Governors Of Death

Austin Texas’s hospitals are overflowing. Florida’s cases are exploding. What are the governors-whose duties include protecting the good people of their states- doing to protect their constituents? They are doubling down on the American credo “Live Free or Die!” 

This is what I call the politics of “Who the fuck cares about whether you live or die, as long as I get your vote.” Umm, how will these people vote for you when they are dead? You will count them anyway? You know for certain they would vote for you? And that’s not voter fraud, that’s voter certainty?

As the Delta variant wreaks havoc and cases rise dramatically and my rage gets the better of me, I think: well, if you kill enough of your constituents maybe it will balance out your egregious Jim Crow tactics to create obstacles for voting for black and brown people. 

All you defenders of American rugged individualism, no one is going to take away your right to die! Just please, when you are on death’s doorstep, don’t give me the “I should have gotten the shot or can’t I just get it now?”.

I know I sound a bit cold-hearted here, but hey, if you don’t see how you’re not getting the vaccine, or wearing a mask imperils others, as well as yourself, then my empathy wanes.

Here’s Governor-of-death Greg Abbott of Texas: “Every Texan has a right to choose for themselves and their children whether they will wear masks, open their businesses, or get vaccinated.

In Texas, the Governor ensures people can carry guns to protect themselves, but ask you to wear a mask? Are you out of your mind?

Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi described the CDC’s call for masking “Foolish, harmful not rational science.” What makes this so appalling is that a year ago he said it was “the key to reducing transmission of the virus.” What changed? Did an alien take over his mind? Nah, it’s just not the politically expedient thing to do. He’s afraid there might be a January 6th style insurrection at the governor’s mansion?

And what about our dear Governor-of-Death DeSatanist of Florida? He has made it clear that children don’t need to wear masks in the classrooms. That this is a matter of a right to choose. He is so rabid about defending Americans this right, that his office released a statement that it “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members.” 

I am beginning to wonder if DeSatanist, who seems to be willing to risk his political career on this battle, was traumatized by someone wearing a mask at a Halloween party when he was six, or is he just that evil? Will you stop paying teachers too if they don’t want to be in classrooms with students who are not vaccinated?

And what about the uptick of serious illness with children?

This is what Peter Hotez, Dean of Tropical Medicine at Baylor University in Texas, said: 

“For the first time that I can remember since the start of this pandemic, we’re seeing kids in pediatric intensive care units in large numbers to the point where even pediatric intensive care units are getting overwhelmed. If we’re already seeing Covid-19 pediatric ICU admissions in children’s hospitalizations before school’s open, what’s going to happen after that?” “Schools are going to be an accelerant for this if we don’t have all of those kids masked.”

And what about our beloved Senator Rant, Beyond the Pale, Paul who is in the running for the award for a politician who most passionately promulgates disinformation? Will Paul quit the senate to become a “Paulbearer” at children’s funerals and comfort all the parents?

Paul has gone so beyond the pale that Youtube has banned him for a week because of his campaign of disinformation. That’s quite a badge of honor considering the kind of content you can find on Youtube.

So here we are. New cases are near 130,000/day. And it is going to get worse. American exceptionalism at its best. Is there a tipping point for leaders and their constituents who take exception to wearing a mask? How many children have to die for parents to realize that the virus’s favorite 4 words are “Live free or die”?

At a volatile school board meeting in Williamson County, Tennessee, where the school board mandated masks, here’s what one parent, Daniel Jordan, a former Marine and parent, told the board, “Actions have consequences. If you vote for this, we will come for you, in a nonviolent way. In the past, you dealt with sheep; now prepare yourself to deal with lions.” 

I don’t know about you, but that’s the flimsiest use of “non-violent” that I’ve ever heard. And the virus smiles and says: “We will see what kind of lion you are when we come for you and your children.”