You know, when you are afraid your empathy for others goes down. You just care about

[applegrove]

you and your your family. I know. I was stalked for years. Maybe all this GOP/NRA push is not just to sell guns but to sell fear, reducing empathy across the nation. So they can get people to vote against helping their neighbours or the poor.

[arthritisR_US]

1. I think you have a valid point. n/t

[TDale313]

2. They absolutely want to keep us afraid

Not just of physical threats and violence, but job and financial insecurity. When the masses are scared, they are far easier to control.

[applegrove]

3. Oh yeah. And lack of health care too. All of it to make people less

rich in their hearts and minds. More afraid. With a much lesser capacity to care about the welfare of others outside of their immediate loved ones.

[TDale313]

4. Yep. And all of this...

Also makes it much easier to to play "divide and conquer"

[applegrove]

5. And to get regular folk in the USA to vote against helping out each other and the poor.