After the Parkland, Fla., shooting much of the conversation, especially from those on the right, has centered around the shooter’s mental illness as the root cause of the problem. But when the shooter is Muslim or a person of color, “the immediate reaction from those on the right is to try to find a solution...around immigration,” says Francis Maxwell, host of “The Breakdown” on The Young Turks. Take for example the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016. The Muslim shooter used an AR-15, the same gun used in Parkland, but there was no serious discussion about gun control back then. Fingers quickly pointed at loose immigration policies despite the fact that statistically, “you’re more likely to be killed in a domestic act of terror by a white American on homegrown soil,” says Maxwell. This difference in treatment is also clearly demonstrated in conversations about the movements that rise from these tragic incidents. Today, #NeverAgain has turned into an admirable national movement against the NRA but when #BlackLivesMatter asked for the same things, “their message wasn’t given the platform.” “We need to look at ourselves in this country and think why...is one vilified and looked at as a movement that’s disruptive and disrespectful and the other looked at as empowering?”

Share:
More In Politics
Ohio's 11th Congressional District Set For Democratic Primary
House Democrats are dealing with one of the thinnest majorities in years. Right now it's sitting at just three seats, and a handful of appointments to cabinet positions didn't help the situation. Next week, however, Democrats in Ohio's 11th Congressional District in Cleveland will decide who will ultimately replace former Rep. Marcia Fudge after the general election in November. John Barnes, one of the many democratic candidates in the Ohio 11 primary, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
U.S. Regulators Set Sights on Stablecoins
As Stablecoins become more popular, U.S. regulators are planning to come up with a set of parameters these companies must abide by. Even Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell say regulations are necessary before Stablecoins are widely adopted. But what's the best way to regulate them and how? Cheddar's Alex Vuocolo explains.
Load More