Dallas Mayor Says He’s More Fearful Of Armed White Men Than Syrian Refugees.

The mayor of Dallas is pushing back against politicians who say Americans should be skeptical of Syrian refugees, saying he is “more fearful” of armed white men than people fleeing civil war in the Middle East.
Speaking to MSNBC on Saturday morning, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was asked to discuss the growing anxiety over Syrian refugees entering the United States, purportedly due to concerns they could be potential agents for militant groups such as ISIS. Rawlings staunchly rejected the assertion that Syrians are somehow uniquely prone to violence, saying he is more concerned with the rise of white supremacy and the recent flurry of mass shootings committed by white men.
“I am more fearful of large gatherings of white men that come into schools, theaters and shoot people up, but we don’t isolate young white men on this issue,” Rawlings said.
thinkprogress.org...

Hmm first off Im kinda surprised no one post this as yet and I did look, and coming from a Mayor in Texas is rather surprising but dose he have a point? we do not imagine non Islamic domestic based terrorism on the same level as " potential" foreign terrorism ,the scare level is just not there.

Considering he lives in a gated almost exclusively white community and likely sends any kids he has to a mostly white school, he looks pretty stupid.

So I chalk his comment up to the same diarrhea of the mouth Ray Nagin had after Katrina when he made his infamous chocolate city comments.

Well most of the terrorist attacks we've had in this country have been committed by white men...so he does kinda have a point

Why fear either group?

I'm a white guy, and I have a gun, or two. He's got no reason to fear me.

Fear. Fear. Fear.

Really? He is rather spineless, isn't he?

I don't fear armed white men for the same reasons Seagull mentioned, but I have to agree that we are more at risk from the extreme Right in this country that has been ramping-up it's hateful rhetoric and propaganda, than from Muslim extremists.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Considering he lives in a gated almost exclusively white community and likely sends any kids he has to a mostly white school, he looks pretty stupid.

So I chalk his comment up to the same diarrhea of the mouth Ray Nagin had after Katrina when he made his infamous chocolate city comments.

I get why he personally may not have to worry , but I think his jab here is at folks who are panicky over foreigners laced with potential terrorist than locals who do go on to shoot up malls churches etc, the fear level dies down very fast after an event which is way more frequent than foreigners attacking us within our borders.

a reply to: Spider879

I don't "fear" either one, if by fear you mean constantly look over my shoulder. It is very easy for people to conflate refugees with terrorists who use the refugees as a convenient camouflage to move at will in order to score political points. The same people who do this also conflate love and sex for the same kind of political points.

I've got nothing against true refugees. I have everything against those who would come into my country to wreak random havoc, and you should too. Admitting that does make you anti-refugee. It actually makes you smart.

originally posted by: seagull
Why fear either group?

I'm a white guy, and I have a gun, or two. He's got no reason to fear me.

Fear. Fear. Fear.

Really? He is rather spineless, isn't he?

Fear, est chic nuveaux du jour !!!!!!!

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Spider879

I don't "fear" either one, if by fear you mean constantly look over my shoulder. It is very easy for people to conflate refugees with terrorists who use the refugees as a convenient camouflage to move at will in order to score political points. The same people who do this also conflate love and sex for the same kind of political points.

I've got nothing against true refugees. I have everything against those who would come into my country to wreak random havoc, and you should too. Admitting that does make you anti-refugee. It actually makes you smart.

Off course I am concerned with potential terrorist, I have fam and friends who may get hurt in any terror event, but I do think that the screening process makes it like less likely, not saying that slip-ups can't or will never happen but as you said folks very easily conflate refugees with terrorist, made worst when such fears are voiced by leadership.

a reply to: ketsuko

And I have nothing against people who own guns that don't want to do any harm, but everything against those that are looking to wreck random havoc.

It is like a pack of wild dogs, you don't know who are the good ones.
So we should probably let states refuse who can have them or make sure the vetting process is extreme.

In this modern day and age, fear is what is running politics. All the media is reporting is what they know at the time, yet fail to realize that there is more of the story. While both sides are correct, both have valid points.

In the USA, the fight over gun control has been brought up, politicized and used, and it seems as though there have been a lot of mass shootings, alone in this year. And every time, everyone in the area come out with rhetoric, and tend to say they are for or against, using the victims as points for their sides. And the last few mass shootings that made national headlines, unfortunately have been all white.

While at the same time, we see the chaos in those trying to escape from the civil war that is occurring in Syria, in the mix, being migrants from other countries, some going for trying to gain a better life, better job and some for not so noble reasons.

With any sort of refugee situation, the problem is one gets both the good and the bad, there will be those trying to escape the devastation, from where they are coming from, and at the same time, in the mix will be those who will use and exploit the situation to their advantage.

The country should not be so xenophobic, should stop being so fearful of what could be, and focus on the problem at hand, and that is that the refugees coming from Syria need help, they need refuge and sanctuary, where they can try to have some semblance of a normal life. The United States of America has always been so generous, giving even when the chips are down, sacrificing for others.
But those in politics who are saying no, we should not take them in, ultimately have shown 2 things: 1) The terrorist have won, 2) Through their very actions, are proving that what ISIS is saying about the USA, is correct.

Where would they be without their fear?

The fearmongering going on relating to almost everything that seems to be occurring in life today, has hit astronomical heights.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: ketsuko

And I have nothing against people who own guns that don't want to do any harm, but everything against those that are looking to wreck random havoc.

It is like a pack of wild dogs, you don't know who are the good ones.
So we should probably let states refuse who can have them or make sure the vetting process is extreme.

And states do. California, New York have very stringent gun laws. Cities also have very strict gun laws. But ... since the right to keep and bear arms is a right protected in the Constitution, those laws can only go so far.

The main problem is that people have no trust in the government. Do you honestly think we would be having this discussion over refugees and the effectiveness of vetting if people trusted the government to do what they said they were doing? And, no, it's not just Obama. Trust in the government has been eroding for a while now, long before him.

There is no benefit of the doubt left in a lot of people.

OP, maybe this just shows that the word terrorists has been nothing more than fear mongering. There are no terrorists, just good people and bad. Some just happen to be further down the spectrum.

a reply to: ketsuko

I don't think that distrust should be the downfall of people that had no hand in it.

I feel like they "do you really trust the gov" is a cop out. Shift the issue to something else that you can attack to discredit the situation.
Blame the process not the people coming in, something they have no control over.

I don't trust the gov as a whole, but wouldn't say that just because you work for the gov you are distrust worthy.
You know nothing about the people doing the vetting, I guess people assume they must be no bodies since they decided to go after a well paying, most likely, and reliable job with the state.
Do you distrust every single person working for the gov?

a reply to: introvert

There's definitely much more hate coming from the left these days, which is mobilizing and stirring up a lot of rhetoric from the right. I fear for everyone whenever the real white supremicists start showing up. They've been strangely quiet for the most part. The left doesn't realize that the more they chastise white people the more they are adding to extremists numbers. Regular people who were never racist to begin with are going to be ready to fight.

I fear a person high on pcp and weilding a knife more than either of those scenarios, which is to say not much at all due to scientific statistical analysis clearly showing how rare any of these events actually are. The vast majority of murders occur between people who know each other or gangs.

I still firmly believe in the inalienable right to be prepared to defend against any scenario, no matter how likely.

originally posted by: muse7
Well most of the terrorist attacks we've had in this country have been committed by white men...so he does kinda have a point

In a country full of white people, you think that is cause to explain away things? Why so Syrias...

It's cool. importing people used to war, where the punishment for most things is death, will be completely hunky dory.

Suddenly the white maniac with the gun - who we were only last week told doesn't exist - will be the ones you hope are around the corner when Sammie Syria goes bonkers and takes a few dozen people hostage..

Won't happen, I know.. I live in some racist world..

originally posted by: introvert
I don't fear armed white men for the same reasons Seagull mentioned, but I have to agree that we are more at risk from the extreme Right in this country that has been ramping-up it's hateful rhetoric and propaganda, than from Muslim extremists.

You haven't even seen them yet, and already the potential is moot.

This is how it's supposed to go folks. I live in a land where we welcomed people from everywhere, and even still, the resentment from specific communities is in your face. But we're told it's not indicative. it's a small percentage, of whole suburbs and large parts of cities. Just a small large part though.

I can't wait to see things in pan out.

originally posted by: Antipathy17
OP, maybe this just shows that the word terrorists has been nothing more than fear mongering. There are no terrorists, just good people and bad. Some just happen to be further down the spectrum.

There is no global agenda by extremist islam to wipe you out? Just a bunch of very naughty boys?

ahaha..

Okey dokey...