Steveso Thinks is now Stevesovie Thinks

 

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After writing Steveso Thinks for a very long time I have changed the name and the hosting on my blog.  It is now called Stevesovie Thinks and is published on WordPress.  I had attempted to move the blog and keep the domain name, but Google could not find my domain.  The original registrar, GoDaddy, was unable to locate my domain as Google had apparently moved it to a third party.  After hours and hours of wrangling with a GoDaddy customer support technician who had never heard of Blogger and getting nowhere with Google (I was not able to speak with an actual live person), I decided to move my blog with a new name and new domain.

I hope I can retain the followers that I have had for all of these years.  The content is the same and the old posts are still visible. So, please join me at Stevesovie Thinks

I Think Our Democracy is on the Eve of Destruction

 

    Pixabay

 

 

I’m not a person who looks at life through rose-colored glasses, and I don’t consider myself to be an extreme pessimist. I guess I would call myself a realist. But I can’t join the chorus of revelers espousing hope for normalcy and happier times after the defeat of Donald Trump.

Many of my fellow citizens breathed sighs of relief after both the election and the January 6th insurrection. On January 8 I published a story here on Medium called “Don’t Think for a Moment the Insurrection is Over” expressing my views of the election. It didn’t get much traction, either because no one was interested or no one cared. It’s been 11 months since I wrote that and I’m more worried than ever.

During this time the FBI has been arresting and prosecuting the foot soldiers of the insurrection. You know, little people like us. Most of those already prosecuted have received pathetically light sentences for their part in the violent attempt to overthrow the government.

Meanwhile, the bi-partisan January 6th Commission empowered to investigate the insurrection is slowly peeling back the layers of the organization of the attempted coup. So far numerous subpoenas have been issued, but only two referrals to the Justice Department for Contempt of Congress have been made. Only one person, Steve Bannon, has been arrested and his trial date has been set for 7 months from now. Trump’s closest allies who have been subpoenaed have refused to cooperate and have used the very judicial system they tried to bring down to stall the proceedings.

Unlike the Watergate investigation, which many of us remember viewing on prime time television, we are receiving small bits of information via the internet or if we’re lucky, news channels, except, of course, Fox News. In the past few days, we have learned that many members of Congress and also Fox News celebrities have been involved, in the organization or coverup. All Republican members of the House have continued to spread the “big lie” and defend their fellow Representatives who were involved in the coup. Not all of those members of Congress who took part in the insurrection of January 6h have been publicly identified, as yet.

At the same time, the shit show of Trump suing everyone to prevent the release of his tax returns and to prevent the National Archives from turning over the records surrounding the insurrection continues. As each court denies his case his lawyers appeal to a higher court until the decision is left up to SCOTUS. In other words, Trump is trying to run out the clock, in hopes of a midterm Democrat loss of the House of Representatives. Typical Trump legal strategy he has used his entire pathetic life.

As far as the Department of Justice is concerned we have heard little from them. Attorney General Merrick Garland has been conspicuously silent on anything concerning Donald Trump’s actions and the insurrection in general. He either does not believe Trump can be held accountable for his illegal actions or he is afraid to piss off Trump and his followers.

The MSM does not appear to show an interest in what the investigation is uncovering, even though it is becoming more obvious that Trump was personally involved in obstruction of congress, a felony. Instead, they are focused on blaming Biden for the Republicans not supporting his legislation to improve the lives of middle-class Americans. You and me. Every single Republican has voted against any type of relief for American families. They are denying relief for Americans in need and trying to take away their right to vote.

Instead of the media reporting what the Biden administration has actually done for Americans they are predicting the Democrats will lose the House and the Senate in the midterms. Historically the party in control of the White House loses control of either the House or Senate of both. The media would like nothing better than this to happen because it would help improve their ratings, or so they hope.

The reality of the current political situation is starting to stare me in the face. This is what keeps me up at night. In 2022 Republicans gain control of Congress. The January 6th investigation comes to an end under the Republicans. In 2024 Trump or another GOP traitor is elected. In 2025 blanket pardons are issued for all of Trump’s minions previously convicted. Bam! The Coup is complete!

I hope I’m wrong!

 

Originally published in Rogues' Gallery on Medium.com

Infrastructure or Intimidation? Republicans Approve of the Latter!

 pxhere.com

Today Arizona Republican nutjob representative Paul Gosar was censured by the House of Representatives for posting an anime video in which he killed Democratic representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and threatened President Biden. The vote to censure followed along party lines except for Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Every other Republican in the House voted to approve of Gosar’s behavior.

It has been 10 days since Gosar posted his violent threat on social media and not one single Republican member of the Senate or House has criticized or condemned him, except for Cheney and Kinzinger. The Republican leadership not only didn’t condemn him, but they also defended his right to threaten a fellow member of Congress and the President of the United States, calling his action “a joke”.

While the Republicans were supporting Gosar's threats of violence they were condemning the 13 members of their caucus who voted for Biden’s infrastructure bill. I guess it’s okay to threaten to kill your fellow congressmen and the President, but it’s a crime to help the American people!

Gosar’s family has been very vocal concerning his actions, calling for him to be censured and expelled. They have called him dangerous, a traitor and in need of psychiatric help. But his fellow Republicans hold him in high esteem.

This is not the first time Gosar has gained notoriety for his extremist views. He is known as a staunch Trump supporter and a strong promoter of “the big lie”. He has offered support for the January 6th insurrection as well as the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that turned deadly. He makes no bones about his support for white supremacists. It makes absolute sense that Gosar would violently threaten Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, being that she is a woman and she is a person of color.

Why has the Republican party descended into a hateful, immoral, crime-supporting cesspool? Is it because the Republican leadership and rank and file are terrified of Trump and his psychopathic degenerate followers? Or is it because they value power over morality and service to their country and their constituents? It’s probably a combination of both.

It is not really a surprise that Republicans have acted like a cabal of immoral, slithering vermin, in tacitly supporting violence and criminal behavior on behalf of their party members. But what is surprising and frankly terrifying is that a majority of the American people are viewing this as normal for our times.

For those who think that Gosar has learned his lesson or that Republicans will take this as a warning to clean up their act, you are wrong. As I was writing this article Gosar retweeted his violent video! If anything ever happens to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, it will be the fault of Gosar and all of his Republican colleagues who allowed it to happen. It will also belong to anyone who ever votes Republican again.

 

Originally published in Rogues Gallery on Medium.com 

You can follow my other writings, as well as read works from many other talented writers by becoming a member of Medium. If you would like to sign up for a Medium membership (I will receive part of your membership fee) please click here

WTF Does That Mean?

 

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I just came back from my gym located in a small strip mall near my home. As I was exiting the mall I saw a bearded elderly man in a motorized wheelchair holding a cardboard sign. The sign read “need guns and ammo”! WTF?!

I Don’t Consider Myself a Superhero, But give me a break!

 

Pixabay.com

In all of my 73 years, I’ve never considered myself to be courageous. But lately, I’ve had to rethink that because of the present Covid-19 pandemic.

When I was a child I suffered from asthma, often landing in the hospital. I underwent testing for allergens to ascertain the correct treatment. This involved injecting substances such as ragweed, timothy, etc, under the skin and waiting to see if there was a reaction. If a hive formed at the injection site, I was allergic to that allergen. I had 25 injections in each arm. After lunch, I had 25 more in each arm. I was found to be allergic to several substances and subsequently had to have 5 shots a week to desensitize my body to these allergens. Eventually, the number of shots decreased as I build up immunity. From the time I was 5 years old to 14 years, I had to endure these shots, every week.

I had no idea what was in those injections and neither did my parents. They trusted my allergist and believed the shots would alleviate my constant suffering. And they did. I still had asthma attacks, but the severity slowly decreased and I didn’t end up in the hospital with each attack. It took a long time and a lot of faith in my doctors, but I finally could breathe better.

Asthma wasn’t the only illness I had to worry about when I was growing up. I was born in midst of the polio epidemic. I had no idea what polio was back then, but I remember seeing pictures of people in “iron lungs” and children with braces on their legs. This was what polio was to me. When I was 4 or 5 years old the polio vaccination became available and I got it. My parents didn’t have social media to study about the vaccine. They wanted to protect me, so they made me get the vaccination. I had no choice. They trusted the medical experts. I never got polio. Today, most people don’t even know what polio is.

Did I mention that I also went to school as a child? My parents didn’t just dress me up, give me pencils and paper, pack my lunch pail and send me off to school. They made sure that I would stay healthy while attending school. They didn’t have a choice. To attend school I had to be vaccinated against a series of diseases that ravaged children during my childhood. Even though some of these diseases were not fatal to everyone, they often caused permanent disabilities, as well as financial hardships. I was vaccinated against smallpox, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis and I never got sick from either the vaccination or the disease.

Because I was accustomed to receiving frequent injections for my asthma, and later, hay fever, I didn’t think receiving vaccinations was a big deal. And my parents, as well as the parents of all of my classmates, didn’t give vaccinations a second thought. There were no school board discussions, no protests, no violence, no attacks on the healthcare professionals, no politicization of the vaccine requirements. Everyone wanted to protect their children and each other.

I can remember standing in line at school with my sleeve rolled up, to receive my vaccination. I don’t even remember any of my classmates screaming or crying. Do you want to know what else I don’t remember? I don’t remember any of my friends or classmate getting sick from the diseases we were protected from!

I find it very confusing to see the younger generation whining and acting like complete pussies because they are asked to wear a mask or get vaccinated. It’s upsetting to watch parents attack teachers and school board members who are trying to protect the children in their care. It’s amazing how some of these people, who probably just managed to pass high school biology suddenly become immunologists after attending Facebook University. Thank God they weren’t my parents!

Having made it to my 73rd birthday and hoping for many more, because my parents cared enough and were intelligent enough to have me vaccinated, I continue to take preventative measures to keep healthy. This includes getting a yearly flu vaccination, the Covid vaccinations, and others such as the shingles and pneumonia vaccinations. I’m not being brave. I’m not a superhero. I’m just smart. It’s time for all Americans to smarten up and grow up!

You can follow my other writings, as well as read works from many other talented writers by becoming a member of Medium. If you would like to sign up for a Medium membership (I will receive part of your membership fee) please click here.

The Eight Beatitudes as Interpreted by Fox News

Photo courtesy of thinking faith.com

On the rare occasion where I have seen Fox News I have noticed that whenever anyone was in the news doing good for society, the country, climate change or anything that would benefit society,  Fox would attack them mercilessly.  The latest attack was on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, where Fox condemned them for flying on a private jet to attend a conference on climate change held in New York City.  When is the last time you saw Fox's savior, Donald Trump fly commercial?

After seeing this fact I thought of how Fox would interpret The Eight Beatitudes from Christ's Sermon on the mount.  Here is the way Fox would present the beatitudes.

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they are lazy and deserve to be poor.

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they should get over it.

3. Blessed are the meek, for they are losers.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they are socialists.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they are weak.

6. Blessed are pure in heart, for they are fake.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called suckers.

8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for they are not real Americans and deserve it.

Thank you Fox News and the Republican party for telling us what Christianity really is all about!

Don't Think for a Moment the Insurrection is Over, It's Not. They'll Try Again.

                                                                      Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay 

Like millions of people all over the world, I watched in horror, sadness, and disgust as the United States Capitol building was taken over by insurrectionists goaded on by the President of the United States. For the first time since the War of 1812 the Capitol was captured, not by a foreign enemy, but by domestic terrorists. For the first time since the Civil War, the confederate flag, a symbol of racism, hate, and insurrection was present in the Capitol, where the bodies of patriots like John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, John McCain, and John Lewis have lain in state.

For hours Trump’s militia roamed, ransacked, and even urinated and defecated in the halls of the people’s Capitol, without opposition. While this was happening, Donald Trump and his family and most ardent supporters watched gleefully from the confines of a secure bunker in the White House. This is what Trump wanted. Chaos and violence. 

Trump’s coup failed, but it came so shockingly close to succeeding! How in the hell did this happen? With the hundreds of millions of dollars this country spends to defend our country and Capitol, a bunch of deplorable, ignorant, deluded, cult followers was able to invade and occupy the seat of our government, with ease. They did not do it alone. Someone financed, planned, assisted, and encouraged this coup. At the top of this list definitely are Trump, Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, Michael Flynn, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and all of those Republican members of Congress who have enabled Trump and spread his lies about election fraud. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the rioters were aided by some members of the Capitol police and other governmental law enforcement agencies. Even the acting head of the Department of Defense had a hand in preventing the calling up of the National Guard.

Amazingly at the end of the day on January 6, only a handful of rioters were arrested. Had this been a BLM demonstration hundred of correctional facility buses would be overflowing with prisoners and dead bodies would be littering the ground! Ah, the wonders of white privilege! Two days after the attempted coup more arrests have been made, but the Justice Department has declined to investigate the speakers who incited this unforgivable violence. It appears the instigators will go unpunished. 

One would think that with this violence and the attempt to overthrow the electoral process the Republican members of Congress who helped encourage this insurrection would realize what their support of Trump had done to our democracy and support the Constitution. But no, they continued to spew their lies and conspiracy theories in an attempt to give Trump another term. They knew they would not succeed, but they grandstanded to please Trump’s base for political gain. Eventually, Biden was certified as the winner of the 2020 election, as expected.

Two days later investigations have just begun into how this attempted coup could have happened and who is responsible. Calls for the removal of Trump, either from invoking the 25th Amendment or another impeachment, have been growing. But only the Democrats are calling for Trump to be held accountable for his failed coup. Only one Republican has joined the Democrats in calling for Trump’s removal. Cowardly Mike Pence has refused to invoke the 25th while some members of the Cabinet have resigned, so they would not be forced to vote against Trump. Republicans in the House and Senate have stated that they would not support removing Trump through impeachment. They would rather risk our democracy and the lives of our citizens than to go against Trump!

People have argued that there are only less than two weeks before Trump leaves office and it is a waste of time to attempt to remove him before then. They say, “what can he do in 13 days?”. The answer to that should be clear looking back to January 6th. He still has the nuclear codes, he still is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, he can still start a war, he can still incite his cult members to attack the Inauguration. And he can run again in 2024. 

Trump will be out of office on January 20, but he won’t be gone. In the next few days, if he is not impeached or removed he will pardon himself for all crimes he has committed during his tenure and for those he could or will commit before Biden becomes President. In other words, he will be free to continue to wreak havoc upon or country. 

We must remember that Hitler or any other dictator did not succeed in their first try at seizing authority. They did not give up and admit defeat and neither will Trump. He and his followers will always be with us unless they are held accountable. Those in public office, those in the Republican party, and those in his administration must be held accountable and imprisoned for treason. And yes, I also hold those people who have voted for him and continue to support him partially responsible for laying the groundwork for this attempted coup. And just as guilty, are those of our citizenry who “don’t like to get involved in politics”. You are also responsible for Trump and Trumpism. Your silence was and is a form of encouragement for Trump. 

Sadly I don’t believe that Trump and his enablers will be held accountable. Trump will not resign or admit defeat. Those reprehensible insurrectionists who took over the Capitol will know that in reality, they had gotten away with an attempted coup and lived another day to fight again. The next time they will succeed.

 

Originally published in Rogues' Gallery on Medium.com

    

It's Not Fair, I've Been Cheated My Whole Life

 

Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay

Okay, it's almost the end of 2020 and I'm really pissed. I've been cheated all my life and I'm not going to take it anymore!  I've had it and I'm going to do something about everyone who has cheated me out of what is rightfully mine.

First of all, I'm going to retroactively sue my parents for not leaving me an inheritance of millions of dollars.  How is one to survive on anything less?  I'll get a good lawyer.  Maybe Rudy can take up my case.  Then I am going to sue God and the hospital where I was born for allowing me to be born with asthma and allergies. I shouldn't have had to put up with all of those breathing problems!

Then there was this insult when I was in high school.  I'm going to sue my high school because they let someone else graduate as the valedictorian of my class.  It's not going to stop there.  Next, I am going to sue Harvard for not accepting me into their prestigious institution. I didn't apply, but that's not the point.  I deserved to be accepted.  They should have begged me to attend.

Perhaps the biggest indignity of my entire life is that I've had to actually work my whole life until I had to retire.  I wasn't cut out to work.  That's for losers and suckers. For my entire life, someone else took those cushy jobs that were meant for me.  Many of those who stole my dream jobs were minorities or immigrants.  It wasn't fair.

Do you realize how many times I've won the Mega Millions jackpot?  Every time I won someone changed the winning numbers and gave the money to some loser who really didn't know what to do with the money. Even when I buy scratch tickets the clerk, who sells them to me, purposely takes my ticket from the losers' bundle of tickets. Every damn time!  Even the machines that dispense lottery tickets are rigged against me.

Oh yeah. I forgot about the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. I don't know how many times I sent in my entry and followed all the rules, but to no avail.  I've sat for hours looking out my window waiting for the prize patrol to drive up to my front door.  It has to be rigged against me.  I haven't even won the Irish Sweepstakes, and I'm half Irish!

I really become angry when I see these losers driving around in beautiful red Porsche Boxters! I should be driving one! That's my car!  Just because I can't afford one doesn't mean I shouldn't have one. It's not fair.

Now that I am retired I have to live on government handouts like Social Security and my pension.  Who does that?  Where the hell is my slush fund.  People should be giving me money for no other reason than I deserve it. Maybe I should go to Deutsche Bank and take out a loan for a billion dollars. I can use my name as collateral. Or I can run for president. I hear anyone can. 

I'm psyched right now about getting everything I deserve. Now that I know that my failures have not been my fault, but someone else's, I can work to right these wrongs.  And I have that wonderful role model and benevolent human being, Donald J. Trump, to thank for enlightening me. We're not losers, are we Don?

Shared from my blog Stephen Sovies Blog

Will SCOTUS Steal the Election for Trump?It’s not impossible!

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

With the election just a few days away my fears about the outcome are becoming more realistic. The normal headline-grabbing “October Surprise” never happened, but maybe an “October theft” did happen.

The Supreme Court in the past couple of days ruled that absentee ballots in Pennsylvania and North Carolina must be accepted after November 3rd. The media declared the rulings as victories for the Democrats. The Democrats openly rejoiced. And others declared a victory, not for the Democrats, but democracy. But the rulings could be a victory for Trump.

The Supreme Court rulings may, in reality, be a short term victory for voting rights. The dissenting justices, Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch implied that the decision could be revisited up to 3 days after election day and possibly invalidate those ballots. Newly seated illegitimate justice Barrett didn’t vote at this time saying she had not read the arguments in the case. We all know if there is another vote after the election, and it is apparent that Trump is losing by a small margin in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, she will vote to invalidate the late ballots.

Merely by intimating that SCOTUS could reconsider their decision, it is a clear sign that some justices are ready, willing, and able to nullify the results of the election if it becomes apparent that Trump will lose. Unless Trump is losing in a landslide there is a strong possibility that once again he will steal the election. This time with a corrupt Supreme Court.

It’s too late to vote by mail, so anyone who hasn’t voted yet need to place their absentee ballots in a dropbox, vote in early voting, or vote in person on election day. The fate of our democracy is at stake. If Trump is allowed to steal our votes, God knows what else he will steal from us.

VOTE

Originally published in Rogues' Gallery on Medium.com

It Suddenly Hit Me. What am I going to write about after the election?

 

                                                                    Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

 

 

I don’t write for a living, to supplement my retirement income, or necessarily to make money, so I don’t write regularly. I primarily write to express my opinion or feelings about what is important to me. And that usually leads to me writing about politics or social issues. Because Trump, his enablers and supporters, are in direct opposition to the values I hold dearly and even my own existence as a gay person, I write a great deal about politics. With the election less than 3 weeks away I suddenly realized that this could all change, depending upon who wins the election.

If Trump wins a second term there definitely will be much I will disagree with and write about. But this may change. With Trump’s known disdain for dissent, criticism may not be allowed. With his own personal fixer, Attorney General Barr, Trump has already proven he will attempt to silence his political foes or anyone who criticizes him. We all know how much he hates the media when they tell the truth about his corruption, lies, and misdeeds. If he wins the election he will see it as a coronation of his perpetual leadership. Freedom of the press and freedom of speech will be only a memory.

If Biden wins the election I will at least feel safer, with the government in the hands of a sane and rational leader who has the best interests of the country at heart, instead of using the country as his own piggy bank. I will feel better knowing that Biden and Harris share the same values as I do in regard to equality, civil and human rights. If the Democrats take over the Senate I will feel even better realizing there may be some hope that the damage Trump has done to our country can be reversed.

With the now certain confirmation of Amy Comey Barrett as the replacement for Justice Ginsburg, I know I will have a lot to write about, in fighting to preserve my marriage, as she is an avowed opponent of same-sex marriage and has even spoken in favor of not only eliminating LGBTQ rights but also criminalizing homosexuality. Aside from how her nomination affects my personal life and future, there are going to be disastrous consequences for women’s reproductive rights, voting rights, civil rights, climate change, separation of church and state, and other constitutional rights. I certainly will have a lot to write about — if I’m allowed.

When I share my fears, thoughts, and feelings about those social issues that are dear to me I don’t receive a great deal of attention. After all, I’m “preaching to the choir” in most instances. For many people, who suffer from a phenomenon called “I don’t want to get involved” my writings go unnoticed. I wrote about this last year in an article of the same name. You can read it here if you’re interested. I don’t think much will change for some people after the election. Hopefully, I won’t.

So if Biden wins the election I’m sure I will continue to write about politics and social issues. I will continue to speak up for my rights and those of others. If Trump wins, I will definitely be in a state of deep depression and unable to write anything for a long while. Then there is a real possibility I won’t be able to express my opinion at all if it is in any way critical of Dear Leader.

VOTE!

 

Originally published in Rogues Gallery on Medium.com

Sometimes I Feel Like I Just Don’t Belong

 

                                                                     Image by Alain Audet from Pixabay

 

For me, and probably most Americans, 2020 has been an emotional roller coaster ride. It’s not just the pandemic. It’s the slow descent of our country into fascism. The country I was born into is on its last breath, thanks to Donald Trump and the Republican party.

I now experience feelings I haven’t felt in many years. Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and of not belonging. The same feelings I had to deal with coming to the realization I was gay and fighting to accept that fact.

The memory of that evening when my father passed away is coming back to the surface, as vivid as always. As the doctor informed us of my father’s passing both of my brothers joined their wives in standing by my mother’s side. I was left alone. I felt as though I didn’t belong. I had to deal with my loss alone.

This memory kept eating at me because I knew that being gay I would never have the freedom or the right to have someone that I loved at my side. Those were the years when gay people felt as though they had to hide. To choose between a loving partner or a family. At the time of my father’s death, no one in my family knew I was gay.

With my father dying of cancer I couldn’t add to the stress of my family by coming out. The society that I grew up in and the church I worshiped in (more like forced to worship) condemned me for being me. I was sad, hopeless, and alone. I didn’t belong.

Shortly after my father passed away I came out to my family. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, even though my mother constantly prayed to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, and let me know about it. I can remember telling her one time that if she didn’t accept me for being gay I would cut off all ties with the entire family. Slowly she accepted the fact that I was gay. Or maybe it was the dementia that made it easier. It took me many years to feel part of my family though.

With the Supreme Court decision in 2013 making same-sex marriages legal in all 50 states, I finally felt secure in my place in this world. Strangely I was living openly with my partner, now husband, in Malaysia, a Muslim country at the time. Since I was a foreigner, with money, our relationship was accepted. It was impossible for us to be together in the United States prior to 2013.

In October, following the court’s decision my partner and I were married in New York State. In February of 2014, we moved to the United States to live, together. Finally, we could live together as a married couple. My husband, for the first time, could live openly as a gay person and I felt as though I belonged. And then came Trump!

We live in a conservative Republican suburb in upstate New York and have been accepted by most of our neighbors. We have developed very close relationships in our neighborhood, but we don’t talk politics. Many of our friends here get their news from Fox News and have absolutely no idea of what is happening with the corruption, racism, and lawlessness in Trump’s administration.

Hell, I have a neighbor who refuses to believe Trump was impeached! I can see our country falling apart, little by little, every day, and I can’t even discuss this with people I’m with. I miss the days, living, and working in Boston, where I felt as though I was among my own kind.

I’m still reeling from the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and alternately angry and depressed with her passing. I feel hopeless and helpless. The people I am surrounded by haven’t even mentioned her passing. And I’m sure they only see her contribution to society as being one of the persons on the Supreme Court allowing abortion to be legal. The good Christians in my area only see abortion, and not the denial of women’s rights, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, civil rights, or immigrant rights or 200,000 COVID deaths. My friends don’t even see the possibility of my marriage being declared illegal.

My thoughts tend to wander from finding another country, with freedom and equality, in which to live, to standing and fighting the bastards who are attacking my right to exist as a gay person. The feeling of not belonging has returned, just as strong as ever. That feeling has metastasized to other aspects of my life, including my activities on Medium.

I have always expressed my thoughts, feelings, and emotions through writing. I have considered writing as a form of therapy to blow off steam or share my thoughts with other like-minded people. Writing was something I did, not something that defined me.

But lately, I feel I am farting into the wind.

I’m not the only one who fears for their rights and freedoms, I’m sure. My articles are falling by the wayside though. I guess people would rather read and write about how Medium has helped them put their children through college or how they make a full-time living writing here. The more articles, in my opinion, trash, are published here the more I feel I don't belong here either.

The closer we get to the election the more my emotions will fluctuate. I am trying to look at the bright side and not be so pessimistic about what happens after the election or Ginsburg’s replacement on the court. But, to be honest, I don’t trust the intelligence of the American people. Regardless of what happens, I have to continue to express myself, if free speech is still allowed. I may not feel as though I belong, but I still feel I have the right to exist, regardless of what anyone else may think.

 

Originally published in The Top Shelf on Medium.com

The Coming Storm

 

Image by jplenio from Pixabay

The long-range forecast is foreboding. Not the weather forecast, but the election forecast. The polls show Biden winning, even in most swing states, but the election is still a little under 50 days away and anything could happen. Anything disastrous and unprecedented that is. Trump is like a cornered rabid animal who will stop at nothing to win. He has to win to ensure that he, his family members, and his enablers will not end up in prison. He will risk your life, my life, and the lives of countless other Americans to achieve his victory.

His campaign has apparently run out of money and has been forced to remove television advertising from crucial states. He knows that he has a slim chance of winning in an honest and fair election. He needs Putin and Russia now, more than ever. He also needs his fixer, Bill Barr, to attack and discredit his opponents and to prevent a fair vote. His Postmaster General toadie has already started to cripple the postal service to hinder mail-in voting. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There is going to be a subversion and a perversion of the legal system to support Trump’s re-election. There are going to be all kinds of attempts to block Black people from voting, especially in the South. The closer we get to November 3rd the more attacks on our elections and legal system will be realized. You can bet your bottom dollar that Bill Barr and Trump’s Justice Department have already formulated the “October Surprise” to favor Trump. Whether it is a fake Covid-19 vaccine or a fake investigation of Obama for a “Trumped-up” imaginary charge, rest assured it’s coming. We should also be prepared for violence erupting in our major cities, especially those run by Democratic mayors. We all know how Trump loves to foment chaos.

Most of us look forward to November 3rd as the day of deliverance from the evils of the Trump crime syndicate, but most likely we will be far from delivered from the hate and cruelty of Donald Trump and his cult of supporters. Election day is going to be just the beginning. Hopefully, it won’t be the beginning of the end.

If Biden wins, even by a landslide, Trump will not give up. And his supporters won’t give up. Even with the knowledge that Trump has trashed and dishonored our veterans and war dead and the tapes of Trump admitting he purposely downplayed the seriousness of Covid-19, his followers are still firmly behind him. They refuse to believe anything negative about their Fuhrer. These people only watch Fox News and are totally unfamiliar with the truth, or anything resembling it.

Trump, knowing that his defeat may be inevitable, has begun floating the idea that the election results will be fake and signaled his refusal to accept the results. Many political veterans believe that Trump may refuse to leave the Oval Office on January 20. Trump has often stated that he “deserves” a second and even a third term. He has stated, “that the only way he will lose the election is if it is rigged”. He is preparing his lemmings for his defeat. He has also encouraged people to vote twice, only because he then can call the election invalid.

Roger Stone, convicted felon and Trump friend, and supporter whose sentence was commuted, recently called for Trump to declare martial law if he loses and to arrest Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, and the Clintons. Trump’s assistant secretary of Health and Human Services has warned of “an armed revolt” if Trump loses. As the Daily Mail has reported, “Donald Trump says he will put down ‘INSURRECTION’ if he is declared the winner and there are riots on election night”.

While a majority of the country may be hoping and planning on celebrating a Biden victory, small, albeit violent extremist elements of Trump supporters are planning on bloodshed. Who will be the targets? Everyone they perceive to be Trump’s enemies. In other words, anyone not a white supremacist.

Trump will not think twice about destroying the Constitution, the Country, and the lives of Americans to remain in power. Be prepared for horror yet to come.

This story was originally published by me in The Militant on Medium.

It is What It Is!

Wikimedia Commons

Over 156,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since March and over 1,000 people are dying each day from the Trump virus. And Donald Trump calls this fake news.  Is it fake news for those families who have buried their fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and grandparents, without being able to say good-bye?  

Trump mocks those medical professionals who are trying to save American lives while touting ineffective treatments and conspiracy theories.  His supporters refuse to social distance and to wear masks to protect themselves and their fellow Americans from the virus.  One of his staunchest supporters who also refused to wear a mask and called the pandemic a hoax, Herman Cain, recently died for his ignorance and loyalty to Trump. Did Trump care? No.

Now Trump is pushing America's children to sacrifice their lives for him and return to school, while his own son's private school will continue online learning. In a few weeks, teachers and children will suffer and die because of Trump's ignorance, arrogance, and refusal to accept his failures. Does he care?  No.

When asked in an Axios interview about the numbers of people who have died and who are dying every day, he responds: "it is what it is".  You can watch the full interview here.

That my fellow Americans is the psychopath we call our president!

Maybe It's Time to Cull the Herd. Could this be why we now have the Covid-19 pandemic?

Image by Shutterbug75 from Pixabay

Okay, I don’t consider myself to be an expert in epidemiology, even though I spent my life working in the medical field. But I think I possess a good measure of intelligence and the common sense that if I don’t know something I will seek out information from experts who do know something. That includes the coronavirus.

I know that if I see someone with a cold, that person is infected by the virus which causes the common cold. I also know that unless I want to cough and sneeze and feel miserable for a week to ten days I should stay away from that person. Of course, we are not always conscious of who around us is suffering from a cold and we don’t always take precautions to prevent getting that cold. Sometimes we throw caution to the wind and don’t take any precautions and are willing to suffer the consequences.

During the autumn and winter months of every year, most of us become a bit more cautious because this time of year is commonly called the flu season. A high number of people receive the flu vaccine in hopes of not contracting the flu or at least getting a less virulent form of the flu. Most of us also are more aware of those around us who are showing symptoms and try to avoid those people. If a person has symptoms of the flu we know they can infect us and we can avoid contact with them. Not this coronavirus though.

Even though the seasonal flu can kill those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, the immunocompromised and those with chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma and COPD, the flu virus is not as highly contagious as the coronavirus. A person with the flu can spread the virus during the first day before exhibiting symptoms up to 5–7 days after becoming sick. So generally we know who to avoid to prevent being infected. In most cases, a completely healthy person will not spread the flu virus. If we cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze into our elbows when we sneeze we can help prevent spreading the virus. Of course as always, during cold and flu season and all seasons we should frequently wash our hands.

The coronavirus is deadly different. The CDC estimates it to be twice as contagious as the seasonal flu, which means that for the flu each sick person will affect 1.2 people, whereas the coronavirus will affect 2 to 2,5 people for every person infected. According to the CDC 1 in 1000 people die from the seasonal flu, whereas 10 in 1000 people die from Covid-19, making it 10 times deadlier.

supporting conservatives demonstrated against the stay at home orders given by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Protesters wearing MAGA hats and waving MAGA flags and other Trump paraphernalia assembled in a tightly packed crowd in defiance of social distancing rules demanding their freedom. The scene was more reminiscent of a scene from the Zombie Apocolypse than a peaceful gathering of intelligent citizens practicing their freedom of speech.

A total of eight GOP governors have refused to issue stay at home orders to protect their citizens from the coronavirus for reasons ranging from self-quarantining being a matter of personal choice to issues of state’s rights. Interestingly these eight states were states that voted heavily in favor of Trump in 2016 and the ones he hopes to carry in 2020. The governors have chosen to please Trump instead of protecting the citizens of their respective states. And those morons are okay with that.

The state in which I live, New York State, has a Democratic Governor, Andrew Cuomo, who has, in my opinion, done a far better job of leading during this pandemic than the Moron-in Chief Trump has done. However, I live in a heavily Republican community where nothing a Democrat does could ever be seen as good. And this situation is no exception. Because these people watch Fox News they think Trump has done a fantastic job, while Cuomo has been trying to take their rights away. There were even rumors spread that Cuomo was sending busloads of dying Covid-19 patients from NYC to upstate New York so they could infect the people there. This is the way Republicans up here think!

For the average somewhat intelligent person it is difficult to understand how some people can be not acting in their best interest. I not only get annoyed and angry at their stupidity, but I also get fearful of their actions. I could give a shit if they become infected and die, but I do care that they could infect me or my loved ones. They’re not only being stupid they are being negligent and are possibly committing assault or even murder. If a person wants to kill himself by jumping off a tall building that’s okay with me, but when they jump and land on me, that’s a different story.

Other than the danger of these fools infecting myself and others there is the ever-present danger that these fools will again vote for Trump, after not realizing that he made the pandemic much worse. If we look at what types of people comprise Trump’s base we may look differently at how we feel about what they are doing in defiance of the know facts and logic regarding this pandemic.

Trump’s supporters include white supremacists, misogynists, religious bigots, homophobes, racists, Nazis, and the miscreants of society. Or as Hilary called them, “deplorables”. All of these people together managed to elect this sorry excuse of a human being. This happened because so many people did not vote, thinking that it would not make a difference. Even though these deplorables are sadly outnumbered their votes counted. And it could happen again.

As this pandemic continues to change the way we live and work, or not work, the same people will resist what is good for themselves and the general population. Those same ignorant fools will gather in large numbers in their Red states without masks in defiance of the experts. They will continue to join their MAGA neighbors in the bars and the churches, while the rest of us continue to social distance. They will continue to scoff at science and belittle the healthcare workers risking their lives to save us all. And then, little by little, or big by big, they will begin to get sick and die off. Trump’s base will be decimated, saving the rest of our society. They will never listen to reason, so maybe they should be left to their fate.

Warning! MAGA hats are not PPEs!

Wikimedia

While New York and California are battling an uphill battle against the coronavirus, led by Governors Cuomo and Newsom, both Democrats, Red state governors are sitting by with their thumbs stuck up their asses and lips firmly planted on Trump’s ass. They are following the lead of their fat bastard leader and rejecting sound medical advice from specialists like Dr. Anthony Fauci, who know what the hell they’re doing.

As the virus was attacking New York City, Chicago, California and Washington state, and other states that happened to be Blue states, those governors ordered stay at home or shelter-in-place rules to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Red state governors, like the asshole in Florida, Gov. DeSantis, welcomed spring break revelers to the beaches of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and other beach resorts. Republican government officials in Kansas scoffed at preparing for the pandemic saying “we don’t have many Chinese people in Kansas”. Hey if Trump said the threat would be over in a few days, what’s the worry?

As Trump ignored warnings about the coronavirus, for fear of it hurting his re-election efforts and his financial holdings, the virus gained a stronghold in New York City and Washington state. For over two months Trump and his cohorts in the administration lied about the seriousness of the virus and downplayed the dangers to the American public. He placed the most incompetent and unqualified people in positions of organizing and directing the government’s response to this deadly disease. The only task he gave them was to kiss his ass at every opportunity and to praise his woefully inadequate handling of this crisis during the daily press briefings.

Now that both the number of cases and the deaths are increasing at an alarming rate, a few of the deplorable Republican governors are starting to wake up. Those who took joy in seeing Gov. Cuomo beg for life-saving supplies now realize that Covid-19 does not discriminate between Republican and Democratic states. Because they put all of their faith in a greedy con-man, who has little use for science and truth, they soon will be overwhelmed by the virus. Their cult-like devotion to Trump will cost the lives of hundreds or thousands of their constituents. But many, still stay silent.

We are finding out that Trump sent millions of dollars worth of supplies, that could have been used here, to China and Thailand. Trump has refused to use the powers of his office to enact the Defense Production Act to force industries to manufacture the supplies and equipment so desperately needed by those on the front lines of this fight. He has refused to recommend a nationwide stay at home order for every state as he arrogantly believes it will not spread from the hot spots to other areas of the country. As the virus ravages states such as New York and California, Trump denies much-needed supplies to them, instead, sending them to states that as yet have not been affected simply because they voted for him.

Yesterday at his campaign rally/Covid-19 update it was announced that 200,000 masks were being sent to New York City. Good news? No. they are being sent to private contractors who will auction them off to the highest bidders, American or foreign! Yesterday Trump’s son in law, Kushner said “our” strategic stockpile of supplies did not belong to the states and that they should get their own supplies. Today we learned that Kushner has directed that millions of dollars of supplies be sent to the states, but only the ones whose governors spoke with Trump. Whatever happened to the “United” States of America?

Today, on NBC, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “I don’t understand why all states are not under stay-at-home orders”. Only 39 states thus far have issued such orders, while the rest are in denial waiting for the big orange turd to tell them what to do. Not having a nationwide shutdown, as someone anonymously said, “is like having a peeing only section of a public swimming pool”! There are too many Trump supporters, especially in Red states or in rural pockets all over the country who have been brainwashed by Trump and Fox News to believe there is no threat to them. They go on with life, as usual, laughing at the rest of the country, believing Trump will keep them safe.

This pisses me off because they are not only risking their own lives but the lives of everyone in this country. They think they’re immune to the disease and probably Trump is too. I’ve got news for you. You’re not immune and neither is Trump. (He might be though since as far as I know the virus only affects humans.). Trump supporters, of all people, should be scared shitless because they are most likely to be the ones who don’t have health insurance or the money to pay their medical bills. They don’t realize that Trump doesn’t give a shit about them and the Republicans in Congress will not adequately take care of their needs.

If the Trump administration doesn’t admit failure and hand over the response to the experts, instead of his toadies and family members he won’t have to worry about his re-election. There won’t be enough live Trump supporters left to vote for him.

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People Are Dying, It’s time to end Trump’s reality show!

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It’s shocking and depressing to wake up each morning to the news that the numbers of positive cases of the coronavirus and the number of deaths from it are dramatically rising. I can’t help but think that one month ago the leader of our county muttered these words, “and again when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done”. Now thanks to Trump’s inactions and incompetence we have 75,665 positive cases and 11,000, and the numbers are still rising!

Every day the Moron-in-Chief appears for his daily briefings. People expecting to hear about life and death information, and how our government is helping them, hear nothing but lies, misinformation, conspiracy theories, attacks on his enemies and the press and self-aggrandizing pronouncements. We are put through a sickening parade of the sycophants in his administration kissing his ass, in order to keep him happy and keep their jobs. Even when the two medical experts are allowed to speak, Trump contradicts them if they tell the truth, as dire as it may be. Instead, he spouts irresponsible and dangerous information, offering false hope to his supporters.

At a time when the leader of our country should be uniting us and giving honest emotional support he, instead, continues to divide the country with his racist remarks and failing to take responsibility for his failure to meet this emergency head-on. Instead, he blames Obama, China, Europe, Democratic governors, the press, and anyone else he can think of for his disastrous response to the pandemic. He still believes the pandemic is a conspiracy to ruin his chances for re-election.

Americans are suffering and dying because of him and it’s going to get worse. Enough is enough. This is not a Trumpian reality show! It’s not about him. It’s about us and our country. It’s time for this shit show to end. The more he talks, the more people will die. His cabinet will never dare correct or criticize him, so we can’t depend on them to do the right and moral thing. The GOP members of Congress are either terrified of him or are complicit in his reign of terror and will do nothing to remove him.

Take the fat son of a bitch off the briefing stage and put his ass on a golf course with all the KFC and Big Macs he can eat and leave him there until this thing is over. He can’t harm us there. Then put Dr. Fauci in charge of a panel of experts and have them give the daily briefing to the American public. This will save lives.

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Mainstream Media, You're Doing It Again! Stop airing Trump's mini rallies!

Yahoo News

When Trump ran for president in 2016 most people thought he was a joke, including the mainstream media who saw his campaign as a way to boost their ratings. Every time Trump as much as farted the media were there to cover it. Every word, every action, every appearance was covered, at the expense of the rest of the candidates of both parties. All of this free media coverage of a supposed billionaire, who could well worth afford to pay for it. Every time you turned your TV on there was Donald Trump. His opponents in the Republican primary were summarily ignored, as well as was Clinton, in the general election. They were complicit in allowing Trump and the GOP to demonize Clinton with all matters of lies and conspiracy theories. Shockingly Trump won the electoral college vote, while Clinton won the popular vote. Thanks in part to the MSM we now have a narcissistic, racist, misogynist, homophobic, xenophobic, amoral, incompetent, and dangerous bully as a president!

Up until recently, the MSM has refrained from reporting Trump’s obnoxious and oftentimes illegal actions. They have referred to his incessant daily lying as him offering mistruths or misinformation. His staff even coined a new word for his lies, calling them alternative truths. All the while Trump viciously attacked the press and individual reporters for reporting something that he viewed as unflattering to him, the media did little or nothing. I must note here that I am not referring to Fox News as being a part of the MSM, as it is merely the propaganda arm of the Trump regime and does not cover any factual news regarding Dear Leader.

Now that we are amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the media has slithered back into their pre-election coverage of Trump. Whether it is fear of Trump or plain stupidity they are allowing him free reign of their news coverage. Since Trump’s election, he has not stopped performing at his MAGA rallies, holding them regularly, to stoke up his moronic followers and wallowing in their cultlike adoration. That is until a few weeks ago. Because of the coronavirus, large gatherings have been canceled or forbidden to stop the spread of the disease. These actions have taken away Trump’s only source of Trump’s much-needed validation. At his rallies, he can behave as racist and disgusting as he wants, attacking minorities, immigrants, the handicapped, non-Christians and anyone who doesn’t dote on every Adderal infected word he mutters. He has no shame and his followers aren’t intelligent enough to care.

Not one to be discouraged by a national public health concern, Trump has found a way to rally his deplorable supporters, without holding a public mass rally. Instead, he is holding daily press briefings on the status of the government’s response to the pandemic. He is not addressing the American people with these briefings. He is addressing his supporters by injecting racism into his remarks and calling the coronavirus the Chinese virus. Instead of being presidential and a real man he is blaming Obama, the Democrats and anyone else who doesn’t profess their undying loyalty to him. When he was asked to speak to those people who were afraid of getting sick and dying he attacked the reporter for asking a “nasty” question. He rambles on and on giving false hope and false information, openly disagreeing and contradicting medical experts standing on the podium with him. He is even touting unproven medicines with dangerous side effects a possible cures, just to make himself look like a hero.

Daily he stands, shoulder to shoulder, with his team instead of maintaining a safe social distance, carrying on with a reality type of shit show for his supporters. He shows no concern for those who are suffering from the virus or the families of those who have died from it. Instead, he lies about how many tests are available and how masks and ventilators are being delivered to the hotspots. Perhaps more annoying than his lying is how each member of his administration has to preface their remarks about telling how grateful they are that Trump is doing a tremendous job in meeting this crisis. He never mentions the first responders, the nurses, the truckers or the little people dealing with this crisis.

After the mandatory ass-kissing, the members of his team, except for Dr. Fauci, go on to repeat his useless information. At times Dr. Fauci has stepped up to contradict Trump with the medical facts on the spread of the virus, much to Trump’s dismay. Mysteriously Dr. Fauci has disappeared from the latest briefings. No doubt Trump will fire him soon, for telling the truth to the American people.

Only a couple of weeks ago Trump called the pandemic a hoax orchestrated by the Democrats to hurt him. Naturally, Fox News and the GOP went along with his paranoic lies and conspiracy theories. He was afraid that if the number of cases rose, the economy would tank, along with his re-election chances. He was and still is more concerned with the economy and his businesses along with those of his millionaire friends than the health of the American people. He reluctantly went along with shutting down businesses to slow the spread of the disease, but as of today, he says he wants people to go back to work. He lyingly stated that more people will die from suicide due to the economy than will die from the virus.

Usually, Trump will attack the press, the Democrats in Congress and the governors who have criticized his handling of the health emergency. He attacks his opponents personally and complains about how much money he has lost while serving as president. ( So why doesn’t he quit?) Recently when he was informed that Mitt Romney had tested positive for the virus, he smirked and said, “that’s too bad”. He is incapable of showing any empathy, in comparison to New York Governor Cuomo in his daily briefings, for which he is receiving national bipartisan praise for his leadership.

With each one of his unhinged diatribes masquerading as Covid-19 briefings, the major news networks have aired them without any concurrent fact-checking. This activity has drawn strong criticism on social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. For the first time today, his self indulging appearance was only broadcast on Fox News as a virtual town hall meeting. This is where he announced that he will most likely disregard the advice of medical experts and have people go back to work, by April 12, Easter. He announced that he wanted the churches filled on Easter Sunday! Trump’s death wish for the American people!

Hopefully, today was not a one-time event with the major news agencies not airing his mini rallies. The mainstream media must step up to protect the American people from the dangerous deranged psychopath’s attack on the truth and the health of our nation. Fox News will certainly not step up to the plate to help save lives, but eventually, after the number of deaths skyrocket, they may do their humane duty. Don’t hold your breath though. They will defend Trump to our deaths.

We had our chance only a few months ago to remove this inept excuse for a human through his impeachment, but the cowardly, fearful and greedy GOP reneged on their oaths of office and refused to remove him. For the health and safety of each and every one of us, Trump must somehow be removed from office. Either through another immediate and speedy impeachment, the use of Article 25 or his institutionalization to a psychiatric facility. This article from Yale University is very interesting and addresses this issue.

We’re only just at the beginning of this pandemic in this country and we have a long and treacherous way to go. We need advice and guidance from medical experts and others involved in infectious diseases if we are to have any hope. We need the truth. We need information that is not watered down to meet the narcissistic needs of the moron in the White House. We must be able to trust and count on our news media to save our lives and our country.

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