I know this is the land of free markets and limited government.
These are broad general numbers for magnitude, not accuracy, but social media companies generate approximately a trillion dollars on the US stock market. Meta/Facebook runs about 90% of social media and makes up 3% of the stock market.
All of these companies' algorithms are designed to induce engagement - be it cute cats or rage and despair. Gen Z is especially hooked on this, and we as a goverment and nation do almost absolutely nothing to regulate it. Sure, they aren't supposed to show a 13 year old girl pondering suicide how to make a noose - but it happens. Why do we allow this content to reach any age kid? Sure - the parents should be on top of this - but they are not. Just like I had a stack of Playboys and if I was lucky a Penthouse or two in my closet.
The internet needs to be age-gated and cleaned up so vulnerable, confused kids aren't being brainwashed into hate so easily.
Big fat check from these companies to both sides keep everyones hands in their pockets about doing anything about this problem.
While this sounds like a solution, it is not feasible. Just as you mentioned, you had some playboys and penthouses, those were age gated, yet you still got them. About 15 years ago, the CEO of Common Sense Media gave a speech at Laguna Blanca. This was a discussion about what you are talking about. The CEO realized that in the group of parents was a former FCC Chairman. The CEO stopped and started asking if there were comments. I stood up, there were about 300 people there. I asked a question, ironically, using your point. I stated, "I am an adult male. When I was 9 years old I saw my first playboy and penthouse. I grew up finding these magazines and by the time I was 15, probably had 50. I had found porn (tapes) at 15 as well. I am married, a good father, have never raped a woman, do not disparage women, do not treat women as objects. Why is it that this group feels that if their children are exposed to the same things they were will turn out different than they did?"
So I will ask you the same question. Of course, there should be some gating, but it will not be perfect. Why do you expect children who are exposed to the same things that you were exposed to, to come out differently?
I think the manners and expectations of exposure is totally different today on social media vs. magazines. They invest billions into shrinks and user interface to basically try to keep you staring at their feed. Face time and swipes are money. Probably similar with online porn now. Instead of two blonds and a redhead per magazine you now have your choice of 100,000. The algorithm will quickly pick up that you don't like redheads unless they have lots of gothic tattoos. Probably why porn addiction wasn't an everyday word back in the Ron Jeremy days.
"Why is it that this group feels that if their children are exposed to the same things they were will turn out different than they did?"
Are you okay with boys encountering degenerate media? Are you okay with consuming degenerate media? You do realize it is sinful to consume, yes? It's adulterous [for you] to consume now as a married man
Pornography is violation of chastity, degrades the dignity of persons to sexuals objects, reduces the marital act to a commodity for voyeuristic indulgence...
"Why do you expect children who are exposed to the same things that you were exposed to, to come out differently?"
Not every person is the same as you, and that's irrelevant how someone turns out, evil isn't negated by your own anecdotal experiences.
@Q#$ you. Because you believe some BS written down by a series of people thousands of years ago, translated from a few different languages, does not mean it is true.
GOD is a man made concept. It is FICTIONAL. This does not give you the right to judge me.
And to just have fun with you . . . You are extremely misguided. If I am to belive in Genesis and that God created man and woman, did he create them with clothes?
I feel quite confident, based on your writings, that I have consumed 'degenerate' media. That media, as you defined, could be something as simple as the statue of David.
"Pornography is violation of chastity, degrades the dignity of persons to sexuals objects, reduces the marital act to a commodity for voyeuristic indulgence" That whole sentence is so funny to me. There is so much wrong with it.
1. Violation of chastity? Uhh, ok, you want to bring in religion again. I reject that.
2. Degrades the dignity of persons . . . So you are against actors? People producing 'porn' are actors. What is the difference if they are acting out a scene of prayer or a scene having sex? They are still ACTORS.
3. Reduces the marital act. Of course, we get to go back to JC's time, when marriages were basically negotiated contracts. That marriage? Sounds more like prostitution to me. You know, the kind that 'degrades the dignity of persons,' and is a 'violation of chastity.'
I often chuckle at the stupidity of the concept that SEX is a terrible thing outside of marriage but a wonderful thing inside of marriage. That makes no sense. If sex is wonderful, why does it matter if you are married or not?
"I often chuckle at the stupidity of the concept that SEX is a terrible thing outside of marriage but a wonderful thing inside of marriage. That makes no sense. If sex is wonderful, why does it matter if you are married or not?"
Doesn't matter if you chuckle, the one in error remains in error. It's wonderful precisely because it's sacred with the sacrament of marriage - it is not something to be given up freely, to anyone. Casual sex deflated the value of sex - pre marital sex takes away the gravity of the act.
It is sacred because why? Some guy who couldn't get laid, couldn't get invited to the orgy, got pissed off and wrote some BS that it was terrible?
Adam and Eve were not married. They may have been 'bonded' but they were not married. Marriage was a legal concept, aka a contract, not a religious concept to start with. It got morphed into a religious concept because religion wants to control people.
I am really changing topics here, but when the whole gay marriage thing came out, I irked a lot of friends. I stated over and over, "I am against gay marriage." Before I could finish, I was called homophobic. I said, "LET ME FINISH! Marriage, which has become a religious event, should be controlled by the church. The government does not need to be in the marriage business. The government needs to be in the business of identifying those that are legally allowed to act on behalf of the other, in essence, incur rights as if they are one. The government should not care if it is man to man, woman to woman or man to woman. Let the church do as it sees fit." That same concept is how I approach religion. You can believe whatever the hell you want. I really don't care. When you tell me that I am wrong, then we can discuss it. When you try and impose it, then we will have an issue.
If you want to believe in Sky Daddy, fine, congrats. I think it is stupid. I am not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise. Convincing me that because I do not believe in Sky Daddy I will suffer some harm, or break some religious law, well, tell me and I don't care, do things to make me be that way, and I will care.
David, I agree with much of what you write about some Gen Z males. And like most people I know some Gen Z guys who are among the most together, empathetic, hard working and considerate young men I've ever known. But getting back to the most psychotic among them, I think the primary reason for their black-pilled void is they're constantly told that males, especially white males, are worthless toxic waste dumps - unless they're billionaires or superstar athletes by the age of 25. So thank you, excellent piece. But your words to Erika Kirk I find baffling, I'm sure I'm just not getting it but you seem to be telling her to do better. And I can't think of another wife who has done as well under the circumstances of her husband's assassination.
Thank you, Polly, for your kind words. As for the Prayer, I would love to take credit for it, but it was a prayer authored by Erika Kirk herself on her podcast several months ago and transcribed by a journalist employed by "The National Catholic Register". As was the case with her husband, she was aiming these beautiful words at her prime audience - Millennials and Gen Z, particularly disoriented young women. Sorry for the authorship confusion.
Thank you, David. Now I think even more highly of Erika - that she could call on herself like that at this time. I always enjoy your writing here and hope to meet you in person some day.
When I was in grammar school, one of the sayings that was repeated over and over: Sticks and Stones will break your bones but words can never hurt you. Maybe we should go back to that. I’m 76.
We not only heard that phrase over and over, we lived it. I was taught to stand my ground if someone called me names, or walk away. There's not much bad (cheap, maybe) they could call a Scotsman (on my father's side), but my poor Roman Catholic Irish, Polish and Italian friends really got ribbed hard! None of them are any worse for the wear 'n' tear!
It started with the likes of supposed college Professors who lied in classes to make their point. e.g. Washington made a ton of money on the Revolution against England...fact he lost 1/2 his wealth.
Then there was the intentional radicalization of minorities that led to the likes of Watts Riot, Black Panthers, SDS, and more. How about those trumped up news stories about students against the "war" ??? I watched news crews dis-satisfied with the level of noise direct a small group to yell and then photos at angles that made it appear 10times larger.
Fast forward today. You have the normalization of failed urban planning, the intentional statements criminal charges are fakes, and the crashing of the welfare system because we have too many illegals and those who are taught how to "work the system."
There is soooo much more to list, but the bottom line the marginalized sectors of society are now portrayed as being the brightest and best. Guess that is why they are doing drugs, attacking people walking by on streets, and killing anyone for politics.
The next story? The failure of State St., Old Town Goleta, and the excuses millions of your tax dollars will make it all good.
It seems to me that assassination is the expected end of the spectrum of cancel culture. Why should we be surprised? Shocked, yes! Surprised, not really. The CK murder and aftermath have turned the spotlight on the root/crux/seed of the aggressive ennui of our age, namely, God-lessness. In just the way we can widely agree (!!) that fatherless homes are a central cause of so much wrong and bad in the urban culture, FATHER-lessness at the core of our hearts is responsible for the nihilism of the American moment.
Sadly, the murderer seems to have been raised by an honorable father. Sending your kids to college once seemed the thing to do to launch them on the path to success. Borrowing a small fortune seemed worth the investment. Now it has a highly likely chance to have your Boy Scout who headed off to college return in a Che Guevara shirt, with a taste for THC, sporting a nose ring and purple hair. He may not be sure if he is a man or a cat. College went from liberal arts to Marxist indoctrination. This seems what happened with the Utah shooter. The father’s mistake was sending his son off to whatever cesspool that was billed as higher education.
Really? He was in a three year of an electrical apprenticeship at Dixie Technical College. Is that really a cesspool of higher education with Marxist indoctrination?
I have some renewed confidence in today’s youth as new chapters of Turning Point on college campuses are soaring. No doubt today’s college graduates have much on their plate. Finding a job, a place to live, (while owning a home is perhaps out of the question), finding a spouse, starting a family and paying off college debt are but a few of the challenges facing our youth.
So what went wrong with many in the counterculture? For starters, the education indoctrination, which includes the demasculinizing of our boys, raised in a matriarchal society, cannot be trivialized. Why are so many of our young boys committing these horrible crimes?
When asked by a reporter, the Utah AG brushed aside the seeming correlation between Transgenderism and violence.
It cannot be discounted that the sexuality and gender dysphoria that many young males are experiencing, is playing a role in a tendency to commit violence. Why is the mental health establishment not coming forward with this alarming trend? Why has the APA and WHO removed Gender Identity Disorder from ICD-11? Shockingly, the APA does not consider Transgenderism as a psychiatric diagnosis, what is it then? Is living the role as a “Furry,” dressing up as a dog, on a leash and playing with chew toys normal psychology?
And we wonder why we now have a generation of mentally ill youth.
"So what went wrong with many in the counterculture? For starters, the education indoctrination, which includes the demasculinizing of our boys, raised in a matriarchal society, cannot be trivialized. Why are so many of our young boys committing these horrible crimes?"
Demasculinizing of boys? Which is what, exactly? We have a lack of piety - not secular "masculinity" - no boy, no matter how masculine" he is will be morally upright if he lacks piety.
And matriarchal culture? We live in a secular one - I have no idea where these matriarchs are - a matriarchy implies hierarchy, something the modern world isn't fond of.
"It cannot be discounted that the sexuality and gender dysphoria that many young males are experiencing"
I'm certain there are more girls experiencing gender dysphoria and a roughly equal amount who supposedly have unnatural passions, yet we see very few young women committing grave crimes - so that can't be a reason alone for young men engaging in acts of violence.
Good Article…we can attribute the transgender shootings to Lin Biao, Chairman Mao’s right hand man during the Chinese cultural revolution of the 1960s… master psychologist who honed his craft psyching out our Korean World War II soldiers in the North Korean prison camps in the early 1950s. He was the major architect of the plays used in the Chinese cultural revolution, including co-opting the gay community and moving many to ‘transition’ to the opposite sex…first country to produce and widely distribute hormones for the transgenders… once he fractured their minds, this ‘Army of The Hairy Crabs’ we sent to destroy the ‘Four Olds’:
Old ideas: Traditional thoughts and beliefs, including those associated with Confucianism.
Old culture: Elements of traditional culture, such as literature, artwork, and music.
Old customs: Traditional social practices, rituals, and ceremonies.
Old habits: The behaviors and manners associated with a traditional, non-socialist lifestyle.
They/Them did extensive damage…
Playbook known…
PS…Charlie Kirk was a good man on a mission, true to his heart, such men are rare…He didn’t deserve to be murdered, nor smeared in the aftermath…may he go with God & Rest In Peace
We lost it on the water down, teaching the three Rs
Sorry if this offends anybody, but this transgender thing is a screw on her society just look at the assassinations and attempted assassinations or the past couple of years I fear for a republic. I encourage everyone to join Turney point and support them financially perhaps if we can help, Erica grow it Charlie’s death will not have been in vain.
The Bible teaches that there is absolute truth including that thou shall not kill. The Bible also teaches that man is gravely flawed, irredeemable without the grace of Jesus. Colleges teach that man is master of himself and of reality. That gender is a choice is a manifestation of the nihilistic teaching of today’s universities. I suppose to blame either the Bible or the university for man’s darkest actions is to lack appreciation for man’s innate imperfection as taught in the Bible. And while humanity represents a spectrum of individuals from divine to depraved, universities nudge the vulnerable toward depravity while the Bible nudges toward righteousness.
Good observations, David. For the short term, the Feds need to watch the 18–to-26-year-old group, carefully for deranged individuals, especially males. For the long-term radical college professors and politicians need to be dragged off the stage. Evil must be dealt with by the good people that value life. Will the Feds get involved ... we'll see. I'm beginning to believe they are not the sharpest tacks in a box to connect-the-dots to discover problem sources and in turn create solutions. The Feds could be too self-involved to think of others.
You want to blame colleges for the last 20 years for creating people that kill others for not believing as they feel to believe, yet end the article with religion. The book, that for the last 2000+ years has driven generations to kill, is admired. Then we can further back, probably another 2000+ years before that and religion has caused mankind to kill mankind.
Pfft. Stop waking up angry trying to blame some boogeyman for someone who does not feel the same as you.
Charlie Kirk was a conman. He was full of hate. Did he deserve to be assassinated? HELL NO. To honor his words, that is pure and utter BS. Think I am wrong? "This guy was a scumbag. Now, does that mean he deserves to die? That's two totally different things — of course not." That was Charlie Kirk's own words about George Floyd.
Just for clarity - neither the official police autopsy nor the follow-up paid by the family listed "overdose" as Floyd's cause of death.
You can keep humming that in your head till you think it's true - but the words were "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression”.
I'd also think if it were an overdose that Derek Chauvin wouldn't be waiting until 2037 to get out of jail. I'm sure having folks help in the shower is getting old.
Why are you thinking about my penis at a time like this? Why was Floyd claiming he couldn’t breathe before he was restrained? The jury rejected facts and the defense shopped around for an opinion that fit. Watch the whole arrest video.
Why is it that conservatives love to project? Are they that insecure that they feel compelled to do this? Perhaps this is where women came up with the small penis syndrome comments.
I have never said that Floyd was my hero. I would never say that. I will state that he didn't deserve to die in the manner in which he did. Now, replace the word Floyd with the word Kirk. To me that is accurate. Can you say the same? Can you say that Floyd didn't deserve to die in the manner in which he did or are you ok with it? Because at the end of the day, Floyd was murdered, and so was Kirk.
Sure, sorry he ate a bag of fentanyl when he was arrested. Very tragic. Worse was the lefts response that cost billions of dollars and at least 25 lives.
You can't do it. You can't say that his murder was NOT warranted. You had to go and find the label that you wanted to attack. Says a lot about your belief system to me.
So let's move to the next topic you brought up, the response to the murder. Notice, I did not say 'the lefts.' Why? Because that would be ignorant. People responded. Their belief systems, whether they were liberal, progressive, libertarian, conservative, fascist, nihlist, etc. is not relevant. Why? Because it was not just ONE of those and that holds as much relevance as whether they were Jewish, Muslim, Christian, agnostics, or atheists. Wanna bet that there were some Trump voters in the Floyd responses? Wanna bet that there were some Christians, muslims?
The concept of poking the bear should come to mind. Floyd was a moment in time for centuries of frustration. Let me see . . . Hmm, in 1979 the band, the Dead Kennedy's created a song called Police Truck. It had to do with police brutality. Ironically, the lead singer ran for mayor of San Fran, came in 3rd, but had an interesting platform, let police be voted on. Lenny Kravitiz had a song Mr. Cab Driver that came out in 1990. Interesting, talking about basically the same thing. You had both of the Overtown riots in Miami about this subject. You had the Rodney King situation. You had the 2017 riots in St. Louis due to an officer murdering a person. You had the Michael Brown murder, yes, a person was killed for stealing 2 cigars. You had the Eric Garner murder by the cops for selling loose cigs.
You piss people off long enough, and they respond. Think I am wrong? We had this thing called the American Revolution because people were pissed off at the actions of the government.
Again, projection. How typical of a conservative. How typical of a person who is insecure. How typical of a person who is afraid of asking, but feels compelled to judge.
NOWHERE did I say I justified it. At best, you can infer I understand why it happened.
DB: Statistics never verified the mythology of white police violence on blacks, used to justify the George Floyd self-inflicted drug over-dose death and carnage. Just the opposite.
See, you can't do it, can you? I never said WHITE police violence on blacks. I said police violence. Why is it that conservatives have to put in ideologies, race, and religion into EVERYTHING?
"We had this thing called the American Revolution because people were pissed off at the actions of the government."
The American colonists had no legitimate greivances to rebel - they were discontent with taxes, but that is not a form of tyranny - that's what every working person must participate in. I don't even like the English [España Enjoyer], but any sane person can realize the war was about greed, refusing to give what was owed to the Empire as subjects of the crown.
In fact it was the coroner and forensic autopsy that confirmed he died by his own hand, drug abuse and self-inflicted coronary conditions. Facts are stubborn things, but you need to cling to subjective renderings to maintain your own narrative. Got it, DB
"The book, that for the last 2000+ years has driven generations to kill, is admired"
Source bro?
"Religion [Christianity] kills!"
No, that's secular propaganda born of the post enlightenment world. Only like 3% of all wars are even due to religion, and you assume a war of religion is inherently evil - that's totally a "non biased" and objective perspective [not].
3% of all wars? WHAT? What kool aid are you drinking? You may be talking direct, and if so, that number still seems low. There may be more than one cause for a war. As an example, is Israel at war with Palestine? Is it a war of religion? Is it a war of territory? Is it a war of resources? All three of those can be yes. Will history record it as a war of religion? Good question, I have no idea.
Israel is a secular state and I don't support it - I think Israel shouldn't exist; the land belongs to Christ. Regardless, the war is not a religious war,
Are you bringing it up because you think I'm a conservative?
"Religion" too is vague - bring up only Catholic sponsored wars, those are the only ones relevant to me. Yapping out Israel [Secular state with a Jewish population] as a means to condemn is not something I care to respond to.
I brought it up because it can be construed as jews vs. muslims.
The crusades were what?
And no, I will bring up Religion because that is a trait of a majority of religions. That trait is that my god is better than your god, agree with my god or I will kill you.
A defensive wars to protect pilgrims and holy places - the Muslims had conquered North Africa, the Levant, the Middle East which had been home to Christian communities before the armies of Muhammad took entire cities by the sword. The first crusade happened almost 500 years after Islam was even founded - if it was about Christianity saying "grr! Kill the non believer-" the Christian would have done so when Islam was founded in thr 600's...
I can tell you don't know history very well given your secular presumption the Crusade was an act of evil.
“Funny article,” Bergerson? What’s so funny? Kirk was a “conman,” “scumbag,” really? Maybe you should look in the mirror Pal. Better yet, lay down on a couch and talk to a mental health professional.
As for your poster boy, George Floyd, do I feel bad? Nope. He was resisting arrest and died as the criminal thug he was while high on Fentanyl. Michael Brown? Ya, another thug who was shot and killed after punching a cop in the face.
So give us a break from your white, liberal indignation. Your vile comments about Charlie Kirk and what he stood up for, speaks volumes as to your ongoing buffoonery.
Charlie Kirk was an Old Testament-style prophet - a Man of God seeking to salvage a sinking ship. There are no good politics without "religion". As I noted in another Reply, Erika Kirk on her podcast last Spring was the author of The Prayer.
“POS person?” Again, as a said earlier, take a hard look in the mirror. “Selling fear and lies?” Of what, Christ is King and we are at a tipping point of ill morality? Oh, I got it, that’s why we now have men dressed as women, shooting up Catholic schools full of children?
Here, let me use your own words . . . "Oh, I got it, that’s why we now have men dressed as women" This is NOT something new at all. How far back do you want to go for me to prove this? Heck, would you argue the Scottish who have been wearing kilts? Wasn't that around 1600? Or are you going to argue a man wearing a skirt is not a man dressing as a woman. Hmm.
Obviously, you are falling for the BS that Kirk SOLD. As you are making assertions, it is your burden to prove it. What catholic school, filled with kids, was shot up by a man dressed as a woman? I can tell you more and more of the churches and schools shot up, but it was by men. Sandy Hook? Parkland? Columbine?
If they had only stopped at their exterior trappings; but instead they insisted they were the opposite of what in fact they were and we were required to accept this fiction. That is where they diverged, since they tried to invade our own sensibilities - not unlike the wildly misrepresented mNRA clot shot. Polynesia has worked out this "third sex" thing, so there are viable models for this personal expression choice.
We may be very close to an agreement in beliefs here.
I am a lot more aligned with J.K. Rowling than I am not. I run into some issues that I can not resolve. The concept of man or woman invokes a binary result. The reality is that it is not binary, it really is on a spectrum. The other reality is that we have to discuss biology vs. gender. Biology tells us that a man has an xy chromosone pair, testes and higher levels of testosterone. Biology tells us that a woman has an xx chromosone pair, ovaries, and higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. However, biologically, not everyone hits all three of those criteria per category. Thus, this is why it is NOT binary.
To me, because this is a spectrum issue, there is a line. It is beyond my pay grade to define the line. Is it one of the three, two of the three, but I do know that it is not all of the three.
Where JK pisses off the transgender world is where I would piss them off. If you do not cross that line I mentioned, then, IMO, you are not that sex. You can wish it, you can want it, but you are not it.
Because society for a very long time, has treated women as 2nd class citizens, the fact that women have finally moved closer to equality, the reality is that it will be a long time before women are truly equal, thus we need to make sure that women are not excluded or discriminated against. This concept means that there will be cut outs for women to make sure that they are not excluded. Those that do not cross that line, should not be allowed to take those from those that are inside the line.
Now, stop with the idiotic, misinformed mRNA stuff. It has been around for SIXTY YEARS. If you felt it was an issue, then you would have been complaining well before Covid shots. And to show that you are full of it, if Covid shots used the typical transport (eggs) you would still complain.
Judeo-Christian religion asks for a relationship with a Higher Power. That is not "obedience", that is a fundamental for continued human existence .Where did you get your own cartoon versions about "religion" DB?
Judeo-Christrain religion believes in the 10 commandments.
"You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
That does not sound like ASKING to me. That reads like obedience.
DB: Don't get hung up on later translations. The actual words are much more fluid and insightful No one is cramming down religion on anyone. Who tried to do this to you? In fact the word for "God" (Yawah) is actually a verb - I am becoming - was one interpretive translations, which changes the dynamic immensely if you are still hung up on a real person sitting on a throne with a long gray beard pointing his long bony finger directly at you. Think about the original meaning - I am becoming - a verb; not a sterile noun.
Who else stopped going to movies when they became formulaic plot lines: fight-fight-fight - few lines of crummy dialogue - fight-fight-fight - few lines of crummy dialogue - fight- fight?
Even the originally charming Lord of the Rings which attempted to re-create a common archetypal mythology did not escape the dreary realm of becoming a one-dimensional "action movie", instead of delving into the depths of the human experience.
Car chases, explosions, shoot-em ups. Mind numbing and allegedly geared to attract an audience of post-pubescent males. Video games sanitize killings, often in mass numbers. What is also more sanitized than the expectation the mother of a young man's child will kill that jointly-created human baby?
We cheapened the human experience by drowning it in artificial and contrived experiences, and got cheapened humans as a result. The current killer claims..... my father will be mad at me if I do not return my grandfather's gun; but exhibits no concern his father just might also get mad at him for murdering another human being in cold blood?
A switch did get turned off somewhere along the way. Should we also look at the recent increase in Caesarean and drugged child births - when even the initial passage into outside life itself has been artificially contrived?
Let's see. First you blame "radical university professors" for turning students into killer zombies, then you quote a study that shows the attitudes of Gen-Z are basically independent of whether a person is a university student or not. So you try to fine other reasons for their behavior and ideas. We can perhaps agree that trying to find ones way in the deserts and jungles of social media can be quite a strain on teens and 20s but I'll suggest that education can help with that.
As somebody who was a university professor for over 50 years, and a student (in the 60s) before that I find that your characterization is pretty much bogus. The normal professor is far too busy trying to actually teach content and to actually get students to think (well, perhaps some people would consider that radically leftist). I wonder, though, was I perhaps radicalizing my students when I taught them about mathematical models of epidemics? Did my lessons about herd immunity, including statistical analysis of the trade-off between potential adverse effects from the MMR vaccine (usually because of allergy to eggs) and the potential deadly or life changing effects of measles lead to a hoard of radical leftist insisting that everybody needed to be vaccinated? Were students traumatized because I wouldn't let them use calculators on exams? Did that lead them to thoughts of violence?
Perhaps math isn't the best vehicle for turning students into leftists. Perhaps it's English professors, after all, learning our literary heritage develops understanding of other points of view and--horrors--develops empathy! Sociologists, those I knew were too busy trying to figure out what their discipline was about and philosophers were busy trying to get students to write reasoned essays. I knew plenty of these and while most were liberal (which is a legitimate political persuasion, despite what right-wing radicals say), almost none of them were into indoctrinating their students (the few that were, usually learned better as they aged). It could be that what a university education does, if it takes, is to produce graduates who are more open to a variety of viewpoints and are able to think about things a bit more clearly.
Per Twain there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics. As with the climate change narrative, the predictions of models are no better than the integrity and bias of those creating the models. Because you use statistical mathematical models in no way grant you any claim to legitimacy. There is a reproducibility crisis in the sciences today and nowhere is it more severe than in the medical literature. A cornerstone of the scientific method is that results be reproducible. More often than not this is not the case today. Nowhere is this on greater display than in the scientific consensus regarding covid. The biased corrupt rot in the universities is not limited to the social sciences but pervades all fields and perhaps its most dangerous embodiment is under the illusion of legitimacy provided by scientific consensus, albeit an irreproducible consensus.
Sorry, the main reproducibility crisis is in psychology and sociology. 30 years ago there were major problems in medical science because big pharma was biasing what got published about their products (I researched this extensively at the time). That's been corrected to a large extent as journals now require strict controls and recognition of funding and author's potential conflicts of interest (comparing the sorts of declarations I've got to make to get a paper published today and 30 years ago is illuminating and, for me, a hassle). In climate science the data and models are pretty conclusive--sufficiently to be convincing to anybody with a modicum of unbiased intelligence. There is very little problem in the hard sciences or the biological sciences. You are basically disrespecting a great number of very dedicated individuals here because you have an ideological axe to grind.
No sale. I sat in on college classrooms here locally where the leftist bias was inserted with both words and sneers effortlessly from the instructor to the student.
There were no harangues or stolen class time, but instead an over-arching bias and use of biased illustrative examples to make the instructors point that clarifed student discussion.
Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk's killer, was a routinely bright, small-town Mormon kid until 3 years ago. What happened 3 years ago? First, he began attending Utah State University. After leaving U.S.U. for unknown reasons, he spent 2 years at Dixie Technical College in nearby St. George, UT. Friends, parents, others said he began changing in this time period, becoming distant, engaging in online politics opposed to his family's. My hunch is that an alienated young man rebelling against religion, his family and culture in a red state environment is going to lead a pretty isolated life. 90% of Washington County, UT, where his parents had a beautiful home, is Mormon. You can bet there are no Starbucks or cafes around to meet like-minded "square-pegs-in-a-round-hole" types with which to share common misery. Domiciling romantically with another man in southwest UT is a sure-fire way also of cutting off relations with others in a conservative culture. This guy was a ticking time bomb whose anger could've been diffused perhaps if he resided in a place like Santa Monica.
A pretty good scenario, but I think you miss what seems to me the significant point. Apparently he was in a relationship with a young man who was transgender (or transitioning in that direction, that isn't clear). Perhaps he was finding out that he was attraction to men. Whatever the case, I imagine that in the setting of his family and cultural background this created a tremendous case of cognitive dissonance so that Kirk's comments on transgender individuals struck at a very fragile sense of identity that he defended with violence. A tragedy all the way around.
Who cares about Jimmy Kimmel?? No one who subscribes to SB Current probably ever watched the show and for those who had, their numbers are insignificant. Kimmel probably has $100 million piled up thanks to ABC/Disney, so don't cry for him. Again, I ask, who cares??
Apparently quite a number of Americans. Maybe if you lived in the USA you would have a more accurate view, rather than basing your comment on the makeup of SB Current viewers. Better yet, most of the posts and comments here have little to do with life in Santa Barbara, just my opinion.
I am not a fan of Kimmel and don't watch his show, however Kimmel was correct in assessing Trump's bizarre and callous response to his so-called friend's assassination, saying he's doing well and look at this great ballroom about to be built. Trump, a couple months ago, was reportedly angry at Charlie for telling him not to attack Iran. So I actually read this as Kimmel defending Charlie. Maybe I'm missing another part of what he said.
Rosanne is awful and in no way comparable to Tucker, but you're kind of an idiot for someone who ran for office Justin. Why would you ask me if I was "just as upset" when nowhere in my comment did I say I was "upset"? In fact you didn't respond to one thing I actually wrote in it.
Kimmel is a punk but he is entitled to his opinion and certainly what he said is protected speech. However he is employed at the pleasure of his employer and can be terminated without cause. When his rot is deemed detrimental to his employer's business then he will and should be terminated. He hasn't been funny since the man show.
My liquor cabinet is not as well stocked. Anyway I had no idea what you meant by the comment that i must be a whole lot of fun to hang out with. What did you mean anyway?
The article asks, "What has happened to Gen Z?" When you get done attacking Gen Z, make sure to publish a follow up article, "What has happened to the Boomers?"
You people have no idea who all was involved in Charlie's murder, and if you cared about him as much as you claim to, you'd be focused on uncovering the truth of what happened.
That may be true, but Gen Z supports academic freedom. Just look at Columbia University, amongst others. I'd say they are bigger champions for free speech than Boomers are.
I know this is the land of free markets and limited government.
These are broad general numbers for magnitude, not accuracy, but social media companies generate approximately a trillion dollars on the US stock market. Meta/Facebook runs about 90% of social media and makes up 3% of the stock market.
All of these companies' algorithms are designed to induce engagement - be it cute cats or rage and despair. Gen Z is especially hooked on this, and we as a goverment and nation do almost absolutely nothing to regulate it. Sure, they aren't supposed to show a 13 year old girl pondering suicide how to make a noose - but it happens. Why do we allow this content to reach any age kid? Sure - the parents should be on top of this - but they are not. Just like I had a stack of Playboys and if I was lucky a Penthouse or two in my closet.
The internet needs to be age-gated and cleaned up so vulnerable, confused kids aren't being brainwashed into hate so easily.
Big fat check from these companies to both sides keep everyones hands in their pockets about doing anything about this problem.
While this sounds like a solution, it is not feasible. Just as you mentioned, you had some playboys and penthouses, those were age gated, yet you still got them. About 15 years ago, the CEO of Common Sense Media gave a speech at Laguna Blanca. This was a discussion about what you are talking about. The CEO realized that in the group of parents was a former FCC Chairman. The CEO stopped and started asking if there were comments. I stood up, there were about 300 people there. I asked a question, ironically, using your point. I stated, "I am an adult male. When I was 9 years old I saw my first playboy and penthouse. I grew up finding these magazines and by the time I was 15, probably had 50. I had found porn (tapes) at 15 as well. I am married, a good father, have never raped a woman, do not disparage women, do not treat women as objects. Why is it that this group feels that if their children are exposed to the same things they were will turn out different than they did?"
So I will ask you the same question. Of course, there should be some gating, but it will not be perfect. Why do you expect children who are exposed to the same things that you were exposed to, to come out differently?
I think the manners and expectations of exposure is totally different today on social media vs. magazines. They invest billions into shrinks and user interface to basically try to keep you staring at their feed. Face time and swipes are money. Probably similar with online porn now. Instead of two blonds and a redhead per magazine you now have your choice of 100,000. The algorithm will quickly pick up that you don't like redheads unless they have lots of gothic tattoos. Probably why porn addiction wasn't an everyday word back in the Ron Jeremy days.
"Why is it that this group feels that if their children are exposed to the same things they were will turn out different than they did?"
Are you okay with boys encountering degenerate media? Are you okay with consuming degenerate media? You do realize it is sinful to consume, yes? It's adulterous [for you] to consume now as a married man
Pornography is violation of chastity, degrades the dignity of persons to sexuals objects, reduces the marital act to a commodity for voyeuristic indulgence...
"Why do you expect children who are exposed to the same things that you were exposed to, to come out differently?"
Not every person is the same as you, and that's irrelevant how someone turns out, evil isn't negated by your own anecdotal experiences.
Let me make this completely clear.
@Q#$ you. Because you believe some BS written down by a series of people thousands of years ago, translated from a few different languages, does not mean it is true.
GOD is a man made concept. It is FICTIONAL. This does not give you the right to judge me.
And to just have fun with you . . . You are extremely misguided. If I am to belive in Genesis and that God created man and woman, did he create them with clothes?
I feel quite confident, based on your writings, that I have consumed 'degenerate' media. That media, as you defined, could be something as simple as the statue of David.
"Pornography is violation of chastity, degrades the dignity of persons to sexuals objects, reduces the marital act to a commodity for voyeuristic indulgence" That whole sentence is so funny to me. There is so much wrong with it.
1. Violation of chastity? Uhh, ok, you want to bring in religion again. I reject that.
2. Degrades the dignity of persons . . . So you are against actors? People producing 'porn' are actors. What is the difference if they are acting out a scene of prayer or a scene having sex? They are still ACTORS.
3. Reduces the marital act. Of course, we get to go back to JC's time, when marriages were basically negotiated contracts. That marriage? Sounds more like prostitution to me. You know, the kind that 'degrades the dignity of persons,' and is a 'violation of chastity.'
I often chuckle at the stupidity of the concept that SEX is a terrible thing outside of marriage but a wonderful thing inside of marriage. That makes no sense. If sex is wonderful, why does it matter if you are married or not?
Cool story bro. I am not reading all that.
"I often chuckle at the stupidity of the concept that SEX is a terrible thing outside of marriage but a wonderful thing inside of marriage. That makes no sense. If sex is wonderful, why does it matter if you are married or not?"
Doesn't matter if you chuckle, the one in error remains in error. It's wonderful precisely because it's sacred with the sacrament of marriage - it is not something to be given up freely, to anyone. Casual sex deflated the value of sex - pre marital sex takes away the gravity of the act.
Uhh. WRONG.
It is sacred because why? Some guy who couldn't get laid, couldn't get invited to the orgy, got pissed off and wrote some BS that it was terrible?
Adam and Eve were not married. They may have been 'bonded' but they were not married. Marriage was a legal concept, aka a contract, not a religious concept to start with. It got morphed into a religious concept because religion wants to control people.
I am really changing topics here, but when the whole gay marriage thing came out, I irked a lot of friends. I stated over and over, "I am against gay marriage." Before I could finish, I was called homophobic. I said, "LET ME FINISH! Marriage, which has become a religious event, should be controlled by the church. The government does not need to be in the marriage business. The government needs to be in the business of identifying those that are legally allowed to act on behalf of the other, in essence, incur rights as if they are one. The government should not care if it is man to man, woman to woman or man to woman. Let the church do as it sees fit." That same concept is how I approach religion. You can believe whatever the hell you want. I really don't care. When you tell me that I am wrong, then we can discuss it. When you try and impose it, then we will have an issue.
If you want to believe in Sky Daddy, fine, congrats. I think it is stupid. I am not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise. Convincing me that because I do not believe in Sky Daddy I will suffer some harm, or break some religious law, well, tell me and I don't care, do things to make me be that way, and I will care.
David, I agree with much of what you write about some Gen Z males. And like most people I know some Gen Z guys who are among the most together, empathetic, hard working and considerate young men I've ever known. But getting back to the most psychotic among them, I think the primary reason for their black-pilled void is they're constantly told that males, especially white males, are worthless toxic waste dumps - unless they're billionaires or superstar athletes by the age of 25. So thank you, excellent piece. But your words to Erika Kirk I find baffling, I'm sure I'm just not getting it but you seem to be telling her to do better. And I can't think of another wife who has done as well under the circumstances of her husband's assassination.
Thank you, Polly, for your kind words. As for the Prayer, I would love to take credit for it, but it was a prayer authored by Erika Kirk herself on her podcast several months ago and transcribed by a journalist employed by "The National Catholic Register". As was the case with her husband, she was aiming these beautiful words at her prime audience - Millennials and Gen Z, particularly disoriented young women. Sorry for the authorship confusion.
Thank you, David. Now I think even more highly of Erika - that she could call on herself like that at this time. I always enjoy your writing here and hope to meet you in person some day.
Sounds like a plan!
Exactly. Gen Z males have been reported to be more Conservative vs. Females.
They are heading back to church and gettingarried which will restore the nuclear family.
When I was in grammar school, one of the sayings that was repeated over and over: Sticks and Stones will break your bones but words can never hurt you. Maybe we should go back to that. I’m 76.
We not only heard that phrase over and over, we lived it. I was taught to stand my ground if someone called me names, or walk away. There's not much bad (cheap, maybe) they could call a Scotsman (on my father's side), but my poor Roman Catholic Irish, Polish and Italian friends really got ribbed hard! None of them are any worse for the wear 'n' tear!
It started with the likes of supposed college Professors who lied in classes to make their point. e.g. Washington made a ton of money on the Revolution against England...fact he lost 1/2 his wealth.
Then there was the intentional radicalization of minorities that led to the likes of Watts Riot, Black Panthers, SDS, and more. How about those trumped up news stories about students against the "war" ??? I watched news crews dis-satisfied with the level of noise direct a small group to yell and then photos at angles that made it appear 10times larger.
Fast forward today. You have the normalization of failed urban planning, the intentional statements criminal charges are fakes, and the crashing of the welfare system because we have too many illegals and those who are taught how to "work the system."
There is soooo much more to list, but the bottom line the marginalized sectors of society are now portrayed as being the brightest and best. Guess that is why they are doing drugs, attacking people walking by on streets, and killing anyone for politics.
The next story? The failure of State St., Old Town Goleta, and the excuses millions of your tax dollars will make it all good.
It seems to me that assassination is the expected end of the spectrum of cancel culture. Why should we be surprised? Shocked, yes! Surprised, not really. The CK murder and aftermath have turned the spotlight on the root/crux/seed of the aggressive ennui of our age, namely, God-lessness. In just the way we can widely agree (!!) that fatherless homes are a central cause of so much wrong and bad in the urban culture, FATHER-lessness at the core of our hearts is responsible for the nihilism of the American moment.
The homicide at Altmont Raceway ended the hippie "summer of love" of the 1960's.
Sadly, the murderer seems to have been raised by an honorable father. Sending your kids to college once seemed the thing to do to launch them on the path to success. Borrowing a small fortune seemed worth the investment. Now it has a highly likely chance to have your Boy Scout who headed off to college return in a Che Guevara shirt, with a taste for THC, sporting a nose ring and purple hair. He may not be sure if he is a man or a cat. College went from liberal arts to Marxist indoctrination. This seems what happened with the Utah shooter. The father’s mistake was sending his son off to whatever cesspool that was billed as higher education.
Really? He was in a three year of an electrical apprenticeship at Dixie Technical College. Is that really a cesspool of higher education with Marxist indoctrination?
I have some renewed confidence in today’s youth as new chapters of Turning Point on college campuses are soaring. No doubt today’s college graduates have much on their plate. Finding a job, a place to live, (while owning a home is perhaps out of the question), finding a spouse, starting a family and paying off college debt are but a few of the challenges facing our youth.
So what went wrong with many in the counterculture? For starters, the education indoctrination, which includes the demasculinizing of our boys, raised in a matriarchal society, cannot be trivialized. Why are so many of our young boys committing these horrible crimes?
When asked by a reporter, the Utah AG brushed aside the seeming correlation between Transgenderism and violence.
It cannot be discounted that the sexuality and gender dysphoria that many young males are experiencing, is playing a role in a tendency to commit violence. Why is the mental health establishment not coming forward with this alarming trend? Why has the APA and WHO removed Gender Identity Disorder from ICD-11? Shockingly, the APA does not consider Transgenderism as a psychiatric diagnosis, what is it then? Is living the role as a “Furry,” dressing up as a dog, on a leash and playing with chew toys normal psychology?
And we wonder why we now have a generation of mentally ill youth.
"So what went wrong with many in the counterculture? For starters, the education indoctrination, which includes the demasculinizing of our boys, raised in a matriarchal society, cannot be trivialized. Why are so many of our young boys committing these horrible crimes?"
Demasculinizing of boys? Which is what, exactly? We have a lack of piety - not secular "masculinity" - no boy, no matter how masculine" he is will be morally upright if he lacks piety.
And matriarchal culture? We live in a secular one - I have no idea where these matriarchs are - a matriarchy implies hierarchy, something the modern world isn't fond of.
"It cannot be discounted that the sexuality and gender dysphoria that many young males are experiencing"
I'm certain there are more girls experiencing gender dysphoria and a roughly equal amount who supposedly have unnatural passions, yet we see very few young women committing grave crimes - so that can't be a reason alone for young men engaging in acts of violence.
Good Article…we can attribute the transgender shootings to Lin Biao, Chairman Mao’s right hand man during the Chinese cultural revolution of the 1960s… master psychologist who honed his craft psyching out our Korean World War II soldiers in the North Korean prison camps in the early 1950s. He was the major architect of the plays used in the Chinese cultural revolution, including co-opting the gay community and moving many to ‘transition’ to the opposite sex…first country to produce and widely distribute hormones for the transgenders… once he fractured their minds, this ‘Army of The Hairy Crabs’ we sent to destroy the ‘Four Olds’:
Old ideas: Traditional thoughts and beliefs, including those associated with Confucianism.
Old culture: Elements of traditional culture, such as literature, artwork, and music.
Old customs: Traditional social practices, rituals, and ceremonies.
Old habits: The behaviors and manners associated with a traditional, non-socialist lifestyle.
They/Them did extensive damage…
Playbook known…
PS…Charlie Kirk was a good man on a mission, true to his heart, such men are rare…He didn’t deserve to be murdered, nor smeared in the aftermath…may he go with God & Rest In Peace
https://x.com/clif_high/status/1967780099325149544?s=61
We lost it on the water down, teaching the three Rs
Sorry if this offends anybody, but this transgender thing is a screw on her society just look at the assassinations and attempted assassinations or the past couple of years I fear for a republic. I encourage everyone to join Turney point and support them financially perhaps if we can help, Erica grow it Charlie’s death will not have been in vain.
The Bible teaches that there is absolute truth including that thou shall not kill. The Bible also teaches that man is gravely flawed, irredeemable without the grace of Jesus. Colleges teach that man is master of himself and of reality. That gender is a choice is a manifestation of the nihilistic teaching of today’s universities. I suppose to blame either the Bible or the university for man’s darkest actions is to lack appreciation for man’s innate imperfection as taught in the Bible. And while humanity represents a spectrum of individuals from divine to depraved, universities nudge the vulnerable toward depravity while the Bible nudges toward righteousness.
A Vigil will be held in Carpinteria on Charlie Kirks Birthday 10/14 at 6 PM
It will be at the Valley Baptist Church at 800 Maple Avenue.
Good observations, David. For the short term, the Feds need to watch the 18–to-26-year-old group, carefully for deranged individuals, especially males. For the long-term radical college professors and politicians need to be dragged off the stage. Evil must be dealt with by the good people that value life. Will the Feds get involved ... we'll see. I'm beginning to believe they are not the sharpest tacks in a box to connect-the-dots to discover problem sources and in turn create solutions. The Feds could be too self-involved to think of others.
What a funny article.
You want to blame colleges for the last 20 years for creating people that kill others for not believing as they feel to believe, yet end the article with religion. The book, that for the last 2000+ years has driven generations to kill, is admired. Then we can further back, probably another 2000+ years before that and religion has caused mankind to kill mankind.
Pfft. Stop waking up angry trying to blame some boogeyman for someone who does not feel the same as you.
Charlie Kirk was a conman. He was full of hate. Did he deserve to be assassinated? HELL NO. To honor his words, that is pure and utter BS. Think I am wrong? "This guy was a scumbag. Now, does that mean he deserves to die? That's two totally different things — of course not." That was Charlie Kirk's own words about George Floyd.
Sorry Charlie called your career criminal hero who overdosed on fentanyl a scumbag.
Just for clarity - neither the official police autopsy nor the follow-up paid by the family listed "overdose" as Floyd's cause of death.
You can keep humming that in your head till you think it's true - but the words were "cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression”.
I'd also think if it were an overdose that Derek Chauvin wouldn't be waiting until 2037 to get out of jail. I'm sure having folks help in the shower is getting old.
Why are you thinking about my penis at a time like this? Why was Floyd claiming he couldn’t breathe before he was restrained? The jury rejected facts and the defense shopped around for an opinion that fit. Watch the whole arrest video.
Symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include:
• Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
• Extreme drowsiness or unresponsiveness
• Confusion or disorientation
• Pinpoint pupils
• Cold, clammy skin
• Blue or grayish lips and nails
• Slow or irregular heartbeat
• Loss of consciousness or coma
Why is it that conservatives love to project? Are they that insecure that they feel compelled to do this? Perhaps this is where women came up with the small penis syndrome comments.
I have never said that Floyd was my hero. I would never say that. I will state that he didn't deserve to die in the manner in which he did. Now, replace the word Floyd with the word Kirk. To me that is accurate. Can you say the same? Can you say that Floyd didn't deserve to die in the manner in which he did or are you ok with it? Because at the end of the day, Floyd was murdered, and so was Kirk.
Sure, sorry he ate a bag of fentanyl when he was arrested. Very tragic. Worse was the lefts response that cost billions of dollars and at least 25 lives.
You can't do it. You can't say that his murder was NOT warranted. You had to go and find the label that you wanted to attack. Says a lot about your belief system to me.
So let's move to the next topic you brought up, the response to the murder. Notice, I did not say 'the lefts.' Why? Because that would be ignorant. People responded. Their belief systems, whether they were liberal, progressive, libertarian, conservative, fascist, nihlist, etc. is not relevant. Why? Because it was not just ONE of those and that holds as much relevance as whether they were Jewish, Muslim, Christian, agnostics, or atheists. Wanna bet that there were some Trump voters in the Floyd responses? Wanna bet that there were some Christians, muslims?
The concept of poking the bear should come to mind. Floyd was a moment in time for centuries of frustration. Let me see . . . Hmm, in 1979 the band, the Dead Kennedy's created a song called Police Truck. It had to do with police brutality. Ironically, the lead singer ran for mayor of San Fran, came in 3rd, but had an interesting platform, let police be voted on. Lenny Kravitiz had a song Mr. Cab Driver that came out in 1990. Interesting, talking about basically the same thing. You had both of the Overtown riots in Miami about this subject. You had the Rodney King situation. You had the 2017 riots in St. Louis due to an officer murdering a person. You had the Michael Brown murder, yes, a person was killed for stealing 2 cigars. You had the Eric Garner murder by the cops for selling loose cigs.
You piss people off long enough, and they respond. Think I am wrong? We had this thing called the American Revolution because people were pissed off at the actions of the government.
Look at you, justifying violence like a true leftist.
There are lots of “Christians” on the left: they also believe abortion is good and children can choose their sex.
David Dorn, SAY HIS NAME.
Again, projection. How typical of a conservative. How typical of a person who is insecure. How typical of a person who is afraid of asking, but feels compelled to judge.
NOWHERE did I say I justified it. At best, you can infer I understand why it happened.
DB: Statistics never verified the mythology of white police violence on blacks, used to justify the George Floyd self-inflicted drug over-dose death and carnage. Just the opposite.
See, you can't do it, can you? I never said WHITE police violence on blacks. I said police violence. Why is it that conservatives have to put in ideologies, race, and religion into EVERYTHING?
Never let facts - https://eji.org/news/government-data-undercounts-police-killings-by-more-than-half-study-finds/ get in the way of your beliefs. How dare studies that use FACTS dispel your opinion!
"We had this thing called the American Revolution because people were pissed off at the actions of the government."
The American colonists had no legitimate greivances to rebel - they were discontent with taxes, but that is not a form of tyranny - that's what every working person must participate in. I don't even like the English [España Enjoyer], but any sane person can realize the war was about greed, refusing to give what was owed to the Empire as subjects of the crown.
"The American colonists had no legitimate greivances to rebel"
How do you feel that you can speak on behalf of the colonists? Who are you to judge?
DB: George Floyd was not murdered. Derek Chauvin was lynched.
The coroner does not align with your opinion.
In fact it was the coroner and forensic autopsy that confirmed he died by his own hand, drug abuse and self-inflicted coronary conditions. Facts are stubborn things, but you need to cling to subjective renderings to maintain your own narrative. Got it, DB
"The book, that for the last 2000+ years has driven generations to kill, is admired"
Source bro?
"Religion [Christianity] kills!"
No, that's secular propaganda born of the post enlightenment world. Only like 3% of all wars are even due to religion, and you assume a war of religion is inherently evil - that's totally a "non biased" and objective perspective [not].
3% of all wars? WHAT? What kool aid are you drinking? You may be talking direct, and if so, that number still seems low. There may be more than one cause for a war. As an example, is Israel at war with Palestine? Is it a war of religion? Is it a war of territory? Is it a war of resources? All three of those can be yes. Will history record it as a war of religion? Good question, I have no idea.
Israel is a secular state and I don't support it - I think Israel shouldn't exist; the land belongs to Christ. Regardless, the war is not a religious war,
Are you bringing it up because you think I'm a conservative?
"Religion" too is vague - bring up only Catholic sponsored wars, those are the only ones relevant to me. Yapping out Israel [Secular state with a Jewish population] as a means to condemn is not something I care to respond to.
I brought it up because it can be construed as jews vs. muslims.
The crusades were what?
And no, I will bring up Religion because that is a trait of a majority of religions. That trait is that my god is better than your god, agree with my god or I will kill you.
"The crusades were what?"
A defensive wars to protect pilgrims and holy places - the Muslims had conquered North Africa, the Levant, the Middle East which had been home to Christian communities before the armies of Muhammad took entire cities by the sword. The first crusade happened almost 500 years after Islam was even founded - if it was about Christianity saying "grr! Kill the non believer-" the Christian would have done so when Islam was founded in thr 600's...
I can tell you don't know history very well given your secular presumption the Crusade was an act of evil.
“Funny article,” Bergerson? What’s so funny? Kirk was a “conman,” “scumbag,” really? Maybe you should look in the mirror Pal. Better yet, lay down on a couch and talk to a mental health professional.
As for your poster boy, George Floyd, do I feel bad? Nope. He was resisting arrest and died as the criminal thug he was while high on Fentanyl. Michael Brown? Ya, another thug who was shot and killed after punching a cop in the face.
So give us a break from your white, liberal indignation. Your vile comments about Charlie Kirk and what he stood up for, speaks volumes as to your ongoing buffoonery.
Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be killed.
He was a POS person. He was in the business of selling fear and lies.
Kirk. stood for open dialogue and individual discernment of both argument and truth. That collided with your truths, we get that.
Charlie Kirk was an Old Testament-style prophet - a Man of God seeking to salvage a sinking ship. There are no good politics without "religion". As I noted in another Reply, Erika Kirk on her podcast last Spring was the author of The Prayer.
“POS person?” Again, as a said earlier, take a hard look in the mirror. “Selling fear and lies?” Of what, Christ is King and we are at a tipping point of ill morality? Oh, I got it, that’s why we now have men dressed as women, shooting up Catholic schools full of children?
Your ignorance of history boggles my mind.
Here, let me use your own words . . . "Oh, I got it, that’s why we now have men dressed as women" This is NOT something new at all. How far back do you want to go for me to prove this? Heck, would you argue the Scottish who have been wearing kilts? Wasn't that around 1600? Or are you going to argue a man wearing a skirt is not a man dressing as a woman. Hmm.
Obviously, you are falling for the BS that Kirk SOLD. As you are making assertions, it is your burden to prove it. What catholic school, filled with kids, was shot up by a man dressed as a woman? I can tell you more and more of the churches and schools shot up, but it was by men. Sandy Hook? Parkland? Columbine?
If they had only stopped at their exterior trappings; but instead they insisted they were the opposite of what in fact they were and we were required to accept this fiction. That is where they diverged, since they tried to invade our own sensibilities - not unlike the wildly misrepresented mNRA clot shot. Polynesia has worked out this "third sex" thing, so there are viable models for this personal expression choice.
We may be very close to an agreement in beliefs here.
I am a lot more aligned with J.K. Rowling than I am not. I run into some issues that I can not resolve. The concept of man or woman invokes a binary result. The reality is that it is not binary, it really is on a spectrum. The other reality is that we have to discuss biology vs. gender. Biology tells us that a man has an xy chromosone pair, testes and higher levels of testosterone. Biology tells us that a woman has an xx chromosone pair, ovaries, and higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. However, biologically, not everyone hits all three of those criteria per category. Thus, this is why it is NOT binary.
To me, because this is a spectrum issue, there is a line. It is beyond my pay grade to define the line. Is it one of the three, two of the three, but I do know that it is not all of the three.
Where JK pisses off the transgender world is where I would piss them off. If you do not cross that line I mentioned, then, IMO, you are not that sex. You can wish it, you can want it, but you are not it.
Because society for a very long time, has treated women as 2nd class citizens, the fact that women have finally moved closer to equality, the reality is that it will be a long time before women are truly equal, thus we need to make sure that women are not excluded or discriminated against. This concept means that there will be cut outs for women to make sure that they are not excluded. Those that do not cross that line, should not be allowed to take those from those that are inside the line.
Now, stop with the idiotic, misinformed mRNA stuff. It has been around for SIXTY YEARS. If you felt it was an issue, then you would have been complaining well before Covid shots. And to show that you are full of it, if Covid shots used the typical transport (eggs) you would still complain.
Jeff, I like all of this except for the last sentence. The Bible does not urge righteousness; it demands obedience.
Judeo-Christian religion asks for a relationship with a Higher Power. That is not "obedience", that is a fundamental for continued human existence .Where did you get your own cartoon versions about "religion" DB?
Judeo-Christrain religion believes in the 10 commandments.
"You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
That does not sound like ASKING to me. That reads like obedience.
DB: Don't get hung up on later translations. The actual words are much more fluid and insightful No one is cramming down religion on anyone. Who tried to do this to you? In fact the word for "God" (Yawah) is actually a verb - I am becoming - was one interpretive translations, which changes the dynamic immensely if you are still hung up on a real person sitting on a throne with a long gray beard pointing his long bony finger directly at you. Think about the original meaning - I am becoming - a verb; not a sterile noun.
Later translations? What language should I use?
Who else stopped going to movies when they became formulaic plot lines: fight-fight-fight - few lines of crummy dialogue - fight-fight-fight - few lines of crummy dialogue - fight- fight?
Even the originally charming Lord of the Rings which attempted to re-create a common archetypal mythology did not escape the dreary realm of becoming a one-dimensional "action movie", instead of delving into the depths of the human experience.
Car chases, explosions, shoot-em ups. Mind numbing and allegedly geared to attract an audience of post-pubescent males. Video games sanitize killings, often in mass numbers. What is also more sanitized than the expectation the mother of a young man's child will kill that jointly-created human baby?
We cheapened the human experience by drowning it in artificial and contrived experiences, and got cheapened humans as a result. The current killer claims..... my father will be mad at me if I do not return my grandfather's gun; but exhibits no concern his father just might also get mad at him for murdering another human being in cold blood?
A switch did get turned off somewhere along the way. Should we also look at the recent increase in Caesarean and drugged child births - when even the initial passage into outside life itself has been artificially contrived?
Let's see. First you blame "radical university professors" for turning students into killer zombies, then you quote a study that shows the attitudes of Gen-Z are basically independent of whether a person is a university student or not. So you try to fine other reasons for their behavior and ideas. We can perhaps agree that trying to find ones way in the deserts and jungles of social media can be quite a strain on teens and 20s but I'll suggest that education can help with that.
As somebody who was a university professor for over 50 years, and a student (in the 60s) before that I find that your characterization is pretty much bogus. The normal professor is far too busy trying to actually teach content and to actually get students to think (well, perhaps some people would consider that radically leftist). I wonder, though, was I perhaps radicalizing my students when I taught them about mathematical models of epidemics? Did my lessons about herd immunity, including statistical analysis of the trade-off between potential adverse effects from the MMR vaccine (usually because of allergy to eggs) and the potential deadly or life changing effects of measles lead to a hoard of radical leftist insisting that everybody needed to be vaccinated? Were students traumatized because I wouldn't let them use calculators on exams? Did that lead them to thoughts of violence?
Perhaps math isn't the best vehicle for turning students into leftists. Perhaps it's English professors, after all, learning our literary heritage develops understanding of other points of view and--horrors--develops empathy! Sociologists, those I knew were too busy trying to figure out what their discipline was about and philosophers were busy trying to get students to write reasoned essays. I knew plenty of these and while most were liberal (which is a legitimate political persuasion, despite what right-wing radicals say), almost none of them were into indoctrinating their students (the few that were, usually learned better as they aged). It could be that what a university education does, if it takes, is to produce graduates who are more open to a variety of viewpoints and are able to think about things a bit more clearly.
Per Twain there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics. As with the climate change narrative, the predictions of models are no better than the integrity and bias of those creating the models. Because you use statistical mathematical models in no way grant you any claim to legitimacy. There is a reproducibility crisis in the sciences today and nowhere is it more severe than in the medical literature. A cornerstone of the scientific method is that results be reproducible. More often than not this is not the case today. Nowhere is this on greater display than in the scientific consensus regarding covid. The biased corrupt rot in the universities is not limited to the social sciences but pervades all fields and perhaps its most dangerous embodiment is under the illusion of legitimacy provided by scientific consensus, albeit an irreproducible consensus.
Sorry, the main reproducibility crisis is in psychology and sociology. 30 years ago there were major problems in medical science because big pharma was biasing what got published about their products (I researched this extensively at the time). That's been corrected to a large extent as journals now require strict controls and recognition of funding and author's potential conflicts of interest (comparing the sorts of declarations I've got to make to get a paper published today and 30 years ago is illuminating and, for me, a hassle). In climate science the data and models are pretty conclusive--sufficiently to be convincing to anybody with a modicum of unbiased intelligence. There is very little problem in the hard sciences or the biological sciences. You are basically disrespecting a great number of very dedicated individuals here because you have an ideological axe to grind.
No sale. I sat in on college classrooms here locally where the leftist bias was inserted with both words and sneers effortlessly from the instructor to the student.
There were no harangues or stolen class time, but instead an over-arching bias and use of biased illustrative examples to make the instructors point that clarifed student discussion.
"which is a legitimate political persuasion, despite what right-wing radicals say"
No, it is not. Liberalism is the radical negation of God - it is anathema, and cannot coexist with a moral society.
Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk's killer, was a routinely bright, small-town Mormon kid until 3 years ago. What happened 3 years ago? First, he began attending Utah State University. After leaving U.S.U. for unknown reasons, he spent 2 years at Dixie Technical College in nearby St. George, UT. Friends, parents, others said he began changing in this time period, becoming distant, engaging in online politics opposed to his family's. My hunch is that an alienated young man rebelling against religion, his family and culture in a red state environment is going to lead a pretty isolated life. 90% of Washington County, UT, where his parents had a beautiful home, is Mormon. You can bet there are no Starbucks or cafes around to meet like-minded "square-pegs-in-a-round-hole" types with which to share common misery. Domiciling romantically with another man in southwest UT is a sure-fire way also of cutting off relations with others in a conservative culture. This guy was a ticking time bomb whose anger could've been diffused perhaps if he resided in a place like Santa Monica.
A pretty good scenario, but I think you miss what seems to me the significant point. Apparently he was in a relationship with a young man who was transgender (or transitioning in that direction, that isn't clear). Perhaps he was finding out that he was attraction to men. Whatever the case, I imagine that in the setting of his family and cultural background this created a tremendous case of cognitive dissonance so that Kirk's comments on transgender individuals struck at a very fragile sense of identity that he defended with violence. A tragedy all the way around.
Sorry for the pivot, but do you folks support Jimmy Kimmel being suspended indefinitely? I grew up with Carson, this seems like an overreach to me.
Remember when the left de-platformed Trump right after the election. That was cool?
This is the best off-ramp he could have with his dying show. Now he is a political martyr and the left can blame the Bad Orange Man.
Who cares about Jimmy Kimmel?? No one who subscribes to SB Current probably ever watched the show and for those who had, their numbers are insignificant. Kimmel probably has $100 million piled up thanks to ABC/Disney, so don't cry for him. Again, I ask, who cares??
Apparently quite a number of Americans. Maybe if you lived in the USA you would have a more accurate view, rather than basing your comment on the makeup of SB Current viewers. Better yet, most of the posts and comments here have little to do with life in Santa Barbara, just my opinion.
Jimmy ain’t no Johnny. Johnny had class.
On air, yeah. But Johnny was a dick in “real life.”
I am not a fan of Kimmel and don't watch his show, however Kimmel was correct in assessing Trump's bizarre and callous response to his so-called friend's assassination, saying he's doing well and look at this great ballroom about to be built. Trump, a couple months ago, was reportedly angry at Charlie for telling him not to attack Iran. So I actually read this as Kimmel defending Charlie. Maybe I'm missing another part of what he said.
Were you just as upset when they de platformed Rosanne and Tucker?
Rosanne is awful and in no way comparable to Tucker, but you're kind of an idiot for someone who ran for office Justin. Why would you ask me if I was "just as upset" when nowhere in my comment did I say I was "upset"? In fact you didn't respond to one thing I actually wrote in it.
Jimmy Kimmel couldn't find water if he fell off a boat!
Please explain how that references anything I put in my comment though.
He can't and most on this site do two things, deflect or engage in "Whataboutism." And I have nothing against everyone here.
More on Jimmy....https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/1968480487048892786
Kimmel is a punk but he is entitled to his opinion and certainly what he said is protected speech. However he is employed at the pleasure of his employer and can be terminated without cause. When his rot is deemed detrimental to his employer's business then he will and should be terminated. He hasn't been funny since the man show.
Jeff, you must be a whole lotta fun to hang out with. . . .
Not as much fun as hanging out with Kamala but pretty fun.
I never voted her her or Gavin here in CA. What in the world are you referring to?
My liquor cabinet is not as well stocked. Anyway I had no idea what you meant by the comment that i must be a whole lot of fun to hang out with. What did you mean anyway?
Do you live in an assisted living facility? Check with anyone under the age 55 for the meaning of my post.
Trump called for peace on J6th with his last tweet before he was banned from all platforms. Rosanne, Tucker?
Oh for goodness sake, Trump sat for more than two hours on Jan. 6 and did nothing.
You mean when he was speaking and no where near the action? As soon as he did speak he was silenced.
Umm, yeah. He was tossed off Twiter/X after Jan. 6. Do we agree?
He was banned for 12 hours on the 6th and permanently banned on the 8th (until Musk).
He wasn’t banned on the 6th. . . that was the day that mattered.
The article asks, "What has happened to Gen Z?" When you get done attacking Gen Z, make sure to publish a follow up article, "What has happened to the Boomers?"
You people have no idea who all was involved in Charlie's murder, and if you cared about him as much as you claim to, you'd be focused on uncovering the truth of what happened.
Ideologically-driven Boomers in culture, media and academia have made life absolutely miserable for Gen Z!
That may be true, but Gen Z supports academic freedom. Just look at Columbia University, amongst others. I'd say they are bigger champions for free speech than Boomers are.
Perhaps you will share with us "What has happened to the Boomers?"