Folks Return to Dumb in Book Seven: Reconstruction 2020

It is Friday, April 10th. Our Governor, who still has not issued a Shelter In Place Decree, is holding fast that the State will be open and free of restrictions on April 30th. Obviously, as I watch the news and do the math, I can’t help but disagree. NOW… I do believe we’ll be through this faster than some. Someone floated a “Will we have to cancel Oktoberfest?” and I wanted to laugh at them. First, the honest and only accurate answer is maybe. And that’s the truth. It may be that we are required to keep restrictions in place until September, October, or longer. There is a chance of that. But I would stop far short of saying there is a certainty. That being said, I find the idea that everything will be A-OK in three weeks to be insulting. It is from that perspective that I share the following:

(1) BOSS sent an e-mail this morning saying he wants to “begin the transition of us all going back to the office on Monday.” Luckily, he isn’t abandoning incremental transition… he’s suggesting that we have 1 Attorney and 1 Legal Aid/Secretary at the office all day. People can do half-days provided that their opposite number will be there to replace them. Starting Monday. Now, I’ll admit… I sneak into the office to hold a hearing when that hearing is of the UTMOST importance… like potential life and death of a baby kind of hearing… and I make sure I’m the only one there… but our office being staffed and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day starting Monday seems to be… well… I’d call it a bad idea. Unless they want to start providing US with PPE measures as well. Because… all of our COVID confirmed cases were found within 4 Square Miles of the office. Thanks, really, but I’d appreciate staying home… in a different town! Thanks! Not to mention that the epicenter for Iowa isn’t that far away. Now, I’m sure many would say that I am panicking or being irrational. But honestly, I’d say… if the entire State is to be shut down until April 30… and that is likely to be pushed back again as it is… and if it has only been 14 days SINCE THE FIRST COVID confirmed case in the county… I dunno, man. I’m thinking trying to get the office opened back up NEXT WEEK is a little premature, yeah?

(2) After reviewing that particular work e-mail, I foolishly checked Social Media. Foolish because I am connected to some extremely upsetting Bernie fans. NOW, I seem to have to say this loudly… I AM NOT A BIDEN SUPPORTER. My favorite candidates got their asses handed to them. Hell, this was the first campaign of my adult life where I actually donated to a candidate because I believed in her so much! So when I say I don’t want to vote Biden, but I’m damned sure going to… that doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly transformed into Uncle Joe’s biggest supporter. That being said… God damn, Bernie Bros! One politically active page I follow has done nothing but spam hateful, destructive, divisive, mean-spirited shit about Joe Biden all day. Fans of the page keep shouting, “They stole it from us again! I’m not voting if I can’t vote Bernie!” And I just… I… I honestly cannot adequately put into words the rage I feel about that. The most diplomatic way I could out it earlier was

“I follow various politically active pages. A far-left page has now started to post a stream of anti-Biden posts claiming that Centrists have “assured that a sexually assaultive monster with faux-democratic ideals” is now the Nominee and that “blue no matter who” ignores all the people Bernie could have helped.

I can’t imagine that I need to say this but apparently I do. If you are a “Bernie or nobody” voter, then you don’t actually care. Because honestly… you’re saying “If no Bernie, then I’m okay with Trump.” Mourn your candidate dropping out but DON’T attack the nominee and don’t “vow” to not vote.”

Obviously, I have people that respond negatively to that. Because they say, as Bernie supporters, that Biden is basically Trump anyway so why bother? Or, as one friend stated, “I have the right to be sick of a system that forces me to hold my nose and select someone I hate.”

And I just think… for fuck sake, act like an adult and stop throwing a tantrum. Biden is the same as Trump? REALLY?! Do you want to open your eyes to Trump or are you saying I’m closing my eyes to Biden?? You do realize that Chimpanzee on Heroine would likely do a better job of things than Trump? Because at least the Chimp wouldn’t randomly fire people FOR doing their jobs. A chimp that just sits in a chair eating food all day wouldn’t be doing as much ACTIVE harm as Trump. And you think Biden is “basically Trump anyway.” Gall, that riles me up. Biden, at least, has some understanding of what a government actually does. And would not, during a NATIONAL crisis, claim that the Federal Government doesn’t need to do anything because that’s what states are for, as Trump said in a press conference RECENTLY. Fuck. This is like a toddler that wants a certain toy and only that toy and when he’s handed a different toy, misbehaves so badly that NOBODY gets to play with toys. I’m ranting now and need to stop but seriously. FOR. FUCK. SAKE. If you would rather Donald J Trump have a second term in office just because Bernie Sanders isn’t the nominee?? Than fuck you and your false idealism. Biden is closer to Bernie than Trump is. Biden is better for this country than Trump is. And if you’re going to take your ball and go home because your candidate didn’t win?? You’ve just proven how little respect you deserve.

INSERT MEME HERE

Damn, I can’t find it. My aunt puts up a good one every voting day that essentially says:
Voting isn’t like shopping. You don’t go to the Election Store looking to find the PERFECT candidate that fits your ideals, your budget, and your lifestyle. Voting is like eating for survival. If someone gives you the option between eating your least favorite food and a rock; you eat your least favorite food because it keeps you going another day. That’s like voting. If you’re given the choice between your party but not your candidate… or someone that wants to stop, shut down, or criminalize what you believe in… you vote your party but not your candidate. Because it keeps those ideals going for another day.

(3) Oh hell! You’re all going to say that I do this to myself and… maybe you’re right.
SO… this is the holiest weekend in the Christian Calendar. While I may not seem like the most devout, practicing Christian. I still identify as a Christian. I do so proudly. I do so loudly. And I don’t care that simply associating myself with a belief system will immediately make some people hate me. That’s part of being a part of ANY group. BUT, what I always encourage of everyone, is to be aware of the elements of your group that make people hate you. Are they a part of the group’s earnest beliefs or are they a corruption of those beliefs? For example (apologies to those I may offend)… as a Christian… do I believe requiring myself to live as though I were stuck in the 1600s is based on Biblical Teaching? No. I don’t. I would view that as a corruption. But I don’t hate Amish or Mennonites. So I view it as separate from my Christian faith, as an outside element of my faith. As a Christian do I believe that One Man and Many Wives is a required part of my life based on Biblical Teaching? No. I don’t. I would view that as a corruption. But I don’t hate Practicing Polygamist Mormons. I view it as very separate from my Christian faith, and treat it more as a different religion than as a sect of Christianity. SO… I can view the various elements and discern “is this Biblical or is this corruption?” A corruption I absolute abhor… and see as VERY removed from my faith… is this blind, ridiculous, cult-like bullshit spewing from some evangelicals about Trump. And that’s something I got slapped right in the face with this morning.

You see… with Crucifixion Friday and Resurrection Sunday this year being a very “stay at home, praise God” kind of event… I wanted to get out there (digitally) and experience Easter through the writings and words of other Christians. Of course, my first mistake was not sticking with the writings of scholars and respected pastors. Chris, dammit, you should know better than to open yourself up to the idiots of this world. But I did. And I saw some toxic, unholy, batshit insane, dumpster fire bullshit out there about my God and my faith from people who think they represent my God and my faith!

Highlight Real of the True Bullshit:
“I certainly will go to church this Sunday! Jesus was not in the tomb, so I won’t stay home!! He is risen and so am i!”
CK RE: Lady… Jesus rose to forgive you of your sins and idiocy. Don’t add to that pile as a way of celebrating his sacrifice. Stay the hell at Home, much the way Jesus is staying with his father this Easter. Jesus went through the desert, spoke with Satan, was crucified, died, was buried, he descended into Hell, he rose again then left his tomb. So, sure. The fact that this Social Isolation is your desert and you’re already saying “fuck that noise” means you’ve absolutely earned the right to consider leaving your home like Jesus leaving the tomb (sarcasm).

“I am SO sick of people being mean to President Trump! We are told to pray for our leaders, support them, and celebrate them. OF ALL TIMES to disrespect Jesus by being mean to President Trump, you chose to do it around Easter?! FOR SHAME!“
CK RE: Oh… I refuse to actually reply to these people. Because they already live in a delusion. Because not a ONE of them prayed for Obama, supported Obama, or celebrated Obama. And their typical response is “Well, Obama was a Muslim and Trump is Christian, that’s the difference.” And that small sentence is so full of stupid it would take too long to explain to them. First of all, there is no proof Obama was a Muslim. There IS proof that he attended a Christian Church in Chicago. Second of all, there really isn’t proof that Trump is a Christian. There IS proof that he didn’t really care about attending services and surrounded himself with Prosperity Gospel televangelists. Third, even if Obama was a Muslim, the Bible verse saying to pray for your leaders DOESN’T say “only if they’re Christian.” You’re supposed to pray for your leaders because they are your LEADER. You pray for them and celebrate the successes of your nation because we are a community of humanity and God loves us. Fourth, even if Trump is a Christian, we can pray for him and celebrate the success of our nation AND criticize him when he is doing a massively fucked up or inept job. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, in how many different contexts, or to how many different people but… Being a Christian does not mean Stop Using Your Brain!!!. Among Jesus’ followers and believers were doctors, lawyers, tax collectors, soldiers… the bloody Reformation was entirely because Biblical Scholars of the day were saying, “Why is the faith telling us not to read, not to use our minds? If our abilities are gifts from God, should we not use them in His service?” So… lady… criticizing someone for getting a pandemic response wrong and then lying about is absolutely acceptable.

(last one)
“People are so closed minded! I heard of a case where hydroxychloroquine cured someone in Minnesota of her Chinese Virus. All these people ripping on Trump for pushing an actual cure. You just want him to fail! He was chosen to lead us by God, he is supported by God… how do you know he didn’t receive a vision telling him that hydroxychloroquine IS the cure?! God’s got this; you’re all just mean spirited and panicking.”
CK RE: I read that… and actually had to cyberstalk the woman who said it a little. Because something like that could NOT have been written in good faith. This is a troll. Or a non-believer taking the piss. Or something. I couldn’t wrap my head around it that this was an honest statement by a self-identifying Christian. Everything I found leads me to believe that this woman does believe what she stated, is honest, and did say that in good faith. That she honestly believes Trump was chosen by God, is being guided by God, and that Trump “doesn’t make sense to most people because they don’t know what he says is coming from the Lord.” And obviously someone like this? Makes ALL of us look bad.