to be what he was at the Trump Organization. Be the figurehead.  Put his name on things and rake in the money. And if he gets to stick it to people he doesn't like all the better. 

[Ohiopirate02]

22 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Since Teslas are electric cars and are supposed to be better for the environment I'm guessing you are right.  Although I do think some people bought them as status symbol. Much like when Hummers first came out. 

 

Elon Musk has his own cult of personality thing going on where wannabe** tech bros revere him as a genius and will fight online with anyone who says differently. These guys are the ones buying Cybertrucks in particular. Other Tesla owners do fall into this group, but many others just wanted an EV and Teslas are widely available.

 

** I used wannabe here because people who work in tech especially ones who are successful in the industry know Elon's history. Elon got lucky and passed off work done by others as proof of his genius. The man was born rich which allowed him to meet the right people who were already working on the tech innovations like PayPal that made Elon millions. 

[Yeah No]

30 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

The amount of people not voting for Trump was the definition of a landslide.

I know we should stop focusing on what went wrong, but this is a sign of what went right. The only problem is that not enough of the people that didn't vote for Trump (like my brother in law) were willing to vote for Kamala and sat out the election. Whether it was because they were die-hard Republicans that had turned away from Trump and were not willing to cross over the line to vote Democratic, or because not enough independents and young people saw the importance of voting for Kamala over Trump and sat out the election, these are the some of the biggest reasons she lost. And also the short length of the campaign, the fact that she was a Black woman, and the fact that she in particular, even more than Biden, had been labeled a "radial left lunatic" or at least a sympathizer, are more reasons she lost. So these are the things I think should be addressed going forward if Democrats are going to win again.

Also, the number of people belonging to either party out there that would only vote their party or sit out the election has grown or so many people would not have stayed home and might have considered voting over party lines. Unfortunately this is a function of the extreme party polarization we have right now. Hopefully after Trump is not president anymore some of that might ease as candidates are put up that on both sides that don't get labeled as extreme.

[Enigma X]

11 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Regarding the whole thing with transgender people in bathrooms, all I'll say is, the anti-transgender people are the ones who are being weirdly and creepily obsessed with worrying about the genitals of total strangers, not us.

To add more evidence to how creepy these particular people and many Musk and Trump fans are (because they are all doing what I am about to describe): there is a NYC teacher on Bluesky (not Twitter) whom I follow who, an hour ago, wrote a post stating how nice it was that they have a replacement coworker who is substituting for their coworker who normally is there but is now on maternity leave. This sub has respected their pronouns and is trans.

Well, a well-known local U.S. terrorist organization, who frequents social media that I will not name, took screenshots of their post, placed it on Twitter, and doxxed them (name, profile, etc.), basically calling for people to harass them. They have now deactivated their Bluesky profile. This is an obscene level of bullying that is going to get someone hurt.