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If Only Stephen Paddock Were a Muslim
The New York Times ^ | October 3, 2017 | by Thomas L. Friedman

Posted on 10/03/2017 9:29:48 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

If only Stephen Paddock had been a Muslim … If only he had shouted “Allahu akbar” before he opened fire on all those concertgoers in Las Vegas … If only he were a member of ISIS … If only we had a picture of him posing with a Quran in one hand and his semiautomatic rifle in another …

If all of that had happened, no one would be telling us not to dishonor the victims and “politicize” Paddock’s mass murder by talking about preventive remedies.

No, no, no. Then we know what we’d be doing. We’d be scheduling immediate hearings in Congress about the worst domestic terrorism event since 9/11. Then Donald Trump would be tweeting every hour “I told you so,” as he does minutes after every terror attack in Europe, precisely to immediately politicize them.

What happens when the killer was only a disturbed American armed to the teeth with military-style weapons that he bought legally or acquired easily because of us and our crazy lax gun laws?

What to do?

Forget about persuading legislators. They are not confused or under-informed. They are either bought or intimidated. Because no honest and decent American lawmaker would look at Las Vegas and Puerto Rico today and say, “I think the smartest and most prudent thing to do for our kids is to just do nothing.”

So there is only one remedy: Get power. And the first chance we have to change the balance of power is the 2018 midterm elections. Forget about trying to get anything done before then. Don’t waste your breath.

Just get power. Start now.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; US: Nevada
KEYWORDS: friedman; idiotorial; journalism; mediabias; stephenpaddock; vegasmassacre
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To: kaehurowing

His wife is from Indonesia.


41 posted on 10/03/2017 9:57:35 AM PDT by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm male.)
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To: caseinpoint

I will add just one more comment. Liberals are always saying that people are disqualified from advising minorities or women or any number of other groups unless that person is part of the group. Men cannot advise women. Whites cannot advise blacks. Infidels cannot advise Muslims. Laymen cannot question scientists. Ad infinitum. So perhaps the same should apply to many who are criticizing Second Amendment proponents: If you are protected by security guards, Secret Service, fortress-like enclaves, you have no right criticizing people who are Second Amendment advocates.


42 posted on 10/03/2017 9:57:41 AM PDT by caseinpoint (Don't get thickly involved in thin things.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Congress lacks the authority to do anything about it. That’s why they don’t.


43 posted on 10/03/2017 9:58:36 AM PDT by Hugh the Scot ("The days of being a keyboard commando are over. It's time to get some bloody knuckles." -Drew68)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Actually, the gunman is likely to have been one of Krugman’s own: a liberal.

God, these people are filled with conceit and hatred.


44 posted on 10/03/2017 9:59:25 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism: Intolerance masquerading as tolerance, Ignorance masquerading as Intelligence)
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To: BenLurkin

Exactly.


45 posted on 10/03/2017 10:02:13 AM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Mr al-Friedman: The purported shooter was a Democrat. That's close enough to Muslim or terrorist for me, same kind of totalitarian lust for power and desire to see others die.

And another thing: just how many millions of us gun owners are you willing to murder for your little totalitarian fantasy? You won't get our guns. We'll die first, and take your government thugs along with us.

Lastly, we'll see about you "getting power" in 2018.

46 posted on 10/03/2017 10:03:28 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Trump won; we got Gorsuch and a bit of the MAGA agenda. But now the Swamp is back in control.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
If all of that had happened, no one would be telling us not to dishonor the victims and “politicize” Paddock’s mass murder by talking about preventive remedies.

(Emphasis mine). This is breathtaking. He is complaining because he WANTS to dishonor the victims and politize the tragedy?

47 posted on 10/03/2017 10:05:25 AM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: sportutegrl

politize = politicize.


48 posted on 10/03/2017 10:06:42 AM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: a fool in paradise

The NRA is not known to be a supporter of mass murder, no matter what Herself may want to believe. Herself lies, you know.

There is no law, no protocol, no preventative measures that could have possibly deterred the attack on a soft target. We may presume, the perpetrator would have been able to acquire every piece of ammunition and long guns used in this assault in a perfectly legal manner. But nowhere was he ever given permission to use this arsenal in the way he chose to. That was entirely his personal volition, and we do not know his motives or any history of perhaps concealment of a whole different set of factors that would have molded his concept of the world.

If there were a way to look into the heart of every person who acquires firearms, and a sure-fire way to predict how personal convictions over the years may change, then perhaps, we may be able to include some meaningful legislation to reduce the chances of a repeat of a similar incident. But there is no predictive pattern for this massive and brutal assault.

There was NO opportunity for any of the crowd below to have effectively returned fire, given the circumstances, and “shelter in place” was kind of a very sick joke.


49 posted on 10/03/2017 10:06:49 AM PDT by alloysteel (Guilty until proven innocent, while denying defense, justice, mercy or any appeal. No pardon, ever.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“”””… If only he had shouted “Allahu akbar” before he opened fire on all those concertgoers in Las Vegas …””””

How do we know he didn’t?


50 posted on 10/03/2017 10:07:39 AM PDT by raybbr (That progressive bumper sticker on your car might just as well say, "Yes, I'm THAT stupid!")
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To: a fool in paradise

It is not a coincidence that the Pulse Nightclub massacre story was buried as quickly as possible. Every Muslim attack is buried as far as it can so this whole NY Slimes piece is nothing but liberal toilet paper using death, guns and white male perpetrator as a political advantage to shove their agenda down our throat.


51 posted on 10/03/2017 10:07:39 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

If only he wasn’t a Trump hating, activist Democrat. Then we could really launch an assault on conservatives and Republicans so we’ll try to distract from reality by raising a red herring.


52 posted on 10/03/2017 10:10:57 AM PDT by Bayan
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Tommy has totally gone to the dark side. I hope he becomes a victim of a Muslim. His mocking of the situation is just unforgivable.


53 posted on 10/03/2017 10:12:57 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: a fool in paradise

Yeah I am glad he didn’t decide to make some kind of explosive and drop it on the concert goers.


54 posted on 10/03/2017 10:15:51 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Because the GUNS didn’t kill anyone, you pompous ditwad! The piece of garbage behind the trigger did. So THAT is where we need to focus our efforts.

Friedman. Idiot.


55 posted on 10/03/2017 10:15:59 AM PDT by IronJack (sh)
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To: ArtDodger

ISis says he’s one of theirs. So was the ruse set up to hide his progressive connections !


56 posted on 10/03/2017 10:18:54 AM PDT by hoosiermama (When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.DJT)
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To: shanover

Houston’s lesbian mayor lit up city hall with rainbow lights to honor the dead at the pulse shooting. White house did too. Cant recall if empire state building did.

Where are the lights for those killed in Vegas?


57 posted on 10/03/2017 10:19:16 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Did Barack Obama denounce Communism and dictatorships when he visited Cuba as a puppet of the State?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

IF only Paddock was a Muslim his family member would show up at a Democrat Party rally soon after he murdered 59 people.


58 posted on 10/03/2017 10:19:56 AM PDT by lodi90
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“If only he had shouted “Allahu akbar” before he opened fire on all those concertgoers in Las Vegas … If only he were a member of ISIS … If only we had a picture of him posing with a Quran in one hand and his semiautomatic rifle in another …”

If he had done all these things (and assuming he’s not ROP), the NYT and its minions would be demanding tolerance & understanding and scolding Americans against Islamaphobia and lobbying for “gun control”.
Then the candles, flowers, stuffed animals and the rest, and in a week, down the old memory hole and it would be business as usual.
I’m surprised they haven’t yet tried to link this to global warming. The Slimes continues to pretend that we Americans don’t have their stinking number: 666.


59 posted on 10/03/2017 10:28:55 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: txgirl4Bush

Islam claimed he converted and this was their hit....?

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3591515/posts


60 posted on 10/03/2017 10:31:53 AM PDT by Ambrosia
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