The Off Topic Topic

[Jacob]

There's that other reactionary cause celebre guy (Kyle Rittenhouse or something like that) who shot some BLM guys he felt threatened by when he waded into their demo while wielding his rifle. IIRC at least one of them was white.

I think the fair game doctrine is being expanded to include left-wing activists whatever their race, in addition to Black people.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't recall any reporting about Rittenhouse wading into a demo.

[Barrister]

There's that other reactionary cause celebre guy (Kyle Rittenhouse or something like that) who shot some BLM guys he felt threatened by when he waded into their demo while wielding his rifle. IIRC at least one of them was white.

I think the fair game doctrine is being expanded to include left-wing activists whatever their race, in addition to Black people.

Kyle Rittenhouse is a complicated story.  I know he has become a right-wing cause celebre, but the story itself is interesting.

Kyle, who was 17 at the time, definitely put himself in harm's way by deliberately going towards a BLM protest with an AR-15.  But other than being at the protest there was no evidence he did anything aggressive, and in fact he was chased by an individual before Rittenhouse shot him.  Afterwards he was pursued by a number of individuals.  Rittenhouse tried to flee, before using his rifle again.

So that's one difference - there's at least an air of reality to his self-defence claim.  It was definitely more than he just "felt threatened".

I'm not a Rittenhouse fan, and he's definitely been used by, and used himself, the right-wing media landscape afterwards.  But the underlying story defies easy categorization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosha_unrest_shooting

(note that for such a politically divisive topic Wiki should be doubly questioned, but this article looks like it's been very carefully curated)

The other difference is that the matter actually went to trial - and Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges.

[Barrister]

I don't recall any reporting about Rittenhouse wading into a demo.

So he did specifically travel from his home in Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin specifically because BLM protests were going on.  But no he didn't like walk right into the middle of protestors.

[Syt]

1967 - Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Marianne Faithfull meet Alain Delon.



Strong "You vs the guy she tells you not to worry about" vibes.

[Admiral Yi]

Golfer Scottie Sheffler arrested in Kentucky for, among other things, dragging a cop on his car.

[DGuller]

There's that other reactionary cause celebre guy (Kyle Rittenhouse or something like that) who shot some BLM guys he felt threatened by when he waded into their demo while wielding his rifle. IIRC at least one of them was white.

I think the fair game doctrine is being expanded to include left-wing activists whatever their race, in addition to Black people.

Kyle Rittenhouse is a complicated story.  I know he has become a right-wing cause celebre, but the story itself is interesting.

Kyle, who was 17 at the time, definitely put himself in harm's way by deliberately going towards a BLM protest with an AR-15.  But other than being at the protest there was no evidence he did anything aggressive, and in fact he was chased by an individual before Rittenhouse shot him.  Afterwards he was pursued by a number of individuals.  Rittenhouse tried to flee, before using his rifle again.

So that's one difference - there's at least an air of reality to his self-defence claim.  It was definitely more than he just "felt threatened".

I'm not a Rittenhouse fan, and he's definitely been used by, and used himself, the right-wing media landscape afterwards.  But the underlying story defies easy categorization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosha_unrest_shooting

(note that for such a politically divisive topic Wiki should be doubly questioned, but this article looks like it's been very carefully curated)

The other difference is that the matter actually went to trial - and Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges.

That's the nice part about having a society armed to the teeth.  A minor conflict can escalate into a situation where 10 people are shot and killed, and everyone involved is acting reasonably and legally.  If you think Joe Blow is an active shooter, you're reasonable to charge him to disable him.  If Joe Blow thinks he's getting charged, he's being reasonable trying to defend himself.

[Threviel]

Yeah, the problem isn't so much the actions of the individuals but rather the fact that it's legal to walk around with assault guns.

Once everyone is armed their actions are rational. Threat level 10.000 requires response 10.000.

[Syt]

There's that other reactionary cause celebre guy (Kyle Rittenhouse or something like that) who shot some BLM guys he felt threatened by when he waded into their demo while wielding his rifle. IIRC at least one of them was white.

I think the fair game doctrine is being expanded to include left-wing activists whatever their race, in addition to Black people.

The man shot by the now pardoned guy in Texas was also white, for the record.

[Jacob]

The man shot by the now pardoned guy in Texas was also white, for the record.

Yes, but he was a protestor, right?

[Valmy]

The man shot by the now pardoned guy in Texas was also white, for the record.

Yes, but he was a protestor, right?

Yep.

[Admiral Yi]

Mercedes Benz workers in Alabama voted overwhelmingly to reject a union.

[Valmy]

Mercedes Benz workers in Alabama voted overwhelmingly to reject a union.

Hopefully because management offers cushy and lucrative working conditions.

[Syt]

Mercedes Benz workers in Alabama voted overwhelmingly to reject a union.

UAW claims Mercedes unfairly interfered in the vote and intimidated workers into voting against it. They're filing suit in the US and also in Germany under a law that holds companies accountable for human rights violations in their production chains (which, I think, is a long shot).

[Admiral Yi]

NPR reports MB forced its workers to attend viewings of anti union videos.  My understanding of the law is unions are not allowed to interfere with organizing efforts.  Organizing was not impacted.  The vote was.