Republicans are usurping our democracy from Texas to No. Carolina

 

This is one of those 'I can't believe I'm reading this.' From the obtuse state of Texas...

"Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law a bill requiring all Texans to submit to counselling before being allowed to vote."

 You might wonder what this is all about until you realize that Abbott, himself, is

desperately in need of counseling to determine what happened to his brain. To even consider a bill of this nature reveals the uncertainty Republicans feel in their chances to win an election fairly in Texas. This lunatic is just added to the growing number of GOP in the U.S. who have realized they can't win in a fair and equal competition. They have to cheat.

Donald Trump cheated at everything as the worst president this country has ever known. He lost but left behind idiots like Abbott and countless others in offices of power throughout the country. Salon says, "North Carolina has become a laboratory to subvert democracy." With Republicans controlling both houses of the legislature, under a Democrat governor, they have come on strong suppressing the minority vote among other outlandish moves.

They control the legislature by gerrymandering the voting districts to favor the GOP, something that takes place with a new census and partisan control like No. Carolina's legislature. Salon says you can thank David Lewis for the state's "diseased" nature. He was successful in his "partisan design," but recently pled guilty for siphoning funds for personal use. That's another Republican failing, they can't keep their hands off the money.

The Supreme Court recently showed its rightest colors by refusing to act on Texas's new abortion law, allowing the state to proceed with its recognition. Not for abortion, but the U.S. House just introduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, also known as H.R. 4. Slate explains...

"H.R. 4 essentially overturns the Supreme Court’s recent attacks on voting rights: Its central provisions give both the Justice Department and federal courts sweeping authority to block voter suppression laws. But one crucial section takes a more creative approach: The House bill actually repeals the court’s own rules for deciding election-related cases—which strongly favor states’ ability to suppress votes—replacing them with voter-friendly directives that would force the justices to safeguard equal suffrage."

There is, of course, some doubt in its passage through the Senate unless the Dems

can also somehow get rid of the filibuster. The New York Times said, "In the Dead of Night, the Supreme Court Proved It Has Too Much Power," reconfirming a recent notion from the Democrats that now is the time for Biden to pack the court to the left by the addition of justices. Just as Moscow Mitch prevented the appointment of Merrick Garland, Biden must move ahead to right this wrong.

But getting back to the warped reasoning of Greg Abbott, take a look at this ludicrous but laughable retort from Absent Abbott...

“Sometimes, a person is upset with their situation and thinks that voting is the only answer,” the Governor said. “A counsellor can sit with them, pray with them, and help them make the right choice.”

Yeah, "help them" as in guaranteeing a vote for Republicans. What has this country come to??? 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's destruction of the state of Texas

 

To say the least, Texas is an undemocratic state with a ruthless authoritarian ruling over a coronavirus pandemic that has killed 57,921 Texans. Today there were 18,573 new cases and 297 deaths. Yet lamebrain Greg Abbott keeps telling his constituents he has everything under control. And apparently they believe him since there is no robust recall in progress. More from Change.org...

"Governor Greg Abbott is getting Texans killed daily in record numbers because he has failed to listen to the scientists in regards to the Covid-19 Pandemic."

It's a sign of the new "Republican Times" that you stick your head in the sand and ignore science from every angle possible, just to appease some moronic supporters. Here's the Washington Post's take on how Abbott's Texas is showing us what post-democracy America would look like...

"Thanks to a series of actions by the Texas legislature and governor, we now see exactly what the Trumpified Republican Party wants: to take us to an America where women cannot get abortions, even in cases of rape and incest; an America where almost everybody can openly carry a gun in public, without license, without permit, without safety training and without fingerprinting; and an America where law-abiding Black and Latino citizens are disproportionately denied the right to vote."

Neither I nor most all of my liberal friends want an America as described above. If

you are a balanced, intelligent, fair-minded individual, you consider these dictatorial attributes right out of the dark ages. But not Greg Abbott who seems to have returned to that period in the way he is running the state of Texas. The new abortion law will certainly be challenged since it is, in effect, illegal according to Roe. v Wade. Pres. Biden has stepped in and said as much.

Change.org is on the attack to remove Greg Abbott with a petition you can sign here...

"By signing this petition, you are urging the Texas Senate to investigate and remove Governor Abbott based on the Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code."

You can add to the above a new gun law that is perhaps one of the most positive in the U.S. allowing literally anyone to buy a gun with virtually no restrictions on the purchase. Finally, the state passed a bill restricting the voting rights of people of color and others in general when it comes to voting by mail. I like to view the latter with the observation that the only way Republicans can win an election is to control it with ridiculous laws like this.

Right now Joe Biden doesn't have the horsepower with a close Senate and House to do damage on the Republicans. Add to that "supposed Democrats" like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, misguided mavericks in the Senate who have their own agenda, one that isn't compatible with the Democrats' mission. But, if--and I say this "if" optimistically-- 2022 yields the results that will solidify the left, it could be the time to change the GOP to the FOP, Former Old Party. Peace 

Here's an example of Texas's idiot governor in a statement late Thursday: "'things are looking good' in the Lone Star State when it comes to battling COVID-19." This is freaking unbelievable! Abbott is certifiably insane.

Read more here: "The Case for the Second Amendment"

Covid-19 and climate change both destroying the U.S

 

The coronavirus snuck up on us and established its unchallenging position that required the immediate actions of the healthcare community. There has been considerable success, even though Republicans, especially, governors like Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott who oppose any precaution recommended by the CDC. These heads of states are responsible for horrific numbers of death and suffering in their states, yet they refuse to back down.

Climate change has also been creeping along at a slow yet enduring pace that has produced calamities of excessive rainfall and heat hardships like we are experiencing this summer. And then there are the dry areas that have spawned wildfires like those recently in California, particularly the one in Lake Tahoe currently threatening thousands of people and homes and the resort areas hotels. Republicans swear that climate change is a myth, refusing to address the problem.

Just recently there was the New York times headline: "Governors DeSantis and Abbott, ‘Undermining Public Health’" Now this is a mandate that should unravel the residents of Texas and Florida, but so far, very little from the ranks. School districts are defying DeSantis regularly on his ban of mask mandates, and Abbott has taken a few hits on his regulations from the courts. But new Covid-19 cases and deaths just keep piling up. Texas, as an example, had 257 deaths today.

This country has other problems like gun violence and immigration reform, both with figures like immigrant encounters are at a 21 year high, and 29,759 deaths using guns since the first of the year. There are more and with all the dilemma facing us, one might think we are approaching apocalypse. Study after study proves that masks prevent the spread of the virus, and environmental groups have shown the value of clean energy to stave of atmospheric nightmares. Go figure.

And then the NYT opinion page asks, "What if the Coronavirus Crisis Is Just a Trial Run?" After all, this country is wallowing in a good life that has recently lost sight of the future and what could happen to our children if we don't put the brakes on excesses of all kinds. But the children themselves are being taught they can have whatever they want with no consequences for their destiny. There is a certain amount of innocence here but there is also willful participation. 

In summation, if we are in as bad a shape as the media reports in fighting future viruses as well as stopping changing weather patterns that kill, as an example the recent Ida hurricane that hit Louisiana, are we, in fact, heading for an apocalypse?

The new Atheist

 

I grew up thinking atheists were the scourge of the earth. How could you possibly not believe in the God? Then I thought I was called to the ministry and quickly learned that beliefs were relevant to whose side you were on. I was a Methodist then, just one bloc of what would turn out to be a worldwide mixture of, again, beliefs. But there was a discipline attached to these convictions that, in those days, you didn't dare deviate from without a reprisal from the church.

It happened to me early on and it was at that point I discovered just how much I disliked disciplinarians. In high school you took it with a grain of salt if you wanted an education; so why did I then upon graduation join the Navy? Don't know where this is all going except to say that today the religious business has become more open-minded, yet there are still many who will tell you their God is the only God. And then...Atheists will tell you there is no God.

Did you know there are Atheists who believe in God? They are called Agnostics

and I am one of them. I tried being an Atheist because of the hypocrisy in Christianity, the organized church, and something that happened in my life. But I just cannot visualize the existence of the earth as we know it without there being some supreme being that started it all. Just think, if the amoeba did walk out of the sea, who created the amoeba and who created the sea? 

Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, and other faiths should read Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species." I read it years ago and am reading it again now to determine if the years in between have added anything to the mystique of Darwin's theory. Greg Epstein is the author of Good Without God. He is the new chief chaplain of Harvard and apparently "His personal beliefs or disbelief don't seem to be an issue." So go figure, Christians.

And here is a headline from Salon, "Staunch atheists show higher morals than the proudly pious, from the pandemic to climate change," that launches an article exploring religion in many aspects of the calamities we are dealing with today. It would seem here and in other articles I have read recently that a position that has been around for several years is valid. A person does not need a church, or a specific God to be religious. And that is the new strength of religion.

Abolish Puppy Mills NOW!!!

 

Don't believe that puppy mills are designed strictly for the purpose of the fulfilling of a little girl's or boy's dream of having their very own pet. Not on your life or the animals that are abused on their way to the pet store. Yes, Petpedia says...

"The majority, if not all, puppies in pet stores come from puppy mills that can make even the most atrocious jails look like a haven."

Prisoners in a jail had a choice. These pups do not and the approximately 10,000 puppy mills in the United States are doing what they do for one reason. To make money. Petpedia states less than 3,000 are regulated and puppy mill death statistics are not reported. What we have here is an example of abhorrent treatment of innocent animals that cannot protect themselves, with the birther female used over and over, then discarded or worse when no longer able to produce.

Did you know that some puppy mills produce animals that are used in labs for animal testing? There are also groups that oppose using animals for testing like those who are against puppy mills. It's cruelty, plain and simple, and a clear illustration of how some lowlifes place money over a living thing. Would this country allow baby mills to operate in this manner? I think not and neither should the government permit puppy mills.

Here's a statement from the U.S. Humane Society that pretty much explains what the animal groups are up against...

"A puppy mill is an inhumane high-volume dog breeding facility that churns out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers. Dogs from puppy mills are often sick and unsocialized. Puppy mills commonly sell through internet sales, online classified ads, flea markets and pet stores."

The key word in this statement is the word, inhumane; do you agree that there

should be stronger laws preventing any inhumanity against animals? In Germany you can go to jail for 3 years for cruelty against animals. And Ukraine, Russia, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, the US and Australia are all phasing out animal testing of cosmetics. However...

"Despite progress in humane product testing and bans on animal testing for cosmetics in other countries, the United States has no national law prohibiting the use of animals for cosmetics testing."

We are pathetic in our prevention of cruelty to animals, which clearly shows a lack of integrity in the American people. Were it not for animal lovers, you might wonder how bad this situation could become. How many times have you heard, "It's just an animal?" Here's another quote from the Humane Society...

"Mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little to no personal attention. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are abandoned or killed. Due to poor sanitation, overbreeding and a lack of preventive veterinary care, the puppies from puppy mills frequently suffer from a variety of health issues, creating heartbreaking challenges for families who should be enjoying the delights of adopting a new family member."

Animal rights people are fighting a war that needs your help. As an example, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation in 2016 to kill the ability of cities to keep pet stores from selling commercially bred animals. We are talking about animals from puppy mills and although Dufus Ducey is a dull-witted Republican, I suspect there are Democrats that would do the same. Here are the disheartening figures about puppy farms...

• There are 10,000 active puppy mills operating in the U.S.
• There are 50,000 dogs kept solely for breeding purposes in these puppy mills
• There are 2.6 million puppies sold each year from these puppy mills

Those are the facts. Now it is up to the American public, and I don't mean just animal livers, to help in any way possible to abolish these puppy mills with your generous donations, volunteering and contact your representatives in Congress. Together we can do it.

Read more here and here.

Hit the anti-vaxxers where it hurts...their pocketbook

 

Let's be reasonable. I have done everything I can to prevent catching Covid-19, including getting the vaccine, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and staying in my home except for necessities like shopping, going to the doctor, etc. Some, but very little entertainment. The same applies to my wife. I am 89, my wife 77, in reasonably good health for our ages. On the other hand, we know people

 

even family members, who take none of the above precautions.

Some acquaintances have caught the virus, no doubt needing medical care, and my wife's family of eight all recently came down with coronavirus after openly flaunting it for months. This included two young children under 5, and a mother suffering from cancer and on chemotherapy. My wife agrees with me that they should pay any and all medical bills out of their pockets. It can't get any closer to home than this, compounded by the fact my wife tried to help repeatedly.

Anti-vaxxers are constantly in the news with a staggering amount of arrogance, but a complete lack of science. The latest is their use of Ivermectin to fight the virus, using this in lieu of getting vaccinated. Ivermectin, as you may know, is a drug for treating parasites in animals and has been used in treating tropical diseases on humans. But, the CDC is adamant: Ivermectin should definitely not be taken to treat Covid-19. Just more unnecessary medical bills from stupidity.

It remains to be seen just how much effect the FDA's full approval of Pfizer's vaccine will have on these skeptics. As far as I am concerned that kind of reasoning is for the double-digits and doesn't hold water when it comes to the whole reality of this situation. Especially as the Delta variant rages across the country and we have dimwit Republican governors siding with this radical group. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida's Ron DeSantis come to mind.

I did a blog on this August 2nd, "Private health insurers/Medicare should deny anti-vaxxers coverage," with a picture that should chill the hearts of even the most dedicated anti-vaxxers. It shows a young boy looking through a window from

outside his mother's hospital room, unable to get close to her because she has coronavirus. It is heart-wrenching, but a clear picture of how bad things have gotten. In my blog I said...

"It is getting worse because 1 in 4 Americans are refusing to get the vaccine. In addition to vaccine denial, "Relaxing precautions, such as no longer wearing masks or engaging in social distancing," a major contributor according to leading epidemiologists."

Here's more from my August 2 blog...

"It was actually Piers Morgan that came up with this concept of denying health coverage to those who will deny the vaccination. His headline: "Piers Morgan: If you refuse COVID-19 vaccine and catch the virus, you should be denied state-funded health care and pay for it yourself." I added the idea of including the private insurance carriers. The U.S. currently stands at 49.9% fully vaccinated, with most of the summer still ahead of us."

There's a new trend. Corporations, educational institutions, the health care industry demanding that their people get their vaccinations. More, businesses refuse service to anyone who isn't vaccinated, also requiring a vaccination before hiring. The public is finally coming around to the fact that we are being taken advantage of. If you want to be obstinate about getting vaccinated, then you're on your own. If you think you can handle all this, then just continue to be an idiot.

Read more... 

West's megadrought could kill animals quicker than humans

 

We're in a 20-plus-year drought here in the West and now the US government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time in history. And who get the brunt of all this? The animals! We live in the suburbs of Phoenix, AZ  and regularly see coyotes, bob cats and javelinas come out in the open looking for water. There will also be mandatory cuts to water for Zonis who cherish their swimming pools.

Here's a fact...

"Some 40 million people rely on the river for water, contributing to its decline — to say nothing of the nearly 5.5 million acres of farmland that it irrigates."

Although most of the yards are covered with granite here, some do have grass yards, mostly migrated mid-westerners. This requires enormous amounts of water, particularly when the temperature peaks over 100 degrees, as it has regularly this summer. "Wild animals can die of dehydration, but many of the major impacts of drought are far less obvious." Please take the time here to find just how all the animals are being affected, keeping in mind they are helpless in some situations.

Minnesota Republican Party in ruins

 

Minnesota Republican Party Chair, Jennifer Carnahan, GOP donor she was close to, Anton “Tony” Lazzaro, was indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges. Her husband...

"Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, accused by party officials and former staffers of running a toxic, retaliatory workplace, mismanaging party finances and, through the use of non-disclosure agreements, squashing transparency."

And there so go the typical travails of an average Republican Party family. “The party is in ruins,” Michael Brodkorb, a former deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP, said on Friday. Welcome to the real GOP world folks.

Read more...

Ron DeSantis: Almost successful destroying Florida

 

Bring on the Republican clowns...

To Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis the graves of those who have expired due to his completely incompetent handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in his state is simply something to joke about. Absolutely no concern for his constituents, only that he maintains business as usual in the state.

Here's a quote from DeSantis that now reverberates "loudly" for him in the state of Florida: "My actions will speak louder than words." Actions, let's see, his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic: 3,039,988 total coronavirus cases, 41,937 deaths. His latest daily case count, 15,402. If your state is #3 in the U.S. for total cases, #4, total deaths, looks like Ron DeSantis' actions are either piss-poor or virtually non-existent.

The Florida Flush has been demeaning the coronavirus vaccine for months, even passing legislation that bans vaccine passports, which threw the cruise industry into turmoil. He questions booster shots but his latest is the active drug, Regeneron, to be used in lieu of getting vaccinated. Today's Ringmaster just happens to have a huge donor ($10 million), Ken Griffin, whose hedge fund Citadel owns $15.9 million worth of shares in Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc. 

If that doesn't bring the circus tents down, nothing will. In one of his quotes DeSantis called Washington a "swamp." Take a look at Florida that is barely above water where...

"children's hospitals and staff are 'overwhelmed,' said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University."

With Florida the epicenter of the COVID-19 surge, there were 22,783 new cases on Thursday of this week, along with 199 deaths, according to the CDC. But for DeSantis this is only a 3-ring circus because he knows he can send the jugglers in to fake the news. He's done it repeatedly and his latest performance is the Regeneron bamboozle that gullible Floridians will no doubt swallow. The show must go on but recent polls show the tents could fold, and soon.

More political clowns later...

Greg Abbott: One of the political clowns who run your country

 

Bring on the Republican clowns...

Greg Abbott is in the dark ages by the way he runs his state of Texas. With Republican politics as usual, add to that his abominable handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Texas is #2 in the U.S. with 3,379,781 total cases. Also #2 in total deaths 54,674. According to Worldometer, they have quit reporting both.

The only reason for not reporting most likely is Abbott is ashamed of his results and doesn't want the rest of the country to know. Abbott is one of the pandemic killing machines with his record of 54,674 deaths and his relentless drive to deprive Texans from their right to protect themselves from coronavirus...

CNN says: "Abbott has opposed mask mandates and issued an executive order banning school districts from requiring masks. He had lifted the state's mask mandate in March and allowed businesses to open at 100% capacity despite warnings from public health officials."

Now when Texas needs leadership, Greg Abbott is like a Tom & Jerry cartoon. But this time his clowning around has brought the virus to his front door. The Texas Gov. has Covid-19. He was vaccinated, but also showing the hypocrisy of this man, he opposed vaccine mandates. Texas looks like a 3-ring circus to the rest of the U.S., even the world, and what is terrifying is the fact that these Republican governors will continue to stay in the ring until we vote them out of office. 

More political clowns later...

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Republican killing machines: Gov. Ron DeSantis/Gov. Greg Abbott

 

The Republican death cult has smoothly extended its reach from a general attitude of callousness for the American people to actually proposing and legislating their deaths in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic. Moscow Mitch McConnell led this movement when during Barack Obama's administration, saying he could care less about America. All he wanted was to deny Obama a second administration. He didn't. But McConnell has gone on to continually attempt thwarting the Democratic agenda.

Then only recently Moscow Mitch did the same with President Joe Biden, followed by Kevin McCarthy's invitation to insurrectionists to join the Republican Party. As L. Davis Bond said in the Galveston County Daily News...

"These two men care nothing about America. They only care about getting elected, so they can take care of the rich and be rich and powerful themselves."

And there you have the basic purpose of the Republican Party, the above and to stay in power so they can stonewall or undo anything in the Democrats' a

genda. The GOP has no mission of its own, only to block the left at every turn. And this goal has become more obvious as Republican governors like Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott have become killing machines to circumvent every move Joe Biden makes in his objective to control the deadly coronavirus.
 

I have done a series of posts documenting just how Abbott and DeSantis have attempted to literally destroy their states by blocking any precautions set up by the CDC, especially banning mask mandates and undermining vaccinations. All this when Texas has 3,322,528 cases, 54,385 deaths; Florida 2,875,150 cases, 40,528 deaths. Combined, there are over 6 million cases between the two, and Texas is number one in new cases and new deaths. Here are some of my posts...

Who should know more about addressing the coronavirus than the scientific community, which all Republicans seem to disregard with disdain: "More than 800 Florida physicians implore Gov. DeSantis to allow local school mask mandates."

Greg Abbott has mercilessly pushed his denial in Texas forcing one school superintendent to comment that she "can't do the one thing she wants to protect students." Further, "'I am frightened by what is coming': Texas officials scramble to staff hospitals as Covid-19 surge continues."

And here's one that takes the cake, DeSantis and Abbott screwing around with peoples' lives, especially the school children: "Abbott and DeSantis playing 'game of chicken' in balance between killing their constituents and owning the libs: columnist."

 Abbott at his very best putting his killing machine in motion: "Texas governor files legal challenge to end Dallas County mask mandate."

After the above, there should be no doubt that the Republican Party places

absolutely no value on the lives of American human beings. They can try and explain it away with any number of excuses, but it still comes down to their greed for power. But what is even more frightening is that a certain portion of American's agree with this lunacy, thus, why these political lunatics do what they do. The ringleaders are Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott but there are more.

President Biden has come on strong against those GOP governors that rally against masks and the vaccine telling them to act to save their constituents or "Get out of the way." If they don't, they may have no choice in 2022 and 2024.

Here are three of my recent blogs on the Covid-19 pandemic:

When it's too late for a vaccine...what?...UPDATE

Private health insurers/Medicare should deny anti-vaxxers coverage

Doctors' battle cry: “We can’t let COVID win.”

 

Doctors' battle cry: “We can’t let COVID win.”

 

That was almost 18 months ago expressing a commitment to take "care of the infected and the critically ill when no one else would." And they did, when at times it looked as if everything was against them. This is the story of Thanh Neville, M.D., M.S.H.S., is an ICU physician and researcher at UCLA Health. She is also the medical director of the UCLA 3 Wishes Program so she understands dying patients. What she doesn't understand is the refusal of the unvaccinated. 

Dr. Neville recounts how it was and is on the frontlines...

"We reused N95 masks, carefully placing them in labeled brown paper bags in between shifts. We witnessed lonely deaths and held up iPads for families to say their heartbreaking goodbyes. We created elaborate backup schedules and neglected our personal lives. We stepped up during surges and when our colleagues fell ill."

But she and her fellow physicians stuck together to fight an enemy not seen since the flu epidemic of 2018. And there were deficiencies like personal protective equipment for the staff where some got sick, then some died, "more than 3,600 from COVID-19 in the first year." And during this period, most of the emphasis was on patient deaths, but the health care industry plodded along doing what they knew must be done to save Americans from this new deadly virus.

And because of the severity of the situation, it was necessary to quarantine ourselves in order to protect our loved ones...

"We counted the risk factors of our children, our elderly parents, our spouses, and came up with our own formulas to decide whether to come home at the end of the shift or hole up in a hotel room."

Vaccines were finally introduced across the U.S. and there was hope. Cases did take a sharp turn down giving workers a brief respite. But the Delta variant snuck in the back door with a sizable transmissibility that knocked the health care folks and their patients right out of their socks. The unvaccinated, led on by anti-vaxxers and a hoard of misinformation, had turned a large portion of the population against the vaccines to add to the problem. Dr. Neville became angry.

She's mad at those who refuse to get vaccinations. Most all of the vaccination

population is, and we are fast becoming tired of the anti-vaxxer excuses and whining about their freedom and how they are being persecuted. The doc is most angry over the misinformation with specifics on the virus that misleads people and jeopardizes their health. She attacks those not considered anti-vaxxers but resist the decision to get vaccinated...

"Although such individuals do not consider themselves anti-vaxxers, their inaction itself is a decision — a decision to not protect themselves or their families, to fill a precious ICU bed, to let new variants flourish, and to endanger the health care workers and immunosuppressed people around them. Their inaction is a decision to let this pandemic continue to rage."

Dr. Neville finishes with the following...

"I am at a loss to understand how anyone can look at these past months of the pandemic — more than 600,000 lives lost in the U.S. and more than 4 million worldwide — and not believe it’s real or take it seriously."

There is no doubt there is maximum agreement between all of us who are and have been vaccinated for months. In case you haven't checked recently, here are the latest USA figures on the coronavirus...

Coronavirus Cases: 36,951,577

Deaths: 634,998

Amen! 

Read Dr. Neville's article in full, here.

Private health insurers/Medicare should deny anti-vaxxers coverage

 

And why not? The anti-vaxxers are the primary reason the Covid-19 pandemic is enjoying new vigor with the recent addition of the Delta variant. CNN's Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and former Baltimore health commissioner, says, 'We can’t trust the unvaccinated.' I can attest to that having a family member traveling between two states after just learning her whole family was infected with the virus, including two children under the age of ten.

If you think that is insane, I wholeheartedly agree. This attitude has endured in the entire family since day one of inception of the coronavirus in this country. An early comment was, "It's only a virus," as if that was something you could easily just sweep under the rug. Today a Washington Post article, "When will the summer coronavirus surge peak? It will get worse before it gets better, experts predict." Like "140,000 to 300,000 cases a day in the United States come August."

Okay, it's not just a virus anymore, yet, 30% don't have the shot with most saying they won't get it. We're back to 70,000 cases a day, but the Florida health department recently announced that state alone was forecasting some 83,000 cases a day by early August. David W. Dowdy, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said...

“It is getting worse, and at least as of right now, it is not really slowing down in the U.S.,”

It is getting worse because 1 in 4 Americans are refusing to get the vaccine. In addition to vaccine denial, "Relaxing precautions, such as no longer wearing masks or engaging in social distancing," a major contributor according to leading epidemiologists. One statement did indicate, however, right now masks are only protecting the unvaccinated. The Washington Post opinion piece said...

"Those of us who have behaved responsibly — wearing masks and, since the vaccines became available, getting our shots — cannot be held hostage by those who can’t be bothered to do the same, or who are too deluded by misinformation to understand what is so clearly in their own interest."

Here's a comment from the Washington Post's Ruth Marcus I totally agree with: "The more inconvenient we make life for the unvaccinated, the better our own lives will be." That is the gist of this post, except that losing your health insurance is not just an inconvenience, it is a major economic blow. Hit 'em where it hurts then see how fast their position changes and they rush to get their vaccination.

Just look at the figures across the country. They are on the increase almost everywhere, with Florida reporting just this past week 21,000 new Covid cases in one day. Following that state is Texas, #2 in total cases, #3 in total deaths. They each have Republican morons for governors, Ron DeSantis, Florida, Greg Abbott in Texas. State governors like these two bottom feeders are what encourage the anti-vaxxers along with the voluminous social media misinformation.

It was actually Piers Morgan that came up with this concept of denying health coverage to those who will deny the vaccination. His headline:  "Piers Morgan: If you refuse COVID-19 vaccine and catch the virus, you should be denied state-funded health care and pay for it yourself." I added the idea of including the private insurance carriers. The U.S. currently stands at 49.9% fully vaccinated, with most of the summer still ahead of us.

Just last Saturday, fans packed a Florida stadium following a record one-day of 21,000 new cases, a week of 110,000 new cases. Florida has just been named the new coronavirus epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it all can be traced back to the reckless handling of the virus spread by its Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. So, the anti-vaxxers aren't all to blame after the Republican Party spewing its misinformation. 

We're experiencing the biggest outbreak of idiots the United States has ever known. And it all really started with the election of Donald Trump.

When it's too late for a vaccine...what?...UPDATE

UPDATE: Headline: "‘It’s too late’: US doctor says dying patients begging for Covid vaccine." Did you hear that? These anti-vaxxers had to be at death's door to ask for the vaccine...but, of course, it is too late...

Here's the headline from an Alabama doc who is treating Covid vaccine deniers, as she struggles to keep them alive: "'I'm sorry, but it's too late' - unvaccinated patients beg for shot; new infections nearly triple in two weeks": COVID news." Don't you agree, we are in a pitiful state when it is necessary to tell a young person--until now with their life in front of them--it is too late. Especially when they were cautioned over and over the scientific reasons they should get a vaccination.

On a Facebook post, Dr. Brytney Cobia of the Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham said, "she is treating a lot of young, otherwise healthy people for serious coronavirus infections." These young folks would otherwise be able to do their thing--agreed, restricted in out pandemic world--if only they had listened to the guidelines of the medical community, the CDC, instead of placing their faith and confidence in the coronavirus bullshit of social media.

Here's an example of Cobia's day...

"In her [FB] post, Cobia wrote that when a patient dies, she hugs their family members and urges them to get vaccinated. She said they cry and tell her they thought the pandemic was a "hoax," or "political," or targeting some other age group or skin color."

Excuses, excuses, excuses, most all of them completely contrary to both common sense and the credible commentary designed to give them direction during this calamity. Many of these young people are supporters of Donald Trump, and believe the malarky he has spewed during the pandemic and, in my experience, are hard to convince, if at all, Trump's blithering is and has been nothing but crap, not for human consumption. 

Cobia's patients, "wish they could go back. But they can't." That's when it's too late for a vaccine, possibly...just too late.

The Case for the Second Amendment

 

This is the 2nd Amendment as given to us by the Founding Fathers...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

 

Now, let's look at that. Is the "well regulated militia" a state national guard or is "State" meant to represent the U.S. and "militia" the military? This makes a big difference in the interpretation of this amendment. And, the national guard or military "being necessary to the security" of either sounds like we are talking about a group rather than an individual. Of course, all of the discussions and negotiations of the 2nd Amendment were taking place before its passing, December 15,1791.

But then we have, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms," which could be plural, referring to a group of people. What I am getting at here is that the 2nd, as it is written, is far from clear if it represents groups or whether it could include individual gun ownership. Finally, "shall not be infringed" is relatively simple and means the amendment cannot be violated. But it is still to be established whether this 200+ year old measure asserts singleness or government control.

It must be acknowledged that a law that is 200 years old, plus written at a time when there was no established law enforcement--resulting in potential instances of self protection--could need a more modern interpretation. Additionally, the United States over the last few years has shifted to a gun culture designed and implemented by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre that produces maximum profits for gun manufacturers and lines LaPierre's pockets with millions of dollars?

You should understand that all of the above incidents occur in an environment here in

this country that is rocked daily by gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been almost 22,000 gun violence deaths in 2021, including 315 mass shootings. There are 390 million guns on America's streets with the current U.S. population 329 million. America comes in second in firearm-related gun deaths around the world with 37,200 annually; Brazil is number 1. 

But is there a case for the 2nd Amendment? I will leave you with the above facts and figures plus a number of sites, below, relating to guns starting with the mass killings in Colorado and Georgia, in March of this year, and ideas on how to stop all this mayhem...

Opinion | 6 Bold Ideas for Gun Reform That Could Actually Happen

 

• Poll: Majority support stricter US gun laws: 57%
  
  
• I Helped Lead the Gun Control Movement. It’s Asking the Wrong Questions.
  

Explainer: More guns than people: Why tighter U.S. firearms laws are unlikely

• 'Guns apocalypse': Legal experts deliver warnings after Supreme Court decides to take up big 2A case
  
  
• The lawsuit seeking to impose the “death penalty” on the NRA, explained

Samantha Bee gun special: Second Amendment is 'useless,' 'fragile men are drawn to guns'

• Opinion: A bankruptcy trial reveals the deep rot within the NRA

• The case for requiring gun licenses

After repeated ATF warnings, gun dealers can count on the agency to back off; sometimes firearms flow to criminals

• Gun Church That Worships With AR-15s Bought a 40-Acrempound in Texas for Its ‘Patriots’
  
  
• Was the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms Designed to Protect Slavery?

213 Mass Shootings Later, What Has Biden Done on Guns?

• Gun used in Odessa shooting shows risk when chain of illegal sale starts with home-based hobbyist dealers
  
  
• Mass shootings are making news again — here are the legal loopholes that help them happen

At least 22 people shot, 2 fatally, after assailants get out of an SUV and fire assault rifles at a club, police say

• The US has a problem with guns. Here's what to know.
  
  
• America is on a gun-buying spree. Here's what is driving the surge

San Jose mayor proposes gun owners carry insurance, pay annual fee in wake of rail yard shooting

• San Jose mayor proposes gun owners carry insurance, pay annual fee in wake of rail yard shooting

• Why G.O.P.-Led States Are Banning the Police From Enforcing Federal Gun Laws

Gun deaths surge in Iowa ahead of loosened handgun restrictions

Yes, the 2nd Amendment had its place in its day, the days of 1791, but this is 2021, and that need is no longer viable. Gun violence has consumed America due to a gun culture fostered by the National Rifle Assn. and supported by a large array of gun nuts. The time has come for change.