How many assassination attempts needed before Democrats stop fearmongering?

No offense, @ChessNerdLCR , but if you want a bumper sticker, you might be able to find one at Target!

The good news is -- you're welcome to skip reading long posts entirely if you wish! I won't be the least bit offended. Of course, others who wish to read them will still have that opportunity. That's okay, don't you agree?

@Noflaps said in #58:
Democracy is doing fine.

Not sure how you got to that concclusion. Both major partys in America have accused the other of election interference, coups, fearmongering, subverting democracy, etc.

Not to mention locally, right now in Georgia, we're looking at politically appointed election officials creating ruules that disrupt chain of custody on election day with the implication being that if the losing party doesn't like the result they can point to the possible chaos of those same rules as proof they did won.

.....but of course, you're not trying to tell us "Democracy is Fine". Everything is burning and instead of drawing attention to who's piling fuel and spreading gasoline you're shouting dEmOcRaCy iS FiNe.

@ChessNerdLCR There are good lessons here. Look at the shape of your conversations. What gets responded too, and what gets ignored in favor of pithy quips, and diversionary meandering? What's their underlying goal when someone discourages you to partake in this discourse?

@Spidersneedlovetoo, who is it that you think is threatening democracy?

It's certainly not Trump. Indeed, Trump is one man. It is not physically possible for him to threaten democracy. And representative democracy survived his actual four-year term, was never in danger during it, and continues to this day. (All hype and distracting talking points aside).

If democracy were to be threatened, it would only be threatened by allowing invalid or coerced ballots to be gathered, cast and counted.

So, will you show that you've joined those who don't want that to happen, if indeed you have?

In other words, will you voice approval for laws that require a reasonable, adult show of identification and citizenship for voting?

Will you voice your approval for those efforts which have found ineligible names on voter rolls, and cleaned those voter rolls up?

Will you voice disapproval for voter harvesting?

Will you voice your disapproval for any precincts that oddly seem to need days and days to count their votes, when places like Florida can achieve a reliable count quickly, because their systems are so well designed and implemented?

Take your time to respond. I won't be holding my breath.

I will always hope that those who wish to "protect democracy" will support things that are actually designed to do that, rather than to merely argue that some candidate they don't like shouldn't get elected (even while supporting some other candidate that didn't even get chosen to be the candidate in a voting primary).

@Noflaps said in #63:

@Spidersneedlovetoo, who is it that you think is threatening democracy?

It's certainly not Trump. Indeed, Trump is one man. It is not physically possible for him to threaten democracy. And representative democracy survived his actual four-year term, was never in danger during it, and continues to this day. (All hype and distracting talking points aside).

If democracy were to be threatened, it would only be threatened by allowing invalid or coerced ballots to be gathered, cast and counted.

So, will you show that you've joined those who don't want that to happen, if indeed you have?

In other words, will you voice approval for laws that require a reasonable, adult show of identification and citizenship for voting?

Will you voice your approval for those efforts which have found ineligible names on voter rolls, and cleaned those voter rolls up?

Will you voice disapproval for voter harvesting?

Will you voice your disapproval for any precincts that oddly seem to need days and days to count their votes, when places like Florida can achieve a reliable count quickly, because their systems are so well designed and implemented?

Take your time to respond. I won't be holding my breath.

I will always hope that those who wish to "protect democracy" will support things that are actually designed to do that, rather than to merely argue that some candidate they don't like shouldn't get elected (even while supporting some other candidate that didn't even get chosen to be the candidate in a voting primary).

Do you think a U.S. citizen with a heavy accent is going to be comfortable with the scenarios you ar proposing?

Everything you just described are just intimidation tactics designed to suppress marginalized communities.

However, it sounds like you agree with me that something fishy is going on with the state election board in Georgia. Looking forward to your next article on the subject. Hope you're getting paid well for it!

@spidersneedlovetoo ,do you think a heavy accent makes people unable to handle identifying themselves? I don't.

Indeed, I'd never insult a mature person with an accent by suggesting that they aren't capable adults. So far as I know, having an accent doesn't make it even one tiny bit harder to get or show a driver's license. Do you think it does?

If "showing a driver's license" (or some other reasonable identification) is such an uncomfortable, unfair burden, how does the discomforted person cash a check, or get onto a plane, or rent an apartment, or sign up for phone service?

Showing ID is something competent adults -- regardless of accent -- typically have no REAL problem with. And I don't think "having an accent" makes somebody less competent -- to the contrary, it suggests that they might be bilingual and therefore even MORE competent.

And as for being "paid" for my "articles," I am not remotely being paid for anything I write. Nor am I a political operative or associated with anybody's campaign.

I'm flattered, however, that you apparently think somebody would find my offerings worth funding. But why would they? I'd be surprised if more than twenty people ever read anything I wrote here. This is a great chess site. But if were trying for high influence, I'd probably switch to some huge social media platform that specialized in communication, not chess.

I'm an adult who is not employed politically in any way, shape or form. I'm simply an adult who is tired of watching people head-nod at talking points, and tired of propaganda with which few have the will or the courage to argue or even question.

In the world, right now, lots of excuses and talking points are offered that defy both common sense and fairness.

But we must cling to both common sense and fairness, even if doing that doesn't always make us feel joyful. Even if sometimes it suggests that we could actually be wrong about some long-cherished, popular positions.

@Noflaps said in #65:

I could've sworn you got paid by the word and thought I was doing a good deed helping get your kids through college or sumthin.

Apologies if that's not the case but, if you ARE looking for work know that we're hiring ;)

Either way, instead of talking in circles about what makes a person truly competent, let me encourage you to think outside your bubble.

To be clear, there is fear that we might get accidently deported when someone mistakes us for an illegal. This kind of fear keeps people away from the polls.

Besides, plenty of people aren't competent in the way you say, but are perfectly able and legally allowed to vote. Should we prevent them from voting because they don't meet your standards?

I'm not talking in circles. And please stick to substance, not personal insult.

Your arguments are akin to asking, "should people have to show a drivers' license to a cop when driving on the road?" Or "should people have to show a drivers' license to cash a check?"

Common sense isn't that easily dismissed. What's more important -- TRULY protecting democracy (instead of using it as a fearmongering talking point) -- or pretending it's not fair for adults to carry ID for some purposes.

@Noflaps said in #67:

I'm not talking in circles. And please stick to substance, not personal insult.

I repeat:

There is fear that we might get accidently deported when someone mistakes us for an illegal. This kind of fear keeps people away from the polls.

People are MUCH LESS LIKELY to be "mistaken" for ANYTHING if they are carrying good identification, don't you think?

A driver's license or other decent photo ID is PROTECTION against being mistaken for something we are not, isn't it?

If we are pulled over as ordinary adults when driving over the road and CAN'T THEN SHOW ID, doesn't that INVITE concern by law enforcement and INCREASE the possibility that we will be inconvenienced? Can you answer that earnestly?

Where you live, is it even legal to drive WITHOUT having a driver's license on your person? Do you know? Have you checked? Do you think that's somehow wildly unfair, if so? Or do you think it's just one more thing adults can easily cope with as adults? I do. And I think most ordinary adults will agree with me -- including my several bilingual friends.

I suppose yu make some interesting points but do yo have to frame you're questions as if the implied corect answer is only what you think it is?

It seems to be this style of writing something as if there is only 1 right answer id a very obvious way to try and bludgeon other people into giving up or submitting to a particular view point. Don't you agree?

To be fair, I'm trying to talk about ways we can increase compassion towards the more margerninalized and you're trying to say that they need to just suck it up; wouldn't this be a good moment to reference your bumper sticker quip from #61?

No. Sorry. Instead let me ask why do you think being ordinary is so great? Or that you get to define what iz "ordinary", anyway?

Happy you have friends. I highly recommend you work to be a better listener with them than you are on here, because if this is yur baseline conversational style you r probably missing the signal amongst all the noise.