The Mason Missile, August 26, 2021

Greetings, Americans! We are currently in the month of Elul, the month preceding Rosh Ha’Shona, the Jewish New Year, the time of self-reflection, self-evaluation, and forgiveness, for yourself and others. I take this time now to say, if anyone out there has offended me, I forgive you; and if I had offended anyone out there, I ask for your forgiveness. We need these times for self-reflection, of analyzing our behavior and our thought patters. We are all human and thus subject to failures and errors, and Lord, I made more than a few in my day. That’s is one thing I’ve been working on, as a lot of people have, forgiving myself of my errors and negative traits, learning from them, and moving past it; this also comes under self-esteem, the reminder that you (and I) and worthy of all that is positive. That’s been an ongoing job for me, and it’s not over yet. In September, it will be 40 years living in Philadelphia; I’ve been through some experiences, some pretty rough, and have gone through some changes, but I’m pleased with how things have turned out for me. I’m glad for the opportunity to make a positive contribution to my community, and I continue to do so. I have zero tolerance for these fools who refuse to face the reality of COVID-19,, and who refuse to put masks on and/or take the vaccine; due to this willful ignorance, we’re facing the Delta Variant, as we hoped that we can finally put this behind us. The anti-vax-anti-mask people have been militant to the point of threatening to kill doctors and nurses who have been working constantly to cure people affected by the virus, along with throwing tantrums in school board meetings and tearing the masks off people, evoking the word “freedom.” (https://www.inquirer.com/wires/ap/mask-vaccine-conflicts-descend-into-violence-harassment-20210821.html) A lot of Republican hacks are playing up to this crowd, such as Governors Ron DeSantis (Florida) and Greg Abbott (Texas), along with Congress-idiot Jim Jordan of Ohio, they rant about “freedom” and “no government overreach” and “parents should control their kids and not the government,” giving no thought about the spread of the virus; so these people, and their kids who are told to go back to school while the virus is still floating in the atmosphere, are expendable. Several cities, including Philadelphia, are becoming stricter in demanding mask-wearing and proof of vaccination. I’m not an authoritarian, but the damn virus is STILL out there, noting to play around with, something to take seriously. I am definitely pleased with the increase in vaccinations over the last month. (https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/health/us-coronavirus-friday/index.html?utm_term=16294596046618e3d5769f7f1&utm_source=cnn_Five+Things+for+Friday%2C+August+20%2C+2021&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=ni5q19hDJ0hCyQtn0Mjaea8nV1lIvuI2fNRC4iUD6x2Ka8Dbn2qqdcNJU4Agudqu&bt_ts=1629459604664) Let’s not let the bullies and fools push us around; let’s take the vaccine (and the booster when it comes around), put he mask on if a facility requires it, wash our hands, and look out for each other. The results of the 2020 Census are in. There has been a decline in the birth rate of non-Hispanic whites, and the population of those over eighteen has increased; there have been significant increases in the Asian and Hispanic populations. (https://www.inquirer.com/wires/ap/census-data-us-is-diversifying-white-population-shrinking-20210813.html) (https://www.inquirer.com/wires/ap/explainer-5-takeaways-release-2020-census-data-20210812.html) This is what has white nationalists freaked out-the end of their numerical dominance. They realize this and now they’re playing defense, advocating these efforts to limit voting rights such as voter-ID laws and restrictions on where drop-off boxes are located. They can also double into the anti-vax-anti-mask crusade, since extremist movements tend to meld into each other. You can also throw in religious cranks and such conspiracy theories as Q-Anon. These are the elements have to stand up to, if we want to save the health of our bodies, and the health of our democracy. They are, alas, beyond reasoning with-like school bullies (I have my share of problems with them) they see reasoning and negotiation as weak, and they have so problem with attacking us. We MUST and CAN and WILL stand up to them, in the vaccination clinic and the voting booth. I know we’re up to the task; we have a whole history of freedom-fighting behind us. Stay safe, stay strong, and stay together! America will be free! Bye!