SarasotaSabre

Here is what I hope is a fair minded question: should our President be keeping his current itinerary involving renaming Mt. McKinley and then participating in some reality show involving climate change, or should he be prioritizing things and speaking out against what seems to be a recent epidemic of cop killings (black AND white) and perhaps suggesting "all lives matter"? Or is this too much of a political hot potato? From this observer, it seems Obama is definitely running out the clock running in the the last year of his term.

I am at the gym working out and I''m a bit confused; are you still indirectly speaking to me, or using the words from my previous post to make a point to a broader audience?

Thank you and I appreciate that immensely. We as a forum exchange very strong ideas and opinions and yet we don' t know each other personally. You are exactly 100% correct as to why I sometimes take an aggressive/defensive posture b/c I have been preconditioned to expect a certain type of response here. (...and I'm not directing this observation directly at you - at all). It just so happened that the Goforth murder in Houston had a very personal, visceral impact on me. In all candor, I feel this country crumbling from within and sometimes a forum like this is my only mechanism to make my voice heard - and it's a voice which is becoming more inflamed by everything I sense that is going on around me. I hope this all makes sense. While I can come across as a guy looking for a fight sometimes, I am really a thoughtful and discerning individual who likes to think I know what's going on and want to hear my voice heard for the power of (good) change. I admit I don't always it approach it this way, but learning from others here is a big value-add I get from being on this Board.....and I have definitely learned from you drk4sabre...)) great observation !

I agree with you 100%. It is guidance from you that I am hearing loud & clear, and I appreciate the effort on your part. Sometimes despite my best efforts to converse with all logic & facts, I get tripped up by making an opening statement that can be full of emotion, passion, hyperbole, and sometimes, as I can see, that comes across as fishing. What I have conditioned by on this Board, unfortunately, is being part of underwhelming (but noticeable) minority by my libertarian/right ethos. Because of this, and due to the coaching I have just received from you, is that I subconsciously gird myself against the opposing views (and sometimes, attacks) from those on the opposing side of things. But what I have learned from your advice to me is that I can do this effectively with a more calculated but less strident tone and still be able to get my points across. Thanks again d4rksabre ..... :thumbsup: :thumbsup: yes, fully agreed

I don't appreciate the confrontation, b/c that's what it sure sounds like. I mentioned Utopian as a general term for an aspirational but unattainable goal. That's my explanation, does it suffice? I hope my clarification shows that the suggestion of the word is subject to interpretation on different levels, but does not inherently mean I was fishing. If you want to continue it then PM me. Not going to continue a siege back and forth about it. would be sincerely interested to hear more of your arguments; PM me if you'd like

I sincerely hope you're not suggesting that the outrage on the Houston cop was race-driven. I am angered by all police officers being shot and killed regardless of what race each each is. I was angered particularly by the brazen nature of the Houston murder (shot in the head from behind, execution style, then the entire clip emptied into the fallen cop's back). Sickened by it all. I think all here knows my Dad is a retired Buffalo city cop/detective, so this topic is particularly emotional for me. Sorry if I have come across as over the top.

to be clear & fair, I wasn't fishing. I'm not taking umbrage here but with all due respect I can speak for myself, unless you have gotten inside my head D4RKSABRE.... :flirt:

and again, because you don't seem to want to understand the distinction, a private call to a widow is completely different from making an official WH statement imploring people to stop targeting cops. I salute him for doing so. Just privately wondering if someone had to tell him to do it since it's been at least 3 days that I'm aware of. Yes, I know, its always prudent to wait until all the facts are in, but that hasn't stopped Obama before from making rash statements a la Henry Louis Gates.

a voice of reason in the darkness of imagery sorry, it sounds now like you're backpedaling from what you wrote earlier. But I'll take you at your word; maybe I misunderstood.

I stand by my statement that you did not comprehend what I wrote. Instead you interpreted it the way you wanted it to be messaged by you. I apologize for the snarkiness of my insult.

then that's utter BS, because it's obvious why he he was gunned down. Glad to know there's someone here who knows the language of the law, it makes me feel a whole lot better about what happened.

Because Utopian is not meant to imply "shouting down others' ideas"; do I need to copy & paste the definition of the word for melodramatic effect here?

please read up on the story b/c you do sound trite; the sheriff was pumping gas into his cruiser when the perp ambushed him FROM BEHIND with a shot to the back of the head, execution-style. Are you suggesting that he should have eyes in the back of his head? You're conflating your ignorance of what actually happened with the supposed position of the gun-rights folks "stance"

I stand partially corrected in that the President issued a statement earlier today which I just saw. Eleven, he spoke out against targeting police officers - a few days after it happened. He has inflamed racial discord in this country by sending his AG to the funeral of Mike Brown in Ferguson. Trying to create discord is this president's MO. Sorry Eleven, your call for gun control is utopian at best. Someone warped like Shannon Miles could have easily got his dirty hands on a piece through some back channels. can you please brush up on your reading comprehension in your attempt to make me look foolish? I said, in writing, he called the widow by phone and then nothing else to the country at large. I then clarified my post to reflect that Obama issued a statement against targeting police. I'm still waiting for him to challenge the idiotic BLM cadre for their incendiary language. a private call to the widow is light years different than a statement from the WH imploring people to stop targeting cops. C'mob Hoss, you're smarter than this.

I have refrained from writing this until now but cannot any longer. A few days ago, a Houston area deputy in uniform was pumping gas while an African American man (convicted criminal) walked up to this deputy and shot him in the back of the head. After the deputy went down, this thug (...and I don't give a damn if that word offends anyone) emptied his firearm into the victim's back. Then, to make matters worse, the Back Lives Matter crew marched at the Minn State Fair with a chant but of "pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon." What do we hear from the great unifier in chief? NOTHING. Yes, he did call the widow of the slain officer but that's it. Where is the outrage from the White House? Why isn't the Att'y General being ordered to Houston to pursue prosecution of this assassination as a hate crime? If the executed sheriff was black, would Obama say he looked like his brother, if he had a brother? This case is another stark example of the President's failure to lead and unite when a terrible thing like this happens. This President ran and won on a utopian vision of him being a Uniter in Chief, but he is been the epitome of Divider in Chief - by a landslide. I would fully expect someone on the Left to attempt a rebuttal, or a vendetta against me, for what I have posted here. I welcome you to bring it. Try to defend the indefensible. I am disgusted and would challenge any fair-minded person who is not sufficiently disgusted as well.

Thank you kindly Dart

Thank you - sincerely

FYI, sometimes it does happen when you publish your birthday in your profile....other times in can be shared of a sincere thank you to all those posters who provide great insight & debate. :flirt:

thanks Immerman, I hope I don't make it on anyone's list for the wrong reasons ...))

whatever

Sorry I can't help you - and that I may have imposed on your Sunday...)) Thanks to all the well-wishers, and sorry to those I have apparently confused ....))

Thanks much NFreeman, and a very happy birthday to your daughter. Let's hope for the correct QB decision which is (apparently) happening today.

Guys/gals: off topic - today is my birthday and I would like to say how much I enjoy commiserating on all things Buffalo with you. I have met (virtually) some great people on this Board and you have enriched the quality of my life immensely around a team and a city we all love & our proud of.l There are several of you who have really connected with me personally and for that I am grateful. There are a couple (unnamed) who have gotten very personally negative/confrontational with me, and for a day I am going to forget those (looking at you Pastajoe)..... :flirt: May we all live to see a BB Super Bowl winner AND Stanley Cup winner in our lifetimes to result in the greatest party of all human history. And - thank you Neo for being such an erudite poster and a true gentleman. I have so much respect for the passion & love we all have for our teams & hometown. I have never, and will never, forget where I have come from. Despite my career success I remain humble & true to my roots, eternally grateful for the way I was raised, the sacrifices my parents made for me & my 2 siblings, and the Buffalo ethos I maintain. Have a wonderful (and blessed) day. With all the insanity around us seemingly on a daily basis, we should all be grateful for this forum and the fellowship it provides. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

sorry to hear you seem so forlorn, I can tell this is an issue you have really taken to heart based upon your last few posts. While you are exhorting others to love and see the good, don't give up on this yourself.

no !