I originally planned on writing this blog on a more regular basis - and I still intend to do that going forward - but it’s been a while. And while I haven’t actually sat down to write, I’ve had several ideas take their turn bouncing around my brain, so I thought I’d put some of them out there (and maybe revisit them later in more depth.
Despite not watching very much of the Olympics, I am aware of the Simone Biles “controversy” over her withdrawal from competition because of her physical and mental health. I can understand people who are disappointed that they won’t get to see her in action - but who in their right mind feels the need to publicly shame a world class athlete who has already proven her courage and ability countless times? Really? People sitting on their butts at home criticizing someone who’s dedicated her life to her sport should be ashamed of themselves - but I know they’re not.
COVID 19 Delta Variant, Vaccines, and Freedom - as of today, it appears that America is headed back to a masked society because of the Delta Variant. More specifically, because not enough people are vaccinated and the Delta Variant has been able to become widespread, infecting the unvaccinated and the vaccinated alike. More and more Americans are dying on a daily basis, and there are still those who refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks because, in a word, ‘Merica! You know, freedom and all that. But what these…people…don’t seem to get is that just because you have the right to do something doesn’t mean that you need to do it. Or that ‘Merica is not only about freedom - it is also about uniting as a people to be stronger than as individuals. It’s about E Pluribus Unum - out of many, one. That thirteen colonies in revolt against England had little chance to succeed, but as one united country they could - and did. It was a motto suggested by some of our Founding Fathers to illustrate the concept that we are stronger as a country when we stand together against a common enemy, putting aside our differences for the sake of all. The likes of Patrick Henry and Abraham Lincoln have referenced this concept - and if you aren’t a fan of history but prefer pop culture: Spock - “The needs of the many outweigh -” Kirk - “the needs of the few…” Spock- “…or the one.” (I’m not crying, you’re crying). When did compassion and unity become meaningless in America?
January 6, 2021. That isn’t necessarily the answer to the question above, but it certainly is connected. The insurrection and the Big Lie that provoked it prove that for the Tump cult, the needs of the one (Trump) outweighs the needs of the many (American democracy). How else to explain men and women - who were inside as the Capitol was under attack - minimizing the violence? American Democracy was under attack on January 6, and the Trumpists in the House and the Senate - in order to appease their Dear Leader - continue that attack by defending the insurrectionists, by attempting to place blame on Democrats, and by denying what they lived through and what we’ve all seen with our own eyes. Trump’s sycophants in office and in the media are sacrificing the American Experiment on the altar of their false idol to keep their power. And they are using the Big Lie to consolidate their power by passing voting laws that are not only unnecessary (voter fraud is a myth) and restrictive (mostly affecting likely Democratic voters), but some of the new laws actually take away the voice of the voters by giving partisan bodies the ability to change the results of any election they don’t like. And if that isn’t the height of un-American behavior, I don’t know what is.