Post New Article

Empathy in the wake of violence

Original Article

Posted By: Harlowe, 9/13/2025 12:54:21 PM

I didn't agree with Charlie Kirk, but I respected his First Amendment right to speak, though it's the Second Amendment he often spoke of so keenly. It will be a match race now to see which amendment will be the one most closely tied to his legacy, and that should grieve every American. (Snip) Trump did not order flags lowered in June, when Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, was assassinated alongside her husband ... Kirk once said gun deaths were worth the right to bear arms. (Snip) I don’t think his life, or anyone’s, is worth losing just so I can own a gun.

Comments:

Here she is again with another emotional rather than intellectual perspective setting focus on guns while forgetting/ignoring that Scripture appears to permit circumstances of self-defense and that in Biblical times guns did not exist so guns may possibly have been an acceptable means of self-defense had guns been available. (Exodus 22:2, Luke 22:36) Further, the “boo-hoo” reference of flags not being lowered for a Democrat couple is so typical of envy/immaturity/pettiness.

Post Reply

Reminder: “WE ARE A SALON AND NOT A SALOON”

Your thoughts, comments, and ideas are always welcome here. But we ask you to please be mindful and respectful. Threatening or crude language doesn't persuade anybody and makes the conversation less enjoyable for fellow L.Dotters.


Reply 1 - Posted by: bpl40 9/13/2025 1:06:27 PM (No. 2003440)
The mistake Leftists make about the 2nd Amendment ( out of ignorance or deliberately) is that it is about firearms. It isn’t. It is about the basic, natural and God given right of self defense. If you will not fight for that what will you fight for?
19 people like this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: philsner 9/13/2025 1:10:01 PM (No. 2003442)
Don't like "disclaimer first" articles.
9 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: earlybird 9/13/2025 1:17:53 PM (No. 2003446)
Thanks to OP for their usual wisdom. I wonder how this woman, obsessed with the guilt of guns, feels about the pocket knife used to murder the Ukrainian woman on the Charlotte light rail?
29 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: Harlowe 9/13/2025 1:34:52 PM (No. 2003455)
“In the early 1900s, ‘to have empathy’ was to enliven an object or to project one’s own imagined feelings onto the world.” Sympathy “is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful” whereas “empathy involves actively sharing in the emotional experience of the other person.” Charlie Kirk was correct in his interpretations and comparisons. Indeed, Ms. Jeffers is correct in “no good comes from the sewing of...bitter harvests, and we will eat the bitter fruits for generations.” The problem stems from the stem of the fruits being sewn by what appear to be leftist/liberal “empathies” that run the gamut: abortion, alcohol/drug abuse, American revisionist history, child abuse, Christian apathy, disregard for human life, entertainment industry, human trafficking, lack of proper parenting, mainstream media sins of omission/commission, moral decadence, transgenderism, etc. Evil has always hated/reviled what is good/true as evidenced throughout Scripture. Until the reality and acceptance of truth, law and order, are restored to this country, peaceful accord may be a long time coming.
10 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: Rather Read 9/13/2025 1:44:15 PM (No. 2003460)
Traffic deaths are inevitable when people own cars. As for gun ownership, evidently in Canada you can't own a gun, knife, bear spray or have your security camera range any further than your immediate residence. I suspect they will ban door locks next.
13 people like this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: czechlist 9/13/2025 1:56:58 PM (No. 2003475)
Virtue signalling,incongruent comparisons, misinterpretations and even some projection. Charlie was openly exercising his Constutional Rights and was murdered for it. He knew he faced that possibility each time he spoke and discussed his beliefs in unfriendly public forums. Be brave like Charlie. Get off your keyboard and engage and debate in person with those who disagree and convince us how we are wrong.
14 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: CactusStar 9/13/2025 2:35:57 PM (No. 2003499)
His life was about free speech as will be his legacy.
9 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: question_complexity 9/13/2025 5:27:35 PM (No. 2003545)
Democrats thought the deaths of American citizens (Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungary, Rachel Morin and many others) was worth it just to have open borders to increase their census numbers for congressional seats and electoral college votes.
10 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: JoElla Bee 9/13/2025 6:12:03 PM (No. 2003557)
Excellent comments, as always, OP. Rini Jeffers writes: “Two weeks ago I wrote that guns are the leading cause of death for our children. In America, 125 people a day are killed by guns.” “Kirk’s death is being treated as a national tragedy.” ——— I don’t remember hearing of her. She doesn’t appear to be a hater in this particular piece, but her convoluted attempts at reasoning lead to the same flawed rationale as haters who have swallowed the purposeful leftist propaganda for taking away guns and eliminating the 2nd Amendment. Responsible gun owners and supporters of the 2nd Amendment know that guns may be a leading method of violent death, but they are not the cause. Charlie Kirk’s death is not being treated as a national tragedy because of the method of his death. It was not the gun that caused Charlie’s death. It was the deliberate motivation, mindset and heart of the person who used the gun to kill him. Common sense should tell us that guns, just as anything else, can be used for good or bad. Charlie supported the rights provided by the 2nd Amendment, not the abuse of it, or murder. Simply put, people, who deliberately choose to murder, use different methods; but, the cause is a choice that comes from within the heart (mind). That’s why the solution is punishment for the murderer and not elimination of rights to protect the innocent. Sadly, people blinded by irrational emotions, on the spectrum from love to hate, aren’t likely to change their minds, and guns are here to stay. That’s why their opinions must be defeated to prevent all of us from becoming victims to a dictatorship that controls us at the point of a gun.
8 people like this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: JHHolliday 9/13/2025 8:12:04 PM (No. 2003591)
As someone posted, that Ukrainian woman was killed with a pocket knife, Timothy McVeigh used fertilizer to kill 100 plus people in that federal building, Islamist loons killed thousands by using airplanes on the Twin Towers, in 1927 a man used dynamite in a school basement to kill 37 kids, and during the George Floyd riots some burned to death. I could go on but the 2nd Amendment protects honest citizens from defending themselves against criminals and it happens every day. Evil people will find a way...it's in their black hearts and not in the firearm or any other tool...rocks, golf clubs, walking canes or any other ordinary item we see every day. It's not about "gun control" to politicians, it's about control period.
5 people like this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: crashnburn 9/13/2025 9:19:30 PM (No. 2003614)
The rifle that fired the bullet that killed Charlie Kirk didn't say one day, I need to kill Kirk and animate itself to the roof top, aim, and fire. Except for Tyler Robinson, it would have remained where it was and caused no harm to anyone. The old maxim "Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people.", always holds true.
6 people like this.

Reply 12 - Posted by: anniebc 9/14/2025 7:32:33 AM (No. 2003691)
Your article is so unnecessary, Rini. If you don't want to own a firearm, don't. The Constitution says the rest of US can. Leave it.
5 people like this.

Reply 13 - Posted by: franq 9/14/2025 10:50:04 AM (No. 2003779)
Jeffers (she calls the President "Trump") obviously has an anti-gun ax to grind. And I would expect a journalist to know the difference between sewing and sowing. But education is not what it once was.
2 people like this.

Below, you will find ...
Most Recent Articles posted by "Harlowe"
and
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Most Recent Articles posted by Harlowe"
Christian counseling at the SCOTUS 1 reply
Posted by Harlowe 10/9/2025 1:29:52 PM Post Reply
When the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in 2015, I wondered what standard they would use should polygamists appeal for similar rights. In accepting a case from Colorado Springs about whether a Christian counselor can advise minors with gender dysphoria and same-sex attractions, the Court will again face the question of free exercise of religion vs. the establishment clause in the First Amendment.
Changing clocks for Daylight Saving Time
linked to potentially deadly brain condition
threatening 300,000 Americans
30 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/25/2025 10:21:49 PM Post Reply
Changing clocks twice a year could be putting 300,000 Americans at risk of a potentially fatal stroke each year. A new study, conducted by Stanford Medicine researchers, found that switching between Daylight Saving Time (DST) and Standard Time (SDT) disrupted the body's internal clock by forcing it to adjust too often to changes in light and darkness. [Snip] The next change is set for November 2, 2025, at 2am in each time zone. [Snip] While simulating what would happen the US decided to make SDT permanent after 'falling back' in November, estimates showed the change could prevent about 300,000 stroke cases annually by reducing this circadian strain.
Does Pope Leo condone homosexual behavior?
Prominent Catholic scholar responds
5 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/19/2025 9:46:06 PM Post Reply
Pope Leo XIV has won many plaudits for aspects of his Petrine Ministry so far--his Christ-centred preaching, personal kindness, and emphasis on peace and reconciliation to name a few. But recent events at the Vatican have heightened concerns that Leo is also tolerating, and perhaps even condoning, elements of the previous pontificate that were particularly harmful to souls on account of the public scandal they caused. (Snip) So what would St. Aurelius Augustine of Hippo have made of them? To find out I asked Professor John Rist, widely regarded as one of the Church’s finest scholars of St. Augustine and the fathers of the early Church.
College responds to student's call for
return to 'political assassinations'
17 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/19/2025 11:57:17 AM Post Reply
In a recent social media post, an Oberlin student called for a return to “political assassinations” following conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death last week, when he was shot and killed while speaking at a Utah university. Oberlin College and Conservatory President Carmen Twillie Ambar confirmed Thursday that Julia Xu attends the college. “Last week, an Oberlin student published a personal social media post that glorified political assassinations and incorrectly linked this ideology to the perspective of a faculty member,”... “The student has subsequently issued a public apology and expressed deep regret.” Ambar said that the comments do not reflect the college and conservatory.
Bring the National Guard to Cleveland 7 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/17/2025 4:43:14 PM Post Reply
More than 80% of Americans say crime is a “major problem.” In Cleveland, the numbers are sobering. [Snip] As elected officials, we have a responsibility to protect our communities when local resources are overwhelmed or when local officials refuse to use them. [Snip] This is a temporary measure, but a necessary one. Allowing the situation to worsen is a dereliction of our responsibility as lawmakers to protect the law-abiding public. [Snip] The preamble of our Constitution reads: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare,...”
Empathy in the wake of violence 13 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/13/2025 12:54:21 PM Post Reply
I didn't agree with Charlie Kirk, but I respected his First Amendment right to speak, though it's the Second Amendment he often spoke of so keenly. It will be a match race now to see which amendment will be the one most closely tied to his legacy, and that should grieve every American. (Snip) Trump did not order flags lowered in June, when Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, was assassinated alongside her husband ... Kirk once said gun deaths were worth the right to bear arms. (Snip) I don’t think his life, or anyone’s, is worth losing just so I can own a gun.
Ohio bill would let utilities create optional
programs to control customers’ thermostats
to reduce energy use
27 replies
Posted by Harlowe 9/12/2025 12:49:29 PM Post Reply
COLUMBUS, Ohio [WJW-TV Cleveland] - A state lawmaker proposes allowing utilities to take control of volunteering customers’ thermostats or appliances, to decrease overall demand on the energy grid in times of peak consumption. Such optional demand response programs are already available to large commercial users, but House Bill 427, introduced in late August by state Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, would allow utilities to develop them for residential consumers. “This legislation is a crucial step in our state’s comprehensive plan to ensure all Ohioans have access to reliable, affordable and readily available energy,” The programs wouldn’t be mandatory. [Snip] Utility customers would have to opt in.
Kate Middleton's new blonde hair might
be more than just a style choice, expert says
15 replies
Posted by Harlowe 8/24/2025 10:45:41 PM Post Reply
The Princess of Wales’ new blonde locks could reflect her wish to draw attention to them after hair loss--a change that may show she's left her cancer treatment behind, according to an expert. Kate Middleton unveiled her lightest hair color to date when she attended a Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral, Scotland. [Snip] The future queen’s new sun-kissed blonde tresses showed a dramatic evolution from the brunette hair that captured the public’s attention when she began her royal life and married Prince William nearly two decades ago.
Ohio's National Guard shouldn't be in D.C. 32 replies
Posted by Harlowe 8/21/2025 2:18:01 PM Post Reply
If any governor should know the risks of sending the National Guard to police an American city, it should be the governor of Ohio. Everyone in Ohio knows what happened on May 4, 1970, when National Guard troops opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University. Four protesters were killed and nine others wounded, including one who was paralyzed from the waist down. [Snip] He’s sending them to police American civilians and further Trump’s political agenda, which includes normalizing the deployment of military troops on the streets of American communities even when local leaders don’t want them there.
Trump says he’ll patrol DC with cops,
military tonight as part of his crackdown
on crime in the city
6 replies
Posted by Harlowe 8/21/2025 2:10:43 PM Post Reply
President Trump told conservative radio host Todd Starnes on Thursday he plans on tagging along with DC police and National Guard members as they patrol the capital this evening. “I’m going to be going out tonight, I think with the police and with the military, of course,” the president said. “So we’re going to do a job--the National Guard is great, they’ve done a fantastic job.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump planned to personally help apprehend suspects or clear homeless encampments.
Bibi Makes His Country’s Case 1 reply
Posted by Harlowe 8/20/2025 12:25:37 PM Post Reply
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fed up with the nonsense and lies about “mass starvation” in Gaza, and the world media’s adamant refusal to consider the evidence that Hamas has been releasing photographs of children with pre-existing congenital illnesses, such as cerebral palsy, and presenting them as “starving” and “close to death.” He also wanted to make clear just how much aid has been distributed to the Gazans by the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. To date, two million meals have been served, but you almost never see this figure reported in the media.
Trump touts eye-popping number of illegal
migrants and dead Americans he's kicked
off Social Security
18 replies
Posted by Harlowe 8/14/2025 10:05:14 PM Post Reply
President Donald Trump claims that hundreds of thousands of non-citizens and millions of dead Americans have been removed from the Social Security system. [Snip] We've already kicked nearly 275,000 illegal aliens off of the Social Security system,' the Republican said. 'These are people, many of them have already left the country, and yet we were sending them checks all the time.' [Snip] Trump also celebrated the removal of over 12 million individuals aged 120 or older from the SSA system. [Snip]There were nearly 135,000 people listed who are over 160 years old, and in some cases, getting payments.'
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and former
US presidential candidate, dies aged 84,
family reveals
38 replies
Posted by zephyrgirl 2/17/2026 8:45:10 AM Post Reply
Civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84. Though a cause of death was not immediately given, Jackson's family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Tuesday morning. In a statement, the Jackson family said: 'Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. 'We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.
Schumer Pushes Bill to Make the LGBTQ
Pride Flag Equal to the American Flag
36 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 2/17/2026 10:52:47 AM Post Reply
In one of the most insulting moves ever, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is introducing legislation to make the LGBTQ pride flag a congressionally authorized symbol, giving it the same federal protections as the U.S. flag, military flags, and POW/MIA flags. Yes, you read that right. Chuck Schumer wants the pride flag to have the same status as Old Glory and the flags honoring those who served and sacrificed for this country. Schumer's legislative push comes in direct response to the Trump administration's removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument outside the Stonewall Inn earlier this month.
AOC Facing Ridicule After Series of Embarrassing
Gaffes on World Stage
31 replies
Posted by Mercedes44 2/17/2026 7:30:03 AM Post Reply
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is facing widespread ridicule after making a series of embarrassing gaffes in Germany that highlighted her ignorance in foreign policy. On Friday, she spoke at the Munich Security Conference where she was questioned about the United States defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. AOC’s performance suggests she is not quite ready for the world stage. When asked directly by Bloomberg TV’s Francine Lacqua, “Would and should the U.S. actually commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan if China were to move?,” the congresswoman gave a halting, word-salad response filled with pregnant pauses and qualifiers to avoid a clear yes or no answer.
Mamdani threatens 9.5% property tax increase
to fill NYC budget gap if Albany won't
tax rich
24 replies
Posted by NorthernDog 2/17/2026 6:54:46 PM Post Reply
Mayor Zohran Mamdani laid out two potential paths Tuesday to close what he says is a $5.4 billion dollar budget gap in New York City. In one, Albany would raise taxes on the richest New Yorkers. In the other, the City would raise property taxes for the first time since the late 2000s. The City could generate $3.7 billion by raising the property tax by 9.5%, Mamdani said. (Snip) “If we do not go down the first path, the city will be forced down a second, more harmful path. Faced with no other choice…we would have to raise property taxes.
IRGC General: U.S. ‘Finished’ —
Even Deploying Entire Carrier Fleet Against
Iran ‘Can’t Do a Damn Thing’
21 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 2/17/2026 7:10:32 PM Post Reply
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) general declared the United States is “finished” and claimed that even deploying America’s entire aircraft carrier fleet against Iran “won’t be able to do a damn thing” as U.S. and Iranian officials concluded a second round of nuclear talks in Geneva Tuesday under the shadow of an expanding American military buildup across the Middle East. General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, a senior adviser to the IRGC’s commander-in-chief, made the remarks last Wednesday in comments to an Iranian state-affiliated news agency, according to a translation released by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Iran’s supreme leader taunts Trump,
US as high-stakes nuclear talks begin:
‘Slapped so hard’
20 replies
Posted by Mercedes44 2/17/2026 8:38:49 AM Post Reply
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei openly taunted President Trump, insinuating that the US military, which has amassed a powerful naval presence in the region, could be “slapped so hard, it cannot get up.” The 86-year-old tyrant’s scorn came as mediators for Washington and Tehran met in Geneva to discuss Iran’s nuclear programs and broader tensions between the two countries. The U.S. President says their army is the world’s strongest, but the strongest army in the world can sometimes be slapped so hard it cannot get up,” Khamenei chided, in comments published by Iranian media. The dictator — whose brutal crackdown on nationwide protests last month has killed at least 7,000,
Look What the Rhode Island Hockey Rink
Shooter Posted on X Before the Attack
20 replies
Posted by Hazymac 2/17/2026 7:58:27 AM Post Reply
Joe shared the story yesterday: a terrible shooting occurred at an ice hockey rink in Rhode Island, involving a domestic murder-suicide. The shooter was a biological man who was pretending to be a woman named Roberta Esposito but was born Robert Dorgan. (X) Dorgan shot and killed his wife and three of his children. Three others were also injured in the attack and are in critical condition. We also got a glimpse into his social media activity, and you know the saying, ‘there’s always a tweet.’ Well, look what Dorgan posted before his attack. (X) The shooter also had a slew of mental health issues: (X)
It's Racist to Like Dogs, Apparently 18 replies
Posted by mc squared 2/17/2026 10:01:26 AM Post Reply
A pro-Hamas activist who made her name during the Israel-Hamas war has caused quite a stir with her call to ban dogs in NYC. If that sounds absurd on its face, you haven't been paying attention to what has been going on in Western cities where Muslims have become a significant fraction of the population. Zohran Mamdani has already made significant moves to Islamize New York, including blasting the Islamic call to prayer five times a day. [snip] if you think the idea is absurd, you should know that this idea has gained a lot of traction in the UK.
China Grants Visa-Free Travel to Canadians 15 replies
Posted by Mercedes44 2/17/2026 7:33:17 AM Post Reply
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Sunday that Canadian tourists and businesspeople will be allowed to travel to China without visas, for stays of up to 30 days, beginning this Tuesday and lasting through the end of 2026. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand confirmed the policy in a post on social media platform X, describing visa-free travel as a commitment China made to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during his visit to Beijing in January. “This will take effect on February 17, making travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries,” Anand said.
HORROR: Man Walks Up to 13-Year-Old Boy,
Slashes His Throat in Unprovoked Attack
Near Daytona Beach Pier
14 replies
Posted by ladydawgfan 2/17/2026 6:06:05 PM Post Reply
A man walked up to a 13-year-old boy and slashed his throat in an unprovoked attack near Daytona Beach Pier on Valentine’s Day. The boy miraculously survived the attack. The boy’s father said he could see “all the way down to the meat” after a man slashed his son’s throat. The Clarke family was walking down the boardwalk in Daytona Beach on Saturday when 44-year-old Jermaine Long approached 13-year-old Sullivan Clarke and intentionally sliced his throat. “I thought he was stealing Sully’s phone,” the boy’s mother, Lori Clarke told Fox 35. “As soon as he slashed him, I yelled, and I said ‘Hey!” “I could see his neck gashed wide open.
Pima County Sheriff Makes Announcement
About Guthrie Family As Investigators
Allegedly Float New Theory
14 replies
Posted by FlyRight 2/17/2026 4:36:10 AM Post Reply
As RedState previously covered, there was a notable development over the weekend in the case of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old Arizona grandmother who was abducted from her home sometime between the late evening hours of January 31 and the early morning hours of February 1. It centered around the issue of gloves - in particular, one glove with DNA evidence that was recovered around two miles from her Catalina Foothills home that "appears to match the gloves of the subject in the surveillance video" released to the public last Tuesday, according to an FBI spokesperson who spoke with NewsNation.
Trump Eulogizes Jesse Jackson, Underscoring
the Rev.'s Conflicted Relationship With
Barack Obama
13 replies
Posted by Hazymac 2/17/2026 6:32:31 PM Post Reply
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to offer his condolences and pay tribute to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. after the Tuesday death of the late civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate. (Snip) The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and “street smarts.” He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way.
Post New Article