Who Gets to Decide?
Have you ever seen a gypsy moth? Well, you won't. They won't exist anymore. Extinct? No, nothing like that. Apparently the name is offensive to Romani people. Now, when I hear "gypsy," I just think of someone that travels a lot, lives on the road, itinerant, that sort of thing. Silly me. And I'm sure the moth feels a lot better about it. Maybe they can settle down in a nice apartment or something?
That's a Cluster Alright
Speaking of COVID terrorism, health officials in Tennessee are linking a "coronavirus cluster" to the Southern Baptist Convention which met in Nashville last month. "What," you ask, "is a 'cluster'?" Among more than 18,000 attendees, 8-10 infections were detected. Mind you, we're nationally at less than 10% infection rate and this one would be, oh, something like a 0.06% rate, but, hey, if you gotta scare the folks and draw negative attention to a Christian group, this works, right?
That Can't Be Right
This seems odd. The news item says that prices have climbed "higher than expected" in June -- the "biggest monthly gain since August 2008." If you ignore food and energy prices, it's the highest jump since 1991. Apparently massive government spending, large jumps in minimum wage, shortages of workers who won't go back to work as long as the government pays them not to, the accompanying supply-chain problems that follow, and pandemic countermeasures have all conspired to drive prices up. Who would have thought?
Speaking of ...
... "that can't be," although the president assured us that Afghanistan will be just fine after we withdraw, apparently the U.N. doesn't agree. They say Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis due to the Taliban seizing power after the U.S. troops left. Some 3.5 million people have been displaced by the Taliban and civilian casualties have risen by 29%. Apparently, the Taliban didn't get the word that everything was going to be cool.
It Only Makes Sense
The Bing newsfeed showed this story about George W. Bush fearing for the welfare of the Afghan people -- women in particular -- with the title, "Fears for Afghan women" and a picture of George W. Bush. For reasons I don't understand, I'm not seeing the obvious other one -- a picture of President Biden talking about how Afghanistan is in no danger with the title, "Couldn't care less about Afghan women."
Hate Crimes and Misdemeanors
In Utah a 19-year-old woman stomped on a "Back the Blue" sign "in an intimidating manner" as a message to a police officer conducting a traffic stop of some friends. She was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct with a "'Hate Crime' enhanced allegation." The ACLU is upset. In North Carolina a white male left a Black Lives Matter sign smeared with feces on the front porch of the sign's owner. Police are investigating the case as a possible hate crime. The ACLU is silent. Go figure.
Eye on the Prize
The Hollywood Reporter had the story about GLAAD's study that found that racial diversity among LGBTQ characters are up in Hollywood but transgender characters were not. But the goal here is not "diversity." GLAAD said, "This transformation represents a great opportunity to swiftly accelerate acceptance of LGBTQ stories ..." That's the goal -- get you to accept LGBTQ as perfectly normal, even commendable. Certainly not immoral. Those of you with that old line in your head are haters!
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Covid, they say, is surging. Across the nation. It's time, they say, to do something dramatic. We need to drop this "15 days to flatten the curve" concept -- isolation, distancing, masks, etc. -- and extend it to an indefinite period. Require rather than request vaccination. "Restrictions to work and school may be key to motivating the public to reach the necessary threshold to slow or stop the spread," experts are saying. We must do this because the vaccine doesn't prevent getting or spreading Covid so it's our only hope. "Don't worry," the experts and the government are telling you, "we know what's best for you. You definitely don't."
The Bee Again
Just for a little humor at the end, here. I hadn't though of it, but the Bee points out that, although the bad news is that teachers are teaching your children CRT, the good news is that they're not teaching it any better than they teach reading or math. That's a relief. The FBI has released a picture of the suspect in the lightning strike on that George Floyd mural. That's helpful. And CNN is reporting that the massive Cuban protests are likely due to climate change. Makes sense. (Although I'm pretty sure the Dems are blaming Trump.)
Must be true; I read it on the Internet.
3 comments:
Desperate Times...
My family of five has had the vaccine. We are all Covid-free.
We are all still alive. My cousin and his wife on the other hand did not have the vaccine. They both got Covid. She survived, he did not.
Anyone who does not take the vaccine because of some conspiracy theory is a fool. A FOOL!
I can't quite tell from your entry if you are promoting or scoffing at the following point of view, but I'd say it would be right for a school district to say, "Go ahead, don't get the vaccine, you are free to choose. But you will not be administering, teaching, or attending school here."
All of the political ranting and statistics and all that is just noise once a non-vaccinated close relative dies from Covid. Defying the government "To the Death" as our founding fathers may have once uttered does not apply in this case. That is my opinion, and I'm still alive to express it. My cousin is not.
I was making no comment one way or the other regarding taking or not taking the vaccine. I was commenting on the governmental imperative. I was commenting, using your terms, on the notion that the government would get to declare "You're a fool!" and subject you to it. Schools routinely give that option you mentioned. "If you want to attend here, you must. Feel free not to get vaccinated (for mumps, rubella, COVID, whatever); you just won't be allowed to attend here."
That being said, anecdotal evidence isn't a good argument. I know people who have been vaccinated and got COVID. The scientific community openly states that the vaccine doesn't insure your safety. You can still get it, still transmit it, and still die from it. Just less often.
I'm not a conspiracy-theory type and don't go in that direction at all. On the other hand I know people who have religious and medical reasons not to do it and I'm not the one to stand there and tell them, "You're a fool if you don't!"
Yes, my experience is about as anecdotal as you can get. I was commenting from deep emotion.
It's funny how I can be totally against the government telling me that I have to wear a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet (which I do anyway because it is prudent), and yet, on the vaccine thing, I fall right in line. If I'm rushing headlong toward a waterfall in a canoe without oars, I don't care who is throwing me a lifeline - I'll take it. Many don't see it that way.
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