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Saturday, August 29, 2020

News Weakly - 8/29/20

COVID-related Deaths
All along there have been questions about just what constitutes "COVID-related" in the death. I think this should. In Lima, Peru, 13 people were crushed to death at a nightclub stampede. What caused the stampede? The club violated lockdown rules and was raided by police. The crowd fled to avoid prosecution for violating the night-time COVID curfew. Clearly COVID-related deaths.

Mixed Messages
So, KFC is suspending their 64-year-old slogan -- "Finger lickin' good" -- because it sends the wrong message when we're not supposed to be touching our faces, but CBS is releasing and advertising their new season of Love Island where everyone is doing everything that the authorities are telling us not to do during this COVID pandemic because, as we all know, eating chicken can be bad for you if it sends the wrong message, but the right message of hedonism, random sex, and partying with social crowding, wild parties, and maskless face-to-face close encounters is a wonderful thing for you and your kids.

Nothing To See Here
Let's see ... the RNC had its convention. Nothing of interest there. What else? Riots, shootings, unrest ... well, nothing newsworthy, I guess. Just status quo. Like in Minneapolis when "unrest" broke out because of another shooting of a black man ... who, as it turned out, took his own life. I mean, that can't even be termed "black on black crime," can it? But it was enough to start up the Minnesota National Guard and impose a curfew because people were breaking windows and looting stores. Makes sense, I guess, after police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Jacob Blake in the back in front of his kids. Fortunately we have a new and quick system to determine guilt in these cases. If a black person dies in the vicinity of a police officer, it's a hate crime. Easy, right? This is the current expectation. I don't suppose it qualifies as "news" anymore. Part of our "new normal."

Weird Protest
I have to be honest. There have been a lot of times protests seemed weird to me. Like when protesters block public roads to make their point ... making enemies of potential allies because people couldn't get to work. Or when rich minority sports figures refuse to work to protest racial injustice. (In case you missed it, those were three separate stories there.) They're all doing it without pay, right? I would assume that their quest for justice would include the agreement that you shouldn't expect to be paid if you refuse to work, right? (By the way, the NBA protests may have a point. There is absolutely an underrepresentation of white people in the NBA. I'm pretty sure that was the racial injustice they were protesting, right? No, of course not.)

Disinvited
What is news, perhaps, is that a "Christian college" acquiesced to student and alumni protesters and disinvited Vice President Pence to speak at their commencement because, the protesters said, "Mike Pence has failed to promote policies that reflect Christian values" (without, of course, explaining what policies he has promoted that didn't reflect Christian values) and called it "disrespectful" to have a Christian vice president speak at a Christian school. I would suggest that disrespect of those in office and intolerance (not allowing views to which they're opposed) on the part of the students and alumni does not reflect the kind of Christian values that Christ held.

Good And Bad Protesters
Kamala Harris defended protesters. "People are rightfully angry and exhausted ... after the murders (of black people by police) ... And I support them." But she distanced protesters (and herself) from the violent, the vigilantes, and the looters. You can tell these are not part of the protesters because look how the real protesters react, intervening and stopping them from doing the violence, vandalism, and theft. Oh, wait ... no. Not when they say, "Looting is reparations." Kamala, you may not favor the criminal element of the protests, but there is scant evidence from the protesters that they have a problem with it.

Ain't It The Truth
Yes, it's the Babylon Bee, so, yes, it's satire, but so close to true. The headline reads, "America Ranked #1 Place In World Where You Can Get Rich By Writing About How Awful The Country Is." On the other hand, I did have to chuckle at "RNC Surprise: Trump Announces Space Force Has Defeated Jupiter." On a more serious side, there seemed to be a lot more fact checking coupled with a lot less generosity in evaluation of the Republican Convention than there was of the Democratic Convention. Like, for instance, the "outlandish claim" that a Biden win will "invite MS-13 to live next door." Does anyone think that someone actually expected a Biden administration to send out invitations to gang members to move into the neighborhood? Does no one grasp figures of speech like hyperbole anymore? (I say that without even agreeing with the claim.) That's the kind of generosity I would hope for from the media which was certainly given to the Democrats and denied the Republicans.

6 comments:

Craig said...

RE: Covid deaths. I keep seeing enough different people and sources talking about the problems with the numbers if reported Covid deaths that I'm starting to wonder how accurate the numbers really are?

Given the political cudgel it's become, it would really be nice to know exactly what the correct numbers are.

"Mixed Messages" How stupid and hypocritical.

"Nothing to see here" If you listen to Harris, the riots are pretty much here to stay regardless of who wins.

"Weird Protest" I pointed out the bizarre case of the Twins who managed to get a day off (no word about how they fought for justice on their free day), and play less baseball all in the name of justice. Sweet deal.

"Disinvited" It's becoming more and more clear that the "woke" left is the home of intolerance and bigotry in our society.

"Protesters" Yes, the attempt to provide excuses and cover for the rioters and for the harm they inflict on innocent people is quite amusing. I'm positive that I've heard that morality consists of not doing "harm" to others and/or following the Golden Rule. Yet, I've never seen those who advocate this standard call the rioters immoral.

Stan said...

On "Disinvited," yes, "woke" is the home of the intolerance and bigotry of the left, but it's very disappointing when it's "at home" in a so-called "Christian school" as well ... and school officials cave to it. (Seemed like a "teaching moment" to me, but, hey, what do I know?")

On "Protesters," I, too, rarely hear any of the protesters speaking against the criminal element in their groups (because rioting is indeed criminal). It's another double standard. I just don't want to see it on our side. "When they do it it's bad, but it's okay when we do."

Craig said...

Yes seeing wokeness invade the Church isn’t a good look.

I’d argue that the failure of the protesters to actively deter, or police the rioters, gives the protesters a degree of culpability. The protesters are clearly giving aid and comfort to the rioters.

David said...

I don't think Christian schools feel it is their duty to have teaching moments about morality or ethics. I'm my experience (Christan High School and Christian College), the difference between a Christian and secular school is the Bible classes and chapel time.

Stan said...

Craig, there is evidence (including what I cited in the story) that at least some consider the vandalism and looting as acceptable and even meritorious.

Yes, David, which is why I put "Christian school" in quotes in the story. So sad.

Craig said...

Stan, oh yes there is. AOC thinks they’re all in a production of Les Miz, and at least one idiot says it’s reparations.