Opinion

 I'm going to throw this out on the metaphorical stoop and see if the allegorical cat licks it up:

No one deserves to be shot. 

TanDaGod, an East Bay rapper, was shot and killed last weekend. She was attending the Grand Opening of Glamor Beauty Supply on Telegraph Avenue this past Saturday when someone came through the gate and started shooting. The gunman wasn't shooting at anyone else. He was just shooting at her according to eyewitness accounts. TanDaGod, whose real name was Alliauna Green, had been invited to preform because she was an outspoken advocate for black-owned businesses. The owner of Glamor Beauty Supply worried that no one would come to her shop now, fearing for their safety. 

There were those who said that a verbal altercation led to the rapper's death. Which is the story of far too many young people in the East Bay. A war of words ends with a hail of bullets. For far too many folks in the United States this is known as "conflict resolution." 

Meanwhile, the chicken/egg debate continues to be had about whether its the guns or the people doing the killing. Perhaps we can agree to the middle ground: people with access to guns kill people. 

I mention all this because of what I feel is a very unsettling conversation taking place in living rooms and on street corners around the country. And on stage. In Australia. Over the weekend during a break in a Tenacious D concert in Sydney, Jack Black presented his bandmate Kyle Gass with a birthday cake. Gass was encouraged to make a wish, to which he responded, "Don't miss Trump next time." So taken aback by this over-the-top response, Mister Black announced that he would be cancelling the rest of the shows on the tour, leaving his thirty year partnership with Gass in doubt. 

Jack Black is by no means a fan of Donald Trump. He has referred to him openly as "a threat to democracy" and made numerous appearances in support of President Biden. But this was apparently beyond the pale even for the star of Shallow Hal. 

Corey Comperatore, a firefighter from Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania did not deserve to be shot. 

TanDaGod, East Bay Rapper, did not deserve to be shot. 

Donald Trump, yes him, did not deserve to be shot. 

Anybody check on that cat yet?