The warm welcome Americans and Europeans have given Ukrainians in 2022 contrasts sharply with the uneven – and frequently hostile – policies toward Syrian refugees in the mid-2010s. Negative opinions on Muslims were mostly influenced by what they heard and read in the media, which projects “stereotypic beliefs, negative emotions and support for harmful policies” toward Muslim Americans.
Commentary
The NRA’s Evolution from Gun-Control Advocacy to Anti-Restriction Zealotry
Despite the proximity in time and location to the Texas shooting, the NRA is proceeding with its plans to hold its annual convention in Houston on May 27-29, 2022. The featured speakers include former President Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican.
After Mass Shootings, Federal Gun Control Fails and States Loosen Regulations
Congress has declined to pass significant new gun legislation after dozens of shootings, including those that occurred during periods like this one, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Senate and presidency. States have been more active, but mass shootings do not regularly cause lawmakers to tighten gun restrictions.
Did Biden Just Commit U.S. Forces to Defending Taiwan? Probably Not.
The comment, which Biden made during a trip to Japan, was taken by some observers as a deviation from the official U.S. line on Taiwan, in place for decades. But officials in Washington walked back that interpretation, saying instead that it only referred to military assistance.
DeSantis Veto of Modest Bankruptcy Relief Will Hurt Stressed Floridian Families That Need It Most
The bill would have afforded a measure of relief for Floridians already beset by bankruptcy, by giving them a little credit for equity in their primary vehicle. DeSantis voted no, claiming, ridiculously, that it would “incentivize” people to file for bankruptcy. But no one wants to file personal bankruptcy.
Beyond Media Spectacles: The Nuances of Domestic Violence Behind Heard v. Depp Trial
The spotlight of the Heard-Depp trial affords the opportunity to openly discuss the nuances of intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, that are often overlooked and perhaps may empower some victims to feel less alone. However, many have consumed the trial as a form of entertainment, exposing a tendency of online observers to armchair-label the parties involved either as the “real” victim or perpetrator of abuse. IPV is experienced by an estimated 6.6 million women and 5.8 million men each year in the U.S.
Appealing to Trump May Work in Primaries, But Not as Much in the General Election
Republican candidates’ hitching their wagon to Trump and Trumpism raises a question about the tried-and-tested plan of candidates’ appealing to the party base in the primary before pivoting closer to the center in the general election: Will that post-primary transformation be possible for Republicans in 2022?
Tucker Carlson Is Peddling ‘Great Replacement’ Theory from an Anti-American Nazi
People like Tucker Carlson are pitifully ignorant of history and so are wielding an anti-American, highly unpatriotic notion for the sake of their television ratings. Ironically, Tucker’s intellectual forebear, Binet, would have considered him a mongrel.
Whataboutism: Behind the Deflecting Tactic in Arguments
Whataboutism is an argumentative tactic where a person or group responds to an accusation or difficult question by deflection. Instead of addressing the point made, they counter it with “but what about X?”
Buffalo Mass Shooter Threatened a Shooting While in High School. Could More Have Been Done?
Accused mass-shooter Payton S. Gendron’s story is not unlike the dozens of stories that typify one of the biggest challenges that schools face when it comes to averting school shootings – and in the case of Buffalo, mass shootings in general. And that challenge is recognizing and acting upon warning signs that mass shooters almost always give well before they open fire.