Cattress 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (173)

• On the post: Texas DPS Wants Uvalde Bodycam Footage Buried Because It Might Let School Shooters Know Cops Won’t Stop Them From Killing Children

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 20 Jun, 2022 @ 03:18am

  Oh I know he only thinks of his family, and assumes most cops are as fine upstanding officers as he believes his son to be (and maybe his son is generally good for a cop, I don't know anything personally to prove one way or the other). But I think anyone who advocates for cops should see how this situation was dangerous for the cops and speak up about fixing hazards and ensuring they are properly equipped.

• On the post: Texas DPS Wants Uvalde Bodycam Footage Buried Because It Might Let School Shooters Know Cops Won’t Stop Them From Killing Children

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 20 Jun, 2022 @ 03:07am

  Being involuntarily committed does not equate psychopathy. It's a poor predictor of potential violence and this kind of mindless rambling garbage only serves to stigmatize and drive people away from care they need. Red flag laws are mostly just feel laws that give a false sense of security. These laws are built on the assumption that all threats are investigated seriously, that they get reported to a proper working system, and from a limited set of facts a person can be determined to be dangerous. These laws deter people from seeking treatment, especially those with PTSD and paranoia, and interfere with 2A rights without fair adjudication and opportunity to have rights restored. The NRA is deeply tied to enemies of democracy, and the US. The Russians pull a lot of monetary strings.

• On the post: Texas DPS Wants Uvalde Bodycam Footage Buried Because It Might Let School Shooters Know Cops Won’t Stop Them From Killing Children

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 20 Jun, 2022 @ 02:49am

  Every rhetorical question, morality prostration, accusation of improper assumption can be fairly cast directly back at you. Don't break your neck falling off your high horse.

• On the post: Texas DPS Wants Uvalde Bodycam Footage Buried Because It Might Let School Shooters Know Cops Won’t Stop Them From Killing Children

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 20 Jun, 2022 @ 02:44am

  Teacher didn't leave door propped open after getting what she needed outside. In fact she pulled the door closed because she was alerted by the folks across the street about the guy with the gun heading her way. Though certainly this is a potential vulnerability for any school with secured doors. In this instance it wasn't a teacher, but failure by multiple structures- school administrators, custodial department (assuming they were empowered to make necessary repairs but failed to do so), and the people in charge of the school police department. Hardening the schools in terms of secured doors, fences, cameras, 1 way windows, and hopefully introductions of innovative new escape systems so that people are not trapped & scrambling to hide behind locked doors, but rather the door presents an additional obstacle while children make it out windows or into more secure spaces are ways to add some long term protection. It will take time to build up the capacity for mental healthcare that's needed in this country. We can make it more difficult for some people to get guns, but we have to be realistic in that some people will find ways around the rules, and technology will always be a few steps ahead. We just can't put all our eggs in 1 basket, we need to embrace the fact that no one policy or law or idea is going to solve complex problems.

• On the post: Yes, Section 230 Also Matters In The Fight Over Abortion Rights

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 17 Jun, 2022 @ 12:21am

  Ya know, everyone understands the mechanics of reproduction, the requirements of sperm, egg, which sex has which reproductive organs to produce the sperm, egg, and provides the uterus for the resulting embryo to implant and potentially grow. No one is denying this well understood concept. Some of us are also capable of understanding that biological sex and binary gender according to sex fails to capture representation of the spectrum which people identify themselves. Inclusive language doesn't confuse anyone except those who choose to be confused. You have already said you don't really care about women, so why are you so insistent on policing language that has zero impact or connection in your life? There is nothing cute, informative, funny or insightful in your piping up every time you hear inclusive language with an "actually..." Followed by ignorant attempts to define gender and sex as one in the same, as if you have some sort of authority on language. Take it up with Webster, see if you can make regress there. The narrow & closed minded never win. They always end up on the wrong side of history, looking like idiots, assholes and bigots that everyone wonders how they were tolerated for so long.

• On the post: Texas DPS Wants Uvalde Bodycam Footage Buried Because It Might Let School Shooters Know Cops Won’t Stop Them From Killing Children

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 15 Jun, 2022 @ 12:03am

  Ya know, I wouldn't be so very disgusted if these cops who's main purpose is to handle school shooters (plus whatever mission creep gets tossed in),if these officers had made a clear concerted effort. I don't have ridiculous expectations, I know that not every effort would be successful. I don't even speculate that anything they could have tried would have helped the situation. But I know you miss 100% of shots you don't take. And anyone who considers themselves supporters of LEO, who have loved ones that work in the field, should be some of the loudest voices in demanding full, publicly disclosed accountability. Y'all should be screaming about the incompetent leader putting dozens of officers in harms way. Why didn't they have their protective equipment, a selection of guns in their squad cars, radios that were functional and secured to uniforms? That failure to ensure working lines of communication from day 1 on the job, so cops don't shoot each other by mistake seems like a pretty serious safety breach. That chief isn't competent enough to manage a potted plant, let alone a group of armed staff responsible for protecting school children. Not only that, but how certain could that jackass even have been that the shooter was still in the classroom, and hadn't climbed up into an air shaft? Could have fired down on cops once they got in, dropped down where cops had their backs turned,or into another classroom, up to the roof, who knows? If he had a radio, I bet he could have gotten details about what exactly was happening inside the classroom because it probably had cameras (maybe not, but it's really common), maybe formulated a plan that would reduce weak points where cops could be hit or killed. Maybe he could have turned control over to someone who had at least half his head out of his ass and could actually execute their training. If the unions actually cared about anything but raking in money in their bloody racket, they would be a part of the solution, not fundraising campaign donations for whoever licks their boots with enthusiasm. What do they care if cops don't have proper equipment, comprehensive perpetual training, or they get killed on the job by easily prevented situations. They will get those dues regardless, launder them to politicians and cement their power for generations to come. People wonder why there is difficulty recruiting. Maybe it isn't that they find it too under appreciated for the danger it comes with, but it's too many people who don't want to join a system they know is broken, where they will be expected to tow the line even when they know it's wrong. Where de-escalation skills will be met with derision, and trying to get out of the job can be as dangerous as trying to quit a gang.

• On the post: The Evidence Just Doesn’t Support Any Of The Narratives About The Harms Of Social Media

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 13 Jun, 2022 @ 08:59pm

  No, latchkey kids have not become "worse". In fact, for the vast majority of kids, they are under a watchful eye significantly more than when I kid. Things like the age that kids first have sex or try drugs has gone up a few years. Much of the reason that kids have so much social interaction online rather than in person is because they aren't allowed to go anywhere, or take any means to get anywhere without an adult. Parents organize playdates with neighborhood kids instead of them just knocking on each other's door. Nobody knows their neighbors and so they don't trust them. Nobody wants any liability risks, like kids cutting through their yard to play in the woods, or playing in wooded area they own. People move around more than they used to, so they just aren't as likely or motivated to get to know the neighbors. It's not like millennials and gen z can much afford to buy a house anyway. Suburbs are busier with cars and denser with structures that leave less green and recreational space. Uptight people pass local ordinances that forbid skateboards and scooters, require a fucking license for a bicycle. Yes you read that right, a license to for your child's bike. Parents are expected to attend a lot of structured activities, and anything they let their kid do with unstructured time is up for criticism or blame for anything the kid does wrong (even if it's just being a kid). Of course finding the right balance of privacy and independence with guidance and protection isn't easy. There is never going to be a perfect formula for screen time,structured and unstructured play. Today's parents are always going to be criticized by the ones of yesterday and tomorrow. I think it's older people, especially lonely ones, that need more guidance on the internet than the kids. Just like the article points out, there are a ton of bad and wrong takes on raw data and research. Research twisted to prove what someone wanted it to, usually by older folks, under the guise of for the children.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2022 @ 05:13pm

  Every February do you get your panties in a twist over Black History Month because you don't see why there isn't also a white history month?

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2022 @ 04:47pm

  Yes, and as a real woman, I'm telling you to butt the fuck out. You are not a feminist or our ally. No one asked you, and there is nothing chivalrous about you, especially when you are punching down. You are just a small minded bigot, exactly the kind of person that most people don't want lurking around in person or online. You can see yourself out. I have no trouble shutting down terfs that that think they have a valid voice within women's rights. One consensus within feminism is that women's rights are human rights, and no one can be excluded if you are fighting for women's rights. I'd tell the misandrist to fuck off too if they were real. (Ooo I would love to tear down "moms for liberty", because like so many other fascist, they have no business using the word liberty to advance their fascism, nor mom to evoke sympathy from other mothers. They need to go back to terrorizing their neighborhood homeowners association) You want the right to troll where you aren't welcome. Why don't you go find one of those men's rights groups, and you can cry about how the "real" women gave you the boot in favor of the trans, and how you are really the oppressed ones.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2022 @ 03:50pm

  And women. Pretty sure that fuckwad also hates women. Probably anyone LGBTQ. And I thinks he's spilled some racist garbage here too.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 12 Jun, 2022 @ 03:28pm

  That's basically what I was saying about the state of sex education in this country and these ridiculous 'don't say gay' laws. In countries where kids learn about sex in a frank, honest manner from much earlier ages, and grow up in more accepting and open societies have much lower rates sexual violence and predation of children. This is also true of access to pornography and legalized sex work. Healthy sexual outlets reduce the demand for unhealthy ones. Ultimately, this comes back to the patriarchy, and the fear of losing their grip over society, and being unable to compete in a more egalitarian & diverse world. The less different groups are marginalized and regulated, the more people will freely chart their own path to happiness and thrive independent of those power structures. HR thinks science and medicine have become corrupted by "gender ideology" because research supports affirmation of Trans and fluid identities. I guess when he throws the word "woke" in at that foolishness he must mean race, since science is also finding real world harms to individuals and by extension, society, of racism on health, emotional wellbeing, educational and wealth achievements. And yet, these are quite the opposite of mainstream scientific consensus that has existed within my lifetime. While science has vacillated over things like what makes for the healthiest diet, the role alcohol plays in heart health, and even how aggressively to treat common ailments (take the tonsils out, antibiotics then wait and see, back to take them out), this is not something that has waffled. It's been a painfully slow evolution, met with fierce resistance at every step. I think that these changes in our science and medical communities are actually the opposite of being corrupted by gender ideology, that these are signs of shaking off the long standing gender ideology that dictated gender must follow biological sex, which is strictly male and female (as record shows that intersexed babies were surgically altered to match the sex selected by the parents, and then children were continually treated to ensure they maintained development according to that sex selection while withholding the truth and any form of meaningful consent. Not that all parents got fully informed consent, and not that they could do much to object either). He cries about how this woke gender ideology is being aggressively forced on others without a hint of irony about the reality of the chains we have put on sex and gender. I mean, has he not seen these gender reveal "events" where people are openly disappointed, or set off wildfires in crazy reveals using explosions? Granted I understand the excitement in learning your baby's sex, it's the only attribute we can find out about this little stranger & can infer something about who we think they will be in the future. But I bet I speak for moms of both boys and girls when I say that it gets pretty tiring that color selection is dominated by pink or blue, and prints that reflect a limited idea of what kids like based on being a boy or girl, before they are old enough to know what they like at all. We're expected to bind our kids to rules of gender based on sex from birth, and the reality is that it's more complex than the binary genetic qualities.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 09 Jun, 2022 @ 02:38am

  Have you ever, tried using a search engine? Like, have you ever looked to see if there were other viable platforms beside FB and Twitter (you found Tech Dirt to shitty up the comments afterall) where you,and pretty much every imaginable interest group can find like minds? And Amazon, blocking customers from shopping for certain things, or altogether, for any reason other than trying to commit fraud through a return scam or hurt a delivery driver? 🤣 Why? They may choose not to allow someone to sell things through them because of the reputational harm. They have the right and it makes good business sense. But without a specific interaction where the consumer has acted egregiously,in direct relation to purchasing or receiving their package (like attacking a delivery driver), which was witnessed by other people, how could they possibly suffer harm to their reputation by virtue of completing a sales transaction? No one is boycotting Acme because suspected Klansman shop there. But if those Klansman actively harassed other shoppers, and the store did nothing about it, they may end up getting boycotted, which would likely compel them to keep the Klansman out. And along the same lines of finding alternative social media sites, there are many many many other options for buying and selling online. Do you really believe that grocery stores, Walmart and Target are going to cease brick and mortar operations? That there won't be any sort of shopping malls where one can see items in person and try them on to see if they fit? If the makeup is appropriate for their skin tone, that they like the way perfume smells? Do you think flea markets, garage sales and other person to person sales are going the way of the dodo? I don't think you even bothered to consider how dumb any of that garbage sounds.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 09 Jun, 2022 @ 01:25am

  Tell me you don't understand Citizens United without telling me you don't understand Citizens United.😂

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 09 Jun, 2022 @ 01:21am

  Define the difference between "real" & "woke" harassment/bigotry, which you imply is fake because there are few bones of that "woke" horse that you haven't pulverized yet so you must keep beating it. I'm sure I have an idea of who you think is deserving of being treated shitty and therefore is not actually suffering bigotry and harassment, but humor me. (Seriously, I gotta rant a little here. The right loves to latch onto phrases and concepts that they know absolutely nothing about and then broadcast their ignorance while acting like they are sooo clever. Well, not acting. They seem to believe they are clever for disingenuous talking points that only prove how little they actually know. How many concepts, in the last 10-20 years has the right claimed is the boogie man lurking in your back yard, ready to rip off your children's heads as they rip apart the fabric of society and fluff the devil for action? And what really burns my biscuits is that you dopes are terrified of the monsters you made up all on your own, but are willfully oblivious to troubled teens blowing the heads off your neighbors and children, climate change burning down your house, causing droughts, extreme weather that the folks profiting from oil and gas hand over fist refused to harden against the climate change they are driving. And then bleeding the survivors dry with the governments blessing. I mean, do you people hear yourselves? Quick, call an emergency session, children attended a daytime family oriented drag show! This must be made illegal immediately! Take those children and drop them into the system, with some people that will make them go to church, where they are safe! VS Regulate guns that are being used to slaughter double digits of innocent people, little kids at a time?! Nah, get outta here with that commie Marxist shit. They were just black and brown people threatening my white majority. Arm those teachers I was calling groomers last week.) Then explain why your definition of "real" harassment/bigotry should supercede that of the owners and executives, the people they consult, you know, people who actually know something and have actual standing in the matter.

• On the post: Democrats Need To Get Their Head Out Of The Sand: The Only Reason GOP Is Supporting Their Antitrust Bills Is To Force Companies To Host Disinfo

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 08 Jun, 2022 @ 11:26pm

  No, the government doesn't have the "right" to violate the First Amendment- it's kinda why it's the first right guaranteed protection from the government. This isn't even really an anti-trust matter, this is just a time waster, a way to claim to people who don't know any better that they stood up to the favorite punching bags on both the left and the right. There are real anti-trust problems that they are still half-assing the legislation because too many politicians have no spines and are overly reliant on contributions from the companies screwing over everyone.

• On the post: Sheriff Who Claimed He Would Clean Up The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Gang Problem Has Instead Allowed It To Thrive

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 08 Jun, 2022 @ 10:42pm

  BURN IT DOWN rake the ashes, throw some accelerant and burn some more.

• On the post: Cops Continue To Make The Best Argument For Defunding The Police

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 08 Jun, 2022 @ 06:05pm

  I agree to a point, prohibition of things never works and usually just increases violence and profits cartels. And I've heard talks that sound damn close to banning all guns, and I'm not sure how much is hyperbole or negotiation tactic. But I think raising the age, restructuring the background check system could present an insurmountable hurdle for some would be shooters. Buying a gun illegally, or finding one and successfully stealing one, is easier for some than others. A lot of these young killers don't have the social skills or connections to arrange a buy. I actually kind of wonder how some of them managed to navigate making a legal purchase without tipping off the salesperson that something was amiss. The Pulse nightclub shooter spooked a retailer who refused to sell to him. Of course he did find eventually get the gun legally because our systems failed. I don't know how much further any of these shooters would have gone to procure guns if they couldn't have done so legally and easily, we can only speculate. And some, yes, I would imagine, would have rigged a bomb or drove into a crowd if they couldn't otherwise get a gun. But I suspect that neither of those options are nearly as appealing as the mass shooting because they don't offer the same imagined thrill or sadistic satisfaction in terrorizing people, making them fearful, and watching them die up close an personal. I'm not a nihilist, I think we should start with the age limit and work on fixing NICS. Go from there.

• On the post: The Pile On Blaming Video Games For Texas Shooting Begins

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2022 @ 06:18pm

  Oh goodness, please don't anyone think I'm blaming doors for the death, it's the killer and easy access to guns. I was just noticing that basic security that can at least slow down an attacker was a failure, which contributed to the delay in getting to those who might still have been saved. This cascade of failures is just so severe that I find myself wondering if there's malice instead of just staggering incompetence. Plus, this little shit, he had money. He had at least $5K worth of gear, and the newest, fanciest Iphone, but only worked in fast food for a few months. The little we have heard about him is that he was generally an asshole and a demanding brat, so I don't get how he didn't make the retailer he bought the guns from feel suspicious. (It looks like the online receipt was really just a shopping cart print out, but again, not getting straight story so who knows). I mean, I'm not the conspiracy type, but anyone else thinks some of this might point to someone else being involved?

• On the post: The Pile On Blaming Video Games For Texas Shooting Begins

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2022 @ 05:48pm

  I think you are a little confused at what you are seeing, you probably need to go through the line to know exactly what is going on. Carpool or car rider lines are strictly organized so that they can operate quickly, efficiently and safely. Let me tell you, if you move your car or don't move your car when you are directed, you are going to incur a wrath of crossing guards, teachers, administrators, and other parents. They don't care if you're new, they will tear you a new one. And if your kid wants to fool around as kids are known to do, or they drop something they need between the seat, and they hold up the line, you better get that shit in check fast, or your ears are going to ring from the horns blaring at you (yes, it was the child who was doing something you said 10x to stop doing that caused them to lose that book report under the seat but they are honking at your ass, not the kid) And even if they know you, you must have the placard with your kids name or license to pickup your child- which they never paid any attention to when I was a kid. I could have gone with anyone I wanted, and I often waited outside all by myself for my mom who could be an hour late or more sometimes. I was less than 15 minutes late the first day to pick up my daughter because I had the time wrong and they had already called every number and the emergency contacts! She's only 4 and in preschool, but I'm told this is how it is for elementary school. I've heard busses won't drop kids off without someone there to meet them until they reach a certain age either. Slightly OT, I was shocked that Uvalde elementary was freely accessible from the outside, all the elementary schools in DE & MD have had security that requires someone to let you in since Sandy Hook. Then we heard that a teacher had propped the door open, meaning the doors were as secure as the staff was compliant, essentially. Then of course we heard that wasn't quite accurate, and eventually that the door had been pulled shut as that teacher called 911, but that it didn't engage the lock. Some how the most basic security on the doors was defective or deactivated, and I have suspicion on the latter. I've worked in secured buildings that required a badge, and if the wind caught the door, or somebody stood holding it open too long, it triggered an alarm. And there were multiple doors that you needed to swipe your badge before you could reach any area with staff or sensitive information. Not complicated. In addition to the failure of the outside doors, based on several accounts from kids, teachers had to use a key to lock their classroom from the inside, which makes no sense to me. That's how the shooter got into the classroom, the teacher that was ultimately killed, was struggling with getting the key. Why would they have a system requiring a key to lock the classroom from inside, and no quick way to gain access from the outside, like a badge pass system? Who designed this garbage? Who approved it, & how many people held the position to change it and didn't? It's not rocket surgery.

• On the post: Texas Rep Bemoans Discussion About Guns After School Shooting When Rap Music And Video Games Are The Real Culprit

  

  Cattress ( profile ), 04 Jun, 2022 @ 09:22pm

  As I said, I'm not disagreeing with you. I have a 4 year old who just started preschool, i was just there for her IEP and all those little faces, I don't have the words. I want effective legislation. Lets raise the age to buy guns, let's provide safe storage at no cost, let's prohibit guns to anyone who hurts/tortures small animals and pets (hunting pests/rodents/small game not included) until they reach age 35 at minimum. Let's fund real social & psychological services in schools (and this won't be as easy as it should be to get put into law because Republicans are so stupid they think addressing suicide and it's causes some how increases probability of suicide. It's dumb, but it's part of the attacks on cultural sensitivity & inclusion for any and all minority groups that offends them so). There was a great study about the commonality among mass shooters, there's an interview on Politico with the researcher,that can help identify these people before they act, we should use that data to craft the laws. But let's not give cops any new excuses to slaughter people. Let's not create systems that essentially amount to swatting by allowing any angry Karen to send cops to raid a possible gun owner who has crossed her. Let's remember that the republican/right wing folks are avid gun owners who aren't giving any up voluntarily, and who think anyone who disagrees with them is evil, communist baby killers/eaters- don't let them outpace gun ownership of the rest of us even more.

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