On the one hand, a friendly rivalry on the ball field is exactly how deep these party divisions should go, in a civil and functioning democracy. On the other hand, why keep reinforcing the us-against-them model? Maybe try fielding bipartisan baseball teams and remind them they’re supposed to be working on the same team.
That’s a really good point.
It really is a shame that it takes one of them getting shot for them to feel like we need unity. But I don’t think anything will change. I mean, you have Senate members working on an ObamaCare replacement plan in secret. You have members of Congress meeting and discussing bills without Democratic input. You have the president going out of his way to demonize and accuse Democrats of being the reason he hasn’t fully appointed people to Cabinet positions. Hell, he’s been divisive way before he was elected and even after - and very very very few (if any) sitting Congressional Republicans have come out publicly to denounce his language. Instead we get excuses that he’s new at this.
So yeah, I get the kumbaya stuff and how we have to come together. But for me, it’s too little too late. YEARS too late.
And after the ball game, the Republicans can all go back to their secret meetings on how to kill more people by taking away healthcare, loosening gun laws, and gutting the environment.
Meanwhile in other parts of America, millions of people are crying over the uncertainly of possibly losing their health insurance and subsequently their lives, lives of loved ones, and/or all of their savings and their livelihoods all because Republicans can’t come up with non-evil legislation and absolutely must repeal Obamacare because they’re spite-driven lunatics.
Again, the shooting was not justified and Hodgkinson is a terrible human being who did a ton of harm and it shouldn’t have come to that type of violence. But what the hell do people expect when the political party which controls the majority of government is actively trying to kill people out of revenge because America had the audacity to have elected a black Democrat. I’m not even being hyperbolic. Republicans are secretly concocting a way to ruin the lives of millions of Americans - in secret, and out of revenge.
I saw a headline at The Hill that a GOP rep is calling for fewer town halls.
I knew it. And they seem to be completely and stubbornly blind to the reasons their constituents are angry.
What’s it going to take to wake them up and serve the people - all of the people?
Damn. It makes me so disgusted.
Edit: not have fewer- he wants to curtail them.
Coward. Resign.
I saw the best suggestion this morning I’ve seen in a long time - there are calls for both sides in the game to mix up their rosters so it isn’t Dem vs GOP.
Perfect solution.
The reason Dems and R’s are on opposite sides is because they have different goals on who to serve. Dems strive to serve the people. R’s work to serve the 1%. Maybe if we could change campaign finance laws and the mindset of constantly ass-kissing the rich, we could have unity. So if you’re not going to challenge Citizens United, stop trashing the environment and dismantling protections like healthcare, then stop crying. You don’t really want unity, or you’d be working for it.
Well said.
What if the shooter had silencers-----------? How many more would have been hit if they couldn’t have discerned the shooter’s location that quickly? Hmmmmmmmmmmm? The Senate Bill for making it easier to buy silencers was dropped… Wonder why?
Tears? Thousands in our nation have undergone the losses to loved ones precisely because a majority of these clowns have chosen to allow the freaks at the NRA to profit by unrestricted selling of killer weapons that have no use except to murder. What do we get in return? Fingers pointing to the ceiling telling us gods are good, relax and take it you have no choice.
Actually, maybe it would be appropriate this year to pit USA against the Russians. Bi-partisan teamwork to take down our nemesis. Doing this would put T rumpp is a very uncomfortable position because he wouldn’t know who to root for. America First, with exceptions. Because the American side has Democrats.
In all the things about this shooting I could really not give less than a fuck about are, Congressmen’s feelings on the matter or the baseball game itself.
[quote=“tena, post:7, topic:57663”]
I saw the best suggestion this morning I’ve seen in a long time - there are calls for both sides in the game to mix up their rosters so it isn’t Dem vs GOP.
[/quote]But how will Republican voters know who to cheer for? How can they get excited if a player doesn’t slide into 2nd base with his cleats up or if a Republican pitcher hits a Republican batter with an errant fastball? How will they get any satisfaction if they can’t beat the Democrats by at least 5 runs?
Unfortunately, that would conflict with Rep. Patrick Meehan’s (R-PA) stated desire: “We can’t let haters win.”
The baseball diamond is no longer a “Safe Space” for paunchy, white conservative dudes. So sad! Choke, Sniff.
I’d rather they tear into each other on the ballfield and then treat other human beings with respect and compassion off the field.
The GOP has been telling me that there would be nothing to fear if the bad guys know there are likely to be guns in an area. He should invite attendees to bring firearms, and then relax in the dome of safety the guns would provide.
Do they now realize that the hell they experienced yesterday happens to some of their fellow citizens somewhere in this country every day? They are not special, it was just their turn. This is the hell many of your constituents, when they send their children off to school, hope this doesn’t happen to them. This is the reality of millions.
It’s because they don’t really believe in unity. Like everything else, they’re cynically using calls for unity as cover to continue advancing policies that make the rich richer at the expense of the most vulnerable Americans.
I’m sorry one of them got shot yesterday, which I strongly condemn. But I’m done trying to kick their football, and will continue harshly calling out “moderates” that continually fall for their crocodile tears. Nothing they say means shit, and we don’t have political unity, nor should we when one faction increasingly embraces fascist kleptocracy.