Overshadowed U.S. and World News From 2025

 

Unfortunately, as we know, we Americans have always tended to be self-centered and ethnocentric when it comes to news - but with Trump especially, he keeps the focus on him, 24/7. 

Everything's an emergency with him!

When will people stop listening to this little boy who cried wolf - when there is an actual wolf?

(For that, perhaps a quick look in the mirror would do the trick.)

Being aware of this, in addition to reading the NYT and WaPo, I also watch/read the BBC, who lets us know what else is going on in the world, because it's not all about us. 

So when this popped up in my feed, I watched it, to see how many of these stories I missed.

I'm sorry to say, but I only knew about 3/10 - Russia stealing or destroying priceless historical artifacts in the Ukraine, Travis Decker, and the John Nigh prison escape - and note that those last 2 happened in the U.S.

How many did YOU know about?

I have to say, Mark and I rolled our eyes at each other after the French cop spoke, talking about the French thrown-grenade situation.

Because he attributed it to local drug rings, a known problem in that region, but blamed every other country in the world and foreigners for bringing it there. 

Dohkay, dude.

We all know that France - like the U.S. - has been at the epicenter of global distribution for years, of both drug-trafficking and human trafficking.

It's not like people from those poorer countries came in, put a gun to the French distributors' heads and said "Go forth and distribute drugs and young girls to all the nations," now did they?

I mean, I know that does happen to poor people, forced to distribute or else, but with major French drug distributors, I'd bet all the money in my bank account, that did not happen.

If anything, it was more likely the other way around - French distributors went looking for suppliers from poorer countries, as well as poor people and immigrants as street dealers.

So who does this cop think he's kidding - himself?

And if all of these countries get so nationalistic and isolationist, blaming other countries in deflection off their own guilt, refusing to take responsibility, nothing will ever get solved and we will be at war with everyone, all the time.

Speaking of which, Trump wanting to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War - - isn't that fun and catchy?

(Actually, if that didn't run a cold chill down your spine about Trump and dictatorship, not sure what will.)

It doesn't matter what country someone is from or their ethnicity, what skin color, their sexual orientation, or what their religion is - there are a few bad-apple a-holes in every bunch, including our own - and the last story is a prime example of bad apples and good apples existing in the same demographic.

So I'd heard about Travis Decker killing his 3 young daughters to hurt his ex-wife and still being on the run, and it's incredibly disturbing.

But even more disturbing is the story of Sam Nordquist, whom I never even heard about until now - and it's in my own country!

This is Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgendered man murdered in a bizarre bait, trap, torture and kill scheme.

Every time I look at his sweet smile and face, I tear up. 

So this quiet transgendered young man from a rural Minnesota community, thought he'd found love on TikTok.

He went to meet his online girlfriend in upstate New York, but found himself in a catfish situation, chained and held captive for over a month, tortured, raped with objects, beaten, forced to drink urine and eat feces, and had bleach poured upon his wounds by that "girlfriend" and 6 other psychopaths - and then succumbed to his injuries and died.

And the worst part?

His "girlfriend" (top left) forced her 2 children, ages 7 and 10, to torture him as well.

(The children were actually the ones to explain the types of wounds and substances found both on and inside Sam's body.)

I just started crying the moment I read it, for both those children and Sam himself.

The good news is, the children have been immediately removed and are receiving much care.

Sam wasn't so lucky.

It just broke my heart. 

In fact, I tear up every time I think about it, the last month of his life - naively thinking he'd found love and acceptance, only to find out it was all a lie, held captive, raped, beaten, tortured, and killed.

I don't care what you believe about LGBTQ, no human being deserves that - no one.

Now - people have been up in arms, asking why this wasn't a hate crime.

The answer is, the perpetrators identify as LGBTQ themselves - and this wasn't done because of his gender identification.

This was your basic kidnap, torture-and-kill-for-fun scenario, committed by a small group of proven psychopaths by criminal histories, which include child pornography and animal cruelty - and the gender identity or sexual orientation of neither the victim nor the perpetrators had a thing to do with it.

So I get why it's not being treated as a hate crime, then, actually.

Because to make this about gender identity and sexual orientation is actually then a disservice to the LGBTQ community and their overall representation.

Like I said, bad apples and good apples in the same demographic group - any and all demographic group you can think of.

. 

HOWEVER, having said that, the fact that this, one of the most heinous crimes I've heard of in recent times, somehow escaped my news feed entirely.

As that clip - and this post - are about other news we missed this past year, while Trump pulls his latest "emergency" stunt. 

I did hear briefly about some of the other news, especially American, in this video, I never heard of Sam Nordquist.

And why IS that?

Because the political right are busy demonizing the entire LGBTQ community without exception.

Because my own political left didn't want to advertise that LGBTQ themselves were involved in the crime.

And both sides were too busy talking about Trump.

Thus, this absolutely heinous crime was largely ignored by press on both political sides because it didn't perfectly fit either political narrative.

And poor, poor sweet soul, Sam, trapped in the middle as far as justice - quite literally. 

I hope you are at peace now xo

_________________________

PS - This is why you take someone with you to meet online people, and in a public place. 

This is also why we should be wary of little friends groups who are only friends on the internet. Cops will tell you themselves that the internet is a haven for criminals and psychos to find each other lol.