RantWoman herewith extracts opinions from the carefully curated mishmash of YouTube items about the shooting of two WV national guard members in Washington DC the day before Thanksgiving. MAYBE RantWoman will be able to weave her observations into more carefully edited commentary. But for now, let 'em rip.
1. Short version: these shootings are most definitely the US war on Afghanistan coming back to bite us.
2. The WV National Guard troops would not be in WV to get shot at were it not for the President having time to appeal a judge's ruling that said deployment is illegal and unnecessary.
3. See videos about West Virgina, both the ones about how the current administration is very specifically undoing efforts by the past administration to address WV issues and the HUGE impact of cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, but also the governor's press conference about how "everyone" is supporting each other. (RantWoman is not sure she included the video of Spc. Backstrom's boyfriend summarizing mixed feelings about her willingness to go and the mission or "rules of engagement."
4. The US refuses to be a party to the convention banning child soldiers. One reason of course is to facilitate enlistment in US armed forces before volunteers turn 18. Another reason rarely spoken about: the CIA recruits idealistic / fanatical young people for death squads. Or at least that has been the practice in Afghanistan. And then the US quite appropriately admits as refugees people who have risked their lives to assist the US. Please note: RantWoman approves of this practice even when RantWoman vehemently disapproves of the war in question. Also, admitting families to the US is never all that is needed, especially if people who have assisted the US in Afghanistan have at least as much reason to have severe PTSD as the US troops.
6. RantWoman will be curious to learn more about whatever set the shooter off on his drive across the country armed only with a pistol journey.
7. RantWoman does not believe that one person's or even more than one person's severe PTSD is a reason to round up everyone from Afghanistan who has come to the US. Add that point to all the other reasons RantWoman is disgusted by the current mass deportation fashion.
8. RantWoman will be holding in the Light both the guard member who survived the shooting and the shooter's wife and 5 kids
Suspect in D.C. Shooting Was Part of CIA Death Squad in Afghanistan
From Secretary Puppy Killer
WV Governor lowers flags to half-staff
Still 170 members of the WV National Guard VOLUNTEERING in DC, believe in the mission.
Note previous comments from Spc. Backstrom's boyfriend that she wonders what they were doing there.
People of WV "rightfully angry."
Applauds administration proposal for increased vetting.
NO MENTION of killer's role as child soldier
[WV went 85% for the current President; #GOP economic policies will screw the state in many ways.]
Report on Guardian article, Presideet #StableGenius cutting Biden era programs. 50% on SNAP, Medicaid. Appalachian fatalism. Elon Musk, bring back big coal... Both parties have failed.
And from the Hill
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