Time to break into my queue.   Because in the past 10 days, the United States has been hit at least twice by terrorists.  Maybe 3 times.

Moreover, because 99% of the GOP and 50% of the Democrats have been bought by the corrupt NRA (the euphemistically named National Rifle Association)- even though  internal strife is tearing apart the organization and it is at its weakest- folks can buy guns that can kill at least 9 folks and injure 27 others in 30 seconds or less. (In case you don’t recognize the situation- that was Dayton, Ohio.  Not Toledo as TheDonald murmured.)

The world’s smartest man (at least in his own mind) tells us  it was Toledo that was attacked.

But, the annoying fact is that the standard GOP BS still gets spewed.  Blame the mentally ill.  (Let us not forget that one of the first things the GOP passed and TheDonald signed upon assuming the Presidency was to eliminate the Obama rule to add those mentally unfit to the “can’t acquire guns” list.)  Blame the video games.  Blame the internet. Oh- and then do nothing.

Before I even give you some more facts, let’s consider that the same percentage of mentally ill exist world-wide.  Video games are played everywhere (more so in China, I might add). And, the internet is also ubiquitous.

So, where are those world-wide killings?  Other than in Afghanistan (where the folks with whom TheDonald is making a peace plan are killing innocent civilians- some peace plan, huh?), Yemen (where we are providing the Saudis with all kinds of weapons to kill civilians- but the Houthis are just as guilty),  mid-continent Africa (their own version of religious hatred) and Syria (’nuff said).

Mentally ill:   If it were really true that this was a primary cause of mass shootings, then the GOP would finally be on board to screen all gun purchasers for mental illness.  But, we don’t do that, because (either the GOP wants the mentally ill to kill more Americans or) the GOP knows this is unadulterated BS.  (And, they did obliterate that Obama rule as soon as they assumed power in 2017, as stated above.) Moreover, the data shows that the mentally ill are most likely to kill or injure themselves, not other folks.  Here’s what the FBI has to say about this canard:  “Diagnosed mental illness is not a very specific predictor of violence of any type, let alone targeted violence.  In short, declarations that all active shooters must simply be mentally ill are misleading and unhelpful.”

Video Games:  The American Psychological Association has determined this to be a canard.  “Scant evidence has emerged that makes any causal or correlational connection between playing violent video games and actually committing violent activities.”  (Notice there is neither causative nor correlational evidence that mass shootings result from watching video games.)

Internet:  This is one place where one can find some correlational data.  Because (of the real factors listed below) those that intend to kill their “enemies” seek out methods to do so on the web, look for substantiation (not evidence, just someone else who has the same bias) for racial or gender hatred, or methods to make themselves famous for their infamous acts.  But, no, the internet itself doesn’t cause violence.

So, what are the causes?  In a nutshell- racial, gender, religious hatred.  And, it’s not just guns in general- but semi-automatic and/or automatic weapons- so mass killings are easily effected in short time spans.

Racial hatred as a cause of mass deaths is not new to the USA.  White Supremacism dates back to the Civil War (starting with the Southerners who were despondent [angry!] that they lost the war) and when racial segregation was uniformly practiced.  A century ago the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) had 6 million members- that was 5% of the US population at the time.  When TrickyDick was President, Orange County (CA) had the John Birch Society, as the KKK stayed primarily in the South.  Shortly thereafter, Idaho, Utah, and Montana housed many a White Supremacist terrorist cell.  Nowadays, there are 600 active groups hoping to destroy the American way of life.  Even as these terrorists claim they are the true patriots- to “go back” to our roots where only Whites had all the rights.  (Notice that similarity to TheDonald’s “Make America Great Again” slogan?)

Dr. Peter Simi (Chapman University, conveniently in Orange CA)  has been coalescing data on White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis for some time. His data delineates the following characteristics are manifested.

The other problem? Those heinous biases that are spewed out by TheDonald routinely.   Don’t even open your mouth to tell me that TheDonald is not a racist.  Because that just means you know nothing about the buzz words he uses.  It’s not just Frank Luntz who managed to mesmerize the world with his creative buzz words and reframing of hatred to make it sound innocuous to those who have been born with White Privilege.  TheDonald practices it routinely.

Let’s start with one of his prime dog whistles.  “Invasion”.  That term is used ubiquitously by White Supremacists.  “Jews won’t replace us”.  (Jews invaded their space.)  “Immigrants are invading”.  (Hispanics are moving in and becoming the majority.)  It’s exactly why TheDonald chose to use that term- even though the data is clear that there is no invasion nor there has been an invasion.  The term is chosen to fire up his biased masses.  As this clip shows.  (One can only hope that it is still illegal to kill the other in the Panhandle- the Northeast tier of Florida.)

The White Supremacists’ manifestos mimic the language and the tone of TheDonald’s tweets, ads, and speeches.  That’s the “permission slip” these terrorists have been seeking for decades. Not since George Wallace has there been a national political figure to provide such cover for White Supremacists.

That’s despite the speech that he read from the teleprompter.  And, you can bet once his tweets resume, the lofty words of that speech will have long been negated.

The dog whistles and outright racial bias spewing forth from the tweets and mouth of our President incites White Supremacists to act.  Moreover, TheDonald has disbanded the Domestic Terrorism Intelligence Task Force earlier this year.  Probably because he didn’t want to hear that the biggest threat to American civilians is from home-grown, White Supremacist terrorists.

This does not bode well for America.