The critics fail to realize complex battle situations are constantly changing. Battles are won and lost; dynamics change; what is true today may not be true tomorrow. Those that glom onto a snippet of a statement and use it to criticize our side from here to eternity are unpatriotic, if not traitorous.
Viet Nam was a different place, and a different time, but it shows that the propositions of JEB, Trump, Cruz, and all the right-wingers are still a fail against an insurgent group, like the Viet Cong, or ISIL (created by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and their stupid policies.)
Ask Planned Parenthood, a church in Charleston, or a theater in Aurora, or a college in Roseburg where the REAL terrorists who threaten us here at home come from.
The fact is the REAL terrorists aren’t Muslim, or foreigners, they are our own crazies and neighbors with twisted ideologies, and lots of (unregulated) guns.
Yes, too many lack perspective. Examples: Over 30,000 Americans die from gunshots each & every year; thousands are killed by drunk drivers … Yet, Gorrell peddles ISIS FEAR!
Playing devil’s advocate here a bit, since I am not one who is very worried about ISIS nor do I think that the US should get involved with any type of attack or war on them…but…I don’t think that anyone is talking about these “few lone wolves” being able to “take down and destroy our entire country.” On 9/11, though, a few people with box cutters wiped out over 3,000 people in a single day, and the complexion of this country changed in many ways since that day. Recently, a few people were able to wipe out about 130 people in Paris, planning and coordinating the attacks in such a way that the intelligence agencies of France and its allies were completely blind to the impending threat. So, if there is fear, there is a legitimate reason for it. However, the trick is not to let this general sense of fear control decisions, especially pre-emptive rushes into attacks and war on a dimly-focused perceived threat. That is the Republican way and is not the answer. Neither is thinking that all is lollipops and roses and that no sort of intelligent vigilance is needed, either, but it seems that that balance often gets lost amongst the two political parties.
“That the goal of ISIS is to take over the West and institute Sharia Law and enslave our women and kill everybody and so on and so on.”…which is a true statement. By definition of the global caliphate, that is their goal.Whether they have the actual capacity to do so is another question altogether (the answer being No).
Oh, and I was not trying to characterize all liberal thought as being that everything is lollipops and roses. It is certainly not my thought, and I’m a liberal. I was just addressing the two extremes: 1.) We’re scared that something might happen, so let’s go in and preemptively kick whatever’s or whoever’s butts we’re scared of, and 2.) What, me worry? Everything is lollipops and roses.Something like that.
echoraven over 8 years ago
Actually #4 should be “Blame law abiding gun owners”.
Gypsy8 over 8 years ago
The critics fail to realize complex battle situations are constantly changing. Battles are won and lost; dynamics change; what is true today may not be true tomorrow. Those that glom onto a snippet of a statement and use it to criticize our side from here to eternity are unpatriotic, if not traitorous.
Dtroutma over 8 years ago
Viet Nam was a different place, and a different time, but it shows that the propositions of JEB, Trump, Cruz, and all the right-wingers are still a fail against an insurgent group, like the Viet Cong, or ISIL (created by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld and their stupid policies.)
Ask Planned Parenthood, a church in Charleston, or a theater in Aurora, or a college in Roseburg where the REAL terrorists who threaten us here at home come from.
The fact is the REAL terrorists aren’t Muslim, or foreigners, they are our own crazies and neighbors with twisted ideologies, and lots of (unregulated) guns.
Bar Pluc over 8 years ago
And exactly what evidence do you have to support that assertion Mr. Bingham??
DrDon1 over 8 years ago
Yes, too many lack perspective. Examples: Over 30,000 Americans die from gunshots each & every year; thousands are killed by drunk drivers … Yet, Gorrell peddles ISIS FEAR!
æ² over 8 years ago
Playing devil’s advocate here a bit, since I am not one who is very worried about ISIS nor do I think that the US should get involved with any type of attack or war on them…but…I don’t think that anyone is talking about these “few lone wolves” being able to “take down and destroy our entire country.” On 9/11, though, a few people with box cutters wiped out over 3,000 people in a single day, and the complexion of this country changed in many ways since that day. Recently, a few people were able to wipe out about 130 people in Paris, planning and coordinating the attacks in such a way that the intelligence agencies of France and its allies were completely blind to the impending threat. So, if there is fear, there is a legitimate reason for it. However, the trick is not to let this general sense of fear control decisions, especially pre-emptive rushes into attacks and war on a dimly-focused perceived threat. That is the Republican way and is not the answer. Neither is thinking that all is lollipops and roses and that no sort of intelligent vigilance is needed, either, but it seems that that balance often gets lost amongst the two political parties.
æ² over 8 years ago
“That the goal of ISIS is to take over the West and institute Sharia Law and enslave our women and kill everybody and so on and so on.”…which is a true statement. By definition of the global caliphate, that is their goal.Whether they have the actual capacity to do so is another question altogether (the answer being No).
æ² over 8 years ago
Oh, and I was not trying to characterize all liberal thought as being that everything is lollipops and roses. It is certainly not my thought, and I’m a liberal. I was just addressing the two extremes: 1.) We’re scared that something might happen, so let’s go in and preemptively kick whatever’s or whoever’s butts we’re scared of, and 2.) What, me worry? Everything is lollipops and roses.Something like that.
æ² over 8 years ago
Sometimes the written word is so limiting. Between OMQ and you, I’m obviously failing today to convey what I really mean. :-\