Let's talk about Kyle What's-His-Face

Oh, boy...here we go with yet another demonstration in just how polarized our nation is right now.  

I'm just gonna lay out how I see this whole thing.  

I feel like Kyle Rittenhouse is a douche bag.  I feel like he should NOT have been at this riot to begin with.  He had absolutely no business being there.  His statements about going down to defend property is lame.  It wasn't his property.  He decided to put on his vigilante hat instead of staying him with his parents, which is what all kids in the area should have been doing. 

Let's not forget that he's not even from the area.  He went well out of his way, armed, to participate in an opposing riot.  

I feel like this kid deserves to be in trouble.  I feel like he deserves to be in jail.  I feel like he and George Zimmerman have a lot in common.  Assholes putting themselves in places they have no business being in and then playing the victim after they were the ones that killed someone.  I feel like the Rittenhouse parents also share blame for letting their kid be in this position. 

But, here's the thing.  My feelings aren't the law.  If the were, abortion and the death penalty would be illegal. 

To all of those that are SHOCKED that Kyle was acquitted did you follow the trial at all?  Did you hear the testimonies?  Or, did you just hear the parts that your Facebook bubble showed you?  Because, as I read it, there seemed to be a ton of evidence that he was shooting in self defense. And, whether we like it or not...while I don't think he should have been there, it was not illegal for him to be there.  And, while I think he's an asshole, when one of the prosecutions own witnesses, the only living victim, admits that he was only shot after he raised his gun at the shooter, it's hard to argue against self defense. Beyond a reasonable doubt is intentionally hard to achieve.  And, I can completely see how they achieved it. 

This is being painted as more proof that the legal system is stacked against black people.  I don't see that.  All of the victims were white.  People are mad that the jury was made up of mostly white people.  I can't find anywhere that can actually confirm this.  Maybe we'll learn more about the make up of the jury soon, now that the case is over.  Regardless...a person is supposed to be tried by a "jury of their peers."  

When a black man is on trial and people raise a stink that the jury is made up of mostly white people, they are 1000% in the right to complain about this.  Likewise, when a white man is on trial for killing white men, it does not feel wrong to me that his jury is made up of mostly white people.  

Now, what about the fact that the shootings happened during a Black Lives Matter protest?  Well...I disagree...at that point, these were riots.  Yes...many many of the Black Lives Matter gatherings were peaceful and legally sound.  But, many of them weren't.  And, everything points to Kenosha being a riot.  So...there you go.  I don't have much sympathy for the looters.  You will hear me support the peaceful protesters much of the time.  You will not hear me support riots.  

This whole thing is yet another tragedy.  Everything sucks here.  It's time for Kyle to thank God and go away. 

All these calls for Rittenhouse to take an internship are shameful.  Just because he got off doesn't mean he's innocent.  If he didn't take it upon himself to play Punisher, 2 people would be alive.  These GOP asshats all over Twitter singing his praises are just showing why they have lost voters like me.  What would Jesus do Matt Gaetz?  Think he's proud of you for cheering for the deaths of these people?  

Anyway, there you go.  My thoughts.  I will continue to pray that we figure out how to undivide ourselves.    

Catching up

 So...according to my calculations, I haven't posted in almost 2 years.  Judas Priest, who let me have a blog. 

It's funny, I frequently get the bug to write. But, it's usually when I am in the car or in the shower or going to sleep or ordering a coffee from the bikini barista.  It's never when I am sitting at my computer with time to write.  And, if I am sitting at my computer and thinking about writing, I forget what it was I was thinking about in the car or in the shower or going to sleep or ordering a coffee from the bikini barista. 

Also, 99% of the time I am thinking about writing, I am mad about something.  I am mad a lot right now.  

Not at life.  Life is actually pretty good.  I am busy as shit.  Work keeps me busy and I have this side gig that has really picked up.  Not to mention kids that need to not die.  

No, it's people that make me angry.  When I see that the US has had more Covid deaths than any other country.  When I see how hard it is to hire people because we require them to be vaccinated and so many of them simply refuse to do so.  And, when I hear people that I at one time thought were intelligent human beings complaining about their rights and junk as people around them continue to get sick. 

Yeah...I'm just mad.  Because how can you politely tell someone that they are being dumb. 

My favorite is the religious exemption.  Because there is really no way to PROVE that you don't truly believe that you can't receive this vaccine.  I mean, you are probably vaccinated against TB and the measles.  But this one is just too much!  

I got a fucking small pox vaccine when I was in the Navy.  But, numerous former military people are talking about how this one is just too dangerous because some talking head or some blogger posing as a journalist told them so. 

That's really all I have right now.  There are so many good things happening, I should post about them!  Maybe I will.  But, not right now.  Right now, I have to get back to work. 

Kisses!!! 

Poet Amanda Gorman reads 'The Hill We Climb'

It's a good day

 I've been trying to find the word that best sums up how I feel today.  It's been challenging. 

Happy isn't right. We still have so many challenges and I'm not really happy.  400k+ Americans dead, the recent insurrection still on our minds, the continued separation from loved ones and blocking of things that I love to do.  Happy isn't right. 

Excited?  No...not really.  I mean, Democrats now control both the Executive and Legislative branches.  Despite popular belief, I am not a Democrat.  I am not at all excited about one party rule.  I suspect a lot of annoyance over the supposed mandate pushing through policies I don't like.  

Pride?  Maybe, but no.  While I am glad that voters chose America over Trump, 74 million still voted for Trump regardless of the shit of the last 4 years.  74 million Americans still selfishly picked a divider that agreed with them over a genuinely good man because he wants everyone to have health care and believes in racial justice. 

Relief...that's what it is.  It's relief.  

I am working really hard to NOT keep complaining about you-know-who.  He's no longer President.  No more obsessed tweeting.  No more worry about which dictators have the leader of the free world on a leash.  No more wondering who else will die or be orphaned because of one man's power trip. 

I tried to look ahead in 2016 when Trump was elected.  I said it is what it is and now it's time to be Americans and do what we do.  A couple weeks later, he tried to ban Muslims from entering the country.   

So, that's all the reflecting on him I want to do.  Now it's time to look forward. 

I am not naïve.  I know that half of the country voted for someone else and does not want a Biden presidency.  I've said it before, any other year, I would not have voted for Biden.  I voted for Biden for one reason.  He is not Trump.  I've been asked if that means I would have voted for Bernie.  I am not 100% sure, but probably.  I voted for an end to this division and an end to the permission that has been granted to people to be assholes and to think only about themselves.  Out of many, one.  Not, Out of many, mine.  

But, I would like to think that the majority of that half of the country still recognizes what America is.  America is a place where all are welcomed, regardless of background, regardless of race or religion or heritage. It's a place where disagreement is acceptable and peaceful.  It's all the things President Biden said in his speech this morning.  We can disagree without violence.  Without hatred.  

Here's the thing, though.  Disagreement is fine.  Debate is fine.  What is NOT fine is bullshit.  You can disagree with tax policy or immigration reform.  You can't continue to claim this election was rigged.  You can't continue to promote false evidence, exaggerated or often made up "evidence."  Because these are lies.  And these lies will destroy our Republic.  There has been NO factual evidence that supports the claim that there was widespread fraud in the election.  So, if this is your bag, then we have nothing to talk about.  Because you are wrong, the evidence proves that you are wrong, and experts have proven you are wrong, the courts have declared that you are wrong and our new President has been sworn in. So, either accept it or shut up.  We're going to have another election in 2 years.  Another Presidential election in 4 years.  And, the country is tired of angry white mobs trying to spread the lie that our Republic is broken because your Dear Leader didn't win.  

And, let's just acknowledge Vice President Harris.  After 240 years, we finally have a woman VP.  And, let's be real...chances are EXCELLENT that she will be President.  Politics aside, this makes me happy.  I was really frustrated when Hillary Clinton was running.  Because I did NOT want her to be the one to break that glass ceiling.  America has been ready for a woman to be President for a while now.  But, please not her.  Alas, it wasn't her.  Kamala Harris, on the other hand...very happy for her.  Republicans still have time to get their own woman on the ticket in 4 years.  But, dang...you all have a LOT of reconciliation to do before people like me trust you again. 

I'll wrap up with this paragraph from our new President.  It sums up my feelings pretty perfectly.  I thought the speech was pretty perfect, honestly.  Unity.  That was the theme.  

The answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don't look like look like you or worship the way you do, or don't get their news from the same sources you do. We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts. If we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say, just for a moment, stand in their shoes. Because here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days, when you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be. That's what we do for one another. And if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. 

Let's get back on track!