Admitting we don't know the motive in the Nashville shooting isn't giving them the benefit of the doubt. The investigators literally have not found a motive yet. You assuming you do know the motive is the only assumption being made between us. I even offered that your assumption may turn out to be correct, and showed that it still wouldn't implicate trans people in any general way since a cis person could've committed the same crime with the same anti-Christian motive.
The hysteria in conservative media about "trans terrorism" following that shooting was clearly just seizing an opportunity to further stoke fear and hatred against trans people, so it's hard to take any discussion about any of this as one made in good faith and not just made to further muddy the waters with the implication that since a trans person committed a mass shooting, that means something bad about trans people generally.
To clarify my position: You are right that there is no publicized motive yet for the Nashville shooting (although I do have suspicions about the unreleased manifesto of the shooter). I am not trying to convey that I’m assuming a motive so apologies if that’s how I’m coming across. I certainly do not agree with the “trans terrorism” narrative and I believe that this is simply one bad actor that does not reflect the whole of the lgbt community (obviously), just as you do not believe the gay club shooters reflect most conservatives.
I am sure we could keep going all day, but I think that our back and forth has answered the questions I had in my mind (which prompted my first reply to you; asking for your take on the Nashville shooting) and was pleasantly civil. I appreciate and thank you for the time and effort you put into your replies.
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u/traunks Jun 01 '23
Admitting we don't know the motive in the Nashville shooting isn't giving them the benefit of the doubt. The investigators literally have not found a motive yet. You assuming you do know the motive is the only assumption being made between us. I even offered that your assumption may turn out to be correct, and showed that it still wouldn't implicate trans people in any general way since a cis person could've committed the same crime with the same anti-Christian motive.
The hysteria in conservative media about "trans terrorism" following that shooting was clearly just seizing an opportunity to further stoke fear and hatred against trans people, so it's hard to take any discussion about any of this as one made in good faith and not just made to further muddy the waters with the implication that since a trans person committed a mass shooting, that means something bad about trans people generally.