Sometimes I Sits and Thinks and Sometimes...

...I just sits. I had a long talk on the phone yesterday with a former student. It was a nice chat and we agreed that we seem, more and more, to be living in The Twilight Zone. I was reminded of this this AM as I pored through the news. I received a pamphlet the other day that explained the January 6th "Insurrection Hoax." I've written about the folly of that, that Viking Helmet Man was leading the overthrow of the American democracy. Seriously? It played nicely into the hands of something I read this AM. Two federal office buildings were attacked by climate change protesters this week. These housed the Departments of Interior and Commerce. At Commerce, spray paint was used to deface the building. At Interior, police and guards were assaulted and injured, some being hospitalized, by the violent intruders who entered the building. Where are the reports, not to mention condemnations, of these violent protests? Even the official statement from the federal government seemed to be muted, even apologetic. Several dozen violent protesters were arrested. I looked completely through my newspapers Wed, Thur, and Fri; nary a word about this "insurrection." Apparently, it's only violent, an "insurrection," and "a threat to our democracy" when the other side does it. I saw a video that was hilarious. A woman pulled up to the drive-through window at a fast-food restaurant. The worker wouldn't give the woman her drink because she didn't have a mask. So, he handed her, through his window and hers, a mask. Why was it more dangerous to have handed her the drink than to hand her the mask? I see an NBA player is done for his season, if not career, over blood clots he is sure came from getting the vax. I don't know if the vax was the cause, although he seems to be certain. But that underscores the initial problem with the vax. It was fast-tracked, without real testing. Oh, I know people will claim the RNA technology has been in development for a decade or more. So says the CDC, which of course has never been wrong; just ask it or St. Anthony. But there were no long-term tests of the technology with the CoVid vax; that's because there was and still isn't any long-term. Are we likely in the next years to discover issues with blood clots, enlarged hearts, reproduction, even cancers? I don't know and that is the issue. Neither does the medical community. Although, as with all the critics of the CoVid strategies (masks, shutdown, distancing), there are some pretty noteworthy medical folks questioning the vax. But they are shunted to never-never land, never to be seen and never to be heard. I'm not an anti-vaxxer. All I want is to be told the truth, that the medical community doesn't really know, that's it's making guesses and that some of the guesses have been dreadfully wrong. Be honest. Give me all of the facts before I am bullied into making "an informed decision." But I forget, yet again. Being honest reflects good character and, I am repeatedly told, character doesn't matter. Related, a federal court ruled that Michigan State University could require employees to get the vax. Among other things, he wrote, "...bodily autonomy has not been deemed a fundamental right." If Americans don't have control over their own bodies (including I would submit, their minds) in the face of government mandates, then they can't be free. He wrote, "There is no fundamental right to decline a vaccination." Huh? What's next? The possible list of things for which "There is not fundamental right to decline" is practically endless. Our Constitutional system was devised around several very basic, but fundamental principles. Two of them are limited government and popular sovereignty, that the people not Big Government decide. Coercion by the state, either at the federal or state level, of individuals violates both of these principles. This judge was appointed by W. Bush. Yet another reason to rank him among the worst Presidents. "Worst Presidents?" It used to be only a handful were included in this list; but the list is growing and growing quickly. One nationally-respected immunologist stated of this opinion/ruling, "I was disappointed to see our judiciary's weakness on display." He cited the federal government's "draconian behavior on vaccination mandates [for] the recently infected and naturally immune is unscientific and, likely, unconstitutional." (Not if the federal courts say it isn't! Whimps/Wimps!) He added, "In national emergencies, reason, science, and ethics fail us and fear prevails." Amen. I still chuckle at "Let's Go, Brandon" every time I see it or hear it. I think it would be hilarious if, at the football stadiums this weekend, "F*ck You, Biden" was replaced with "Let's Go, Brandon." The chanters could make fun of and protest more than one target. Here's another one I just discovered this AM, "Empty-shelves, Joe." As the main grocery shopper for our household, I know that one and will chuckle tomorrow AM as I can't find what I want--honey, toilet bowl cleaner, dog food, peanut butter..... Last but not least, several thoughts emerged from one this week. I noted to my class that one Alexander Macomb was said to have owned a couple of dozen slaves in the early 19th Century. That, of course, was and is abhorrent and presumably banned by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 ("Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist....."). In Michigan, Macomb County is named after him. I wonder how long before there is a movement afoot to change the name of Macomb County. A couple of weeks ago, another Robert E. Lee statue/memorial was taken down. I know many people think this is wrong, a product of wokeism or some such. But I still can't figure out why Americans would want to honor someone who committed treason against the US, whose treason was responsible (because of his military brilliance) for the deaths of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Union soldiers. And to wrap up, Monday was Columbus Day, the national holiday. I still have some trouble with the idea of so honoring Christopher Columbus. I will grant he was a great sailor and even a great salesman. But many will see my reticence as some sort of revisionist history. No, it's exactly the opposite. I know my histor, that is, the history of Columbus and he wasn't "St. Christopher." Besides, why does Columbus get his day, but Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Dwight Eisenhower and other worthy Presidets must share a day with the likes of James Buchanan, both Johnsons, W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, John Tyler, Warren Harding, et al?