By: Diane Benjamin
The below appeared in the Lexington newspaper and evidently the Normalite. h/t a reader
Chris Koos needs an order of protection? I hope he doesn’t believe a piece of paper signed by a judge protects him!
Since there are too many No Gun Allowed locations in Illinois, I suggest the mayor get this: https://byrna.com/
Why does the publication date at the bottom show January dates in 2024?
Weird court isn’t until February
Firstly, I’d recommend making sure everything about this is true to anyone who is reading.
Secondly, I love the way this is written. . . You acted confused about a Mayor requesting an Order of Protection and then proceeded to say that, ” I hope he doesn’t believe a piece of paper signed by a judge protects him!”
You see the hypocrisy right? You said that you were surprised that he needed protection and then insinuated that he can’t be protected by the law.
Oh, and out of curiosity, which places have a no-gun policy that you believe SHOULD allow guns? Our schools, small businesses, public parks? You know, because it’s so lame that we can’t walk around and pretend like we’re cowboys in an old westerner film and now we have to conceal our firearms. . . But that’s because of the woke and liberal media! Not, and this is crazy, because of the violent gun-crimes happening literally everywhere in America.
Do you realize how much gun violence affects communities like our own? Do you really believe the solution is to push more guns out? Ridiculous.
Switzerland requires guns in every home. If you know someone is going to shoot back you don’t shoot first. This isn’t difficult
Perhaps you should move to Switzerland? Do everyone here a favor? I’m sure you’ll be taken among them well, except for the fact they are very vocal about combating climate change. . . You know, the hoax?
(Side note, but if Climate Change is a hoax how do you explain why the last 10 years have been the hottest 10 years in recorded history? How do you explain that 2024 was the hottest year yet?)
Singapore has the strictest gun laws in the world and violent gun crimes are in the single digits, with 0.02% yearly estimated deaths relating to firearms. There was 220 in Switzerland. . . Which doesn’t sound like a lot until you understand their incredibly low population. Also, Switzerland is entirely unique to the U.S. . . They aren’t comparable. From population to school systems, geography to urban areas, Switzerland is completely different. To compare the two is to ignore the amount of issues that America is facing that Switzerland hasn’t even heard of.
Also, it’s easy to say this isn’t difficult when it’s not your generation that has to have school shooter drills in schools. It’s easy to say that it’s not difficult when it’s not your communities that face death after death after death, when it’s not your children who have been shot in a random robbery gone wrong like so many parents in our areas.
From personal incidents to statistics, gun violence needs to be combated. The solution is to give the people safety, to clean up our streets from violence, and THAT’S not difficult to understand.
Ever had a nuclear attack drill at school? Schools are shooting galleries because teachers aren’t allowed to be armed. Students are easy targets. Enjoy liberal mentality.
Middle Ages were warmer than now. That’s why liars don’t quote temps back more than 6-7 decades.
The nuclear attack drill was there because it was a pressing issue at the time that finally got contested. Actually, it’s a really good analogy. It scared Americans so we built lots and lots of nukes, but it only led to more retaliation. . . The only time we crossed the threshold of safety is once we stopped building them and started to dismantle them. To make more guns and distribute them is to allow for more violence.
Also, we didn’t have accurate ways of reading temperature in the middle ages. The fact I have to say that is absolutely ridiculous. People don’t quote it because in the middle aged texts there were reports of seeing dragons and unicorns, people reported seeing vikings and demigods, oh, and the small and pressing issue that people couldn’t take a temperature. . .
Also, it makes me want to throw up that you just said students are easy targets. You wrote that out and clicked send? Really? And, I have to say it again, arming the teachers has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The majority of school shootings are from students, and all you’d be doing is putting a gun in every classroom and it only takes one mistake of a teacher not locking it up before the student now has access to a gun.
Liberal mentality? No, all it is common sense, honey.
If shots are fired you will be praying for somebody with a gun.
Just check the 1930’s hotter then too.
I’d rather pray for nobody to have a gun that way shots are never fired. As for the 1930’s, where in hell did you get that information? Every major scientific outlet has confirmed, left or right, that the last decade has been the hottest decade ever.
They are paid to not go back to the 30’s. Do some research. Concrete holds heat, duh. The country is nice
Of course temperature is recorded where the heat is.
Why don’t you go to the concrete study you just sourced and take a look at the results. Because, I reiterate, the last decade has been the hottest decade. We’ve seen a growth in heat every year.
As for temperature being recorded where the heat is, no, temperature is recorded globally. Step outside and get away from your laptop, turn off Fox news, slip on a pair of your capris and go outside for a bit. . .
Public school no doubt. Propaganda works, unless you think for yourself
Diane, you can not say you think for yourself when you are an echo chamber of the most right-views I’ve ever seen. I’ve given you so many questions to distinguish yourself from Fox news and you’ve completely moved past it. It’s like you’re an AI who can only repeat things.
As for climate change, the guy who Trump appointed (note: Trump believe climate change is a hoax) even says climate change exists. Did Trump get the wrong guy? No, it’s because there isn’t a qualified scientist in the world who can say global warming isn’t real. There isn’t any propaganda about it, 97% of all scientists confirm it’s existence.
I don’t have Fox, come up with something better. If you believe in Climate Change tell me what melted the glacier that used to cover half of Illinois
Firstly, nobody believes you don’t have Fox. And be careful what you say, your loyal fan base for sure watches Fox and it wouldn’t be wise to go against that, I’m sure they’d rather watch Pete Hegseth than read your noncomedic and also (un)surprisingly racist memes that you post every weekend calling it “liberation”. Nothing about anything you posted this weekend was liberating.
As for the glacier, well, I’ve made a list:
1. Warming climate at the end of the last ice age about 15,000 years ago.
2. Changes in Earth’s orbit also led to more direct sunlight. Look it up, it’s called Milankovitch cycles and it led to more heat.
3. Increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane levels contributed to the warming.
4. Melting ice exposed darker land and water surfaces, which absorbed more sunlight and further accelerated the warming process.
And I don’t know why you singled in on “half of Illinois”, the glacier was simply a part of a much larger glacier that covered most of North America. . .
(Oh, and also, natural heating does exist. We’ve seen it over and over. However, excessive heating is called global warming. I.e., what we’re talking about. Just because the Earth goes in and out of ice ages doesn’t mean that global warming is a hoax, it actually goes to show that the earth should be heating up after an ice age. We are heating up not because of the ice age, but because of carbon emissions and a million other factors.)
Once you figure out it’s a scam to keep you poor you will be much happier. Until then use only wind and solar. Since you think I lie quit reading
Diane, you write sad articles claiming how messed up everything is and how the world is going to crap and how everyone is bad and we need more guns and the earth isn’t on fire but instead we are being lied to constantly. How could this make you happy?
Following that, I don’t read your articles because I like them. I don’t read them because I like to argue. I read them because I call them out for their BS and want to spread information that is true to your audience because you actively lie to them. Have you no responsibility to them? I don’t, and yet I would rather sit here and write comments about your lies than stay quiet.
Your audience has a right. That right is the right to true and fair information, which you have failed time and time again to give them. You won’t listen to me, but maybe they will. And if I have educated but one person on here, I’m happy.
Did you get vaxed and boosted too?
My immunization records are private. And, frankly, I’m done. I have things to do and people to see and I don’t want to make this my life. Thanks for your time?
So yes, and bye.
Funny how you trust your sources from 15,000 years ago but not Middle Ages science. BTW, Houston TX is getting 6 inches of snow on Tuesday if predictions are right. That’s warming!
Okay, do you honestly believe that I believe sources from 15,000 years ago? Do I really have to explain what modern science is and how it can determine the past?
We know about the glacier and can make accurate predictions about it based off of modern studies done today in things like our soils, plants, rocks, etc.
As for Houston getting 6 inches of snow, that’s an anomaly and isn’t only not detrimental to global warming but also EXPECTED. It’s a progression, snow will fall until it won’t. However, in the last decade the Midwest and especially Illinois has experienced less snow. Even you can see that. How do you explain that?
And since you’re so confident about Houston getting snow, what technology do you think predicted that? Cause it wasn’t middle age technology, Diane.
You are so funny. Have a nice day
Remember the Unit 5 teacher murdered by her Ex? She had one. Criminals don’t care
That’s literally to my point, Diane.
That paper doesn’t work?
There are millions and millions of guns in America would I like there to be none you bet but be realistic that will never happen
And guaranteed any criminal and unfortunately there are thousands with guns and they will never give them up voluntarily.
So what is the fix? Sad to say arm yourself and learn to shoot straight because unfortunately the police aren’t involved until the crime has been committed.
What ever happened to the Danenberger case ?
Waiting for him to refile since his first try failed
Like it or not locallysourced, peace is enforced at the end of a gun barrel.
I see your logic and I understand that there is a safety in owning a gun. Nobody is saying that we take the guns of law abiding citizens away, they have done nothing to deserve that and could be the reason that they avoid death. However, a progressive effort to manufacture less guns over time (like, decades, not months) and universal background checks to make sure guns aren’t going into the hands of criminals doesn’t seem crazy, does it?
Additionally, more restrictions on obtaining a void card could save lives. And, if we’re brainstorming, initiatives to make therapy more accessible and less expensive to veterans and other people who are at risk of PTSD or other mental illnesses.
People around me find safety in owning a gun, and I find safety in them having one. But that doesn’t mean everyone should.
Criminals don’t comply with laws like getting a FOID card. Those just penalize law abiding citizens.
Since you’ve made my newest comment not public, I’ll repeat it.
Diane, I’m trying to make this a productive conversation. People want productive conversations. Perhaps one of the reasons you can’t seem to obtain office is because you walk into a conversation with your mind made up, mainly off of inaccurate far-right propaganda. I reiterate, you can’t hold office because even your most loyal supporters don’t trust you to be a productive leader.
It’s easy to judge people when you aren’t capable of being judged. You easily judge elected officials on your low-grade platform and whenever you get asked a question (of any topic) you dodge it.
Look, on here I’m LocallySourced, but I’m also a longtime resident of McLean county and Central Illinois who has gotten involved a lot in the recent months. I’ve met people of all kinds and none of them seem to peeve me quite like you. And, nobody seems to be okay with the fact that they peeve me except for you. You take pride in being an overly annoying and frustrating person, much like a child, but haven’t you realized that’s exactly why you’re nothing more than an infamous reporter?
I’ve made so many attempts to have a conversation and you’ve dodged it. I even called some praises of yours because you put the work into your job, but you also have a responsibility when you publish articles. You have a responsibility to the people, and to the truth. And you’ve neglected both of those responsibilities.
People who know me outside of my comments would say I’m funny, but they’d also say I’m an advocate. That’s why I’m here, on your platform where even the most progressive leaders in the area stay clear of. I’m here to spread the truth, let the people who read your articles that there is a world out there full of people who are trying to obtain office to make our communities stronger. People like Cody Hendricks, who’s running for Mayor of Bloomington, and other candidates whom you’ve trashed.
If anyone is reading this, I’d encourage you to go out and to speak to not only incumbent elected officials, but also candidates. Speak to Cody Hendricks, Chemberly Harris, people who are running for your city counsel, mayor, school boards, etc. It’s not until you have a conversation with them that you realize that they have a vision and it’s not until you’ve met them that you want to buy into that vision or look elsewhere.
Look, left or right, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, our communities need doers. Doers who get things done for the community, for the people. People who can be trusted to make the best decisions to make a higher quality of life for all of us. We are a small county around a town that is literally called Normal, but we have the unique opportunity of meeting the people we put into power. Don’t just read Quid Pro Quo Cody, or any other articles, meet them. Seriously, go out and meet them.
That’s my advice for the day, my word of wisdom. Diane, we haven’t seen eye to eye but I would really like to connect and have a real conversation. Heck, we could do it right here on your platform for everyone to see. This won’t be meant to make you or I look stupid, but to educate the people and get to know the conservative blogger who, for better or for worse, has been covering news for a long time.
Thanks. Get out there.
You aren’t here for conversation! You exist, while too afraid to use a real name, to prove conservatives are wrong. I refuse to converse with the propagandized. It’s a waste of time.
I don’t use a real name because the majority of people on here don’t. And I’m not trying to prove conservatives are wrong, I’m trying to find a middle ground. YOU as an individual are wrong a lot, but you don’t represent the conservative party. As for a waste of time, do you have anything better to do? Look up more memes? Get real.
And while you may not want doers, the majority of citizens do. We want action taken. We pay these people for their work to make a higher quality of living. It seems like you dislike government because you couldn’t find your place in it.
Of course socialists do. The rest don’t. You live in a progressive bubble. Those who know history understand limited government.
Know history? Let’s go toe to toe in history, Diane. Lets see.
Going to use the 1619 project? I don’t have time for you today or ever. Worthless waste of time
Come on, we both know you have nothing better to do. Cover a new story? Funny, you claim to report News Nobody Reports but the majority of your stories are over-reported. You did the inauguration this morning. . . Besides that, the only news you report that other people don’t is just uninteresting.
Report whoever is holding a gun to your head forcing you to read! People with fake identities spewing hate won’t get comments posted in the future
I already answered that I don’t read for myself, I read because I want to get the whole truth out there to your readers who don’t think to fact-check you. Also, I don’t have a fake identity, I just don’t put my name on this platform. . . I don’t see why you have such a problem with that, lots of people on here use usernames. Besides, what would you do if I had my identity out there? I’m involved locally, you can find me at events if you know where to look. In this municipal election I hope to be active.
I know who those other people are. You haven’t heard fact checking is dead? Your prospective or mine isn’t the final arbitrator of truth. People decide that for themselves
Who are the majority? They aren’t here and if that was true Trump wouldn’t have been elected.
Besides the fact that your comment made no sense, Johanna, there is a lot of people with usernames that aren’t names. Look at the ones named FromHere and other people in threads. . . Not weird or unusual at all.
Those people aren’t afraid to tell ME who they are, just you.
I am not afraid of anything, I don’t see the point in saying my name because you simply don’t know me. We’ve never met, so what’s the point?
I reiterate: we’ve never met. You don’t know who I am therefor there is no point in you knowing my name. It’s kind of creepy that you continue to hassle me for my name, to be honest, and I think it leaves a bad image on your part.
I’ve never met the other either.
If you give me a legitimate reason on why I should give you my name, I will.
Because I doubt you really believe half of what you say.
I believe every. single. word. Also, don’t you own this site? Couldn’t you find my email?
Yes and no I didn’t.
I didn’t ask if you did, I asked if you COULD.
Made no sense? You mentioned that the majority feel like you do and I was asking who they are? I don’t see them here. If the majority in the public feel like you, then how is it Trump got elected? Simple question.
Okay, Johanna, holding your hand while I say this:
Firstly, voting for someone doesn’t mean that you share their beliefs and representation 100% of the time. There is a million reasons on why Trump won the election and not a single one of them is because everyone who voted for him believes everything he says. So, you should really separate voters from the person.
Secondly, I had said that the usernames on this platform majorly were not someone’s first and last name. This was in defense of mine and Diane’s conversation so A) follow along, and if you can’t do that B) stay in your lane.
Thirdly, Johanna, Trump isn’t some agreeable man. Since you decided to make the claim that the majority agree with him, you should really look at the fact that Chris Wright, his pick for the energy chief, literally said that Trump was wrong about climate change being a hoax. He called Trump wrong, because he is. So, no, he isn’t a representative of the majority, he’s the president who won the election. Not like the choices were wide.
Simple question? No, it was irrelevant and had nothing to do about the present conversation. As for them not being on here, it’s because, and I’ll say it again: this platform is an echochamber. Try again next time.
Leftists don’t hear the same news we do. This site isn’t the bubble you live in
I am so tired of you telling me that I live in a bubble. You can’t tell me that I have “liberal mindset” or “leftist views” when you lack the ability to answer any of my questions. I’ve given you so many opportunities to find middle ground with me, maybe even teach me something, and you’ve dodged it.
I don’t live in a bubble, you do. You surround yourself with crazy theories and an echochamber and anytime someone tries to work with you they have to watch as you close yourself off and ask stupid questions. I’ve tried educating you, debating, everything.
I don’t know what to say, Diane, because this is absolutely remarkable that you call me close-minded. It’s time for you to either have a real conversation with me and answer some questions (refer to Quid pro Quo Cody) or admit that you lack the competence to.
I’ve wasted enough time on you. No more.
You made the choice to turn the time we could’ve had a productive conversation into what you call a “waste”. We could’ve found middle ground, had a friendly debate, but you were absolutely non receptive in all the ways.
The fact that this was not productive was your fault and no one else’s.
Your questions were setups. If I choose not to answer that’s my choice. You can leave now.
My questions were set-ups they were opportunities for common-ground. Until next time, Diane.
It was not irrelevant, you opened the door and your comment before saying you do no research shows. I don’t know why you are wasting your time arguing on a platform you don’t agree with.
I don’t argue for myself, I argue for people who stumble across blnnews and are confused. They should see that blnews isn’t an accurate representation of McLean county. Look, I do not open doors except when I explicitly say I do. I am not metaphoric nor philosophical. I’m straight-forward and honest.
I am not arguing with you. If you thought I opened the door you are wrong. Consider this the locking of the door, or closing of the door. Bye now.
One thing: We don’t need doers. Government has a long history of screwing citizens. They aren’t spending their money so they really don’t care about consequences. Doers is how Bloomington got the Coliseum and a payment plan that doubled the cost. Remember when citizens said NO? The Doers did it anyway.