COVID Diaries Pt. 5
Resurgence
As I’m writing this, virus cases are spiking all over the US. Some folks want to blame it fully on protests, but it’s too soon for that. The spikes we are seeing now are because of states opening up and ending lockdowns and restrictions too soon. Don’t you worry though, we’ll see another surge soon due to the protests as well.
Illinois is one of the best in the entire nation so far for keeping infection rates down. The reason? Our governor actually locked shit down, based on science, and isn’t deviating from his re-opening plan. We see the results. Still, people all over Illinois hate Pritzker because “southern IL (or the suburbs) isn’t Chicago” which is such bullshit. It’s not just a big city problem. Issues can be far worse in rural places with fewer hospital beds or other necessities. People just seem to think that they magically can’t get it out in the country and that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Illinois, Iowa and Indiana have all cancelled their state fairs. That’s huge, and I’m glad they did so. If we remain vigilant and don’t let our guard down, we can keep lowering infections. I’m not confident of that due to the pictures of packed bars, and pool parties and many other things I’ve seen. Now, to some people, if you wear your mask you are somehow a pussy or using it to further your liberal agenda. No fuckstick, I just don’t want to get sick, and despite you being an idiot, I don’t want you to get sick either.
Once again, I’m in a high-risk group. I don’t want to get this for the obvious health implications. But that’s not all, there have been a couple of stories of people who got their hospital bills after beating COVID. Two major ones that stand out were bills for $840 thousand dollars and $1.1 million dollars. For one person, surviving COVID.
Think of that. You survive something that made you sick enough to be hospitalized only to get bills you’ll never be able to pay. I’m not willing to roll the dice on that just to return to normalcy. Fuck normalcy.
And I would be negligent if I didn’t mention that protests are still going on, and the government and police are still doing awful shit.
The president had Lafayette Square in DC cleared with pepper spray and tear gas, including removing religious leaders from the property all so that asshole could walk over there for a photo op of him holding the bible in front of the church. Every religious leader at the church condemned him for this, and his followers tried to deflect everything as per usual. It wasn’t a photo op, they didn’t use teargas. Fuck you, I watched the videos and you are an idiot. 45 was hiding in a bunker the night before, and when that news broke, it made him look weak, so he had to do something to look strong to his base. Walking to the church would do it. It’s horrible on so many levels.
Don’t worry, that’s not ALL the shit that’s gone down. The protests have persisted, more black people have been killed during the actual protests, and just yesterday a black man was shot in the back while running away from being awoken in his car near a drive thru. Cops still haven’t been charged in the no knock warrant death of a completely innocent Breonna Taylor. California officials ruled a black man found hanging from a tree a suicide even though everyone there wants an investigation into whether he was lynched. Generals have come out against 45 trying to use the military against his own people. The Marines, Navy and NASCAR have all banned the confederate flag, yes even NASCAR.
Oh, and the president scheduled a rally to happen in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The site of a massacre of black people by rioting white people. Oh, he just happened to have scheduled it on June 19th (Juneteenth) which is remembered for slavery finally ending after feds made people in Texas give up their slaves TWO AND A HALF YEARS after slavery ended in the US. To schedule on THAT day, in THAT city is absolutely deliberate. It’s a nod to his racist supporters that he’s with them.
He also rescinded health protections for trans people on the four-year anniversary of the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Don’t believe for a single second that these are coincidences. He is absolutely showing his base of racist, anti-gay bigots that he is with them.
Resurgence. The resurgence of bigotry, racism and hate in this country in recent years, and the resurgence of a deadly virus. Both need to be dealt with.