I think it’s all the empty space that's making the crowd look small.

The baby or Trump?

I thought Ken Burns was #1 in the Men With Small Children’s Haircuts category, but it’s not even close.

You seem awfully thirsty.

Most likely 2x in a row

I know what will change their minds. If they were shot and killed by their loving guns. But only because they’d be dead.

An article on Bill Moyers’ site today argues that members are so politically active that they have more influence than the NRA’s $ does.

I came here to add something meaningful to the conversation but all my brain will let my fingers type is “OH FUCK RIGHT OFF WITH YOUR SHIT!”

A lot of the membership actually disagree strongly with what the spokespeople are saying,

I don’t use the word hate lightly. I also try to remember that most people aren’t good or bad, everyone has some humanity, etc, etc.

Given some of the absolutely bullshit medical excuses they let people out of the draft for the last time it was actively used, I wouldn’t be so sure. Pretty sure ‘can see well enough to shoot accurately’ is going to be one of those criteria up at the top of the list.

That’s actually a really good point. And maybe we really need to address sexual violence (against both men and women) in the military before we have any other actual discussions on the subject of the draft.

If the goose can get away, it’ll be fine. They have great healthcare.

But the net result was still a gain, and I doubt anyone did anything really terrible.

As for moral licensing, what bad behavior later?

I’m confused by this. Are you saying that it therefore only really raised 50 million (since the other 50 would’ve come in anyway)? Because if so, then it still sounds like an extraordinary success

I think the criticism is that it encouraged what’s known as moral self-licensing, which is where you use your good deed to rationalize bad behavior later. If you only raised awareness, but didn't give money, that seems like a net negative in the long run.

I’d be curious how many of the people who partook of the Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014 donated money to ALS charities in 2016.

The Ice Bucket Challenge raised $100+ million, but what’s interesting is that it cannibalized donations they were already expecting. For every $1 raised, they would have raised $.50 anyway.

This is like accepting a spot in the Super Bowl while you’re losing the NFC championship.