44 thoughts on “ARE THEY INSANE?”

1. Thanks Mr. Gates, You seem like an intelligent person. I agree with you .

   Ms. Vicki are you really quoting USA Today? I personally do not trust much of what they write, and it
   is left leaning, which you like. You will have to do better as a “source” of authoritative
   information.

2. One final thing.. Of course Pres. Johnson was a racist. At least that racist President is on the correct side of history at least once, unlike now. The stock market? Really? I’ve lost money, I’ve made money. I’d rather be as poor as a church mouse than to have this in our White House. A wise woman we have watched and listened to regularly for over a decade says of this badministration, Don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do. Lastly, look up the single word sociopath. What doesn’t fit? Stay well folks.

   • Lol those bad administration you were watching for a decade is what got us where we are. I didn’t have to look up sociopath and I see where it fits,but I’m not going to say!

     • Well, it looks like my original question, “Are they insane?” has been answered, YES. The latest example comes from the Mayor of Seattle telling the police to stand down and allow the protestors to establish a police free zone around several streets encompassing significant areas including the local police precinct. When asked what the thought the outcome of this decision would be she responded, “Well maybe we will have a Summer of love”. WOW. This while the so called peaceful protestors were demanding protection money from store owners. Sounds like the gangster years of the 30’s! Hopefully other cities lead by Dem politicians will not be so stupid. A simple principle of psychology is,”Reinforced inappropriate behavior will increase”. Giving in (reinforcing) to the demands of these anarchists will only lead to more demands. Stop this stupidity now before it becomes the new pandemic!

   • A racist that was on the correct side of history at least once, unlike now. Your words. Have you not heard that Johnson’s War on Poverty was abolished in 1981 as a failure. Yes, Johnson did make some smart political moves, but they were POLITICAL and not because he felt any concern for people of color. Why wouldn’t caring and a true desire to help be more important than any politics that failed? That you cannot see the good things that the current administration is doing speaks volumes. The USA has just gone through one of the worst times we have seen in years, but it was not something that anyone here caused. Some say the president acted to quickly to ban flights from China when this Corona virus first started, then when everyone saw how bad it really was, the same people said he didn’t act quickly enough. So I’m not listening, I watched, and I think the President was right in what he did. In one of the most current reports, prior to the pandemic, jobless rate for Hispanics hit a record LOW. African Americans maintained it’s lowest rate EVER at 5.5%. Jobless rate for women was at 3.1%. So prior to the pandemic, there have never been more black and Hispanic Americans in the work force according to the Labor Department. These are numbers that were reported by CNBC, not a fan of President Trump by any stretch, in late 2019. Again I’m watching, not just listening. Recent reports from various polls and then reported by several news outlets that are not Trump supporters say that his popularity is surging among black and Hispanics. Yes there have been issues with the murder of a black man by a policeman, and the pandemic, but he is working with groups on these problems. And the job rate after the loss of so many jobs during the pandemic has been reported to be coming back much stronger than anyone imagined. So I’m watching, and I keep watching, and I see our nation coming back and coming back closer than before. Except for a select few who want to riot, burn, loot, and now take over part of a city so they can charge a fee for people to get into that area. Yep, I’m watching that, too. It’s a little sickening in my opinion. You quote a wise woman as saying “Don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do.” I think when you look at the jobless rate going down in spite of the turmoil, you don’t have to listen to anyone, you see it. Are there people still unemployed? Yes. But do some of these people want to be unemployed? Yes. They had rather riot, burn, loot, steal, carry guns, terrorize people, and be tough guys that sell drugs to our young people. Yes you better believe I’m watching, and what I see looks pretty dang good compared to what I’ve seen in the previous 8 administration.

     I looked up the word sociopath as you wanted me to, just the one word. “A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.” Does this describe our president? No, not in any way. He is not antisocial as you can see by the tens of thousands who attend his rallies. He has a way with people, and they like him, thousands of Americans like what he is doing for this country. You need to find a better word. I have not always liked his actions before he became President. He was a womanizer back then, I’ll give you that, but that does not take away from his ability to help this country heal, if only we could get rid of the obsessive desire by Pelosi, Schumer, and others in DC politics to get him out of office. He has not broken any laws. You mention listening to a wise woman. I have no idea who you might be talking about, because any wise woman on the other side of the aisle would give up the idea of impeachment and work together with him to solve the problems of the US. Wisdom in part is knowing when something is not working and then work with the other team to improve things. I have news for you. Things are working with jobs, people are going back to work faster after the pandemic than anyone thought possible. I’m watching it happen. Where are you? Are you so filled with hate for the president that you can’t see that there is good happening in our nation, in spite of things that happen that are out of our control. Yes there are evil people who create a huge problem by what they do, but why do thousands have to compound that problem by looting and burning. Why do you not look at both sides of the problem here? Why do you only want to look at the badministration as you say? Can you stop all the fault finding for a while and recognize that there is good coming from this administration? Most of turmoil I see is from radicals who want a socialistic form of government, and they aren’t old enough to see the damage that would do. It is sickening to see the great divide in our country, the hate, the anger, the calling of names when nothing is known about the other person. I have been called racist, and nothing could be further from the truth. I was called that because I’m white and I voted for President Trump. Being a older white woman, why would I not have voted for Hillary? Because she has abused our trust too often now. She is not the woman that should occupy that Oval Office. That is a dynasty that hopefully will never come to pass.

     There are faults in Donald Trump, there were faults in Barack Obama, and others before him. One of the men who was adored as president, John F Kennedy was a womanizer and yet his was covered up for the most part at the time. All of the men who have occupied the office have faults, but in the past both sides still worked together to govern our country. Now, there is a problem with working together. It’s wrong, and anyone who is a part of not working together is not part of the solution, but a part of the problem.

3. If the liberals r sucessful they will throw this country into total chaos the liiberals need to get a life and a clue cause the world does not revolve around them

4. What needs to be addressed is why parents are not doing their jobs ar home? People expect teachers to rear their children at school. When that doesn’t work and children are in terrible environments and act out, then call the police to do something with their children. In a society where people are brought up to hate anyone of authority. What do you expect? Parents need to do more than microwave dinner and find a channel for their children to watch. Children need your time and love , and a good example.

   • I feel sometimes like we failed as parents. Why do I say we. Because some of our children are raising children who have everything except what they need most from us. Time spent with them talking about things. Love, but love that also know that they have to be raised right, and need boundaries and discipline. Attention, pay attention to what your child is doing on the computer, who they are talking to in chat rooms, or texting, or what sites they are going to. Kids do not need to be involved in every activity there is, like sports, then tomorrow is dance, then it’s gymnastics, then sometimes there might be time for activities at church, but most times it catch up on school work, and then the week-end is spent going places, doing things, having fun. Are parents forgetting they have an obligation to teach their children. It’s important for them to know how to cook, how to clean house, how to care for babies. If you don’t have a baby at your house, let your teen baby-sit a cranky baby so they know that having a baby to raise is not a part time thing and it’s not a game or play time like playing with dolls. Parents are falling down on what they need to teach a child, and I think it goes back a generation or maybe two. I know I was expected to toe the line. Parents believed the teacher if they were called in about something, then there was punishment at home also. Now it seems parents only defend their child, no matter how old. No my child wouldn’t do that. But a neighbor might be looking that child right in the face as that child breaks into their shop to steal tools to sell. Where did we go wrong and why. I can only pray that the good among us can help those who need help. Mentor a child who needs help. I had that opportunity once with a teenage girl who was caught stealing. For some reason she looked at me and said she was sorry she embarrassed our group by what she did. But her dad left, her mom worked night as a waitress in a bar, leaving this beautiful girl alone, and not making enough to have the cute clothes other girls had. Her grandfather worked a job that she was ashamed of, he worked collecting garbage. She felt like nothing was right in her world. We talked for hours that day, and in the coming weeks, we had more conversations. Then they moved. I have often wondered about that girl, did she understand and take the right path, or did she turn out like the girls that think the gangstas are tough so she hangs with them, going down the wrong path. Parents, do you know where your son or daughter is? We need to start when children are young, but those who are in gangs or groups that burn and loot might be more than a parent can handle and professional help is needed. If you son had been one of the young men who came out of that pawn shop where that police chief was murdered, what would you do? You know he had a part in killing a good man, what would you do. Parents need to step up and do the right thing even if it hurts. We have got to get back on track, and that means coming at this hate problem from all directions. It means teaching that families are important. It means teaching that you do not do evil to others. It means a lot of work for a lot of people, but work done with understanding and compassion, not hate and division between us that can’t be crossed. Work, understanding, compassion, love, acceptance.

5. These facts were taken from a USA Today report a couple of years ago. Violent crimes are less than 10% of arrests. 30%-35% of some city budgets go to Police Depts. Most are not looking to get rid of the police by any means. They are looking for real reform and reappropriation of monies. More funding is needed for social services, health care, schools, infrastructure, mental health services, youth development and housing. First you need to stabilize a community. All of these would be a better long term stabilizer than jail time for non violent offenders. In 1967 President Johnson’s crime commission said that “crime cannot be controlled without the interest and participation of schools, businesses, social agencies, private groups and individual citizens.” Throwing more money at the problem and expecting police to do and fix it all is not the solution. It is not only unreal, it is unattainable. We don’t need more policing, the US needs better policing. Police unions are covering for bad cops. They don’t want their records of prior offenses, complaints released. They win employment contracts of members accused of brutality and racism making it very difficult or impossible to fire or discipline them. They make it hard to hold the bad cops accountable. So many reasons for reform and reappropriation. I sure wish some would actually open their mind and think about it reasonably, logically without any social biases. When we all work together, we can do many good things.

   • First problem for me, “a couple of years ago” – how about we stay current? As for the mention of bad cops, I thought I covered that in what I said in my comments. That officers need to be monitored closely for issues such as violent tempers and such, come on, I talked about all of this. did you not read it? What you are bringing up is pretty much ancient history, let’s see, President Lyndon B. Johnson, one of the biggest racist to ever sit in the Oval Office. He was a funny guy, and had a way about him, but read his history, and you expect the 1967 plans of a racist president to solve the problems we have today. It won’t happen and you are going down the wrong road entirely. I agree that it is difficult to hold bad cops accountable today, just as it is doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, and any member of a labor union or someone in a job that could cause a problem for the company. I believe my mind is open, I suggested that people not just march, but march to a destination where talks could take place. Level headed people from all communities should get together and discuss the problems and the best way to solve the very complex problems. You are saying a lot of the same things I said, but you have insulted a few people along the way, and that too is part of the problem. As a Democrat, are you looking down your nose at the poor uneducated people who voted President Trump into office. We can work together, but it seems when some people can’t win a discussion on politics, name calling immediately starts. That can’t happen when we are supposed to be working together for change. Rudeness must stop, on all sides. There are so many things that have to change to have a change that means anything. You mention that throwing money at the problem won’t fix it. Right now, there is no way we can do without strong, good and honest police departments, working for all the people. You wanted to do away with the “extra” money the police departments have. Well, have you heard the latest news. Seattle police got fed up with all the insults, and they all walked off the job. A group has taken over the police station, and anyone wanting to come into the area has to present an id and pay a fee to get in. Now realize that is what will happen all over the USA if we cut funding for police and groups like this take over. Atifa and other radical groups should be shut down, NOW. The are stirring up more trouble and it is like it’s gonna be a Civil War all over again because some weak city governments are letting them have their way, they won’t back the police to stop the violence, looting, burning, murders. So let’s get real about this. Stop the hate. Stop attacking the President, only working to oust him from office. He’s the President, and the hate for him is not good for the country. You will find plenty of people who didn’t agree with President Obama, but there was nothing like what is happening to President Trump happening to him. So call for the dems in congress to stop and be level headed. The President sits in the Oval Office, and there he will stay until he is voted out or his term limits are up. So I suggest the ultra liberals sit back and work problems out instead of burning flags, demanding that history be changed. We all need to grow up and learn to work together, Then and only THEN will true change come. The people of this world and this nation have become people of absolutely no tolerance of anyone that is any different than they are. It’s a terrible situation, and if you can’t be a part of fixing the problems, sit back and shut up! Sorry for the rudeness, but enough is enough. Insults in every direction. STOP! What does it accomplish? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

     ps. Johnson, please don’t come at me with the sticks and stones. I personally liked the man, but it was no secret that he was a racist. He didn’t care if the world knew, that was just who he was.

     • MEWHP: Well said. We so need to find a place to discuss these issues. Why not a group of clergy coming together as the mediator for these discussions. I believe it should begin there first.

   • Thanks for providing some facts and common sense. People still pointing fingers at others clearly haven’t observed the times we now live.

6. You are very stupid.

7. Dear Mr. Gates, Who are you so afraid of that you sleep with a gun under your pillow? I hope I never come knocking at your door late at night because I have a flat tire or have run out of gas and yours is the only house for miles.

   And, by the way, I’m one liberal who doesn’t want to take your guns away. The 2nd amendment guarantees you that right. But you know as well as I do that too many people who shouldn’t have them can get them easily at gun shows and bypass the background check and waiting period. Look at how easy it is to get an assault rifle. Weapons like those should only be available to soldiers and SWAT teams. What do you think someone has in mind when buying an assault rifle? Hunting? If you can’t bring down a deer, or elk, or moose, or whatever you’re hunting with one standard clip (no more than 10 bullets), then you should be at the firing range, not in the woods.

   There is absolutely no good reason for a private citizen to be walking around with an assault rifle!

   • The second amendment has nothing to do with hunting.

     • This is verbatim : “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

       I did a little research, and there’s a difference between an assault rifle and an assault weapon. The definition of each varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but “A standard AR-15 magazine holds 30 rounds. But in most states, the rifles can be legally outfitted with high-capacity magazines that can hold 60 or even 100 rounds.” Huffington Post, Feb 14, 2018.

       I didn’t say the 2nd Amendment has anything to do with hunting. I said there is no reason for anyone but SWAT teams and soldiers to have assault rifles (weapons). Practically every hunter I’ve conversed with about guns said they need guns with multiple rounds when they hunt big game. Tell me if I’m wrong, but does it take more than 10 bullets to bring down even the biggest deer? I guess if you came across a polar bear with rabies, you’d need more bullets than that. But any gun that can fire 30 or more bullets without reloading is too dangerous to be available to private citizens.

       • Have you ever heard of shooting sports? There’s lots of people who just enjoy shooting! It’s not always about killing something!

   • Lady Jane, Come and Knock on my door any time you need help with a tire or need gas or want to just visit. You are welcome. A number of break ends in our city suggest that we be prudent about self protection.

8. Wait, didn’t three red neck white males recently get arrested in Ohio because they wanted to start the second civil war and end the American government? Aren’t they the anarchists? Defund the police means taking out some of their current duties (such as mental health calls) and give it to the people qualified to handle that population. It does not mean ending the police department. Which by the way, stands between us and the Right Wing Anarchists.

9. My suggestion is that we raise the salaries of police officers to help make policing a sought-after and dignified profession. Then we can screen out the racists and bullies. Of course we’ll have to pay for the improvements, much as we have to pay for better schools if we really want them.

10. Here we go again.. boogers in the bushes. I have never heard of a Democrat threatening to take away all of your guns. Surely, no one will take mine. And I believe what most Dems are talking about in the defunding of the police departments are the extra monies many have and reappropriating them to community funding. The police departments do not need weapons that the military uses. Some will never understand this. Please stop looking for more boogers and help to solve the problem. Vote Dem in 2020.

    • Yes the police do need military type weapons because they go up against them everyday! And you want to send the police funds to community projects! That’s brilliant thinking,let’s fund more things to be burned for the third or fourth time.

      • Clueless. Absolutely clueless. Vote Dem in 2020.

        • Clueless about what Ms Locatto. Burning of buildings, tearing down of monuments, wanting to defund (as they say) police departments. You also admit that you BELIEVE they mean to take away EXTRA money from police departments. So does that mean you are not sure but are only supposing that is what they mean? How much extra money do you think police departments have? How did they get it? Local taxes paid? I BELIEVE you will find that police departments don’t have extra money, but I believe this because I know police officers are underpaid for the job they are called to do, the buildings most often occupied by departments are old and in need of repair. What do you think they do with all this extra money? Do you know that citizens often provide funding to buy the bullet proof vests that police officers wear to keep from being shot and killed. There are police officers who take on extra jobs in order to support their families and give them a better life. Don’t you think if there were extra, or even enough money, that there would be more men and women who would consider law enforcement as careers, therefore we might have the quality of person doing the job, eliminating officers like the one who just brought all of this down on us. We could have more officers, better trained officers, all the things you and I want, IF they had all that extra money. But they don’t. Don’t pull something out of thin air and try to tell us it’s true, because we know it’s not. If there is extra money given to the police departments, prove it to me. Show me the proof. Federal agencies have grant programs aimed at hiring more police, equipping them and constructing new police facilities and replacing or repairing those that are old and run down. But that does not mean they have extra money, it means that local government can’t support them. As for community funding. You know there are problems there, and we have had one right here in Natchitoches. Yes, money is missing and nobody is talking. Community funding can be wonderful, but not at the expense of good law enforcement, and we need money for that a good deal more than the community funding you propose. Do your research, please, before you start telling others that they are clueless. Thank you.

          • Well said MEWHP! Dems like Vicki are the clueless one. They only listen to the liberal media and therefore only get one side of the issues. A very naive approach to forming opinions.

    • YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALL COPS DO OR WHAT THEY NEED. THEY DO WAY MORE THEN YOU GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.

      • All caps? Really? Nothing is solved by yelling at each other. Cops are forced to do a lot more than they should have to do. Investing more money into our communities would go a long way into helping. Some are too short sighted to realize the benefits of building up communities.
        Eyes wide open, blind. Ears shut to truth. Mouths gaping full of lies. WH tweets, ranting. Vote Dem in 2020.

        • Not I said the little Red hen.

        • FIRST THE WH TWEETS ARE THE ONLY WAY WE ACTUALLY HEAR THE TRUTH! THE LIBERAL BIAS MEDIA TWIST THE STORY EVERYTIME! YOU WANT TO DEFUND THE POLICE,WELL WHO IS GOING TO PROTECT THOSE COMMUNITIES FROM THE GANGS,DRUG DEALERS AND THE VERY HONORABLE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS BURNING ANYTHING THAT WILL LIGHT?? ALL CAPS DAMN RIGHT IM YELLING!

    • Vicki, Remember Beto O’Rourke who said, in the debates, “Yes we are coming for your guns”. Others implied the same thing.

11. I have yet to see a single thing about taking y’alls guns away, most of the protestors have guns too. I don’t agree with the looting and violence but just like people say you can’t judge all cops by a few bad ones, you can’t judge a protest by a few bad people using this as an excuse for violence. There are a small group of people who want to abolish police completely, but the vast majority just want them to move some of the police budget around to pay for more community services and training for the police. I also want to say I understand these cops see terrible things day in and day out, so they need some mental health services too. These services can be made possible by reallocating funds for better training and mental health training/ therapy.
    They know we need police, but we need to make sure the officers and communities they’re protecting have the proper resources they need.

12. I feel bad for the Floyd family. I lost a son, and no one deserves that pain, no matter who that son is or what that son’s past might be. That policeman was wrong and hopefully will be punished, along with the ones who stood by and watched. There was nothing right about that knee on the throat, and he knew what he was doing and was stupid and mean enough to keep his knee there. It makes me angry that any policeman has that much rage in him that he can’t control his actions. I believe policemen should be monitored closely, and those who show signs of that much anger should talk to someone, then a decision should be made as to their future on the job, before they can hurt someone. Police departments need responsible people who don’t hate, can work calmly but do the job effectively when an arrest is needed. I know it can be done, I’ve seen it, and so have most of the people I know.

    The problem we are having at this point is how to resolve the issue of the hate. Are protests working? What about the violence and the destruction of property in cities across America? Why do these people have so much hate that they act against everyone, not the cop who killed? And why are we building up the victim into a righteous person. He should not have been murdered, but he was no Martin Luther King, so let’s don’t make him out to be one. What about the Police Chief that was murdered by the mob? Where are the articles, the pictures, the tv cameras? Why aren’t people up in arms about his murder? He was a father, grandfather and mentored young men in his neighborhood, a good upstanding man, who also happened to be black. Being murdered by a cop is bad and evil, but being murdered by a mob, looting and burning is just as bad. You watch a small woman trying to protect her store and being beaten with a 2×4 by 7 or 8 men. Why is this ok? There are poor neighborhoods being burned, all the stores and businesses there, leaving the poor people to suffer. I watched a woman sobbing because all the stores she shopped in had been burned to the ground by the mob. She had no place to buy things because she didn’t drive and there were no buses in her area. Why are people not up in arms about this? She is hurting. People of the US have the right to protest, but protesting is not a mob scene with the violence that accomplishes it. So far, I haven’t seen much that is right in all that has happened since Mr. Floyd was murdered.

    The right way to protest is to talk, not just walk, in my opinion. You have to have a goal, a finish line, where all get together to solve a problem. Talk to groups, much like the group that met at the Natchitoches courthouse. Get groups together to work out the problems and stay to work them out without tempers flaring or storming out. We all have to admit there are hotheads, gangs and others that cause trouble. Stop that problem before it gets so bad that we have shootouts on the parking lot of a convenience store. But do it right. No violence. Sometimes strength is needed, because someone is violent, but a knee on the neck is wrong. There were so many times that man could have been rolled over and arrested if he needed to be. What happened, happened, and we can’t turn back the clock. But now is the time to stop the violence. Let level headed people get together in groups to help solve the problems. I want to say right now, HATE IS EVIL AND FROM THE DEVIL. If you hate, you need to think about who is in your head. I know people are getting away from God, but where did the hate come from, in all races. Every one. It is heartbreaking to see this. I just pray that my great-grandchildren can live in a country that can live in peace. Things need to change now, for the better, for all people. No one needs to be belittled in any way. Young men don’t need to walk around with guns, shooting anyone who makes them angry. No one person is less than any other person. Please always remember, inside we are all alike, we are all made in God’s image. The path you take is your decision, and for each action there will be a reaction, be it good or bad. We can come to a peaceful understanding if we put the assumptions, anger and prejudices aside. Now is the time to start.

    • Amen brother! So much said and said well!

13. Thank you for speaking out. Our silent majority is ever present. You are correct. The world does seem to have gone insane. The only thing that helps me is remembering my grandmother thinking the same thing about my generation in the 1960’s. With God’s help and President Trump, common sense will be the victor—hopefully.

14. Son, you need a Valium.

15. I am white, but I have many black friends and fellow workers. I am concerned about the violence, racism, and xenophobia still present in our society. I am aware that there are multiple issues, and we need to be careful of overly simplistic solutions.

    • Every premise the left is pushing about race , crime and police abuse in general is not backed up by a single once of empirical data. For a matter of fact the empirical data shows just the opposite of the narrative being pushed by Black Lives Matter, Antifa and the Democrat Party. Even in Natchitoches we can’t have a honest conversation about race and crime because the facts and the truth about who commits almost all the violent crime in this city are so damning that its the truth that can’t be told. The irony is that people with a political agenda are quick to use racism to explain away this truth because if not it would force them to look within. Of course as long as you can blame it on unconscious system inherent racism you never have to take personal responsibility and face the truth about race in America today.

      • Very true! Tactfully, truthfully stated

16. As a middle class white woman, I find law enforcement to be pretty useless.

    • So glad you don’t need the police.But saying they are useless is a broad statement. Who would you call if you or a loved one was raped, beaten or murdered? What if your home was broken into? Also please keep your negative thoughts and comments to yourself. The media plays a huge role, why can’t people just be male or female? Always noted by the media as black or white. Why can’t we just be humans?

    • Well when you need one call a non violent protester!

17. I stand with Mr. Gates and his statement. What needs to be abolished is liberal political correctness and racially divisiveness politics!

18. Go back to whittling on the porch, grampa. No one’s coming for your precious guns.

    • Why do you assume the writer is elderly and whittles?

Comments are closed.