Stefan

@Troy These so-called shootings in which there are multiple victims are no longer rare. They seem to happen every couple of weeks now. I wonder how many on here know that the shooter who waltzed into a summer youth camp in Duncanville, Texas, is Black? He's dead now. Cops confronted his dark-skinned butt immediately after he took two shots and took him out. Good thing those Texas cops didn't wait around for the situation to become worse. Gunman who opened fire in Texas youth camp killed by police

@Troy Spare me. Only one major political party in this country wants to hurt Blacks. Only one major political party continuously bashes Black achievement, Black advancement and Black excellence. Only one major political party always sides with the NRA when it comes to the safety of our children and populace. I'm not stupid. I am well aware that not all those who vote Republican are racist. But most racists are Republicans. That is a fact. And I pegged quite a few people in these forums a long time ago. Their love of the GOP is based on pure selfishness. They hope Republican legislators pave the way for them to become rich. Even as they turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the majority of their kin. I've said this a few times already. This is why I pushed back against the cryptocurrency fanatics. The ones on here who were pushing it revealed their true nature. They are greedy and thought of themselves as superior. It's as if they were talking themselves: "So what if crypto mining uses an exorbitant amount of electricity? We're worth it! What about everybody else? Screw em!" But it looks as if Crypto fans are the ones who seem disappointed these days. Whether Crypto rebounds from its current doldrums is anybody's guess. We are witnessing the last shreds of humanity in the Republican Party being torn asunder before our very eyes. I could never support someone as meanspirited and hateful as Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott. Trump is simply the Sum of all Greed.

@Pioneer1 First of all, I don't recall Mel Hopkins forgiving the racist mass shooter in Buffalo. She mentioned a personal and emotional incident in her life and you promptly attacked her. That is low. Then you claimed you know how all fool will react. Who is a fool to you? Anyone who disagrees with you? Has a different viewpoint? Do you realize that you are part of the problem? Your attitude is why people are reluctant to discuss true feelings.

Do you know what is telling? How few people who participate in these discussion forums refuse to admit that they vote for Republicans. They know full well they are taking sides against their own people and the future of the majority of Blacks. With all of these supposed political threads, only a few want to openly admit they prefer racist and soulless Republican legislators to run this country - to the detriment of those with Brown and Black skin. That is the real shame.

I understand you are sincere. But my whole life, I've dealt with reality and taught everyone around me this. You cannot take defensive action for an event or an occurrence that has not happened. There are normal precautions everyone should take: But that's part of situational awareness. For example, I've always noted where the emergency exits are in any venue I entered. Part of that is because it saves time leaving in a hurry, you can guide others to safety, and you teach those with you those "EXIT" signs mean a quick escape. I hope I'm not around would-be mass shooters. But one never knows. People become enraged in they don't have enough ice.

@ProfD That is a nice thought until one considers that Cain, the first son born to the first Biblical human couple, killed his younger brother Abel, due to jealousy. People are going to rage when they're exposed as being wrong. Or lying about their so-called expertise. I've run into so many individuals who became unbalanced when confronted with folks who actually knew what they were talking about. Which reminds me of something I had to tell a few students ... "Blowing out someone else's candle does not make yours shine brighter." It took me a long time to accept this truth:

@Troy It is really bad in New York City. I do not know how the average working person can pay their rent without taking in boarders or doing something illegal. Especially if they have children or a lazy partner.

We need to respect all. Let's not fall into the habit of those who oppress us by mislabeling another ethnic group. The Roma used to travel in horse drawn or camel led caravans. Once called Gypsies, they suffered the loss of millions during The Holocaust. They now travel in modern recreational vehicles. They are known as the Roma. The Nazis killed close to six million Jews in their extermination camps. But the Nazis also murdered nine million Poles, Roma, religious war objectors, POWs, LGBT folks and those who helped Jews escape.

@Chevdove One of the reasons why the racist Afrikaaner government in Pretoria, South Africa, was able to hold out for so long is because Israel gave the South Africans nuclear weapons. Israel simply turned against the African National Congress because they wanted the gold and diamond riches of South Africa.

Economic stats beat the stuffing out of Trump supporters, most of whom had the nerve to ignore 44's in your face racism. https://factcheck.afp.com/donald-trumps-economic-record-us-president People who still cling to Trump's smudged golf shoes don't ever want to mention that this former impeached twice President is only one of two U.S. Presidents to leave office with less people working than who had jobs when he first entered. A tribute to Trump's childishness and insistence on downplaying the Covid-19 pandemic. .

African Americans conveniently forgot that Barack Obama was elected be President of the United States. Not Black America. I get tired of writing these two sentences because some reality challenged clods cannot seem to figure this out. When I first joined this discussion forum years ago, there were several folks on here blaming Obama for this and for that. Most were male. The same is true in two of the Black Issues forums that I moderated on Facebook. Obama didn't do this. Obama didn't do that. Where's my $1 million Reparations check? How come I don't own a home? And after dealing with so many of them, it dawned on me why they hated Barack. They were jealous of him. They lacked his oratorical skills, they lacked his congenial and professorial demeanor and they could not hope to draw millions of followers to them. They also failed to personally accomplish what they hoped for. To get a high paying job, the house of their dreams and live on easy street. In times, this too, was revealed in a bevy of angry comments. It was pure jealousy. It was revealing. And it was quite sad. Even Rev. Jesse Jackson fell victim to envy of Obama. This did not mean that most Blacks didn't care for Obama. The overwhelming majority of African Americans and dark and brown skinned men and women around the world who considered themselves kin of the Black Race lionized Barack Obama. We celebrated his ascension to the White House. We sat before our TV's as the Obama family graced that stage in Chicago's Grant Park and drank in the cheers. We Blacks took immense collective pride in having Obama elected. Only the angry, the grousing and the bitter at having no one pay attention to them took offense at Barack's accomplishments.

@ProfD I just happened to notice that you requested a reply from me which I did not see. When shooters show up WHERE? Yours is a disingenuous request because you're talking about a hypothetical situation. There's no specifics. If shooters some to your home and you have a legal firearm, then you can try to reach it. The same applies if you have an Open Carry permit and shooters come to your job, a club, an eatery, a mall, a store a barber or a salon. Open Carry means just that. A permit for home protection is just for home protection. Disagree? Hire a lawyer. I am against Open Carry. Just as I predicted, assault rifles will not be banned by the U.S. Senate. Which means more multiple target shootings are likely. What does one do then? Go by the same mantra you may have learned from your parents, siblings, friends and class mates - defend yourself using any means necessary.

@Troy We had a discussion on the increasingly costly rents in New York City. I explained how the working class are being squeezed, how families are forced to share apartments and why the numbers of homeless continues to increase. Ah, but don't take it from me. I only talk to several people who comprise the working class of New York City. Folks can check the link. Soaring rents in New York City

I hope there is never an all out nuclear war. The result would be horrific due to the destructive power of today's warheads. This is just a hint of what would await folks who live near or around Washington, D.C. if just one warhead detonated atop the Pentagon. The damage to Washington. D.C., area from ONE warhead

@Pioneer1 I agree with you - Turncoats abound. If given a chance to speak out against Hate, Repression and Inequality and one keeps quiet ... Silence Means Assent

Don't see too many Black people rushing to stand with Trump. Gee, I wonder why?

@Troy That's the problem with most folks. They take their cues from statistics and then the pundits who quote the stats. Stray bullets, random stabbings and crazed knuckleheads completely alter the thinking of individuals who must live and work in New York City. The numbers of murders is not the defining factor. It's whether a person feels safe. Anyone can quote crime statistics. What cannot be tabulated are the overwhelming fear and dread of being a crime victim most New Yorkers feel. That cannot be quantified. New York City does not feel safe to those who are not rich.

It's quite apparent now that there was no widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The contest was the most watched and the most closely examined election in history. And the preponderance of evidence shows simply: THERE WAS NO WIDESPREAD VOTER FRAUD. Trump lost and even his daughter Ivanka knew it. Barr called Trump's claims "Bullchit!" Rudy Giuliani is now facing facing ethics charges from the Washington, D.C., bar association for going on and on about phony election fraud claims. As hateful as Trump is, it did not surprise me that Lord Dampnut supported Vladimir Putin's vicious invasion of Ukraine. A few other GOP'ers seemed to do so as well. Well, Republicans are not going to ban AR-15 assault rifles because they are beholden to the NRA. And the leadership of gun group could care less how many school children are massacred. How many Blacks are slaughtered in supermarkets, churches and on the streets is also not their concern. It must be deliriously delightful these days for many of you Trump fans.

Pie-in-sky ideas seem great, until one starts digging and finds that they have little chance of coming to fruition. Where is the investment capital going to come from these new car service industry entrants? I want someone to tackle the car service industry wide restrictions I already mentioned. Why do people gloss over those? If there are a limited number of hack, private taxi and bus licenses available how does one overcome this? This is why I ask for WORKABLE solutions.

Just as I've always said. Cynique nails the problem in our inner cities and neighborhoods succinctly and some push back with "Yeah, but ... " There's no "Yeah, but' about it. The majority of us do not pick up a gun. And the sooner we absorb this truth, the better off psychologically we'll be.

Delano, reading is fundamental. I never claimed to have worked in business and I said the executives at Abbott Laboratories were immoral. My comments are there for the perusing, dude. What are you, 13?

@ProfD I do not believe you are fully thinking your position through. Any coordinated effort by Blacks to kill Whites will result in genocidal killings of innocent Black people. Black Americans are not Middle Easterners and most of us in the U.S. do not live to exact revenge. In some areas of the world, such as the Balkans, vengeance is expected. I will not agree with that - even though some may visualize this a pleasant fantasy. @Chevdove You are absolutely right. What happened in Buffalo, N.Y., is an example of domestic racist terrorism.

The perception that New York City is dangerous actually is true. One could be anywhere in New York City, on a bus, a subway, in a park, on a street, in your bedroom or living room, in a store, a behind closed and locked door, in a fast food joint and get hit with a stray bullet. This reality is not funny nor should it be dismissed.

@Pioneer1 I would never trust Nels or even Delano for that matter. I'm still not convinced Nels is Black and Delano seems too friggin' envious to deal with. And I don't care for guns. I do not believe there will much of a race war than there will be a complete Republican legislative assault on the poor, the disabled, mothers with young children, the elderly, the hard to employ and immigrants. Hit and run attacks, mass shootings and even some bombings may occur. But front lines may not be static. BTW, "It it Bleeds, it Leads" was always true of local TV news. Not newspapers, which took time with their newsgathering.

Not that easy for newbies to enter this industry. 1) There's high upfront costs for a roomy late model vehicle, with room for liquor, computer screen and even sat/tv. 2) Patience (and maybe payoffs may be required for permits and licenses) Only a certain number are allowed in some cities. 3) Costs of doing gas, parking violations, car repairs and insurance for a livery vehicle may be enormous.