David Brooks (What An Asshole): We Need To Let Red America Lead On Guns

[hatrack]

The enduring mystery: why this guy keeps getting paid for dogshit columns like this.

EDIT

So if you want to stop school shootings it’s not enough just to vent and march. It’s necessary to let people from Red America lead the way, and to show respect to gun owners at all points. There has to be trust and respect first. Then we can strike a compromise on guns as guns, and not some sacred cross in the culture war.

So I’ve been thinking about a group that’s in the trust and respect business. Better Angels is a nonprofit led by David Lapp, David Blankenhorn and a prominent family therapist, Bill Doherty. The team members travel from town to town finding members of the Red and Blue Tribes and bringing them together for long, humbling conversations.

My Times colleague April Lawson has gotten involved with Better Angels and has been reporting back on its techniques. One of the most successful parts of the structured conversations is built around stereotypes. Doherty, the head moderator, asks the people at each gathering to name five major stereotypes that the other side throws at them. The Republicans invariably list “racist” first, followed by, say, “uncaring,” “uneducated,” “misogynistic” and “science deniers.”

In a session Lawson attended, a Trump supporter acknowledged that the G.O.P. has had a spotty record on racial matters, but it’s important to him that Blues know that’s not why he holds his opinions.

EDIT

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19/opinion/parkland-gun-control-shootings.html

[Ohiogal]

1. Why does the NYTimes

continue to print this guy's drivel?

Oh, the poor widdle gun humping snowflakes. We big bad elitist liberals don't respect their beliefs! We have to show that we respect them before we start a conversation, now?

Fuck them! It's past time for namby pamby "conversations"! We need ACTION! We need sensible gun control laws NOW!

[LonePirate]

2. Letting Red America lead on guns is what got us into this mess in the first place.

[yurbud]

10. Let Republican politicians lead on most issues is why Dems are minority

[underpants]

3. Thank god that guy's a PROMINENT family therapist

We don't need any run of mill types doing this.

[Freddie]

4. The 5 major stereotypes

Are 100% correct! He's the "intellectual conservative" who managers to write a column with a lot of big words to justify the party line. At least he uses good grammar and spelling.

[Nitram]

5. We need to let David Brooks wander off and get lost.

Gun owners in red states have had plenty of opportunities to "lead the way." They always lead in the direction of more guns in the hands of more people without any acountability.

[Paladin]

6. David Brooks is pond scum.

His writing abilities are down at Peggy Noonan level. His half-assed attempts to put a respectable face on right-wing drivel never ever succeed. And what he's doing on the NYT editorial page, raking in millions every year for his bullshit, is a complete and utter mystery to me.

[Blue_Tires]

7. For an encore, Brooks is going to wonder

why battered wives don't let their husbands "take the lead" on improving marital relations by, you know, building up a dialogue of "trust and respect" on the two days a week when dear hubby is sober and isn't beating/raping/belittling/etc. his wife and kids...

After all, the abusive husband has feelings too and the last thing anyone in his household would want to do is hurt his feelings, right?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. response from mediamatters

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/02/20/David-Brooks-needs-to-shut-up/219430

David Brooks needs to shut up

David Brooks is back on his bullshit. Ever since Donald Trump was elected president, the New York Times columnist has become an outspoken proponent of ideologically vacant centrism as the one and only solution to toxic partisanship and intractable tribalism. The fact that “the center” of Brooks’ dreams has no political appeal, no coherent philosophy, and no agenda beyond tongue-clucking rebukes of partisanship is of no concern to him; it can and will fix everything simply by scolding everyone in Washington to be polite to one another.

[...]

[Skittles]

9. fuck gun humping cowards

Last edited Wed Feb 21, 2018, 06:19 PM - Edit history (1)

we have been listening to their sorry asses for FAR TOO LONG NOW

the fact is, Red America *HAS* "led on guns" - THAT'S WHY WE HAVE CONSTANT MASS SHOOTINGS