Fort Lauderdale Gay Mens Chorus confirms the truck driver was one of their own...

[WarGamer]

Really sad... apparently an accident after all, despite the jumping to conclusions, I wonder if people that called it terrorism and assassination attempts will take back their comments?

Nevermind, I Know the answer.

https://www.the-sun.com/news/us-news/3118900/two-run-over-truck-man-florida-pride/

The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus issued a statement to WLPG confirming that the driver is a member of the choir, as were to two men hit by his vehicle.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic accident that occurred when the Stonewall Pride Parade was just getting started," the group said.

"Our fellow Chorus members were those injured and the driver was also part of the Chorus family.

"To my knowledge, this was not an attack on the LGBTQ community. We anticipate more details to follow and ask for the communities love and support."

[ret5hd]

1. You don't seem to really like or respect the people here.

I just wonder why that is.

[WarGamer]

2. Why does that feel like something between a flame and personal attack?

FYI, I was mostly referring to the people on Social Media jumping to conclusions.

[ret5hd]

8. Alert if you will.

Let the jury decide.

[WarGamer]

12. Here's the details behind my opinion

People get invested in a story and their reaction to the story.

For example, if a story breaks that Tom Brady tested positive for PED before the Super Bowl game... it would light up the SM's and online Sports forums... we'd hear what a cheating SOB Brady is and how he never deserved any wins. People would call for him to return his past salary and return his trophies.

The next day the Lab admits the testing samples were mixed up and Brady's sample came back clean.

Few people will reverse their original reaction even though we all know their reaction was based on misinformation.

It's the psychology behind people getting invested in their formation of opinions and the threats to their ego that a retraction would involve.

Have I helped you understand me better? Trust me... I'm all about the facts in everything I do... I don't like clickbait media and I don't like anyone that forms news stories to support a narrative.

I'm 100% unbiased when it comes to the quality of our "news".

[ret5hd]

13. So alert. Be done with it.

[WarGamer]

14. Did you read my post?

[ret5hd]

16. Uhhh...yeah.

[WarGamer]

18. And no comment to the point I made?

[secondwind]

21. OK enough. This person is a newbie, while you've been here for

several YEARS.

Lighten up.

[Doc Sportello]

27. The poster made an accurate observation

From what I've observed. No need to lighten up.

[secondwind]

31. The original poster has done nothing wrong.

Why are we attacking each other this way? Pandemic? Boredom?

There are marvelous beautiful books to be read.

[tavernier]

52. Because Republicans march lock step

and Democrats are like herding cats. Big tent with multiple personalities and opinions.

It often gets tedious and annoying, but I prefer it over the former.

[Doc Sportello]

57. You should ask the OP that question

And yourself as well. You are blaming the pandemic or boredom for attacks, so it's a personal failure on their part according to you. While giving the OP a pass. Heed your own advice.

[Treefrog]

69. The op pointed out a truth.

So what was wrong with that?

[LanternWaste]

49. Observations can often feel like attacks.

And if multiple people observe the same thing, well...

[jimfields33]

3. I didn't get that and I carefully read it twice

Is the OP wrong that some called it terrorism? I didn’t go back and read all the threads. I did read one and some were blaming white supremacy.

[RainCaster]

4. I took your comment the same way as the OP

Not cool

[Skittles]

5. you are not the only one

no indeed

[ret5hd]

6. Well, I'm glad someone else can see what I see.

[Skittles]

7. taken in total

absolutely

[secondwind]

24. Thank you, Skittles.

[Treefrog]

46. I'm no fan of that poster, but he's not wrong in this case.

Lots of people join du to read the threads, not to become part of some big echo chamber.

[JI7]

34. I have started noticing also

[tenderfoot]

41. allow me to join you

eom

[Doc Sportello]

28. Me too

Being a newbie has nothing to do with it.

[Dr. Strange]

29. In OP's defense...

I think they may not like or respect some of the people here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215543806

Which, given the Alex Jones level of conspiracy going on in that thread, I can understand.

[Skittles]

44. it's not just this thread

eom

[betsuni]

36. I agree.

[Treefrog]

45. He has a point.

I saw numerous references to assassination right here yesterday.

I hate the conclusion jumping that always happens in these instances.

[demmiblue]

53. Yep (as well as another one on this thread). n/t

[SunImp]

77. I've seen worse from people with higher post counts

[msongs]

9. time reveals it was not terrorists or an attack on wasserman schult after all eh...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215543806

[Oneironaut]

10. That's a relief.

It’s horrible that it happened, but, I’m happy this wasn’t a hate crime.

[regnaD kciN]

11. Was that REALLY necessary...?

I wonder if people that called it terrorism and assassination attempts will take back their comments?

Nevermind, I Know the answer.

Because it's always people on OUR side who falsely accuse people of terrorism, right?

[WarGamer]

17. see post #12 pls

[GulfCoast66]

23. But it's a common occurrence on DU. And I get why and I'm not really judgmental about it.

Anytime someone in a marginalized group is attacked we can expect the chorus of posts blaming trump and republicans. And that is often the case.

But often the posts don’t age well. Hell, I’ve done it myself. But now I wait till I get the entire story.

When I heard this person was actually in the parade I suspected an accident. Never driven in a parade so nervous. Hit the wrong pedal then panicked. It is pretty common. I’ve seen 2 grocery stores that had vehicles go thru their front for just that reason.

Again I understand why people jump to conclusions when there is so much hate around against marginalized groups. Just wish DU members would wait for the rest of the story before reaching conclusions. But it not like what we type here is going to negatively affect the guy who messed up so I guess no harm done. But if it spread on Facebook around the country it could cause him unnecessary pain. He must be suffering now horribly.

Have a nice evening.

[Blue_playwright]

15. Bless his heart, he will never get over it

That’s terrible. 😢

[Bristlecone]

19. I made a terrorism remark. Mainly because of the eyewitness account

And video I watched of that account within the post

“ This was a terrorist attack against the LGBTQ community,” Trantalis said. “He came here to destroy people. This was clearly no accident.”

nt

[WarGamer]

22. Eye witnesses frequently give misguided information.

I'm not blaming you or ANY of the consumers of "news"... the newsMAKERS need to be more cautious.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/emo-a0029220.pdf

[Treefrog]

48. Whoever that was must feel pretty silly today.

[yardwork]

54. That was the mayor.

There were other eyewitnesses who stated that it wasn't an accident, that the car crashed through a fence, etc.

It's true that people jump to conclusions online, but this was an unusually extreme example of eyewitnesses getting it wrong.

[Treefrog]

58. Just because someone is a mayor means nothing.

We had a “president” who made up shit too

[yardwork]

61. Yeah, well I don't know this mayor like I knew Trump.

Like many others, I felt the story yesterday was incomplete. I didn't post anything. I waited for more uniforms. I'm just pointing out that there were persuasive-sounding eyewitnesses.

More importantly, five years after the Pulse massacre and in light of regular attacks on gay people, of which I am one, it wasn't a stretch to consider the possibility that this was a deliberate attack.

It's certainly nothing to laugh about.

[Treefrog]

72. I'm gay too. That mayor was irresponsible in saying something like that imo.

Damn shame about the whole incident. I can’t imagine what that whole group is dealing with too.

[madville]

20. Amazing how many want things to be evil

Many are willing to manufacture outrage to feed their predetermined narrative.

[WarGamer]

25. +1000 nt

[GulfCoast66]

26. See your point but can't totally agree. I now always wait till I have the facts.

That said, there are so many attacks on marginalized groups I can understand people jumping to conclusions. For every one like this you read there is one that is an actual hate crime.

I just try not to do so myself. And sometimes fail!

Have a nice evening.

[BGBD]

33. Totally agree

I fully understand why the first thing in people's minds is that it was an attack. We've seen this exact thing happen time and time again. Vehicle attacks are a big part of the radical rights MO and hearing that a truck crashed into people at a Pride parade certainly puts that into your head.

But, this one ends up being an accident by a person who was there in good faith to participate in the event. So, it's a good example for resisting that impulse and considering the alternatives, at least until some real information is available.

[wnylib]

42. I am one of the guilty ones, for the

reasons you mentioned. There have been so many attacks on marginalized people that it sounded credible to me that this was deliberate and not an accident.

But I should have known better and not jumped to conclusions.

[Treefrog]

47. This. So much this.

Ive seen people twist themselves into pretzels to try and prove something that’s already been disproven.

[BannonsLiver]

70. Oh you should see some of the delta variant threads

Lots of sickos rooting for unvaccinated people to get sick and die. I think people who don’t get vaccinated are really dumb. Yet, I don’t hate them so much that I hope they die while also pretending I’m somehow different than magats.

[Treefrog]

71. Perfectly said.

I’ve been amazed at some of those threads.

[sarisataka]

30. I wonder if people that called it terrorism and assassination attempts will take back their comments

Yes, you know the answer

[ornotna]

38. Your gif is repulsive

For the subject of this whole discussion.

[sarisataka]

63. It is directed solely towards

Those who make speculative posts based on nothing but personal bias.

See my post #62 for further comment and my own apology to the few who did retract and/or apologize for speculating.

[ornotna]

68. Getting some joy

From a little one-upmanship from this whole ordeal is distasteful at best.

My comment stands.

[LiberatedUSA]

51. I think you are way off base.

As far as I can tell, when people here make mistakes, which is rare, they immediately own them and update older posts with the facts and the old narrative is never seen or heard from again.

[sarisataka]

62. As far as I can tell

People often build a fictional perpetrator of an event that matches what they hope he will be. Then a background and motivations are assigned along the same pattern. This perpetrator is then used to support why we hate people like that.

When the facts come out there are few to no admissions of mistakes and no updating old posts.

Look at these threads-
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142758590
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215543806

Note the posts speculating the driver was a skinhead after the GMC identified him as a member. Very few updates to old posts or a owning mistakes.

To end on a positive note I will commend our poster blogslug for putting egg on my face. Blogslug not only deleted their erroneous OP but added an apology.
I tip my hat and offer my own apology to blogslug and the others who at least deleted their speculative posts.

[Treefrog]

79. I can think of many of such threads.

It’s always a white, male trumper. Until it isn’t.

[sarisataka]

80. When I self reflect, what truly makes me upset

Is not even the constant stereotypical speculation. It is the way the threads simply drop when expectations are not met.

What that tells me is the outrage was not truly about the victims but the perpetrator.

[BannonsLiver]

67. Bahahahaha

Stop it you!

[Treefrog]

75. I'm sorry, but that's just not true.

I’ve lost count of threads that blow up to a huge size as everyone decides that a trumper has committed a heinous act, only to watch that thread vanish POOF! when the truth comes out that it was not a person that fit the narrative of the thread. VERY few people every admit that they were wrong.

[LiberatedUSA]

78. See post 67.

[niyad]

32. one does not necessarily preclude the other.

[GulfCoast66]

37. I guess not. But we should give a gay man who is a member of the chorus the benefit of the doubt.

I don’t believe a hateful POS would join the chorus just to pull this off. People would know. For sure.

This is more common than you might know. When studying vehicle safety for my job one of the things I learned and made policy for my employees is that when you pick up or drop off someone the vehicle is in park. Multiple people die every year because under that scenario the vehicle is left in Drive and they unintentionally let their foot off the brake. Then panic and hit the accelerator and run over the passenger. These things happen too often.

[Treefrog]

50. Yeah, ok, he's a straight sleeper assassin who infiltrated the Gay Men's Chorus.

Yep. That’s the ticket!

[niyad]

56. ever hear of self-loathing?

[Treefrog]

59. I seriously doubt this is the case in this incident.

But hey, enjoy thinking things are probably not what they are.

[RegularJam]

43. Don't care about their comments.

Such a tragedy.

[Jedi Guy]

55. If jumping to conclusions became an Olympic sport...

Some folks around here would take home medals. To some extent it's just human nature, but you'd think at some point folks would learn to wait for more information. As for walking back those comments, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

[Treefrog]

60. Exactly. I don't like the hypocrisy so often seen.

People are all outraged at a shooting/ attack when they think it’s some white gopper pos as the perp, but if it turns out not to be that, suddenly the outrage vanishes, threads drop never to be seen again.

[Jedi Guy]

73. Yep, I've seen it happen several times on threads about various topics.

The story breaks, people leap to conclusions... then the facts come out and the thread drops like a rock. It's very discouraging to see things like that in a community that ostensibly prides itself on being rational and intelligent, unlike those boobs on the right.

Progressives are just as vulnerable to confirmation bias as anyone else.

[Treefrog]

81. Yep, and what gets me is it's so often the same posters.

They never learn. Or, there might be a more nefarious reason…

[BannonsLiver]

64. I'm sure no DUers jumped to any conclusions

[Jedi Guy]

74. Perish the thought... N/T

[twin_ghost]

65. The Mayor called it terrorism.

I think the driver has a strong case of libel. Of course, the driver face huge liabilities for the death of one and an injury to another.

[WarGamer]

66. I'd like to give much respect to DWS...

She was right there in the middle of it all... she didn't know what had happened and she didn't know if it was an act of terror or an assassination attempt... or an accident.

Not ONCE did she jump to conclusions or unleash the Twitter with crazy ass shit...

That's an experienced and wise politician.

[Treefrog]

76. This.

That’s how a politician who is a leader reacts.

[Treefrog]

82. Local newspaper sites now saying the driver is a 77 year old man.

Apparently not able to walk in the parade, so he was driving in it as a participant. What a tragedy all around.