Mass Shooting at Mormon Church In Michigan

[Kishkumen]

Here is a great article on the murderer:

https://m.Facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =617334999

Look out especially for the message from his wife to him. Her words are very reminiscent of our experience interacting with MAGA folk here. Not that he did this for MAGA, but he also seems to have had the MAGA disease of unproductive discussion-scuttling.

[Abaddon]

I give you props for trying to interpret my post but that's as far as it goes.

Let me dumb it down for you: the Christian alt-right that mostly constitutes MAGA (that you have made your bedfellows) are not your friends. Sure, they enjoy your political votes but they will cast you aside as quickly as they do the Muslims if their vision of Christian America comes to pass.

This anti-Mormon shooting in MI, in my opinion, is worse than what happened to Charlie Kirk when the MAGA-right acted like they lost their Savior.

I'm not looking for outrage or vengeance from MAGA (though there was plenty of that in the immediate aftermath of Kirk's murder). I'm looking for the same level of care/concern for their lock-step political "friends."

Where are the half-mast flags? Where are the "I'm Charlie Mormon" social media posts in solidarity with their Mormon MAGA voters?

It's not there in near the same degree as Charlie Kirk because the MAGA-right doesn't view the Mormons as equals. You're good for a vote and then escorted to the attic to stay out of sight when the distinguished guests arrive.

[Rivendale]

Here is a great article on the murderer:

https://m.Facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =617334999

Look out especially for the message from his wife to him. Her words are very reminiscent of our experience interacting with MAGA folk here. Not that he did this for MAGA, but he also seems to have had the MAGA disease of unproductive discussion-scuttling.

Like talking to a rock. Especially enlightening and reminiscent of trying to talk across divides whether religious or political. It seems reconciliation is a bygone term but where it originates from is anyone's guess.

[Whiskey]

I give you props for trying to interpret my post but that's as far as it goes.

Let me dumb it down for you: the Christian alt-right that mostly constitutes MAGA (that you have made your bedfellows) are not your friends. Sure, they enjoy your political votes but they will cast you aside as quickly as they do the Muslims if their vision of Christian America comes to pass.

This anti-Mormon shooting in MI, in my opinion, is worse than what happened to Charlie Kirk when the MAGA-right acted like they lost their Savior.

I'm not looking for outrage or vengeance from MAGA (though there was plenty of that in the immediate aftermath of Kirk's murder). I'm looking for the same level of care/concern for their lock-step political "friends."

Where are the half-mast flags? Where are the "I'm Charlie Mormon" social media posts in solidarity with their Mormon MAGA voters?

It's not there in near the same degree as Charlie Kirk because the MAGA-right doesn't view the Mormons as equals. You're good for a vote and then escorted to the attic to stay out of sight when the distinguished guests arrive.

Just so's I understand. Are they a cult because they lowered the flags for Charlie or are they a cult because they didn't lower the flags for Mormons?

[Whiskey]

You obviously don't like the MAGA one. Sounds like you dislike cults in general. Maybe you have one that you like and dislike all the rest. I don't think MAGA is any more of a cult than the democrats. At the extreme, they are exactly the same damn thing. Nobody has shown an ounce of difference in cultiness and authority preference. They just like different outcomes from their preferred cultiness and authority.

To your satisfaction, at least. Lots of people across the political spectrum have shown pretty clearly how Trump is violating tradition, law, and the Constitution.

That is the how. And that is an interpretation of the how. The thing that I do like, is the cross-section of interest on the matter. Yes. I am less interested in the conclusions than the facts. I am not interested in conclusions without facts.

Trump being Trump, for better, worse, or only worse, doesn't change the underlying fact that seems to really get in the way of any remedies of the process. Both sides of this linear spectrum, particularly the wings, are equally interested in authoritative input or control of almost every issue. Besides the few I have pointed out, nobody has brought forward any exceptions.

So -fair point - Kish, but it is not THE point.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Here is a great article on the murderer:

https://m.Facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... =617334999

Look out especially for the message from his wife to him. Her words are very reminiscent of our experience interacting with MAGA folk here. Not that he did this for MAGA, but he also seems to have had the MAGA disease of unproductive discussion-scuttling.

That was an interesting article. Especially this part:'

I believe one of the biggest motivating factors is the fact that Charlie Kirk’s assassin had previously been affiliated with Mormonism, and Mormons would go on to be one of the many groups of people who were given the blame. Considering Sanford’s brief stint in Utah and his comments to the politician, it seems likely to me that this was a perceived retaliatory attack specifically against Mormons.

[ceeboo]

This shooting is deeply troubling. I hope it’s not politically motivated as a retaliatory act related to the shooter of Charlie Kirk being Mormon.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/church ... n-09-28-25

Another horrific act of pure evil. Unbelievable.

While I don't know what the motivation was, it seems pretty likely that the motive was hatred of Mormons.

In addition to the many families that will be forever changed by this, my heart also goes out to all Mormons.

[Abaddon]

They're a cult for many reasons, but sure, lowering the flags for Charlie certainly fits that.

They're not cultish for not lowering the flags for the Mormons: they've shown they are hypocritical. But it shows their cultish-side that they can't recognize it.

You're an out-group to them, never truly to be one of them.

[Res Ipsa]

This shooting is deeply troubling. I hope it’s not politically motivated as a retaliatory act related to the shooter of Charlie Kirk being Mormon.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/church ... n-09-28-25

Another horrific act of pure evil. Unbelievable.

While I don't know what the motivation was, it seems pretty likely that the motive was hatred of Mormons.

In addition to the many families that will be forever changed by this, my heart also goes out to all Mormons.

Mine, too. But let me run a thought past you: could it be that labeling it as evil leads us in the wrong direction? We had two mass shootings over the weekend — both Marines (?) who served in Iraq. If we think of this as evil, the natural reaction would be to hunt down the source of the evil and destroy it. But if we recognize the indications of mental illness (the shooter in NC has a traumatic brain injury and the other exhibited signs of increasing belligerence and isolation recently).

Our country’s approach to mental health is dismal. We started to deinstitutionalize mental health patients back in the 80s for completely understandable reasons. But the trade off was supposed to be increased spending on more localized treatment centers, which never really happened. The problem becomes glaringly obvious when one has a friend of family member with schizophrenia or other severe mental illness.

This shifts our thinking from existential crisis to problem to be solved. The finger pointing and demagoguery over the source of the evil cold into coming together to solve a problem.

I’m not saying that mental health is “the cause.” I’m also not saying that all people with mental illness are violent or prone to violence. I’m just thinking of ways to reduce the perpetual Sturm and Drang we seemed trapped in and work toward positive steps that might actually improve the lives of our fellow bits of carbon.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

This shooting is deeply troubling. I hope it’s not politically motivated as a retaliatory act related to the shooter of Charlie Kirk being Mormon.

https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/church ... n-09-28-25

Another horrific act of pure evil. Unbelievable.

While I don't know what the motivation was, it seems pretty likely that the motive was hatred of Mormons.

In addition to the many families that will be forever changed by this, my heart also goes out to all Mormons.

Agreed.