#but i understand the outrage that people have at the disgusting healthcare system in the US

[theodditylacey]

If Luigi Mangione wasn't a white, conventionally attractive, upper class young man, nobody would be idolising him as they do.

[beinglibertarian]

Propaganda Outlets “Hogg”ing the Narrative

Nearly a month ago, I wrote an article saying that for the foreseeable future, it would be impossible to avoid mentions of the gun control debate on any media outlet we use daily (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). There was a brief period in the beginning of March where it appeared that things might fizzle out. It was discovered that the law enforcement had miserably botched their investigations into the shooter, the police on the scene failed to respond even after the initial gunfire rang out, and the additional forces on the ground were told to stand down upon arrival.

The gun control debate was taking the appropriate swing towards realizing that our enforcement of current gun regulations is severely lacking and needs to be scrutinized at the most basic level to ensure that law enforcement does its duty in protecting the citizens. The left couldn’t have that. They needed to take back control of the narrative.

Enter David Hogg.

By now, we know more about David Hogg (17), than we ever will about the shooter, Nikolas Cruz. David Hogg has launched himself onto the political platform with the support of nearly every single liberal media outlet available. His disgusting rhetoric, exceptional anger, and unabashed virtue signaling has made him the left’s iconic dream of all that they could hope for in a political mouthpiece to parrot their narrative. Due to his age, Hogg has full freedom to say things that CNN hosts would get fired over for even feigning to mention and come under absolutely no scrutiny from the hosts who give him air time. He can unapologetically say all the terrible, evil little thoughts that they’ve been dying to get out while they sit in their studio, tapping a stack of papers against their desk and smiling half-heartedly into the cameras.

Lovely lines, such as, “I’m going to start off by putting this price tag right here as a reminder for you guys to know how much Marco Rubio took for every student’s life in Florida”, as was said at the March for Our Lives protest.

And, “If you can’t get elected without taking money from child murderers, why are you running?”, Hogg asked, referring to the NRA funding political campaigns and politicians like Senator Marco Rubio who accept their contributions.

Could you imagine if CNN’s Brian Stelter made that contention — that Marco Rubio is responsible for the deaths of the students in Parkland, Florida? The outrage and retribution for such an accusation would be astounding. Advertisers would abandon his show, the organization would face a public relations war, and Brian Stelter would undoubtedly lose his job. Yet, thankfully, Democrats have found a child to say all these things for them. It is their favorite shield to hide behind. It is the mask that they wear while claiming to be “objective journalists.”

It is a façade that they can use to push their agenda forward.

This is the dangerous part of the war for the hearts and minds of Americans. Simple untruths such as Dana Loesch owning the NRA, politicians and gun manufacturers are inane and false, but the claims go completely unchallenged by CNN’s Brian Stelter.

At CNN’s disgusting, Orwellian town hall meeting where they lined up Dana Loesch and Marco Rubio in front of a firing squad of traumatized children to begin the “Two-Minutes of Hate,” Jake Tapper played a similar hand of not mediating a single slander or defaming remark towards a sitting Senator of the United states. For example, when Cameron Kasky (17) alarmingly touted, “I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to do this, but I’m not going to listen to that. Senator Rubio, it’s hard to look at you and not look down a barrel of an AR-15 and not look at Nikolas Cruz, but the point is you’re here and there are some people who are not.”

The role that propaganda outlets such as CNN and MSNBC are playing in this debate is a scary one.

They are the gatekeepers to what information the American people are fed, and the narrative they are pushing is an ugly and vile one.

They, themselves, cannot espouse such nasty views towards anyone who is a pro-gun advocate. They cannot openly call for a full and total gun ban and confiscation; it’s unpopular, even now. The amount of support that propaganda actors such as David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, and Emma Gonzalez have is not as profound as their backers would have you believe. Thus, the ball starts to roll slowly.

The left does not want to talk about their real agenda. They cannot mention a full and total gun ban. So, instead, they talk about banning bump stocks. They talk about banning assault weapons. They talk about “common sense gun regulation” as if it’s some sort of buzz word that they don’t have to define what it actually means.

You won’t hear them talk about the full gun-ban. Instead, what you will hear Delaney Tarr (17) say in the March for Our Lives protests is, “There are so very many things, so many steps to take. Like right now, sign our petition. It takes two seconds and it matters. We will take the big and we will take the small, but we will keep fighting. When they give us that inch, that bump stock ban, we will take a mile.”

I can feel the left cringing at how openly honest that statement was, but I totally understand the defense. Clearly, she just wants reform. Her goal isn’t a total ban and a gun confiscation, right? The only problem is that she even goes on to shatter that defense with her very next words:

“We are not here for bread crumbs. We are here for real change.”

A bump stock ban is crumbs. An assault rifle ban is crumbs. Reform is crumbs. Minor changes to the regulations surrounding guns are crumbs. What they want is “real change”. What they want is revolution.

The only thing that qualifies as change for this movement is the complete and total dismantling of the 2nd Amendment and the confiscation of all firearms from American citizens. This is just the start of the movement.

CNN, MSNBC, and the New York Times won’t run stories supporting this agenda, now. It’ll happen exactly as it did with nationalized healthcare. For decades, Democrats have said that they would never move to a system of nationalized healthcare and that they supported the private healthcare industry. Then, they continued to push along the narrative until it became more socially acceptable and more politically palatable until they were able to take power and establish Obamacare.

The abolishment of the 2nd Amendment will be no different. It will be a slow death caused by Republicans who gave an inch so that radicals, like the Parkland shooting survivors, that you see all over propaganda outlets like CNN and MSNBC can take a mile.

When it happens, that will be the day that freedom died.

* Robert Ward is a second-time contributor to Being Libertarian. He is a twenty-seven year old former marine and a conservative-libertarian.

The post Propaganda Outlets “Hogg”ing the Narrative appeared first on Being Libertarian.

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[theliterateape]

Kaepernick Has Nothing To Complain About

By Mike Vinopal

Vice President of the United States Mike Pence walked out of the Colts vs. 49ers' game last weekend when several of the 49ers knelt during the National Anthem. He was appalled, as was our president. They tweeted about it. All the news networks covered it. This is a priority for them. 

If you're like me, this has been a confusing time for you. Especially if like me, you have family or friends that are as appalled as the two most powerful men in our country. I can't tell if those people, whom I love very much, don't understand what is messed up about this. And I can't talk to them about it, not at least in the most convenient, ever-permeating medium of social media. Dare I discuss it in person? Don't really want to ruin a good family hang. They happen all too infrequently as it is. 

I've heard people I love and respect say things like, "Colin Kaepernick has nothing to complain about. He's a freakin' millionaire!" at which point I'm thinking, "Wait a minute, he's not protesting for himself. It's for racial injustice. What you're saying makes you sound racist. I don't want to think of you as a racist. I don't want to think of you like I think of our president and vice president."

I think the most reasonable position to have about this type of protest—refusing to stand during the National Anthem—was expressed most succinctly by Literate Ape co-editor, Don Hall, when he said, "It is the epitome of a non-violent protest that disrupts nothing and exposes no one to potential harm. I am wholeheartedly in favor of non-violent, non-screaming protest in every case."

This kind of protest is the most American thing I can imagine. Exercising your freedom to make a statement, whatever you believe, doing so respectfully, silently, harming no one. Seems reasonable to me. Deliberate while remaining considerate. Effectively bringing national attention to a systemic social ill without violence, without shouting... that seems like magic to me in today's society. 

Remember certain protests of racial injustice in which highways were blocked? Many complained about that. But that was sort of the point anyways. As a white person, we are rarely, if ever, inconvenienced by our skin color, whereas a person of color experiences such inconvenience daily. Far worse, other days. 

People that complain about protests inconveniencing their lives is sad and upsetting to me. But people complaining about protests inconveniencing the aesthetic of their pre-show entertainment or going on about disrespecting the troops and confusing the intended message, is sadder still. Especially when it's your family or someone you consider a friend.

Don also recently said in his October 2nd installment of I Believe, "...that if your allegiance is to a symbol rather than people, to a song rather than citizens, you might be a racist or you might not be a racist but you are definitely a jackass."

Have you seen anyone other than white people express their disgust with this form of protest? How about any soldiers calling it disrespectful to them? I have not.

How about this old chestnut? "Stick to entertainment!" If by chance, you someday are lucky enough to be paid millions to play a game, I'd hope you'd use your celebrity and influence to encourage us all to better humans. 

Use your platform, if you've got one for those who don't. Giving a voice to the voiceless? That's superhero shit.

In the end, the outrage is not even about what it's pretending to be about. Those outraged are operating under the pretense that this form of protest is disgracing our country. In reality it is their outrage which is truly disgraceful. Those outraged are just taking their cues from our commander-in-chief who has proven to be, without a doubt, our nation’s greatest disgrace. They've drunk the Kool-Aid. They may even know, deep within themselves that it's all distraction, but it's too late, they think. They're dug in too deep. And we go on eating it up, while the country is literally burning.

A distraction from what? Aside from the players’ protest of racial injustice? Take your pick. Puerto Rico, gun control and the Las Vegas massacre, healthcare, all this while Santa Rosa and countless other Northern California towns suffered complete devastation. All this while blocks of homes and businesses burned completely to the ground. All gone. Ashes and spooky, disembodied stone chimneys are all that remain. 

Funny what constitutes priority to our nation's current leaders.

But Kaepernick has nothing to complain about.