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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#284701: Jul 10th 2019 at 3:29:02 AM

But hey, what gives me comfort ist that a good 95% of the responses are of pure disgust.

A few people seem to have a soul after all.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284702: Jul 10th 2019 at 4:03:18 AM

Ben Shapiro was literally the basis for the villain this year on Supergirl. So, nothing surprises me now.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#284704: Jul 10th 2019 at 4:27:43 AM

What, the show?

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284705: Jul 10th 2019 at 4:28:13 AM

Yep, they had Sam Witweir (Darth Maul's new voice actor) dress up as him in his civilian identity as an anti-alien Fantastic Racism news commentator while secretly being behind an anti-alien hate group. His "thing" being pseudo-intellectual arguments for hating on immigration as well as how Empires always fall when they let in outsiders.

Supergirl Villain

Ben Shapiro

Supergirl's thing for the past few seasons being Immigrants=Good, Refugees=Good (Letting them in at least), Isolationalism=Bad, Hating on Refugees=Bad.

It's not a complicated political stance but it's a consistent and upfront one. This one was the most direct.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 10th 2019 at 4:30:50 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284706: Jul 10th 2019 at 6:07:07 AM

With Barr's recusal, apparently it was a "clarification" - he was recusing himself from the DOJ investigation into the plea deal, not the new charges filed against Epstein.

And in a bit of a cross-cut news, an Arizona man killed a 17-year-old black kid by stabbing him in the throat because Court documents said Adams yelled at detectives and stated that "rap music made him feel unsafe because in the past, he was attacked by people who listened to that music genre." He also told investigators that he "needed to be proactive than reactive and protect himself and the community from the victim." He's currently held on $1 million bail, and was released from prison just two days prior.

The issue, according to his attorney, is: Adams' attorney Jacie Cotterell said he has a history of mental illness and should not have been released without proper medication. However, the Arizona Department of Corrections said he wasn't designated a seriously mentally ill and released on an absolute discharge on July 2.

If that's true... then the entire system failed here. Key word being "if".

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284707: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:14:53 AM

With Barr's recusal, apparently it was a "clarification" - he was recusing himself from the DOJ investigation into the plea deal, not the new charges filed against Epstein.

I believe it was a clarification that Trump came to him and said, "Hey, remember what happened to Jeff Sessions?"

It's a sick sick time when the white supremacist piece of crap Sessions has more integrity than most of this administration.

And I feel unclean saying that.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 10th 2019 at 7:15:05 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#284708: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:19:59 AM

[up][up]Holy shit, I can't believe they just let that monster go.

For a second I panicked and really thought that I was actually connected to this. My mom got a summons for jury duty, but when she called at the designated time late last week, she was told she wasn't needed. She got the summons before this happened, so it's impossible for the time frame to line up, but I was panicking there for a second.

My brother is black and he listens to rap music all the time, this is terrifying. I was already experiencing bursts of mild anxiety from hearing all the bad shit in the news, I did not need to hear about something this close, this recent, and this directly threatening.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Jul 10th 2019 at 7:20:40 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284709: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:21:51 AM

His release strikes me as people making a deliberate statement.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#284710: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:22:12 AM

Frankly I'm not surprised. Nor do I think the system "failed"; it wasn't made to protect us and it's not operating to protect us. The system is working exactly as intended. It's the same way I feel about the "failed" War on Drugs.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Jul 10th 2019 at 10:23:13 AM

i'm tired, my friend
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#284711: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:34:17 AM

[up][up][up]His worst conviction before the killing was assault, and he's not getting out now, for obvious reasons. Sadly, mental health and recidivism screening in the parole system is just as deficient as the treatment aspect.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284712: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:34:42 AM

rap music made him feel unsafe because in the past, he was attacked by people who listened to that music genre.

...he....

He actually said that.

Like. Not even "There was rap music playing when I was attacked."

No.

"I was attacked by people who like rap music."

That is so nakedly racist, I can't even. Like. There is literally nothing else it can be but racist.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#284713: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:35:54 AM

W-Well, you know, white people like rap too. How do you know he wasn't attacked by a white person in the past? This has nothing to do with race at all.

Also Arizona I believe is one of those states with an especially bad reputation for being racist, so there you go.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Jul 10th 2019 at 10:36:39 AM

i'm tired, my friend
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#284714: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:37:57 AM

You know, I miss being able to laugh at horrible people being just awful at hiding their racist, sexist, and otherwise x-ist motives for being horrible.

It used to be funny, 'cause I used to believe there would be consequences for their behavior. Now it just makes me angry.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jul 10th 2019 at 8:38:19 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284715: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:52:22 AM

To reiterate something, though, his lawyer claims that the guy has a history of mental illness - and as for the rap music, PTSD is a thing that can have the absolute weirdest triggers. But again, if that's true, the fact that he got released without being given meds is absolutely deplorable.

And as for heightened aggression outside of prison - that part is actually pretty well-documented at this point, as people have a hard time adjusting to life on the outside, much like (and possibly worse than) soldiers do when coming home.

And here's the article from the local CBS affiliate which is a bit more detailed.

His attorney, Jacie Cotterell, told the judge during his initial court appearance on the murder charge that Adams has a history of mental illness but the Arizona Department of Corrections released him with no medication and without a courtesy ride to get access to mental health services, even though the department knew he was on mental health probation.

"They released him to the streets with no holdover meds, no way to care for himself," Cotterell said.

"This is a disabled person," she said. "And he’s been released into the world, and left to fend for himself. And two days later, this is where we are."

ADC said Adams wasn't designated as seriously mentally ill and officers took him from Yuma to Maricopa County. ADC said after that, he wasn't in the department's custody and "had no further legal authority over him."

Cotterell said Adams needs to be treated for his illness, not sentenced to prison.

She wants to see more resources and psychiatric help put in place for inmates while they're behind bars, as well as policy changes.

“I believe that this crime was preventable," she said. "Policy is all well and good, but when policy fails, I think a reasonable person and reasonable people would agree policy needs to change."

Edited by ironballs16 on Jul 10th 2019 at 10:59:41 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#284716: Jul 10th 2019 at 7:58:17 AM

Arizona's weird. In my experience living here, it has pockets of EXTREME racists, and a majority of white people here are racist to some degrees. That said, the Latine population is fucking HUGE here, to the point that white people are legitimately in the minority in some places, and speaking as a white person, it actually does feel like it. There, the culture is VERY different. Not to mention the large Native population as well, and the growing black population.

It's simultaneously a very racist and very diverse place, and the two cultural sections are incredibly separated from each other. To the point where if you live surrounded by one, you'll be legitimately surprised at how big and influential the other is.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#284717: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:07:59 AM

The problem here is that, even if the suspect is racist, he's also apparently mentally ill and been seriously failed by the criminal justice system. It's an almost ideal example of a bad example to prove a point about injustice, because no matter his crimes, he's exactly the sort of person that should have received help for his problems and didn't.

Now he'll be in prison for who knows how long, when both that and the murder he (allegedly) committed could have been prevented. I'm not saying I have sympathy for him. I'm saying that two lives were wasted here.

Edited by Fighteer on Jul 10th 2019 at 11:09:10 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284718: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:33:23 AM

[up]

Yeah, it's not allegedly - from the second link I provided:

According to court documents, Adams stabbed the victim on the right side of his neck. Adams fled the area following the incident.

Elijah was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead at 2:05 a.m.

Officers found Adams walking near the crime scene. An officer noticed that he had a pocket knife and had blood on his left forearm, left hand and foot. Adams was later arrested after he admitted to officers he was involved in the stabbing.

During questioning, Adams told officers Elijah "did not do anything to threaten him."

Adams admitted that he heard the victim was listening to "rap music in this parking lot."

...

According to court documents, Adams yelled at detectives and stated that "rap music made him feel unsafe because in the past, he was attacked by people who listened to that music genre."

Adams told detectives he "needed to be proactive than reactive and protect himself and the community from the victim."

Adams was later booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail with a count of first-degree murder.

The murder happened just two days after Adams was released from prison.

And full agreement with you otherwise - this was something that, from the sound of it, simply should not have happened, and while Adams was the perpetrator, his diminished capacity leaves the system culpable in Alamin's murder.

Edited by ironballs16 on Jul 10th 2019 at 11:35:56 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284719: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:52:08 AM

I'm curious what his condition is. Having worked with the mentally ill, they tend not to be violent unless they were violent before.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#284720: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:53:50 AM

[up]How's that different from people in general?

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#284721: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:54:30 AM

[up][up] Given that he was originally imprisoned for assault, I think we satisfied that criterion.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#284722: Jul 10th 2019 at 8:57:31 AM

Generally, what I'm saying is most mentally ill people aren't Insane Equals Violent.

It's kind of like racism and ambien (see Rosanne Barr).

The racism isn't caused by the diminished capacity. It's there before.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284723: Jul 10th 2019 at 9:02:21 AM

[up]

And as I mentioned before, there's a definite correlation with someone doing a stint in prison and becoming more violent after they're released, largely because of how the prison system works (or rather, doesn't) in the US.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#284724: Jul 10th 2019 at 9:02:33 AM

A person with diminished mental capacity is not capable (or less capable) of exercising rational thought about topics like race. Whether it is fair to call such a person "racist" in the same vein as a person with full capacity is a difficult question. From the information we have, it appears that he came to associate rap music with being threatened, and then acted out on the resulting violent impulse. He did this within hours of his release on a prior assault conviction, meaning he has no capability for self-control.

I don't think we can equate this with someone who deliberately and thoughtfully targets minorities for violence due to learned prejudice. What I'm trying to convey is that it's a really bad case study for racism.

Now, possibly race played a factor in his unconditional release, when a black felon would have been held longer for a similar conviction or been given greater scrutiny for mental capacity, but that's not discussed in the article (that I saw), so cannot be concluded.

Edited by Fighteer on Jul 10th 2019 at 12:06:52 PM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#284725: Jul 10th 2019 at 9:46:10 AM

[up]

Ironically, I'd have thought that a white convict would be given greater scrutiny in regards to mental health issues than a black one, especially in regards to treatment and sentencing.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"

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