"Donald Trump" courtesy of [DonkeyHotey via Flickr]
RantCrush
RantCrush Top 5: May 19, 2016
Welcome to the RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through the top five controversial and crazy stories in the world of law and policy each day. So who is ranting and who is raving today? Check it out below:
Ugh, George Zimmerman Actually Sold the Gun
Last week we talked about how atrocious it was that George Zimmerman was trying to auction off the gun he used to kill Trayvon Martin. While the original auction Zimmerman set up was taken down, he successfully sold the weapon through the United Gun Group. Some sources report that the final offer was almost $140,000, but it’s unclear if that was legitimate information. However according to United Gun Group, it appears to have certainly been sold:
— United Gun Group (@UnitedGunGroup) May 18, 2016
What Happened to Egypt Air MS804? Trump is Certain He Knows
Tragically, Egypt Air MS804 disappeared late last night, en route from Paris to Cairo. The flight was carrying 66 people and disappeared close to Greece. While circumstances are unknown, the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has of course proclaimed he knows exactly what’s going on: terrorism.
Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane departed from Paris. When will we get tough, smart and vigilant? Great hate and sickness!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2016
While terrorism may very well be the cause, do we really want a president who jumps to conclusions so publicly?
Speaking of Trump…
If you want to read a truly badass rant today, check out Robert Kagan’s piece in the Washington Post on Trump’s rise entitled “This is How Facism Comes to America.” It’s a powerful look at how Trump’s rhetoric and machismo threaten to take over the country. As Kagan points out:
And is a man like Trump, with infinitely greater power in his hands, likely to become more humble, more judicious, more generous, less vengeful than he is today, than he has been his whole life? Does vast power un-corrupt?
Context is Always Important, Guys
People got pretty mad at rapper Waka Flocka Flame after he posted a video on his Snapchat of a little girl locked in a dog cage. The little girl is crying, and the rapper jokes about “bonding her out.”
Social media followers, of course, immediately exploded in anger, claiming that he had committed some sort of child abuse.
But don’t worry, it turns out the little girl was just his niece who had locked herself in by accident, and Waka was just letting her out. He also posted a pretty angry response video, pointing out that he absolutely does not lock children in cages.
We Need to Work on Our Civics Education
Puerto Rico has been in the news a lot lately over its financial troubles. But it turns out that a terrifyingly large chunk of Americans don’t know that Puerto Rico is actually a U.S. territory. Only 43 percent of Americans know that Puerto Ricans are actually American citizens.
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