The man who shot Steve Scalise

[BOSSHOG]

Was not motivated by the words, deeds and actions of Democrats or Liberals. He was motivated by the words, deeds and actions of Republicans and conservatives. Likewise,

The man who attacked Mr Pelosi was not motivated by the words, deeds and actions of Democrats and Liberals. He was motivated by the words, deeds and actions of Republicans and Conservatives.

There is zero basis for both sides do it.

Evil resides on only one side of the aisle.

I prefer to be correct rather than polite.

[Walleye]

1. Democrats would have prevented the guy from getting a gun in the first place if they could

[BOSSHOG]

2. No doubt about that

[dlk]

3. Republicans excell at false equivalencies

One of their favorite go-to’s

[LakeArenal]

39. As does the media.

[dlk]

40. Without a doubt, yes

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. There's a key reason why he's called "the man who shot Steve Scalise"

It's because Democrats do not fetishize killers that few can remember his name.

I don't care to be reminded, though.

[Walleye]

6. Hmmm. I don't remember mobs of so-called leftists roaming the capital shouting "where is Steve?"

Nobody had ever even heard of Steve Scalise before he was shot, and in no way had he been demonized like Democrats are, especially the women.

[calimary]

30. Indeed!!!!!

There is NO “both-sides both-sides” here. It’s all happening on ONE SIDE ONLY.

[AdamGG]

38. And if a group of leftist extremists did call for a right wingers death

(hasn't happened, but I'm thinking of maybe some small bands of extremists from the 60s) we wouldn't indulge in dumbed down conspiracy theories that they were actually right wingers in disguise, or involved in an effort to expose baby killing rings, or whatever other insane Qanon shit there is.

The present day right wing in the US has sunk to unprecedented lows in our history. Although we've always had some wacked out extremists, large segments of the Republican party now agrees with them, or is at least sympathetic to their beliefs and actions.

[LakeArenal]

41. A lot they do in what they call, God's name.

[Walleye]

43. You are absolutely right. Nothing like it has ever happened before. it is so hard to comprehend

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. "The guy who shot Scalise was a Bernie-or-Buster, voted for Jill Stein"

Wed Jun 14, 2017: The guy who shot Scalise was a Bernie-or-Buster, voted for Jill Stein

Facebook profile is full of anti-Trump stuff, some pretty harsh anti-DNC and anti-Hillary stuff too.

https://m.facebook.com/jthodgkinson

https://www.facebook.com/james.hodgkinson.568


https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2017/live-updates/public-safety/updates-shooting-at-congressional-baseball-practice-in-virginia/shooter-named-as-james-t-hodgkinson/

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=archives&date=2017x6x14

[BOSSHOG]

8. Did Bernie Sanders urge him to shoot anybody?

Did Bernie Sanders rail about election integrity? Did Bernie urge him to stop the steal and blame Jewish space lasers for whatever? Did Bernie make commercials firing a rifle at a range at a target showing a democrat?

[The Grand Illuminist]

21. I don't think it is all about words said.

I believe it is all about passion.

[Dustlawyer]

37. And I am sure Bernie immediately condemned the violence.

[sheshe2]

66. Election Integrity Questioned? Yes he did.

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/bernie-sanders-2016-rigged-wont-pledge-support-winner.html

Sanders Claims 2016 Primary Was Rigged, Won’t Commit to Supporting Winner

[betsuni]

68. Absolutely, thank you.

Surprised anyone doesn't know this.

[sanatanadharma]

9. And to the best of my knowledge, he does not have an American fan-club

Unlike a synagogue, black parishioner, or teen killer or two who come to mind.

[treestar]

13. That's odd, in that usually the Bernie or busters

don't go after Republicans.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

36. Ouch!

LOL

[joshcryer]

46. LOL

[betsuni]

56. Ha! So true!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

69. LOL

[Cha]

70. Exactly, treestar.. TY!!

[AntivaxHunters]

31. No we were not

And I will gladly debate you on this having volunteered for Bernie's campaign in both 2016 & 2020.
Can we please stop with the "fake statistic" stuff?
I get you don't like Bernie but let's be real.

[AntivaxHunters]

61. "Bernie is not a member of the party"

He's literally in Senate leadership for our party.
Tomatoe/Tomato I guess lol

[LiberalLovinLug]

62. In DU's own rules, they say that Bernie must be regarded as a Democrat as far as the rules go here

I actually agree with you though. That Putins troll army infiltrated and poisoned Bernie FB groups etc... with fake incendiary accusations and insults against the other candidates. Both during the last primary and the one before it. Which caused a few in here to lose their minds. And the blame went all towards the good and honest Bernie supporters here on DU. When most of that was Putin's trolls, and probably MAGA trolls too, and perhaps a small number of the less bright, and angry, of Bernie's supporters, who were already on the edge from leaked emails and stories about the DNC leaning on the scales for Hillary in the primary before this.

BTW. I find it odd we can't discuss moments in the history of our own party. Warts and all.

[Farmer-Rick]

32. Some of the more obnoxious Bernie or busters

Were actually Russian trolls. Purposely placed to disrupt Democrats. They did it with the California secession movement and with some BLM groups.

If it is disruptive to American politics, the Russians are all over it. That's why they hang out at Twitter so much.

[yardwork]

67. I believe this is true.

[True Blue American]

52. Sounds like that guy does not know

What he wants.

[mopinko]

7. and no one remembers his name, cuz we dont make heroes of lunatics.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. "Hodgkinson was a left-wing political activist from Belleville, Illinois ..."

Read 'em and weep.

Congressional baseball shooting

On June 14, 2017, a mass shooting occurred during a practice session for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity in Alexandria, Virginia, where six people were shot, including U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, U.S. Capitol police officer Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth, and lobbyist Matt Mika, by 66-year-old James Hodgkinson. A ten-minute shootout took place between Hodgkinson and officers from the Capitol and Alexandria Police before officers shot Hodgkinson, who died from his wounds later that day at the George Washington University Hospital. Scalise and Mika were taken to nearby hospitals where they underwent surgery.

Hodgkinson was a left-wing political activist from Belleville, Illinois, while Scalise was a Republican member of Congress. The Virginia Attorney General concluded Hodgkinson's attack was "an act of terrorism... fueled by rage against Republican legislators". Scalise was the first sitting member of Congress to have been shot since Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords was shot in 2011.

{snip}

Motives

Hodgkinson had participated in the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign during the 2016 United States presidential election, and was described by a fellow campaigner in Iowa as a "quiet guy, very mellow, very reserved".

Republican Congressman Mike Bost, who represents Hodgkinson's home district, said had contacted his office ten times, but "never with any threats, only anger".

He wrote 27 letters to the editor of the Belleville News-Democrat between March 2008 and September 2012 on various political and economic topics, many of which were anti-Republican.

On May 22, Hodgkinson wrote "Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co." above his repost of a Change.org petition demanding "the legal removal" of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for "treason". He belonged to numerous political Facebook groups, including those named "Terminate the Republican Party", "The Road To Hell Is Paved With Republicans", and "Donald Trump is not my President."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which took over the investigation, said on June 14 that it was too early to ascribe a motive for the shootings. It put out a request for public assistance with "any information regarding Hodgkinson".

On June 16, USA Today reported, citing an anonymous source, that the FBI found a list of names, including those of Republican Congressmen Mo Brooks, Jeff Duncan and Trent Franks, in Hodgkinson's pocket.

On June 21, FBI agent Timothy Slater said the names of six congressmen were written on a piece of paper found in an Alexandria storage locker rented to Hodgkinson. He said it did not appear to be a hit list, and that its significance was unclear.

{snip}

[Just A Box Of Rain]

19. Here is another:

https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/homepage2/james-hodgkinson-profile

[Probatim]

20. He also died from his wounds. Unlike a lot of RW nutters who are allowed to surrender to police.

The Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh is a perfect example. Despite shooting several police officers and a large SWAT presence on site, they let him surrender.

[moose65]

47. Seems like everyone has forgotten about Gabby Giffords

I wonder why that is??

[BOSSHOG]

48. Thanks for the info

But I don’t see any reference(s) to the guy who shot Scalise as getting his marching orders from Bernie or Barack or Hillary or “Brandon” or the DNC. I don’t recall any elected democrat telling party members to stand back and stand by or to fight like hell if you wanna save your country, or encourage them to guard voting drop boxes or to take a hammer to a congresspersons spouse.

[librechik]

11. correct as usual, Boss

man these gaslighter projection artists chap my hide! They are TOO effective to just do the both sides do it tapdance than give a care for the common good.

[mountain grammy]

12. Yes, that was the example used by mainstream talking head

to prove that "both sides do it.." I was surpised it took almost an entire day to bring it up and, of course no nuance whatsoever.
There is no "both sides" for this level of hatred and stupidity. they have it all to themselves.

[NoRethugFriends]

14. Thanks for the bothsiderism

In your math does 1 = 100?

[emulatorloo]

16. The post actually shows why bothsiderism is BS. Bernie/Democrats don't engage in violent rhetoric

like the MAGA’s do. That’s what Bosshog’s point is.

[femmedem]

17. I believe you either didn't read the whole OP or you misunderstood it.

The point of the post was to debunk bothsiderism.

(I don't agree with the OP, as it happens: I don't think the Scalise shooter was motivated by Republican rhetoric. But I also don't think there is any equivalency because, as you point out, there are so many more RW terrorists and they truly are egged on by Republican leadership.)

[TeamProg]

15. All great points. nt

[Paladin]

22. "...correct rather than polite."

A thousand thanks for that one.

[DeeDeeNY]

23. Republicans always bring up the Scalise shooting

https://www.vox.com/2017/6/14/15801600/scalise-shooting-bernie-sanders-statement

Sanders put out this statement at the time: “I am sickened by this despicable act…
I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.”

[Traildogbob]

24. The man who shot Scalise

Was his gay lover. He popped a cap in little Stevie’s ass for his stance on LGBQ rights. He was financed and planned by NRA to prove the need for guns against radical left Dem’s. And the black officer that apprehended the shooter, was a token plant to reel in black voters for Lindsay to praise as good black republicans. She is a frequent at trump KKKlan rallies in Blacks for Trump tee shirts.
And Scalise paid out of pocket for all his medical care to prove socialist health care is not needed.
And a Jewish space laser guided the bullet to do minimal damage because the shooter really Loved Stevie. And the Liberal Media like Andre Mitchell and Chuck Toad riled up all the hate against God fearing Christian republicans to create a dangerous soft ball game. USA USA USA. America on the track to Great.

[BaronChocula]

28. You forgot

how Soros set this up as a distraction from all the money he was paying a Chinese lab to make COVID-19 so he could develop the chips to put in the vaccines so Black Lives Matter and Antifa could take over red counties.

[Traildogbob]

33. Damn

How could I miss that? And Dems wanted to drink the ass blood of Scalise to get an adrenaline rush to be as effective a legislator as ole Stevie. We just trying to get woke up.

[GopherGal]

50. Maybe the same way I missed all the ads with Scalise highlighted in gunsights

... I assume it's because i'm not in their focus audience.

(not that I'd recognize Scalise's picture anyway)

[BOSSHOG]

63. When Scalise first ran for congress

About 15 years ago, he told his conservative constituency that he was David Duke without the baggage. How sweet.

[True Blue American]

53. Did he drink bleach too

Or shine a light up his yahoo!

[Traildogbob]

55. Washed down the ivermectin

With shots of bleach but also used the 32 inch florescent light bulb to pack the ivermectin up his ass. Attacking the virus from both fronts. And W’s ts to impeach Dr Fauchi for lies.

[True Blue American]

59. Getting better!

[Atticus]

25. U damn betcha! nt

[republianmushroom]

26. LIKE

[malaise]

27. Nailed it

Where have you been for all this time?

[BOSSHOG]

49. I took a 12 Year Sabattical

To find myself. I ended up in the Land of Oz.

[malaise]

51. How fabulous

Did you have a good time?
Real nice to see you back.😀

[True Blue American]

60. I think we all have!

Down the rabbit hole.

[Heather MC]

29. The crazy thing is...

Whenever they play the whataboutism game.

They use it as some sort of justification for their horrible wretched behavior.
As if it's OK that they do it because somebody else did it over there.

It's literally the most juvenile playground argument on the planet...
🤦🏾?♀️🤦🏾?♀️🤦🏾?♀️

[Catherine Vincent]

34. The guy that attempted to kill Paul Pelosi was Canadian?

[LeftInTX]

71. I'm reading that too, but don't know much about him. Too busy with GOTV

[Initech]

35. There's only one side that has insane loud mouths on TV 24 hours a day demonizing the other side.

That side is conservatives. And people watch and listen to and buy the shit that these hatemongers support. That's what has led to the political violence we have. This is entirely on the hands of Alex Jones, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and the rest of them.

[Samrob]

42. The media needs to be told this over and over. I can no longer post on Twitter but the

the Twits need to know this see and understand this too.

[IronLionZion]

44. Far fewer people on our side are using violence

[patphil]

45. Republicans deliberately foster an environment of fear, anger, and hatred.

This often leads to violence...either verbal or physical.

Democrats rarely go down that path.

[senseandsensibility]

57. I keep waiting for SOMEONE to say this

on TV. It's a matter of logic, and while I admire you for pointing it out, there is no reason that these highly paid professional journalists can't do it too.

[BOSSHOG]

64. It is aggravating

The “danger posed to the country by extremist violence.” Its Republican violence. Not hard to figure out. Nor report on objectively.

Maybe journalists should take the same oath service members do. Would have no effect whatsoever on their integrity or work (except maybe improve both.)

[betsuni]

58. Keep seeing them claim both sides, that "neither side has a monopoly on violence"

and give examples and it's that one guy who shot Scalise, all the rest are Republicans.

[Bucky]

65. The point is that we have mentally sick people in our society with easy access to guns.

We shouldn't agitate or aggravate them. It's irresponsible to whip up hysteria in a society with a lot of guns and not much affordable mental healthcare.

Republican don't get that, or don't care, and so they play with matches next to a tinderbox and count on Democrats to act responsibly and put out the sparks.

There's a Party of Hysteria and a Party of Social Responsibility. It's an admittedly sick relationship, but it's not one we can necessarily get out of