As we approach
our national election day, polls reports that Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by
35 points among women, but only by 2 points among men. The good news is that
the polls have Trump losing, and the gap is getting wider every day.
As a man, though,
it sickens me that a large minority of male voters in the United States of
America — supposedly the home of the brave, land of the free, defender of
democracy and truth — will consider casting a vote for president for a man who
has called United States soldiers suckers and losers, who has ordered children
locked in cells away from their parents for no crime beyond being an innocent
pawn in the immigration controversy, who has lied about so many things that we
have lost count, who demonstrates no respect for those of a different race or
gender than his own, and has not the grace to listen to another’s opinion
without butting in or ridicule. I have seen him compared to Abraham Lincoln by
some supporters, and that is an insult to Lincoln’s legacy as an emancipator. I
think Trump would lock up anyone who disagrees with him, given the chance.
Just the fact
that his careless and megalomanic need for attention recently led directly to
many of his staff and other, more innocent, visitors to presidential and
political events — not to mention he and his wife — to contract the corona
virus should be enough to expose him for his true self. He cares nothing for
anybody or anything else except for his own agenda and his own image.
As a man, he
fails the tests of protecting family and caring for himself, made obvious by
his insistence at leaving the hospital before his disease had run its course. His
disdain and ridicule of those who wear a mask in public to help stop the spread
of the pandemic — at the advice of others who know much better than Donald
Trump about medical matters — is reprehensible.
I see many people
— particularly male — following his example. I also note that the Covid count
in local counties is climbing. More than 600 new cases were reported in the
Idaho Panhandle between October 18 and October 24, 138 on the 23rd
alone. Montana reported over 1,000 new cases in that same time period.
Nationally, there were over 74,000 new cases, and 1000-plus deaths. In the
Panhandle and in all of Montana, 100 percent of intensive care units are full.
Now is not the time to fool around with a known killer.
Wearing a mask
might not seem manly, but if you or someone you know — or don’t — becomes sick —
or dead — because you didn’t wear one? That seems to me to be the result of a childish
fear — that of not looking “cool.” And that from any adult human, male or
female, president or not, is very uncool.
Thankfully,
Trump’s actions and attitudes about the pandemic have helped expose his
incompetence and lack of leadership more fully and convinced many of his base
to reconsider. If we ever have Covid 19 to thank for anything, it will not be
the 210,000-plus American dead so far or the incredible financial, spiritual
and physical costs. It will be that it ushered our worst president ever out of
office.
If you are not
wearing a mask in public spaces, reconsider. If you are not respecting others’
social distancing efforts, reconsider. Those who think they can’t catch Covid, believe
a mask is an impingement on their personal freedom or think the disease is a
hoax that will disappear on November 4 are fooling themselves and endangering
themselves and others. Trump is wrong about Covid — as he is about many things
— and the numbers are climbing again — all over our country.
If you haven’t
voted, do so. If you are a man considering voting for Donald Trump, you might
ask yourself if that’s the manly thing to do.
A few thoughts on Covid, masks and manliness.
As we approach our national election day, polls reports that Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 35 points among women, but only by 2 points among men. The good news is that the polls have Trump losing, and the gap is getting wider every day.
As a man, though, it sickens me that a large minority of male voters in the United States of America — supposedly the home of the brave, land of the free, defender of democracy and truth — will consider casting a vote for president for a man who has called United States soldiers suckers and losers, who has ordered children locked in cells away from their parents for no crime beyond being an innocent pawn in the immigration controversy, who has lied about so many things that we have lost count, who demonstrates no respect for those of a different race or gender than his own, and has not the grace to listen to another’s opinion without butting in or ridicule. I have seen him compared to Abraham Lincoln by some supporters, and that is an insult to Lincoln’s legacy as an emancipator. I think Trump would lock up anyone who disagrees with him, given the chance.
Just the fact that his careless and megalomanic need for attention recently led directly to many of his staff and other, more innocent, visitors to presidential and political events — not to mention he and his wife — to contract the corona virus should be enough to expose him for his true self. He cares nothing for anybody or anything else except for his own agenda and his own image.
As a man, he fails the tests of protecting family and caring for himself, made obvious by his insistence at leaving the hospital before his disease had run its course. His disdain and ridicule of those who wear a mask in public to help stop the spread of the pandemic — at the advice of others who know much better than Donald Trump about medical matters — is reprehensible.
I see many people — particularly male — following his example. I also note that the Covid count in local counties is climbing. More than 600 new cases were reported in the Idaho Panhandle between October 18 and October 24, 138 on the 23rd alone. Montana reported over 1,000 new cases in that same time period. Nationally, there were over 74,000 new cases, and 1000-plus deaths. In the Panhandle and in all of Montana, 100 percent of intensive care units are full. Now is not the time to fool around with a known killer.
Wearing a mask might not seem manly, but if you or someone you know — or don’t — becomes sick — or dead — because you didn’t wear one? That seems to me to be the result of a childish fear — that of not looking “cool.” And that from any adult human, male or female, president or not, is very uncool.
Thankfully, Trump’s actions and attitudes about the pandemic have helped expose his incompetence and lack of leadership more fully and convinced many of his base to reconsider. If we ever have Covid 19 to thank for anything, it will not be the 210,000-plus American dead so far or the incredible financial, spiritual and physical costs. It will be that it ushered our worst president ever out of office.
If you are not wearing a mask in public spaces, reconsider. If you are not respecting others’ social distancing efforts, reconsider. Those who think they can’t catch Covid, believe a mask is an impingement on their personal freedom or think the disease is a hoax that will disappear on November 4 are fooling themselves and endangering themselves and others. Trump is wrong about Covid — as he is about many things — and the numbers are climbing again — all over our country.
If you haven’t voted, do so. If you are a man considering voting for Donald Trump, you might ask yourself if that’s the manly thing to do.
A few thoughts on five days in sandals.
A shower of sand fell from my pack as I emptied it today. The stuff is whiteish, with gray and tan highlights. In my mind, there’s a big mystery about the color. Why is it almost white when near all the stone surrounding it is some permutation of black? The
A few thoughts on trees, O2, CO2 and basic breathing.
It’s 4:19 pm on the day when A Few Thoughts is due, and I’m just getting to it. It’s been on my mind, but my mind has not been coming up with a good subject, which is not a new phenomenon, but one I’ve not had trouble with for at
A few thoughts on politics, the weather, religion and literary license
Politics: Bombing Iran? So, what’s new? We’ve been interfering in Middle Eastern politics since forever. The argument that Donnie will keep us out of wars is now moot. Maybe 100 times more folks showed up for “No Kings Day” than for Donnie’s birthday parade ala Red Square. The military seemed
A few thoughts on writing for free.
After 61 days away traveling the West, with ten days on Maui thrown into the middle, it’s good to be home. I drove 7,434.8 miles, took way too many pictures, played golf, skied, ate out my cooler, camped out, stayed with friends and stayed within budget. It was a good
A few thoughts on the power of consent.
I turned 74 last week, and I’m thinking of turning away from political commentary. I have tried for 25 years-plus to get people to think for themselves about who will be the best leader for the future of their kids and grandkids, but bottom line always seems to be the