A Father meets His Son's Shooter. Let's Support his Documentary Interview with the Killer.

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday February 15, 2019 · 2:47 PM PST

2019/02/15 · 14:47

Screen_Shot_2019-02-15_at_5.32.08_PM.png — A Father interviews his son's killer, a 1992 school shooter and finds out why it was so easy for him to kill.

Greg Gibson, a bookseller and father from Massachusetts, lost his son to a school shooting in 1992. He spent the next 20 years corresponding with the killer by mail, exploring why and how it came to pass, and ultimately met with him face to face to get him on record explaining why.

The answer?

“It was easy, It Was Just Too Easy…”

To get a gun, that is. That was the ultimate answer.

Gibson wrote a book about his experience called Gone Boy, but he has gone further still and sat for an interview with his son’s murderer. He is now raising money to promote the documentary footage he recorded. You can help at:

www.gofundme.com/…

About the book:

Gregory Gibson’s eighteen-year-old son was dead, shot in the doorway of his college library. The murderer was in jail for life, but for Gibson the tragedy was still unfolding. The morning of the shooting, he learned, college officials had intercepted a shipment of ammunition addressed to the murderer, only to pass it along, unopened. They had received an anonymous warning about the murderer and the gun, but they did not call the police.

After years of increasing frustration, Gibson woke one morning to a mesmerizing vision of his own rage and helplessness. He was so distraught over the murder of his son that he now felt ready to get a gun and murder someone. Recognizing the absurdity of this proposition may have saved his life. He resolved to discover and document exactly who was to blame for his son’s death, and why. He decided to go on a walkabout.

Gone Boy is a murderous and cunning inquiry into guns, violence, and manhood in America. It is the truthful story of a father and son traveling the crooked path of the sometimes harrowing but largely hopeful journey into becoming men. Brilliantly conceived, expertly crafted, Gone Boy is a masterpiece of suspense and heart. It is a classic for our time.

About the Documentary:

My name is Greg Gibson. Twenty years ago I began corresponding with the man who killed my 18-year-old son Galen. In the course of this correspondence he told me repeatedly that the most horrible aspect of his crime was that, when he was so disturbed he thought God was commanding him to kill people, it was still a simple matter for him to get a gun, oversized magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

I realized what a shocking statement this would be, coming from him in his own words, and I spent the next three years trying to convince officials to let me interview this man in prison. Finally they agreed. I went into Norfolk Prison and came away with a 45 minute audio interview, and 30 minutes of video.

My film crew and I have been editing this material down to a powerful, gut-wrenching 5 minute Public Service Announcement in which the killer talks about his crime. "It was easy," he finally says, "It was just too easy."

We're almost finished with the final edit, and now I need funds to pay these guys for their hard work, their improvisational skills, and their creative brilliance. I also want to purchase advertising on various media so that the greatest number of people possible will be able to see this piece. I believe it will get people's attention. I believe it will have an extraordinary impact.

So I'm asking for your help today. Your contribution will help us get the message out to all Americans. Gun violence happens wherever there are guns. And guns are everywhere. Any one of us is as likely as anyone else to be the next member of the club no one wants to join. We're ALL stakeholders in the fight against gun violence.

Please take a moment to read and watch this powerful search for meaning.

What Does a Daily Kos Subscription Mean Anymore?

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday January 29, 2019 · 4:10 PM PST

2019/01/29 · 16:10

I am used to the appeals to sign a petition when I check out Kos. Like this image. Usually it is about a crucial current issue. I often have signed them. But this one is not a petition. It is an ADVERTISEMENT of Aspiration.com, an online bank and brokerage that is admittedly progressive in its policies, but the link goes directly to their site. Not a story about them, not a petition for something they stand for. It is an advertisement disguised in the clothing of what Kossacks trust to be an ACTION item. We usually use this petition request section of the site to try change the world. This one is an Ad. A f&^%^&ing AD!

What is this image? It is a screenshot from my iPhone of a Daily Kos action “popup” or whatever you want to call it. This site has been using these for years to organize us and to guide our outreach and efforts to change things in the world. Usually it is a petition. I have signed many.

But this one is not a petition, it is an advertisement for Aspiration.com, a private online bank and brokerage looking for customers.

Note that I am “logged in” at the top right. I have a subscription so I should not see advertisements. This is an ad. Not a petition or call to action. I see it despite being logged in. What is going on here?

Recently I have seen other complaints by subscribers to DK about the Civiqs banner, suggesting that it is no more than an advertisement for another venture by the owner of the site. I also wish that it did not show on a logged in subscriber page. We pay to not see advertisements. If you want to show ads, show them, but don’t charge money to not show them and then STILL show them.

Especially when you disguise them as an action item that we are all used to seeing and clicking on to try to HELP things be better. That is the ultimate betrayal, really. We are here to act and this is not an act, it is an AD!

Especially hiding it as a kind of service to the community by showing the same polls 24/7/365 when a simple link to Civiqs somewhere would let us guide our own interests. It is an AD!

Whoever is making these decision at Daily Kos is eroding good faith. It is really not good business or good activism I love the site. I have been here since 2004. I pay for the site. Why is DK trying to subvert good will?

Love,

Apotropaic

Edit: 21 Votes and 18 of them say that “Ad Free Should Mean Ad Free”. Only one vote says that people should be able to lie to make money. Not sure why that person would be on Daily Kos, but hey.

There seems to be a misconception of my point among some. DK does not ALWAYS put a petition or pop up in front of us when we load the page. It may be more common on Mobile, I don’t know, I usually am on my phone so maybe I notice it more.

Regardless, even if you don’t see what I see, it is still real and in the DK ecosystem on at least a percentage of page loads. It is an advertisement in a position on the page that is usually reserved for not only content, but important calls to action. It isn’t ok if it is only on Mobile. It isn’t OK if only some of us see it. It isn’t ok, period.

Even for those who DON’T pay for ad free daily kos should not have to be tricked into clicking an Ad in a location on the site where they are used to clicking to take action in the world.

I think this needs to stop, right now. It is not ok. I do not believe for a second that Markos would disagree with me. I hope it is taken care of.

Poll

75 votes Show Results

Do you believe ad free should mean ad free?

75 votes Vote Now!

Do you believe ad free should mean ad free?

Yes

67 votes

1 vote

It is Markos site and he can take your money and do what he wants, despite what he promised.

7 votes

I'm a "Lefty Progressive" and I Support Nancy Pelosi!

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 14, 2018 · 5:40 PM PST

2018/11/14 · 17:40

OK, so lately I have been reading a good bit about Nancy Pelosi and her status as the “boogey-woman” of the right and her supposed causing of garment rending on the left due to her “baggage” and I wanted to get this on the record.

Nancy Pelosi is the OBVIOUS choice for Speaker of the House.

I could go into a long winded list of reasons but instead I want to make two simple points and then let this whole discussion roll of my back from now on.

Point One:

Most opposition to Nancy is not coming from the supposed “left” of the party. Tim Ryan is a middle of the road, if not slightly right of center white male. He claims to have 20 votes that will not vote for Nancy Pelosi. Are they centrist white men as well? I would venture a guess he isn’t teaming with Barbara Lee and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Left is NOT opposing Nancy Pelosi in any real way.

Point Two:

Well, I guess it is the same as point one!! The left is not mobilized against Nancy Pelosi.

Barbara Lee, for example, one of the most progressive congressional voices of the past 40 years has moved into a leadership role for the first time and has stated she is not seeking the Speakership. There are organizations that want to draft her, but she is smart and knows that there will be other opportunities. Indeed those organizations also know that, they are simply positioning her as a future candidate. She knows right now we need to hit the ground running and only someone who has been there before can do that.

I guess that last part was a point on its own, so let’s break it out.

Point Three:

The fact is, that to provide support for other House members who want to investigate, while also holding the caucus together for every little vote, is too important to allow a 6 month learning curve for a new speaker to get steady footing.

So, when you think about this, remember:

1) There is not a large coalition against Nancy, only splinter groups.

2) The loudest opposition is actually “conservative” or “centrist” democrats.

3) We need experience.

There are only two years to go here. Someone will succeed Nancy eventually. I have my own favorite. We all do. But now is not the time

Signed,

A left wing super progressive pie throwing bernie bro who usually would clamour for change but sees the bigger picture so please, no flags.

Put the Election Graphic Back on Front Page! (P.S., The Poll Scroll? Who cares right now!)

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday November 09, 2018 · 7:55 AM PST

2018/11/09 · 07:55

Screen_Shot_2018-11-09_at_10.51.38_AM.png — elections.dailykos.com still has projections on the page, not up to date counting numbers or the great graphic they had all day Tuesday showing the + and - for Senate, House and Gov.

Why is the Front Page not still showing us the updated plus / minus for senate, house and Gov. any more? This election is far from over and the Daily Digest is still being posted with updates on the races, but the elections team seems to have gone on vacation and the one look snapshot that I was using to keep up to speed is gone!!

Come on! Put it back up. We need to have a constant reminder that the counting is still ongoing, that we could still take more senate and gov seats.

Please, folks, help me get the Front Page to reengage!

Prove you're coming, Mr. *resident!

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 29, 2018 · 7:02 PM PDT

2018/10/29 · 19:02

Mr. *resident,

I am here in Pittsburgh, looking for details about your “visit” to help us “heal” after the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill.

I can’t find any source saying exactly when, exactly where, at who’s behest or anything other than a rumor and a claim by your lying spokespeople. What is the real story? Where is a piece by a known reporter or a Whitehouse spokesperson with an actual itinerary?

There is no itinerary. It is a show of force and hate to even consider it. If you show, you will be met with a protest that will galvanize the nation.

I know you don’t have the guts to show up, Mr. *resident. I know this is gaslighting. I know you are just terrorizing us further by pointing out how you could come in and prance around and brag about your successful attack on the Jewish community of Squirrel Hill.

Yes, if you come, you will be coming as a conqueror and your rhetoric will show it. You are proud of this event and that’s your goal.

And that is why you won’t actually ever arrive for any memorial this week. You don’t have the actual courage to claim credit.

Signed,

A Pittsburgher

Kavanaugh Yearbook Boast: "Devil's Triangle", slang for Threesome Between Two Men and One Woman

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday September 19, 2018 · 4:58 PM PDT

2018/09/19 · 16:58

Note the finger points to a boast about having accomplished a "Devil's Triangle", potentially slang for Threesome Between Two Men and One Woman. Could be nothing. Could be an admission of finding date rape cool. Either way, should be easy to find out what the mean by that term at G-Town Prep.

Update up front:

Some folks seem to not be seeing that I am asking a clear question about whether Kavanaugh inadvertently admitted to a threesome with two men and a woman. Something that is fine if consensual, but obviously he is being accused of that in a non consensual situation. Please read below with this in mind.

----— original below ---—

I am surprised this has not been diaried, but WUSA9 of D.C. has posted an article and video speculating that Kavanaugh’s long list of accomplishments on his yearbook page go well beyond just bragging about kegs and drinking. He makes reference in his list of “accomplishments” that he was part of, “100 Kegs or bust; Anne Daugherty’s — I survived the FFFFFForther of July; Renate Alumnius (sic); Malibu Fan Club; Ow, Neatness 2, 3; Devil’s Triangle; …..

Urban Dictionary on the Devils Triangle

A threesome with 1 woman and 2 men. It is important to remember that straight men do not make eye contact while in the act. Doing so will question their sexuality.

Example:

Larry: Did you hear that Eric and Brian were in a Devils Triangle with Sarah last night?
Brad: Yeah man, I did, what homo's.
Larry: No man, its cool, they didn't make eye contact.

www.urbandictionary.com/…

Here is the first place I saw someone mention this, a DC news station with a local personality who made the connection himself:

www.wusa9.com/…

Question, who can get a copy of the yearbooks from Georgetown Prep for the last 50 years and find other boys who used that term, Devil’s Triangle, and contact them to find out what it meant. For that matter, who will contact the chess club members who may not have been into this shit and see what it meant.

I don’t know why this has not been reported more widely. Maybe there is an obvious other reason. But I don’t see it.

Rec this up and get people talking about Kavanaugh’s Devil’s Triangle. Someone needs to ask him what that means in the hearing.

Update:

Somehow folks are talking about “who cares, if it was consensual, then no big deal”. The entire premise of the accusation against Kavanaugh is that he and another man attacked this woman. If they succeeded, it would be a “Devil’s Triangle”. I can’t believe this isn’t clear.

Another update:

Kavanaugh is accused of attempted rape with another man there. The Devil’s Triangle could refer to something else, but that can be investigated. We should not ignore the possibility that he succeeded at another party or event and we should not hold our powder dry, we should try every angle.

Without Comment : Donna Brazile & Sarah Palin On Tour

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 06, 2018 · 7:06 PM PDT

2018/09/06 · 19:06

Screen_Shot_2018-09-06_at_10.01.23_PM.png — "Bridging the Political Divide"

Donna Brazile and Sarah Palin have decided to go on tour and speak of crossing the aisle. I have nothing of note to say about this, that’s what “no comment” means, and I certainly hope no pie fights break out when there is important business to attend to like an election, a supreme court nominee, a white house melting down, etc., but I think it important that the news be reported. So …

Sarah Palin, the GOP’s first female vice presidential candidate, became a conservative icon and Republican kingmaker. Donna Brazile, the first African-American to head a presidential campaign, went on to lead the Democratic National Committee at a critical juncture in the 2016 campaign. They couldn’t be more different. Or, more surprisingly similar. Both are political trailblazers known for speaking their minds—and for passionately speaking out for ordinary Americans. In this powerful conversation, two of the most respected and outspoken women in American politics examine our increasingly polarized country and the future of the Republican and Democratic parties. This very honest look at both sides of the partisan divide finds new hope in the values and ideals that can bring us together as Americans.

God help us all. Wait, is that a comment?

But seriously, WTF!

Poll

111 votes Show Results

Who do you think will win the grudge match, Palin or Brazile

111 votes Vote Now!

Who do you think will win the grudge match, Palin or Brazile

Donna

5 votes

Sarah

0 votes

They Both Lost when the first discussed this over drinks.

106 votes

Up or Down Vote on DACA, That is the Message, That was the Promise

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday February 06, 2018 · 3:40 PM PST

2018/02/06 · 15:40

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks at a press conference calling for the passage of the Dream Act at the U.S. Capitol January 18, 2018 in Washington, DC. Without legislative action thousands of recipients of the Dream Act will be at risk of deportation. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

I’m sorry, but I can’t stand this anymore. McConnell can say “The House isn’t on board”, or “the President isn’t willing”, all he wants. He can even point to smarmy language like “so long as the government remains open”, but the Democrats need to play the message game on this.

McConnell traded an Up or Down vote on the DREAM Act, yes the DREAM Act, even if that isn’t what he says he meant it is what we f^%$&ing mean, and we demand he follow through. Will it fail in the House (because it will pass the Senate)? I don’t care! Noone should care! Will it pass the house and Trump veto it? I don’t CARE!!!

We gave in on the shutdown in exchange for a discussion and vote on DACA, SEPARATE from the funding of the government. We must demand it because the media is already framing the negotiations as if they have not changed.

They changed. McConnell promised. He can renege but if we let that happen while playing the media’s game and not saying “Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote , Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote, Up or down vote” over and over and over for the next few days then WE failed.

Up or down vote, Up or down vote on DACA NOW!

No getting sidetracked by the bulls%^& funding discussion.

We must remain reality based: Sarah Did NOT Dodge the Question

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 01, 2017 · 2:21 PM PDT

2017/11/01 · 14:21

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 30: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders answers reporters' questions during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House October 30, 2017 in Washington, DC. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his ex-business partner Rick Gates turned themselves in to federal authorities Monday in relation to the special counsel's investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sarah Huckabee Sanders lies for a living. That’s true. But we have a diary on the rec list saying that she would not denounce slavery and this is simply not what happened. Watch the video.

Tense exchange when April Ryan asks Sanders if Trump believes that slavery is wrong. (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/TxnVwXIgZF
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 1, 2017

“I think it is disgusting and absurd to suggest that anyone inside of this building would support slavery”.

Now whether you believe her or not, this is not “Crickets” as the April Ryan, the reporter who asked the question said in a tweet:

I sure did and there were crickets! https://t.co/Y0qZkdbDS8
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) October 31, 2017

We must not become our enemy.

Update: Initial responses to this diary are not making me feel any better about what we are trying to accomplish. I don’t know what the people in the administration believe about slavery. I bet Trump is fine with it. He has likely trafficked or used trafficked people. But Sarah Huckabee Sanders answered the question. Her demeanor was clearly a NO. Twist it, spin it, but that’s precisely what DailyKos did not do in the past that it does now all the time. SPIN. Fuck the spin. Resist with truth.

Update: So there were two questions, the first she walked away. The diary on the rec list is apparently simply ommitting the second where Huckabee answered. Who is spinning what there? Ignore the follow up question completely and report the older story on the next day?

Sorry, not flying with the reality based community.

What are we waiting for? If Brazil can do it .... Impeachment is just the beginning

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday July 12, 2017 · 7:19 PM PDT

2017/07/12 · 19:19

We can wait for legalese to solve a political problem or we can jump on our political advantage and create a legal problem too! Backing Sherman's Articles of Impeachment is smart politics. Don't wait for conventional wisdom. It has been wrong on almost everything the last year.

Former president of Brazil, Lula, gets 10 years in prison for garden variety corruption? Not just kicked out of office? Thrown in jail?

www.theguardian.com/...

This is what we need to be aiming for.

We know that articles of impeachment are now officially introduced in the house. We know that Democratic conventional wisdom is that it is too soon to support impeachment.

Well if we want to not only impeach, but perhaps send some folks to prison then we need to realize that impeachment is a political process and that we have political capital right now.

Now is the perfect moment to push forward. We don’t need Mueller’s evidence, we just need political support. No, the Democrats can’t do it with their own votes but the August recess is coming. What if Republican’s not only had to handle Healthcare questions but impeachment questions.

All of you resisters out there who have done such great work so far I ask you to join in calling for action from the Democrats to support the articles of impeachment now!

We can't win with tame, conventional wisdom tactics in this new insane world where noone can honestly say they know what is coming next. Why wait for the outcome of an investigation that is not even capable of introducing impeachment? A congressman has already done it!

Call your congress critters and ask them to sign on. Even if doomed to failure (and in the long run, we all want impeachment so if you think it’s doomed why are you resisting), this is the right thing to do.

It is real political pressure on real politicians.

We have all said it under our breath. Impeach! Will we say it out loud enough to make it happen? It's the only way. You can’t expect Mueller and the press to make this happen. It is a POLITICAL solution to a POLITICAL problem.

Then we can let Mueller throw the bums in jail.

Poll

29 votes Show Results

Should Democratic Leadership keep their power dry?

29 votes Vote Now!

Should Democratic Leadership keep their power dry?

What other choice is there?

7 votes

Yes

9 votes

13 votes

I will pay higher taxes and I will do so happily

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday April 23, 2017 · 7:20 PM PDT

2017/04/23 · 19:20

Will you? I don’t think we ever get down to brass tacks on this issue around here. To what extent is the Bernie / Hillary war a proxy battle for our own personal willingness to pay for the needed programs such as free college and free healthcare for all. We hear a lot about how things are not feasible for financial reasons. Is that true or are folks who say that letting us know that THEY don’t want to pay for it.

State clearly below whether you are in a tax bracket that would be taxed higher under a truly progressive, throwback tax plan that took us to pre-Reagan levels of taxation.

State clearly, then, whether you would support that plan unequivocably or whether you would hem and haw about efficiency and offsets and other conservative memes that make the whole discussion impossible.

This is very simple. We can all agree that social issues and civil rights are worth going to the mat for (save some questionable opinons about lesser of two evils in “omaha” and elsewhere that I DO NOT agree with) both with our pocketbooks and by going to the mat politically. I am both a social and economic progressive. I use abortion and police powers and social security ALL as litmus tests. I do not fit into any “Bernie / Hillary” dichotomy as much as many here wish they could pigeonhole me.

We are not all clear about how much we are willing to pay. We hide behind bullshit arguments and more often bullshit ATTACKS on other’s arguments to avoid the real issue. Who will pay?

I Will!!!!

I make good money and will pay more happily.

Will you?

Or will you qualify your willingness with more divisive discussions about how those of us wanting economic change are somehow racist and sexist?

Who will pony up?

Sign on the dotted line. Let’s buy a better country with our taxes. They are patriotism defined.

Poll

51 votes Show Results

Will you happily pay more to improve other people's lives, not your own?

51 votes Vote Now!

Will you happily pay more to improve other people's lives, not your own?

Yes.

42 votes

8 votes

Asking this question proves you are a racist and sexist.

1 vote

Hey Kos! Shit is hitting the fan! Come back for Ellison!

apotropaic

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday November 14, 2016 · 5:58 PM PST

2016/11/14 · 17:58

Screen_Shot_2016-11-12_at_8.19.00_PM.png

You clearly stated that you thought Bernie and then, later, Keith Ellison were great choices for the DNC chair.

You said this on the 9th and I was glad to see that maybe you were preparing to fight the good fight to move the party in the right direction

I am looking forward to your blockbuster diary in the next day or so backing Ellison, choice of such diverse voices as Bernie and Schumer, Reid and the progressive caucus.

Strange bedfellows, but as your gut reaction to the result seemed to show, obvious ones

Markos, it's been 5 days since you said anything. Shit is hitting the fan

Come join us again.

Edit:

I’ve been asked to expound on what the “shit” is. Well, before Kos disappeared his last diary was called:

Keith Ellison for DNC Chair? Yup Definitely.

www.dailykos.com/...

Bernie Sanders has stated his support for Ellison, but who cares. Ellison stands on his own—chair of the House Progressive Caucus, a fantastic speaker, and great at communicating our core values. And what better way to yell out our proud, fierce resistance to the results of the election than by elevating the first Muslim-American in Congress to lead our party?

Snark all you like in the comments, but that was 5 days ago, before most of us had any idea who was potentially angling for the position. Where is Kos now? Why isn’t he here making his pitch? Sure, he can change his mind. But to disappear for 5 days at this point is bizarre, and I would like to see him come back and clarify.

Newer
Older

RSS