Chit-Chat: The Feels

[LexieLily]

5 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Mainstream media is failing. 

Local journalist Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, on assignment today for Los Angeles Public Press is at the detention center where ICE and several dozen National Guard members met marchers from Mariachi Plaza. Ongoing thread with the story and on-ground video here. 

https://bsky.app/profile/acatwithnews.bsky.social/post/3lr4qvhrbks22

And just like that, Trump created a new news cycle and no one anymore is talking about him being (accused of being) in the Epstein papers identifying him as someone that likes young girls.

[ProudMary]

While I fully anticipated that local law enforcement would be right there next to ICE, ATF, HHS Police, and other federal LEO in red states, I had hoped for better in alleged "sanctuary cities." Yesterday, ICE seemed to be on their own, with local LEO only road blocking the perimeter. That was in Paramount, which I guess would have been LA County Police or Sheriff's Dept.? (If anyone here is familiar with the geography, please correct me if I'm wrong.) 

Today it was LAPD jumping right into it. Several of the videos I saw had protesters asking, "Where is Karen Bass?" Good question. Also, where's the Police Commissioner?

So much for freedom of assembly.

‘I have all of you on camera. I’m going to come to your house’

https://www.latimes.com/california/live/national-guard-troops-la-immigration-ice-clashes-paramount#p=i-have-all-of-you-on-camera-im-going-to-come-to-your-house

As protesters and law enforcement officers clashed in downtown Los Angeles, an L.A. Police Department helicopter flew over a crowd on 1st Street, announcing, “I have all of you on camera. I’m going to come to your house.”

Earlier, around 4:30 p.m., a few hundred people at Alameda and Temple streets marched from the crowded intersection toward City Hall. Several protesters complained about being struck by beanbag rounds.

A man who identified himself only as Jesse showed reporters a bloody circular welt on his stomach. He said he was shot by LAPD officers who fired what looked like beanbag rounds into a crowd.

[ProudMary]

Info regarding the Marines. Illegal, illegal, illegal.

USNORTHCOM statement regarding protection of federal property and personnel in the Los Angeles Area

https://www.northcom.mil/Newsroom/Press-Releases/Article/4209228/usnorthcom-statement-regarding-protection-of-federal-property-and-personnel-in/

Additionally, approximately 500 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, California, are in a prepared to deploy status should they be necessary to augment and support the DoD’s protection of federal property and personnel efforts.

USNORTHCOM will provide more information as units are identified and deployed.

[LexieLily]

I am almost certain I know the answer to this question, but - y'all. Has anything this man has done in an official capacity since he was sworn in been legal?

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Not ICE, not National Guard. LAPD. 😡

To the shock of absolutely no one here in L.A.  Despite some performative attempts to smear lipstick on a pig (with my apologies to swine), LAPD fundamentally remains as Chief Parker (as in Parker Center -- that bag of bigoted dicks had his name on headquarters for 40 years) designed it to be during his tenure in the '50s and '60s, when he actively recruited from southern sheriff departments and the military -- a brutal, racist, over-funded, under-trained (in everything other than SWAT tactics) paramilitary organization that despises the community it laughably promises "to protect and to serve".

Edited June 9 by Bastet

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, ProudMary said:

^^^

Not ICE, not National Guard. LAPD. 😡

Confirmed:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/jun/09/australian-reporter-shot-with-rubber-bullet-while-covering-anti-ice-protests-in-los-angeles

Quote

Footage posted to social media by Nine showed an officer taking aim in the direction of the reporter and her camera operator and then firing.

Quote

The LAPD had issued an “unlawful assembly” notice for the area and earlier advised “media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations”

Does this mean if reporters miss a tweet they'll be shot?

Edited June 9 by shapeshifter

[Soapy Goddess]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

And yet again I ask, we are supposed to be nice and kind and understanding and reach out to people who do this or support this insanity...why? 

I do not EVER want to hear Trump supporters whining about how we're just too mean to them or the GOP again. Ever. You support this, you deserve every ounce of contempt and scorn and disgust you get. 

You can do whatever helps you sleep at night. No one's asking for a hug or kiss. Just being civil without the vitriol is all that's necessary to have a dialogue. You seem to think this thread is only for Trump haters? That's not in the title as far as I can see. I don't support blindly, but you seem to support hate. Sad for you.

 

13 hours ago, Absolom said:

It's a cute cartoon, but very, very sadly inaccurate.  What usually happens in the first line is immediately telling the non-conservative all the reasons they're wrong, going ballistic about taxes and "illegals" and then ignoring anything the non-conservative says.  That's on a good day.  

You see, that's the problem. Many of us don't believe we're wrong. Some of us don't see everything as just black or white. There are varying degrees to our politics. For instance, I've said numerous times that I support Roe v Wade. IOW, one side isn't 100% right, nor is one side 100% wrong.

Another example is the fire bombing and burning of Teslas. I'm sure you don't think that was acceptable behavior, do you? But Dems will justify that behavior simply to suit their politics. Same difference, you know?

 

Edited June 9 by Soapy Goddess

[Absolom]

50 minutes ago, Soapy Goddess said:

You see, that's the problem. Many of us don't believe we're wrong. Some of us don't see everything as just black or white. There are varying degrees to our politics. For instance, I've said numerous times that I support Roe v Wade. IOW, one side isn't 100% right, nor is one side 100% wrong.

Another example is the fire bombing and burning of Teslas. I'm sure you don't think that was acceptable behavior, do you? But Dems will justify that behavior simply to suit their politics. Same difference, you know?

I don't see things as black and white at all.  It's simply that there is SO much wrong from my view with the current administration, that it overwhelms any tiny bit of good they might do.  What good have they accomplished lately?  It seems they're mainly bent on undoing the entire government.  We're not going back to the first tour of Trump.  Since January on balance the bad policies vs any good policies?  Do you honestly believe Trump has zero signs of dementia or mental impairment?  

I don't condone burning cars, but I also don't condone DOGE's overreach and illegal activities, destroying our Governmental infrastructure, the waste, fraud, and abuse that Trump and Musk have committed, etc.  I don't think the two anywhere near approach equivalency.  

[Soapy Goddess]

48 minutes ago, Absolom said:

I don't see things as black and white at all.  It's simply that there is SO much wrong from my view with the current administration, that it overwhelms any tiny bit of good they might do.  What good have they accomplished lately?  It seems they're mainly bent on undoing the entire government.  We're not going back to the first tour of Trump.  Since January on balance the bad policies vs any good policies?  Do you honestly believe Trump has zero signs of dementia or mental impairment?  

 

And I totally get your position...and don't dislike you for it. I wanted to say 'hate' but I don't hate anyone. I might dislike (or hate) their politics, but unfortunately some Dems cannot separate the two. They want us all to burn in hell for exercising our rights as Americans simply because they have an opposing POV. To me, that's being very short-sighted and negates all humanity. But I digress...

Truthfully, I don't know what's being accomplished at this day and time. Maybe getting rid of Musk is a good thing because Dems hate him now. I never thought the bromance would end, but it has. Trump is a stickler for loyalty, so I'm not sure they'll ever get back together.

RE: signs of impairment...I can say without question, no. Coming from the tri-state area, I grew up seeing, hearing, and watching DJT. I've witnessed his personality on many occasions and can tell you that's who he is. He has no filter and speaks his mind without hesitation. Is that a good thing? NO. But again, that's who he is. And as the old saying goes 'you can't change the spots on a leopard'. Do I wish he had a filter? YES. If he did, things would be very different for all of us. But that said, I DO understand how he rubs people the wrong way. Even I don't like some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. 

It's like a catch-22 for me. I dislike the narrative, but I understand that he means well on certain issues. NOT everything, so don't get me wrong. He's trying to carry the east coast mentality over to the entire country and it's not working. And before my east coast friends jump all over me, I'm NOT saying it's a good thing. I'm simply saying that's who HE IS. Because none of US are like that. So unless I start seeing him trip over his own words (among other things), walking around glassy-eyed into a forest, not knowing which way is left or right, etc...he's not cognitively impaired IMO.

Personality and cognitive impairment are separate issues. I know that's no consolation, but that's a fact.

Edited June 9 by Soapy Goddess

[shapeshifter]

Worth reading in its entirety if someone wants a more complete understanding of what’s currently going on in LA regarding protests: nj.com/politics/2025/06/as-protests-continue-california-gov-gavin-newsom-rips-trump-a-stone-cold-liar.html

[PRgal]

Holy $hit!  This issue in LA is turning into Les Miserables. 

[bluegirl147]

4 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

You can do whatever helps you sleep at night. No one's asking for a hug or kiss. Just being civil without the vitriol is all that's necessary to have a dialogue. You seem to think this thread is only for Trump haters? That's not in the title as far as I can see. I don't support blindly, but you seem to support hate. Sad for you.

 

 

 

You are kidding right?  Trump has promoted hate and division since he walked down that elevator in 2015. It's all he knows how to do and it's been very effective for him.  

 

[Affogato]

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

 

Another example is the fire bombing and burning of Teslas. I'm sure you don't think that was acceptable behavior, do you? But Dems will justify that behavior simply to suit their politics. Same difference, you know?

 

Teslas are not people. Most of the attacks were against cars owned by the corporation, Tesla dealerships are not franchises. Not that horrible really. But even if it was that horrible, where are your other examples? Your repeated horrors? Sending the military against protesters?

[Affogato]

I had a covid booster and was out of it for a couple of days. But it is hard to comment. Trump is overthrowing the government with force and violence. Yes, people may have voted for him, but that is what he is doing now that he is in power. 

[Affogato]

4 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

And I totally get your position...and don't dislike you for it. I wanted to say 'hate' but I don't hate anyone. I might dislike (or hate) their politics, but unfortunately some Dems cannot separate the two. They want us all to burn in hell for exercising our rights as Americans simply because they have an opposing POV. To me, that's being very short-sighted and negates all humanity. But I digress...

Truthfully, I don't know what's being accomplished at this day and time. Maybe getting rid of Musk is a good thing because Dems hate him now. I never thought the bromance would end, but it has. Trump is a stickler for loyalty, so I'm not sure they'll ever get back together.

RE: signs of impairment...I can say without question, no. Coming from the tri-state area, I grew up seeing, hearing, and watching DJT. I've witnessed his personality on many occasions and can tell you that's who he is. He has no filter and speaks his mind without hesitation. Is that a good thing? NO. But again, that's who he is. And as the old saying goes 'you can't change the spots on a leopard'. Do I wish he had a filter? YES. If he did, things would be very different for all of us. But that said, I DO understand how he rubs people the wrong way. Even I don't like some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. 

It's like a catch-22 for me. I dislike the narrative, but I understand that he means well on certain issues. NOT everything, so don't get me wrong. He's trying to carry the east coast mentality over to the entire country and it's not working. And before my east coast friends jump all over me, I'm NOT saying it's a good thing. I'm simply saying that's who HE IS. Because none of US are like that. So unless I start seeing him trip over his own words (among other things), walking around glassy-eyed into a forest, not knowing which way is left or right, etc...he's not cognitively impaired IMO.

Personality and cognitive impairment are separate issues. I know that's no consolation, but that's a fact.

What currently comes out of 47s mouth is often without meaning, which is why ‘impairment’ comes to mind.  Yeah, he has always been a narcissist, but he has not always gibbered. If you haven’t seen it, you are not paying attention. 

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

You can do whatever helps you sleep at night. No one's asking for a hug or kiss. Just being civil without the vitriol is all that's necessary to have a dialogue. You seem to think this thread is only for Trump haters? That's not in the title as far as I can see. I don't support blindly, but you seem to support hate. Sad for you.

Says the person supporting and defending Trump, who is out here actively destroying our government, picking fights with every single persson that so much as looks at him wrong, sending people to attack peaceful protestors, and stripping everyone of their basic civil and human rights who isn't striaght, white, Christian, rich, and male. 

No, I do not have to be kind to people who are okay with any of the above. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be horrified by what Trump and company are doing right now. This isn't, and shouldn't be, a partisan issue, this is about supporting democracy versus supporting fascism/authoritarianism. Last I checked, supporting the latter was wrong and nobody who ever supported such things were looked upon favorably. 

[bluegirl147]

15 minutes ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

Its amazing how much you claim to not like so much of whst he does but you still defend and support him. 

This is what I want Trump voters to explain.  If you (Trump voters) don't agree with everything he is doing what is it exactly you do agree with?  I voted for Clinton, Obama and Biden. And I can tell you exactly things I didn't agree with. With Clinton it was NAFTA.  With Obama I thought he should have fought for the public option for the ACA and with Biden I think he should have taken a harder stance against Israel. And they all things I did agree with. But if any of them had done just a fraction of what Trump has done I would have disavowed them.

Edited June 9 by bluegirl147

[shapeshifter]

Along with all of his other temper tantrums, this one literally strikes at my heart as a retired librarian who still gratefully makes use of so many online sources provided by the many public servants who gladly toil to provide information for modest salaries and benefits:
“Judge says administration can dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” June 6, 2025, apnews.com/article/institute-of-museum-library-services-trump-fcbf3d3958fe22c68d644d8b19e810f5

Quote

[Judge] Leon wrote that as much as the “Court laments the Executive Branch’s efforts to cut off this lifeline for libraries and museums,” recent court decisions suggested that the case should be heard in a separate court dedicated to contractual claims.

Quote

The American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit to stop the administration from gutting the institute after President Donald Trump signed a March 14 executive order that refers to it and several other federal agencies as “unnecessary.”

The agency’s appointed acting director then placed many agency staff members on administrative leave, sent termination notices to most of them, began canceling grants and contracts and fired all members of the National Museum and Library Services Board.

I don't know the full extent of the effects of this action, but probably have a greater sense of it than Trump, who was probably manipulated into this action with promises of an easy win and boost to his power image by the foolish architects of Project 2025.
The adage of "the blind leading the blind" comes to mind.
To anyone reading this via screen reader, I trust you know I mean blind in the sense of not being able to see the difference between good and evil, which my immigrant grandmother wrote to me upon the birth of my first daughter was all that she hoped to achieve as a parent without enough food for them. She succeeded.

 

[Dimity]

8 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Another example is the fire bombing and burning of Teslas. I'm sure you don't think that was acceptable behavior, do you? But Dems will justify that behavior simply to suit their politics. Same difference, you know?

This is pretty much the only example of unacceptable behavior on the 'left' that you keep citing. 

Compared to, at last count, 315 pages filled with multiple examples of unacceptable (understatement of the year) behavior on the right. 

Actions, BTW, of those in actual positions of power, not a few random angry people.

If that's the best you can do when you try to convince us that the "Dems" are even remotely the same as the "Repubs" then surely you can see why you aren't swaying minds here?

Edited June 9 by Dimity

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

And I totally get your position...and don't dislike you for it. I wanted to say 'hate' but I don't hate anyone. I might dislike (or hate) their politics, but unfortunately some Dems cannot separate the two. They want us all to burn in hell for exercising our rights as Americans simply because they have an opposing POV. To me, that's being very short-sighted and negates all humanity. But I digress...

I appreciate this and agree with you about not hating anyone for their opinions and beliefs, but Dems. that spew hate are not the only people that can want people to "burn in hell" for them. Take the religious right for example. They preach that we're all going to Hell and hate us for our opinions and beliefs. And you would be among us for supporting Roe v. Wade and anything else that seems to offend them that much. Don't let that Southern politeness fool you. You'd be up there at the guillotine along with us if they have any say in the matter.

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Truthfully, I don't know what's being accomplished at this day and time. Maybe getting rid of Musk is a good thing because Dems hate him now. I never thought the bromance would end, but it has. Trump is a stickler for loyalty, so I'm not sure they'll ever get back together.

That's interesting. I knew from day one that they were doomed from the start. Two massive egos, loose cannons, narcissists in an alliance - what could possibly go wrong with that? LOL. A LOT. It was obvious to me that this relationship would blow up rather quickly and I know I'm down here on the thread as saying as much. And I was not the only one here that saw this breakup coming like a freight train.

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

RE: signs of impairment...I can say without question, no. Coming from the tri-state area, I grew up seeing, hearing, and watching DJT. I've witnessed his personality on many occasions and can tell you that's who he is. He has no filter and speaks his mind without hesitation. Is that a good thing? NO. But again, that's who he is. And as the old saying goes 'you can't change the spots on a leopard'. Do I wish he had a filter? YES. If he did, things would be very different for all of us. But that said, I DO understand how he rubs people the wrong way. Even I don't like some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth. 

I don't agree that he has no signs of impairment. I watched a lot of his rallies during the campaign last Fall and he was noticeably worse than Biden at making gaffes and non sequiturs. Some of the crap that came out of his mouth was truly scary from a psychological perspective. I knew then that this did not bode well for him becoming president again. He had completely gone off the rails even more than in his first term. If you were to compare his appearances in his first campaign with his second the difference is striking and scary. Now, I am not going to diagnose what the cause of that is but I do think it's some kind of impairment, and it's a cause for concern. And his behavior since taking office again has only confirmed my concern. The thing that pisses me off (and many Democrats) is how the media was not all over this. Meanwhile Biden had a bad day here and there and he was publicly crucified. With Trump it's every day. Even on a bad day Biden makes more sense than Trump.

5 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

RE: signs of impairment...I can say without question, no.....

Personality and cognitive impairment are separate issues. I know that's no consolation, but that's a fact.

We can disagree about the cognitive impairment but I still suggest watching videos of Trump in 2016 vs. now. The difference is striking. Also, did you look at those articles I posted a while back where a psychiatrist makes a compelling case for Trump having dementia? I think they're worth a look.

https://mindsitenews.org/2025/04/01/sanewashed-trump-dementia-and-mental-illness/

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-dementia-evidence-overwhelming-top-psychiatrist-1881247

I think Trump has become a caricature of himself and he was already a caricature. The things he is doing now feel very regressive, like insisiting on a very expensive military parade for his birthday? Delusions of grandeur, dude. And unbecoming of a Democracy. Much of it is pure lunacy designed to aggrandize no one but himself. I just don't understand how any loyal American can sit by and think this is befitting of a U.S. president and in line with our ideals, let alone the actions of a SANE person. I think they are an embarrassment to all of us, Republicans included.

6 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

It's like a catch-22 for me. I dislike the narrative, but I understand that he means well on certain issues. NOT everything, so don't get me wrong. He's trying to carry the east coast mentality over to the entire country and it's not working. And before my east coast friends jump all over me, I'm NOT saying it's a good thing. I'm simply saying that's who HE IS. Because none of US are like that. So unless I start seeing him trip over his own words (among other things), walking around glassy-eyed into a forest, not knowing which way is left or right, etc...he's not cognitively impaired IMO.

I don't intend to jump all over you, but as an older New Yorker myself who has known Trump for many decades, and once knew people that reminded me of Trump in terms of their opinions and mannerisms, he does not have the "East Coast mentality" of today. He's pushing the "East Coast mentality" of Republicans 50 years ago. And the world and its outlook on things have changed a LOT in those 50 years, but Trump is stuck in a time warp and as he gets older he goes even further back in time in his mind. He reminds me of my father, who at 90 thought his apartment in the Bronx couldn't be worth more than $50,000, LOL. When I told him what it appraised at he didn't want to believe me. But my father was 90, he wasn't always that stuck in the past. What's Trump's excuse?

And again, he HAS been tripping over his own words left and right. It's all on video for anyone to see. I watched several of his campaign rallies last Fall and it was non-stop. I'm surprised you didn't see it. I'm sure there are compilations of his worst verbal offenses online somewhere.

[bluegirl147]

6 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

The thing that pisses me off (and many Democrats) is how the media was not all over this. Meanwhile Biden had a bad day here and there and he was publicly crucified.

At least one book has been written about it. As I asked a few pages back is Jake Tapper going to write a book about Trump's cognitive decline?

7 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I just don't understand how any loyal American can sit by and think this is befitting of a U.S. president and in line with our ideals, let alone the actions of a SANE person.

In for a penny in for a pound is the motto of the MAGA base. They would literally follow him off a cliff. 

9 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

He's pushing the "East Coast mentality" of Republicans 50 years ago.

Are you sure about that?  Back then was when there was still moderate Republicans. Especially in the Northeast.  As far as I'm concerned Trump has the mentality of the worst of the worst white men from the South in the 50s and 60s.

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

No, I do not have to be kind to people who are okay with any of the above. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be horrified by what Trump and company are doing right now.

 

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

No, I do not have to be kind to people who are okay with any of the above. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be horrified by what Trump and company are doing right now. This isn't, and shouldn't be, a partisan issue, this is about supporting democracy versus supporting fascism/authoritarianism. Last I checked, supporting the latter was wrong and nobody who ever supported such things were looked upon favorably. 

I sympathize with your point but I don't agree with feeling that it's OK not to be kind to someone for their opinions. Not to equate the two but people have killed with that mentality. And ideally we don't do our own cause any good being unkind to people for their opinions. It will only further divide us and alienate them. I just make my good points and hope it might help. If not, at least I did my part. I generally try to live up to the Golden Rule about this stuff. You know, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". It's been widely associated with Christianity but it also has counterparts in other faiths and traditions, including the ancient Greeks.

I will admit that there have been times I've gone off on people, but honestly I can only trace them to situations where I feel that I'm being disrespected or harmed by them in some way. But over opinions and support of candidates I find offensive? No.

36 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

In for a penny in for a pound is the motto of the MAGA base. They would literally follow him off a cliff.

That in and of itself should be a red flag to anyone. How they don't see the problem with this kind of loyalty is beyond me. Even when they disagree with much more than they support from him they somehow minimize it and are unable to fully articulate why they still remain in support of him. And then tell us this isn't blind loyalty. I disagree with them.

Edited June 9 by Yeah No
Needed to cut out a quote.

[bluegirl147]

5 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

 

Years later I found out through friends that after retirement from the police force (which was probably after only 20 years or so ) he moved down South to Arkansas where he lived for the rest of his life. He had married and had kids and was divorced by then. Even when I dated him he was talking about moving to Texas.

Looking back on it, it's no surprise that he wanted to live in red states. All the did was carp to me about the "bleeding heart liberals". And then during the pandemic when I had nothing to do I googled on old friends and acquaintances and found out that he had died only a few weeks before that. I never found out from what but I often wonder if it was Covid. He probably would have been against wearing a mask. But who knows?

Anyway, you asked....😉

So the guy from NYC wanted to move to the South.  It seems like these guys from the outer boroughs had more in common with good ole southern boys than their fellow New Yorkers.

[Yeah No]

 

36 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

Are you sure about that?  Back then was when there was still moderate Republicans. Especially in the Northeast.  As far as I'm concerned Trump has the mentality of the worst of the worst white men from the South in the 50s and 60s.

Yes, I'm quite sure. Even back then in NYC there were what we call hard right Republicans in the blue collar professions, such as construction and among the police force. They were mostly in the boroughs, like Queens and the Bronx. Think Archie Bunker. That's where he comes from. He was based on real people. We used to call them "reactionaries". Trump is from Queens and had dealings with construction workers. No great surprise there. But when he started campaigning his brand of politics resonated down South even though it was thoroughly New York in origin.

One of my first boyfriends was one of them. In HS 50 years ago I dated a man 8 years older than me. He was a policeman in the Bronx. His opinions were what we used to call "carbon copies" of what Trump is spewing today. And his partner and friends all had those same opinions. They were like clones of each other and clones of Trump. They actually still exist in NYC in the boroughs. The mentality hasn't changed much in all that time. I know people from high school that still have those opinions and are Trump supporters.

Needless to say that relationship didn't last long, probably several months, but not even a year. I was just coming into my own as far as political opinions go and soon realized that we were miles apart. I was an idealist and he was a hardened, cynical realist even at his young age of 24. I figured it had a lot to do with growing up in poverty and then working for the first few years of his police career in the South Bronx at the time it was crime ridden and burning down. So I broke up with him. He was bitter about it so we didn't remain in touch.

Years later I found out through friends that after retirement from the police force (which was probably after only 20 years or so ) he moved down South to Arkansas where he lived for the rest of his life. He had married and had kids and was divorced by then. Even when I dated him he was talking about moving to Texas.

Looking back on it, it's no surprise that he wanted to live in red states. All the did was carp to me about the "bleeding heart liberals". And then during the pandemic when I had nothing to do I googled on old friends and acquaintances and found out that he had died only a few weeks before that. I never found out from what but I often wonder if it was Covid. He probably would have been against wearing a mask. But who knows?

Anyway, you asked....😉

[Yeah No]

40 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

So the guy from NYC wanted to move to the South.  It seems like these guys from the outer boroughs had more in common with good ole southern boys than their fellow New Yorkers.

It might surprise you to know that Suffolk County, Long Island is 82% white and has voted for Trump in all his presidential elections, although up until 2012 it voted Democratic in presidential elections, but by thin margins. Even before that it voted mostly Republican in local elections. It is where a lot of the working class/blue collar whites moved in the '60s and '70s when they were fleeing the boroughs (mostly Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx) as minorities moved into their neighborhoods. But to be honest it wasn't just racism that led to their moving.

If my parents, who were Democrats, could have afforded to move to Long Island, we would have. I still have house plans for new developments going up there in the late '60s and early '70s. The boroughs in NYC including my area of the Bronx were becoming very unlivable what with many very poor minorities moving in from the South and other places and the tragedy of neighborhoods burning down. Crime went way up and of course poor people brought their social problems with them and it wasn't seen as a great influence on children, so people with families moved out. I worked with people whose childhood neighborhoods in the Middle and South Bronx were decimated by fire. We know that this was actually arson by landlords in many cases, but I don't want to get sidetracked by that. 

And this only bred and stoked racism. If the only contact you have with minorities is people in trouble committing crimes and destroying themselves your opinion of them is most likely going to suffer. And  that's all a lot of people saw. Before that these neighborhoods were largely white and in many cases wonderful places to live. So I'm sure you can see how racism grew among the working class and upwardly mobile whites who felt forced out of their neighborhoods and into the suburbs. They were bitter about it and of course blamed the victims. I understand it but I don't condone it.

Of course my family ended up moving to the Kingsbridge/Riverdale area of the North Bronx which is where my father lived until he died in 2020. It was a much safer neighborhood. Interestingly my old neighborhood before that was not that far South (Kingsbridge Heights) and eventually stabilized when many apartment buildings in the Bronx went co-op in the '80s. I am very happy it did not burn down and has become a decent neighborhood again. The building my parents lived in for decades in Kingsbridge near Riverdale was always integrated but it was a middle class area so it didn't suffer from the social problems brought on by poverty.

[shapeshifter]

Regarding ICE going after the easy targets:

Quote

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles says on CNN… “Why were there raids?…We had been told that he was going to go after violent criminals. It wasn’t a drug den. It was a Home Depot.”
https://nytimes.com/live/2025/06/09/us/la-protests-immigration-ice-trump/d3c6a235-d9e1-5fc2-85bf-055d17d1970d

 

[Mollywolly555]

18 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

See, this just fits into the narrative they love to spew. They did it with Seattle and Portland during the BLM protests. "Blue cities in flames" and the rubes in flyover country will fall for it, hook, line and sinker, 

"Rubes in flyover country"???

Thanks alot.

So you're saying all the people living in the coasts are sophisticated thinkers with no magas? Think about it before posting.

Please don't overgeneralize the intellectual or political orientation of a great big swath of the US,  Canada, or anywhere. 

[peacheslatour]

12 minutes ago, Mollywolly555 said:

"Rubes in flyover country"???

Thanks alot.

So you're saying all the people living in the coasts are sophisticated thinkers with no magas? Think about it before posting.

Please don't overgeneralize the intellectual or political orientation of a great big swath of the US,  Canada, or anywhere. 

Sorry about that. Poor choice of words.

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 hours ago, Soapy Goddess said:

Trump is a stickler for loyalty, so I'm not sure they'll ever get back together.

You know what Trump values even more than loyalty?  Winning.  And there's no bigger win than someone who disses him coming back into the fold.

 

[ProudMary]

Please take two minutes to watch. Much respect to this citizen leader who stood up to the bullies WITH HIS WORDS. If there's a way to embed a BlueSky post, I don't know how to do it, sorry.

https://bsky.app/profile/iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social/post/3lr6mo4vgcc2f

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, ProudMary said:

Please take two minutes to watch. Much respect to this citizen leader who stood up to the bullies WITH HIS WORDS. If there's a way to embed a BlueSky post, I don't know how to do it, sorry.

https://bsky.app/profile/iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social/post/3lr6mo4vgcc2f

He is Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

Editing to add: Apparently a case of mistaken identity

Edited June 9 by shapeshifter

[PRgal]

I'm honestly glad that I'm not in the US right now.  You guys are super-crazy and makes most of our conservatives look progressive.  That said, it's I think our Conservatives are much more ethnically diverse (see my post upthread with a link to the article on diversity and the House of Commons).  I wonder if it's because our ethnic make-up is different from yours.  Anyway, speaking of diversity, I just realized that my son is NOT exposed to THAT much diversity.  His school is pretty much Asian (Chinese and some South Asian) or White, not atypical of the Toronto private school world (it really hasn't changed much since my day).  His school also has a sizeable Jewish demographic.  His camps aren't much different.  I've considered enrolling him in a camp elsewhere, but we just don't have the time this summer (not to mention that many are already full).  Suggestions (besides Googling to find events)?

[peacheslatour]

42 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

He is Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

I bet they're proud as hell of him.

[fairffaxx]

Bebe Neuwirth (who played Lilith on Cheers & Frasier) reposted this on Bluesky -- it's a fragment of a speech by Goneril, one of King Lear's daughters:

By day and night he wrongs me; every hour

He flashes into one gross crime or other,

That sets us all at odds.  I’ll not endure it.

His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us

On every trifle.

[fastiller]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Please take two minutes to watch. Much respect to this citizen leader who stood up to the bullies WITH HIS WORDS. If there's a way to embed a BlueSky post, I don't know how to do it, sorry.

https://bsky.app/profile/iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social/post/3lr6mo4vgcc2f

 

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

He is Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

I'm glad the other brave young man ("whose streets?") joined.  It's important that it's not just one voice being heard at these protests.

[tessaray]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

I'm honestly glad that I'm not in the US right now.  You guys are super-crazy and makes most of our conservatives look progressive.  That said, it's I think our Conservatives are much more ethnically diverse (see my post upthread with a link to the article on diversity and the House of Commons).  I wonder if it's because our ethnic make-up is different from yours.  Anyway, speaking of diversity, I just realized that my son is NOT exposed to THAT much diversity.  His school is pretty much Asian (Chinese and some South Asian) or White, not atypical of the Toronto private school world (it really hasn't changed much since my day).  His school also has a sizeable Jewish demographic.  His camps aren't much different.  I've considered enrolling him in a camp elsewhere, but we just don't have the time this summer (not to mention that many are already full).  Suggestions (besides Googling to find events)?

One of the easiest things is just go out to eat in ethnic restaurants.  Don't most kids enjoy finger-foods like tacos or wraps? (My kids always loved trips to the Mexican bakeries(yum) and food stores.) Be respectful of the cultures and he will absorb that. Farmers markets are good, too. 

Edited June 9 by tessaray

[ECM1231]

[kittykat]

What a dignified and accurate response describing the current situation.  Why oh why did she have to laugh while being female?

As a SoCal born I stand with LA fighting the fight.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

If you (Trump voters) don't agree with everything he is doing what is it exactly you do agree with?

Having immigrants (and people who look like they might be immigrants) snatched and shipped off without due process.  Denying rights, healthcare, safety, and even acknowledgment of their existence to people who are transgender.

5 hours ago, Dimity said:

This is pretty much the only example of unacceptable behavior on the 'left' that you keep citing.

And it's by a handful of private people, not the executive, legislative, and sometimes judicial branches of our federal and state governments.  There are the usual false equivalencies and then there is this kind of attempt at "both sides" distraction.  

[fastiller]

9 minutes ago, kittykat said:

What a dignified and accurate response describing the current situation.  Why oh why did she have to laugh while being female?

As a SoCal born I stand with LA fighting the fight.

Why oh why did she have to laugh while being Black & female?

FTFY.

[peacheslatour]

Look like Homan is backtracking. Point - Newsom.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tom-homan-deflects-gavin-newsom-arrest-by-blaming-nbc-news-jacob-soboroff-hes-a-joke/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

Fox & Friends viewers were shown riot footage of burning cars and a clip of Newsom’s challenge, before Lawrence Jones asked for Homan’s reply.

“Well, first of all, it’s just ridiculous,” the border czar said. “That reporter from MSNBC? He’s a joke. He’s a dishonest reporter.”

“What we discussed was, for those protesters that cross the line, I’ve said it many times, you can protest, you get your First Amendment rights. But when you cross that line, you put hands on an ICE officer, or you destroy property. I’d say that you’re impeding law enforcement or you’re knowingly harboring or concealing an illegal alien, that’s a crime. And the Trump administration is not going to tolerate it. You cross that line, but once you cross it, you go to the Department of Justice.”

“Then the reporter asked me, ‘Well, could Gov. Newsom or Mayor Bass be arrested?'” Homan continued. “I said, ‘Well, no one’s above the law. If they cross the line and commit a crime, absolutely, they can. So there was no discussion about arresting Newsom,” (apparently apart from the interview he did with Soboroff.)

 

 

[bluegirl147]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/media/dr-phil-mcgraw-ice-immigration-raids-los-angeles

 

It's all performative to them.  Hopefully one day this will all be evidence as to what really happened during Trump's regime 

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

He is Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

I knew it wasn't, even though a lot of people on social media were saying it was. It took a while to confirm.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/wyatt-russell-la-protest-tiktok-viral-1235359482/

 

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

I'm honestly glad that I'm not in the US right now.  You guys are super-crazy and makes most of our conservatives look progressive. 

The crazies are a minority of people in this country.  They have too much power right now but please know they are not representative of most of us.

[ProudMary]

3 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Looks like Homan is backtracking. Point - Newsom.

Well, the administration's getting sued anyway. 👏

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will sue Trump administration for deploying National Guard to Los Angeles

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-national-guard-california-lawsuit-gavin-newsom/

[StatisticalOutlier]

5 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I knew it wasn't, even though a lot of people on social media were saying it was. It took a while to confirm.

Confirm, schmonfirm.  Accuracy is overrated (if even rated at all any more).

[PRgal]

42 minutes ago, tessaray said:

One of the easiest things is just go out to eat in ethnic restaurants.  Don't most kids enjoy finger-foods like tacos or wraps? (My kids always loved trips to the Mexican bakeries(yum) and food stores.) Be respectful of the cultures and he will absorb that. Farmers markets are good, too. 

We just need to find the “right” (read: “immigrant authentic” opposed to second gen eateries or ones catering primarily to outsiders) restaurants.  Google sometimes helps but I wouldn’t say that it does ALL the time.  Also, Toronto might be diverse, but many communities are enclaves and can be hard to get to without a car.  Husband work and my parents are, let’s just say, very set in their ways.  

[tessaray]

1 minute ago, PRgal said:

We just need to find the “right” (read: “immigrant authentic” opposed to second gen eateries or ones catering primarily to outsiders) restaurants.  Google sometimes helps but I wouldn’t say that it does ALL the time.  Also, Toronto might be diverse, but many communities are enclaves and can be hard to get to without a car.  Husband work and my parents are, let’s just say, very set in their ways.  

Maybe your friends or co-workers can recommend their favorite places? And it doesn't have to be dinner... lunch or afternoon snacks might be good baby steps. 

In my area, libraries usually have regular story times and kid lit is pretty diverse. No guarantees, of course, but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out. 

[ProudMary]

5 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Confirm, schmonfirm.  Accuracy is overrated (if even rated at all any more).

We'll have to agree to disagree on this. The truth, no matter how small, is worth seeking. That is actually what scares me most about what Trump has been doing for a decade now, going back to Kellyanne Conway's "alternative facts." How do we continue to identify and preserve truth?

I knew it wasn't Russell, but social media was spreading it like wildfire, and I didn't want to say it wasn't him until his publicist commented. And for the actor, it was important, because while people on the left were praising him, those on the right are doing the opposite. 

From the Rolling Stone article I linked above:

But Russell’s publicist confirms to Rolling Stone that the individual seen in the footage isn’t him at all. “This is indeed not Wyatt Russell, and we have been working to try and correct the mis-identification,” says Bryna Rifkin of Narrative PR. Furthermore, Russell’s own Instagram account hasn’t been updated in over a year, and he does not seem to maintain any other social media presence where he might have commented on ICE actions under Trump or the protests against them.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped countless people online from either heaping praise on the actor or condemning him in connection with the TikTok of a demonstrator he vaguely resembles. It’s not clear who originally made the erroneous claim that Russell had been the one to confront the armed troops stationed in L.A.