DiscussMormonism.com

Some Schmo wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 08, 2022 10:29 pm

This is why I think of religion as cerebral AIDS. If you allow yourself to believe in religious claims based on gut feelings, you are susceptible to any outrageous claim. Your immunity to B.S. is compromised.

The entire GOP philosophy these days relies on this simple fact. They'd be nowhere without religious types. Without their base's willingness to believe damned anything, the GOP would never retain power.

The GOP actually depends on the stupidity and gullibility of their base. Normal people are insulted by how stupid GOP politicians treat the electorate. Idiotic Republican pols excel with their base strictly because they speak "in a relatable way" (i.e. idiotically). They don't have to fake it. The game is determining which GOP pols really are that stupid and which ones are putting on a show.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Claim
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger once said, “The gun lobby’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American people by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”

Context
While Burger did indeed utter these words, viral memes combine two different quotes from him that were spoken (or written) at different times.

Fact Check
In the days following a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two adults dead, a quote from former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger started circulating on social media. Burger, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1969 by then-President Richard Nixon and retired in 1986, supposedly said:

"The Gun Lobby’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American People by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime. The real purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that state armies – the militia – would be maintained for the defense of the state. The very language of the Second Amendment refutes any argument that it was intended to guarantee every citizen an unfettered right to any kind of weapon he or she desires."

While these words truly originated with the conservative justice, the above-displayed meme cobbles together three different passages that Burger either wrote or spoke at different times.

The first part of this meme — “The gun lobby’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American People by special interest groups that I have seen in my lifetime” — comes from an interview Burger gave to PBS News in 1991.

The second part of this meme — “the real purpose of the Second Amendment was to ensure that state armies, the militia, would be maintained for the defense of the state” — and the third part — “The very language of the Second Amendment refutes any argument that it was intended to guarantee every citizen an unfettered right to any kind of weapon he or she desires” — comes from an articles Burger wrote for The Associated Press about the Bill of Rights in 1991.

Gunnar wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:06 am

Arguably another mistake made by our founding fathers was the way they worded the 2nd Amendment. It is highly unlikely that they meant it to be interpreted the way the NRA and the firearms industry insists it should be interpreted. Warren E. Burger, himself a highly conservative Justice, had some sharp criticisms about it, or, at least, they way today's Republicans interpret it.

Some Schmo wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 08, 2022 10:29 pm

This is why I think of religion as cerebral AIDS. If you allow yourself to believe in religious claims based on gut feelings, you are susceptible to any outrageous claim. Your immunity to BS is compromised.

Jersey Girl wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:48 am

That's not how religion works in my life, Schmo. Not everyone is like the people you are describing in your above.

Gunnar wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:16 pm

They understood from the beginning how toxic insertion of religion into government and politics can be and has been historically. Even many of our most influential and admired religious leaders, both past and present, have acknowledged the importance of separation between church and state.

Some Schmo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 2:07 am

Jersey Girl wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:48 am

That's not how religion works in my life, Schmo. Not everyone is like the people you are describing in your above.

I know that, Jersey Girl. You seem to be an exception to a lot of the problems associated with religious people's ways of thinking. If only more people put religion in the proper perspective as you seem to do.

In this thread, I am speaking in generalities, expressing a discontent toward a certain segment of the population. You shouldn't feel any offence to it if you aren't in that group.

Jersey Girl wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 3:07 am

I am not at all unique, Schmo. It's just that people like me don't make the news so don't fall for everything the media shoves in your face. They are there to make money, not present the news of the day as a public service as it was in the old days.

Some Schmo wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:40 am

The gun nuts are just hanging on to everything they've currently got at all costs, because they're damned crazy.