BTS is heading to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden. The White House says the South Korean boy band will talk with Biden next week about Asian representation and inclusion. They’ll also discuss hate crimes and discrimination against Asians. https://t.co/ZQVTJ1xznq
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2022
Per Reuters:
… The seven members of the South Korean boy band are known for their upbeat songs and dances and have built a loyal global fan base, winning the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year crown in February for the second straight year.
The meeting comes as May’s recognition of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month comes to a close amid a sharp upswing in hate crimes against Asian Americans in the past year. Attacks against people of Asian descent have escalated as some politicians and pundits have encouraged Americans to blame China for COVID-19, amid other tensions…
The K-pop stars are also known for using their lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering youngsters since debuting in 2013.
“Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world,” the White House said in its statement…
Spare a thought for the beleaguered workers at Marred-A-Largo, because in terms of Presidential Celebrity Adjacency, I suspect BTS ranks at least as high as Kanye / Ye, and certainly much higher than Kid Rock and Ted Nugent in combination. (Primal howl on No-Truth Social: Those kids are so clean, so expensively clothed, why can’t we have stars that dress sharp like that?… )
Congress needs to pass universal background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and confirm Steve Dettelbach as head of the ATF.
It’s time to turn this pain into action.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 26, 2022
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the parent of an elementary school student, delivered a plea for lawmakers to come together to address gun violence.
"They should be losing their first teeth not losing their lives," she said. https://t.co/Fs8i6FmTD4 pic.twitter.com/b5FljTKNoS
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2022
Hundreds of students at Oxford High School, the Michigan school where four were killed in November, walked out Thursday and formed a ‘U’ on the football field to show support for students and families in Uvalde, Texas. https://t.co/vBxuRxOoii pic.twitter.com/iYSWx2ycED
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2022
Students in at least 34 states and Washington, D.C., walked out of their schools Thursday to protest gun violence after Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. pic.twitter.com/0N6kAXR5KO
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 27, 2022
Beto O'Rourke urged action on gun control while giving blood at Robb Elementary School, the site of the mass shooting in Texas.
He blamed Gov. Abbott for enacting some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country https://t.co/IaXoj41h32 pic.twitter.com/iBw3KwKRcf
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) May 27, 2022
Action is the antidote to despair. Join us in Houston tomorrow:https://t.co/ddKCWKqeQK
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 26, 2022
Mark your calendars – June 11:
"The organization urged people to march in Washington and in their communities to press elected officials to “step up and pass universal background checks,” "
March for Our Lives plans new D.C. rally to protest gun violence https://t.co/t8WeYgFi2y
— Dr. Rita Haley (@rmhaley8) May 26, 2022
Shocked, shocked.
“In response to an explosive investigation, top Southern Baptists have released a previously secret list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse.
The 205-page database was made public late Thursday. It includes more than 700 entries from cases that largely span from 2000 to 2019.
Its existence became widely known Sunday when the independent firm, Guidepost Solutions, included it in its bombshell report detailing how the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee mishandled allegations of sex abuse, stonewalled numerous survivors and prioritized protecting the SBC from liability.”
https://apnews.com/article/religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-baptist-southern-convention-ade6d177368e6b7bc0981a6097a3bdc6
@NotMax, in other news, water is wet. All that yowling about protecting kids from pedos? Every accusation a confession.
The rain is finally stopping today. We got at least 5 inches this past week. It will be nice when I can stop treading water sometime tomorrow. My shoulder really doesn’t like it.
@NotMax: A nearby billboard on I-44:
“SHACKLED BY LUST?
Jesus is the answer!”
Sure.
I have huge BTS fangirl love, I need to be upfront about that right away. I will defend their honor to the death.
@OzarkHillbilly
WWJD.
Who Would Jesus Diddle?
//
@NotMax: Mary Magdalene of course.
Just gonna come out and say it. YMMV.
Realizing it is most likely a minority observation, not much of a fan of the in yer face Peter Maxesque blue background; preference would be for the color to be deepened several shades, or else muted to be more of a pastel.
Beto’s rally against gun violence is very close to the site of the NRA convention where Trump will be honking out belligerent inanities this afternoon — and taking place at the same time. Sure would be a shame if a gigantic crowd of people who are sick of the senseless slaughter of innocents shut down the area and prevented the convention from proceeding as planned. A real shame.
I just listened to a story on NPR about the press conference at Uvalde yesterday. They didn’t once even entertain the idea that the police might not be 100% telling the truth, even though their story has changed. I heard something about “disappearing” 911 recordings – nothing suspicious about that, no sirree, especially in light of their ever-changing story about what happened. I guess whatever the police decide is the “official story” will be what they will mindlessly parrot from now on. I wish they would look into why the Border Patrol was there. I read one person speculating that they believed the shooter was undocumented, so they called the Border Patrol to capture him. Still doesn’t explain why they waited so long, though. Perhaps if multiple police officers are unwilling to face one guy with an AR-15 that indicates that civilians shouldn’t have them.
@Betty Cracker
NRA still requiring attendees to relinquish their guns at the door I presume?
S.O.P. for them in the past.
I’m starting to wonder how some areas of our nation are even functioning with the (non) thinkers inhabiting the land. I’m not excluding my lifelong home state of Indiana in that statement, either. Big Indy 500 weekend around here. Not sure if they will do a moment of silence and thoughts and prayers in the long, ‘Merica pre-race part, but did hear that Blake Shelton is coming in to do something, and the Top Gun 2 actor is starting the race.
Probably a good thing that Open Carry in Indiana doesn’t start until July 1.
Was thinking how much safer it is to race at 230 mph around a closed track than it is to go grocery shopping, or to school, etc.
Mostly wanted to say I just found this ad hoc space last night, so feeling good to be here.
Secret Service requires a gun-free venue whenever Shithead is there, and I assume they sweep the area well in advance, then frequently.
In the once seen cannot be unseen category here is a waste of skin called Nadine Dorries who for no discernable reason other than sycophancy is a UK cabinet minister* performing a ‘rap’ to promote a proposed ‘online safety’ bill**
https://www.tiktok.com/@nadinedorriesmp/video/7102004456182631686
* Dorries is the minister for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. Her grasp of her brief is such that she refers to “downstreaming” films, in pushing for privatizing Channel 4 claims it is publically funded ( it isn’t) , points to the success of the privatization of Channel 5 ( always been a private company). Her numeracy is demonstrated by her claim that the Tories had created 180,000 new jobs in Hartlepool, population 92,000. Her greatest claim to fame comes from going AWOL as an MP to appear on a celebrity ‘survival’ TV show where the challenges included eating kangeroo testicles and ostritch anus thus adding immeasurably to the dignity of parliament
** The online safety bill proposes to make peoples data more secure by the surefire method of banning encryption
Texas Trans girl assaulted over GOP lies about Uvalde shooting
You knew it was coming.
I saw the hashtag #BallsLikeBeto on Twitter yesterday, and I was amused. (and mentally singing it in my head, to the tune of Moves Like Jagger)
He’s angry, and showing it, which I think people (especially parents) identify with.
Making good trouble.
“Attacks against people of Asian descent have escalated as some politicians and pundits have encouraged Americans to blame China for COVID-19”
The people who say Covid-19 is China’s attack on the U.S. are the same people who’ve been dead set against our defending ourselves against it.
That contradiction would make my head explode. People who can be on both sides of that one are capable of believing and espousing anything.
citizen dave May 27, 2022 at 9:32 AM Enjoy your stay.
@ kalakal: where she ate an ostrich’s anus
“Needs more HP Sauce. A lot more.”
😉
The company that made the weapon used to slaughter schoolchildren dares to offer thoughts and prayers, but before that they dared to called their company “Daniel Defense” — as if proactive slaughter is somehow a “defense” against … something or other. I think we should rename them. It’s almost worth getting a twitter account to do it. (The html probably won’t work, but …)
Daniel Defense Devastation
Daniel Defense Of the Hypocritical Thoughts and Prayers
Daniel Defense For Killing Kindergarteners
@ lowtechcyclist May 27, 2022 at 9:49 AM
They are also capable of pro-claiming themselves pro-life while refusing to be inconvenienced in any way, shape, or form in an effort to prevent children being slaughtered in their classrooms.
@OzarkHillbilly@9:53: Hell, that’s nothing. They claimed to be ‘pro-life’ while shrugging at the Covid deaths of a million Americans, and generally opposing any efforts to limit the carnage. I will never take those mofos seriously again, at least in terms of their ideas. (Unfortunately, we all must take their political clout all too seriously.)
lowtechcyclist May 27, 2022 at 9:58 AM
I’ve had “Pro-Life my ass” on the back of my truck for about 2 years now.
eta: and every time I think about changing it they give me another reason not to.
“and every time I think about changing it they give me another reason not to.”
All too true.
I received a “lovely” political flyer yesterday from Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), my shitty Representative. The theme of the flyer? Hartzler’s sterling reputation as the defender of the 2nd Amendment with many photos of her holding an assault rifle and shooting guns at a range.
She was a teacher. I despise that woman. She is running for Blunt’s Senate seat, and I think she will go down in flames in the primary. One of her opponents, Greitens, has true Trump street creeds, as he has sexually assaulted one woman AND he loves guns, too! She can’t compete with that, nosiree. The upside is that waste of oxygen won’t be my Representative anymore. Problem is, another piece of shit will probably take her place.
@ Quiltingfool: Vicky Hartzler and her fellow GOP travelers here, putting the misery into our state’s name.
I just sent this email to Hartzler (R-Mo):
“Just got your mailer yesterday. As I looked at a photo of you, smiling as you held instruments of death, I thought about 19 children who were murdered, no, slaughtered, by an assault rifle, probably very similar to one of the guns you were pictured holding.
You were a teacher. You had a moral responsibility to protect the students. How in God’s name do you sleep at night KNOWING you have contributed to the deaths of so many people? I just don’t understand people like you. You have zero understanding of civic duty. You value power over lives. You, madam, have blood-drenched hands.
Be a decent human being for a change. Bring back the ban on high powered assault rifles. Save a few lives. Who am I kidding – you don’t give a damn about the safety and well being of your fellow citizens. “
@Quiltingfool: Good for you. It’s important for these people (or at least their minions) to hear from constituents who aren’t in the Fox gun-humper bubble.
Did you see Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue after the massacre? He made a point I hadn’t thought about before, probably because I loathe Republican politicians so deeply that it never occurs to me that they could change their minds.
And nothing they’ve ever done has given me reason to reconsider. But Kimmel said he doesn’t believe people like Ted Cruz want children and other innocent people to keep dying. He said it takes courage to admit that you’re wrong about something, and it’s time for them to admit they’re wrong about assault weapons so we can move forward.
Here’s the thought I had after scoffing at the idea that a bastard like Cruz, who made a video of himself wrapping bacon around the barrel of an AR-15 and firing it to cook the bacon, would ever have the guts to admit this is madness: If a Republican politician ever did that, the media would fawn over him until the end of time.
@lowtechcyclist
It’s not really that mysterious – if you consider that they are racist and anti-govt. If you’re both you can play both sides, you can blame China and get your Asian hate on – while simultaneously you can hold a position that govt is stopping us from living our lives and freedom
There’s a clip of Cancun Ted being asked sensible questions, with followups, and Ted flailing around before he runs away. It shows that there is some thought processes going on there, and he knows his position is indefensible. He is trying to square the circle and knows he’s in danger if he doesn’t find a way.
It’s an opening that can be exploited.
Cheers,
Scott.
@BettyCracker – People who consider leading like that in the Republican “Party” nowadays quickly discover that they aren’t a member of a political party but instead are part of a nihilistic death cult – and once they try to lead the party toward a different path, they are no longer part of the cult.
Change isn’t going to come from the top of the cult.
@Betty Cracker I know I’ve talked about it before, but I did my final paper in my sociology course on deviant organizations and white collar crime about the Bush admin’s behavior in the run up to the invasion of Iraq.
One of the hallmarks of a deviant organization is that they have obviously false beliefs which people must openly agree with to join or move up the power structure. One of the main reasons for this is that it will cut the new member off from their family and friends (who won’t share the belief and think less of this person for having it). Later, it will serve to keep them in the group, even if they want to leave, because they will have to admit publicly that they were fools.
Journalists should really have to take a course on how criminals and criminal organizations actually work. Of course the problem would then be that they don’t actually know how normal businesses run, so they would have to learn that as well. Journalism degrees really shouldn’t be all about writing and covering stories.
sigh.
@Quiltingfool
“ One of her opponents, Greitens, has true Trump street creeds, as he has sexually assaulted one woman AND he loves guns, too! She can’t compete with that, ”
We know of one woman Greitens has sexually assaulted. Bet me a dollar more don’t appear between now and November.
In other faith-based news, following the Southern Baptist report, Josh Duggar was sentenced to 12+ years in prison this week.
In a crisis-filled world, is the best use of an American president’s time really to meet with a “boy band?”
@TriassicSands: K-pop is one of our Asian allies’ biggest exports, and BTS is the biggest K-pop band of the moment. As stressed in the top article, they’re coming to the White House as part of the Asian-American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders Month events. Also, youth outreach!
@Anne Laurie
you’re right, and I can accept that, but I also see it as part of a less than ideal arrangement where the president is both the head of state (ceremony) and the head of government. I really believe our system is no longer functional, but is outdated and dependent on a constitution that is now thoroughly inadequate to meet the challenges of the time. The mechanism the framers incorporated to allow change is now meaningless and guarantees that there is no hope of fundamental constitutional adaptation to our current reality. Of course, they couldn’t possibly have foreseen today’s conditions.
My initial response, also reflects my abhorrence of celebrity culture, which is now, sadly, an established part of our reality.