Covidiots

A national crisis, such as the one we are going through now, brings certain things to the fore: greatness, mostly exhibited by the heroic efforts of health care workers and the unsung employees of essential businesses, like grocery and drug stores, such as man who was shot to death for daring to enforce the rule for customers wearing masks; badness, mostly exemplified by Republican politicians and the corporations that control their strings, who value money over human life; and the stupid. I'd like to address that now.

I'm almost sixty years old, and I don't know if I've ever lived through a time where Americans were so proud of their ignorance. It's been going on a long time, but has flowered during the Age of Trump. The chief Oompa Loompa himself has been the leader of this lack of common sense and flouting of science. His daily briefings are a black comedy that is unfortunately too real. The nadir may have been when he suggested that injecting disinfectant may be a way to combat the virus--as one expects, a few people followed his advice and were hospitalized after consuming bleach. If only he would tell them to jump off a cliff.

There is venality mixed with stupidity, and that is displayed by the religious right. We have heard pastors refuse to cancel Sunday services, with predictable results--a few of them have died. A woman was an Internet star after saying she couldn't catch the virus, she was "covered in the blood of Jesus." A wag noted her dry cleaning bills must be high. My feeble knowledge of Christianity tells me that God is everywhere, but apparently the collection plate must be filled.

An amateur theologian and state legislator from Ohio, whose name I don't want to remember, said that he isn't wearing a mask because God doesn't wear one. First of all, how does he know what God looks like--do they Facetime?--and second of all, does God wear eyeglasses? Dentures? A hearing-aid? If he doesn't, then we shouldn't wear those things either.

Speaking of masks, the stupidest image I saw this week was a woman who had ripped a hole in hers because she had trouble breathing through it. How this woman manages to find her way home, or keeps from drowning in a bowl of cereal, I don't know.

But the worst are these Covidiots who have gathered at state capitol to bemoan what they claim are a loss of freedoms. Many of them carry automatic weapons, as if worried that state employees (they are known for their savagery) may start shooting at them. Others claims the virus is a liberal hoax, but hedge their bets by wearing masks. And there are those who seem to believe that cruelty and callousness are a virtue, such as the woman above. I'm positive that she would call herself pro-life and condemns the killing of fetuses, but as for the old infirm, the hell with them.

I'm amazed, but probably shouldn't be, by the sheer gall of some of these sign-carries. Some are upset they can't get a haircut. Another doesn't want his golf season ruined. Are they really on the level? Some of these dopes are survival types who presumably have enough baked beans to last the apocalypse, but can't go six weeks without getting a trim.

All I can do is hope that these horrible people are a small but vocal minority. If not, we are all doomed.