I hope your holiday is filled with great food and spirits, warmth and pleasant company.
I think that there actually are a few things we can be thankful for this year -- but we are not yet out of the woods: The good news is the narcissist who posed the biggest threat to our democracy in the last century (at least) has slipped to the back-burner and faces legal hurdles at every turn, from his removal of documents from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, his or his legal team's attempts to overturn the 2020 election, especially in Georgia, troubles over his and his corporation's taxes, a pending civil lawsuit for sexual assault, and probably more.
More good news is that vaccines and new COVID treatments have lessened the likelihood of severe illness and death the past several months. [More...]
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On the flip side, Trump is making another run for the oval office. Whether out of desperation to preserve some imaginary form of immunity from prosecution, or just his delusional sense of grandeur, we have to remember he still has his under-informed, marginalized supporters who will vote for him just because they hate Democrats.
I've been saying for years, and I'll say it again, the song that most resonates with me when forced to think about Donald Trump is "Sweet Virginia" by the Rolling Stones, "it's time to scrape that sh*t right off your (our) shoes".
Nor are we yet clear of the dangers of the variants of COVID-19. I was literally the only person in my local grocery store wearing a mask today. No one in my apartment building has worn one for months. Yet Thanksgiving is a very dangerous time, because so many people get together indoors and this is an airborne virus and its mutations we are dealing with . A good piece of advice I read is to plan your event according to the risk posed to the most vulnerable persons attending your gathering. The next best piece of advice is for everyone attending an indoor gathering to do a home test in the morning, particularly if an elderly person or person at greater risk of severe illness from COVID is attending.
here is the latest from Dr. Anthony Faucci, an American treasure we'll be losing next month as White House chief medical advisor and, for the past 40 years, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:
With Thanksgiving approaching, Fauci said it “makes sense that you might want to get a test that day before” coming in contact with friends and relatives. Updated boosters against the BA.4/5 variant provide a “14 times lower risk of dying” and “at least a 3 times lower risk of testing positive compared to the unvaccinated individuals,” he added.
It's still hit and miss, and no one knows in advance who will get long-covid, so please be cautious and insistent if you fear your personal circumstances put you at greater risk from COVID-19 than the risk others face.
One last thing: On the Club Q shooting: We all need to protect the rights of those who are transgender or identify as non-binary. I was astonished today to read so many ignorant comments on a Fox news article in which people who identified as over 60 claimed to have never heard the word non-binary before and had to look it up. One said they thought the word was "non-dairy". Others just mocked the idea and said they'd never accept it.
Aldrich is 22 years old, extremely physically unattractive, obese and projects an unpleasant demeanor. They were obviously medicated from the beating injuries (including being pistol-whipped by the good-Samaritan who jumped them and grabbed a handgun from them.) It seemed like even their public defenders hadn't bonded with them yet. Whatever crisis, media make-over or jury selection expert is ultimately hired by the defense team is going to have their hands full humanizing them.
Yet Aldrich seems like a great opportunity to remind everyone that our constitutional rights are not there merely to protect the innocent. They are to ensure that everyone, even those we perceive to be lowest among us, receive a fair trial. If we don't protect the rights of people like Aldrich, and those we believe to be the most heinous among us, those rights may no longer be there when we or our loved ones need them.
Shorter version: You don't have to like him. As Oprah once said about why people should vote for Hillary even if they don't like her, "You don't have to like her. It's not like she's coming over to your house for dinner. You just have to vote for her." The same thing is true about Aldridge: You can think he's gross or evil or whatever other word you want. But as far as his legal proceedings, you have to urge and explain to people less informed than you that his rights must be protected, just like the rights of those who strike you as innocent and wrongfully accused. If they aren't, those rights may no longer be there when you or your loved ones need them.
Please let us know in comments how your Thanksgiving day went, and if you cooked, please share the menu. We like that kind of stuff here. I'll start: I'm cooking lasagna (3rd year in arow) with key lime pie and chocolate cake, topped with gelato for dessert.
But it's an open thread, feel free to choose the topic.
