About a year ago, my boss observed that this entire pandemic sitch is just a nightmare for those with analytical thought processes.. Engineering, science, analytic types. Mathematically? The country was basically in a worse place when the health orders were lifted than it was when the orders were put in place last year. That was astonishing to me. And kind of like the anti-environmentalists who don’t seem to realize they need to drink the water and breath the air … even if you’re vaccinated and have a very good probability of avoiding hospitalization? Getting sick for a week sucks. It sucked ten years ago, it’ll suck ten years from now. But, if you can mitigate your risk of feeling like an elephant is roosting on your chest for a week … what’s the reasonable thought process that leads to someone saying “I’m going to show how very free I am by getting painfully ill”?!
I mean, there are plenty of ways to partake in your American Freedoms that aren’t painful illness. Head out to the range, rent a gun for a few hours, and fire off a couple dozen 50 caliber rounds. Publish a rant against whatever part of government irked you this week. Spend the weekend attending church services for ten different religions. Hell, marvel at the fact there’s not an uninvited soldier camped out in your spare bedroom and that the cops aren’t rifling through your belongings. And that just covers the first five articles in the bill of rights.
In fact …
Article | Way to enjoy it |
I | Spend a weekend attending services for a dozen different churches (synagogs, mosques, etc) |
II | Hire a gun at a range and spend the afternoon popping off 50-cal rounds |
III | Marvel at how your spare bedroom is not occupied by an uninvited soldier |
IV | Notice how the police are not rifling through your personal belongings just because they can |
V, VI, VII, VIII | Don’t know that I’d commit a crime just to enjoy my right not to provide evidence against myself, be subjected to cruel or unusual pubishment, or experience a speedy, public trial … but you do you. |
IX | Go to work? |
X | Oooh, experience all of the things your state does control — maybe hang at the DMV and renew your license |
XI | Umm … well Michigan hasn’t sued Ohio today. Does that count? |
XII | Well, you cannot be part of the electoral college … but you CAN vote |
XII | No more slaves |
XIV | The state isn’t depriving me of life, liberty and such. |
XV | My rights aren’t being abridged because of my race |
XVI | Taxes were withheld from my paycheque this week. Yeah!??? |
XVII | My state has tw senators |
XVIII | Grab a pint! |
XIX | I’m a woman, and I can vote! |
XX | Watch the certification of the election |
XXI | Grab another pint! |