Where you write,
Later in the story we learn that no one believes the shooter was motivated by religious rage. Rather, he was motivated by anti-religious rage and singled out Christians for death. MSN’s writers and editors are shameless, utterly shameless.
I’ve tried to get cred to say this in Canada on the eve of an election, but apparently can’t, so must say it here*:
Briefly, I suspect, MSN personnel are simply responding to the desires of their present and probable future viewers:
– No party wants the votes of serious Christians or observant Jews any more. Or thoughtful atheists. No one cares what we think. Our rights can be so easily stripped and our property taken or taxed away.
– Only fashionable identity groups matter today.
– Increasingly, fashionable identity groups depend on the public dollar, much of which will come from stripping traditional religious people of their property (possibly in fines for no-compliance with some secularist belief). Not from actual wealth created in North America.
– A key reason is that much less wealth is being created in North America now as used to be. The working class jobs have gone elsewhere and the lower middle class jobs are on the eve of being automated. Even progressive governments get rid of thousands of low-level jobs without undue fuss, keeping only the ones they need as boss ‘crats.
– Young people drift away from traditional beliefs in part because it is just too dangerous. They have lives, excuses. Some of us oldsters say, “But I will die a Christian.” (Like those guys beheaded on the sands of Libya.) But the young people do not belong to a culture that would even honour their sacrifice. It is more like, “Why can’t we all just get along?”
– Most people we run into at the plaza will just be “nice” about the whole thing, no matter what is happening.
And it is very difficult to even discuss the factors that drive all this, let alone propose solutions.
I’d like to discuss solutions but, on the eve of permanent progressive government, am not sure what the solutions will be. Would like to explore.
* So long as I live, I will never forget the SNEER that crossed the face of the Liberal Party canvasser when I said, as a Catholic, I could not conscientiously vote for his party because the party would not sign the nomination papers of a non-abortion supporter. The party operative made a note beside my name, of course, and left.
Fine.
If he ever comes back, know this: He will be facing an O’Leary.
Abortion, in case anyone wondered: