When a gunman threatened Ben Carson, Carson told him to target a Popeyes clerk instead On Tuesday, Ben Carson said he would react to a mass shooting like the one in Oregonby attacking the gunman: "I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, 'Hey, guys, everybody attack him! He may shoot me, but he can't get us all.'" Until now, there didn't seem to be a way to verify the Republican presidential candidate's claim. Would he really react that way in such a tense situation? On Wednesday, Carson told SiriusXM radio host Karen Hunter that he had been held at gunpoint before. But in his telling, he did not react as he said he would, and he definitely did not attack the gunman: I have had a gun held on me when I was in a Popeyes [in Baltimore]. … A guy comes in, puts the gun in my ribs, and I just said, "I believe that you want the guy behind the counter." … He said, "Oh, okay." Twitter quickly mocked the anecdote, noting that Carson's story suggests he put someone else's life in danger to protect himself. The broader point is that nobody knows how they would react in this kind of scenario. As Franci Crepeau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver psychology professor, told theNew Republic, "When you are in a life or death situation, sometimes your autonomic nervous system takes over and you may not behave the way you thought you would. … There are some factors that might make someone more likely to freeze versus run versus perhaps fight back, but it's not a real straightforward generalization that you can make." So people like Carson can think up all sorts of fantasies about how they'd react if held at gunpoint, but they can't know for sure if that's how they would act under pressure. And suggesting that the victims of the Oregon shooting somehow reacted poorly — as Carson did — comes off as victim blaming. What's worse, someone did try to fight the Oregon shooter — and it didn't work out, as the New York Times's Alan Rappeport reported: "The heavily armed Oregon gunmankilled nine people before taking his own life. The fact that an Army veteran who did try to stop him was shot multiple times and remains hospitalized underscores the risks of attacking an armed attacker, as numerous critics pointed out Tuesday." Then again, if someone, like Carson, doesn't want to discuss the policy solutions to this type of gun violence — like gun control — maybe fantasies are his best talking point. -------------- -------------- You can't run as a republican if you're not a coward/chickenhawk deep down. The blank spaces above were Tweets that aren't showing up.
Much to do about nothing. He was not victim blaming, but of course the ever offended left sees it that way. Honestly I agree with him that just standing there to get shot isn't what we should be advising. Adults, operative word adults, when confronted need to stand up and put it all on the line. Easy to say I know, but I would hope that I would not go down so easily. That's all Carson was saying. Other than that, the guy should stick to surgery. He is in no way qualified to be President of anything, let alone the country. Nice guy, evidently a great surgeon. I know a nice guy who is a great welder. Does that qualify him to be president?
Meanwhile. . . .it's a mess down there. McCarthy Drops Out Of Speaker Race, Throwing GOP Leadership Into Chaos In a shocking move Thursday afternoon, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., pulled out of the race for speaker of the House, throwing the GOP leadership race into chaos and confusion. According to Republican congressmen coming out of the caucus meeting — where lawmakers were expected to pick a successor to retiring House Speaker John Boehner — McCarthy told Republicans he didn't have a path to victory. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said the meeting opened, Republicans said the Pledge and then McCarthy stood up and took himself out of the race. The prohibitive favorite said he didn't want members to take arrows for voting for him and that he was taking himself out of contention. Speaker Boehner then immediately moved to adjourn the meeting. Rooney said there was "total shock" and some members were audibly crying.
its only chaos if you are not happy about this great news which offers the 60 percent of the country who wants the establishment out a bit of hope for the future of our great nation. (how is that for a run on.)