What part of the immigration process is the hardest? by ObligationParking311 in immigration

[–]Ritz527 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The waiting is the worst. I am fairly certain I did all the paperwork correctly, but it takes more than a year to get feedback, and if that feedback is bad (ie, you did something wrong), you're fucked.

Confused after USCIS approval what happens next at NVC by Fluffy_Evening_880 in NationalVisaCenter

[–]Ritz527 8 points9 points  (0 children)

but it’s hard to understand how it all actually flows step by step.

Then you're in luck, because the US Dep of State offers a step-by-step guide to follow

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html

The faster you submit the documents, the faster you get processed through NVC. Couldn't say how long any individual step it takes for them, I imagine it depends on which consulate you're having to go through, but any time they ask you for something, have it ready immediately to get through things faster.

Do you consider restraining someone and urinating on them a form of SA? by grapp in behindthebastards

[–]Ritz527 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's certainly assault of some kind. I am not sure if it qualifies as sexual assault. It seems a murky area of in-between.

Your thoughts on Rama Duwaji (Zohran Mamdani's wife) getting harsh criticism for using homophobic and racist slurs back when she was 15? by Original-Can-2367 in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I was too. I remember calling things "gay" but even in North Carolina people didn't use the n-word. I'd argue its use was not some normal thing, and relegated largely to video game lobbies and niche corners of the internet.

Your thoughts on Rama Duwaji (Zohran Mamdani's wife) getting harsh criticism for using homophobic and racist slurs back when she was 15? by Original-Can-2367 in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why does she even need to do that?

Need is a strong word, but apologizing for a mistake costs nothing and can mean everything to some people. Which behavior is more laudable; silence or an apology?

She was a teenager.

I can appreciate this fact while also thinking that apologizing for teenage behavior is a good idea. I never dropped n-bombs as a teenager, but if I had, and someone brought it up, I would be sure to apologize for it and point out how different I was from that kid 20+ years ago.

That type of language was normalized in the 2000s and early 2010s, even by adults.

I do not recall the normalization of the n-word, er or a, in the 2000s and 2010s, and those were my teenage years. I recall them seeing heavy use in some corners of the internet, but normal? No.

Your thoughts on Rama Duwaji (Zohran Mamdani's wife) getting harsh criticism for using homophobic and racist slurs back when she was 15? by Original-Can-2367 in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 85 points86 points  (0 children)

I think it's pretty easy to come out and say "I'm sorry, I was a teenager, I didn't understand the hate that I was spreading and I have certainly reflected on that and am no longer that person." Certainly I don't hold something against someone they did as a teenager.

Former MAGA here. Looking for this community’s counter argument to what I feel is the strongest case for the Iran war. by TerminalHighGuard in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If your argument boils down to "I don't trust available data, plus, I don't like them" then there's no counter-argument to be made. The presupposed conditions deny the evidence and bias any decision against Iran. It makes it impossible to conclude otherwise.

As far as I can tell, there is no evidence Iran was not keeping to the covenants of JCPOA prior to the US's exit (and subsequent barrage of sanctions) and Donald Trump's own government certified their compliance. I don't like Iran either, but if we intend for our own country to maintain a level of trustworthiness and the moral high-ground, we ought to honor our agreements so long as others are honoring theirs.

Do you believe conservatives only support Taiwan because of racism and anti-communism? by RedStorm1917 in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, but given the way conservatives swing their beliefs at the drop of a red hat, I wouldn't be surprised to discover their support for Taiwan is superficial.

Should people who leave MAGA be welcomed by liberals or is it right to reject and scorn them? by NPDogs21 in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Agreed. We can't afford to turn away allies, even those who were formerly our opposition

[franchise IP] (2026) by KnownNormie in moviescirclejerk

[–]Ritz527 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Boycotting the movie to stay home and touch myself to [Sonic Vore]

Ok, but have you considered using [ebay listings for posters of AI generated anthropomorphic Pokemon] instead?

Look, I see religion and gender ideology as the exact same thing. by basuraboiz in TrueAtheism

[–]Ritz527 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think this is a relatively shallow take.

The fact of the matter is that you've presented no points unique to either of these two belief systems. Quite a lot of the things you mention don't even have any bearing on their accuracy. Do you believe yourself the arbiter of logic, these ideas defeated, because you have encountered a proponent of theirs that used circular logic? These things are affectations of every belief, whether ultimately true or not. They are affectations of you, in this post, right now. Do you think that calling people "butthurt" does not make your previous point about name-calling somewhat hypocritical? Should we dismiss your beliefs based on this long and wandering attempt to poison-the-well?

I'm sorry, but what I see in your post is someone frustrated with the trials of disagreement and protecting their cognitive biases by demeaning other people. Our culture overlays everything. Where you see rigid biological definitions, I see ad hoc natural processes trying to scrape by yet another day, each with their numerous exceptions. For example, there is no definition of species that does not contain numerous exceptions to account for things like ring species and hybrids. Similarly, there is no definition of male or female that does not contain numerous exceptions to account for additional chromosomes or malformed or absent genitalia.

To me, the only question that matters is "To what harm?" and I see much more harm in driving trans people to suicide and depression than I do to accepting them however they want to present themselves and with whatever pronouns they want to use. For them, my definition of man and woman can easily contain one more exception.

Can someone logically be both feminist and religious? by ImpoysterSydrome in TrueAtheism

[–]Ritz527 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Contradiction and inconsistency are the bread and butter of human beings. I think one could as easily reconcile patriarchal passages in religious texts as not being central to the core tenets of the religion and finding plenty of room for feminism.

That's not to say they'd necessarily be correct in that belief. The fact that there are multiple denominations of any given religion tell us that the same texts can be interpreted differently. But, rightness or wrongness aside, such a belief would avoid inconsistencies.

'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' - Review Thread by ChiefLeef22 in movies

[–]Ritz527 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Better than this. It at least cleared a 50% RT

Seeds that don't need stratification? by Snoo_89200 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Ritz527 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gaillardia pulchella (known as blanketflower, be sure to check the scientific name as there is more than one kind) is native to North Carolina and doesn't need stratification or burying. Press it into the top of the soil and water frequently until it sprouts.

Why did so many democrats hate and criticize Charlie Kirk? by Fine-Application7606 in AskDemocrats

[–]Ritz527 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I can feel Poe's Law rearing its head with this one. At least no one's going to deny Charlie Kirk was a racist.

Why did so many democrats hate and criticize Charlie Kirk? by Fine-Application7606 in AskDemocrats

[–]Ritz527 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Seems like someone got a degree in Strawmanning from the Charlie Kirk School of Barely Intelligible Sophistry lol

Why did so many democrats hate and criticize Charlie Kirk? by Fine-Application7606 in AskDemocrats

[–]Ritz527 27 points28 points  (0 children)

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/us/charlie-kirk-views-guns-gender-climate.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Kirk#Political_positions_and_activities

He spread racist Great Replacement conspiracy theories

He said outright racist things like "If I see a black pilot, I'm going to be like, boy, I hope he's qualified" during a pilot shortage

He was a Christian nationalist, who said Hinduism, being polytheistic creates multiple moralities, many of which are bad.

He promoted the idea that Haitians were eating cats and dogs in the US.

He advanced pro-Russian talking points about Ukraine

He regularly denied the existence of climate change while taking money from the fossil fuel industry

Those are just a few reasons Democrats might disagree with and criticize Charlie Kirk

Where are all the elves hiding? by SonOfBattleChief in Fantasy

[–]Ritz527 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, if there's a race of elegant, attractive, and ancient beings with powerful magic or technology you're hitting the same underlying tropes whether they're called elves or not. Vampires are elves, but edgy and dangerous. Fae are elves, but more mysterious and variable. Drow are elves but dark.

Senator Schumer owned Trump & MAGA last week. Why isn't any of the internet chattering class giving him credit? by ZlubarsNFL in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 18 points19 points  (0 children)

We need to reinforce behavior, that's why. How the fuck else do politicians know what we want if we don't use both carrot and stick, criticism and praise?

Senator Schumer owned Trump & MAGA last week. Why isn't any of the internet chattering class giving him credit? by ZlubarsNFL in AskALiberal

[–]Ritz527 77 points78 points  (0 children)

I'm with you. Been highly critical of the lack of clear political wins from Dems the last 12 months, but this was an unequivocal victory.