Leid Stories

In the aftermath of mass killings--most recently in Virginia Beach, 12 killed May 31; in El Paso, Texas, 20 killed Aug. 3; and within hours of that slaughter, nine killed in Dayton, Ohio--the lone gunmen who perpetrated the unprovoked attacks were said to have been motivated by supremacy.

But what is white supremacy? 

In opening this discussion yesterday, Leid Stories found that definitions were both broad and imprecise, although most understood white supremacy to be a lopsided power arrangement specifically designed to benefit whites over all other racial groups. 

Many callers said they believed the mass killings were linked to a deep resentment by ultranationalist white Americans that they have been losing social, political and economic ground to nonwhite racial groups, thereby threatening what they see as their longstanding dominance or supremacy over all others in all aspects of American life.

The conversation continues.

It has become part of the national lexicon--the term "white supremacy"--but what does it mean? 

Leid Stories listeners discuss their understanding of the term.

Leid Stories' weekly open forum, "Free Your Mind Friday," invites you to share your views on the issues of the day or any subject about which you have special knowledge.

President Donald Trump left El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, yesterday relatively unscathed by Democratic Party  officials, who in the aftermath of mass killings in both cities just days before, blamed his white-supremacist racism for inspiring the killers' deadly attacks. 

Locals protested his condolence visits, but Trump was shielded from them. In brief statements he made in El Paso and Dayton, he condemned the attacks and praised local law enforcement and first responders for saving lives and preventing even greater calamity.

And then, with news conferences purged of "fake" media and "hostile" reporters, Trump turned on the Democrats and his critics, having no opposition.

Leid Stories says the Democrats lost a very important battle yesterday that would be hard to recoup from.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be in El Paso, Texas, today to console the grieving city, still reeling from a lone gunman's unprovoked attack on Aug. 3 that left 20 people dead and 26 wounded.

The attacker suffered with mental illness and was not motivated by racial hatred, Trump has said, disavowing any influence his racist rants and white-nationalist ideology may have had. 

In the aftermath of this and other recent mass killings, however, Trump's racist beliefs have been cited as a key influencer for the gunmen's attacks. 

In Virginia Beach on May 31, 12 people were killed and 6 were wounded in a lone-gunman attack. Within hours, In Dayton, Ohio, nine were killed and 27 wounded in a similar attack.

Leid Stories awaits Trump's contention that in no way did he influence these mass killings.

Yesterday's discussion focused on recent mass killings in Virginia Beach, El Paso and Dayton as unique manifestations of violence in American life.

Twelve were killed, six wounded, in a lone gunman's attack in Virginia Beach on May 31. Twenty died and 26 wounded in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3, in the deadliest mass killing so far this year. And within hours, nine others died and 27 were wounded in a mass killing in Dayton, Ohio. Even for a nation steeped in the culture of violence, the deadly attacks were too much to bear; the madness must end, the nation said.

Leid Stories focuses today on what is shaping up to be heavy political fallout.

Twelve are killed, six wounded, in a lone gunman's attack in Virginia Beach on May 31. Twenty die and 26 are wounded in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3, in the deadliest mass killing so far this year. Within hours, nine die, and 27 are wounded, in a mass killing in Dayton, Ohio. 

It may be possible, at the end of extensive investigation, for investigators to identify who is responsible for these crimes. But even so, not all questions will be answered.

Leid Stories listeners raise their own questions about these tragedies as well as others that have yielded few answers.

We're here for you! We want to hear what you're thinking--whether about the issues of the day or issues matters to you. Your opinions and ideas are the "stars" of the show.

Thirsty for some friendly verbal combat? Throw down your gauntlet at our weekly open forum. 

Call 888-874-4888 and free your mind!

The Democratic Party last night wrapped up its second round of presidential "debates" at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan.

Considering it's the halfway point in a four-city tour, what's shaping up to be the Democratic bill of particulars against Trump?

The Fox Theater in Detroit, Mich., is the venue once again for the Democratic Party's traveling "debates" featuring 20 candidates vying for the nation's top job in the 2020 presidential election.

Last night, 10 candidates, half of the contingent, squared off at the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan. Another group of 10 will be presented tonight.

Leid Stories listeners share their reactions to last night's contenders, and explain why these "debates" are more like Q&A sessions.