COVID-19 Lockdown, Day 74
Today was slightly better. I had to deal with a client who is chronically sick who is starting to reject treatment necessary to live. This same client is going mad from cabin fever since he cannot safely go out until the pandemic ends. I hope we can get him back on track; I don't need another client dying on me. I am just tired. I am so glad that my vacation is coming up. I am excited about getting on the train and going to the monastery for a few days. I have been longing to go to a place that is far away from everyone and everything. My peace of mind continues to slip out of my grasp, and I want it back. I want to feel sane again.
At least I had a chance to get a portion of normal back tonight. My Working Stiffs Bible Study reconvened. It was great to have the Bible study with my group again. Even The Wife (sorry, Kristaleh; this is just my writing style) and our Vicar came. I will be returning to my Saturday job this week, and I will be able to fika again with She Sits by the Fire. Slowly, but surely, folks. Slowly, but surely.
Today was George Floyd's funeral. If you did not see it, here it is. I have only seen bits and pieces of it, but the Minneapolis police chief knelt as Mr. Floyd's hearse passed, there were many people, socially-distanced, who attend, and Mayor Frey knelt and wept at his golden casket. Yes, he had a golden casket. While I know how many millions were touched by what happened to him, it is a shame that he had to die to become so famous.
Still, if the Chauvin and his henchmen are prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, as if they were never cops, he will not have died in vain. To the judges and prosecutors of the respective district, as well as to the jurors to be selected, I say this: make an example out of all four of them. If you acquit these men or give them slaps on the wrists with all of the evidence against them, not only will you truly make a lie out of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Constitution. You will have no right to complain when someone refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance or the Star-Spangled Banner. Moreover, if you think the latest riots were bad, you will see far worse, and you will be partly responsible. Every time a decent cop is murdered for no reason other than the badge he or she wears, some of that blood will be on your hands. That is because you are telling essentially 13-14% of the population that there lives truly do not matter. You will only confirm the words of the Reverend Dr. Vernon Johns (mhrip): "Last week, a White man was fined for shooting a rabbit out of season, but it's safe to murder Negroes. A rabbit is better off than a Negro because in [America], niggers are always in season."
Yes, things have been far worse for us, but they can be far better if every sector of America will "live out the true nature of its creed: 'we hold these truths to be self-evident that all [people] are created equal.'" All things considered, I would rather be in America than anywhere else. So many bigots have told my people "go back to Africa." First, how could you return to a place you have never been? Second, whether we want to admit it or not, most African-Americans have more in common with Americans of European heritage than with West and Central Africans. Third, our ancestors died and labored making this country as rich as it is, with little to no thanks or opportunity to do for ourselves, so this is just as much our country as it is anyone from Europe if not more.Therefore, if we go "back" to Africa, the descendants of those who brought us here (Anglo-Saxons, Dutch, French, Spaniards, and Portuguese) should go "back" to their respective countries first. Finally, we were brought here against our will, so it is only fair that we leave on our own terms.
--Signing off.
At least I had a chance to get a portion of normal back tonight. My Working Stiffs Bible Study reconvened. It was great to have the Bible study with my group again. Even The Wife (sorry, Kristaleh; this is just my writing style) and our Vicar came. I will be returning to my Saturday job this week, and I will be able to fika again with She Sits by the Fire. Slowly, but surely, folks. Slowly, but surely.
Today was George Floyd's funeral. If you did not see it, here it is. I have only seen bits and pieces of it, but the Minneapolis police chief knelt as Mr. Floyd's hearse passed, there were many people, socially-distanced, who attend, and Mayor Frey knelt and wept at his golden casket. Yes, he had a golden casket. While I know how many millions were touched by what happened to him, it is a shame that he had to die to become so famous.
Still, if the Chauvin and his henchmen are prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, as if they were never cops, he will not have died in vain. To the judges and prosecutors of the respective district, as well as to the jurors to be selected, I say this: make an example out of all four of them. If you acquit these men or give them slaps on the wrists with all of the evidence against them, not only will you truly make a lie out of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Constitution. You will have no right to complain when someone refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance or the Star-Spangled Banner. Moreover, if you think the latest riots were bad, you will see far worse, and you will be partly responsible. Every time a decent cop is murdered for no reason other than the badge he or she wears, some of that blood will be on your hands. That is because you are telling essentially 13-14% of the population that there lives truly do not matter. You will only confirm the words of the Reverend Dr. Vernon Johns (mhrip): "Last week, a White man was fined for shooting a rabbit out of season, but it's safe to murder Negroes. A rabbit is better off than a Negro because in [America], niggers are always in season."
Yes, things have been far worse for us, but they can be far better if every sector of America will "live out the true nature of its creed: 'we hold these truths to be self-evident that all [people] are created equal.'" All things considered, I would rather be in America than anywhere else. So many bigots have told my people "go back to Africa." First, how could you return to a place you have never been? Second, whether we want to admit it or not, most African-Americans have more in common with Americans of European heritage than with West and Central Africans. Third, our ancestors died and labored making this country as rich as it is, with little to no thanks or opportunity to do for ourselves, so this is just as much our country as it is anyone from Europe if not more.Therefore, if we go "back" to Africa, the descendants of those who brought us here (Anglo-Saxons, Dutch, French, Spaniards, and Portuguese) should go "back" to their respective countries first. Finally, we were brought here against our will, so it is only fair that we leave on our own terms.
--Signing off.
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