Fistfights broke out after the Pleasant Hill, MO School Board voted unanimously to require masks. Men crying that a piece of cloth is tyranny? Do you see the irony in adults, acting like children, whining about sending kids to school to learn about sciences, in which they evidently do not believe in themselves? In Tuscon, Arizona three men barged into an elementary school principal's office with zip ties. They threatened to place her under "citizen's arrest" for following public health guidelines. These people are seriously dangerous, and I don't see nearly enough consequences for this abhorrent behavior.
The right-wing narrative is loud and obnoxious. It grabs headlines and the media portrays us as evenly divided on the issues of vaccines, masks, and mandates. The truth is a bit different. Polls show over 70% of the public support mask mandates and only 17% say they will not get vaccinated. This 17% minority is aggressive and vocal. Sensational headlines get viewers, and viewers watch ads.
In my best Jerry Seinfeld imitation, "What's the deal with Ivermectin?" Ivermectin is a medicine for some parasitic worms and head lice. Sometimes to treat Rosacea. It is not a treatment for Covid, and taking large doses is dangerous. Ivermectin for animals is different from Ivermectin for your head lice and worms. I don't know why we have to say this.
We are surrounded by a population whose collective mental capacity only reaches the knees. Texas's new abortion law was just signed by Governor Greg Abbott. It is the most restrictive in the U.S. Under the law, abortions cannot be performed once a fetal heartbeat is detected. A baby's heartbeat can be detected by transvaginal ultrasound as early as three weeks after conception. Here's the problem, most women won't even know they are pregnant at six weeks. The law also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps someone get an abortion. Frivolous lawsuits, anyone?
This is sure to cause chaos. The Governor doubled down and said Texas will eliminate rapists. Really? Most rape cases never even make it to trial. Those that do take longer than six weeks and are rarely successful. Maybe someone could explain if this was a possibility, why wasn't it done before? Allow me to mansplain this foolishness to the Governor.
Six weeks pregnant = two weeks late.
Periods can be late from stress, diet, or other issues.
Most rapes are committed by someone the victim knows.
Mexico is more advanced than Texas on this issue. Their Supreme Court just decriminalized abortion, so Texas women can still go to Mexico for help. By the way, for the evangelicals thumping on their bibles, Mexico is 82% Catholic.
Now, Republican leaders in seven states want to follow Texas's lead and do the same. Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Ohio. Most Americans, at least a clear majority, think abortion should be legal in most cases. This could cost the GOP politically if there is a large voter turnout. This brings me to...
Republicans across the country in over a dozen GOP-led states have enacted laws restricting voting. They use the proven myth and lie of voter fraud as justification. They have figured out that fewer voters, especially minority voters, mean better outcomes for them. Congress has the power to stop this by passing The For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This would mitigate the effect of these state discriminatory laws.
The country is not ready to move on. Intelligent, sensible Americans are still waiting for some kind of accountability for January 6th. Sure, hundreds of bit players have been arrested, with slap on the wrist penalties, but not a single higher-ranking politician or authority figure has thus far paid a price. In fact, many continue to push false claims. I believe they are terrified of what the commission will uncover, and the minority leader's recent comments threatening telecom companies bear that out. Meanwhile, the former guy eats, sleeps, and golfs in luxury, while in the fantasyland in his mind, he remains relevant and the leader of the free world.
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