OK. I may alienate some folks here. This is the Gadsden flag. Popular with the continental marines during the revolutionary war.
Also often used by gun rights activists and supporters, often armed, of small government and the military. Note: I support the men and women in our military. I'm not sure about the weapons systems that suck up the billions without giving anything back.
Moving on. Somtimes these flag images have an accompanying caption. "Live free or die." The idea that if I can't live free under my terms I would rather die. As the Delta strain surges and some states, Oregon my Oregon, reinstate indoor masking requirements we are continually faced with this BS. Oregon's governoer has also alerted the National Guard in case our hospitals get to the critical point.
Trouble is folks are full on for the "live free" half of the equation. Its the "or die" that doesn't seem to enter the equation.
Radio host Dick Farrell who mocked the Covid vaccine and lambasted Dr. Anthony Fauci changed his tune when he contracted the virus. He lated died of the virus, in the hospital and presumably takine up an ICU bed. Phil Valentine of Tennessee also changed his tune. As of August 10 he was in critical condition and presumably on a ventilator. His family is now urging their fellow citizens to get vaccinated ASAP. To be honest I'd be more impressed if it hadne't taken a member of their family, who urged listeners to NOT get vaccinated, getting the virus to now support vaccines. Yes being a citizen makes you eligible for certain rights. However the rights come with responsibilites and obligations. Looking out for and not endangering your fellow citizens comes to mind.
My heritage is mainly Puritain and Quaker. Granted the Puritains took minding other people's business to extremes Quakers were believers in the I'll reqpect your rights and you respect mine. Some of that respect, in my opinion, means making sure you don't endanger your neighbors.
Note to you folks that claim your immune system can handle anything. Rumor has it there is at least one more varient percolating in the the wings. Lambda. First discovered in South America. Cases have been found in Japan, the Phillipines, and yes it's turning up in the US. Texas, South Carolina and California so far. Thanks heavens for high speed computers that can sequence the genetics of a virus quickly. So far lambda is a "person of interest" version of the virus. No one is hoisting the danger flags yet.
This entry is reading a little disjointed. Sorry. Get the jab. Wear a mask. I'd say live up to your beliefs and don't go the the hospital, except you'd just infect more victims. And if the folks helping you happen to be in uniform? Be sure to thank them. Kind of hard if you are sedated and on a vent.
I think I'm going to did up one of my old guided imagry experiments. I really need to refocus.
1 comment:
I worry about you EVERY DAY, being out there in bum-fuck dumb-ass Umatilla County where people are NOT going to be told what to do, god-dammit. YOU are exactly the people they need to protect, but they don't give a fuck about anybody but themselves...not even their own kids, evidently.
I just posted a long thread on Twitter, talking about how capably our governor handled the pandemic until the vaccine arrived--in the face of anger, constant criticism and death threats. When she handed the mantle of COVID monitoring to the county/municipal governments--the exact "local control" they had been demanding for over a year--THEY wouldn't take it up. THEY wouldn't risk the political fallout of mandates that might make them unpopular with some voters. And now that COVID is worse here than it ever was, who are they blaming? The governor, of course.
I wouldn't take a job in government for millions of dollars. And our best and brightest feel exactly the same way. Which is why our government is increasingly in the hands of ignorant, wild-eyed ideologues. We get the government we deserve, god help us...
Stay strong and stay safe, my friend!
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