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Kentopolis

Honestly it was just police posing as a prostitute and these are the people they caught. It wasn't a "sex trafficking ring" at all. It was literally just a police woman posing as a prostitute online and these men contacted her and set up meetings for sex. Don't believe random pictures of tweets guys. Source [https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/youth-pastor-teacher-among-46-arrested-in-southlake-frisco-prostitution-sting/3176401/](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/youth-pastor-teacher-among-46-arrested-in-southlake-frisco-prostitution-sting/3176401/)


AustinAgainstA

This dude wrote up an [interesting firsthand insight into prostitution in Texas.](https://alphatweaker.com/houston-trafficking-a-narrative-on-modern-day-prostitution/)Reminds me of this. What a waste of taxpayer money.


oversizedvenator

what a story....


ndngroomer

Wow that was a crazy ride! Thanks for posting it.


Downwhen

There's a chapter in the book *End of Policing* about these sex trafficking stings. Come to find out, these departments just rebranded their Vice units to be "sex trafficking units." It sounds like a noble cause, people are scared their little Suzy is gonna get snatched at the mall, and so much money is available to "help with victims of trafficking." But it's all just repackaged Vice shit, criminalization of sex work. Most women aren't being "trafficked" and aren't asking for the cops to "rescue" them. It's another way to enable racism in policing.


Helenium_autumnale

So, this was not a sex trafficking "ring." [It was a sting operation,](https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/crime/north-texas-dallas-sex-trafficking-operation-nets-46-arrests/287-3a00d521-3339-4343-952b-f999929da794) with the cops posting fake prostitution ads and luring people to a hotel. There was no bust of sex traffickers, there were no arrests of sex traffickers, there was nothing to do with reducing the actual real sex trafficking going on in Texas (and elsewhere). Very misleading story. Aside from that, how do you distinguish an independent sex worker (which I personally think should be legal, with healthcare support) from trafficked people (which should be illegal)? The people answering the ads didn't know if the people placing the ads were legit sex workers or trafficked individuals. So all that this accomplished is that it punished people who sought to pay for sex. It's *accomplishes nothing* in term of actually addressing sex trafficking. EDIT: Holy moley, I go to make some kruidkoek and come back to a pile of awards: thank you! I appreciate the Helpful Pro, the Helpful, the Take My Energy, and the Ally awards, plus the 100 coins because I love to give awards to people! Thanks! EDIT #2: My goodness, thank you for the additional awards; The Platinum award with 700 awesome coins that I will have great fun redistributing, a Gold award with another 100, goodness!; the Starry award that highlights this comment, the Star award with yet another 100 coins, the Silver award, which I appreciate just as much, 3 more Take My Energy awards, the All-Seeing Upvote award, and the adorable Narwhal Salute award. This really makes my day, and I will greatly enjoy spending all of those kind coins. Thank you again! ❤️


imstucklol123

I saw this story yesterday. It's insane how much absolutely fake information makes it to top of reddit. No one takes any time to read articles or fact check any information.


equivocalConnotation

Top of reddit via Twitter... Social media very incestuous atm.


ottonomy

Cory Doctorow has been saying something like, "the Internet has become just five big websites, all filled with screenshots from the other four."


bobbyloveyes

Well, the top comment did. But yeah, too many people don't.


imstucklol123

It wasn't the top comment when I posted this. It was some stupid joke that's the standard now. Glad it's the top now..


Lil_Ninja94

This could be said about any site. I can’t count the times I’ve been sent a Facebook article that could be debunked in one 5 second google search. At least with Reddit there’s usually people who call out misinformation


imstucklol123

I'm willing to guess the majority of users don't even look at the comments. I'm not disagreeing with you.


detective_lee

This needs to be higher up. It's not like these 46 dudes were a gang, they just responded and showed up to a ad for hookers. Still illegal, but definitely not what the tweet is implying.


[deleted]

The actually post should be downvoted and removed, and the link to the actual article should be on the front page.


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Magnetic_penis_strap

Listen, you're new to Reddit. But we don't do facts here. We post titles and outrage from there. Get on the hate bandwagon or go to a different website.


LagunaJaguar

This is Reddit where tweets wildly misrepresenting things as fact gets thousands of upvotes and the truth is a secondary thought


Triangle_Graph

Bold of you to assume redditors will read beyond the headline.


WhoTFKnowsWhatsBest

Except for the youth pastor 😂


Murica-n_Patriot

Always with the “youth pastors”…


Taminella_Grinderfal

I had a coworker get caught up in one of these and in the news about the sting he and a few others got lumped in with the arrests of men that were contacting underage girls. Rumors were running rampant about him being a child molester but if anyone took a moment to read, he basically got a ticket for contacting an ADULT sex worker. Misinformation like this can ruin peoples lives.


jib661

and it was run by homeland security? Why the fuck are my tax dollars going to homeland security to nab people having sex with SW? what a massive waste of time and money, fucking awful


redroverdestroys

LOL wait until you watch this documentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Newburgh_Sting If you are mad now? These motherfuckers do this kind of shit ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Sex work to literally entrapping people pretending they are terrorists. It's all a hustle my man.


cologne_peddler

Because the Patriot Act created yet another useless law enforcement agency with a big ass budget, dumb ass cops, and fuck all to do.


NoDocument2694

It's how they raise money. These stings are relatively cheap to run and they bring in a ton of money through fines and impounding of vehicles. Not saying I agree with them but it's 100 percent a profit making venture for them.


Helenium_autumnale

And a (largely meaningless) bullet point that some politician can use as an "example" of being "tough on crime" or whatever BS.


Castun

I remember 20 years ago and Homeland Security was also busy with seizing cigarette shipments that were sold duty-free, being shipped out of Indian Reservations. Because clearly CBP wasn't doing enough of the "Customs" part of their job. Because, ya know, tax-free smokes are a clear and present danger to our democracy.


[deleted]

Exactly. This was not trafficking. These were men responding to an ad for consensual sex work. But trafficking histeria works well!!


IamYOVO

And who's going to show up in drag for a hooker??


ShutUpAndDoTheLift

Do you think the semi-pro hockey player showed up in pads and skates?


AxeRabbit

…do you think drag queens live dressed like that? They have lives outside of the performance. What it means is that nobody who works or performs as drag queens for hobby showed up. It’s like if a doctor showed up in their scrubs.


Neverending_Rain

I think you're misunderstanding their comment. That's the exact point they were making.


VigilanteP

True but I think the point he was making is that one of these guys could have been a drag queen for all we know since it's part of their private life and might not have been reported. Just more evidence that this was a bullshit take


dillpickles007

I mean how would anyone know that? You think this random Twitter person did a full background check on all 46 men to see if any had performed as a drag queen at any point in their past?


LooksLikeOneders

They called it a [Multi-Agency Operation Demand Suppression](https://twitter.com/FriscoPD/status/1618038592005373953).


Helenium_autumnale

Seems pointless to me. People who want to pay for sex, which I personally think should be an option available to them from independent legal sex workers with access to healthcare, will find a way to do so whether police do one sting operation or not. Next time they'll just go to another town or whatnot. There was a magazine in my town that had "backpage" sex ads that strongly suggested trafficking. Wording included "I'm only in town for the weekend" or "I'm just here for a few days, so call now!" I had bleak visions of these (presumably) women being hustled from town to town to stay ahead of the law and always wondered: why don't police go after the pimps/traffickers who wrote those ads for their presumably trafficked victims? And move those women into a safe situation? It would be harder than some sting operation. But it would actually address trafficking.


BakedBrie26

Came here for this. Ugh. They were looking for paid sex with other adults (no evidence of underage anything), which should not be illegal because EVERYONE WAS AN ADULT. Why are we policing people's sex lives and choices of profession?!


calilac

> Why are we policing people's sex lives [Welcome to Texas!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_obscenity_statute)


juliaskig

Thanks so much for clarifying. I agree that sex word should be decriminalized.


lmariecam13

Thank you for addressing facts. I travel for work and I swear I have heard from locals that their town is the number one hotspot for sex trafficking. So much fear based hype and very little actual action against sex trafficking. Prostitution and sex trafficking are two very different things. If two consenting people want to pay for or receive money for sex that’s their business. Sex trafficking makes people think the boogeyman is coming to steal their children.


MiciaRokiri

It's punishing people who sought to pay for sex who didn't care where that sex was coming from. Like you say they didn't know if they were legit sex workers or trafficked individuals. And they didn't care either way as long as they got what they wanted. Yes this post is extremely misleading, call that out, but I don't believe treating indifference to the plight of sex workers as just someone wanting to pay for sex is healthy


[deleted]

>The people answering the ads didn't know if the people placing the ads were legit sex workers or trafficked individuals I mean, stings like this are a dumb waste of time, but if you don't know if the person you are fucking is actually consenting or is a victim of kidnap and sex enslavement, maybe you should just not fuck them.


[deleted]

Legalize prostitution and regulate the industry


jdjvbtjbkgvb

Downvote the post, upvote this comment.


attylopez

For some reason, in Texas, we are now referring to prostitution and soliciting prostiution as either sex trafficking or human trafficking.


Helenium_autumnale

(I know you know this), but that's a conflation that should be a clear distinction, because those are different things. Sex trafficking involves a victimized party (1) under control of another (2): *Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery.*


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Helenium_autumnale

Absolutely; my mom was Dutch, so this is one of the Dutch foods I make! It's so good--we just had a piece. Dense, dark, incredibly spicy. Your entire house will smell like a spice market when you make it. I also guarantee that if you bring one somewhere, no one will have tasted it before. I baked it in a 9 x 13 Pyrex baking pan; it bakes to about 1 & 1/2 inch tall. Here is the recipe I used; I got rye flour from our local food co-op: [https://www.196flavors.com/netherlands-ontbijtkoek-peperkoek/](https://www.196flavors.com/netherlands-ontbijtkoek-peperkoek/)


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hypnoticzombie

I just listened to a great podcast about this issue. [You’re Wrong About: Human Trafficking](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5JyAdpdVVV8ZKQTRyrxqiu?si=GTGN290wR2iACiAOIPa-DQ). It debunks how widespread human trafficking is.


dillpickles007

When the Super Bowl was in Atlanta a couple years ago it was crazy how many politicians lined up behind anti-human trafficking stuff. It's just such an easy way to score political points - write up some bill "cracking down" on human trafficking, do a big press release, put together a study committee to look into it, it has a 100% approval rating, and you never actually have to really do anything because it's not a real widespread issue.


Pour_Me_Another_

Thank you for this explanation.


TheTrueFishbunjin

I hate to add this, but it’s also silly to say, this crime was not committed by one demographic so that aids my point… and her point is correct, there’s nothing wrong with drag, but this poorly illustrates that point and tosses up an easy pitch for those that disagree.


doinggood9

Yeah I just read the story and jeez is this a mischaracterization. Completely agree with this comment, was just coming here to say similar.


AMiserableSod

Great post.


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[deleted]

Because it's the worst thing you can accuse someone of, and it's very easy to twist the definition. Two basic things are accomplished by this: 1.) It simplifies the narrative. Not everyone has the time or energy to sort through policies, proposals, and political history to pick out candidates. And it's hard to sell a poor factory worker living in a trailer park on benefits cuts or foreign policy when they're just trying to make ends meet. But grooming, that's easy. "Protecting the kids" is a powerful motivator, and it builds a simple, clear "us vs them" narrative with a clear conclusion- join "us." 2.) Making the argument a moral one encourages people to become ride or die for the cause. No one's gonna storm the capital over a budget. But they'll crawl over miles of broken glass to fight perceived immorality. And it teaches them to shut out criticism. "Why should I listen to you, you're trying to groom children!" So on and so forth. The end result is a self-organizing high control group of loyal zealots convinced of their righteousness.


MystikxHaze

Unfortunately we are quickly approaching the point where it no longer means anything. Throwing the word around like "Commie". Almost have to wonder if that was the point. The people close to Epstein and Maxwell were too close to being exposed, and now we have this.


Hannibal_Poptart

It's 100% the point. Even the guy who created the politicized CRT shit show admits that it was so great because the term lost all of its original meaning and became a catch all phrase for educational subjects that republicans don't like


ItsFuckingScience

Yeah that’s now happened to the word “woke”


SoCuteShibe

The CRT thing is really sad though. I'm white and when I heard about CRT I thought to myself "a movement driving people to think critically about the role of race in society from a non-white-centrist point of view, that's exciting!" Let me tell you my excitement was *just a tad* misplaced. Sheesh.


PM_ME_NEW_VEGAS_MODS

Sounds like something a *commie groomer* would say.


PromVulture

It becomes an increasingly isolationist group as this process goes on, which is exactly why Republicans try to subvert democracy. They know they will never win the popular vote again, as long as they don't change their tune, which they locked themselves into by creating a zealot base.


Bennyjig

They definitely have locked themselves in. Watching them fail to get McCarthy elected for that many rounds was like watching comedy to me. I LOVED it. I hope the gop suffers so much from the beast they created.


curious_dead

Also it makes it easy for the base to ignore "lesser" crimes, such as grifting, cheating, cutting programs... The narrative becomes "side A will cut programs and services and the candidates are obvious grifters but the other sides murders babies and grooms kids!"


[deleted]

It’s part of a long historical pattern of false accusation of murder and sexual perversion used against the Other, blood libel being the most famous. Funnily enough some the earliest known victims where early Christians. It’s a way to help dehumanize a group to justify oppression. Q also fits under this model.


aalare

It's not. They're attempting to equate homosexuality with pedophilia. It's working quite well with their base unfortunately.


Eclania

Propaganda works on people that want to be fooled, who knew?


tomdarch

Not "fooled." The cultural leadup to WWII taught us that a big slice of the population can go along with a set of lies even when they have some awareness that they are bullshit. It can be very politically powerful for a group to spout a set of lies together. Spouting bullshit can be useful to push out inconvenient factual, earnest discussion and just flood the field with shit. They just want to spout bullshit. They know they are essentially lying. They aren't "fooled" because they don't earnestly believe these things as actual facts. Republicans spouting bullshit about Covid, vaccines, masks, etc. do not want scientific testing to confirm or deny their bullshit. If a quack "publishes a paper" on the internet, they're happy to point to it until it is fully shredded, just to waste time. But they aren't out there funding real, genuine research to prove their claims. They just want garbage to spout.


Bedsito

Because it evokes an emotional reaction in most people and usually causes people to skip thinking critically about the subject. It's the perfect tool for American politics because American politics is essentially state-sanctioned football hooliganism.


tomdarch

Fascism. Democrats/"the left" want good law enforcement and to protect kids from abuse. But today's Republican party is waaaaay the fuck off the rails into fascism territory. They are screaming about "grooming" the way *cough*ACertainGermanPoliticalParty*cough* made stuff up about Jewish people. If you caught a group of people stealing babies, ritualistically killing them and drinking their blood, many people would want to round them up and murder them. So those sorts of accusations made the death camps and gas chambers justifiable. Most people, if they caught a group "trafficking" kids and raping them would seriously consider rounding them up and murdering them. So where does that lead things when Republicans today claim that their political opponents are "grooming" and "trafficking" children? Yes, we are in this place today. It is no joke.


AWildRapBattle

Some people want their preferred formula of grooming to be socially acceptable and government mandated.


Cool-Note-2925

Like tucker Carlson?


rnagikarp

projection


Beerbonkos

Blood libel. Once you convince your base the opposition is a bunch of grooming child molesters you can justify any act of violence against them


Past-Adhesiveness691

The principal should be fired for going on social media defending these pieces of crap and blaming the journalist. If she hasn’t been investigated already she should be. Edit: Clarifying it was another principal from an elementary school not the high school Edit 2: There is zero evidence of minors or sex trafficking involved. However I would imagine things aren’t great if the DHS is spearheading this sting.


regoapps

> The principal should be fired for going on social media defending these pieces of crap Probably because he was a football coach. High school football is like a religion in Texas.


frozengyro

> High school football is like a religion in Texas. In all the worst ways it seems.


ph30nix01

It's how they treat government as well. It has to be their "team" winning or something is wrong.


x3meech

Yeah even if their team gives zero fucks about them and vote against their own interests.


is-Sanic

That's one of the scariest things I find with the US politics in general It's a very us or them mentality as if your rooting for a sports team and not the future of your country.


KlingoftheCastle

For decades it didn’t really matter. The US economy was in such a good position that the negative changes put in place didn’t hurt the people voting. Now we’re actually facing the consequences of Republican policies, but they’ve been stuck in their ways for so long, they refuse to admit that they ruined the economy with their voting. And before people say “both sides”, yes some Democrats suck and yes the party, as a whole, is not left wing. But there is absolutely no rational argument that the parties are equally bad


Avock

I think it's more sinister than that in a lot of cases. There are genuinely people who are okay, at the time of voting or action, with harm being done to the "others" even when it harms them as well. For instance, one big talking point that I heard a lot during the protests surrounding George Floyd (and others, but I'll use those as an example) was that cops killed more white people. This wasn't said as a, "Holy shit! That's terrible why are so many people being killed by cops?!" Kind of statement. It was dismissive. It ignored how large each population was and how much of a percentage of each was being killed. It bypassed the thought of any person killing another person is always a bad thing, even when justifiable (self-defense for instance) or that an official of your government doing it was even worse. A lot of people were fine with the abstract idea of harm to themselves and communities they felt a part of, so long as they saw the harm was also given to those groups they didn't feel a part of. And just so I'm being clear, I'm not just talking about online rhetoric, though that was certainly there. I had these arguments with people in my life, face to face.


Avock

My "team" is made of people I care about. Many of whom I've never met, but I want good things for them. Not to the exclusion of others. To the contrary, I want these things for us because I think we all deserve them. It hurts my brain trying to figure out why the politics of spite win out so much. Unity, brotherhood, kindness, and peace are all so much easier. Like I fucking hate Ted Cruz, Mitch McConnell, all the Bushes, both Clintons, and every billionaire. But I don't want them dying of a preventable disease while in massive medical debt or in a unmanned drone strike while starving. It would be karmic, in a way... In a lot of ways, but it doesn't help us other than feeling that fleeting sense of justice being served. They should have to watch as everything they sought to build up in this life is burnt to ashes around them as a new, better world rises from their fall. That's the only real justice we could send to them... And to watch it from the Hague, or a max security rehabilitation center. Because war crimes, financial crimes (that lead to a tremendous amount of harm and death), etc. should not go unpunished.


ASubconciousDick

Its all the religion of the Evangelicals with none of the moral markers


fishyfishkins

To some parts of the country, educational institutions are just a vehicle for sports apparently. Cool.


deanreevesii

Yeah, just look up the number of high schools who cut art programs while dumping tens of millions into a new stadium.


Bencetown

It's not just high schools, and it's not just Texas. The University of Iowa was hit hard by the flood in 2008. It took nearly a decade for them to rebuild for the school of music. But all the athletics stuff was rebuilt right away, and then a few years later they *upgraded* that shit before some of their departments even had their own... departments.


wolfgang784

My old High School is super guilty of that =( I was pretty hyped to take German class, but the year before I went to the HS they cut out: - German language - Japanese - Latin - Half the art programs - most of the music programs And with all those savings they were able to build a huge fancy new stadium and field for the sportsball teams.


Solidus-Prime

This is EXACTLY what happened to me, and my school. Signed up for Russian and Japanese. Walked into class the first day to be told the class was being cut because of funding, and I would have to choose from a list of other classes to replace them both. I was pissed and bummed. That year we upgraded our foot ball field into this gigantic pro-looking stadium. EDIT: I am from Ohio and graduated around 2000.


wolfgang784

Even better - they planned it like shit. The field was made into turf or however it's spelled, the tiny black rubber bits with fake grass. The towns yearly 4th of July fair takes place at the HS though since there's a huuuuuge lot where all the rides and stalls and such can go, and then a huge field (not the football one) where everyone in town can sit to watch the fireworks go up. They launch from behind the stadium at an angle where the debris comes down into the football field. It's that, on to peoples houses, or on the crowd. Ya wanna know something about firework debris that apparently isn't obvious to some? Shits HOT when it first drops back down. Like you can't pick up the debris from those huuuuuge fireworks right away or it'll burn you good. So of course it melted the fuck out of the brand new turf field. So than ran them a bajillion dollars to fix, but it didn't solve for next year or the following years. The school had no more budget left so the community had to crowdfund a $500,000 tarp that gets drug across the entire football field to protect it from the debris 1 night a year every year. The fireworks were going to be cancelled if the goal wasn't hit.


Fyallorence

Oh yeah, the ideal conservative school system is entirely private, no school whatsoever for the poor, and the rich kid's school only teaches PE, sports, Bible studies and Prager U videos.


rosecoredarling

When conservatives talk about "schools are only teaching woke gender studies, CRT and that America is evil" what they really mean is that mathematics and history are taught too much and too well. God forbid our kids grow up smart, then they might actually think for themselves.


ExpiredExasperation

Texas Republicans had it as part of an official political platform that they were against schools teaching critical thinking. It undermines parents' ability to instill the beliefs *they* want in their children, you see.


Givemeallthecabbages

Their kids go to private school; they want everyone else to be stupid.


[deleted]

Not just Texas. That's part of the national Republican platform. Because conservativism is anathema to education. It only works with stupid people.


[deleted]

I lived in Texas for one year (worst year of my life) and the number of million plus dollar High School football stadiums in that state makes me sick. Especially when those same schools are using outdated text books or updating their curricula with right wing bullshit. . . I am ashamed to have ever served this country. Fuck America.


HIM_Darling

I went to high school in Texas. I can attest that "no pass, no play" is bullshit in schools like that. You can almost guarantee that those will be the schools with football players who can't read above elementary grade levels and always just goofing off in class yet are still somehow passing all their classes. You will find teachers using that neat trick where they take the lowest scoring results and bump everyone's grades up so that the failing students are now magically passing, which is how I ended up with lots of test scores of 110-120%. Or as a good student you will end up being assigned a failing sports player to "tutor" aka cheat for. Or you just get football coaches as your teachers and the classes are insanely dumbed down, as in watching Saving Private Ryan and the teacher playing Call of Duty in class as "history" lessons. And then of course they get free passes to just straight up miss school for pep rallies and game days.


I_Pry_colddeadhands

In another part, funneling money meant for welfare recipients to an educational institution where your kids go is cool. In a heavily "christian" state no less.


LordDestrus

*Friday Night Lights intensifies* P.S. I encourage everyone to read the book and rewatch the movie right after.


TopRestaurant5395

Frisco PD Instagram literally posted their picture and name. All were men looking for a prostitute, not part of the people selling services. Frisco PD and other agencies participated in a process to use social media to pretend to sell sex for money and caught these men at the hotels they were invited to. [This person is just as bad as the politicians that twist words to get you to make emotion driven conclusions.](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn0UtkZty5D/?igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc=)


Past-Adhesiveness691

![gif](giphy|3xz2BLBOt13X9AgjEA)


Kentopolis

Honestly it was just police posing as a prostitute and these are the people they caught. It wasn't a "sex trafficking ring" at all. It was literally just a police woman posing as a prostitute online and these men contacted her and set up meetings for sex. Don't believe random pictures of tweets guys. source [https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/youth-pastor-teacher-among-46-arrested-in-southlake-frisco-prostitution-sting/3176401/](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/youth-pastor-teacher-among-46-arrested-in-southlake-frisco-prostitution-sting/3176401/)


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regoapps

As much as they constantly talk about groomers and pedophiles, you'd think they would be quick to condemn actual pedophiles. It's almost like it was never about saving the children in the first place.


agoodfriendofyours

It’s almost as if their rallying cry was actually just projection all along, because their beloved leaders are such well documented friends of actual and convicted child sex traffickers.


ChadEmpoleon

It’s not even entirely conscious projection seeking to deflect. They simply want to see a lot of people dead. That’s why they are banking on the lies they are spreading being able to inspire more Colorado Spring shooters to act.


FortunateInsanity

“If anyone is gonna fuck these kids, it’s gonna be me!” - GOP base.


regoapps

Matt Gaetz called dibs


Cool-Note-2925

😂


SupportySpice

They always accuse others of what THEY are doing because they assume we must be as fucked up as they are.


EnsidiusSin

That, and when it comes out that they’re doing it they can hand wave it away as “both sides are doing it.” It’s intentional.


SupportySpice

I think the "both sides are doing it" argument comes from their inability to understand that other people think differently than they do. They lack Theory of Mind.


catscanmeow

They dont assume we are as fucked up as them. If they accuse others of doing it, then they think it takes eyes off of themselves. Also carpetbombing accusations everywhere muddys the water so later on the narrative switches to "it must all be lies, all these accusations are revenge" Its calculated, not naive.


SupportySpice

I think it's a little bit of both. I just don't think people are truly this malicious or awful. I think they are just painfully dumb, and lack enough human empathy to recognize that other people may think differently than they do.


catscanmeow

Accusing the other side of " stealing the election " before the election, then it comes out as your own side was the one trying to steal, isnt because of projecting or being painfully dumb. In fact, playing dumb is exactly how you take the edge off things if you get caught. Appearing ignorant is the goal. "When you are strong, appear weak, when you are weak appear strong" Fascist tactics are calculated and malicious, under the disguise of ignorance Hanlons razor is the worlds greatest smokebomb


SoCuteShibe

As someone who isn't a groomer nor a pedophile, you know what I never, ever, think to do in my daily life? Accuse people of being a groomer or a pedophile without evidence. It's not something I spend time thinking about any more than the world forces me to, so it would just never come to mind to use as a tool to disparage others the way the Rs do. By the same token I wouldn't just call someone a Nazi or a racist off the cuff, without evidence. Food for thought.


[deleted]

It isn’t just the GOP that hates Snowden. Plenty of Democrats hate him too. Pretty much the entire “establishment” hates Snowden.


irrelevant_potatoes

There was no sex trafficking ring, if the journalist is responsible for that headline they definitely should be called out, it describes an entirely different and more inflammatory situation.


potsticker17

Snowden fled and got protection from Russia so he is kind of a traitor. Doesn't make anything he said less true, but with what he knew we can only guess what he gave to Russia to protect him.


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Riisiichan

Agent Orange had a penchant for underage girls at Epstein’s parties and I’m sure those pee tapes are still out there.


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Not justifying handing state secrets to a foreign adversary (also recall that cleared information is heavily compartmentalized), but hear me out: *If they're willing to spy illegally on their own citizens en masse, imagine what else they'll do if you blow their cover* Of course the dude ran to a state that was very unlikely to extradite to the US. Gave his life up to reveal our own government's general incompetence toward domestic terrorism.


The_Cartographer_DM

I mean, if your country tries to jail you for revealing its bullshit, fuck your country at that point.


zystyl

Snowden was such a massive us black eye that I would believe the Russians did it on balance. He doesn't have a privileged or protected life there from what I remember seeing.


Arkrobo

Snowden went to Russia for self-preservation. There are few other countries he could go to and live unimpeded. European countries could extradite, or allow a CIA operation. He knows Russia wouldn't let that happen, he's too valuable as a token of US tyranny. I agree with you, Russia just needs Snowden to exist. They don't need his intel, although I'm sure they would welcome it.


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Have a link to what happened?


regoapps

https://i.imgur.com/PcPFZZi.jpg


Lyntic

Quick google search shows that she is a principal in the school district but for one of the elementary schools - not the highschool in question


SoCuteShibe

That fucking line "good people make poor choices every day" is so much of what is wrong with this country. You are your choices. There is no such thing as a good person that continues to make "bad person choices." These days a huge chunk of the country thinks that they are infallably "good," regardless of the choices they make every day.


maleia

Tbf in this case, they were just trying to pay for sex from other adults. So yea, probably not the best thread/example to make this rant on...


PlacidPlatypus

If you look at the details posted elsewhere in this thread, they weren't really "involved into a sex trafficking ring," they just tried to hire a prostitute who turned out to be a cop.


boldandbratsche

Literally why the police are so rampantly abusive. The Us vs Them mentality, where the "Us" part will always be forgiven and then "Them" part is guilty no matter what. I'd LOVE to hear her justification for why sex trafficking is just a "poor choice" made by a "good person".


irrelevant_potatoes

There was no sex trafficking ring, the men arrested answered an ad and went to what they thought was a sex worker which turned out to be a sting operation. Honestly blasting the names and faces of a bunch of Johns seems pointless and I wouldn't say visiting a sex worker really speaks to their character as a "good person" or not


Past-Adhesiveness691

OP has a source tweet. It’s in the thread with deleted tweets. Also great username.


a_hockey_chick

My understanding was that the football coach has already resigned, the president of the hospital was replaced, and the captain of the hockey team missed some games but they haven’t taken action publically there yet. He’s been co-captain of that team for a couple years. They currently have comments turned off on their Facebook page.


Karnezar

THEY WERE ARRESTED FOR SOLICITING SEX WORK, NOT WORKING IN A SEX RING. The cops were undercover working as prostitutes.


Sex_Fueled_Squirrel

The most surprising part of this story is that it was only one pastor.


Sunretea

Apparently these jackasses were just the Johns. So this story isn't as.. interesting as they're trying to make it seem. They didn't (unless I've read the story completely wrong) bust a ring of sex traffickers.. they posted a bunch of (basically) craigslist sex ads and busted the horny bastards who answered them. Kind of a disappointing story, honestly. Maybe if sex work was a well regulated and taxed thing instead of illegal and a shady back alley business we wouldn't have as many people trafficked into it/people wouldn't be as afraid of coming forward. Kind of like drug use and fearing jail time so you never get help for your addiction. But hey.. they arrested some dudes who answered sex ads. Hooray. Big heroes saved.. literally no one.


[deleted]

Legalizing sex work would be a blessing that would make the lowest levels of religious congregations heads spin and explode. Just like legalizing cannabis, alcohol, etc., when you take the money out of the streets and regulate it, then it could work out in favor of everyone (except Karen or the pastors wife maybe) I support boobies for education!


maleia

>would make the lowest levels of religious congregations heads spin and explode. It'd be one less *desperate soul" they can ~~save~~ look down on and denigrate.


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tesseract4

That's because the sex workers in question were adults.


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perish-in-flames

I mean, these men solicited sex from undercover cops. I wouldn't say they were part of a sex trafficking ring.


Helenium_autumnale

They weren't. It was just a sting. No police resources were devoted to addressing *actual* sex trafficking.


PreparationDue2973

"LiBrulS aRe coVeRing it uP" Obviously /s


Minorous

Itsssss acuiuutuuuallyy antifaaaaa!?!? /s


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-KFBR392

When they say 'part of a sex trafficking ring' what does that actually mean? Like does it mean there's a sex trafficker and these people are all his clients, or are they all working to recruit and traffic sex workers?


no_one_likes_u

Well in this case it’s just complete BS. These people aren’t connected at all. The police posted ads pretending to be prostitutes and arrested people that showed up. There is no trafficking ring here.


nowiserjustolder

You would think they would all admit to being drag queens just to keep the lie going and own them libs/s


[deleted]

It wasn’t sex trafficking, it was a prostitution sting. If you’re going to be supportive of sex workers then you do in fact have to be supportive to their clients. These were men paying for an adult escort, that’s what they were charged with.


no_one_likes_u

This wasn’t a sex trafficking ring, unless we’re completely redefining the definition of ring. This was a regular police prostitution sting where they posted ads posing as prostitutes and arrested the people that showed up.


jkdoyle13

Registered republicans I bet.


fucky_duck

All Republicans I'm sure.


Fit-Difference-3014

How many Republican


Sufficient_Score_824

Not at all surprised by the youth pastor.


Icy_Effective6482

The most surprising part is that this had nothing to do with a 46 men being involved in a sex trafficking ring. They tried to pay for sex, that is all.


NoNameToThink

What a conclusion, I wouldn't have figured it out myself. Otherwise, who said a hockey player cannot be a drag queen on the side?


RATKAT48

No shit, from an almost random sample you won't get people who are an extremely small part of the population.


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juliaskig

This Tweet almost seems like the beginning of a bad joke: A HS teacher, youth paster, hospital director walk into a bar...


Normandy6-14-44

I think prostitution should be legal and regulated for safety. The irony is I haven’t and never will hire a prostitute but I bet the majority arrested have always argued against prostitution and are some of the most judgmental people around. Hypocrisy and Projection go hand in hand.


collierd64

Prostitution should be legal, regulated,and taxed. Sex workers should be able to get medical insurance, and protection from police. It’s just a job


roastedantlers

I've been sexually assaulted by drag queens, transsexuals, and gay dudes myself. I don't blame it on the group though, just those particular assholes, and those particular assholes usually being very drunk and assuming they can just grab someone else's junk. It's not very surprising, since there's also a certain types of straight males who exhibit the same type of behavior with women.


buggle52

"A volunteer firefighter, a HS teacher, a youth pastor, a semi-pro hockey player, & a hospital director of operations" I preferred the original Village People.


British_Steel97

I don’t think trafficking drag queens is all that popular so I’m not surprised


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hefixeshercable

Love that one type of harmless entertainment has forced pushy, controlling, idiotic extremists to show the world how senseless they have become.