I'll say it again: today's shooting is Stochastic terrorism writ large.

[Saviolo]

Here's a tweet from Rand Paul last year:

Link to tweet

Text: .@Judgenap: Why do we have a Second Amendment? It's not to shoot deer. It's to shoot at the government when it becomes tyrannical!


That is from Rand Paul's verified twitter feed, so it comes either directly from him or from him through a social media intern or professional. Regardless, it is his words, and is still on his feed from last year. Today's shooting is a terrifying event, and I feel bad for all involved, but there is a degree to which the GOP actually caused this. A particularly scalding call-out:

Link to tweet

Text: That being said, don't spend decades telling ppl they need guns to shoot at the govt then act shocked when ppl w/ guns shoot at the govt.


Be careful with that stochastic terrorism, GOP. Once you've set it in motion you're not actually able to direct it at all.

For anyone not sure about the definition of stochastic terrorism: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/8/10/1558787/-Stochastic-Terrorism

It is (sadly) probably a term we should all get to know very well.

[elleng]

1. .means using language and other forms of communication 'to incite random actors

Stochastic terrorism...means using language and other forms of communication 'to incite random actors to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.'"

[Hekate]

2. Yes. Two Dem candidates recently pulled out after escalating threats to them & their kids...

The first one was a woman, who was bashed at DU for apparently not having balls. The second was a man, who had a heavy object thrown at his infant-in-arms -- he turned in time to take the blow to his back, but that was the last straw for him.

Stochastic terrorism enabled and empowered their would-be political assassins. Political assassins? Just ask Gabby Giffords how that works out.

[Saviolo]

3. Or ask Jo Cox

Oh wait, that would be impossible, a rabid right-winger fed by a steady stream of fear from the Daily Mail and the UK Sun shot and stabbed her to death for being a "traitor" to white people.

[tblue37]

4. The GOP--not just ordinary Repubs, but candidates and elected officials!--

have touted "2nd Amendment remedies" for a long time. During the campaign Trump even hinted that HRC should be attacked it she won, to prevent her from appointing SC justices.

[Saviolo]

5. It's been right there in the GOP playbook

And it's been there for a long long time.

[Raster]

6. Poor GOP... you side-sponsored stochastic terrorism FOR YEARS...

...and now some of those chickens have come home to roost on YOUR FRONT PORCH.

Sucks to be you, eh?

[Initech]

7. Yup, going all the way back to the debut of the Rush Limbaugh Show.

They've been on a warpath against liberalism ever since. And now this happens. Fuck!!!!

[hardluck]

8. Wouldn't that require him to have actually listened/heard these statements?

Is this really where we want to go with it? His media watch list on facebook included Last Week Tonight, Rachael Maddow, The Ed Show, Democracy Now, the Daily Show, etc. Seems like an argument that is likely to boomerang....

[Saviolo]

9. People in power use that language on purpose

They are in the public eye, and they are reported on by the media. When Trump comments that:

“If she gets to pick her judges ― nothing you can do, folks,” Trump said with a shrug at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. “Although, the Second Amendment people. Maybe there is. I don’t know.”

that's going to be reported by the news because, guess what, that's news. You can't blame the news or satirical news shows for what a presidential candidate said during a campaign.

We're awash in these statements. Look at the flyers that came out with shooting targets on it before Gabby Giffords was shot:
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.150600!/img/httpImage/image.jpg

And yeah, that too was reported in the news. People in power can speak that way and the news media will report it and the satire shows will try to defang it and it will STILL reach its intended target, whatever we try to do to stop it.