Words from Deb T.

I see the edges of a rainbow this morning.  Maybe, just maybe, we can win a race against a Nazi in the White House who is robbing us blind and killing everybody he can.

I do know one damn thing – if you think the leadership of the national Democratic Party should not be told to pack their bags and go home you should find a new beauty salon to hang out at.

It is time to hand the reins over to a new generation of Americans.  No, it’s long past time.

So far, on as little sleep as possible, I am proud of the media for keeping Trump’s wild ravings and threats off the airways.

And lastly, I am so disappointed in my fellow Americans.

I’m going back to bed for a few hours.

Okay, it’s 6:55.  We’ll stay open until I go to sleep on top of my computer.

Okay, we’ll be staying open all day today.  If you want to email me pictures of your voting locations or activities, please do so.  Ask me for my email address by clicking the Tell Juanita at the top.

I will be in and out all day with my two shifts as a poll watcher (the outside kind) and the traditional drive around the polls with Bubba.  Also, I will be bringing local results on a couple of Zoom rooms for people who haven’t figured out how to use the county’s reporting data.

I have been sitting on some secret internal data of the people who have voted early and I will tell you that it will be close in Texas but nationally, it’s gonna be a landslide.  No reason to take a nap today – James Carville and I say we’ll know by 10:30.  And, this “Trump movement” will last about as long as the Tea Party did.

Above is VeeGee in VT, who says, “I’m a voter in Vermont (safely blue) and have been writing to likely Dem voters since June.  Here’s my last batch of postcards, mailed on 10/25.”

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Thoughts from Nick Carraway.

A former coworker threw up one of those posts on social media that I would simply label religious pomposity. Essentially, these folks (I know you’ve seen them before) assert that the virus is real, but their faith will protect them from harm. They will continue to live their life because God will protect them.

This is where we see some variance. Some will be respectful of others and wear masks in public. This is because they can at least understand the notion that masks are more about protecting others than protecting themselves. Others are more selfish. They are bulletproof from the virus because they have a great relationship with the almighty.

If you haven’t figured it, these are the people that anger me the most. It isn’t the denial of covid that bothers me. It bothers me sure, but it is understandable on some level. The religious folks bother me more because they are misunderstanding the virus and they are misunderstanding religion. That’s quite a combination.

They are using what I would call an Old Testament understanding of religion. It goes something like this. If I’m good enough and obedient enough then God will protect me from harm. This sounds good, but we can take this to its logical conclusion. In other words, if I’m continually safe then I am continually in God’s favor. If I’m infected or somehow worried about being infected then your faith is superior to my faith. 

Now, for those that have studied their Bible, they remember the story of Job. God and Satan had this bet going that Job would continue to praise God even when you took away his stuff, his health, and his family. Those from Old Testament times believe both halves of that equation. If you are fortunate then God favors you. If you are not then he doesn’t.

People that post this kind of thing are continuing to perpetuate this idea. They are doing so in a very selfish and arrogant way. They have God’s favor. They are obviously good and obedient people. They will take advantage of his largesse, so they don’t need to protect himself and others. Unfortunately for them, evidence shows this is not case. Churches have held services in defiance of public safety and numerous members have paid the price. 

I won’t go into specifics, but these folks are usually far from virtuous. This is why these kinds of pronouncements anger me. It’s the arrogance involved. We are called to be humble. Those that are first will be last and those that are last will be first. Belief doesn’t give me super powers and it doesn’t make me any safer than anyone else. Furthermore, if I’m willing to put someone else in danger because of my faith then I have surrendered any moral high ground I thought I had in the first place.